Chapter 203: The Wheel of Destiny (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: The Wheel of Destiny (3)
One week ago.
During her stay in Kairos, Flora Lawrence spent her time with her former tactics professor.
Clack.
A pawn advanced a single step.
Pressing the offensive, Flora Lawrence spoke without taking her eyes off the board.
"Immediately after the battle broke out in Kairos, Roman Dmitry marched on Benedict Castle under the pretext of executing the rebels. While it ultimately proved to be the decision that swiftly ended the rebellion, it carried immense risks. Declaring Marquis Benedict's Noble Faction as rebels while simultaneously capturing the leader of the Imperial Faction was a bold, yet incredibly dangerous move. Although it temporarily deterred the Imperial Faction from intervening in the civil war, they absolutely would have stepped in had the siege at Benedict Castle dragged on."
It was a post-mortem analysis of sorts.
Now that the storm had passed, she was meticulously reviewing the sequence of events.
Rather than simply looking at the victorious outcome and assuming the process leading up to it was flawless, she was re-evaluating every step that had brought about that result.
The professor blocked her pawn's advance.
His gaze, framed by his spectacles, remained fixed on the board.
"Your point is valid. Just three days. Had the siege been delayed by even that much, the civil war in Cairo would have taken a completely different turn. However, Roman Dmitry's decision was bold and backed by solid reasoning. He secured a weapon the rebels never anticipated—the Phoenix Magic Tower—and deliberately drove them into Benedict Castle, absolutely confident he could bring it down. His intention was clear. Knowing that giving the enemy multiple options would only prolong the war, he forced them into a single choice they believed was to their advantage."
Clack.
He countered with a knight.
Pushing up his glasses, he stole a glance at Flora.
"There is a fine line between recklessness and boldness. The fact that he proceeded with his plan without wavering, even after the Kronos Empire intervened, means Roman Dmitry had absolute confidence in his strategy. And that made all the difference. Benedict's rebel army collapsed far sooner than their actual military strength would suggest, almost anticlimactically so."
"Then what do you make of his decision to open the castle gates? Even if it was to set a precedent that Cairo would not just take blows lying down, the cost of failure would have been catastrophic. He had already achieved the most ideal outcome by crushing the rebels. Was it truly necessary to go that far, especially at the risk of putting the Western Front in jeopardy?"
"I agree it was a dangerous choice. Had he lost the battle outside those gates, his previous victories would have been rendered entirely meaningless."
The chess pieces moved in complex patterns.
Even as they engaged in a fierce exchange on the board, their minds were entirely consumed by tactical analysis.
"But once again, Roman Dmitry's decision stemmed from deep conviction. The conviction that he could personally handle variables like Knight Commander Gustavo. Furthermore, because Kronos's military strength was easy to gauge due to their ongoing conflict with the Kingdom Alliance, as long as he could secure superiority in power, there were actually fewer variables at play than when he was suppressing the rebels."
Clack.
The professor's pieces began to pressure Flora Lawrence.
Though he had been at a disadvantage initially, he had somehow turned the tables and was now poised to devour her forces.
"Flora. From start to finish, this war was defined by Roman Dmitry's bold decision-making. It is, without a doubt, a realm of experience that cannot be learned from books, yet Roman Dmitry masterfully guided the war exactly where he wanted it to go. Frankly, his moves are baffling. In hindsight, every single choice looks like a stroke of genius, but in reality, they were perilous gambles where a single slip could have sent him plunging into the abyss. Setting aside the perfection of his tactics, this war was a stage created solely by Roman Dmitry's personal caliber."
Clack.
The queen advanced, cornering her opponent.
"Checkmate."
Surrounded by enemy pieces, Flora Lawrence tipped her king over, conceding defeat.
* * *
Left alone in the room, Flora stared blankly at the chessboard.
Her win rate against the tactics professor was usually fifty-fifty, but she had been far too distracted analyzing Roman Dmitry's tactics to focus on the game.
"...A realm of experience that cannot be learned from books."
The professor's words echoed in her mind.
She couldn't easily accept them.
Flora was not ignorant of Roman Dmitry's past.
Since he was once a man she had been arranged to marry, she had thoroughly investigated what kind of person he was. There was absolutely no basis for the "experience" the professor spoke of. Roman Dmitry had lived a life entirely detached from the battlefield, only to suddenly transform into a completely different person without any apparent catalyst.
If so...
"Is it a matter of pure talent, then?"
There was no other way to explain it.
Roman Dmitry's track record spoke for itself.
From the battle with Barco to the Southern Front, and even the disturbances in the northeastern region—Flora had used the very events that shook Cairo as textbooks for her tactical studies.
Goosebumps broke out across her skin.
At first, she had simply admired what Roman Dmitry had accomplished. But as her understanding deepened, she realized just how absurdly brilliant his achievements truly were. In particular, his actions on the Southern Front had been flawless from beginning to end. His split-second decisions upon seeing through Edwin Hector's intention to seize the Warp Gate had ultimately played a decisive role in the Cairo Kingdom reclaiming the Southern Front.
Flora had studied incredibly hard.
As she analyzed the tactics of historically renowned figures, she realized that Roman Dmitry was in no way inferior to any of them.
‘How on earth does Roman Dmitry always make the right decision on a battlefield where lives are on the line? Once the war is over, it's easy to see his decisions were correct, but in those exact moments, I wouldn't have been able to make the same choices.’
She, too, stood at a crossroads.
While debating whether to remain on the Western Front with Daniel Cairo's promise of a promotion, the matter regarding Roman Dmitry had thrown her into deep confusion. When she really thought about it, why had she headed to the Western Front in the first place? It wasn't merely to take risks; she had been convinced that, within Cairo, it was the most suitable place for her growth.
But...
Was that still true now?
No.
The more she thought about it, the more she looked back on past events, the clearer the right choice became.
‘Setting aside personal relationships, I need to choose what is best for my own growth.’
If so, there was no need to hesitate any longer.
* * *
One week later.
The day of the party.
In a secluded park away from the bustling crowds, Flora Lawrence faced her father.
"Flora. It's time to return to the family."
Viscount Lawrence's face was slightly flushed from alcohol as he finally voiced the feelings he had suppressed for so long.
"At first, I wanted to support you in whatever you wished to do. Forcing the burden of the family onto you was an incredibly irresponsible decision on my part as a father. Because I understood your reasons for wanting to study tactics, I supported you with all my heart. But do you know how anxious I am every time the Kronos Empire encroaches on our borders? Terrified that something might happen to you, this father of yours hasn't had a single day of peace."
The Western Front.
People called it the line of death.
While others tried to avoid it at all costs, Flora had proudly chosen the West of her own free will.
Her father's heart burned with constant worry.
Enduring the battlefield as a woman was by no means easy, and his eyes welled with tears whenever he pictured his precious, sheltered daughter suffering out there. That was exactly why he had desperately tried to establish friendly ties with Dmitry. He knew that if anything were to happen, the Lawrence family alone would not have the power to protect her.
He looked at Flora.
As a father, he could no longer bear to watch her put herself in danger.
"I won't stop you from doing what you want. I won't force you into an arranged marriage, nor will I tell you to live like the daughters of other noble families. Just... please stay within a distance where this father of yours can run to you in an instant."
He spoke from the bottom of his heart.
Flora understood her father's feelings perfectly.
However, she could not step back into the greenhouse.
"Father. I experienced many things on the Western Front. When I lived in Lawrence, the northeastern region felt like the entire world, but reality is completely different. The northeastern region—no, Cairo itself—is nothing but a speck on the Salamander Continent. The moment the Kronos Empire decides to declare an all-out war, we will have no choice but to watch our homes burn and our people die."
A flower in a greenhouse.
In her sheltered environment, she had grown up seeing only the good in the world.
Had she continued to live like that, she might have closed her eyes and ears, turning away from reality. But the current Flora could no longer live that way.
She had seen and heard too much.
The rapidly changing political climate across the world was a glaring sign that peace would not last much longer.
"War has already become a reality. The signs appearing all over the continent tell us that this is not a problem we can ignore just by turning a blind eye. Father, what will Lawrence do when that time comes? In our battle with Barco, we couldn't protect ourselves, so we borrowed Roman Dmitry's strength. But if a continental war breaks out, we won't be able to find a power to lean on like we did back then. Because the Kronos Empire desires continental conquest, they will completely wipe out any force that opposes them."
She faced reality.
She did not look away; she stared straight into it.
In the trials to come, Flora Lawrence wanted to be someone who could actually do something.
"So, to prepare for that moment, I need to experience as much as possible and grow stronger."
"Flora..."
She had already made her decision upon leaving Kairos.
Looking at her father, whose eyes were filled with sorrow, Flora spoke in a firm, unwavering voice.
"I intend to join the Dmitry army."
* * *
The next day.
Before the aftereffects of the party had even settled, an event occurred that sent a stir through Dmitry.
The arrival of Flora Lawrence.
Chris looked troubled as he faced her.
"...If I didn't mishear you, are you saying you want to join the Dmitry army as a tactician?"
"Yes, that's correct."
It was a bold statement.
Not stopping there, Flora added, "What I want is to join Lord Roman Dmitry's direct forces. A tactician will be absolutely essential in the wars to come, and having experienced war on the Western Front, I am confident I am a talent the Dmitry family needs. I have no intention of asking to be treated as a noble lady. If you utilize me effectively as a tactician, I am prepared to risk my life in devotion to Dmitry."
Chris scratched his head.
This was an entirely unexpected situation.
Since Flora's placement was not something he had the authority to decide, he spoke in a firm tone.
"Joining the Dmitry army is not my decision to make. Please wait here for now. I can report this to my liege and convey your intentions, but I cannot guarantee that he will accept you."
"I understand."
Flora reacted calmly.
Chris turned and left.
He reported the matter to Roman Dmitry, whose reaction was completely unexpected.
"Flora Lawrence is a useful resource. If we accept her as a tactician, she will certainly play her part well."
The battle on the Western Front.
She had proven her worth there.
In a situation where the West could have easily fallen to Kronos's attack if things went slightly awry, her quick decision to deal with the mages first had given Cairo the upper hand. Not only that, but she had also lent weight to Roman Dmitry's opinions. Thanks to her, Roman had been able to push forward with his plans much more smoothly. This had prompted him to reconsider Flora Lawrence, whom he had once viewed in a rather unfavorable light.
He held no lingering prejudice.
Despite their past, Roman judged people based on what he personally saw and experienced.
The current Flora Lawrence was undoubtedly a useful individual.
Furthermore, since she hailed from the northeastern region, finding a resource of her caliber among their limited pool of talent was no easy task.
"However, letting her into the Dmitry army is a separate matter. Tell Flora this: join our training schedule for the next week. If she proves she is someone who belongs in the Dmitry army, I will officially accept her then."
"Understood."
Chris accepted the order.
Chris stepped outside.
To an ordinary person, Roman Dmitry's words might sound like an acceptance, but Chris's thoughts were slightly different.
‘...Is this practically a rejection?’
Dmitry's training.
It would likely be a hellish ordeal for Flora Lawrence to endure.