Chapter 175 For a definite ending (1)
The sun was shining outside the window.
The middle-aged man who was lying in the hospital bed struggled to open his eyes and looked out the window with blank eyes.
“… You are not dead.”
dry voice.
The man’s true identity was Count Nicholas.
His expression slightly distorted at the belated pain, and he lowered his gaze to check the condition of his body.
It was a mess. As if to prove how dangerous it was, the entire upper body was covered in bandages.
‘Only the external trauma was serious, and Roman Dmitri had no intention of killing me.’
It was a conclusion that was reached after examining the body.
The wound that ran from the top of the chest to the pubic bone was terrifying just to look at, but the skin was cut and no internal injuries were inflicted.
It was clear that Dmitry Roman had mercy.
Although he directed a dramatic scene on the outside for the generational change, his still alive appearance proved Roman’s sincerity.
in hazy memories.
I remembered what Roman said at the end.
“Don’t worry about the aftermath. I have no intention of betraying Cairo.”
right after hearing that.
Count Nicholas was struck by a thunderbolt.
People thought that Count Nicholas had his eyes wide open at the premonition of death, but the truth was that the voice that penetrated his head was so disconcerting.
Roman Dmitry’s intentions were incomprehensible.
In the meantime, there was no contact with the Cairo royal family, and rather, he seemed to get along with forces such as the Marquis Benedict.
Roman Dmitry is the pendulum of balance. His attachment to the aristocratic faction meant that the Cairo royal family, which had Count Nicholas, could no longer hold out.
so.
Open ranking match.
By defeating Roman Dmitri, he wanted to show how high a wall he was still.
The result was a crushing defeat.
People would think it was a fierce match, but Count Nicholas, who mixed his sword himself, knew that Roman Dmitri was at least two more than himself.
Otherwise, it could not have been so overwhelming in the ongoing head-to-head confrontation.
Roman Dmitry followed Count Nicholas’ intentions, but he never pushed back, and at the end, he seemed to be able to show mercy in his hands.
Defeat.
It was an unfortunate result.
However, the fact that he was still alive and the last words he heard caused Count Nicholas to worry.
‘I need to understand the situation first.’
“Keugh.”
I got up.
Although I still need time to recover.
It was more important for Count Nicholas to grasp the situation of the Cairo royal family than his own safety.
* * *
Called Simon.
Seeing Count Nicholas looking up at him from the hospital bed, Simon looked as if he would burst into tears at any moment.
“… All I knew was that the captain was dying. I am very, very fortunate.”
Count Nicholas.
It was Simon’s sky.
Count Nicholas showed a warm smile at the affectionate feelings towards himself.
“It was a lot of hard work.”
“no. I just did what I had to do.”
“If you hadn’t led and centered the Royal Knights, the chaos in Cairo would have been aggravated. I’m so proud of you. Because of you, I was able to comfortably participate in the open rankings.”
half a year ago.
He left the position of lieutenant knight commander, which had been vacant, to Simon.
People expressed doubts about Simon’s ability to be a 4-star swordsman, but Count Nicholas thought that Simon was the right person.
The Royal Knight is the guardian of the royal family.
Loyalty to the royal family was more important than swordsmanship skills in order to maintain an unwavering heart despite all kinds of temptations.
That was Simon.
Age mid 40’s.
Even if his potential as a swordsman wasn’t great, he was a man who really fit the name of a royal knight.
said Count Nicholas.
“Simon. Tell me what happened while I was down.”
“All right. Immediately after the captain collapsed… … .”
the talk started
Clash between Roman Dmitry and the aristocrats.
Roman Dmitry later went to the king and offered a deal, explaining that the civil war had begun in earnest.
In the process, he showed sincere respect for Roman.
Although I was doing this work for a certain price, the process of handling the work was really admirable.
Disposition to the imperialists.
And a plan to break the board by moving a tycoon named Valentino.
The royal faction gained the upper hand.
With only one ally, Roman Dmitry, the King’s faction was overwhelming the other forces.
“… This is the situation. We are about to embark on a mission soon. The commander is Roman Dmitri, and we intend to immediately attack the aristocratic faction of Marquis Benedict.”
The explanation is over.
Count Nicholas was lost in thought.
Roman Dmitry.
Cairo The best prosecutor ever was born.
Depending on the choice he made, the game of Cairo could somehow change, but Roman Dmitri gave up on wealth and glory and chose the king.
It was a very grateful thing.
The fact that a monster that even he could not handle did not abandon the Cairo royal family was something to say thank God for.
this war.
If you lose, it’s over.
Even if he couldn’t go to the battlefield directly due to his injury, he couldn’t just sit like this.
“Simon. Take me to the place of the military launch ceremony. I have work to do there.”
Emotions boiled over.
A chance to set the kingdom right.
I wanted to contribute even a little bit to this historic moment.
* * *
Finally.
The moment of decisiveness has come.
At the soon-to-be marching ceremony, Roman Dmitry armed himself and moved on.
Iron gruck Iron gruck.
It was a different outfit than usual.
Roman, who was only minimally armed for the reason that it interfered with movement, but now he is fully armed as he represents the royal family.
Silver armor engraved with the symbol of the royal family.
And her white skin and black hair had a charm that immediately caught people’s attention.
far away
I saw people waiting for me.
There were people of the royal faction, including King Daniel Cairo, and an unexpected person on the other hand.
Count Nicholas.
He appeared with a sick body.
Roman Dmitry knew what that meant.
‘Count Nicholas is a symbol of the military. Showing up at the military launch ceremony even after losing to me in the open ranking match must mean that I completely entrust the sovereignty of the military to me. Like the King of Cairo and Count Nicholas. You haven’t lost your innocence yet in the chaotic power system.’
perhaps.
Roman may have been attracted to that innocence.
If I followed Marquis Benedict, I would have eaten Cairo really easily, but I knew that lumps of desire that were not satisfied with what I had would definitely cause problems.
The time when the Moorim was ruled.
Just as Baek Joong-hyeok had a friendly relationship with the emperor, he hoped that Cairo would play the same role as him.
widely.
sat down
numerous troops.
They looked up at Roman.
Roman looked at them and spoke in a calm voice.
“Cairo has been through a chaotic time. The aristocratic faction, including Marquis Benedict, was a people who cared for their own interests rather than the security of the country, and because of them, Cairo was never allowed a peaceful life. We are going to punish the traitors now. What we will get from a civil war in which people born of the same lineage die and kill each other will be an indelible pain, but I promise to completely clean up the chaos in Cairo once this war is over. and… .”
I drew my sword.
War.
What those who tremble with anxiety need is the certainty of victory.
“I will always be at the forefront of this war. So trust me and follow me. If I open the way, you guys follow me and achieve victory.”
“Wowaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
“Roman! Roman!”
“Roman! Roman!”
People went crazy.
Cairo’s most terrifying presence.
The word that he would stand in the vanguard gave people blind trust.
There is no turning back now.
War.
The battle for the fate of the country has begun.
* * *
Nobility.
Their response was as expected.
Having gathered their forces at Benedict’s estate, they held a meeting on the report that the royal army had moved.
“If we use the nearby warp gate, the Kingdom’s army will attack Benedict within a week at the earliest. Right now, the odds of an all-out war are very slim. We have to lock the gates and look for opportunities to turn things around while taking advantage of Mercury.”
As one noble said.
The condition of the aristocrats was not good.
At first, I thought that if I gathered my forces, I could wipe out the Cairo royal family at once, but the Marquis Valentino’s declaration of support and the betrayal of Count Fabius were so fatal.
Of course, even if Kairos’s raccoon dog wasn’t there, he still couldn’t figure out why the Marquis Valentino had changed his mind.
A key figure in the aristocracy.
said Viscount Owen.
“The Marquis Valentino has always been neutral. In case there is a problem after taking the side of a certain force, I have drawn an excessive line. Such a person declared his support for Roman Dmitri. It means that the Aristocrats are behind in the objectively identified power, and in fact, there is no way to stop Roman Dmitri as he loses most of the strong players in the open ranking match.”
they admitted it too.
Roman’s plan was perfect.
I was genuinely impressed when I found out about the hidden intention behind the open ranking match, as well as the fact that I brought in the Marquis of Valentino.
the problem is.
It was that such a being was an enemy.
Hearing of his success on the southern front, he did not dare to choose an all-out war.
“Currently, the Aristocrats are unable to properly utilize half of their strength. I think we have to accept the reality and take some damage in order to defeat Roman Dmitri’s kingdom army. Marquis Benedict. How about contacting Kronos and the nobles following Valhalla? Now that their leader is captured, they have no choice but to worry about the future. If we offer them suitable conciliation, they will surely not be able to refuse our offer.”
“… Not a bad way.”
Marquis Benedict nodded.
The other three factions except for the royal faction.
The possibility of holding hands at any time was left open.
If Gregory and the Earl of Denver were alive, they would have chosen wait and see, but those who lost their heads had a chance.
asked Marquis Benedict.
“How long will it take to appease them?”
“It should be at least 15 days. It takes time to change their minds, but it also takes a lot of time to rally your forces and bring them together. So, first of all, I want to buy some time through Mercury. While you buy time, you can defeat Roman Dmitri’s Kingdom Army by enlisting the support of other factions and attacking from both sides with them.”
“i get it. I will entrust you with full authority in that regard.”
“I take orders.”
Even with the new measures.
The atmosphere was not hopeful.
The nobles couldn’t be more positive at the thought of the imminent arrival of the demonic Roman Dmitry.
Massacre at Cairos.
It was one-sided.
Hundreds of secretly summoned troops were meaningless, and those who stood in the way of Roman Dmitri were brutally killed.
And from what I heard, those who couldn’t board the warp gate didn’t even surrender.
My mouth is still dry at the words that I cut the throats of all those who knelt down and prayed.
Marquis Benedict said.
“The war broke out suddenly, but we had been preparing for a war against the royalists for a long time. Benedict is equipped with supplies and a perfect defense system for Mercury, and with this level of preparation, even the Cronus Empire, not Roman Dmitri’s kingdom, can withstand enough. So have no doubt that we will win. As always. After everything is sorted out, it will be our aristocratic faction that will seize power in Cairo.”
“All right.”
“I will do my best.”
The atmosphere turned.
Marquis Benedict is right.
Although the flames of war suddenly spread, it did not mean that the aristocrats had not prepared for war.
Confidence awoke.
Time is on the side of the aristocrats.
I was convinced that if I took the lead in the situation while buying time, I could destroy the royal faction.
they believed in themselves
As always.
The Aristocrats will remain victors.
and a week later
Roman Dmitry’s army appeared in Benedict.
* * *
Shortly after arriving at Benedict.
Simon came over and asked.
“Commander. In preparation for a long-term battle, we will first build a position.”
Benedict Castle.
The high walls were called Cheolongseong (鐵甕城).
Simon’s judgment was correct in common sense, as it was not a fight that would end in a day or two.
but.
“No, speed is important in this war. The more time you allow the aristocrats, the more options they have to choose from.
It was a bold decision.
if you ever get hurt.
Soldiers had to spend time again leading heavy bodies and building positions.
however.
“Felix, prepare for the siege from now on.”
At Roman’s command.
A lobe stepped forward.
Simon looked back and forth between Lovin and Roman Dmitri with eyes he still didn’t quite understand.