Chapter 211: Pitch-Black Night (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 211: Pitch-Black Night (7)
An urgent voice.
Panting breaths.
The Shadow's reaction—acting as if acutely aware of a looming presence—meant only one thing: Roman Dmitry was on the other end of the communicator.
Baron Charlton spoke.
[Truly remarkable. Not only did you attack Écorché's headquarters, but you also dealt with all the Shadows. I admit our plan has failed, Roman Dmitry. You are far more dangerous than the world knows, and assassinating you through conventional means is likely impossible. Mobilizing a force greater than Écorché and the Shadows would practically mean deploying an entire army rather than an assassination squad.]
It was a one-sided conversation. Even though no reply came, Baron Charlton was certain the man was listening.
[But do not think Kronos will give up because of this. His Majesty the Emperor of Kronos desires your life, and we have never once failed to meet his expectations. If we fail once, we will try twice. If we fail twice, we will try thrice. Even if we fail a third time, we will keep sending assassins until the very moment your breath is cut short. How long can a single individual withstand the onslaught of an empire? The likes of Cairo and Dmitry cannot protect you. Hostility toward Kronos means an unbearable disaster.]
This was no empty threat.
Over the years, the Kronos Empire had consistently proven its absolute might. They brutally crushed anyone who dared to rebel. Even though the world knew this, they had no choice but to turn a blind eye. If someone raised their voice alone, no one would come to their aid.
Against a great power that openly declared its goal of continental conquest, no one had the courage to bear the brunt of its wrath. Perhaps it had been possible to resist them at first. But after years of silence in the face of repeated atrocities, the continent had become utterly helpless.
Baron Charlton was applying psychological pressure. While he acknowledged Roman Dmitry's strength, he displayed absolute confidence that Roman would eventually crumble.
However...
"Amusing."
[...Amusing?]
"Since when did the Kronos Empire let its words run ahead of its actions? When the Kronos Emperor first decreed my assassination, you all showed absolute certainty that you would not fail. Yet, as you can see from the results, I am alive and well. Feel free to keep trying. Whether you hire another assassin guild or send more Shadows, I will handle them all. However, let me give you one warning."
Grip.
Roman Dmitry seized the Shadow by the neck.
Firmly suppressing the struggling assassin, he let the dying man's desperate gasps bleed through the communicator.
"Somewhere in your mansion, there is a gift I sent. It is the deadly poison I would have used had I decided to assassinate you. Keep this in mind: assassination is not a game only you can play. If you want to kill me, it would be faster to lead your forces and declare war rather than resorting to these pathetic attempts."
It was a first.
In Baron Charlton's memory, no one had ever dared to raise their voice in defiance when threatened by Kronos.
"I am truly looking forward to seeing your face when you find the gift."
Click.
With that, Roman Dmitry cut the connection.
* * *
Baron Charlton's mansion was thrown into an uproar.
A gift from Roman Dmitry? That meant the estate's security had been breached. Under Baron Charlton's furious commands, the servants scoured every nook and cranny of the mansion.
Eventually, they discovered a mysterious box in a supply closet.
"There have been no outsiders entering or leaving for the past week, sir. It seems someone bypassed our surveillance and left this box in the closet."
"Damn it."
Baron Charlton's stomach churned with rage.
Inside the box rested a bottle containing a clear liquid. Fearing he might be poisoned just by being near it, he didn't even dare to touch it. The servants kept it secured in the box and immediately transported it to the Behemoth Magic Tower.
Roman Dmitry had threatened him with poison. If Roman truly intended to use this for an assassination, Charlton needed to verify whether this deadly toxin could be cured.
Behemoth.
They were a faction that primarily dealt with lethal weapons like poison. Because accidental poisonings occurred frequently during their dangerous experiments, their detoxification techniques were widely considered the best on the continent.
Mateo, a mage of Behemoth, narrowed his eyes as he examined the liquid.
Swish.
"A colorless, odorless deadly poison. You have brought me quite a troublesome thing."
"Cut the chatter and just find out if it can be cured," Charlton snapped.
"Understood." Mateo nodded.
People generally believed that detoxification magic could cure any poison, but that was a massive misconception. The scope of basic detoxification magic was limited. To cure a truly lethal poison, a mage had to manifest specific neutralizing properties to completely root out the toxin.
In terms of such technical expertise, Behemoth could confidently claim to be the best on the continent. That was why Mateo had initially examined the poison with a relaxed expression.
First, they moved to the laboratory. There, they fed the poison to a slave and observed the reaction.
The poison progressed with terrifying speed. Without any warning signs, the slave suddenly began vomiting blood, his body trembling violently.
"P-please, save... cough."
The poison had taken hold. From a distance, Mateo manifested his magical power.
"Cure Poison."
Flash.
A brilliant light flared.
He infused the slave's body with purifying energy, spreading it throughout his system to neutralize the deadly toxin. However, there was no sign of improvement. Mateo's confident expression soon vanished, his face becoming drenched in sweat. He poured his heart into the treatment, desperately trying to find a cure.
In the end, the slave collapsed, dead.
Staring at the pale corpse, Mateo wiped his sweat with a handkerchief.
"Where on earth did you obtain such a thing? The nature of this poison is incredibly virulent; any mage encountering it for the first time would find it absolutely impossible to cure. Even for me, it will take numerous experiments to figure out a detoxification method."
"If I had been poisoned by this... could you have saved me?"
"...To be completely honest, I do not have the confidence to do so right now."
Baron Charlton's face stiffened.
A poison that Behemoth could not cure. This meant it was practically incurable at present—and Roman Dmitry possessed such a deadly toxin.
Looking back, it was exactly like Kort's death.
If Roman Dmitry had truly wished to assassinate him, Charlton might have already died from this exact poison. His blood ran cold. When Kort had died vomiting blood, Charlton had looked down at him with a smirk. But projecting himself into that scenario, he realized this threat was not something he could simply brush off.
"From this moment on, use any means necessary to find a cure for this poison. This is a weapon held by a force hostile to the Kronos Empire. I understand it will take time, but I will not accept 'impossible' as an answer."
"Understood."
Baron Charlton hurried away.
Roman Dmitry... The more he learned, the more he realized Roman was no ordinary man. For now, his priority was to report this entire series of events to the Emperor.
* * *
Having heard the full report—from the failure of the Shadows to the discovery of the deadly poison—the Kronos Emperor spoke with an expressionless face.
"Throughout history, there have always been those who rebelled against the Kronos Empire. Yet, among them, not a single one failed to bow their head when directly confronting our might. Baron Charlton. What kind of man do you think Roman Dmitry is?"
"...I believe he is a man who would rather break than bend."
"Exactly as you say. When we pressured the Cairo royal family and demanded Roman Dmitry's arm, they chose to bring in the Kingdom Alliance and confront us head-on. And now, when we attempted an assassination—even though Écorché and the Shadows possess enough power to decapitate the King of Cairo—not only did they fail, but he had the audacity to send a message that he could assassinate us in return. Roman Dmitry has never once allowed for compromise with us."
Throughout history, there had never been anyone like Roman Dmitry.
But did history not already prove the fate of those who met strength with equal strength?
Baron Charlton shrank back. Knowing what kind of person the Kronos Emperor was, he did not dare add another word.
"For the Empire to remain the Empire, we cannot allow even a single precedent of defiance. However, now is not the time to declare the war Roman Dmitry speaks of. The masses believe Kronos is holding back because we lack the power to conquer the continent, but we know that is not the truth. Once a single lingering problem is resolved... Kronos will achieve its grand ambition."
Roman Dmitry did not know the truth.
The power the Empire displayed on the surface was merely a fraction of its true strength. The power of Kronos that the world feared could not even be considered their true might. In the end, their opponent was nothing more than a frog in a well.
Had Roman known the true power of Kronos, he would never have dared to rebel, let alone utter the absurd nonsense of leading forces to declare war. That was why the Kronos Emperor did not show anger. No matter how much Roman shrieked and struggled, he would ultimately be nothing more than a passing ant crushed in the annals of history.
However, that did not mean there was any reason to let him live.
"Summon the Demons of the Abyss."
Baron Charlton's eyes widened.
The Demons of the Abyss. They were entirely different entities from the Shadows, who were merely referred to as Demonic Humans. Mobilizing them signified a lethal determination to kill Roman Dmitry, regardless of any variables that might arise.
"I obey your command." Baron Charlton bowed his head.
In the Kronos Empire, the Emperor's word was absolute law. Offering a differing opinion was never permitted.
"An opportunity will present itself in the near future. When that time comes, show those hostile to the Kronos Empire exactly what happens when they oppose us. Let Roman Dmitry, whom they revere as a hero, be torn to shreds. We will leave a brutal precedent that will ensure they never dare look up at us again."
The Emperor leaned back.
Seated on his throne, he looked down at the nobles lined up behind Baron Charlton. From beginning to end, the nobles who had watched the situation unfold expressed their blind obedience to the Emperor's command through absolute silence.
They were certain.
Roman Dmitry would soon be reduced to nothing more than 'a brutal precedent,' just as the Kronos Emperor had decreed.
* * *
At that moment, Roman Dmitry was heading back toward his territory.
Baron Charlton. The deadly poison that had struck terror into the noble was a realization of a technique from Roman's past life.
‘It must be an entirely unfamiliar type of poison to them. Even with the help of magic, detoxification won't be so easy.’
The source of the poison was none other than the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Known to possess thousands of deadly poisons, they had driven countless Demonic Cultists to their deaths during Baek Joong-hyuk's conquest of Murim. They were a faction perfectly optimized for slaughtering large numbers of enemies. Had Baek Joong-hyuk not reached the realm of Immunity to All Poisons, his conquest of Murim would have faced a massive obstacle.
Ultimately, the Sichuan Tang Clan Head had his head severed by Baek Joong-hyuk. Once their leader fell, the clan raised a white flag. By absorbing the Sichuan Tang Clan, Baek Joong-hyuk also acquired their vast knowledge of poisons.
Even if Baron Charlton succeeded in finding a cure, it didn't really matter.
The deadly poison used to kill Kort and sent as a warning to Charlton was merely one of thousands. Roman Dmitry had far more threatening poisons stored within his mind. Although there were limitations to perfectly replicating the Sichuan Tang Clan's poisons due to the different environment and ingredients of this world, once a full-scale war began, poison-assisted assassinations would plunge his enemies into absolute terror.
It was just one of his many weapons, and he had revealed it intentionally. Since Kronos was attempting assassinations, he needed to show them the lethal price of such actions.
‘With this, the Kronos Empire will have no choice but to move cautiously. Since Dmitry also possesses the capability to retaliate with assassinations, they won't recklessly try to kill those around me in a war of attrition. In the end, a prolonged fight is advantageous to Kronos, but deadly poison is a weapon that can yield massive results through indiscriminate slaughter.’
It was a form of blackmail.
The enemy's initial plan had failed. That left them with two choices: attempt another assassination on him, or target the vulnerable people around him instead.
Roman Dmitry had used the deadly poison to prevent the latter. Since he could not personally oversee every situation, he held a poisoned blade to the enemy's throat to protect his people.
It was a plan to buy time—a temporary measure. Since war would break out eventually, he needed to make thorough preparations in the meantime.
‘The Kronos Empire cannot hide its ambition for continental conquest. It is certain they will declare war to conquer the continent in the near future, and once that happens, I won't be able to stop my people from dying. All I can do is prepare to the best of my ability. The only perfect solution for us is to win the war.’
The wind carried a metallic tang.
The scent of blood hung heavy in the air.
Dmitry was already swept up in the vortex of war, and they could no longer distance themselves from blood and death.
Soon, he arrived back in Dmitry.
However, before he could even announce his victory, urgent news was waiting for him.
"...My liege. An invitation has arrived from the Valhalla Empire."
The Valhalla Empire.
Before they had even crossed the towering mountain that was Kronos, another predator was already baring its fangs.