The sun shone through the window. A middle-aged man, who was lying in an infirmary bed, struggled to open his eyes and looked out the window with blank eyes.
“… I am not dead.”
His voice was dry.
The man’s identity was Count Nicholas. His expression was slightly distorted at the belated pain, and he lowered his gaze to check the condition of his body. He was a mess. As if to prove how terrible his condition was, his entire upper body was covered in bandages.
‘Only the external wounds are serious. Roman Dmitry had no intention of killing me.’
That was the conclusion he reached after examining his body. The wound ran from his upper chest down to his pubic bone, but only the skin was cut, and there were no internal wounds.
It was clear that Dmitry had shown him mercy. Although he displayed a dramatic scene for those who were watching, this proved that Roman was sincere.
In his hazy memories, he remembered what Roman told him at the end,
“Do not worry about the aftermath. I have no intention of betraying Cairo.”
And right after hearing that, Count Nicholas was hit.
People thought that Count Nicholas had his eyes open when he sensed his impending death, but the truth and sincerity in Roman’s voice remained in his head.
He couldn’t understand Roman Dmitry’s intentions. All this time, he made no contact with the Cairo royal family. Rather, he seemed to get along with other forces, such as Marquis Benedict. Roman Dmitry was the balance of this land. His decision to join the nobles meant that the royal faction without Count Nicholas had lost.
So he accepted the challenge of a Ranking Match. By defeating Roman Dmitry, he wanted to show how strong he was, but the result was a crushing defeat. People would think it was a fierce match, but Count Nicholas, who wielded the sword himself, knew that Roman Dmitry was stronger than him. Otherwise, it couldn’t have been so overwhelming in their first head-on confrontation.
Roman Dmitry considered Count Nicholas’s intentions and never pushed him back until the end, as he constantly showed him mercy. And his defeat was an unfortunate result.
However, the fact that he was still alive and the words he heard at the end caused Count Nicholas to worry.
‘I need to understand what the situation is.’
“Kuak.”
He got up.
Even though he still needed time to recover, for Count Nicholas, it was more important to understand the situation of the royal family than his safety.
Simon.
Seeing Count Nicholas look up at him, Simon looked like he would burst into tears at any moment.
“… all I was told was that the commander might die. I am…. am so fortunate.”
Count Nicholas was the sky for Simon.
Count Nicholas showed him a warm smile.
“You have suffered a lot all this time.”
“No. I just did what I had to do.”
“If you hadn’t led and become the center of the Royal Knights, the chaos in Cairo would have increased. I am so proud of you. Because of you, I was able to comfortably join the Ranking Matches.”
Half a year ago, he left the vacant post of lieutenant to Simon. People expressed their doubts about Simon’s skills, which couldn’t even touch a 4-star swordsman, but Count Nicholas thought that Simon was the right person.
The Royal Knights were the guardians of the royal family. In order to maintain an unwavering heart despite all kinds of desires, loyalty to the royal family was more important than sword skills.
And that was Simon. He was in his mid-40s, and even if his potential as a swordsman wasn’t that great, he was fit to hold the title of a Royal Knight.
And Count Nicholas said,
“Simon. Tell me what happened while I was unconscious.”
“Alright. Right after the commander collapsed…”
He started talking about the clash between the nobles and Roman Dmitry, and how Roman Dmitry went to the King and offered a deal and explained the process of the civil war. And during that time, he developed a sincere respect for Roman. Even though he was carrying out his work for a certain price, the process of how he was able to do it was truly admirable.
The disposition of the imperial factions and his plan to break the enemies’ plan with the support of a tycoon named Valentino. The royal faction held the upper hand. Just by bringing in one ally, Roman Dmitry and the royal faction were able to get so many others.
“… that is what happened. We are about to embark on the mission soon. The commander is Roman Dmitry, and we intend to immediately attack the nobles of Marquis Benedict’s faction.”
The explanation was over, and Count Nicholas was lost in thought. Roman Dmitry was the best swordsman Cairo ever had. Depending on the choice he made, the game of Cairo could somehow change, but Roman Dmitry gave up on glory and wealth as he sided with the King.
And he was extremely grateful for that. The fact that the monster he couldn’t handle didn’t abandon the royal family was something he felt thankful for.
In this war, if they lost, it was all over. Even if he couldn’t go to the battlefield with his current injury, he couldn’t just sit down either.
“Simon, take me to the place where the military meetings are being held. I need to work there.”
Emotions grew inside of him. There was a chance to set the kingdom right.
At this historic moment, he wanted to contribute even a little bit.
Finally, the moment of the decisive battle has arrived. Roman Dmitry prepared for the marching ceremony.
Clack.
He wore a different outfit than usual. Roman, who was normally minimally armed because it interfered with his movements, was now fully armed, representing the royal family. His silver armor was engraved with the symbol of the royal family. And his white skin and black hair had a charm that made people turn their heads to look at him. Even from far away, you could see the people waiting for him.
And then there were the people of the royal faction, including King Daniel Cairo, and an unexpected person on the other side—Count Nicholas. He appeared with a wounded body.
Roman Dmitry knew what it meant.
‘Count Nicholas is the symbol of the military. Showing up at the military parade even after losing to me in the match means that he completely entrusts the authority of the military to me. The King and Count Nicholas too. They haven’t yet lost their goodness despite the chaos the power system created.’
Roman might be attracted to their goodness in some way. If he followed the Marquis, he would have gotten the chance to devour Cairo, but he knew that his little desires wouldn’t be satisfied with just that. He hoped Cairo would play a similar role to the friendly relationship Baek Joong-hyuk had with the Emperor during the time he ruled Murim.
Tak.
He took his place. The numerous troops looked up at Roman who also looked at them and calmly said,
“Cairo has been through a chaotic time. The nobles, including Marquis Benedict, are people who only care about their own interests rather than the safety of this nation, and due to their actions, Cairo was never given a peaceful life. We are going to punish those traitors. What will we get from a civil war that causes people born in the same place or lineage to kill each other and leave behind pain? Well, I promise to completely clean up the chaos in Cairo after this war is over. And…”
He drew his sword.
War.
Those who trembled with anxiety needed the conviction—the right one—to win.
“I will always be at the forefront of this war. So trust me and follow. If I open the way, you can follow and achieve victory.”
“Woahhhhh!”
“Roman! Roman!”
“Roman! Roman!”
The people went insane. Cairo’s most terrifying presence and the words he said about fighting at the forefront made the people put their blind trust in him.
There was no turning back now.
War.
The battle for the fate of the nation has begun.
The response of the nobles’ faction was as expected. After gathering their troops at the Benedict estate, they held a meeting on how the royal family was moving.
“If they use a nearby warp gate, the army of the King will attack Benedict within a week at the earliest. Right now, the odds of an all-out war are slim. We have to lock the gates and look for a chance to turn things around while taking advantage of this place.”
Just as one noble said, the condition of the nobles wasn’t good. Even at first, he thought that with enough troops they could wipe out the royal family, but Marquis Valentino’s declaration and Count Fabius’s betrayal were fatal to them.
And aside from the raccoon of Cairo, they couldn’t figure out why Marquis Valentino changed his mind. He was a key presence among the nobles.
And Viscount Owen said,
“Marquis Valentino has always been neutral. In preparation for the problems that would arise from taking sides with one faction, he ended up drawing a line. And such a person openly supports Roman Dmitry. It means that the nobles are moving behind this new power, and in fact, no one can stop Roman Dmitry, who didn’t lose to a single ranker.”
All of them acknowledged it. Roman’s plan was too perfect. It was as if he attracted Marquis Valentino, and when he was told of the results of the Ranking Matches, the man must have been impressed.
However, the issue was that that person would be their enemy now. Hearing of his success on the Southern Front, no one thought he would declare an all-out war.
“Currently, the nobles’ faction is unable to properly use the strength we have. I think we need to accept the reality and take some damage in order to defeat Roman Dmitry and their army. Marquis Benedict, how about contacting Kronos and the nobles of Valhalla? They have no choice but to worry about the future with their leaders being held captive. If we offer them a suitable reward, they will surely not be able to refuse our offer.”
“… that isn’t a bad idea.”
Marquis Benedict nodded. With the exception of the royal faction, they always had the option of joining forces with the other two factions. If Gregory and Denver were in good health, they would have chosen to wait, but now they are not here.
Marquis Benedict asked,
“How long will it take to appease them?”
“It should be at least fifteen days. It takes time to change the minds of those from the other factions, and it will take a good amount of time to assemble and bring them together. So we need to buy time for them to get here. While buying time, if we bring in support from others and try to attack from both sides like them, we can defeat Roman Dmitry.”
“I get it. I will entrust you with the full authority in that regard.”
“I accept your orders.”
Even with the new measures, the atmosphere wasn’t so hopeful. At the thought of a devil named Roman Dmitry arriving, the nobles couldn’t react positively.
The massacre in Cairos was one-sided. Hundreds of troops that were secretly brought were killed, and those who tried to stop Roman were brutally killed. And from what they heard, those who weren’t able to use the warp gate didn’t even get to surrender. They were killed right there.
Their mouths would go dry even now when they thought of how he cut off the heads of all those who knelt down and prayed.
Marquis Benedict said,
“The war broke out suddenly, but we had been preparing for this war against the royals for a long time. Benedict is equipped with supplies and a perfect defense system, and with this amount of preparation, we can even withstand the Kronos Empire’s onslaught. So have no doubt that we will win. As always, after everything is sorted, our nobles’ faction will have the power in Cairo.”
“Yes.”
“We will do our best.”
The atmosphere changed as they realized that Marquis Benedict was right. Even though the flames of the war suddenly spread, that didn’t mean that they were unprepared for it. They were confident now. Time was on their side.
And they were convinced that if he led them while buying time, they would be able to destroy the royals. They believed in themselves that, as always, the nobles would come out victorious.
And a week later, Roman Dmitry’s army appeared in front of the Benedict Castle.
Shortly after arriving in Benedict, Simon came over to him and asked,
“Commander. In preparation for the long-term battle, they seemed to have built a good stronghold.”
The walls of the Benedict Castle were high enough to be called forts. The battle wouldn’t end in a day or two, so Simon’s judgment was correct. But…
“No, speed is important in this war. The more time we give the nobles, the more options they will have. Therefore, we shall prepare for the first hit before establishing our positions.”
It was a bold decision. If they get hurt, the soldiers would have to spend more time carrying the heavy bodies and building camps. But…
“Felix, prepare for a siege.”
At Roman’s command, a robed man appeared. As for Simon, he looked back and forth between the robed man and Roman Dmitry with befuddled eyes.
