Chapter 192: A New Landscape (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 192: A New Landscape (2)
Every judgment had its basis.
Before arriving at the decision to pursue and annihilate the Kronos Imperial Army, Roman Dmitry had reviewed past precedents.
‘Kronos is a nation where trouble never ceases. They are always the first to cross other nations' borders and exert military force. If they were to be attacked in return, what decision would they make? If I do not verify this clearly, I might not be able to bear the consequences of my choice.’
The history of the continent.
There were three examples that could verify the facts he sought.
The first was a conflict with the Kingdom Alliance.
The Kingdom Alliance was comprised of four kingdoms located south of the Kronos Empire. Like Cairo, they were never safe from the threat of Kronos, so they had formed an alliance to protect one another. During that time, they were attacked by Kronos as usual. However, when a resentful knight of the Kingdom Alliance brutally slaughtered the enemy commander, Kronos demanded an official apology.
Their condition was absurd.
They declared that unless the knight involved knelt and apologized, they would not hesitate to wage an all-out war.
The other two incidents were no different.
Although the Kronos Empire had clearly committed the initial wrong, there was absolutely no sense of justice or fairness in their process of determining right from wrong. Incidents of a similar nature had occurred three times in history. This meant that the Kronos Empire's decisions were not merely accidental; they were based on a clear set of standards for any given situation.
‘The Cairo Kingdom suffered the exact same fate. Because of Kronos's habit of demanding apologies when they were the aggressors, at some point, even amidst annual invasions, Cairo stopped making examples out of them. While justification is important in conflicts between nations, even that is meaningless in the face of absolute power. The Kronos Empire is a nation where common sense does not apply. If we exact proper revenge in this war, it will undoubtedly cause trouble.’
It was not a conventional judgment.
Roman Dmitry...
...knew exactly what standards guided the Kronos Empire's actions.
It was the logic of the strong.
They were not ignorant of their own wrongdoings. What mattered to them was the fact that the weak had dared to show hostility toward them. Having lived the life of the strong himself, Roman knew this well. Even if people criticized the morality of it, severely punishing the weak when they crossed the line allowed one to rule through absolute fear.
Slowly, very slowly, the moment you dominated the minds of the weak, they lost the ability to make rational judgments. No matter what the strong did, the weak had no choice but to remain completely silent, unable to utter a single word of protest.
By then, it was irreversible.
Roman Dmitry knew the price of his decision, but that was precisely why he believed they had to attack.
‘It is something we must face eventually. For the Cairo Kingdom to move in the right direction at this crossroads, we must take the risk, even knowing the precedents.’
Looking at Baron Noel, Roman spoke.
"Regardless of who is right or wrong, the Kronos Empire has never made a decision that harms its national interests. This time is no different. Even though they joined the rebellion and crossed our borders first, what matters to them is the fact that the Cairo Kingdom—a mere weak nation—opened its gates and unilaterally slaughtered Kronos soldiers."
"……Then what on earth are we supposed to do?"
Baron Noel's voice trembled.
He had thought the war was over. But faced with this unexpected possibility, he could no longer enjoy the thrill of victory.
"It is the same as before. From the moment we decided to attack the Kronos Empire, this fight became one where the side that steps back must bear the full brunt of the damage. In that case, our choice is simple."
If they had no intention of becoming a vassal state...
...they had to take a firm stance, even if it meant they might break.
"From this moment on, we must wage another war at the negotiation table."
* * *
It was just as Roman had anticipated.
Just as the battlefield was nearly cleared, the Cairo royal court received a communication from the Kronos Empire.
[As the representative of His Majesty the Emperor, I shall state the position of the Kronos Empire.]
He was from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Baron Charlton.
Looking at Daniel Cairo through the screen, he held his head high.
[The Kronos Empire joined this war at the request of Marquis Benedict. The justification for entering the war was provided by Cairo, and we merely aligned ourselves with his claim. We do not claim our actions were unconditionally right. However, once Marquis Benedict, the source of our justification, was defeated, Kronos withdrew its forces and showed its intent to no longer continue the war. Yet, how did Cairo act? Not only did you open your gates to pursue and attack Kronos, but you also brutally murdered Count Fabio and Knight Commander Gustavo, valuable assets of our empire.]
"We were in the middle of a war. Is it wrong to punish the enemy?"
The opponent was a mere noble. But because he was the Emperor's representative, Daniel Cairo could not treat him with disrespect.
For this negotiation, the kingdom's leadership had put their heads together to secure an advantageous dialogue. They had intended to resolve the situation as peacefully as possible, but the Kronos Empire's claims shocked Cairo from the very beginning.
[Yes. It was wrong. Therefore, we expect appropriate compensation for it.]
"That is unacceptable. We did not intend to go to war with Kronos. We were attacked first, and our actions were merely a justified counterattack. Yet you demand appropriate compensation? If Kronos persists with this attitude, we will have no choice but to officially raise this issue with the international community. Furthermore, while Cairo was considering releasing the prisoners peacefully, if Kronos continues to show such hostility, we will be left with no other options."
He took a strong stance. Speaking for Cairo, he refused to back down this time.
[Do as you wish. Even if you raise the issue with the international community, it does not change the fact that Cairo provided the justification for us to enter the war. Furthermore, Kronos will not accept any negotiations that use the lives of the prisoners as leverage. From this moment, we will give you two options. There will be no further negotiations.]
It was a unilateral ultimatum. Silencing the other party, he declared the Empire's terms.
[We demand punishment for Roman Dmitry, who brutally murdered Count Fabio. In return, we will take one of his arms. If Roman Dmitry comes to the Empire, offers his arm, kneels, and apologizes—and if you release all Kronos prisoners—the Kronos Empire will no longer pursue this matter. That is your first option. If you reject the first option, your second option is total war with Kronos. No negotiations will be permitted. You have ten days. Come in person within that time to state your position. Otherwise, Kronos will immediately and formally declare war on the Cairo Kingdom.]
With those final words, Baron Charlton cut the communication without even waiting for an answer.
Click.
* * *
The Cairo Royal Palace.
Everyone present at the meeting was thrown into shock.
Their minds were in such a tangled mess that they lost their words, unable to comprehend how to accept this reality.
It was sheer absurdity. The Kronos Empire had forced this choice upon them, fully aware of how preposterous their demands were.
Simon spoke up.
"Your Majesty. The Kronos Empire is not making this proposal simply to receive an apology. Seeing the abilities Roman Dmitry displayed on the battlefield, they are clearly trying to eliminate a potential future threat in advance."
It was certain.
Roman Dmitry.
He was an existence that transcended the boundaries of the kingdom.
Cairo, which had always shown conventional thinking and an attitude befitting a weak nation, had taken a completely different path this time with Roman Dmitry at the forefront. Furthermore, there was the matter of Gustavo's death. If eyewitness accounts of the scene had reached the Kronos Empire, they would undoubtedly have grown wary of Roman Dmitry's overwhelming martial prowess.
Only in his mid-twenties, Roman Dmitry had defeated Gustavo.
It was not just the result of his victory; the sheer dominance of the fight made his true strength impossible to fathom.
The apology was merely a pretext. At Kronos's blatant attitude, Daniel Cairo gritted his teeth.
‘We suffer such humiliation because our national power is weak.’
His father, the former king, had been a man who pursued peace.
Growing up watching such a man, Daniel Cairo had inherited his father's benevolence. But facing this cruel reality, he realized just how irresponsible his father had been. A king should not have been that way. Sharing a border with a ruthless predator like Kronos, they needed to possess strong national power if only to survive.
The problem was, it was already too late.
Reality was upon them, and Kronos was forcing an unavoidable choice.
All eyes fell upon Daniel Cairo.
In a situation where no one but Simon could offer any advice, Daniel Cairo spoke with a grim expression.
"Roman Dmitry is a hero of Cairo. He acted for the sake of Cairo, and everyone in this room, along with all the citizens of Cairo, knows this. If we abandon such an existence just to save ourselves, what will become of us? We might be safe for the moment. But that is all. The Kronos Empire will use this opportunity to sever our limbs, and no one will ever step forward to risk their life for the kingdom again. With the precedent of Roman Dmitry before them, Cairo will naturally crumble."
It was a dangerous choice. Kronos was not an entity that made empty threats, and his decision might very well lead directly to war.
However, in the new Cairo of the future, there would be no factional strife threatening the nation, nor would there be any mistreatment of talented individuals who dedicated themselves to the country.
Even if the result was ruin, it was a burden Cairo had to bear.
At least as the king of a nation, and as the one who had permitted the decision to attack Kronos, Daniel Cairo did not shirk his responsibility.
"Summon Roman Dmitry immediately. I will discuss this matter with him directly."
* * *
Two days later.
Roman Dmitry entered the palace.
Daniel Cairo could not bring himself to tell Roman Dmitry, who had suffered so much on the Western Front, that he had done well.
"……The situation has come to this. What do you think we should do?"
He asked honestly.
Kronos's proposal.
In a situation where an ordinary mind could not easily find an answer, they needed someone who could present a new direction.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"From this moment on, we need a new dynamic. The Kronos Empire is well aware that their proposal defies common sense. The reason they are forcing such an absurd choice anyway is to re-establish the Empire's prestige while eliminating me. If we accept Kronos's proposal, a future where Cairo is absorbed as a vassal state of Kronos is unavoidable."
"I am not ignorant of that fact either. However, we cannot simply ignore a choice backed by absolute power. As you said, if Kronos intends to re-establish the Empire's prestige, they will surely carry out one of those options, given the words they have spoken."
The first option was out of the question.
That left the second option: total war with Kronos.
Even assuming Roman Dmitry was the First Sword of the Continent, there was no way for Cairo's power to bring down the Empire.
But Roman Dmitry had already found the answer from the moment he first decided to attack.
"I have a way to secure our practical interests while avoiding war. Send me as Cairo's envoy to the Kronos Empire. I will go to the Empire myself and resolve this issue."
"I cannot allow it. The Kronos Empire is demanding your punishment. If you walk into the lion's den yourself, you could lose your life in the worst-case scenario."
Roman's proposal was bold.
He might indeed resolve the issue as he claimed, but they could not simply send Roman Dmitry away.
That would be an irresponsible decision.
They had to bear the responsibility of the decision together, yet Roman's proposal was no different from taking all the burden upon himself.
It was then.
One of the people gathered in the palace, a man who had been listening to the conversation, stepped forward and raised his voice.
"May I speak, Your Majesty?"
"Speak."
"Roman Dmitry knows how to resolve this issue. And Your Majesty, the King of Cairo, believes it is too dangerous for Roman Dmitry to go to the Kronos Empire. In that case, wouldn't it suffice if someone who can properly convey Cairo's stance goes to the Empire instead? If there is someone with the eloquence to perfectly execute Roman Dmitry's plan, I believe that would be the most optimal compromise for Cairo."
For this plan, Roman Dmitry had intended to execute it himself.
Just as Daniel Cairo bore the responsibility of his decisions, Roman's mindset was no different.
However, upon identifying the owner of the voice, Roman recognized the weight behind his words.
Daniel Cairo, too, nodded at the reasonable compromise.
"Count Fabius. Do you mean to say you will go as the envoy to Kronos yourself?"
"Indeed. I will represent Cairo and deliver our stance to the heinous Kronos Empire."
The Raccoon of Cairo.
He had opened a new path forward.