Once the Magic Call was connected, Roman Dmitry’s face appeared on the screen that was installed in the conference room.
[This is Roman Dmitry, reporting from the Southern Front.]
He could see all the leaders of the Cairo Kingdom, including Daniel Cairo, gathered beyond the screen.
When they all saw the face of Roman, the desire to bring him to their side could not be hidden anymore and was revealed from their eyes.
“We heard reports that all the Defense Lines of the Southern Front have been captured. What was your unit doing all this time?” asked Daniel Cairo. It had been a week since he had contacted him. Naturally, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Roman Dmitry was the only one who had won a battle against Hector, but he had shown no reaction while the Defense Lines were being captured.
It wasn’t Daniel Cairo’s intention to undermine the merit of Roman Dmitry. However, as he did not communicate with him over the previous week, he questioned his purpose.
Roman answered,
[We have been rearranging our power for a week.]
“…Power reorganization. I don’t want to blame you because you truly achieved something great against the Hector Kingdom. In the meantime, however, three Defense Lines of the Southern Front have fallen into the enemy’s hands. War isn’t always a perfect place, so couldn’t you have gone to a Defense Line and helped them?”
[I will give you my honest opinion. The only reason we were able to win against the Hector Kingdom was because of luck. They had the power to overwhelm the entire Southern Front at once. Fortunately, the mountain’s path was advantageous, and darkness could be used to counter the enemies. However, fighting the enemies in the plains wouldn’t have been the same, so we decided to hold onto our power. From the moment the captains of the Defense Lines locked down the gates despite my advice, there was no way I could help them.]
The entire conference room went silent.
Roman didn’t feel the slightest concern when he answered and told them the reason he didn’t move to help the others. People who were watching the battlefield from afar surely must have had a lot to say, but what was happening on the battlefield was different from what they knew.
And Roman knew how to make himself understood in an instant.
[The Hector Kingdom risked everything in this war. Butler, who is ranked second in Hector’s Rankings, has also participated in the war, and I confirmed that the enemy commander, Edwin Hector, can use magic. I think everyone understands what that means. Mages wield absolute strength in the plains, so I did not head down the mountain. I thought that the correct time to fight wasn’t now but when the main forces of Cairo arrived.]
“…What?”
Daniel Cairo’s eyes widened. Butler and Edwin Hector were familiar names. Butler had a reputation for representing the entire Hector Kingdom, and Edwin Hector, unlike himself, was rumored to be born with the talent and qualities of a king. Nevertheless, he was also a Mage? That was shocking. Cairo’s leaders, who were listening as well, were stunned.
‘Roman’s judgment was right. If the Hector Kingdom brought a 5-Star Aura Swordsman and a Mage, there was no chance they could win against Hector with the current power on the Southern Front.’
‘Butler went to war…’
‘The Hector Kingdom seriously risked everything in this war.’
They all, once again, realized how great Roman was. He had managed to do a successful guerilla operation against the combination of Butler, a 5-Star Aura Swordsman, and Edwin Hector, a Mage. They all became certain that Roman Dmitry was a monster.
As they looked at the talent that was shining so brightly and was so vast, they all became even more greedy to have him.
“Your Majesty, I don’t think there is any more need to pressure the hero of war.”
“I have the same thoughts. Roman Dmitry was the only person who defeated the Hector Kingdom on the Southern Front. If he decided that it was right for him to gather and conserve the strength, then his judgment should be trusted.”
The other nobles also added words to support him. Those statements were clearly disregarding the King. Nevertheless, Daniel Cairo was used to it. He suppressed his anger and said calmly, “I understand. I will not ask any more questions. Roman Dmitry. Cairo’s main force will arrive soon. However, the Hector Kingdom must have already completed the preparations for their fortress in the rear position, so we will attack the enemies after making sufficient preparations. Therefore, join the main force and help them.”
[I apologize, but time isn’t on our side.]
“What do you mean?”
Roman’s words were suspicious.
Nevertheless, as soon as the Hector Kingdom had locked themselves in the rear position, he had thought of one possibility.
[It will take at least three more days for Cairo’s troops to arrive here. If the rear isn’t destroyed by then, the Hector Kingdom will surely attract the attention of external forces like the Kronos Empire.]
That was enough to shock everyone.
The Hector Kingdom was pushed to the brink. Still, they hadn’t given up on the war. They quickly destroyed the Defense Lines of the Southern Front and chose to resist the troops of Cairo.
‘What is the best and the worst thing the enemy can choose?’
Roman changed his perspective and looked at things from the enemy’s point of view. It would have been ideal if Cairo graciously agreed to the negotiations with the Hector Kingdom, but because of his existence, that was impossible.
Roman revealed every single detail of the plan the Hector Kingdom had made through the Magic Communicator. The Hector Kingdom would have no choice but to think of the worst and would need a solution to the breaking down of negotiations. The threat that Edwin Hector spoke of—Releasing the poison of the Necromancer and ruining the land was not the right choice. They needed a way for the Hector Kingdom to survive. And there was only one way for that.
[The purpose of the Hector Kingdom in this war is to solve their nation’s difficulties. They do not have any grudges against the Cairo Kingdom, nor do they wish to occupy the lands of the Southern Front. Rather, if they manage the land, the burden on the nation will only continue to increase. The Hector Kingdom is in a corner right now. Nevertheless, they chose to fight back. You can see that from the situation we are in.]
The Star of Hector wasn’t the kind of person to walk ahead without a plan. If he risked his life to stay on the Southern Front, it was because he made a good plan and choice.
[The Warp Gate that can teleport a large number of people is installed near the rear position. The Warp Gate is a very convenient tool made with the civilization of magic, but it also has the potential to be used in a war, so it has to be destroyed in the case of emergencies. The Southern Front lost the Warp Gate in the surprise attack. What do you think will happen if the Hector Kingdom makes a deal with the Kronos Empire in exchange for the Warp Gate and information? The Hector Kingdom will get the reward they are hoping for, and the Kronos Empire will have another stronghold over the Cairo Kingdom.]
“…This.”
Daniel Cairo was stunned. His expression turned pale. He hadn’t even imagined that Hector would take such an extreme method. He had thought that Cairo had the advantage now, but when he heard Roman’s words, he realized the Southern Front was almost lost.
“Then what do we do?”
He focused his eyes clearly on Roman. While everyone was sure of victory, only Roman had thought of that. Because of his actions in this war, the leaders of the nation had all acknowledged Roman and were focusing on his words.
Roman said,
[There is only one way]
War was a simple thing.
In the end,
[It’s a straightforward method. We will capture the rear within 3 days.]
The moment the opponent is defeated, all the problems are solved.
Roman’s prediction was right. Edwin Hector, who had gained control over the entire Southern Front, immediately contacted the Kronos Empire.
“I will get straight to the point. We hope to sell the Southern Front of Cairo to the Kronos Empire. As you know, the Warp Gate is in the rear of the Southern Front and can be called its heart. We have it intact, and we are willing to sell it to you if we get the right price.”
The Warp Gate was made with the essence of magic.
The Warp Gate Edwin Hector had prepared for the surprise attack was a low-grade one that could only accommodate a small number of people, but the one on the Southern Front was a high-grade one and had costed a lot of time and money to install. And they were successful in capturing it.
As Roman had said through the Magic Communicator, they had planned on pressuring the Cairo Kingdom by giving the base to the Kronos Empire, which would then attack them on both the Southern and the Western Front.
[…That’s an attractive proposition.]
Beyond the screen, Count Hadid of the Kronos Empire laughed.
[Nevertheless, I cannot accept the proposal of the Hector Kingdom right now. The Cairo Kingdom will only struggle to take back the Southern Front in the future. It is a good thing that you secured the entire Southern Front, but why must we be the ones to bear their wrath and struggle? If you wish to do business with us, prove that you have completely captured the rear position for a month. If you prove that and it does not collapse, we will make a deal with Hector and pay the right price.]
The Kronos Empire was filled with greedy people. It would have been beneficial to take up the offer even now, but they were trying to get as much as they could out of this.
The Hector Kingdom, despite knowing that, had no one else to go to.
“…I accept the offer. After one month, we will contact you again.”
Tuk.
The Magic Call was cut off. The result was as Edwin had expected. A giant like the Kronos Empire didn’t think that the Hector Kingdom’s plan would go smoothly.
Edwin Hector said, “Jackson.”
“Yes, Prince.”
“Contact the Hector family right now. With our current power, we cannot last a month. We will secure manpower and supplies to last us a month by linking the Warp Gate of the Hector Kingdom with this one.”
“I understand.”
The Cairo Kingdom would soon attack the rear position with everything they had. Edwin had prepared for magical weapons like Flares, but it wasn’t enough to last a month. The distance was huge, so it would take quite some time to link with Hector as well. According to him, it would take a minimum of 3 days. And if they earned the time in which the Warp Gates would be linked, they would be able to survive.
‘This war is a battle in which we must not be defeated. I will surely return to the Hector Kingdom with hope.’
The heavy burden of carrying the name of royalty had already been accepted by Edwin Hector calmly long ago.
The scheduled time was only 10 days. And Cairo’s main force, which had arrived at the Southern Front, couldn’t hide their anger as they saw Hector’s flag fluttering from afar.
“Damned idiots.”
“How dare they plant the flag of Hector on Cairo?! I will tear them to death.”
That was the main force’s commander, Count Fabius. He had set up the base near the rear of the Southern Front and had called the captains into the barracks.
Captains came in one after another, but even when they saw Count Fabius, they didn’t act politely.
‘It is like the people of the Central Government got involved in the war on the Southern Front just for the sake of profit. That means that they have that great of a desire for Roman Dmitry. This is a war not just about destroying the Hector Kingdom, but also about winning the heart of Roman Dmitry.’
And he himself was a representative of Marquis Benedict. Baron Thales sitting on the right, was on the side of the Kronos Empire, and Baron Brahim, on the left, was on the side of the Valhalla Empire.
They had special missions beyond the war. They all hoped to persuade Roman as much as they could.
Count Fabius said, “His Majesty King Daniel ordered us to wait for Roman Dmitry to join and then consult with him on overthrowing the Hector Kingdom. Please wait a little while. The meeting will begin shortly.”
“I understand.”
An awkward silence lingered.
How much time had passed?
A soldier’s voice was heard from outside.
“Roman Dmitry has arrived!”
Flutter.
The door opened, and Roman Dmitry, the Hero of the Southern Front and the protagonist of this conference, caught everyone’s attention.
Editor’s Thoughts: The Hector Kingdom won’t get what they want easily, it seems. Also, Roman’s attitude was so cool. Let’s see what he will say at this conference and how he will respond to the recruitment offers and other stuff.
