Chapter 262: Night of Slaughter (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: Night of Slaughter (5)
Fire was everywhere.
Every time Count Pablo inhaled, searing heat scorched his lungs. No matter where he looked, there was no way out. He felt his mind slipping away. It would have been easier to die cleanly in a single strike like the others, but the two choices Roman Dmitry had left him threw his mind into utter chaos.
Can I make it out of here alive?
Impossible.
No.
Even if he could, the price of survival was devastating.
The Kronos Empire was a nation of absolute reward and punishment. While military merit brought immense wealth and honor, the price of defeat could not be paid even with death. He was a defeated commander who had just lost ten thousand soldiers. All he had to do was hold Rascal until the main army arrived. Hoping to escape unscathed after letting the fortress turn to ashes in such a short time was pure delusion.
The Empire would demand collective responsibility.
At the thought of every single member of the Pablo bloodline ending up on the execution block, he squeezed his eyes shut, desperate to deny reality.
Even if I die, I must report what happened here to the Empire.
Roman Dmitry.
He was a cruel man.
Anticipating Pablo's exact choice, Roman had smashed the magic communicator right before his eyes. Thus, there was no immediate way to contact the Kronos Empire. Knowing it meant moving further away from the safety of the castle gates, Count Pablo plunged back into the searing heat. After a desperate sprint, he finally reached his own quarters.
Whoosh!
The building was already engulfed in flames.
Debris rained down in a terrifying display of destruction, but Count Pablo had no time to hesitate.
He charged inside.
Swatting away the embers catching on his clothes, he frantically searched the burning room for the stationary magic communicator.
Finding it, he immediately left a voice message.
"This is Count Pablo, commander of Rascal. I am urgently reporting the situation here. Approximately one hour ago, Roman Dmitry set fire to the fortress. As commander, I attempted to subdue him, but our force of ten thousand fell before his blade."
He gasped for breath.
His skin was scorched red; it was a miracle he hadn't collapsed already.
"Rascal's forces were not wiped out by some grand strategy or enemy trap. We simply could not withstand Roman Dmitry's overwhelming, individual might. I do not expect to make it out of here alive. However, I hope my death conveys the gravity of this threat. In all my years of loyal service to the Kronos Empire, I have never encountered a monster like Roman Dmitry. Even the First Sword of Kronos cannot be guaranteed victory against him."
Crack! Whoosh!
The flames closed in.
Swallowing a groan of agony as the intense heat blistered his flesh, Count Pablo screamed his final warning.
"You must eliminate Roman Dmitry at all costs! If we do not crush Dmitry now, he will undoubtedly become an obstacle that blocks the Empire's future! By any means necessary—"
Crash! Rumble!
The ceiling gave way.
Before Count Pablo could even finish his sentence, he was buried beneath a mountain of burning debris.
While the rest of the world was fast asleep, Rascal, the mighty outpost of Kronos, fell in ashes.
* * *
One hour before the incident.
Marquis Memphis, one of the most influential figures in the Kronos Empire, received a report from the Royal Knights.
"Roman Dmitry has attacked Rascal. He does not appear to have brought a large force, but he has set fires to cause chaos within the fortress. Count Pablo is currently pursuing him."
Clack.
Marquis Memphis calmly set down his teacup.
Despite news of Dmitry's surprise attack, he wasn't shaken in the slightest.
"Roman Dmitry is a bold fellow indeed. To declare war on the Kronos Empire and actually strike first... Whatever his intentions, we must admit he is entirely different from anyone we have faced before."
"...Should we report this to His Majesty the Emperor?"
"No, there is no need."
Kronos was a great empire.
There was no reason to make a fuss over a minor skirmish.
"His Majesty has only recently retired to his bedchamber. He does not appreciate having his sleep disturbed, so I will handle this matter myself. Send troops to Rascal. Mobilize the Shadows and the 3rd Knights Division, and order the forces at the defense positions to block all of Roman Dmitry's escape routes. This is an unprecedented incident in the history of Kronos. We cannot allow anyone who dared set foot on Imperial territory to return alive."
"Understood, my lord."
The knight withdrew.
It would take about six hours for the main army to arrive.
It was not a short amount of time.
While Roman Dmitry might turn Rascal upside down during that window, Memphis believed he still wouldn't achieve his ultimate goal. The forces gathered at Rascal numbered a whopping ten thousand. Furthermore, with a similar number of troops on standby at the defense positions, a Heavenly Net would instantly form to swallow Roman Dmitry whole.
However, just one hour later, the knight who had received those orders returned, looking as pale as a ghost.
"Marquis Memphis! Count Pablo has sent an urgent voice message—he says the forces in Rascal have been completely wiped out!"
Annihilation.
At this completely unexpected outcome, a severe crack appeared in the leisurely composure of Marquis Memphis.
* * *
Ten thousand.
It was an overwhelming number.
In reality, if that many people stood before one's eyes, the endless sea of soldiers would force anyone to acknowledge just how massive a force ten thousand truly was. That was why Marquis Memphis had judged there was no need to wake the Emperor. This wasn't a total war, and there was no physical way to wipe out ten thousand troops in just six hours.
Yet, in a mere hour, Count Pablo had delivered shocking news.
With the report of Rascal's annihilation, Marquis Memphis could no longer sit idly sipping tea.
Marquis Memphis spoke with his head bowed.
"...According to our confirmation, the annihilation of Rascal appears to be true. The fortress has been burned to ashes, and the troops at the defense positions are forming a perimeter to capture Roman Dmitry. I apologize. I should have reported this sooner, but I never imagined ten thousand troops would fall so quickly."
He was kneeling before the Emperor of Kronos.
Having had his deep sleep disturbed, the Emperor looked down at Marquis Memphis with his usual indifferent expression.
"Marquis Memphis."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"What do you make of Roman Dmitry's recent move? Since he declared war, it is only natural for Dmitry to invade Imperial territory. But I feel Roman Dmitry is sending me a clear message. It is a denial of the fact that the Kronos Empire rules this continent. As if to prove that striking first against the Empire is no longer an impossibility, Dmitry boldly attacked Rascal. And with this annihilation, he has shown undeniable results."
"I share your thoughts, Your Majesty. Roman Dmitry is not merely seeking revenge; he is denying the very authority of the Empire."
Everything up to this point—Roman Dmitry's actions had been unprecedented every single time.
Even when Dmitry was a mere barony, he had rejected the Kronos Empire's overtures. When Marquis Benedict staged a rebellion, Roman had thrown open the castle gates and launched a counterattack. Because of that incident, the Kronos Emperor had ordered Roman Dmitry's assassination. Normally, a target would cower behind their castle walls in fear. Instead, Roman Dmitry had slaughtered the assassins sent after him and shown the sheer audacity to depart for Valhalla.
Not once had he retreated.
Instead, he pushed forward, shattering the Kronos Empire's grand designs at every turn.
"Sven died in the process of attacking Dmitry," the Emperor continued. "The problem is that a 6-Star swordsman was defeated even in Roman Dmitry's absence. The Kronos Empire is a nation forged on a history of absolute victory. Yet, ever since Roman Dmitry appeared, that history is being stained."
Despite the calm tone of his voice, Marquis Memphis did not dare look up.
Even without a blatant display of rage, the Emperor's words made it terrifyingly clear just how furious he was.
"Mystic."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
From the corner of the room, a figure wearing a deep hood emerged.
His gait was awkward, as if his own body were uncomfortable to wear, but he bowed deeply in respect to the Emperor.
"Where are 'they' now?"
"They appear to be gathering their forces and closely monitoring our movements. If we begin a war with Dmitry, they will undoubtedly raise their army. The mere appearance of 'that existence' during the attack on Dmitry clearly signals their intention. They will no longer stand by and watch our plans unfold."
'They.'
It was a secret unknown to the rest of the world.
The Kronos Empire had been biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment for continental conquest. But with the emergence of Roman Dmitry, they could no longer afford to wait. Rage flared in the Emperor's eyes. He could not tolerate an existence that dared bare its fangs at the Kronos Empire, nor could he allow Roman to return to Dmitry thinking he had won.
Therefore...
"Prepare for war. Summon the Demons of the Abyss. We will take this opportunity to sweep 'them' away as well."
"Understood."
The decision was made.
Mystic, hidden beneath his heavy robes, smiled brightly before vanishing back into the darkness.
The Kronos Emperor then looked at Marquis Memphis.
"The world believes the continent maintains its fragile balance because of pathetic entities like the Kingdom Alliance. But from now on, we will show them cruel reality. Mobilize all of Kronos's knight divisions, excluding the 1st Knights Division. And issue a mandatory summons to the Empire's magic towers. This is war. Starting with Dmitry, we will crush every kingdom on the continent and bring them into the grasp of Kronos."
"I obey Your Majesty's command!"
Marquis Memphis's voice boiled with intense fervor.
Finally, the true monster of the continent was raising its massive body.
* * *
It was a corridor shrouded in darkness.
A man walked alone, pushing open a heavy iron door that permitted entry to no one else.
Creak.
The interior was eerily silent.
The man stepped inside with familiar strides. As he lit a candle resting on a nearby stand, the darkness receded, revealing the surrounding space. It was a vast but empty room. In the center lay a perfectly preserved piece of parchment. The man read its contents with a somewhat indifferent expression.
[A very long time ago, the gate of the world opened. The cold energy emanating from it froze the world, and the disaster it left behind persisted for eternity. God spoke, declaring that one day, a person acting on behalf of His will would appear to resolve the world's tribulations. However, if that moment is missed, the world will never escape the abyss of despair.]
Beyond the Endless Mountains.
This was a prophecy handed down through generations.
The man—the Kronos Emperor—wore a fierce expression.
"Until now, we could not achieve our ambition of continental conquest because of those who received the oracle. But from now on, it will be different. The second gate has opened, and we have gained the power to oppose them. Our days of desperately holding back are over."
Long ago, a strict rule had been handed down through generations of the Kronos Imperial Family.
On the day of his Coming-of-Age Ceremony, the Kronos Emperor realized the destiny he was forced to accept.
An existence that wields holy power.
Even if the protagonist of the oracle were to appear, the Emperor would no longer settle for half-measures, not while Dmitry was running rampant. The people of the continent did not know the truth. Kronos had not refrained from conquering the continent due to a lack of military might. They had held back because they had no choice but to endure the unknown existences hidden beneath the surface.
The true power of the Empire.
The world would be utterly astonished.
He was certain that Dmitry would be swept away in an instant, making the incident at Rascal look like child's play.
The Kronos Emperor turned and walked away.
Leaving the secret chamber, he returned to his bedchamber and lay down.
Soon after, he fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
The next day.
Dawn broke.
However, the moment the people of the continent opened their eyes, they were greeted with shocking news.
"Roman Dmitry attacked Rascal, the outpost of the Kronos Empire, and slaughtered ten thousand troops! In the process, Dmitry did not suffer a single casualty, and the furious Kronos Empire has issued a mandatory summons for war!"
It was news that made people doubt their own ears.
Instead of holing up to focus on defense, Dmitry had struck first and massacred ten thousand Imperial troops.
At the news, the Kingdom Alliance was thrown into an absolute uproar.
Those who had been completely certain of Dmitry's defeat could no longer sit idly by in the face of such an unprecedented move.
The King of Odelia sent an urgent communication, his voice trembling with excitement.
"We must discuss this matter immediately!"
Early that morning, the 3rd International Conference of the three nations of the Kingdom Alliance—excluding Redford—officially commenced.