Chapter 415: Winner Takes All (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 415: Winner Takes All (1)
Count Snodin’s eye twitched.
The more he chewed over the communications soldier’s report, the harder it became to hide his flushed, rage-filled face.
"...Did they just say 'defiance'? How dare a mere kingdom speak of defiance against an empire!"
Slam!
He slammed his hand onto the table.
Dmitry’s statement had crossed the line. Valhalla was not Dmitry’s vassal. They had no obligation to obey their orders in the first place, making the accusation of "defiance" completely absurd. It could only be interpreted as utter contempt for Valhalla. If they let this slide, the world would no longer view Valhalla as a true empire.
If one of the high-ranking officials hadn't stepped forward in that moment, Count Snodin would have ordered an immediate, furious response to Dmitry.
"Count, please calm down."
"Calm down? How on earth am I supposed to stay calm after being accused of defiance? Dmitry is looking down on us! They expect us to just accept reality and bow our heads because we lost the war. That is absolutely unacceptable. The moment we show weakness, Valhalla will fall into the hands of Baron Airn’s faction."
"You are correct. This will indeed be an opportunity for Baron Airn with Dmitry backing him. However, this is also Roman Dmitry’s trap. He is intentionally provoking us to secure a pretext to attack Valhalla."
"...A pretext to attack?"
"Yes."
In that instant, Snodin's blood ran cold.
Struck by the possibility of a trap, he stared at the official, silently urging him to elaborate.
The official spoke.
"Now that the Kronos Empire has fallen, the Valhalla Empire is the only remaining thorn in Roman Dmitry’s side. He only lacks a justification to attack because he accepted the previous ceasefire negotiations. He will try to tear Valhalla down the moment an opportunity arises. 'Defiance' is certainly a word that crosses the line. However, if a conflict breaks out over this, Roman Dmitry will use it as an excuse to resolve the issue through force. And as you well know, Valhalla’s strength can no longer match Dmitry’s."
"Then what do you expect me to do? Are you telling me to just endure it when they openly mock us?"
"Look to the distant future. Even if it is humiliating right now, a momentary burst of anger will not solve the problem."
It was a bitter dilemma.
If they gave in to anger to assert Valhalla’s pride, there was no telling how rapidly the situation would deteriorate. But if they complied, the empire’s prestige would be shattered from this day forward.
Count Snodin’s expression turned grim.
Roman Dmitry was truly a terrifying individual. Not only had he cornered Valhalla by backing Baron Airn, but Snodin had never expected him to apply pressure in this manner so soon after the war ended. In truth, this was a future foretold the very moment Kronos fell.
After a long silence, looking as though he had aged years in just a few minutes, Count Snodin spoke.
"For now, delay the response. Once I have organized my thoughts and settled my emotions, I will give Dmitry the answer they want."
"Understood."
The communications soldier withdrew.
It seemed the meeting would end there.
However, just a few minutes later, the communications soldier burst back into the conference room. His face was pale with despair as he blurted out something entirely unexpected.
"R-Roman Dmitry has requested a warp! He says he is coming directly here, to the capital of Valhalla, right now!"
* * *
A warp request.
They had no choice but to accept.
Since Valhalla and Dmitry had officially ended the war, refusing Roman Dmitry’s warp would spark severe backlash. Snodin's stomach churned with irritation. Yet, when Roman Dmitry actually stepped into the conference room, Count Snodin forced a bright, welcoming smile as if genuinely delighted to see him.
"Welcome."
There was no reply.
Roman Dmitry merely gave a slight nod and took a seat of his own accord, acting as if the space belonged to him.
Count Snodin’s face twitched.
This, too, was a blatant display of condescension. He wanted nothing more than to unleash his boiling rage, but the power to dictate this situation belonged entirely to Roman Dmitry.
He was truly an extraordinary man. Even stepping into the heart of enemy territory, his confident demeanor made it clear he knew Valhalla could not harm him. And that was the undeniable truth. Knowing this, Count Snodin suppressed his anger with immense effort and returned to his seat.
Then, he asked, "To what do we owe this sudden visit to Valhalla?"
"You know the reason well, do you not?"
"What do you mean by..."
"Just a moment ago, Dmitry clearly stated its intentions via magic communication. We are holding a gathering to summon the representatives of each nation. This is a command, not a request. Count Snodin, I will not assume Valhalla has defied us just yet. But why, and with what intention, did you delay your response? I believe I ordered you to reply immediately."
He was incredibly direct.
Faced with such an overtly hostile and blunt interrogation, Count Snodin could not hide his fluster.
His mind was in turmoil. A surge of emotion urged him to flip the table, but his survival instinct screamed at him to stay still.
"We simply needed time to think. It does not mean we refuse to attend the gathering hosted by Dmitry. However, Valhalla is an empire. For a kingdom to forcibly issue a summons to an empire is unprecedented, which is why we hesitated to answer."
Subtly, he shifted the blame.
By bringing up the traditional relationship between an empire and a kingdom, he was pointing out how rude Dmitry was being.
However—
"So, are you saying you will defy us?"
It was a suffocating response.
There was no room for explanation, nor any willingness to compromise. Seeing him bring up defiance so aggressively, Count Snodin could not let it slide this time.
"Defiance? Why must you be so extreme? We are merely speaking of the natural laws of this world. To call it defiance... Valhalla is hardly a vassal state serving Dmitry, is it? I see no further reason to explain myself. I am well aware of the deep rift between Dmitry and Valhalla, but now that the war is over, I believe we must show each other at least a minimum level of courtesy."
Creak.
Roman Dmitry leaned back in his chair.
The people gathered in the conference room held their breath. As their anxious gazes focused entirely on him, he spoke nonchalantly, his face perfectly calm.
"I will ask one last time."
His tone had shifted.
Roman Dmitry knew exactly how absurd this situation was. That was precisely why his actions carried such terrifying weight.
"Is Valhalla, at this moment, choosing to defy Dmitry?"
* * *
The conference room froze over.
In response to Roman Dmitry’s question, Count Snodin had tried to evade the trap by bringing up the traditional relationship between an empire and a kingdom.
But Roman simply trampled over the very premise of his argument. Boldly crossing the line, he made it clear he had absolutely no intention of showing Valhalla any respect.
Snodin was left speechless.
Normally, anger would be the appropriate response, but because he had not expected Roman to be so overtly hostile, Count Snodin’s eyes wavered. His opponent was completely disregarding the empire. Yet, even if they wanted to demand an apology, the Valhalla Empire lacked the strength to withstand Dmitry’s wrath.
It was then.
Cutting through the heavy silence, Roman Dmitry spoke.
"There was a method that Valhalla and Kronos, the two great empires, loved to use. Setting aside who was right or wrong, you resolved every issue through the logic of power. Count Snodin, if I were to treat your actions as defiance and slaughter everyone in this room right now, what do you think would happen to this world?"
"……"
"Absolutely nothing. Just as your position as an empire remained unshaken even when you openly oppressed others, you do not have the power to hold me accountable. It is a very simple matter. If you wanted the issues between Valhalla and Dmitry to be handled with common sense, you should have done something before the Kronos Empire fell. Even when we pressured you with Baron Airn at the forefront, you should have fought to the bitter end to defend your status as an empire."
He sneered.
Looking around at the speechless crowd, Roman Dmitry did not hide his hostility.
"The world has changed. You were never just and fair, so do you not think it is greedy to expect the new world to treat you without prejudice? I will not force your choice. However, do not expect Dmitry to treat you with common sense in anything that happens from now on. I will ask one last time."
He smiled.
Meeting their fear-filled gazes with a chilling look, he pushed Valhalla’s leadership to the absolute edge of the cliff.
"So, are you saying you will defy me?"
* * *
A few days later.
The meeting hosted by Dmitry took place.
The venue was the masterless capital of the fallen Kronos Empire. As the scheduled time arrived, the representatives of each nation gathered one after another.
"It has been a while."
"Everyone looks well."
The kings of the three kingdoms of Umberto, Redford, and Frank. Edwin Hector and Daniel Cairo. They all shared a warm, amicable atmosphere.
They had overthrown the Kronos Empire, which had long been an object of terror, and now it was time to enjoy the fruits of their victory. They could not help but be delighted. But unlike the others who sat down and exchanged light pleasantries, Count Snodin, the representative of the Valhalla Empire, sat alone in a corner like an outcast.
…Damn it.
It was miserable.
The Valhalla Empire. In the past, they had always played the protagonist in any gathering. People had never hesitated to flatter anyone representing Valhalla, and Count Snodin had taken immense pride in his role. But now, things were different. No one paid him any attention, and the fleeting glances he did catch only made him feel utterly dismissed.
He gritted his teeth.
In truth, he had desperately wanted to ignore Dmitry’s summons, but he had swallowed his pride for the sake of the distant future.
Valhalla will not fall like this. Though we lack the power to defeat Roman Dmitry right now, if we look to the far future and prepare step by step, we will bring Dmitry down eventually. If it is impossible in my lifetime, then in the next generation. And if it is still impossible then, the generation after that. I will tear down Dmitry’s walls, which stand like an iron fortress. I will surely avenge this humiliation one day.
On the day Roman Dmitry visited the capital, Valhalla's emergency meeting had gone on all night.
Discussing the future of the empire, the leaders had united in their resolve, their faces twisted with spite.
Roman Dmitry had made a mistake.
Had he left them a path to compromise, they might have accepted the new world. However, his blatant disregard for Valhalla had provoked them intensely. Valhalla was not a nation that would fall so easily. Though the Kronos Empire had been swept away by a massive storm, they intended to prove that the Valhalla Empire was far from finished.
He suppressed his anger.
He accepted reality.
Though the position of the weak was unfamiliar to him, Count Snodin knew exactly how he had to survive to achieve his revenge.
It was then.
"Lord Roman Dmitry is entering!" a knight’s voice rang out from beyond the doors.
As the heavy doors opened and the true protagonist of the day appeared, everyone rose from their seats as if by prior agreement to welcome Roman Dmitry. The people gathered here were all representatives of their respective nations. A simple nod of greeting would have been polite enough, yet they did not hesitate to stand.
Count Snodin, too, could not remain seated.
Even if he couldn't force a smile onto his stiff face, he still compelled himself to stand and welcome Roman Dmitry’s entrance.
He faced reality.
This very sight, right here and now, was the absolute right of the victor—and the reality the continent would face going forward.
* * *
Roman Dmitry naturally took the seat of honor.
No one found it strange.
Only Count Snodin felt uncomfortable; everyone else genuinely acknowledged Roman Dmitry as the rightful master of that seat.
With this, everyone had gathered.
Roman Dmitry scanned the faces of those present and got straight to the point.
"The reason I have gathered you all here is to discuss the future of the Salamander Continent. But before we address the matters regarding the Kronos Empire, there is an issue we must settle first."
All eyes focused on him.
This meeting would decide the new layout of the continent. Count Snodin also watched the situation closely, his face tight with tension.
And the statement that followed was:
"The first agenda item is the treatment of the war criminal state—the Valhalla Empire."
It was something Count Snodin had never anticipated.
A truly shocking statement.