Chapter 255: The International Conference (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 255: The International Conference (3)
One month ago.
The Redford Kingdom was thrown into an uproar.
"We must help Roman Dmitry!"
"Valhalla and Kronos have joined forces to openly assassinate him. This is something we absolutely cannot overlook. Roman Dmitry is the hero who saved Redford. If we turn a blind eye while such a man is in danger, the people will condemn us."
"Indeed!"
The nation's key figures raised their voices in fervent agreement. Redford was burning with rumors regarding Roman Dmitry.
Following the tragic incident—the suicide of the former king and the death of Prince Charlo—Count Rondon had taken the throne. The people were well aware of the monumental help Roman Dmitry had provided during that crisis. Without him, the Redford Kingdom would have collapsed from within, losing its identity as a nation even without an imperial invasion.
And so, the people took to the streets.
The crowds roared, demanding that the kingdom march to Roman Dmitry's aid.
The King of Redford addressed them. "I share your sentiments. Redford, a nation on the brink of ruin, was given a chance at revival through Roman Dmitry's grace. What he gifted us was not merely the gold to pay off our debts. He showed us the right way to set a country straight. From this day forward, we will face reality head-on and do what we believe is right. Therefore, I declare a mobilization order. Form an army. When the time comes, we will raise our banners for Dmitry."
At that time, they were fully prepared for war.
They had mobilized their troops, but when the Hector Kingdom contacted them first, stating they would resolve the matter, Redford temporarily held off on crossing the border. Redford's deployment was a highly sensitive issue. While Hector possessed a justifiable reason to step up at the border between Hector and Valhalla, Redford moving its troops meant preparing for an all-out war with Valhalla.
From then until now, their resolve had not wavered.
Staring down those who urged him to "consider reality," the King of Redford wore a furious scowl.
* * *
"You are all taking the essence of this matter far too lightly," the King of Redford spat. "The Kronos Empire launched an attack without a shred of justification. It is one thing to attack borders without warning—they have done that before—but this time, they used 'Warp' to strike at the very heart of Dmitry. An entire nation could have been destroyed. This is not a matter that ends with a few casualties; it is a matter of survival."
He understood the stance of the Kingdom Alliance.
He knew all too well what terrified them, but the King of Redford refused to compromise.
"This incident has been a string of injustices from beginning to end. Valhalla openly turned a blind eye to an assassination attempt taking place on its own soil. What does that mean? It means that in the future, if anyone displeases Kronos or Valhalla, they will simply use this convenient method of assassination, regardless of time or place. It means that not a single person in this room is safe from the empires' blades."
"We know that," the King of Odelia retorted. "But we cannot wage a total war against the empire over it, can we?"
War.
It was a chilling word. They all knew this was a grave injustice, and naturally, they all desired revenge. The problem was the bloody price they would pay for acting on emotion.
Even without a deep analysis of military strength, the rankings clearly highlighted the severe gap between the empires and the kingdoms. Excluding Roman Dmitry, the Alliance didn't have a single ranker in the top 50. Furthermore, most of the Magic Towers on the continent were based in the empires. When even a casual comparison of power revealed such a staggering disparity, how on earth could they seek revenge?
It was a realistic problem.
Just because a lion attacks a herbivore doesn't mean the prey can demand retribution. If it thrusts its neck forward to demand a price, it will only meet its death as fangs tear into its throat.
And yet, the King of Redford did not back down.
"So what if we wage a total war? When we turn away from the reality before us, the problem doesn't disappear; it only festers out of sight until it becomes completely unresolvable. One year, two years, or even ten years from now—will you have a way to solve this? No, you won't. In the meantime, the Kronos Empire will widen the gap with the Kingdom Alliance even further, and perhaps someone in this very room will withdraw from the Alliance just to follow the trend."
"What nonsense is that?!"
"What you are saying is the real nonsense!"
Slam!
The King of Redford's face flushed bright red. Scanning the cowards advocating for compromise, he spat out his anger.
"Would you be able to utter such words if you were the ones attacked by the empire? It is only because you didn't suffer, because you were not the targets, that you can sit there and call revenge a dangerous choice. Redford has no intention of standing by and watching such atrocities happen in the future. If the Dmitry Duchy wants revenge through war, even if that path leads to ruin, Redford will gladly march beside them."
Thud.
He stood up from his seat.
There was nothing more to say. The King of Redford's statement was not a compromise, but an ultimatum. With this, the Kingdom Alliance was losing its very reason for existence.
"As of this moment, the Redford Kingdom withdraws from the Kingdom Alliance. Go ahead, watch the situation from afar as you always do. And when the empire's blade is finally pointed at your necks, I will see if you can still spout the exact same cowardice you are saying now."
With those final words, the King of Redford stormed out of the conference room.
* * *
The conference room fell into stunned silence.
Leaving the kings to awkwardly compose themselves, a figure who had remained silent in the corner finally spoke up.
"When I heard that an international conference was being held, I honestly expected a different outcome from our last gathering."
It was Edwin Hector.
In a room where the kings of the continent gathered, he had accepted the invitation to represent Hector.
"I do not know if you, Your Majesties, remember the contents of that previous meeting, but the first international conference I attended was a truly pathetic affair. It was a similar incident back then. The Kronos Empire had clearly committed an atrocity, yet the agenda of the conference was not about extracting a fitting price in blood, but rather worrying about how to smoothly sweep the issue under the rug. I understand your fear. Hector has also spent agonizing years under the shadow of the Valhalla Empire, so I know that opposing an empire is a terrifying prospect. But this time is different."
His reasoning differed from Redford's.
While Redford's stance was driven by loyalty and gratitude toward their savior, Edwin Hector judged the situation purely through a pragmatic lens.
"Back then, the Kingdom Alliance had no power to oppose the empires. While it might seem like nothing has changed, what is certain is that we now have Roman Dmitry—a man who is repeatedly crushing the empires' plans for the first time in history. The rebellion of Marquis Benedict, which was backed by Kronos, was swept away in an instant by Roman Dmitry. Even Valhalla's invitation, which openly revealed their intent to assassinate him, ended with Roman Dmitry proving his might by taking the head of Barbosa, one of the Twelve Swords of the Continent. And what of the Kronos Empire's surprise attack? Even though they mobilized high-circle mages and a 6-Star swordsman to ensure a decisive victory, they failed to bring Dmitry down."
The board had changed.
In a world where hope was once a luxury, a new counterweight had finally appeared.
"Roman Dmitry is an existence that completely defies the empires' expectations. Even though they use any means necessary to eliminate him, they haven't succeeded a single time. That is why this gathering is so utterly disappointing. We can never guarantee a perfect opportunity to take revenge on the empires, but in the reality we face today, we have a perfect counterweight in Roman Dmitry—the likes of which we have never seen before. Yet, what on earth are you saying, Your Majesties? Even though the situation is infinitely better than in the past, you display the exact same pathetic attitude, acting as if nothing has changed."
Hector and Dmitry had become a community of shared destiny ever since Hector began receiving aid. But regardless of their relationship, Edwin was absolutely convinced that Roman Dmitry was the one destined to lead the weak nations of the continent.
Edwin Hector stood up from his seat. The moment the King of Redford left, he, too, had lost any reason to stay.
"Hector was never part of the Kingdom Alliance to begin with, but from now on, we will handle this matter completely independently of you. I will leave you with one last word. When time passes and the day comes to look back on today, you will surely regret your choice to turn a blind eye to this injustice. You are ensuring that the history of the continent will continue to record the empires as the sole victors."
The international conference had ended in total catastrophe.
* * *
The conference room felt hollow.
Though only two people had left, the chilly atmosphere made it seem entirely empty. The King of Odelia let out a dry, mocking laugh.
"They've lost their minds. A perfect counterweight? No matter how much Roman Dmitry struggles, he is nothing compared to the empires."
In the distant past, there had been a time when the Kingdom Alliance also held its head high. But the horrific massacre that followed had established a clear, bloody hierarchy between the kingdoms and the empires.
The King of Umberto sighed. "It is not that I do not empathize with the King of Redford and the Prince of Hector. But I can assure you, the nation that has shed the most blood against Kronos on the Salamander Continent is our Umberto. Do you truly think the tide will turn just because Roman Dmitry becomes the continent's greatest swordsman? It is impossible. Even if he slaughters tens of thousands of enemies alone, the empire will simply mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops to crush us. That is the harsh reality of this continent, a cycle repeated throughout history."
Generation after generation, history spoke of what had transpired. In a legacy stained with defeat, the ancestors of the Kingdom Alliance had left behind strict warnings: never antagonize the empires.
It was not a matter of cowardice.
A herbivore baring its teeth at a lion is not courage; it is mere bravado born of ignorance. It is a foolish, suicidal act. The leaders of the Kingdom Alliance, including Umberto, had no choice but to make a realistic decision because they knew all too well the terrifying monstrosity that was the Kronos Empire.
Just as the King of Redford said, the blade could point at their necks at any time. But since ancient times, it was only natural for the weak to live lives dictated by predators.
That was simply the fate of the weak.
The King of Odelia frowned, a worried shadow crossing his face. "...Surely this matter won't actually escalate into a war, will it?"
"No such thing will happen," Umberto replied. "Roman Dmitry is aggressive, but he is a clever man. A total war with Kronos would plunge Dmitry into the abyss of destruction. Would he really make such a suicidal choice? Although the King of Redford and the Prince of Hector declared they would follow Dmitry, no matter how extreme they get, the most they can do is raise their voices against the Kronos Empire in protest. If Kronos truly becomes enraged, they will have no choice but to bow their heads."
"I don't know why they are turning away from reality. Even if it is frustrating and unfair, this is the reality of weak nations."
They were absolutely certain.
Without the backing of the Kingdom Alliance, Dmitry's options were severely limited. When even joining all their forces together wouldn't be enough to fight an empire, there was nothing Dmitry could achieve with just the meager help of Redford and Hector.
But a few days later, the Second International Conference was urgently convened.
It had to be.
Without any warning, the Dmitry Duchy declared war on the Kronos Empire.