Chapter 90: Hector's Star (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: Hector's Star (4)
There was a reason the Cairo royal court failed to respond quickly when news of Hector's attack first arrived.
The young king, Daniel Cairo, stared at the empty conference room, his expression grim.
"Just when on earth is everyone going to arrive?"
"...My apologies, Your Majesty. The news was so sudden that it seems to be taking them quite some time to travel from afar."
The servant bowed his head.
But that was all. He didn't offer to contact the nobles again.
Though he didn't serve a specific master, the servant knew that a single slip of the tongue in the Central Government could cost him his life. Daniel Cairo's authority wasn't enough to protect a mere servant. In truth, if the royal authority had been strong in the first place, a situation like this would never have occurred.
"Sigh."
Daniel Cairo let out a heavy sigh.
The Southern Front had been attacked. It was shocking news that demanded an immediate, urgent response. Yet, the nobles of the Central Government had ordered him to defer all decisions until everyone had gathered.
In other words, the King of Cairo had no authority to make a decision on his own.
Marquis Benedict, Count Denver, and Count Gregory.
Only with the consent of these three men—the true wielders of immense power—could the kingdom's military forces be mobilized.
A significant amount of time had already passed.
In the meantime, the ranger units of the Hector Kingdom had swept through the Southern Training Camp, infiltrated the rear bases, and successfully captured the Warp Gate in short order. Yet, the Cairo royal court remained completely oblivious to this grim reality. Daniel Cairo could do nothing but wait for the power players of the Central Government, who finally showed their faces long after the fact.
"Hahaha, I am a bit late. My carriage broke down on the way, so I was unavoidably delayed. But tell me, is it true that the Hector Kingdom has attacked the Southern Front?"
Marquis Benedict.
He showed not a shred of remorse for his tardiness.
The other nobles were no different. Completely ignoring the time Daniel Cairo had spent waiting alone, Count Denver and Count Gregory took their seats and spoke up.
"According to the reports sent from the Southern Front, the Hector Kingdom launched a surprise attack across the border and struck our defensive positions. We do not know what pretext they are claiming, but at this rate, the Southern Front is in grave danger."
"Then shouldn't we dispatch troops immediately?"
Finally.
The suggestion to send reinforcements had been brought up.
Daniel Cairo's blood boiled. If only the nobles had attended the meeting promptly. If he had possessed even the bare minimum authority to issue orders as king, he would have dispatched reinforcements to the south at least an hour ago.
But what could he do? This was the pathetic reality of Cairo.
Daniel Cairo spoke. "Then I shall dispatch troops to the Southern Front immediately."
"Understood."
"We shall obey your command."
The decision was finally made.
Deciding the major affairs of the state only after the Central Government had convened—this was the way of Cairo, a weak nation.
However, by then, it was already too late.
The Warp Gate on the Southern Front had fallen.
Only then did Marquis Benedict realize the gravity of the situation.
"...To think they captured the Warp Gate. This is an extremely serious problem. Not only have we lost the means to quickly deploy troops, but without it, there is no way for the Southern Front to hold out against the Hector Kingdom's assault."
Cairo itself wouldn't fall into immediate danger from this attack. The Southern Front was a rather barren region. It held little geographical importance to the Cairo Kingdom, and they were confident they could easily suppress Hector's forces if the enemy tried to push past the south.
The problem was if the enemy dug in and held their ground. If things went that way, losing the Warp Gate would inevitably come back to haunt them as a massive headache.
Ultimately, the four-way split in Cairo's chain of command had exacerbated the crisis. Had they responded even slightly faster, the Cairo Kingdom wouldn't have lost the Southern Front so helplessly.
Daniel Cairo glared at them. "How do you intend to take responsibility for this outcome? When I first notified you of the crisis, if you had at least deferred to me so that I, as King, could make a decision, the Southern Front would never have fallen into such danger. Reflect on your actions, all of you. This matter is entirely your responsibility!"
The weak king. Even he couldn't let this slide.
Yet, despite his flushed face and furious outburst, the nobles showed no signs of being particularly perturbed.
It was right then that Edwin Hector contacted the Cairo royal court.
* * *
As soon as the magic communication was connected, Marquis Benedict demanded answers on behalf of Daniel Cairo.
"On what grounds does Hector dare to attack Cairo? We believed that Cairo and Hector maintained a friendly relationship. Neither side has crossed the other's borders to pose a threat, and we even provided food aid recently, knowing of Hector's difficult circumstances. What on earth is the meaning of this!"
His voice was aggressive.
Yet on the screen, Edwin Hector didn't lose his composure, even when confronted with Cairo's fury.
[How shameless. The one who crossed the line was not us, but Cairo.]
This exact situation. He had rehearsed it countless times in his head. It was obvious how the Cairo Kingdom would react, and so Edwin Hector delivered his prepared, flawless response.
[Six months ago, soldiers of the Cairo Kingdom crossed our border. They claimed they had lost their way, but in truth, maps detailing Hector's geography and the locations of key structures were found in their bags. We attempted to apprehend them, but realizing their intentions had been exposed, they fled and fell to their deaths off a cliff. From that moment on, we had no choice but to doubt the intentions of the Cairo Kingdom. Why on earth would you scout Hector's borders? There would be no reason for such a bold action unless there was malicious intent.]
It was far from the truth.
The Cairo soldiers had simply been found dead at the bottom of a cliff. It appeared to have been a mere accident, but Edwin Hector used it as the foundation to construct a pretext for war.
In truth, the pretext itself was flimsy. But that didn't matter. War, after all, was a struggle where the logic of the victor applied. Even if this caused problems later on, what mattered to the Hector Kingdom was resolving their immediate crisis.
"Nonsense!"
"Do not slander Cairo! We did no such thing!"
The backlash was fierce. Even so, Edwin Hector didn't blink an eye.
[What matters is that distrust has arisen between Cairo and Hector, and we have attacked the Southern Front to hold you accountable for that offense. I assume you are aware that the Warp Gate is now in our hands. The Hector Kingdom has seized control of the Southern Front. From this moment on, our demands are clear. Apologize for that day's transgression and pay appropriate compensation. If you faithfully comply with our demands, we will withdraw our forces out of consideration for our past relations.]
This was Hector's true objective.
After consecutive years of poor harvests, their national treasury was running dry, and the interest on their loans from the Golden Bank was overdue. Since borrowing money from elsewhere would only compound their problems, Edwin Hector had resorted to an extreme measure.
War.
Demanding money as 'compensation' to end it was not an unusual tactic. The Southern Front was barren, but it was land Cairo needed. Hector intended to use it as collateral to solve their financial crisis.
"You highway robbers!"
"Do you honestly think that is a reasonable demand?!"
The nobles of Cairo vehemently protested. But that was all they could do. Edwin Hector had no intention of backing down.
If this had been an issue that could be resolved through compromise in the first place, he never would have attacked the Southern Front. Looking upon his people crying out in pain, he had resolved to solve their problems, even if it meant becoming a devil.
[I will give you exactly three days. Think carefully and make your decision. If you do not comply with our demands, we will prepare to annex the Southern Front into Hector's territory. Bear this in mind: if you attempt to stall for time with half-hearted compromises, the hostages on the Southern Front will not return alive.]
With those final words...
Click.
Edwin Hector unilaterally cut off the magic communication.
* * *
After the tense magic communication ended, a heavy silence settled over the conference room.
Faced with Edwin Hector's unilateral ultimatum, even the high-and-mighty Marquis Benedict was left speechless.
Ultimately, Daniel Cairo voiced the grim reality, his face devastated.
"Now that the Warp Gate is in the enemy's hands, we have no other choice. Even if we dispatch troops to the nearest region, it will take at least a fortnight to reach the Southern Front. The Hector Kingdom will have completed all their defensive preparations by then, and a tedious war will drag Cairo into the abyss, regardless of who wins or loses. Paying the compensation the Hector Kingdom openly demands is the only way to minimize our losses."
"They will surely demand an astronomical sum."
"Is there any other way? If you do not like this option, then propose another solution!"
Everyone swallowed their words.
It was truly laughable. The nobles of the Central Government—those who acted as if they were almighty figures in this small kingdom—could exert absolutely no power when a real crisis struck. Their reality was merely squabbling over how to divide their pathetic authority.
At least Marquis Benedict showed some desire to resolve the issue, but Count Denver and Count Gregory were different. They aligned themselves with foreign nations. They acted as if the fate of Cairo had little to do with them.
It was always like this. Usually, they treated Daniel Cairo as a mere puppet, yet they pushed the King to the forefront whenever trouble arose.
"...We shall accept Hector's terms."
"I object."
It was then that the figure who had remained silent until now, Count Denver, stepped forward.
"Are you saying you have another solution?"
"First of all, the reason the Hector Kingdom is demanding money is clear. They intend to solve their domestic difficulties through war, and the amount they demand will not be small—it will be enough to shake the very foundations of Cairo. This matter will not end simply by reclaiming the Southern Front. We must also consider what comes after. If the Kronos Empire crosses our borders while our treasury is completely depleted, we might suffer far greater damage as a consequence of reclaiming the south."
"...But is there any other way?"
"There is."
In an instant, all eyes focused on him. As the leader of the Valhalla faction, Count Denver possessed special information that the other nobles gathered here did not.
They believe there is currently no element on the Southern Front capable of turning the tide.
But there was. Just one variable.
Count Denver spoke. "Roman Dmitry is on the Southern Front. According to a report that just arrived, Roman Dmitry successfully defended the 5th Defense Line and has conveyed his intention to rally the troops and resist the Hector Kingdom."
The others didn't know. They didn't know Roman Dmitry's true strength.
With his talent in reaching the 4-Star stage and the sheer power he displayed in crushing the Barco family, he would never go down without a fight.
Therefore...
"We must believe in him. If we dispatch troops to the Southern Front immediately, and Roman Dmitry manages to create a crack in their lines from within, we stand a solid chance of victory."
He was the sole variable. Count Denver placed his bet on Roman.