There were flames everywhere. Every time Count Pablo inhaled, the heat rushed in, and even when he looked around, he couldn’t see any way to survive this.
It felt like he would lose his mind. It would have been easier if he had died with a single slash like the others, but he was confused by the two options that Roman Dmitry left him.
‘Can I get out of here alive?’
It wasn’t possible. No. Even if it were possible, the cost of doing that would be horrible.
The Kronos Empire was a nation with certain rewards and punishments, and if one achieved a great result, they would get enormous gains, but the cost of defeat would not help them when they died.
He was a defeated man who lost 10,000 troops. He needed to take good care of Rascal until the main troops arrived, but he decided to let this place be turned to ashes in the hope of staying safe.
They would probably hold him accountable. Thinking that all of the bloodlines of the Pablo family could be in danger, he closed his eyes tightly, denying this reality.
‘Even if I die, I need to tell the Empire about what’s happening in Rascal.’
Roman Dmitry was a cold-hearted person. But knowing what he was planning, he destroyed the magic communicator right in front of his eyes. And now he could no longer contact the Kronos Empire.
Knowing that he was moving away from the gate, Count Pablo jumped into the heat and ran before reaching the front of the building he was staying in.
Wheik.
The building was on fire too. Some had collapsed, and some had taken on this terrifying appearance, but Count Pablo didn’t hesitate as he stepped inside.
Shaking the flames off his clothes with his hand, he found this magic communicator in the building. And then he immediately left a voice message.
“This is the commander of Rascal, Count Pablo, urgently reporting the situation. About an hour ago, Roman Dmitry set the place on fire. As the commander, I tried to subdue Roman Dmitry, but the 10,000 troops were defeated by him.”
He took a deep breath, making his skin red like he would collapse at any moment.
“The reason Rascal’s forces were wiped out was neither a special operation nor an enemy plan. Only Roman Dmitry couldn’t be handled, and I don’t think I will be returning alive from here. However, I want to relay the seriousness of this incident through my death. While loyal to the Kronos Empire, I have never met a monster like Roman Dmitry. There is no guarantee that the best swordsman of Kronos can win against Roman Dmitry.”
Wheik.
Roar.
The fire broke out. Count Pablo, who gulped down a groan in the heat, shouted, prepared for his death.
“Be sure to deal with Roman Dmitry. If we don’t take down Dmitry this time, it’s clear that in the not-so-distant future, Dmitry will become a stumbling block to the future of the empire. So somehow…”
Kwang!
Grrrrr!
The ceiling collapsed. Count Pablo, unable to end his words, got buried.
While people were in deep sleep, Rascal, the outpost of Kronos, collapsed just like that.
One hour prior to the incident.
The Marquis of Memphis, one of the real powers of the Kronos Empire, received a report from the Royal Knights.
“Roman Dmitry attacked Rascal. It doesn’t seem like he has a lot of troops, but Count Pablo is chasing after Roman Dmitry while flames were used to cause confusion.”
Tak.
The Marquis of Memphis set down his teacup. Despite Dmitry’s surprise attack, he didn’t waver even a little bit.
“Roman Dmitry is surely a bold guy. To declare war against the Kronos Empire and think of moving his troops to attack first. Whatever his intention is, we must admit that he is different from the beings we have dealt with so far.”
“…should I report this to the Emperor?”
“No, there is no need for that.”
Kronos is an amazing nation. There was no reason or need for them to make a fuss about something like this.
“It hasn’t been long since His Majesty went to bed. The Emperor doesn’t like having his sleep disturbed, so I will take care of this on my own. Send troops to Rascal. Mobilize the shadows and the 3rd Knight Troops, and order those in the defensive states to block all escape routes for Roman Dmitry. This is an unprecedented event in the history of Kronos. Those who dare set foot in the estate of Kronos can’t be sent back alive.”
“We take the orders.”
And the knight withdrew. It was going to be about six hours until the main units arrived. It wasn’t a short time.
Roman Dmitry would mess up Rascal from the inside, but he couldn’t do what he wanted after.
The number of troops gathered in Rascal was 10,000. And since that number of troops were waiting in defensive positions, a chain of heaven and earth would be made that could swallow Roman Dmitry in an instant.
But in just an hour, the knight who received the order appeared with a pale face.
“Marquis of Memphis! Count Pablo sent a voice message saying that all the troops in Rascal have been annihilated!”
Annihilated. It was a result that they weren’t expecting, and this made the calm face of the Marquis frown.
10,000 was such an overwhelming number. Indeed, when a number like that would appear in front of him, one had to admit how overwhelming it was to go against it, but it wouldn’t work.
That was why the Marquis decided that there was no need to respond by waking the Emperor. It wasn’t an all-out war, and there was no way he could deal with the 10,000 troops in just six hours.
But in just one hour, Count Pablo delivered shocking news. When the troops in Rascal were taken down, the Marquis could no longer drink tea.
And then he said,
“…from what I’ve checked, it looks like the annihilation of Rascal is real. Currently, Rascal has been burned to ashes, and the troops of the defensive camp are forming a siege to capture Roman Dmitry. I apologize. I should have reported this beforehand, but I didn’t expect the 10,000 troops to be defeated this quickly.”
The Marquis bowed his head to the Kronos Emperor. The Emperor, who had been sound asleep, was disturbed, and he looked at Marquis Memphis with a nonchalant expression as usual.
“Marquis Memphis.”
“Yes.”
“What do you think of Roman Dmitry’s movements this time? Having declared war, it is natural for Dmitry to invade the lands of Kronos, but I think Roman Dmitry is sending a clear message. It’s just like he’s denying the fact that the Kronos Empire isn’t the ruler of the land. As if to prove that he wouldn’t fail if he struck first, Dmitry boldly attacked Rascal. And as a result of this annihilation, he showed clear results.”
“I am of the same opinion. Roman Dmitry is denying the very existence of the empire, and this isn’t just about revenge.”
During the events of the past, Roman Dmitry’s actions had been quite odd each time. Even when Dmitry was a Baron, he refused to appease the Kronos Empire, and when he raised a rebellion with Marquis Benedict, the gates were opened to counterattack too.
At that time, Kronos declared Roman Dmitry’s assassination. Normally, it would be the right thing to panic and hide behind the walls, but Roman Dmitry did the opposite by dealing with the assassins, and leaving for Valhalla.
It wasn’t just once that he didn’t retreat. Rather, he would hit and move forward, destroying the intentions of the Kronos Empire.
“Sven was killed in the process of attacking Dmitry. The problem was that even though Roman Dmitry wasn’t there, the place didn’t fall. The Kronos Empire is a nation that has a history of victories. But ever since Roman Dmitry appeared, our history has been tarnished.”
Despite his calm voice, Marquis Memphis didn’t look up. Even when he was expressing his anger, Emperor Kronos’s words showed how truly angry he was.
“Mystic.”
“Yes.”
On one side of the corner, someone wearing a robe appeared. Although he was walking awkwardly as if he weren’t healthy, he bowed his head and showed respect to the Emperor.
“Where are ‘they’ now?”
“It seems that they are rallying their forces and keeping an eye on our movements. If you start a war with Dmitry, they will mobilize their troops. The fact that their presence appeared in the attack on Dmitry made it clear that they aren’t going to stand by our plans.”
Them. The secret the world didn’t know about. The Kronos Empire had been waiting for the perfect time to conquer the continent, but with the appearance of Roman Dmitry, it was no longer possible.
Anger rose. It was unacceptable for a being who showed hostility to the Kronos Empire to return to Dmitry, thinking they had won.
Ugh.
“Prepare for the war. Call the Demons of the Abyss, and we will take this chance to whip even ‘them’ out.”
“I understand.”
And he made the decision. Inside the robe, Mystic’s expression was bright, and then he disappeared into the darkness.
Emperor Kronos looked at the Marquis of Memphis.
“People think that the continent is barely balanced because of unequal beings such as the Knights’ Alliance. But from now on, I will show them the cruel side. Summon all the Knights of Kronos except for the 1st Knight Troops, and declare a compulsory convocation order to the Magic Towers in the empire. This is a war. Starting with Dmitry, I will place all the kingdoms in the hands of Kronos.”
“I take the orders of His Majesty!”
Marquis felt his blood boil with passion.
Finally, the monster of the continent raised its huge body.
In a dark valley, a man walked alone and opened the iron door that no one was allowed in.
Kiik.
It was gloomy inside. The man entered with familiar steps, and lit a candle placed on the side. Then the place lit up, and he could see the surroundings.
It was a large but empty space. In the center was a well-maintained parchment, and the man read its contents.
[A very long time ago, the door to the world was opened. The cold energy that came from it froze the world, and the disaster it left lasted forever. God said that someday, someone will come representing God’s will and solve the problems of the world. But if you miss that time, the world will never step out of its despair.]
Beyond the endless mountains was the world of prophecy handed down from generation to generation.
The man, Emperor Kronos, showed a ferocious expression.
“Until now, the ambition of conquering the continent wasn’t fulfilled by those who received the trust. But from now on, it will be different. The second door opens, giving us the strength to fight them. It is over now that you are stubbornly holding on.”
A long time ago, there was a rule passed down in the Kronos Imperial family. On the day of his coming of age, the Emperor of Kronos realized the fate he had to accept.
The being that uses holy power. Even if the main character of this oracle appeared, the current situation where Dmitry was running rampant would end.
The people on the continent didn’t know the truth. It wasn’t that Kronos didn’t conquer the continent because of their lack of strength, but that he had no choice but to endure it because of the unknown beings who hadn’t appeared on the surface.
But with their imperial power, the people would be shocked.
To the extent that Rascal’s issue was nothing, Dmitry would be swept down at once. And the Emperor moved.
After leaving the secret space, he went to his bed and laid down.
And then he fell into a deep sleep.
It was bright the next day. But as soon as the people opened their eyes, they heard the shocking news.
“Roman Dmitry attacked Rascal, the outpost of the Kronos Empire, and slaughtered 10,000 troops. In the process, Dmitry didn’t receive a single casualty, and the Kronos Empire was enraged and declared a convocation order.”
It was news that made people doubt their ears. Dmitry didn’t defend himself, but he attacked first and brought down 10,000 people.
At the news, the Kingdoms’ Alliance was in an uproar. For those who were sure of Dmitry’s defeat, they couldn’t sit still when they heard of this.
And King Odelia sent a message in an excited voice,
“We need to discuss this right now!”
Early in the morning, except for Redford, the third conference of the kingdoms was held.
