Chapter 268 First Continental War (6)
A few days ago.
At a meeting of Western Front leaders, Flora Lawrence spoke of the ‘what if’.
“We are fully prepared for the war against Kronos. An astronomical amount was invested in strengthening the walls, and Cairo and Dimitri’s forces were concentrated here. The problem is when you can’t hold on for a while even after you’ve done your best. If that happens, it is pointless to hold out to the end to defend the Western Front, which is heavily defeated.”
“However, it is only a matter of time before the Kronos Empire forces attack Kairos as soon as the West is lost.”
It was Baron Noel.
Flora Lawrence looked at him at the appropriate point.
“you’re right. If Kairos falls into the hands of the enemy, it cannot be prevented from disintegrating one after another. However, this war has to take risks in the first place. In order to realize the plan Roman Dmitri said, it is very important to preserve ‘as much power as possible’ until then, rather than winning on the battlefield. But what do you plan to do if you put all your energy into defending a losing battleground and don’t have enough power for the situation after that? It requires choice and focus. We can buy time by giving up the West and conserving power, not by giving up the West for nothing.”
“That makes sense. Flora. You must have thought of a detailed plan for that?”
“yes.”
The Marquis of Vandenberg supported the opinion.
Flora Lawrence was once a vital resource in the West, and her words were worth following.
charrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
unfolded the map.
Flora Lawrence pointed to the western front line of defense and said,
“The land where we are now is a strategic point. In fact, if this place is breached, the Western Front will inevitably collapse, so there is a high probability that the Kronos Empire will try to destroy it with all its might in the first battle. Plan B, which I will now explain, is the option you can take if you cannot withstand their attacks. No, there is no other option other than that.”
The gaze was focused.
You could say it was a crazy decision.
Making all the preparations for Mercury and taking Plan B is fraught with problems.
but.
The experience gave Flora Lawrence determination.
“Plan B is to abandon the castle and run away. If defeat is obvious, our enemies won’t find it strange that we abandon this place sooner than expected. Besides, if we give up the war materiel, there will be no room for doubt. That’s your chance. When the enemy storms into the castle, we can give up a lot and take advantage of it by exploding it.”
Prepare just in case.
It was a role that staff members had to play on the battlefield with many variables.
* * *
I made a decision.
The Marquis of Vandenberg shouted as he slashed at the enemy soldiers who were charging at him.
“All troops retreat! I will abandon the castle and move to the rear!”
“Retreat!”
command fell
The adjutants relayed Marquis Vandenberg’s order at the throat, and some ran quickly and sounded drums indicating retreat.
The battlefield collapsed in an instant.
Although the general soldiers did not know the exact identity of Plan B, they were told by the leaders that they could abandon the castle in case of emergency.
The soldiers retreated.
The leading soldiers could not escape because they were dealing with the imperial army, but the others had to follow the orders of the commander-in-chief.
Remaining on the battlefield in a situation where everyone was running away was an act of suicide.
As the soldiers of the Cairo Dmitry Union withdrew, the enemy broke into the castle through the void of the battlefield.
“Attack!”
“Kill them all!”
Screams rang out from all directions.
The Kronos Empire’s army slaughtered the soldiers of the Kingdom Alliance and was trampled on by the advancing troops, and even their corpses were turned into mush.
It was a war that was completely over.
The tense balance was irreversible from the moment the kingdom union stepped back.
most leading.
Chris was there.
In what was now a backwater position, Chris bought time for the men to escape.
Flash.
All the enemy soldiers rushing in fell out.
Despite the sight of the enemy army filling up his field of vision, Chris appropriately backed away and swung his sword, and in one or two counterattacks, the heads of the Kronos Empire fell in numbers.
A confrontation between the majority and the minority. It was a familiar situation.
This time, experiencing extreme situations in Valhalla, Chris’ skills reached a level higher than before.
puck!
penetrated the neck
Then, as he was about to join the army again, Chris threw his head back at the momentary cool sensation.
Qurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
A fiercely burning aura passed in front of my eyes.
The skin was itchy.
It’s still too early to be sure, but Chris instinctively knew that the aura’s power reached 6 stars.
“You’re a guy named Chris!”
Quaang!
Kwak Kwa Kwa Kwam!
The mysterious existence pushed me like a madman.
Chris stepped quickly without encountering the sword with the enemy and let go of all attacks.
Even so, Chris’ body was pushed roughly. The wave of aura pushed Chris’s body hard.
over your head.
A bright halo of light fell.
Chris rolled on the ground and avoided the attack by a narrow margin.
Quaang!
Qurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
“What the hell is the identity of Roman Dmitri? Reaching the level of 6 stars at the age of only 20 years old, and nurturing a swordsman like you in a pitiful land like Dmitry. amazing. It’s to the point where I want to catch him alive and rip off his flesh one by one to ask the truth.”
I looked ahead.
The pale-faced man had impressive scars from his eyes to his nose.
Moment.
There was a person who came to mind.
2nd place in Chronos ranking.
3rd in continental ranking.
It was the demon Hannibal.
The long curly hair and the scars across his pale face were symbols of Hannibal’s appearance.
I got goosebumps.
If he, who is in charge of the 2nd Knights of Kronos, had stepped forward himself, there was virtually no way to defeat him in this place without Roman Dmitri.
‘Damn it.’
good.
I straightened my sword.
himself in this place.
will die
Chris knew he was on the verge of death, but he couldn’t turn his back on Hannibal.
The moment you look back.
It was clear that Hannibal’s sword would cut through his back.
Rather than die a miserable death, Chris wanted to do his part.
‘sorry. I don’t think I’ll be able to achieve my dream of surpassing my lord.’
raised an aura
That moment when you try to express your full power and run.
“I will take over this place.”
Count Nicholas.
He stood in front of Chris.
* * *
It was an unexpected situation.
At a remark he could not readily accept, Count Nicholas forcibly spat out the words.
“In order for the Kingdom Alliance to win in the future war, you, who have been united with Roman Dmitri, are needed. So leave this place to me. I will defeat Hannibal and follow him soon.”
“… Count!”
“hurry!”
cried Count Nicholas.
Both knew the reality.
In a short time, the Kronos Empire’s forces were rushing in, and even if they hesitated for just 10 seconds, the retreat would be completely blocked.
Even knowing that, Count Nicholas made the sacrifice himself.
Experienced with the new talents of Roman Dmitri and Chris, he knew what he had to do for his kingdom.
Hesitation will make the sacrifice meaningless.
Chris gritted his teeth at Count Nicholas’ determined gaze.
“I will not forget today’s events.”
I turned my steps.
As Chris tried to escape, Hannibal extended his sword like lightning.
Quaang –
qurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Count Nicholas stopped.
Count Nicholas exploded the 5-star aura as if he would not lose to the intensely burning 6-star aura.
A great shock occurred.
Count Nicholas laughed at the blood that rose up.
“I wanted to fight a top ranker like you at least once.”
far away
Chris was disappearing.
When Hannibal showed a slightly displeased expression, Count Nicholas calmed his shock and concentrated his mind.
‘I’m all my life. I wanted to reach the level of 6 stars.’
Cairo’s best sword.
It was his own name.
However, while dealing with swordsmen ranked in the continental rankings, he realized that the title of being the strongest in a weak country meant nothing.
He was only at the very end.
It couldn’t be said to be excellent against the same 5-star swordsman, and the existence of the 6-star Continental Twelve Swords seemed like an unreachable sky.
The day I fell for Roman Dmitri.
Count Nicholas saw a new world.
The intense swordsmanship that cuts through one’s own body was a realm outside the heavens that he longed for and longed for.
immediately after defeat.
Locked in the training room.
At the same time as recuperating, he tried to resemble Roman Dmitri even a little bit.
reputation in the past.
The age at which gray hair began to grow.
nothing mattered
Returning to the mind of a beginner, Count Nicholas has succeeded in reaping some results.
Kwalung.
Qurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
“I am Richard Nicholas. And I am the best swordsman in Cairo.”
The Dmitry Principality is created.
The first place was given to him again.
Count Nicholas raised an aura that burned fiercely so as not to be ashamed of his name.
Chloride.
It was a great fire.
The fact that the existence itself burned and became a single sword clearly meant that he too had entered the beginning of the six stars.
Cairo’s first sword was not weak.
Except for Roman Dmitri, he was the first to be named in the ranks, except for Roman Dmitri, at the six-star level, which was said to have produced only 12 people in the Empire.
kicked the ground
While wrapped in an aura, he rushed towards Hannibal.
That moment.
“A bastard who doesn’t even know the subject.”
Flash.
The fire split.
The exploding aura, like an active volcano erupting, was torn to both sides as if splitting the sea in a single blow.
Hannibal.
The third strongest being on the continent.
Just as there are differences among 5-star swordsmen, he was a monster that could not be matched even in 6-star.
Pooh.
It spurted blood.
Count Nicholas’ body was torn to pieces, and he fell to the floor after not being able to hold out for a minute against Hannibal.
I’d rather focus on dodging like Chris.
He would have been able to hold out longer than now, but his intention to fight Hannibal head-on has produced the current result.
I shuddered.
As if telling him not to go, he grabbed Hannibal’s feet with his bloody hands.
OK.
Hannibal squatted down to make eye contact with Count Nicholas.
“Can I tell you some fun facts?”
“Cool.”
Blood spilled.
The blood that flowed from Count Nicholas formed a puddle.
“first. There are many people stronger than me in Kronos. So, if you can’t survive even this much, it means that you have no chance of winning in the first place. And second.”
I grinned.
“Your plan to explode the castle was expected from the beginning.”
got up from the seat
And then.
Kwajik.
He trampled the face of Count Nicholas who was in despair.
* * *
It was a perfect operation.
soldiers come out
At the critical moment, Flora Lawrence caused an explosion as intended.
Quaang!
Kwak Kwa Kwa Kwam!
Qurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
A huge explosion occurred.
I thought that the soldiers of the Kronos Empire would be swept away by the explosion, but the white-haired wizard created a magical power and formed a black hole.
The explosion that was about to devour the castle was sucked into the black hole at once.
When the initial explosion was suppressed, the device intended to cause the chain to explode became meaningless.
set of circumstances.
The Duke of Bamford showed an expression of anticipation as he entered the castle.
“It’s obvious what the weak guys can choose.”
8th circle mage.
And the 2nd Knights of Kronos.
It was overwhelming power.
From his experience, Bamford was confident that he could break the Western Front in the first battle.
Then there was only one worst-case scenario.
If even Roman Dmitri couldn’t create a variable, the only variable was to throw away the castle itself and turn it into a trap.
White warlord.
or.
A man called a battlefield maestro.
The Duke of Bamford’s fame was not false.
It was not easy enough to be easily defeated by weak countries with limited options.
he.
He looked at the white-haired wizard and said.
“Shepherd. You worked hard.”
“no.”
A white-haired wizard.
Sefir reacted calmly, then pressed down on his robe again.
OK.
Duke Bamford looked away and shouted at the soldiers.
“Soldiers of the Kronos Empire, listen up! Enemies are now cornered! Let’s keep going and turn Kairos and Dmitri into a sea of fire!”
Enemies will have to remember this day.
What does it mean to face Kronos?
still enemies.
I have not experienced the hell of this world.
* * *
A few days after that.
Contrary to Duke Bamford’s expectations, the Kronos Empire was unable to hold the tail of the kingdom union.
“Smart guys. You prepared everything to pass the time.”
Explosion is only the first operation.
Second and third, they prepared traps to block the advance of the Cronus Empire.
As a result, the pursuit had to be slow.
The intention of the opponent to slow down somehow raised questions for the Duke of Bamford.
‘Why are you wasting your time like this? Even when the Western Front fell, Roman Dmitry did not appear.
Then they say that buying time has something to do with Roman Dmitri’s absence.’
Looking at your past moves.
There was also the possibility that Roman Dmitry would infiltrate the capital and directly attack Emperor Kronos.
But it was impossible.
The Imperial Court of Cronus was guarded by the First Order of Knights, and above all, unknown monsters stood by the Emperor’s side.
No matter how strong Roman Dmitry is. Assassination of the emperor through the capital’s borders was not realistic.
If he planned such an operation, he could not be described as a strategist.
An idiot who only believes in power and goes wild.
Such an existence is bound to be defeated by a stronger force.
‘It is best for us to advance like this. If you’re trying to buy time, it’s enough to destroy it before you have time to achieve what you intended.’
But that day
I received disconcerting news.
The soldier who ran in gasping for breath gasped and said:
“Commander! Roman Dmitri has captured Cortas!”
Cortas.
The name made the Duke of Bamford look surprised.
It had to be.
Like the western front, Cortas was a strategic point in the eastern part of Cronus.
And right there.
There was a Warp Gate.
