Chapter 362: The End of the Civil War (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 362: The End of the Civil War (1)
The Imperial Army had completely withdrawn.
Cheers of joy erupted from the rebel army.
They couldn't comprehend how they had survived, but the mere fact that they had overcome this crisis was enough to make them cry out to the heavens in gratitude. Yet, risking their lives for their country didn't mean they were numb to death. Their joy was fleeting. Belatedly, their eyes fell upon the scattered corpses of their fallen comrades.
Many had died.
If the Imperial Army hadn't withdrawn for some specific reason, this despairing reality would simply repeat itself tomorrow.
Duke Vieto spoke up.
"Sanchez."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Contact our informants in the capital and find out why the enemy retreated. Count Gomez isn't a man who gives up easily. There must be a specific reason they were forced to withdraw their forces."
"Understood."
There was no time to catch their breath.
Without even a moment to tidy his disheveled hair, Sanchez busily set to work.
Thirty minutes later.
While the grim cleanup atop the castle walls was well underway, Sanchez rushed back, his face flushed with excitement.
"Duke Vieto! You were right! Valhalla's capital is in absolute chaos right now!"
"Calm down and explain the situation."
"Whew, yes. We have to go back a few days. After the Valhalla Imperial Court abandoned Javier's Warp Gate, we thought even Roman Dmitry wouldn't be able to do anything more. However, contrary to our expectations, Roman Dmitry sent his forces to the Northern Granary. He set it ablaze, creating a crisis the Valhalla Imperial Court could no longer just sit back and watch."
"That alone doesn't explain Count Gomez's retreat order."
"Indeed. In fact, the Valhalla Imperial Court was leaning toward mobilizing more troops to respond. But that was when Roman Dmitry went to Valhalla's capital. He went there completely alone and carried out a one-sided slaughter."
"...What?"
Instantly, a look of utter shock washed over Duke Vieto's face.
He couldn't help but be genuinely stunned by the staggering actions of a single individual overriding grand strategy. But the real issue was just beginning. If it had ended with a mere attack on Marin, Count Gomez would have chosen to stay just one more day, even if it meant pushing his limits, to completely wipe out Hernad.
"Duke Vieto, please brace yourself. After slaughtering hundreds of Imperial soldiers alone, Roman Dmitry marched on the Imperial Palace. He directly targeted not only Valhalla's leadership but the life of the Emperor of Valhalla himself! Because of that, the capital was thrown into complete turmoil. Fearing that staying put would put them in grave danger, the Valhalla Imperial Court hastily recalled Count Gomez's forces. The war isn't over yet. Roman Dmitry has ultimately flipped the entire board!"
Sanchez's voice trembled with agitation.
Having been pushed to the very edge of a cliff, he couldn't help but be thrilled by the news from the capital.
However, there was one bothersome detail.
"...According to the reports, Roman Dmitry made a public statement declaring that he would completely abandon the rebel army and only pursue Dmitry's own interests. I believe I need to verify the truth of this myself. We cannot rashly sever our ties with Roman Dmitry based on mere rumors."
At those words, Duke Vieto burst into laughter.
Roman Dmitry's actions alone were incredible, but his final statement was truly the crowning touch.
"Roman Dmitry. What a truly remarkable man."
"Do you happen to know something I don't?"
"No. I don't know the full picture either. However, Roman Dmitry's statement about abandoning his relationship with the rebel army carries a profound meaning. The Emperor of Valhalla is an extreme individual, and he proved his resolve by destroying Javier's Warp Gate. It was his way of saying that no matter what, he would not play along with Roman Dmitry's original plan. Yet, Roman Dmitry chose an even more extreme method than the Emperor. By declaring that he would abandon the rebels, he emphasized the fact that he would inevitably benefit regardless of whether the Valhalla Imperial Court won or lost."
"Then, are you saying it was a bluff?"
"No, it wasn't."
Vieto smiled.
The more he reflected on the situation, the more goosebumps broke out across his skin.
"Roman Dmitry must have truly factored the collapse of the rebel army into his calculations. Knowing that, he drew a clear line, forcing two scenarios upon the Valhalla Imperial Court. First, suffer irreversible damage by obsessing over the rebels. Second, feel threatened by his extreme actions and recall their troops. They say extremes meet. His bold move of abandoning the rebels has, ironically, backed the Valhalla Imperial Court into a corner."
"...Ah!"
Sanchez gasped in admiration.
It was a complex, brilliant maneuver.
In a rapidly and violently unfolding situation, Roman Dmitry had chosen the absolute best path for Dmitry. It was enough to make one chuckle in sheer disbelief. If the board was set up so that Dmitry would benefit no matter which way the pieces fell, there could be no better strategy.
Duke Vieto had acknowledged Roman Dmitry from the very beginning. But now, having experienced this series of events alongside him, he felt a sense of awe that went far beyond mere acknowledgment.
One thing was certain. This was a golden opportunity.
Whatever his intentions, they couldn't afford to waste this single day of breathing room they had been granted.
"Summon all the leaders immediately."
Not yet.
The war wasn't over yet.
* * *
Over the past few days, the very nature of the civil war had shifted.
The Valhalla Imperial Court recalled approximately 500,000 troops and mobilized additional forces to send straight to the North.
While the conflict between the rebels of Hernad and the Emperor had been the primary issue early in the civil war, the entity currently drawing the full wrath of the Valhalla Imperial Court was Roman Dmitry. Since the incident in Marin, rumors that the Valhalla Imperial Court had been thoroughly humiliated began to spread. People started to question the overwhelming power that served as the foundation of the Emperor's reign of terror.
Because of this, the Valhalla Imperial Court needed to make a clear example out of him.
At the very least, they couldn't let Roman Dmitry, who was turning Valhalla into a wasteland, leave so easily.
"That rat-like bastard!"
The Northern Granary.
Looking at the charred landscape around him, Count Gomez, the commander of the Dmitry Subjugation Force, ground his teeth in irritation. Over the past few days, he had spent a frantic, breathless time marching his men. He had intended to catch Dmitry's tail as quickly as possible, but by the time he arrived, they had already vanished without a trace.
Their intention was clear. They were planning to hit and run.
Even if their numbers were small compared to the subjugation force, it was a critical problem when the opponent was Roman Dmitry.
Furthermore, the situation in Valhalla was deteriorating.
The Emperor's authority was wavering. Simultaneously, the acts of terror occurring all over Valhalla provided a perfect pretext for the oppressed. Like fire meeting oil, rebellions began to burn furiously. The rebels didn't exist only in Hernad. As the citizens of Valhalla began to take up arms and pour into the streets, the Valhalla Imperial Court was no longer permitted the luxury of standing by and watching.
If only they had at least wiped out the rebels of Hernad as planned, things might have been manageable. However, by recalling their troops right before the fall of the fortress, they faced an unexpected turn of events. Duke Vieto had turned the tide by persuading several surrounding lords to join his cause.
Count Gomez had already left Hernad due to the recall order, leaving him with no choice but to vent his anger at the news of defeat reaching him from afar.
Bad news piled upon bad news.
At this rate, the problem would become critical.
Count Gomez summoned his adjutant and ordered, "We have no time. We must somehow determine the movement route of the Dmitry Allied Forces and corner them near the border at the very least. If we leave Dmitry to continue roaming Valhalla's territory, Roman Dmitry will undoubtedly keep creating variables we cannot handle."
"Understood. I will contact the surrounding areas and request cooperation."
The adjutant withdrew.
Gomez felt suffocated. For some reason, he couldn't shake off a deep, gnawing sense of unease.
And the next day, his worries became reality.
Just when they had still failed to catch the tail of the Dmitry Allied Forces, the army of the Kingdom Alliance gathered on Valhalla's Western Front.
* * *
Western Valhalla.
The clouds of war were gathering.
A massive problem arose as the three kingdoms of Redford, Umberto, and Frank—all members of the Kingdom Alliance—massed their forces on the Western Front. The Valhalla Imperial Court immediately dispatched an envoy. If the Kingdom Alliance intended to declare total war alongside Dmitry, then from that moment on, securing the nation's safety had to take priority over wiping out the rebels of Hernad.
Valhalla's envoy, an ordinary-looking man, raised his voice as he glared at the leaders of the Kingdom Alliance.
"His Majesty the Emperor of Valhalla demands an explanation for the gathering of troops on the Western Front. If this is an act of hostility against Valhalla, Valhalla will absolutely not let this matter slide."
His voice was laced with hostility.
Although they were already somewhat certain internally, they still needed to officially confirm the alliance's stance. The Kingdom Alliance and Dmitry were a community bound by a common destiny. If they crossed the line to follow Dmitry, Valhalla would use it as an opportunity to strike back.
However, representing the Kingdom Alliance, Calderon Drake uttered unexpected words.
"It seems you have gravely misunderstood. We have absolutely no intention of being hostile toward Valhalla. Just because we formed the Kingdom Alliance does not mean we assist each other in every single matter. Dmitry launched this attack alongside Hector based on their own judgment, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the Kingdom Alliance."
"Then why have you gathered your forces on the Western Front?"
"Why, for training, of course."
He smirked.
It was an answer designed to plunge the opponent into a dilemma. If Valhalla objected to the Kingdom Alliance's actions, they would walk right into a trap of their own making.
"As you know, the members of the Kingdom Alliance, especially the Southern Three Kingdoms, share a very close relationship. We conduct these kinds of training exercises periodically, so it is nothing particularly special. Didn't the Kronos Empire also mass its troops on the Cairo border recently under the pretext of training? We hope you will view this in a similar light. We will absolutely, under no circumstances, cross Valhalla's border."
By drawing a parallel to Kronos's recent actions, Valhalla had lost the justification to criticize the Kingdom Alliance.
Calderon Drake smiled as he looked at the envoy. The opponent's intention was obvious. Once they confirmed the official stance of the Kingdom Alliance, they would have tried to use an external enemy to pacify their own public sentiment.
That was exactly why he didn't cross the line. He stopped right at the level of a bystander, doing just enough to violently grate on the opponent's nerves.
Valhalla won't be able to believe the Kingdom Alliance's words. Just as we don't trust the cease-fire negotiations with the Kronos Empire, Valhalla will station more troops than usual on the Western Front, thinking they could be attacked at any moment. It is a true dilemma. A fatal dilemma that they cannot solve even if they know the problem.
It was a plan conceived entirely in Roman Dmitry's mind.
He carried out guerrilla operations inside Valhalla, created room for the rebels of Hernad to survive, induced rebellions across the empire, and now, he moved the Kingdom Alliance to choke Valhalla, forcing them to spread their recently mobilized troops even thinner.
The situation would adapt depending on the circumstances. For the most part, they intended to stop at staying near the border, but if the situation turned extreme, they were fully prepared to cross it. That was what made it such a meaningful move. The possibility that this could escalate into all-out war at any moment was an issue Valhalla could absolutely not afford to overlook.
"But even so, this is..."
"Let me say it once more."
Drake cut him off. With a face full of smiles, Calderon Drake delivered the final blow.
"The Southern Three Kingdoms of the Kingdom Alliance have nothing to do with this incident. So go back and tell the Valhalla Imperial Court: we sincerely hope you resolve this matter well."
The surrounding leaders laughed along.
The envoy left, his face flushed beet red. Feeling utterly mocked, he couldn't bring himself to say another word.
* * *
Pacing anxiously around his office, Marquis Belfir couldn't shake off the dark thoughts that kept dominating his mind.
"...This is bad. Truly bad."
At first, he had felt no sense of crisis. Duke Vieto's 200,000 troops were far from enough to bring down Valhalla, and he was certain that even if Roman Dmitry stepped in, the situation wouldn't change.
But now, it was different. With problems spreading like wildfire in all directions, Marquis Belfir began to consider a possibility he had never even dreamed of.
Just maybe, the Emperor of Valhalla might lose.
And the biggest problem was the deep-seated distrust that had crept into his relationship with the Emperor.
Even though the Emperor of Valhalla knew Roman Dmitry was heading for the Imperial Palace, he didn't protect us; he fled alone. That must be the Emperor's true feelings toward us. We are just chess pieces to be discarded at any moment. It's a one-sided relationship where he doesn't give a single thought to whether we harbor resentment over this. My judgment was wrong. The time I spent dedicating myself to the Emperor of Valhalla was meaningless.
There was no future for him here in Valhalla.
The Emperor was currently far too optimistic about reality. Even though problems were erupting everywhere, instead of revealing his full strength, he was only responding with his visible forces. Belfir despised that. When they should have been mobilizing their elite hidden forces, the Emperor's usual indifferent attitude made Belfir gradually lose any reason to risk his life for him.
If they were to lose like this, the subordinates would be the ones to bear the responsibility. Having already experienced one such precedent, Marquis Belfir could no longer risk his life clinging to a doomed future.
The Imperial Court's power is not absolute. If they possessed the strength to suppress Roman Dmitry, they wouldn't have chosen to retreat during the battle at the Imperial Palace. Then, what is the right choice for me? Even if we win this war, will glory return to me? No. On the contrary, the more military achievements I accumulate, the more I will be threatened with assassination by Roman Dmitry. If even the Imperial Palace could be breached, I cannot stop him with my own power.
Anxiety and distrust. A complex mix of emotions tangled in his head.
He pondered for a long time.
He wasn't ignorant of Roman Dmitry's intentions. Roman had spared him specifically to sow discord, and for Valhalla's victory, Belfir knew he shouldn't waver. But human emotions were something that couldn't be controlled, even when the logic was clear.
Only after the world outside his window had darkened and brightened several times did he cautiously pick up the magic communicator.
He hesitated for a moment.
What should I call him?
It was a fleeting moment of hesitation. Once the connection was established, Marquis Belfir spoke carefully.
Beep.
"This is Marquis Belfir of Valhalla. Please convey to Lord Roman Dmitry that I wish to speak with him."