Chapter 248: Shadows Over Dmitry (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 248: Shadows Over Dmitry (2)
For this journey to Valhalla, men like Henderson—just like Kevin—had expressed a strong desire to accompany Roman Dmitry.
However, observing their reactions, Roman Dmitry formulated a hypothesis of his own.
"It is public knowledge that I have been invited to Valhalla. Valhalla intentionally spread rumors about this matter to prepare for the possibility of my refusal. If you were the Kronos Empire, knowing my movements are now completely exposed, do you think you would just sit back and watch this opportunity pass?"
"They will certainly make a move," a subordinate replied. "Having publicly declared their intent to assassinate you, they have no reason to just stand by."
The journey back to Dmitry had proven that nowhere was safe. That was exactly why his subordinates were so adamant about accompanying him, but Roman Dmitry’s thoughts lay elsewhere.
"My departure to Valhalla means Dmitry will be left without me. The Kronos Empire is a nation that demands victory in even the most trivial disputes. Therefore, while attempting to assassinate me, it is highly likely they will launch a direct attack on Dmitry to make an example out of us to the other kingdoms. Under normal circumstances, one would judge it impossible for Kronos to cross the borders, but they have already proven they can render borders meaningless by deploying their Shadows. Let me ask you this: If Dmitry is attacked by Kronos while I am away in Valhalla, do you think the estate can hold out if our main forces—including yourselves—are absent?"
"...That would be impossible."
"Indeed, it is. From now on, we must judge and act not as a mere estate, but as a sovereign nation."
One hypothesis spawned another. If Kronos intended to assassinate him, they wouldn't exclude Dmitry from their crosshairs.
The Heavenly Demon, Baek Joong-hyuk.
He was a being who had reached the absolute apex of martial prowess. Those looking up from the bottom could only judge the world through their limited perspectives, but Baek Joong-hyuk had ruled the vast world of Murim. In a realm where countless factions clashed over differing ideologies, the Central Plains Murim—including the Heavenly Demon Cult—had found true stability under his iron-fisted reign.
This didn't mean conflicts ceased to exist. Battles driven by mutual greed still raged, but at the very least, there was a 'sky' that suppressed the world's greatest absurdities.
Because of this experience, he perfectly understood Kronos's intentions.
If he were in the Kronos Empire's position, hungering for continental conquest, he would never simply watch an eyesore like the Dmitry Duchy continue to grow. Once a sprout matured into a giant tree, it would be too late. It had to be trampled early. And Roman Dmitry's absence provided the perfect opportunity to strike.
From the single premise of Valhalla's invitation, Roman Dmitry expanded his web of thoughts. Calculating the opponent's options one by one, he devised countermeasures for every potential variable.
Some might call it a pointless exercise. They might argue that a hypothesis was merely a hypothesis, and that worrying about events that hadn't yet occurred was a waste of mental energy.
Even so, he had to do it.
As the one responsible for the lives of those who followed him, Roman Dmitry thoroughly understood the duty of a ruler.
"You will all remain in Dmitry. And if Kronos attacks, make them pay the price in blood."
It was a resolute command. No one questioned it. If the sky of Dmitry issued an order, from that moment on, it became law. It became absolute truth.
* * *
Ten minutes ago.
Swoosh.
Flora unrolled a map detailing the interior of Dmitry. Scanning the gathered crowd, she spoke.
"Starting a fortnight ago, mysterious individuals began frequently entering Dmitry. Although they presented identification that passed our border inspections, investigations through the information guild revealed that many of them have fabricated origins. This means someone has been smuggling people into Dmitry. Now that Kronos has launched an open attack, it is highly likely these individuals are their 'assassins.'"
There was already a precedent for this. The assassins who had previously slipped into Dmitry had attempted an assassination, only to be utterly crushed by Roman Dmitry himself.
But this time was different. In his absence, they had to resolve the crisis with their own hands.
"The enemy's targets can be summarized into three key locations," she continued. "First, the supply warehouses. If they set fire to the warehouses storing our food and war supplies, it will inevitably cause mass unrest while we are defending the castle. Second, the castle gates. A siege is ultimately a battle of how quickly the gates can be breached, and enemies attacking from within will cause critical vulnerabilities. Lastly, the inner castle. Regardless of the outcome of the siege, they can secure a clear victory simply by assassinating the key figures residing inside the inner castle."
Her analysis was swift and precise. As a strategist, Flora had constantly envisioned a scenario exactly like this one. Piecing together fragmented intelligence with her own tactical knowledge, she perfectly grasped the current state of affairs.
"The siege defense falls under the jurisdiction of Knight Commander Jonathan and Tower Master Felix. From this moment on, our job is to eliminate any variables occurring inside the castle walls. We must slaughter every single one of those bastards who dared set foot in Dmitry."
A cold light flickered in her eyes.
Once, she couldn't even bring herself to kill an ant. But now, she showed absolutely no mercy to anyone designated as an enemy.
She issued her detailed strategic instructions, and the others nodded in grim agreement. Rolling up the map, Flora stood tall.
"Then, let us all move to our positions."
* * *
The First Point
The path leading to the supply warehouses was lined with civilian residences. The Shadows melted into the darkness, using the narrow alleys to move stealthily toward their target.
It happened in an instant. Intending to use a house for cover, they pushed open a door—only for a loud explosion to suddenly ring out.
Bang!
Pop! Pop!
High in the night sky, bright fireworks burst into brilliant light.
In that instant, the Shadows realized something was terribly wrong.
"Damn it."
Their location had been compromised. The assassins tried to scatter and vanish back into the darkness, but a group suddenly ambushed them.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Clang!
It was Henderson.
Henderson and McBurney charged forward, leading their troops. As soon as they confirmed the enemy's location via the fireworks, they swiftly moved to subdue the infiltrators. The Shadows' counterattacks were utterly meaningless. Since the battle was taking place inside Dmitry, the assassins were immediately overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Moreover, the soldiers of Dmitry had perfectly mastered the tactics required to neutralize the Shadows.
But where had the fireworks come from?
They were the result of a contingency order issued long ago. Roman Dmitry had once explained the role the common people needed to play if internal combat—such as an assassination attempt—ever broke out.
"A battle taking place within Dmitry is not unrelated to its people," he had said. "I am not ordering them to fight. If a battle breaks out in the city, the commoners must lock their doors and set traps that detonate fireworks if those doors are forced open. It is a signal. Since there is no reason for anyone other than an enemy to open those doors during a siege, the soldiers of Dmitry will be able to pinpoint the enemy's location instantly upon seeing that light."
The Hundred Thousand Mountains.
The Righteous Faction Murim had constantly sought to conquer that territory. But the reason they failed time and time again—aside from the rugged, treacherous terrain—was the common people living at the foot of the mountains.
Those people followed the Heavenly Demon Cult. They were fiercely uncooperative with the Righteous Faction and spared no means to ensure the Cult's victory. What Roman Dmitry had instructed here was in a similar vein. If Dmitry and its people shared a common destiny, he wanted them to play at least a minimal role in its defense. Though it wasn't a grand task, it made all the difference in the world.
This was the land of Dmitry. This was the ultimate home-ground advantage.
The people, watching safely from inside their homes, triggered the fireworks, inevitably exposing the Shadows in no time.
Furthermore...
"Block the Shadows' escape routes along the shortcuts!"
McBurney's presence shone brightly on the battlefield.
As a former instructor who had controlled the Southern Training Camp, he knew exactly how to maneuver troops in a chaotic urban skirmish. The true ability of the one-armed swordsman did not lie solely in his swordsmanship. He rapidly directed the troops, seamlessly cornering the Shadows, while the natives of the Northeast region—including Henderson—utilized their intimate knowledge of Dmitry's geography to cut off the assassins through shortcuts.
It was a perfect synergy of complementary abilities. Roman had intentionally paired the two men for this exact reason.
The Shadows targeting the supply warehouses were driven into a dead end, leaving them no choice but to fight to the death.
However, it was a meaningless struggle.
The assassins targeting the first point were wiped out in an instant by the soldiers of Dmitry.
* * *
The Second Point
That location required no special strategy. Their only objective was to block the enemies attacking the castle gates. For that single purpose, Rodwell Dmitry led his troops, heavily guarding the paths the enemy was most likely to take.
"It's Rodwell Dmitry."
"He's on the target list. Kill him and open the gates!"
The Shadows surged forward, unleashing their suffocating murderous intent.
As they rushed him in unison, Rodwell Dmitry felt a familiar throbbing pain near his eye.
'What can I do for Dmitry in the future?'
He recalled the events of the past. It had been a time of great upheaval.
Rodwell Dmitry, who had once fought for Cairo on the bloodiest frontlines, had suddenly found himself thrust into the position of successor to the Dmitry Duchy. It wasn't that he coveted Roman Dmitry's position. He fully acknowledged that the seat belonged entirely to his older brother. The problem was that he had wandered aimlessly for a time after losing his sense of purpose in life.
There was no longer any need to prove himself for Dmitry's sake. Because Roman Dmitry was there, the people did not demand anything of Rodwell. It was a time of unprecedented freedom.
Having spent that time reflecting deeply away from the public eye, Rodwell Dmitry finally realized what he had to do in the face of the escalating conflict between Dmitry and Kronos.
He had no interest in power. However, he absolutely refused to watch Dmitry fall. He believed that on this treacherous path Dmitry was walking, he had to play his part as a true blood relative of the family.
It was a simple matter. He was Roman Dmitry's blood brother. Unlike ordinary subordinates, the sheer fact that they shared the same blood allowed them to form an unbreakable bond of trust.
Roman Dmitry had told him exactly what he needed to do.
'In my brother's absence, I will fulfill my responsibilities and duties as a Dmitry.'
He ripped off his eyepatch.
Revealing the vicious scar that slashed across his eye, Rodwell Dmitry faced reality head-on.
"Die!"
Boom!
Rumble!
As the Shadows rushed in to claim his life, Rodwell Dmitry kicked off the ground, charging to meet them with equal ferocity.
* * *
The Third Point
While fierce battles raged at the first two locations, just as Flora Lawrence had predicted, a third group was attempting to infiltrate the inner castle.
Their numbers were vast.
If half of the forces that had infiltrated Dmitry were sent to the supply warehouses and the castle gates, the entire remaining half had headed straight for the inner castle. Their objective was glaringly obvious. Even though the outcome of the siege would be decided on the outer walls, the reason they struck at the heart of the estate was the presence of 'Duke Dmitry' within.
The Shadows gathered in front of the inner castle. They didn't even bother to hide anymore, openly unleashing a sinister, suffocating murderous intent.
"Clear the way."
Boom!
Rumble!
Aura erupted from all directions.
It was as if darkness itself were encroaching. The surroundings were stained with writhing shadows, a sight terrifying enough to break an ordinary man's spirit.
Yet, the expression of the man guarding the inner castle remained perfectly calm. Even the soldiers lined up behind him showed no signs of fear upon spotting the Shadows.
"Kronos. You have crossed the line at last."
Shing!
He slowly drew his sword.
People often asked: excluding Roman Dmitry, who was the strongest swordsman in Dmitry?
The answer was clearly Chris. The martial feats Chris had displayed thus far had established an insurmountable wall that no one but Roman Dmitry could cross.
However, this did not mean Chris's presence was absolute. Though his public reputation lagged slightly behind, there was someone else who had recently been building a renown that rivaled his.
Kevin?
No.
A man clad in gleaming silver armor pointed his blade at the encroaching enemies.
"You shall not take a single step past this point."
The Dmitry Duchy.
The commander of the Royal Knights tasked with guarding it.
Fernando revealed his presence.