Chapter 416: Winner Takes All (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 416: Winner Takes All (2)
That statement just now.
Count Snodin could hardly believe his ears. He stared at Roman Dmitry, his voice trembling.
"...A war criminal state? Valhalla officially signed a ceasefire agreement. Wasn't it agreed that our mutual misunderstandings were resolved in the process? I made this difficult journey to discuss the future of the continent, so to hear you say such a thing leaves me utterly bewildered."
He swallowed hard.
Something was terribly wrong. Roman Dmitry bringing up such a sensitive issue, coupled with the unbothered expressions of everyone else in the room, pointed to a grim reality. Yet, Snodin couldn't afford to show anger. His instincts screamed that his only chance of leaving this place alive was to brush off this blatant provocation.
And then, Roman Dmitry's next words made Count Snodin's heart plummet.
"Count Snodin. The Valhalla Empire was the starting point of this war. The flames of conflict spread across the entire continent because Valhalla attacked me to cover up its own ugly truths. How can you claim Valhalla bears no responsibility? If we are to discuss the future of the continent, we must first resolve this matter once and for all."
It was chilling.
Roman's demeanor—completely devoid of the courtesy he had shown the other representatives—only spiked Snodin's anxiety. This was definitely a trap. The sole reason they had invited Valhalla here was to put them on trial from the very beginning.
Just then, at a mere glance from Roman Dmitry, Lucas stepped forward.
"I will now present the findings of the Dmitry Information Guild. The conflict between Dmitry and Valhalla began at the Southern Tomb. To verify the documents claiming Kronos directly interfered with Valhalla's history, we investigated their past movements. As a result, we confirmed that Duke Vieto was present when Stern Valhalla ascended to the throne. The secret records kept by the guard captain revealed a truth entirely different from Duke Vieto's claims. Thus, we cannot help but question the situation: If Duke Vieto was secretly aligned with Stern Valhalla, what did they hope to gain through the civil war?"
Soldiers distributed documents around the room. Along with the guard captain's secret journal, Duke Vieto's movements across various locations were laid bare for all to see.
"Since this is a sensitive matter, I will exclude all speculation from my report. What is absolutely certain is that on the day Stern Valhalla carried out the Blood Purge, Duke Vieto was the one orchestrating it from the shadows. The supposed civil war, where Stern Valhalla and Duke Vieto stood as bitter enemies, was nothing more than a theatrical show put on by men who shared the same goal from the start. Furthermore, Count Snodin, who sits before us today, was a key confidant who discussed many of these matters with Duke Vieto—dating all the way back to the occurrence of the Blood Purge."
Lucas turned his gaze to Count Snodin. Staring directly into the count's violently trembling eyes, Lucas concluded his report in a calm, unwavering voice.
"That is all."
*
It was checkmate.
The ugly truth of Valhalla had been laid bare.
If Duke Vieto was the mastermind behind the Blood Purge, Count Snodin could not escape responsibility. Claiming ignorance? It was utterly meaningless.
A decision-maker had to take responsibility for the outcomes. Above all, this issue concerned the judgment of a war criminal state. Since Valhalla had waged a continental war merely to bury their ugly truth, they could not refute Roman Dmitry's opening statement. Snodin felt his blood run cold. As he sat there, utterly lost on how to respond, Roman Dmitry spoke again.
"Alexander was an unforgivable existence. He drew upon the power of black magic to fuel his personal desires, plunging the entire continent into chaos. Count Snodin. For the continent to move forward in the right direction, how do you think those associated with Alexander should be treated?"
"...I am innocent. I merely served Duke Vieto; I had no knowledge of what he was planning."
He shrank back. Even though he knew it was futile, he had no choice but to plead his innocence. To save his own skin, he had to insist he had no part in their grand design.
Roman Dmitry smiled coldly.
"That is not the correct answer. Stern Valhalla and Duke Vieto shared the same goal from the beginning, and Alexander was at the center of it all. Valhalla's civil war was thoroughly calculated. They only pretended to threaten one another, never delivering the killing blow even when they had the other cornered. Looking back, it was an incredibly unnatural situation. How Duke Vieto's rebel army managed to hold out without collapsing, and how they overthrew Valhalla's capital and disposed of Stern Valhalla with such meager forces... Throughout that entire process, you made every single decision alongside Duke Vieto. Therefore, there are only two possible truths. Either you knew the truth, or you were so incompetent and foolish that you knew nothing despite standing at the very center of it. And whichever the truth may be..."
His heart pounded against his ribs. Meeting Roman Dmitry's gaze, Count Snodin felt as if his very life force was withering away.
"There is no reason to keep you alive."
Snodin squeezed his eyes shut.
In the end, it was exactly as he had feared. For Count Snodin, who had seized power after Duke Vieto's death, there had never been a way to escape this situation. He couldn't even deny Valhalla's ugly truth. If he did, Dmitry would simply release the documents from the tomb, and he would be dragged to the execution block in an even more miserable state.
His mind went blank. How on earth had things turned out this way? Even while heading to Kronos, he had been in high spirits with Valhalla's leadership, eagerly discussing the distant future. He had firmly believed that even if the ceasefire was humiliating right now, swallowing his pride was a necessary sacrifice for the future.
But the result was disastrous. The realization that everything had been meticulously planned from the very beginning sent shivers down Count Snodin's spine.
‘The ceasefire negotiations were a setup from the start. Roman Dmitry wasn't trying to give me a chance; he proposed the ceasefire to sideline Valhalla while he dealt with the Kronos Empire. Even back then, he already had the evidence to corner us, yet he played us like absolute fools. If I had realized his intentions then, we would have fought to the bitter end alongside Kronos. But now... we don't even have the strength left to resist.’
It was over. Yet, he could not simply accept this reality. To admit to it would be digging his own grave. His only option was to appeal to the crowd.
Acutely aware of the other representatives watching him, Count Snodin forced a look of righteous indignation and raised his voice.
"This is unjust! Dmitry has no right to judge Valhalla! And the same goes for the rest of you representatives. If you support Dmitry's methods today, those very arrows might be pointed at you tomorrow! I deny all charges presented by Dmitry, and I will arrange a proper venue to clarify this matter in the near future!"
He sprang to his feet, intending to flee the room.
At that moment—
Grab.
Thud!
His head was brutally slammed into the table.
He widened his eyes in panic, but no matter how much he struggled, he could not shake off the iron grip pinning his head down.
It was Kevin.
Pressing Count Snodin's face into the wood, Kevin whispered into his ear. "That's enough. Unless you want your tongue cut out."
Only then did Snodin truly realize. The cold gazes focused on him from around the room... His judgment had already been decided before he even walked through the door.
*
The situation was settled.
Count Snodin was dragged away by the soldiers, and it was decided that his execution would be carried out collectively at a later date.
Now, it was time to discuss the future in earnest.
Roman Dmitry spoke. "First and foremost, we will conduct a massive purge of those involved in this continental war, starting with Count Snodin. There will be no exceptions. Even those who were not directly involved in the planning but actively participated in the war will be held accountable. We will use this opportunity to thoroughly root out Alexander's remnants."
"What do you plan to do after that? Someone must fill the vacant positions."
It was the King of Redford who asked.
In response to the expected question, Roman explained the plan he had prepared in advance.
"The purpose of this war was never to destroy and annex the two empires. Valhalla and Kronos have maintained their own distinct identities for a long time. I believe it is necessary to preserve their original systems so that each nation can regain stability in the aftermath of the war. Of course, this does not mean things will remain exactly as they were. Valhalla and Kronos will still exist as nations, but they will be under the strict supervision of the Kingdom Alliance and will never wield the same power as before. Therefore, the vacant leadership positions will be filled by others."
He had already shortlisted several individuals. Compiling the profiles of those considered most promising, he presented them to the representatives of each nation.
"After discussions with the internal factions of the two empires who aided us in this war, they wished to put forward the individuals listed in these documents. For the Valhalla Empire, Baron Airn. When Valhalla declared the continental war, he rallied the remaining internal forces to oppose Count Snodin. Although he is only a baron, he already enjoys substantial support within Valhalla. For the Kronos Empire, Jowelson Croit. The Croit family has been highly reputable in Kronos for generations, and its members made distinguished contributions during this war. Both individuals will have their legitimacy fully recognized within their respective nations."
"That seems to be the best option for now."
"My concern is that an empire is, in the end, still an empire. Do you truly believe we can control them once they recover their strength in the future?"
While some expressed positive views, others remained skeptical.
In response to the King of Umberto's question, Roman Dmitry spoke.
"That is the very purpose of the Kingdom Alliance's existence. The Kingdom Alliance will not exist solely for the private interests of the nations gathered here; it will take on the role of monitoring the entire continent. Dmitry is no exception. If anyone attempts to repeat the mistakes of the past, we will restrain them with the full might of the Kingdom Alliance. But let me ask you all this: Even if Kronos or Valhalla were to stir up trouble in the future, do you believe they could actually achieve anything?"
It was a display of immense confidence.
And they had no choice but to agree. Even when Alexander's grand plans had reached their absolute peak, the two pillars of the continent had suffered a crushing defeat.
No matter how much time passed, could they ever scale the wall known as Roman Dmitry—a wall that would only grow more formidable with time? It was flatly impossible. Winning this war in the first place had only been possible because of him. In the world he would build from now on, no one would ever dare challenge Dmitry's presence.
The people gathered in this room knew the truth. They knew that if Roman Dmitry chose to adopt an oppressive, tyrannical rule like Kronos, no one could stop him. Yet, Roman Dmitry spoke of common sense. He proposed a way for everyone to live peacefully within their own boundaries, and everyone present knew just how difficult it was for the absolute strong to yield their power.
It was then.
"There is something I would like to say."
Edwin Hector. Having remained silent throughout the entire meeting, he finally spoke up.
*
Edwin Hector looked around the room.
"I agree with the direction Lord Roman Dmitry has proposed. If we were to forcibly annex Kronos and Valhalla—which together hold more than half of the continent's population—the resulting cultural clashes would inevitably cause massive problems. In the end, recognizing each other's domains is the fundamental solution. However, before that, there is a matter we must settle once and for all."
The world was changing. In this turbulent current of a new era, Edwin Hector knew what had to be prioritized above all else.
"Kronos and Valhalla, the former leaders of the continent, have fallen. In the new world we will live in, we need an absolute existence that can firmly control the continent and maintain the laws we all believe to be right. Frankly, this war was highly anomalous. The Kingdom Alliance was vastly outmatched in military power, yet the presence of just one man—Lord Roman Dmitry—led us to victory. I believe the hierarchy of the continent was already decided from that very moment. Regarding this, the leaders of the Kingdom Alliance held a separate, private meeting a few days ago."
His voice grew increasingly passionate. The statement he was making now was the unanimous decision of the Kingdom Alliance. No one had forced them, yet they had all arrived at a single conclusion on their own.
Edwin Hector bowed his head and cried out.
"My Lord. Please become the Emperor of the new empire and rule over us."
At the same time, the leaders of the other kingdoms bowed their heads in perfect unison.
"Please become the Emperor of the new empire and rule over us."
"Please become the Emperor of the new empire and rule over us."
They were of one mind.
The Kingdom Alliance had spoken.
They fully accepted Roman Dmitry as the supreme leader of the new world.