A few days later, contrary to expectations, the Kronos Empire didn’t make any attacks on their way to the trading city. In addition, they had a place to stay for now.
After ordering the soldiers to rest, Roman Dmitry checked whether the Warp Gate was working and felt a familiar sense of déjà vu.
“… I apologize, warping to Adelian isn’t possible. As you know, Valhalla is on high alert as the shadows of the Kronos Empire invaded the borders. In order to prevent them from escaping through the Warp Gate, warping to other nations has been prohibited entirely, and if you are heading to Dmitry, the only way is to move to a city near Paulo and move on foot.”
Not possible? Roman assessed Valhalla’s intentions.
‘Is this what they will do?’
After the conversation with Rodriguez, he grabbed his horse by the reins and said something questionable.
“Roman Dmitry. The only way for you to survive in Valhalla is to fully cooperate with Valhalla and give us the justification to protect you. If you are being protected by the imperial family, then even we wouldn’t like you to die. But I am sorry to hear that you do not want us to accompany you. Please try your best until the end. We will meet again soon.”
Recently, people’s criticism of the Valhalla imperial family has been fierce. The fact that they were being accompanied by the troops led by Rodriguez toward the trading city was to prove that Valhalla worked hard to protect Roman Dmitry.
At the same time, they would have known that nothing would happen. Even if they arrived at the trading city, it was impossible for them to move until Dmitry, and as for Kronos, attacking them outside the border was more than enough.
The only way that Rodriguez told him was a joke, in a sense. What Valhalla was looking for wasn’t just a simple acceptance of being allies but a request for him to fully surrender to Valhalla.
So there was no other way. The Warp Gate leader smiled just like he did in Marin.
“Do you still want to use the Warp Gate?”
Sanchez said,
“This is clearly a trap.”
Tomorrow, after taking enough rest, they decided to use the Warp Gate. At the mention of crossing Valhalla on foot, Sanchez felt like everything was going wrong.
“There have been many things that have happened in Valhalla, but after crossing the borders, anything can happen, and even Valhalla can directly attack Roman Dmitry. Deaths will happen, there will be no witnesses, and no one can be held responsible, whether it is Kronos or Hector.”
Their intention was clear. Outside the border was a land of death. The reason why Valhalla stopped the warps to another nation, even if it meant taking huge financial losses, was not to let Roman go back alive.
They abandoned the public’s opinion. As for what happens outside the borders, the information can be intercepted by the imperial family if they want to.
And Roman Dmitry said,
“I know. The moment I leave the border, Kronos and Valhalla will both work together to kill me. Even if they do not seek perfect cooperation, right now, they have a common goal.”
“And you will still cross the border?”
“Yes.”
It was a firm answer that made Sanchez look at him. His heart was filled with frustration, but he couldn’t solve Roman Dmitry’s problem. It was hopeless. He was proud of being a Valhalla warrior, but right now, he was humbled.
“Sanchez, if you go back to the history of Valhalla, there must have been some crossroads where the nation decided its own future before it turned this corrupt. At that time, Valhalla chose to compromise with reality. The decision-makers at the time might have thought of it as a ‘single exception,’ but the comfort and enormous rewards that compromise that thought and its sweetness aren’t forgettable. It has become corrupt, and the nation I experienced now has at least turned into something that cannot be called a nation of warriors.”
Roman Dmitry said.
If one wanted to be the strongest, precedents were important. If one accepted the reality and gave in to the problem, they would not be able to overcome the many obstacles on their way to the top. And the comfort of compromise would come to mind every time.
“I am clearly aware that this is wrong. Kronos and Valhalla’s enmity stems from a wrong cause, and compromising means surrendering to power. Which is why it is necessary for me to take a risk. To prove that there are those who won’t back down in the face of the empire’s power. I am willing to take the risk now because I know what a single compromise will do to me.”
At that moment, Sanchez looked at Roman Dmitry. The reason that this man had spoken about was what any warrior of Valhalla would do.
He was sure of it. Even if the warriors of Valhalla died, including him, Roman Dmitry had to be saved.
“I will follow you. For Roman Dmitry, I will put my life on the line.”
“No. You will stay in Valhalla.”
“But…!”
“Sanchez. The moment you cross the border with me, you will become a witness to the shameful acts of Valhalla. Regardless of my survival, everyone related to you will be destroyed and disappear. It is a different matter from just walking with me. Valhalla’s delayed response will end up being criticized, but what happens outside the borders will never be revealed inside.”
He had a picture of the future ahead, and he had to put Sanchez’s existence to work.
“Remain in Valhalla and unite those who hold the pride of warriors. At the southern end of Valhalla, I heard that Duke Vieto, a once powerful man, had been living all alone. Convince him to stand with you against the strength of Valhalla. If Valhalla really makes the wrong choice, then a voice with the right power will set it on the right path.”
Sanchez’s eyes burned. He would never forget this moment—the feeling of being helpless and not repeating the same thing. Then Roman Dmitry stepped back.
“You do your task. What happens from now on is the responsibility of Dmitry.”
On the next day, Roman Dmitry and the soldiers left the border. The people of Valhalla came out and cheered, but the farther they walked away from the border, the number of people lessened because they also had their own lives.
When about ten days had already passed, there was no one else around Roman apart from his soldiers. It was then that beings were rushing at them from afar, raising dust.
Wheik.
Heeeeing!
At the forefront, a man grabbed the reins of his horse. Appearing fully armed, he was Rodriguez, the leader of Green Field, who had recently met with Roman Dmitry.
“Roman Dmitry. It’s been so long.”
After that, soldiers arrived. Just from one glance, thousands of soldiers could be seen, and the warriors looked quite menacing with their entire armor decorated.
The Green Fields were active beings at the forefront. There was even a saying that if there were a problem in Valhalla, then they would be the ones who would stand up first.
Dmitry’s soldiers stopped. In the face of such a confrontation, without hiding his anger, Rodriguez said,
“Didn’t I tell you? That we will soon meet? From the moment you accepted the invitation to Valhalla—no, from the moment the life of Count Denver was taken—a situation like this was bound to happen. The Valhalla Empire doesn’t forget the grace that it has been shown. If you had sworn allegiance to Valhalla, you would have enjoyed wealth and glory, but you showed hostility, so you cannot be allowed to live.”
Hostility was rampant, and in this wilderness, no matter what happened, the people of Valhalla would not know about it. But…
“Kronos, Valhalla. The ones who think they are strong tend to fall into an illusion while staying at the top for so long. The illusion that they have the upper hand in any situation. A blind trust that they can always control what happens in the palm of their hand.”
Shh.
Roman Dmitry drew his sword. Likewise, Dmitry’s men immediately reacted to the situation in a calm manner.
“I was waiting.”
As those words fell…
Rumble!
Grrrng.
The troops from both sides rushed at each other, not caring who came first.
The stage of the festival. Watching the fight between Barbossa and Roman, Rodriguez’s blood boiled.
‘Roman Dmitry, at the age of just being in his 20s, showed skills that overwhelmed Barbossa!’
He admired him. The swordsman from a weak nation, whom they were not wary of at all, shocked everyone.
Those who were on the spot of the top Rankers, including Rodriguez, had the same thoughts. Each of them projected themselves as Barbossa. If they had dealt with Roman instead of Barbossa, would they have been able to withstand his destructive sword technique?
Although Rodriguez was ranked 7th and lower than Barbossa, he thought that it might be different if it was him. As a pawn of power, Barbossa had been in charge of many confrontational challenges with benefits on the line.
The more he went after merit, the more his abilities fell. In addition, apart from his reputation as the 12 Swords of the Continent, Rodriguez thought that he had a better chance.
The middle of the battlefield was Rodriguez’s world. In the violent situation, Rodriguez didn’t look away from Roman Dmitry.
Grrrng!
Rumble
He was truly a demon on the battlefield. Roman Dmitry took the lead, and even though the warriors of the Green Field raised their auras as they rushed toward him, he slaughtered them all at once. The difference in their numbers was overwhelming.
Despite the Valhalla Empire’s clear advantage, Roman Dmitry and his soldiers didn’t show any signs of fear. It was truly an interesting sight. No further explanation was needed—the title of the nation’s warrior fit him perfectly.
‘The existence of Valhalla calls you a great warrior. If I can end such a life, it would be an honor.’
Valhalla’s head, he ordered him not to overdo it. The distance between Valhalla and Dmitry was quite long. The plan was for Kronos and Valhalla to eat away at Roman Dmitry’s forces one step at a time and then end him entirely.
The warriors of Green Field were in charge of this right at the start of the battle. According to the plan, they would have to go through a light clash and then escape, but Rodriguez’s fighting spirit couldn’t stand it.
Inside his head, he saw numerous possibilities. So after thinking a lot about how to defeat Roman Dmitry, he finally rushed to the battlefield.
Rumble!
Grrrng!
There was just one possibility. He thought of a way to defeat Roman Dmitry. The opponent didn’t know his strength, but he saw Roman Dmitry fight.
The Green Field warriors would attack Roman Dmitry, and during the exchange of clashes, Roman Dmitry would have to show some gaps.
‘Now.’
Flash.
Aura exploded. Rodriguez’s secret skill unfolded, and he cut the opponent’s throat at a pace that the human eye couldn’t see. But then…
Tremble!
“…?!”
His body trembled. He thought he had cut down Roman Dmitry, but then, he suddenly felt a burning pain in his neck. And when he looked, only then did he realize that his head had been cut off. Challenging what Barbossa couldn’t even do was nothing more than arrogance on his part.
Puak!
Blood gushed out.
The battle on the border. It marked the start of a bitter fight, with the death of Rodriguez as the catalyst.
