Silence fell. As Count Fabius stepped back, Edwin Hector asked, unable to accept this reality.
“…what do you think, Redford King? Do you think Dmitry can win the war against the Kronos Empire on their own?”
It was a meaningless question. Edwin Hector and the Redford King. They knew it was out of the ordinary. No matter what plan Roman Dmitry had until then, it meant nothing if the opponent was Kronos.
The Redford King said,
“I am a little confused. My mind does understand how crazy the idea is, but Redford has already made up our mind. Roman Dmitry is the benefactor of the Redford Kingdom. Whatever choice he makes, Redford will share Dmitry’s destiny.”
And he got up after saying those complex thoughts.
“During Redford’s turbulent times, I thought a lot about the future ahead. The world is changing. In the near future, every kingdom on the continent will face a moment of choice. Will you prolong your life by clinging to the empire, or will you fight against them? Although the choice to follow Dmitry is the road to destruction, Redford cannot accept the loss of its meaning as a nation. So Hector will also decide Hector’s future. From now on, when Dmitry declares war, our words will never be taken back.”
They were such heartfelt words. The Redford King moved first, and Edwin Hector was left alone in silence.
‘What would be the right choice for Hector?’
Dmitry was Hector’s ally. That fact remains unchanged, but Roman Dmitry’s method was too bold and could lead them to ruin. If there was a chance of them winning even a little, then he wouldn’t be this worried.
It was a judgment in an area that even Edwin Hector, who was called a genius, couldn’t dare predict. Hector was being driven to the precipice.
Knowing that one choice would lead directly to their downfall due to the continued famine and war, Edwin Hector pondered the many possibilities for this situation for a long time.
‘The Redford King is right. In the future that will come, Hector can’t be the dog of Kronos.’
The cause of the famine was Kronos. Since Hector couldn’t live with them under the same sky, it was clear that Roman Dmitry was their only hope.
Then what should Hector do? As Roman Dmitry said, was it right to just take a step back and observe the situation?
‘This time, we need to figure out Roman Dmitry’s intention. Why didn’t he attend the conference? It’s a simple thing. It was because the alliance wouldn’t agree with the purpose of taking revenge on the Kronos Empire. Then the only reason why Dmitry wants to send us back there in this situation where he is hell-bent on taking revenge is…’
He thought. Rather than passively accepting the situation, he pondered the best choice in the situation given to him.
‘It must be his intention to bring out the sincerity of the kingdoms gathered through a clear example that Dmitry alone can handle Kronos. A situation that everyone thinks is impossible. That is why, if Dmitry produces a meaningful result even once, it is certain that it will cause a big change, unlike before.’
His mind was clear now. Even if this wasn’t the right choice, he was certain that this was what Roman wanted.
Maybe he had to attend the conference again.
It was ironic. An International Conference that ended in catastrophe was carried out in a similar way by the same people.
The Odelia King said,
“What do you mean Dmitry has declared war, and it has nothing to do with the two kingdoms? Then, are you saying that Dmitry is waging war on its own against the Kronos Empire?”
His eyes widened. Even when he checked the declaration of war, he thought it wasn’t right, but Edwin Hector said,
“We also don’t know the details. After the last International Conference, while I was waiting for the meeting with Dmitry, I heard the news that war had been declared against the Kronos Empire. So, I attended this International Conference. Haven’t you heard anything yet?”
He hid his intentions. As if he didn’t know Roman Dmitry’s intentions, he showed a clear attitude that he had nothing to do with the incident. And the king’s expression became serious.
In particular, the Odelia King was shocked because he didn’t know that this would happen.
“Even if Dmitry is mad, this is too much. To declare war on the Kronos Empire on his own when the power of the Kingdoms’ Alliance isn’t enough. From now on, everyone must be alert. The Kronos Empire will never forgive anyone who points a sword at them. Since Dmitry is from Cairo, they will surely destroy both nations. The problem is that the downfall of Cairo and Dmitry will affect our kingdoms.”
The Kingdoms’ Alliance was created to oppose the Kronos Empire. Cairo and Dmitry weren’t included from the start, but that didn’t mean their existence was meaningless.
“At that moment, Kronos would eat up the land in the northeast. At the same time as securing the place for the conquest of the continent, they can now focus their efforts on the Kingdoms’ Alliance without worrying anymore. In the past, they had to be wary of a combined attack from Cario and Hector in the war against the alliance, but now there is no need for them to do that. Hector is now too unstable to do anything because they are on the borders with Kronos and Valhalla, and the Kingdoms’ Alliance will not be able to avoid the attack on the empire. So let’s boldly dump Dmitry. If there is even the slightest loss of power here, then it really is over.”
It was the best decision.
The Odelia King said his opinion and the Redford King responded,
“I refuse. As we said in the previous meeting, the fortunes of Dmitry are being shared with us. We, who aren’t members of the alliance, have no obligation to accept the proposal of the King.”
“Now isn’t the time for such high talk!”
“It doesn’t matter what you say. Redford will prepare for war and await Dmitry’s call.”
Compromising isn’t allowed now. As the Redford King laid the plate down, Edwin Hector lifted it again. 1
“The same goes for Hector. If the flames of war intensify, at that time, I intend to go with Dmitry.”
“That!”
The Odelia King burst into rage. The other Kings tried talking to them, but the opinions of Hector and Redford didn’t change.
This meeting was full of misery. They thought the two kingdoms came to the conference because they wanted to change their stand, but they only confirmed that Dmitry’s war was something that couldn’t be compromised.
Then it was a really big problem. With just the strength of Dmitry, they wouldn’t even be an opponent against Kronos, so they had to prepare for their fall.
Thud.
“Let’s end the meeting now! From now on, let us all find a way to live on our own!”
The Odelia King left, and during the second conference, the heads of the nations failed to get results again.
It was catastrophic. Unable to find a way to live, the Odelia King was anxious.
“This is the end. The moment Cairo and Dmitry fall, it will only be a matter of time before the flames of the war spread to us.”
He was annoyed.
Redford and Hector. What in the world did they believe in to follow Dmitry? No matter how much they tried to handle the situation well, they couldn’t understand their decision to give up their lives.
From now on, they were at a crossroads of choice. It was a situation that couldn’t be changed, and just being a bystander wasn’t an option anymore.
‘If even the Redford Kingdom is destroyed by the war, the power of the alliance alone can’t handle the threat of Kronos. In the end, it’s a situation where we will have to make a choice. Either we help the Dmitry Duchy and prevent them from perishing, or we find a way for Odelia to live by sticking to powerful forces like Kronos and Valhalla. I don’t expect the peace to last any longer.’
“Damn it.”
He was angry. Roman Dmitry was beyond stupid, he was a guy who didn’t know his place. Even though he admits that Roman Dmitry had great talent to be a swordsman strong enough to defeat Barbossa, declaring war against Kronos for revenge was a hasty move.
The people of the Kingdoms’ Alliance, including him, didn’t like the empire and its actions. But the history of the continent and the experience of the past proved different.
Didn’t that show the clear result of having to deal with the miserable reality in exchange for standing upright?
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to do it, but it was impossible. The international conference of nations, other than the empire, was the legacy of their ancestors, who struggled to survive.
“…I’m sorry, but Odelia cannot end like this. Even if you are servile, surviving is a priority.”
He closed his eyes tightly. As disgusting and shabby as it was, this was the reality.
Since he was the King, he had the obligation to look after the safety of the nation. As soon as the King returned to his family, he contacted them.
[For what purpose did you call?]
The voice beyond the screen said. At Baron Charlton’s words, Odelia King spoke with a face that didn’t have any hesitation.
“…as of the present time, the alliance is done. So please tell me how the Odelia Kingdom can live.”
At that moment, betrayal wasn’t unique to Odelia.
The Umberto Kingdom and two of the three kingdoms in the alliance, excluding Franks, succumbed to reality.
A few days after that, at Rascal, a famous outpost to the east of Kronos, the guards looked at the dark sky.
“I bet one gold that Dmitry wouldn’t last a month.”
“A month? Aren’t you overestimating them? It is called war. How could Dmitry, who is nothing, last a month? One fortnight, one gold. I guarantee you, the moment they properly engage in the all-out war at the border, Dmitry will lose their will and put up a white flag.’
“But they have Roman Dmitry.”
“Right, that’s it. No matter how strong they are, how long can he last alone?”
Dmitry’s declaration of war was absurd. Living as citizens of the Kronos Empire, they never thought they would experience a situation where they would declare war against the empire.
Was that why? People talked about it whenever they met.
Rather than worrying about Kronos’s defeat, they were in a heated discussion about how long Dmitry would last against the empire. And not a single one of them expected it to last more than a month.
The difference between an empire and a kingdom was like heaven and earth, so it didn’t need a deep understanding.
In the last few days, troops have arrived in Rascal one after another, and in the next week, Dmitry will regret taking on the war.
It was the moment a soldier was about to say something when a hand hit him on the head.
Swish.
His head cracked instantly. The soldier who stood guard fell to the ground without another word. And that happened not just in this place, but throughout the border of Rascal.
“Target points have been secured.”
It was Chris.
Upon hearing the report, Roman Dmitry emerged from the darkness and said,
“It will take about six hours for the main troops of Kronos to arrive here. Our goal is just one. Until then, kill as many enemies as you can.”
Kronos—no, nobody on this continent had imagined Dmitry’s attack.
Roman Dmitry did the same thing that was done to Dmitry.
“Start a fire now.”
“Yes.”
During a night when everyone was asleep, Dmitry fired the flare of war.
