At the fall of Cortas, the soldier’s report stirred a mix of emotions in Duke Bamford.
‘Dmitry. So this was the place.’
He was impressed. It would have been expected for Rascal to be captured and for them to flee to the Western Front, but Roman Dmitry did more and captured Cortas.
It was only then that he realized why Cairo was chosen and understood Dmitry’s alliance. Their plan to abandon the Western Front and secure time was based on their strong belief that Roman Dmitry would secure Cortas’s Warp Gate.
At that very moment, rage erupted. Dmitry’s plan revealed his true motives.
‘The absence of a Warp Gate means we are isolated. From now on, reinforcements will have no choice but to use the other Warp Gate, which is located hundreds of kilometers from Cortas. However, despite knowing the importance of the Warp Gate, we neglected to strengthen the defense of Cortas. It wasn’t that we overlooked its significance, but rather, the plan seemed too ridiculous to attempt.’
His anger radiated. Duke Bamford led a staggering 300,000 troops, and they stormed to the west. Even though they were isolated, handling such a massive army seemed impossible.
Cairo and Dmitry’s alliance deliberately abandoned the Western Front, but it is accurate to say that the overwhelming strategic advantage forced their hand.
Isolation meant nothing. They could easily annihilate Dmitry and Cairo at present.
However, he felt wary. He was bold when making a decision, but he unexpectedly remembered a variable in Flora Lawrence’s plan.
“Now the enemy only has one choice: avoid an all-out war at all costs and prevent us from getting supplies. Without a Warp Gate, our supply routes are cut off. Once all the food is consumed, there is no way we can handle the enormous amount of food needed for the 300,000 troops.”
With clear night tactics, it was evident that the enemy would retreat, annihilating all the provisions, which were the sole means to sustain this war’s unpredictability.
Duke Bamford promptly called for the commanders. He laid the map of the Western Front on the table in the barracks and examined a suitable location.
Flip.
“From now on, we must prepare for a protracted battle. If we advance towards the capital of Cairo, they’ll be forced to exhaust their food supplies beforehand. Assuming Kronos’s supply corps arrives in the west within a month at the latest, we can foil the enemy’s plans, even if we have enough provisions to sustain us until then.”
“Then what about this location?”
One of the leaders gestured towards an unnamed spot on the map. It was an old castle where no one lived, but according to the Kronos Intelligence Department, this was a place where the Cairo Kingdom hid food in preparation for an unexpected situation.
Fortunately, it wasn’t from the current location of the Kronos Empire. Cairo and Dmitry’s alliance wouldn’t think that Kronos knew about their secret castle, so if they captured the castle, they would be able to secure enough food to feed the entire army.
There were two ways. They either had to rush in fast enough that they couldn’t even attempt to use any assassination skills at night. Typically, they would have chosen the former.
But…
They concluded that if they got caught up in Dmitry’s plan and his unpredictable movements to take down Rascal and Cortas, they couldn’t guarantee their own survival.
If they could keep the troops stable, the chances of unexpected events occurring were nonexistent, and the day would surely come when he would bring Roman Dmitry to his knees.
Duke Bamford announced,
“We are now heading towards the castle.”
The battlefield had transformed. Similar to Rascal, a cluster of soldiers could be observed moving away, stationed in the eastern part of Kronos.
Hovering over the castle walls, Baron Zekman, Teslo’s commander, wore a puzzled expression and said,
“To consider utilizing the Warp Gate to assault the rear. Roman Dmitry is truly indulging in a futile fantasy of defeating Kronos.”
It was truly astonishing. Around 30,000 individuals crossed through the warp. Far from obliterating the main force, it was astonishing how Teslo was captured quickly.
He was unable to comprehend Roman Dmitry’s thoughts. In his heart, he longed to open the castle gates and decapitate Roman Dmitry immediately, but Duke Bamford issued an order that couldn’t be avoided.
“Should Dmitry’s troops arrive, delay them. We need time. To secure a certain victory, we need not heed the enemy’s intentions.”
The Master of Battles’ orders were absolute. No matter how overwhelming the Kronos Empire was, the battlefield where Duke Bamford appeared always achieved maximum results with less damage.
That was why he was revered as a symbol of military prowess. For people like Baron Zekman, the option of disobeying the orders, enticed by the allure of fame, didn’t exist.
And it was at that moment that a man walked by from a distance. However, as soon as he confirmed that the white flag, which symbolized a discussion, wasn’t present and that it was Roman Dmitry, Baron Zekman hurriedly spoke.
“Attack them! Prevent Roman Dmitry from accessing the castle!”
Papapat.
Arrows were swiftly shot. Darkness filled the sky, falling heavily as if it aimed to transform Roman Dmitry into a hedgehog.
For ordinary soldiers, it was a frightening spectacle. Even if they raised their shields to block them, there was not enough room for humans to escape without being hit.
But…
Ppuak!
Roman Dmitry was no longer present where the arrow had landed. He had completely disappeared. The moment he kicked the ground, he rushed so fast that even the arrows couldn’t catch up.
“Stop! Stop it now!”
From above, arrows and magic descended. They made their utmost effort to obstruct Roman Dmitry’s advance, but even if they managed to land a few blows, the strong barrier rendered it all pointless.
In his capacity as Baron Zekman, he was at a loss as to what to do. Teslo’s castle gates were safeguarded by a Magical Defense, so what could this human possibly be thinking, arriving here on his own?
And then it happened.
Rumble.
Rummbblllleeeee.
It came crashing down. The aura emanated from Roman’s sword, and without hesitation, he swung it towards the castle gate. And…
Crack.
People witnessed it with their own eyes. The steel gate appeared to be cleanly cut down, and the once-shining Magic Defense was also destroyed.
Kwaang!
Kwaaang!
The gaps in the defense opened up. Simultaneously, the soldiers of the Kingdom Alliance, who had been patiently waiting for the perfect moment, cried out.
“Attack!”
“Follow Roman Dmitry and wipe out those wretched creatures!”
Their target was Teslo, whose plan for endurance had ultimately failed.
As soon as the gates swung open, it was only a matter of time before they seized control of the area. Against the advancing troops led by Roman Dmitry, Baron Zekman offered little resistance and promptly chose to surrender.
“I surrender!”
They knelt before them. They raised their white flag. The Kronos Empire’s pride forbade surrender, but Duke Bamford had carefully prepared for the situation when Teslo fell.
“If you can’t hold on for a while and give up, choose to surrender after resisting a little. It takes twice as many troops to keep an eye on one prisoner, so your existence is bound to be a burden to them. They won’t kill you. Since the prisoners can be traded, there is a chance of us striking back, so be prepared for any unexpected situation.”
The people of Dmitry were outcasts. Time was not on their side, and victory in an all-out war seemed impossible. Frankly, they were shocked when the gate was breached, but Baron Zekman appeared unfazed by this development.
The words he spoke were of surrender, but those standing behind him showed no signs of defeat. They held firm in their belief in Bamford’s commands.
And thus, the captured troops were gathered together. However, an eerie atmosphere hung in the air. The onlookers in the distance seemed disinterested in the fate of the captives.
‘…it was strange. Normally, it’s a one-sided exchange when offering reconciliation for information, but what in the world are they thinking? Do they intend to slaughter us all? It doesn’t make sense. I would never make such a decision, even with the prisoners taken from the crumbling Western Front.’
The soldiers cleared a path, and there stood Roman Dmitry. Without hesitation, Roman Dmitry stepped forward, seizing Baron Zekman by the hair.
Thud.
“Ouch! Wh-what is happening?!”
“Are you the commander here, Baron Zekman?”
“Um, y-yes! No, that’s right! But why are you doing this? If you want information or if you want to ask me something else, please be kind! This kind of treatment would not benefit you.”
He shouted. And Roman Dmitry glared down at him with a chilly expression upon hearing the request for fair treatment.
“I don’t have any requests from you.”
“… what?”
He learned that Count Nicholas died in the battle on the Western Front. And many of the soldiers who failed to escape were most likely captured.
Then, what was the role of the commander here? Would it be right to show proper mercy to the Kronos prisoners and guarantee their lives in exchange for his own men?
That was the ideal figure for those who were captured. However, the role of the commander was a little different in Roman Dmitry’s way, no, Baek Joong-hyuk.
So that the lives of those who sacrificed themselves wouldn’t be in vain. To achieve a clear victory, he had no intention of forcing the other soldiers to die in order to save the lives of those who fell into the hands of the enemy.
Chak.
He placed the sword against his neck. Baron Zekman was desperate. He truly didn’t expect Roman to make the decision to kill someone so swiftly.
“J-Just spare me this once! If you spare me, I’ll provide valuable information to Dmitry! And you must spare me! Don’t you want Dmitry’s captives to survive?!”
He refused to accept the reality. Roman Dmitry, the infamous figure that the world was abuzz with. He might be cruel, but he valued the lives of his subordinates.
Hence, he brought up the topic of prisoners. He wished, even in an exchange, that at least one life could be spared.
“It seems you are mistaken.”
A cold voice echoed.
“I don’t grant mercy on the battlefield.”
Slash.
Puak!
Blood splashed. Baron Zekman, filled with despair, crumpled to the ground as blood gushed from his neck. His body spasmed, and he desperately attempted to staunch the bleeding. However, his actions seemed futile.
Moving forward, as they looked ahead, the terrified prisoners’ faces came into view.
And Roman Dmitry spoke coldly.
“We shall not take prisoners. Kill them all.”
At that time, Duke Bamford had reached the castle. He had expected to find troops guarding the food, but there wasn’t a single person in sight.
There was only a bloodless entrance. Then he proceeded into the castle.
Just in case, Duke Bamford gave the order to check for traps.
“It is possible that the enemies have already burned all the food and fled. Check for the presence of food and magicians, and ensure that there aren’t any traps installed. Once I am certain that everything is secure, I will bring the troops into the castle.”
“I understand.”
If everything was indeed perfect, it wasn’t luck, and it was more likely a trap. The soldiers moved with perfect precision, their faces shining with hope after such a long time.
“We have secured the food. They are easy to eat, and if you combine them with what we already have, we can last for a month.”
“I couldn’t find any magic traps here. There’s no trace of magic energy anywhere in the castle. I’ve even installed a Magic Defense system that reacts to explosions in case of anything unexpected. Even if the enemies are up to something, it will give us enough time to respond.”
It was perfect, but it still felt ominous. Duke Bamford took a step forward and inspected the food himself. The war materials were undamaged, but there was a strange sensation, as if they were being thoughtful, urging them to remain in this spot.
