Chapter 353: Chicken Game (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 353: Chicken Game (1)
Click.
The connection went dead.
After a long, heavy silence, Count Gomez spoke in a strained voice. "...Our opponent is Roman Dmitry. If he says he will keep pushing forward, it is absolutely no empty threat."
"I know that."
It was absurd.
A mere hundred thousand troops. Confronting the Valhalla Empire with such a paltry force was utterly ridiculous. Moreover, the Kronos army gathered at the Cairo border was eagerly waiting for an opportunity to strike. Where did this sheer confidence come from? If his opponent had been anyone other than Roman Dmitry, Marquis Belfir would have dismissed the declaration as utter nonsense.
Crash!
Crunch.
"Damn you, Roman Dmitry."
He hurled the magic communicator to the floor. As if that weren't enough to vent his rage, Marquis Belfir stomped on the shattered device repeatedly before letting out a long, heavy breath.
"Count Gomez. What do you think will happen if we leave Roman Dmitry be?"
"...Pushing all the way to the capital with only a hundred thousand troops is impossible, even for Roman Dmitry. If he penetrates that deeply and the imperial forces block his retreat, Dmitry will be surrounded by a million-strong army with no way to escape. However, that does not mean he is powerless. Roman Dmitry has already set a clear precedent during his war with the Kronos Empire. Even when overwhelmingly outmatched in military strength, his guerrilla operations to capture Rascal and Kortas proved exactly how he rose as a new powerhouse between the two empires."
The continent had been thrown into shock back then. With every single move Roman Dmitry made, people questioned whether he was even human.
"Our situation is no different. If Roman Dmitry sweeps through the North using guerrilla tactics, the damage Valhalla will suffer will be catastrophic—even with only a hundred thousand troops. Marquis Belfir, a decision must be made. The Kronos Empire overlooked Roman Dmitry's existence, and the price they paid was a disastrous defeat and the humiliation of ceasefire negotiations. If Valhalla repeats that same mistake, Roman Dmitry's prestige will pierce the heavens and threaten both empires."
He was right.
Marquis Belfir shared the exact same sentiment. If Roman Dmitry refused to bend his will even after they mobilized Kronos, they could not just leave him be.
"There is no other way. None at all."
Kronos. Even their ultimate trump card had failed. Yet, Belfir had no desire to be swayed by his opponent's whims.
After pacing around his office for a long time, racking his brain, Marquis Belfir swallowed his anger and reached a conclusion.
"...I must go see His Majesty the Emperor."
The Emperor of Valhalla. Though he loathed the thought of meeting the indolent ruler, there was no other choice.
* * *
There was a taboo in Valhalla.
When the Emperor did not wish to be disturbed, asking him for anything invited absolute disaster.
And today went exactly as expected.
As Marquis Belfir explained the series of events, the Emperor of Valhalla stared at him with cold, lifeless eyes.
"Marquis Belfir."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Slap!
Belfir's head whipped to the side. As he hurriedly scrambled back to his original posture, the cold voice rang out again.
"Marquis Belfir."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Slap!
"Marquis Belfir."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
Slap!
The violence was relentless. Blood burst from his nose. Though his face rapidly swelled from the seemingly casual strikes, Marquis Belfir did his absolute best not to show a single sign of wavering. Doing so would only further provoke the Emperor's wrath. He bowed his head, standing at rigid attention like a raw recruit. His conditioned fear knew exactly how to respond to this violence.
Only after slapping the Marquis about ten times did the Emperor of Valhalla seem to calm down, gently massaging his own wrist as he spoke.
"You worthless insects. You know very well that the only reason I gave you power was so you wouldn't bother me. If you handle things this poorly, why on earth should I trust pieces of trash like you?"
"We apologize, Your Majesty."
"We apologize, Your Majesty."
"Yes, you should be sorry."
He began to pace. Walking circles around the frozen figures of Marquis Belfir and Count Gomez, the Emperor spoke in a sharp, biting tone.
"You see, I don't particularly like those born and bred in Valhalla. Those fools who cry out about the romance of a warrior, or their heritage, and all that nonsense—they can never face reality. It was the same back then. On the day I ascended the throne, every single one of those stubborn bastards who prattled on about legitimacy died by my hand."
People often said that Valhalla's history was divided into two eras: before and after the ascension of the current Emperor.
While the former Emperor was alive, the romance of Valhalla still breathed. But everything changed when the 14th Son coveted the throne. It was one of Valhalla's greatest mysteries. Despite having no foundation, the strongest figures of Valhalla suddenly threw their support behind him, unleashing a bloodbath. Those who pursued the true path of the warrior refused to bend their knees to the very end, and they were all slaughtered. Thanks to this purge, Marquis Belfir seized power. He, who had been unrecognized among those who walked the true warrior's path, was thrust into the spotlight once the new era dawned.
"Watching Roman Dmitry's actions constantly reminds me of those days. Those bastards who screamed that I wasn't the rightful successor, those who told me to follow the laws of the imperial court. Roman Dmitry is a bastard who possesses the raw traits of Valhalla deep in his bones. Despite being from a lowly frontier, he acts like a true warrior of Valhalla and knows no fear."
In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, Roman Dmitry was an apex predator. He was accustomed to the law of the jungle—eat or be eaten—and that was precisely why the people of Valhalla went wild for him. They felt a sense of kinship. The way of Valhalla closely resembled the way of the Demonic Cult.
Step.
He stopped walking.
Leaning his face right up to Marquis Belfir's, the Emperor flashed a mad smile.
"If I refuse to play along with Dmitry's little game... will he appear before my eyes first, or will my army crush the rebels in Hernad and cut off his retreat first?"
"..."
Neither could answer. They held their tongues. The two nobles had learned through bitter experience that a hasty answer was the quickest way to shorten one's lifespan.
"Hehehe."
The Emperor of Valhalla turned and walked back to his throne. Sitting down, he looked down upon the two lost nobles and dictated their next course of action.
"I will not be swayed by Roman Dmitry's pathetic provocations. Send the troops to Hernad. Do not leave a single soul alive. Wipe them all out, and then isolate and slaughter Roman Dmitry, just like I did to those who opposed me."
The Emperor of Valhalla was radical and cruel. Yet, the reason Marquis Belfir had sought him out despite knowing this was because only the Emperor could mobilize Valhalla's true power. The Emperor's faction had seized the Valhalla Imperial Court in the blink of an eye—without them, one could not truly speak of Valhalla's full military might.
The two nobles bowed deeply.
"We shall obey your command."
"We shall obey your command."
* * *
The next day.
The Emperor's army departed for Hernad. At the same time, their movements were reported to Roman Dmitry.
"...Are you truly planning to go ahead with the plan?"
It was Chris. This operation was incredibly dangerous.
If Roman pushed forward with the war against Valhalla, there was no telling what the Kronos army gathered at the Cairo border might do, just as Marquis Belfir had threatened. Furthermore, if the rebels in Hernad collapsed too quickly, there was a high probability that Roman's retreat would be cut off by the surrounding Valhalla forces.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"This is already an irreversible battle. If we back down now, the price we pay will not end with a single defeat."
From the moment he severed Count Bragan's head, the game of chicken had begun.
"The rebels of Hernad can never succeed in their rebellion without our help. If their rebellion fails, those who harbor ill will toward Dmitry will maintain their grip on Valhalla's power. From that moment on, Dmitry will have to face both Kronos and Valhalla simultaneously. The mere fact that Kronos massed its troops at the Cairo border at Valhalla's request proves the possibility of their alliance."
The Valhalla Festival.
He had already seen the potential for an alliance back then. The way Valhalla turned a blind eye while Kronos attacked showed that the two giants of the continent did not exist in a state of absolute, unconditional exclusion. Perhaps the game of chicken had begun even then. When Count Bragan had come to him, Roman Dmitry had not believed their promises of guaranteeing his future.
And so, he had sent back his severed head.
Against the Emperor of Valhalla, who had clearly shown murderous intent toward him, Roman refused to allow even an inch of compromise.
"Valhalla's civil war is not just Valhalla's problem. The interests of the entire continent are at stake, and the moment one side backs down, the loser will lose everything. Of course, if neither backs down, the damage will be immense. Even if Kronos crosses the Cairo border and declares the Second Continental War, our priority is to eliminate the threat of 'Valhalla' first. It won't be too late to deal with Kronos after that."
"Understood."
Chris nodded. He only ever worried about the worst-case scenario; his trust in Roman Dmitry's judgment was absolute.
From the very beginning until now—ever since the fall of the Barco family—Roman Dmitry had always achieved the best results through the most aggressive means, regardless of the situation. That was the kind of commander they followed. Even as they participated in the absolute madness of crossing Valhalla's border, not a single soldier of Dmitry doubted Roman.
At the gathering of the high command, Kevin, who was standing nearby, unrolled a map on the table.
Swoosh.
It was a map of Valhalla.
On the map, which marked Valhalla's major strongholds, Roman Dmitry pointed to three locations in succession.
Tap, tap, tap.
"Luenos, Portbell, and Santino. These are the three territories located along the shortest route to the Valhalla capital. In particular, once we pass Santino, there is a Warp Point, allowing instantaneous travel to the capital and the rest of Valhalla. Knowing the importance of these three locations, Valhalla has constructed sturdy fortresses and stationed sufficient defensive forces there."
He had already explained the plan before. As he reiterated it, the eyes of those gathered gleamed sharply.
"If we bring down these three places within a week, Valhalla will no longer be able to ignore our presence."
* * *
The following afternoon.
On the castle walls of Luenos.
Viscount Luenos, whose family had ruled the territory for generations, spotted Dmitry's army marching in from the distance.
"...In the end, what was bound to come has arrived."
His expression hardened. He had already received reports from the Northern Front that Dmitry had demolished the frontline defense positions in just a single day.
Though he wanted nothing more than to abandon Luenos and join forces at a stronger fortress like Santino, strict orders had come down from above.
"What Roman Dmitry wants is for us to concentrate our forces. If we gather in one place and allow him to fight a single battle instead of multiple engagements, he can cover a vast distance with just one victory. Viscount Luenos, hold your current position. It is fine even if you lose. You will not be punished even if Luenos falls. However, do not let the gates fall in a single day. Even if you must throw all your soldiers into the jaws of death, if you can buy us just a few days, you will be handsomely rewarded."
It was a reckless command. Told, in essence, to prepare to die just to stall the enemy, Viscount Luenos swallowed hard.
Just a few days. I only need to hold out for a few days.
The Valhalla Imperial Court's objective was clear. If they could stall Dmitry's army as much as possible while they passed through the northern territories, Hernad would inevitably fall in the meantime. From then on, the counteroffensive would begin. The moment they sent the Emperor's army to the North via the Warp Points and cut off Dmitry's retreat, the stage would be set to kill the arrogant and insolent Roman Dmitry.
Human wave tactics.
It was only possible because they had the sheer numbers. The distance to the capital was already vast, and if Dmitry's army was stalled at every single territory along the way, there would be nothing Roman could do.
Viscount Luenos spoke.
"Do not let your guard down for even a second! If the enemy shows even the slightest sign of attacking, pour everything you have into defending the walls. This is not a fight to win. Just three days. If we can hold out for just three days, we have succeeded!"
He raised his voice. The guards lined up along the castle walls glared forward, their eyes wide with tension.
And yet... Dmitry made no move.
On the first day, they let it slide. Since it was somewhat late in the day, it seemed they were simply resting for the night.
The next day.
When Dmitry's army remained motionless for the second day in a row, Viscount Luenos began to wonder.
Could they have given up on attacking? Well, it makes sense. Since the Valhalla Imperial Court boldly dispatched troops to Hernad, Roman Dmitry must have realized it's impossible to settle the score in time. No matter how incredible he is, a hundred thousand troops have their limits in imperial territory.
He grew excited.
Just one more day.
If he could hold out for three days, he could flee after putting up a decent show of defending the place and still receive a massive reward.
"Stay alert! Our opponent is Roman Dmitry!"
Strangely, even as the sun began to set, Dmitry's army did not budge.
That evening.
Viscount Luenos entered his bedchamber with a satisfied look on his face, but before he could even fall asleep, he was interrupted by a frantic soldier bursting through the door.
Bang!
"My Lord, we have a major problem!"
"Has Dmitry finally launched an attack?!"
He bolted upright. To launch a sudden attack in the dead of night...
Seeing Viscount Luenos frantically questioning him, the soldier replied with a pale face.
"No, sir! Dmitry's army is still holding its position outside. However, we just received an urgent communication that Portbell is currently under attack by Roman Dmitry! It seems to be a diversionary tactic. They are trying to deceive us while they bring down Portbell!"
Portbell was located behind Luenos.
He was struck with horror.
Only then did he realize. Making a feint to the east and attacking in the west.
From the very beginning, Roman Dmitry had thrown the Valhalla Empire into utter chaos.