Chapter 409: Continental Conquest (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 409: Continental Conquest (8)
Right after the absorption of the Northeast Association, Lucas received a summons from Roman Dmitry. The order he was given left him completely bewildered.
"…Are you planning to fight the Kronos Empire?"
There was no other way to interpret the order he had just received. It meant war.
At the time, Dmitry was merely a single noble family within Cairo, and influential figures like Marquis Benedict still held sway over the Central Government. Yet, Roman was ordering him to prepare for war against Kronos. Lucas knew his liege was no ordinary man, but the picture Roman was painting went far beyond the bounds of common sense.
Roman Dmitry spoke calmly.
"Lucas, Cairo has already crossed the point of no return. King Daniel Cairo lacks the power to protect the nation, and various factions have seized control, each painting their own picture of the future. Let me ask you this: if we stand against the Central Government, do you think we can achieve our desired outcome simply by defeating the enemy right in front of us?"
"…The forces backing them would likely intervene."
"Exactly. Whether it is Kronos or Valhalla, they will not simply stand by and watch Cairo regain its stability. A civil war in Cairo will inevitably trigger imperial intervention. To build the future we truly desire, we must look ahead to an all-out war with the empires. This is not a mere prediction. It is a future that will absolutely come to pass, and that is why I intend to prepare for war against them starting right now."
The Southern Front.
After defeating Hector and returning home in glory, Roman Dmitry witnessed countless political maneuvers to claim him during the merit reward ceremonies. Daniel Cairo was powerless to control the political landscape. While Marquis Benedict of the Noble Faction, Count Denver of the Valhalla Faction, and Count Gregory of the Kronos Faction whispered sweet proposals, the Cairo royal family watched the events unfolding within their own kingdom like blind men.
Ultimately, civil war was bound to happen.
With the nation's security hanging in the balance, imperial intervention was inevitable. Thus, Roman Dmitry sought to prepare for the storm that would soon sweep over Cairo. Dmitry would resolve Cairo's civil war. That was why he had laid the foundation by absorbing the Northeast Association, and why he had looked even further ahead to an all-out war with the empires.
That was the nature of war.
If one entered it with the complacent mindset that it would end with some moderate compromise, they would be swept away by variables—like a sudden alliance between Kronos and Valhalla. Therefore, this war was a predetermined future from the very beginning. Knowing that he would eventually have to fight to the bitter end against the two giants of the continent, Roman did not merely prepare for war; he envisioned a future where he would bring them to their knees.
At that order, Lucas felt his breath catch.
'Just who are you…?'
Roman Dmitry.
He was an existence that defied common sense.
While others were merely speaking of Cairo's civil war, he was already preparing for an all-out war with the empires backing the factions. Lucas wanted to scream that it was madness. But remembering the Roman Dmitry he had served so far—a man with the power to turn the impossible into reality—Lucas found himself nodding before he even realized it.
"Understood. I will carry out your orders."
That day, their secret conversation laid the cornerstone for Dmitry's distant future.
* * *
Back in the present.
Lucas spoke.
"During this time, the Dmitry Information Guild has deployed tens of thousands of personnel to prepare for war against the Kronos and Valhalla Empires. Among our operations, I will explain the plan to overthrow Kronos. We established an information network within the Kronos Empire and investigated the secret passages connected to the Kronos Imperial Palace. Throughout its long history, Kronos has never faced a major crisis, but because the Emperor's safety is paramount, we were certain a secret passage existed. As a result, we have located it."
"…A secret passage?"
"Are you saying we will infiltrate the capital through it?"
The leadership was astonished.
To think they had actually found a secret passage. They couldn't help but marvel at Roman Dmitry's foresight and the fact that his orders had produced such tangible results.
Lucas shook his head.
"No. We considered that at first, but the secret passage is designed to collapse automatically if anyone without imperial blood enters. The same applies if one attempts to disable the magic defenses. Knowing of its existence does not give us a direct way to use it. However, that does not mean this is a meaningless achievement."
Shhhk.
He unrolled a map.
It was a record of the secret passage's structure, so intricately tangled that it was difficult to decipher with the naked eye.
"The existence of the secret passage is unfamiliar even to the Kronos Empire. Although it was built for emergencies when the palace was first constructed, it has never actually been used. This means the people of Kronos lack a proper understanding of it. We intend to exploit that ignorance. The method is simple: we will send smoke through the secret passage. The moment they realize smoke is coming from there, they will have no choice but to assume an infiltration, as smoke could not possibly rise from that location unless it was intentional. That is the trap designed to throw the enemy into confusion. Once their forces are dispersed by this sudden variable, we will immediately proceed with our second operation."
All eyes focused on him.
Everyone swallowed hard.
Even Chris, who was usually quick to raise doubts, realized just how thorough Lucas's preparations were.
"In truth, preparing the second operation required a long period of groundwork. The foundation of the Dmitry Information Guild lies within the subjugated class. Our purpose is to secure those who are not classified as socially powerful and to piece together the threadlike fragments of information obtained through them. The second operation began in this context: infiltrating under the guise of laborers working in Kronos. When a war begins, all nations commonly deploy laborers to repair structures like city walls. If we were to win over the laborers right before the war, their identities and actions would be suspected. However, an operation carried out long before any trouble begins escapes the enemy's suspicion. That is the true objective we wish to achieve through the first distraction."
He moved a piece representing the laborers across the map.
When he placed it near the city walls—in a completely unexpected location—the onlookers got goosebumps.
"The magic defenses cast on the walls of Kronos are extremely sturdy. Judging that bringing down the walls would be no easy task compared to our previous wars, we had the laborers plant bombs that do not trigger magic detectors throughout the interior of the walls. Since the bombs were disguised with the exact same material as the walls, they went undetected. When a massive impact is applied to the walls, it will trigger a chain explosion, destroying the walls' durability. The laborers plan to detonate magic bombs on the inner walls as well, perfectly timed with our assault on the outer walls."
He slowly raised his head.
Scanning the astonished faces of the crowd, his gaze stopped on Roman Dmitry, who had been listening to the plan calmly.
"This is the extent of the operation I have prepared. Dispersing their forces and weakening the walls. What happens after that is entirely up to my Lord."
* * *
The next day, the operation began.
With smoke suddenly rising from inside the imperial palace, the palace guards scrambled in a panic.
"What is this? Where is the smoke coming from?!"
"The secret passage! It's definitely coming from the secret passage!"
The moment they recognized the danger, the imperial palace was thrown into chaos.
An emergency security system was immediately activated, and the news was urgently delivered to Marquis Memphis.
"Say that again. What?"
"…It seems Dmitry has infiltrated through the emergency passage. The secret passage is structured so that smoke can absolutely never enter, yet smoke is leaking from it. The problem is that no one except those of imperial blood should be able to enter, but our opponent is Roman Dmitry. Since he is an existence who constantly defies common sense, he must have found a way to bypass the passage's restrictions."
"Damn it."
At his subordinate's report, Marquis Memphis reacted with sheer panic.
The war with Dmitry had to be dragged out into a long-term conflict. If they showed signs of shaking after only a few days, the Kronos Empire's resistance would yield no results.
"Recall the troops immediately! If we allow the enemy to infiltrate from within, we can never win this war against Dmitry. Our opponent is Roman Dmitry! If we adopt a complacent mindset just because he is a single person, we will repeat our past defeats!"
It was a desperate shout.
In all their past wars, they had been defeated every single time because of just one man. Even if the number of infiltrators was small, the moment Roman Dmitry was among them, it became nothing short of a disaster. His near-hysterical reaction was entirely justified. At Marquis Memphis's command, troops were deployed in an instant, forming thick layers of defense around the secret passage.
That was not all.
Arriving at the scene, Marquis Memphis shrieked at the soldiers.
"Seal the secret passage immediately! And since the enemy might be inside, pump poison gas into the passage!"
"Understood!"
It was a perfect response.
If the enemy was indeed inside the secret passage, even Roman Dmitry would find it difficult to survive.
Of course, a sliver of anxiety still lingered in his mind.
Why had smoke risen in the first place?
In truth, if they had moved through the secret passage, wouldn't it be normal to leave absolutely no trace behind?
However, because the opponent was Roman Dmitry, they had no choice but to react sensitively to any and all variables.
'If, by some chance, the smoke is a signal of an enemy mistake that we fail to recognize, we will face an uncontrollable disaster. No matter what intention the enemy has in utilizing the secret passage, we have no choice but to respond to this variable with all our might.'
It was a grim reality.
Even if they knew it might be a trick, they were forced to respond. Marquis Memphis quickly brought the situation under control, and only after confirming that the entrance was completely sealed did he feel a brief sense of relief.
It was then.
Boom!
Rumbleeeee!
In the distance, a massive explosion resounded.
Whipping his head around to check the direction of the sound, Marquis Memphis finally realized that things had gone terribly wrong.
"…Damn it."
It was clear. Making a feint to the east and attacking in the west.
His worst anxiety had just become reality.
* * *
While the imperial palace descended into utter chaos, Roman Dmitry walked toward the city walls.
"It's Roman Dmitry!"
"Attack!"
Atop the walls, the soldiers moved frantically.
Archers stepped forward and loosed their arrows, followed immediately by the manifestation of the mages' spells.
It was an excessive amount of force to use against just one man, but they were prepared to use any means necessary as long as they could eliminate Roman Dmitry. Unfortunately for them, the attacks did not work. Felix, the Phoenix Mages, Edwin Hector, and the Sky Mages channeled their mana to protect Roman Dmitry.
"Shield."
"Shield."
Boom!
Thud, thud, thud!
Every single attack was blocked by the magic shields.
Through the thick, rising cloud of dust, Roman Dmitry did not stop walking. He only halted when he was a short distance from the walls. The walls of the Kronos capital were colossal. Rising to a height where the top was barely visible, the sturdy walls and the layers of magic defenses installed upon them had never once fallen in history.
Everyone in the world had bowed their heads to the empire's majesty.
Yet, looking at the sight that had overwhelmed so many, Roman Dmitry felt a sense of familiarity instead.
His life.
Fighting the strong was a daily routine. Because they were strong, they recognized each other's existence, and because they were strong, they bared their savage fangs to tear each other down.
It was a world that the weak could never hope to enter.
In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, Roman Dmitry had risen to the absolute peak as the predator that devoured other predators.
'Once, Alexander's method raised questions in my mind. It is certainly a flawed method, but the destructive power pursued through excessive emission can sometimes be more efficient than restrained power. For example, when facing a strong opponent like Alexander, martial arts are the definitive solution. However, when facing a colossal wall, reckless emission of aura is not necessarily a bad option.'
He tightly gripped his sword.
He took his stance.
He wanted to test it.
Alexander's method. What would happen if he interpreted it in his own way?
It was a method unnecessary in Murim. Murim was not about siege warfare over castles; battles were usually decided by duels between martial artists. Therefore, the reckless emission of Qi to attack a multitude of enemies was an inefficient method. However, it could not be deemed unconditionally inefficient in this world. In a situation where one had to breach a colossal wall, it might just be the perfect solution.
Roman Dmitry—no, the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk—had always been this way.
He accepted the world without prejudice, and the power Alexander had discarded was manifested anew through him.
Tap.
One step. He stepped forward.
As Roman Dmitry extended his sword, the mana in his Dantian boiled explosively. The moment he swung his blade toward the wall, it erupted like an active volcano. It was a stupendous explosion. An aura stretching dozens of meters flared from his sword, projecting an overwhelming presence like a blow delivered by a giant.
'From this moment on, I name this the Heavenly Sword.'
Atop the walls, the soldiers stood dazed.
There was no time to react, nor any way to defend.
Swept up by the blow of a giant, they were swallowed whole by the storm of aura.
Boom!
Crash! Rumble!
Rumbleeeee!
* * *
Rumble!
The aftermath of the explosion seethed.
On the battlefield where the shockwaves had yet to settle, the soldiers of the Kronos Empire witnessed a disastrous sight.
"Aaaargh!"
"Argh!"
Screams echoed from all directions.
A massive portion of the colossal wall had collapsed, and soldiers pinned beneath the debris shrieked in agony. It was a sight they could not believe, even as they watched it with their own eyes. Roman Dmitry had only unleashed a single strike, yet the impregnable fortress that had never once allowed an enemy intrusion in history had crumbled.
They had no way of knowing.
The magic bombs planted inside the walls.
The explosion that occurred on the inner walls.
And Roman Dmitry's strike.
Their imaginations could not possibly fathom that these three elements had perfectly combined to bring down the wall in a single instant.
It was shocking. Everyone was dazed.
Meanwhile...
Step. Step.
Roman Dmitry moved forward.
Stepping toward the space where the dusty wind swirled, he spoke calmly, his sword trailing at his side.
"Let's go."
At that moment—
"Attack!"
"Bring down the empire!"
"For Dmitry!"
From right behind him, a thunderous roar of cheers erupted.
Led by Chris and Kevin, the soldiers of the Kingdom Alliance surged past Roman Dmitry, charging all at once toward the Kronos fortress.
Sparks flew.
Now, truly, it was time to bring down Kronos.