Chapter 514: Conquest of Seoul (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 514: Conquest of Seoul (1)
The conquest of Seoul.
When the proposal was first brought up, Kim Jun-hyeok and several others reacted with deep concern.
"It’s a reckless plan. The issue isn't whether Incheon has the military power to conquer Seoul. After the Absolute foretold the Great Disaster, the leaders of every nation gathered and passed an international law prohibiting humans from fighting one another for a month after the disaster's outbreak. It’s a safeguard designed to prevent humanity from tearing itself apart in the face of potential extinction, and civil wars are no exception. If Incheon exploits Seoul's crisis to bring them down, the rest of the world will brand us as an enemy."
"I agree. Everyone knows the Central Government is unjust, but the moment Incheon violates international law, the other local governments will refuse to work with us. It would be a war without a righteous cause. Even if we succeed in bringing down the Central Government, Incheon will have to constantly look over its shoulder."
International law.
It was a deeply sensitive issue.
The prospect of turning the entire world against them left everyone horrified by Roman Dmitry's proposal.
However, Roman Dmitry remained perfectly calm.
He had already taken matters like international law into full consideration.
"Your concerns have merit. If we violate international law, the world will condemn Incheon, and whether directly or indirectly, we will face many difficulties. However, the risk posed by international law is a meaningless premise. The Central Government has already shown hostility toward us. The moment we rejected their proposal, we crossed the point of no return. If the Great Disaster passes and the Central Government fully rebuilds its forces, we will have lost a golden opportunity simply because of the grace period guaranteed to them by international law."
"But if we consider the future, that is a burden we must endure."
"No. It is precisely because we are thinking of the future that now is the perfect time. International law is a rule made by and for powerful nations. On the surface, it looks like a safety net for humanity, but there has never been a single instance where a superpower faced meaningful punishment for violating it. They are simply trying to eliminate variables. They want to prevent weaker nations from destroying themselves so that the risks the world must bear can be evenly distributed. They use 'humanity' as a pretext to shackle other countries. I desire a new future centered around Incheon. And in this new future, Incheon's status will not be determined by how faithfully we follow the standards set by the world, but by how formidable our power truly is."
It was an unconventional logic.
He was dismantling the very concept of international law with sheer, absolute power.
"The Central Government is currently in a precarious position. If we strike them now, we can minimize our own casualties, and overwhelmingly crushing them will serve as the new standard by which the world evaluates us. Think about it. Though South Korea may be a weaker nation on the global stage, the Central Government still concentrates the military might of an entire country. If a single city possesses the power to overwhelm them, even the superpowers will find it difficult to casually threaten Incheon. In truth, we don't even need the military strength of the other local governments to win this war. The only reason I wish to embrace them is to unify the entirety of South Korea. If the superpowers invoke international law and impose economic sanctions, we can simply become self-sufficient using the resources secured from those local governments. Let me assure you: in the past, this world possessed a powerful deterrent called nuclear arms. No matter how small a country was, a nation armed with nuclear weapons could not be touched."
The listeners swallowed hard.
As Roman Dmitry spoke, they were completely overwhelmed by his immense presence.
"I defeated an S-Rank monster in a single blow. To the rest of the world, my very existence is equivalent to a nuclear weapon. Do you truly believe that even the superpowers would dare attack Incheon? It’s impossible. And even if war does break out, I possess the power to handle them."
It was arrogant.
It was an overwhelming display of absolute confidence.
But because it was Roman Dmitry, Kim Jun-hyeok and the others couldn't dismiss it as absurd nonsense.
His past actions spoke for themselves.
He had already proven his strength more than enough.
If he said it was right, it was right. If he said it was possible, it was possible.
In truth, with the confidence to take on the entire world, he could have easily dealt with the Central Government even if he waited to attack Seoul until after the Great Disaster had ended. Yet, he still chose the most opportune moment. No matter how powerful he was, Roman Dmitry always sought the absolute best path to victory. Since he had clearly defined the Central Government as an enemy, it was only natural to strike at their weakest point and tear them apart ruthlessly.
Therefore, now was the perfect time.
The perfect time to crush the Central Government and forge a new paradigm centered around Incheon.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Three days. That is how long we have after Red Time ends. Within those three days, we will distinguish friend from foe, and we will completely wipe out those we deem enemies. Keep this in mind: if you wish to follow me from now on, you must understand and accept a new paradigm centered around Incheon—not some flimsy international law created by politicians putting their heads together."
* * *
And now.
Cha Young-min asked with a shocked expression.
"...Is this something that has been discussed with the Incheon government beforehand?"
"It is."
"Ahem."
He was bewildered.
The conquest of Seoul.
Cha Young-min wanted to ask about complex issues like international law, but he knew it was a pointless premise. Kim Jun-hyeok was a core part of the Incheon government. As the Mayor of Incheon, he was renowned for his wisdom; there was no way he would follow Roman Dmitry blindly. Furthermore, the figure standing beside Roman Dmitry like a bodyguard was none other than the Mage in White, the very epitome of justice.
It was a fork in the road.
Rather than questioning something that defied common sense, it was time to look directly at Roman Dmitry and make a decision.
‘Roman Dmitry is someone who shatters common sense. He blew off the head of an S-Rank monster in a single blow, and easily resolved a Monster Wave even when it occurred out on the sea. Based on the information I've gathered, Roman Dmitry is not an existence that can be defined by mere ranks. He possesses a formidable power that far surpasses S-Rank. If he has the temperament to force a war over the Central Government's atrocities, my relationship with him will be decided by this single choice. If I try to weigh my options and keep an ambiguous distance, I will never be able to walk alongside him.’
He swallowed hard.
Incheon versus the Central Government.
It was an absurd fight.
People would call it a battle between David and Goliath, but Cha Young-min didn't doubt Roman Dmitry's victory for a second.
He just felt it in his bones.
His instincts were pulling him strongly in one direction.
‘The answer is already decided.’
He saw the essence of it.
The direction Roman Dmitry spoke of.
Though Roman used the archaic and seemingly arrogant term "subjects" in modern society, he did not turn away from his people—unlike the Central Government, which always claimed the citizens were everything only to abandon them in their time of need. A ruler who cared for his subjects versus one who did not. In this binary choice, it was clear which option was better for the future of Busan, and for himself.
His hesitation didn't last long.
After exchanging glances with his leadership, Cha Young-min spoke with a look of firm resolve.
"So, what would you have me do from now on?"
* * *
Ulsan.
Fortunately, the city had not taken a direct hit from the Great Disaster.
However, it was within the zone of influence when the Monster Wave struck Busan, and it faced its own share of difficulties as the monsters inhabiting the vicinity flooded in. Then, an incident occurred. Just as they were about to catch their breath after Red Time ended, they received a frantic report that one of Ulsan's defensive strongholds was in critical danger.
[You must help us right now! The walls have collapsed, and we have completely lost our defensive capabilities!]
"...Understood for now. Hold on."
He cut the communication.
Lee Myung-hwan, the Mayor of Ulsan, pressed his temples as a sudden, sharp headache flared up.
In the early stages of the Great Disaster, unlike cities like Incheon that were nearly wiped out, Ulsan had experienced a relatively peaceful time. At first, they thought of it as a stroke of incredible luck. However, because so many citizens had survived, they couldn't downsize the city to concentrate their defense systems like Incheon had. Ulsan was forced to divide its defensive strongholds across several locations to accommodate its massive population.
That wasn't all.
As news spread that Ulsan was safe, migrants flooded in, making Ulsan's population one of the largest among all the local governments. Consequently, they had to split their defensive strongholds into three separate bases. They had dispersed their forces to prepare for the Great Disaster in their own way, but just moments ago, they received a report that one of those strongholds had fallen.
It was a terrible dilemma.
According to the report, they needed to send reinforcements immediately, but the situation at their main base wasn't very good either.
‘If we move hastily right after Red Time has ended, we could put our main base in danger. But if we don't send reinforcements, countless citizens of Ulsan will die. Ah, what on earth am I supposed to do?’
His head throbbed.
He couldn't easily make a decision.
Just as he was agonizing over his limited options, he received an unexpected call.
‘Cha Young-min?’
It was a call from Cha Young-min, the Mayor of Busan.
A wave of hesitation washed over him.
Immediately after the Monster Wave occurred, Cha Young-min had requested reinforcing troops from neighboring local governments, including Ulsan. Lee Myung-hwan had rejected his earnest plea. While he fully understood that Busan was in grave danger, he simply didn't have the leeway to help them when keeping Ulsan safe was already an overwhelming task. Feeling a pang of guilt, Lee Myung-hwan answered the call only after preparing a plausible excuse in his mind.
However, the words that came through the receiver were shocking.
[Join the rebellion. If you lend us your strength, we will resolve all the problems Ulsan is currently facing.]
Roman Dmitry had assigned a specific role to Cha Young-min.
If Incheon was the core entity represented by Roman Dmitry, Busan was the first to make the decision to cooperate with Incheon instead of the Central Government. Thus, Roman put Cha Young-min at the forefront. He judged that if someone who had already been persuaded went on to persuade others, they could successfully win over the hearts of the other local governments.
It was exactly as he expected.
Cha Young-min knew precisely how to persuade them.
[Right now, the Central Government does not have the leeway to help the provinces. No, even if they did, Ulsan would be pushed down the priority list because they will always take care of the factions friendly to the Central Government first. Mayor Lee Myung-hwan, Lord Roman Dmitry saved both Incheon and Busan. He possesses a power that cannot even be compared to the Central Government, and he never abandons his people. So, make a wise decision. There will not be a second chance. If you reject Incheon's proposal now, you will never be able to reverse this choice.]
Lee Myung-hwan fell into deep thought.
It wasn't an easy problem.
It was difficult to place that much trust in Roman Dmitry, and choosing Incheon would immediately brand him as a rebel. However, after agonizing over it for a long time, Lee Myung-hwan changed his mind. Just as Cha Young-min said, even if he swore loyalty to the Central Government, he wouldn't receive an answer promising immediate help. When considering the desperate situation right in front of his eyes rather than some distant future, the only person who could resolve Ulsan's immediate crisis was clearly Roman Dmitry.
And he chose to believe in the preceding examples.
If Incheon and Busan, which had taken direct hits from the Monster Waves, were truly safe, then Incheon must possess an overwhelming amount of military power.
"...If you help Ulsan, I will join the rebellion and follow Incheon from now on."
Across the screen, Cha Young-min smiled.
[You have made a wise choice.]
* * *
Human hearts were fickle.
Even after agreeing to cooperate, Lee Myung-hwan repeatedly questioned whether he had made the right choice.
‘If the Central Government successfully suppresses Incheon, the Ulsan government and I will be punished as traitors for joining the rebels. Is it truly right to trust Roman Dmitry? The rumors speak of his incredible strength, but they aren't facts I've verified with my own eyes. If there is even a slight exaggeration in those tales, the Ulsan government might face the worst possible end.’
He was anxious.
He was deeply uneasy.
He couldn't do anything but sit with his eyes fixed on the phone.
He felt ridiculous.
It would take at least a few days to resolve Ulsan's problem, yet he lacked the fortitude to wait in peace.
Had about an hour passed?
Suddenly, the phone rang.
Ring, ring.
‘It's still too early. It must be a call about some other issue.’
He let go of his expectations.
There was no way Incheon had achieved any meaningful results already.
However, the subordinate who had delivered the despairing news just an hour ago was now reporting the situation with a voice filled with pure joy.
[Mayor! We have just succeeded in reclaiming the defensive stronghold! This is all thanks to Incheon's support. Just two people appeared through teleportation magic and completely wiped out the monsters attacking the stronghold! Your choice was correct, Mayor. With monsters like them on our side, we can easily stand against the Central Government!]
In an instant, goosebumps broke out all over his body.
Hearing about an achievement accomplished in just a single hour, Lee Myung-hwan's eyes shook.
"...This is actually possible?"
Now, he was certain.
The rebellion Cha Young-min spoke of...
It no longer felt like an unrealistic dream.
* * *
Ulsan was only the beginning.
Cha Young-min persuaded the local governments one by one, and as the number of successful negotiations grew, the remaining local governments reacted more and more positively.
Resentment toward the Central Government.
The overwhelming despair of the Great Disaster.
The absolute power of Roman Dmitry.
It was a perfect trifecta.
If the lifeline lowered from the heavens was real, there was no reason for the local governments not to grasp it.
However, the plan didn't go entirely smoothly.
The southern regions.
They succeeded in quickly persuading the regions far from the capital, but as they moved further north, the situation changed.
Cha Young-min had already warned them about this.
While there would be no problem persuading the majority, he couldn't guarantee that absolutely everyone would comply.
Sure enough.
[What kind of bullshit is that? You dare suggest we start a rebellion against the Central Government?]
Jeong Mun-ho, the Mayor of Hanam.
The Central Government's loyal lackey reacted fiercely.