All the people who were there looked at each other. Rodwell Dmitry was someone who fit Flora’s conditions perfectly. He had the skills and the courage, and he was confident enough to make the plan happen.
His time in the West had proven his worth. No one would deny that, but the problem was that Dmitry’s name was too valuable to be lost right now.
So Baron Noel said,
“No. Didn’t Flora say it? The one who will participate in the Battle of Great Warriors must be prepared for death. I understand Mr. Rodwell’s will, but we are not sacrificing someone like you here.”
Rodwell’s older brother, Roman Dmitry, had risen to power in Cairo. If the nobles’ rebellion is settled and Kronos gets defeated, then the era of Roman Dmitry would start.
Baron Noel wasn’t stupid. He was patriotic and experienced all sorts of hardships on the Western Front, but he also had the desire to return to the capital with great achievements, so he couldn’t send out Rodwell now. Roman Dmitry’s existence, the backbone of the Dmitry family, made the value of this man different.
Rodwell Dmitry said,
“So is there another swordsman who can participate on my behalf then?”
“Isn’t that something we have to look into? Rather than making a quick decision…”
“No. When a choice is made because of the decision of the leaders, we have no choice but to force the sacrifice on those who obviously do not want it. It’s for Cairo, so how can a knight refuse this act? And with this plan, there aren’t that many options. There are swordsmen stronger than me on the Western Front, but their lives cannot be sacrificed in such a place. You have to think about the situation after the Battle of Great Warriors is over. So it is only right to make the most meaningful choice now.”
He was not the best swordsman in the West. Currently, even Count Vandenberg was a 4-star swordsman, but he couldn’t let the commander die.
Rodwell looked at everyone. They were all shocked, but no one could say that he was wrong.
“Someone has to do this. But this doesn’t mean that I am going with the intention of putting my life on the line. I will do my best to defeat the warrior that the Kronos Empire sends, so allow me to go there.”
“….Rodwell.”
Count Vandenberg called out to him, looking sad. Rodwell Dmitry, who was assigned to the Western Front as his first assignment, was an immature kid like any other his age. He had seen so many deaths, and he finally grew up. He is now a full-fledged swordsman, and he has earned the respect of everyone.
The meeting room was silent. Even though he was his disciple, Count Vandenberg couldn’t be considerate of only one person. And so…
“I understand. Rodwell Dmitry, you will take on the role of participating in the Battle of Great Warriors.”
“Thank you.”
The decision was made. The plan was in motion, and Rodwell Dmitry nodded with a calm expression.
After the meeting, there was someone waiting for Rodwell Dmitry to come out.
“Why are you so eager to do something risky each time?”
The Western Front had two famous people. One was Flora Lawrence, and the other was Rodwell Dmitry. They both went to the Cairo Royal Academy.
Rodwell was granted one year of service for training, but he chose to stay on the Western Front to complete his full term. It was during the time when Dmitry was in the spotlight. And no one understood why he chose to abandon his wealth and honor only to stay back in this dangerous place.
In each battle he participated in, he always took the lead. He never backed down even a little against the Kronos Empire and led the Cairo army in front.
And now the people on the Western Front truly respected him. He was considered a strong warrior, but not by Flora.
“You are not a normal person. People say that it is an act of patriotism for Cairo, but the truth is that you are a madman who can’t die. There are a lot of people here who follow you. The leaders here have acknowledged the fact that you are the best, but if you really want to do something, then you shouldn’t die like this.”
“This is something I need to do.”
Rodwell looked at Flora. Flora Lawrence—he had heard of the rumors about her. She was the woman who promised to marry his older brother but broke off their engagement and gave up her noble life. Perhaps she was someone who could understand his feelings.
“Flora. You know what kind of person Roman Dmitry was. That was why a wise woman like you made the extreme decision of breaking off that marriage. How did you feel then? Were you willing to accept the fact that Dmitry’s trash is different from the rumors? I do not. During my time in the West, so many things changed in Dmitry.”
In the last few years, Roman Dmitry’s transformation had been shocking. He denied the truth at first, but the rumors forced him to accept it. And everyone told him how they wished to have an older brother like him. However, Rodwell Dmitry, who remembered his time with his brother, fell into a sense of alienation.
“In my life, Roman Dmitry was nothing more than an idiot. Yet he is now called the Hero of Cairo. People applaud Dmitry for his bright future, but I will never entrust my future to someone whom I hate calling my brother. So I extended my period here, and I will do anything to surpass him here.”
He denied the reality and covered his ears. He risked his life on the battlefield and made every effort to get stronger.
And it will be the same now. It was a life-threatening decision to move forward, but he hoped that this would make him stronger.
Roman Dmitry defeated Richard Nicholas. Hearing the rumors that he stood tall as the greatest in Cairo burned Rodwell’s heart.
Flora was speechless. She was feeling complicated. At one point, she was also confused by Roman’s personality, so she couldn’t conclude what the other person’s feelings were.
There was a moment of silence.
Rodwell Dmitry asked,
“Then why are you here?”
Flora bit her lip.
What should she say? Thinking of an excuse to give, she realized she didn’t want to lie to Rodwell Dmitry. She and he were both swept up in the same fate. If Roman Dmitry hadn’t changed, the two of them would have never met on the Western Front.
“There was a time when I almost killed a lot of people because of my immature thoughts. And so, I decided that I needed real experience to not let that happen again. So when you asked me, I wasn’t sure. I will not ask you why. But…”
She looked into Rodwell’s eyes. His eyes didn’t look like the eyes of someone who had given up on life.
“You need to win. I hope you survive and live a meaningful life.”
The day of the showdown arrived. Far away, the Kronos Empire’s army was visible. Rodwell Dmitry went out of the fortress alone and looked at the enemies.
‘I might die today.’
He made his decision, and many people came. Those who dissuaded him, saying he was being reckless, sighed as they looked at Rodwell, who didn’t waver.
After hearing the rumors about Roman Dmitry, Rodwell, the wise man people knew, began to act like he had multiple lives.
He knew it too. It was dangerous this time, but if he didn’t do this, he would never become stronger.
‘With experience that conforms to common sense, there is no choice but to grow. Roman Dmitry is the greatest sword in Cairo. The world calls him the best in Cairo, but I don’t want to be inferior to him.’
People could call it an inferiority complex. But for whatever reason, Rodwell Dmitry stood there. Breathing deeply, he raised his sword that he had sharpened all night.
Chak! Chak!
Not far away, the troops of the Kronos Empire lined up, and Rodwell Dmitry stood tall. With all their focus on him, he used mana in his voice.
“I am Rodwell Dmitry of the Cairo Kingdom. I, Rodwell Dmitry, will request the Kronos Empire to a Battle of Great Warriors!”
From now on, he took a step into the crossroads of life and death.
It was as Flora had expected. The Kronos Empire had no reason to refuse. They arrogantly sent an unknown swordsman.
“I am Osford. I will duel against you.”
Osford was someone who couldn’t even reach the bottom of the empire’s rankings. Yet no one from Cairo smiled at this. Unlike in Cairo, where you could pass the rankings even if you only reached the 3-star level, in Kronos, one had to be around 4-stars. It was a different world from Cairo.
They sent Osford as a mockery, not thinking that he was weaker than Rodwell. Besides, Rodwell wasn’t even a ranker in Cairo. Since the apparent difference in their skills was absolute, Osford was also confident.
And the battle started like that. As expected, Osford took the lead.
“How dare you?!”
“Kang!”
Kakakang!
It was overwhelming. As soon as the start of the battle was announced, Osford rushed ahead, and his sword with aura didn’t allow Rodwell to catch his breath.
Osford was a 3-star swordsman. The Kronos Empire obtained data about the swordsmen in the western part of Cairo and found out that Rodwell was a 2-star swordsman.
Reaching the 2-star level in his early 20s was an impressive achievement. However, that was only a high evaluation for the future, and it wasn’t enough to threaten the Kronos Empire now. So they deliberately sent out Osford.
They wanted to show that Rodwell Dmitry could be overwhelmingly defeated by an unknown swordsman who was not a ranker.
Kang!
“Kuek!”
He was pushed back. Rodwell Dmitry blocked the attack with his quick reaction speed, but he couldn’t help but be pushed back by a couple of collisions. From the start, the difference between the two was obvious.
Osford slammed forward once again, prompting Rodwell Dmitry to defend, and as soon as his opponent blocked his attack, he kicked his stomach.
Puak!
A strong shock happened. Suppressing what was rising inside him, Rodwell Dmitry quickly tried to counterattack. But…
Slash!
His own forearm was cut, and blood splattered. No matter what he did, Osford responded, and with time, the wounds on his body increased. As a swordsman whose skills were recognized in Cairo, he was blocked by the empire’s walls.
Rodwell Dmitry clearly had a promising future, but he had never held his breath against an unknown swordsman.
A weak nation—that was the reality of Cairo. The reason they couldn’t even open their mouths against the empire was that there was an overwhelming difference in power.
“Die!”
Kwak!
His armor was distorted from the punch. He felt dizzy. Rodwell had this urge to just collapse, but he clenched his teeth and held on until the end.
‘This is the expected result.’
The people expected a miracle. Could Rodwell win? No, it was impossible. No matter who they sent, the Kronos Empire would send someone stronger. That was what it meant to go against an empire.
It didn’t take long for them to gather their troops, but they ruthlessly trampled on Cairo’s estate.
‘How the hell did Roman Dmitry defeat these beings? I cannot even handle a 3-star swordsman, but he became the sword of Cairo and defeated Butler. Obviously, the Roman Dmitry I remember isn’t that strong. But while I left for the battlefield and tried to become stronger, he reached a level that I can’t dare surpass, to the point where all my efforts seem worthless.’
Hearing the rumors, people praised Rodwell Dmitry. The higher Dmitry’s status was, the more he was treated well wherever he went. But he wasn’t happy. He couldn’t take Roman Dmitry’s fame seriously because he never trusted him.
‘This morning. I heard a report that Roman Dmitry subdued the rebels. He made the impossible possible again and proved his worth. I can no longer deny that Roman Dmitry is now an untouchable being. I’ve heard the rumors about his fame, and it proves Roman Dmitry’s worth.’
He also knew it—he could no longer close the gap between himself and his older brother. But even though he knew that, he still stood on the battlefield because he couldn’t accept it in his heart.
Swish!
His face was cut. There was a long cut on his cheek, but Rodwell Dmitry’s eyes didn’t waver. Looking at Osford, he rushed forward.
Tak.
“How dare this bastard?!”
He knew he couldn’t win this duel in the usual way, so he came up with a plan. It was the same pattern. He made a counterattack, aiming it at the opponent’s lower body.
After pushing him to defend with repeated attacks, he aimed at the opponent’s vital points in a different pattern than before. He gave up on his body and the pain. His entire body was stained in blood, and he couldn’t withstand it any longer.
Kwang!
Aura exploded. The attack was swift.
Because of his experience on the battlefield, Rodwell’s movements were bold. His attack, which moved like flowing water, pierced a gap, but Osford managed to respond well.
“You cheeky bastard!”
His sword flashed, but even so, Rodwell didn’t stop. As he continued to receive his opponent’s attacks, he accumulated data in his mind on how he had been moving until now.
‘At this rate, I might lose concentration.’
The opponent was sure that he would back down, but Rodwell clenched his teeth.
Pat.
One side of his vision was already dark. At that moment…
Puak!
“Kuak!”
Rodwell’s sword pierced his opponent’s vital points. Osford was shocked, but by the time he was about to counter, Rodwell Dmitry had already decapitated him.
Swish!
Puak!
Blood gushed from his cut neck.
During his time on the Western Front, he learned that the difference in aura doesn’t guarantee victory on the battlefield.
Blood flowed from his eyes. One eye was stained with terrible pain, but Rodwell Dmitry smiled, raising his middle finger at the Kronos Empire.
“Get lost, bastard.”
On the second day of the three days that Roman promised, the Cairo Kingdom succeeded in overpowering the Kronos Empire.
