Chapter 88: Hector's Star (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: Hector's Star (2)
One year ago.
Jackson, captain of the Ranger unit, recalled the day he spoke with Edwin Hector.
"Jackson. The Hector Kingdom no longer has the strength to hold out. With the crushing interest from the Golden Bank worsening by the day, if we suffer another poor harvest next year, the national treasury will run completely dry. That is why I wish to propose something to you. How about we seize the Cairo Kingdom's Southern Front together?"
It was a bold proposal.
Hector's Star.
He knew Edwin Hector was an extraordinary figure, just as the rumors claimed, but the prince spoke of attacking the Cairo Kingdom as if it were child's play. His tone and demeanor made it seem as though Cairo would fall into their hands the moment he gave the word. Back then, of course, Jackson had refused. Even if Cairo was a weak nation like Hector, it was impossible to bring down a militarized state without shedding blood.
Two hours.
That was all it took for Jackson to accept the proposal.
After hearing the plan Edwin Hector had meticulously mapped out, Jackson realized the prince's words were not without basis.
It might actually be possible.
Rumors circulated that Hector was cursed by God due to the endless crop failures, and a definitive—albeit extreme—method was needed to resolve the crisis. In that sense, Edwin Hector's existence was like a welcome rain during a drought. Hailed as the greatest genius in Hector's history, he was undoubtedly a hero born of destiny in a time of chaos.
And so, a year passed.
They steadily executed their plan.
They planted spies to dig tunnels into the rear base, and Jackson's Ranger unit successfully infiltrated in secret.
Edwin Hector had said:
"We have no choice but to win this war. Forty-eight reconnaissance missions over the course of a year. Not once did the Cairo Kingdom realize we were watching the Southern Front. I do not believe they can see through our smokescreen and defend the Warp Gate. What we need is to remain vigilant. Step by step, according to plan. Once we cut off the communication devices at the Southern Training Camp and enter the rear base through the tunnels, the Warp Gate of the Southern Front will fall into our hands."
It was like magic.
Just as planned, Jackson now stood before the Warp Gate.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
He instantly assassinated the soldier guarding the Warp Gate.
Screams echoed from all around as simultaneous assassinations took place. Without even bothering to clear the corpses, Jackson sprinted straight for the Warp Gate. From here on out, it was a race against time. If they were discovered by the enemy before completing the Connect, they would be wiped out. But if they succeeded, they would win the war.
"Hurry."
The technician frantically set to work.
It was a nerve-wracking wait that left Jackson's mouth dry.
If the Cairo Kingdom had maintained proper vigilance, they would have been discovered by now. However, thrown into chaos by the news of the frontline attacks, the enemy could not gather their wits.
In the end...
Whoosh!
"...We succeeded!"
The Warp Gate glowed brightly.
Soon after, piercing through the surging white light, Edwin Hector revealed himself.
*
Taking a step forward, he set foot onto the soil of Cairo.
At the sight of Edwin Hector's red hair fluttering in the wind, the soldiers of the Ranger unit knelt in unison.
"We greet Prince Edwin Hector!"
"We greet Prince Edwin Hector!"
Their voices boiled with intense emotion.
For this operation, the soldiers of the Ranger unit had set out with the sole determination to lay down their lives for the Hector Kingdom. They had prepared with bone-carving effort, and in the end, they had achieved the result everyone desired. It felt as though they had already won the war. Some soldiers had tears of emotion welling in their eyes, while others squared their shoulders with swelling pride.
However, Edwin Hector did not smile in the slightest.
Stepping forward, he spoke to Jackson.
"The situation?"
"Most of the forces in the rear base have deployed to the frontline defense lines. As expected, due to Cairo's convoluted chain of command, their reinforcements have yet to arrive. Now is our chance. Just give the word, and we will completely seize the rear base."
The Cairo Kingdom.
Their four-way split power structure caused critical issues even in emergencies.
Even after more than two hours since the Southern Front was attacked, they had failed to send reinforcements, allowing the Hector Kingdom to safely capture the Warp Gate. From now on, time was on Hector's side. Since Cairo would have no way to send backup, they just needed to handle things surely, even if it took time.
"Kellan."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The knight following behind him stepped forward.
"I entrust the 1st Battalion to you. Clean up the remnants in the rear base and construct solid defensive positions in preparation for the Cairo Kingdom sending troops by land. We cannot predict how long we will spend on the Southern Front. It could be a week, a month, or at worst, a year. Therefore, you must prepare thoroughly for the worst-case scenario."
"As you command."
Kellan withdrew.
Some of the soldiers emerging one after another through the Warp Gate followed Kellan in a different direction.
"Jackson."
"Speak, Your Highness."
"We have lost contact with Baron McCleary, who was tasked with the 5th Defense Line. Do you know anything?"
"We haven't grasped the exact situation yet, but it seems he is simply too busy in the middle of battle to answer. There is no need to worry too much. It is the 5th Defense Line, after all. Cairo's commander there is famous for being the most problematic figure on the Southern Front, so the Baron likely judged that he could crush the 5th Defense Line with only a fraction of his forces."
He stopped in his tracks.
Edwin Hector's expression contorted.
"I believe I told him not to force an attack under any circumstances. Did I not?"
"...That is correct."
"As soon as this operation is over, regardless of the outcome, Baron McCleary will be punished. Do you agree?"
"Yes, I agree."
Jackson nodded.
Edwin Hector loathed it when plans went awry.
Yet even he did not consider the variable of Baron McCleary being defeated.
It was only natural.
The 5th Defense Line was the weakest on the Southern Front. In their countless calculations, no variables were ever expected to arise there.
Edwin Hector spoke.
"From this moment on, everyone except the 1st Battalion will eliminate the remnants of Cairo isolated on the Southern Front. The war is not over. Do not let your guard down for even a moment until Hector's flag is planted on the Southern Front."
"We receive your command!"
At that time, the Hector Kingdom did not realize the existence of a variable.
That not just one, but two variables had arisen.
*
The 1st Defense Line.
Fortunately, they had survived the crisis.
The enemy had retreated in the face of the Cairo Kingdom's fierce counterattack, giving them a moment to catch their breath.
"Repair the walls quickly before the enemy attacks again! Our lives depend on this! Hurry!"
Count Donald shouted as he paced around.
The walls were currently undergoing repairs.
Because the enemy had poked and prodded their defenses everywhere, parts of the walls had collapsed, and the castle gate in particular was on the verge of being breached. It was fortunate that the Hector Kingdom had not been greedy. If they had pressed the attack regardless of casualties, both sides would have been forced into a battle of total annihilation.
Once things settled down somewhat, Count Donald breathed a sigh of relief.
It was then.
A soldier approached and said, "Commander. We have a transmission from the Southern Training Camp."
"Connect it."
He walked over.
By the time he reached the command room, preparations to receive the call had already been completed.
[Count Donald. I am Roman Dmitry of the 5th Defense Line's Reserve Unit.]
Beyond the screen was Roman.
At the name Roman, Count Donald recognized him.
"What business does Cairo's youngest ranker have calling me?"
[I will get straight to the point. It appears the Hector Kingdom used a smokescreen to capture the Warp Gate at the rear base. We are isolated on the Southern Front. Before we are completely surrounded by Hector's soldiers from both the front and the rear, we must abandon the castles and flee to the mountains.]
"...What?!"
Springing up, Count Donald leaped from his seat.
They had barely managed to fend off the Hector Kingdom's attack, and now the Warp Gate was in enemy hands?
He felt dizzy.
It was a reality he could not easily accept, and so Count Donald outright denied the truth before him.
"There is no way the rear base has fallen already. And even if what you say is true, wouldn't it make more sense to defend the castle rather than abandon it? There is no way to survive in the mountains, where we would be completely exposed to enemy attacks. Therefore, I will reinforce our defenses here at the 1st Defense Line."
[I assure you, we can no longer withstand Hector's attacks. The Hector Kingdom did not fail to capture the frontline defense lines; they chose not to. It is not that they lacked the strength, but rather that they needed bait to draw our attention while they attacked the rear base. Count Donald, think realistically. Do you truly believe they were fighting with everything they had?]
In that moment, the Count was left speechless.
In truth, there had been many strange things about the battle.
Even though the Hector Kingdom was clearly in an advantageous position, they had made the incomprehensible decision to suddenly withdraw their forces.
However, there had been a report that reinforcements from the rear base would arrive soon.
Roman continued,
[Fleeing to the mountains does not mean running away. If we stay inside the castles, we will be isolated and helplessly overwhelmed by the sheer difference in military strength. We must wage a guerrilla campaign in the mountains. We must become a thorn in their side so they cannot completely seize the Southern Front.]
But Roman's persuasion was meaningless.
Count Donald had already made up his mind.
He still could not believe the rear base had been captured, and he firmly believed the castle was safer.
Besides, who was to say Roman Dmitry wasn't a spy for Hector?
"We will make our own judgment. Let us end the call here."
Click.
A one-sided termination.
The magical communication ended just like that.
The commanders of the other defense lines were no different.
Their reactions were entirely consistent.
Some accepted the fact that the rear base had been captured, while others did not, but they all agreed on one thing: abandoning the castles was out of the question. According to their common sense, a castle was a safe zone. Holding out to the bitter end behind the protection of the castle walls was the best option they could conceive.
Only Steven, who was currently defending the 5th Defense Line, followed Roman's command.
[I will join you immediately.]
The commanders' refusal.
It was an absurd situation.
Even though he had told them the truth, they failed to understand. However, Roman had expected this reaction.
'If they were knowledgeable about war and capable of listening to reason in the first place, they wouldn't have let the Southern Front rot like this. I will abandon the forces of the frontline defense lines. Trying to drag them along by force would be no different from suicide.'
Having experienced countless wars, Roman had realized one absolute truth: an ignorant ally with power is far more terrifying than a powerful enemy.
His reason for contacting them despite knowing this was clear.
He belonged to the Cairo Kingdom, and if they had listened, they could have been utilized strategically.
He had merely fulfilled his minimum duty.
This was the end of it.
Instead of trying to force their agreement, Roman cleanly washed his hands of them.
Roman gathered his soldiers.
"Pack your things. We are heading to the mountains."
"Yes, sir."
The soldiers moved busily.
From now on, they would have to fight a hard and grueling battle.
He felt no fear.
In his past life, he had faced situations far worse than this, and because he had triumphed every single time, he had ultimately risen to the absolute peak.
An hour after Roman departed.
Tramp, tramp.
A troop of soldiers appeared.
They were soldiers flying the flag of the Hector Kingdom.
They marched forward, trampling over the corpses strewn across the ground.
The direction they were heading was clear.
The Hector Kingdom's first target was none other than the 1st Defense Line.