The first attempt to prevent the war from escalating further was done. The nobles of Cairo reacted somewhat suspiciously. The news that Butler was defeated wasn’t readily accepted, so they asked one more time.
“Let’s say such a miracle happened. What is the next plan?”
What will happen from then?
Based on their reaction to what they heard, Roman said,
“As you all know I have experience dealing with the Hector Kingdom in the mountains. The day is bright. The Hector Kingdom decided to retreat, but they didn’t just retreat, they went down the mountain with the bodies of their lost comrades after such a night. Do you people think that was the right decision? Emotionally, it might make sense to do that for their dead comrades, but at the time, the Hector Kingdom was under pressure. And they took a break to capture the front line defense positions which was the only way to recover from the lost victory.”
Emotion and reason.
It has always been a problem on the battlefield. Roman was not the type to treat people badly, but even so, he wouldn’t sacrifice the living for the sake of the dead.
At least, this was what Edwin decided to do.
He ordered the tired soldiers to bring the bodies down, and as a result, they could only rest after the sun rose to the middle of the sky.
Was that decision right?
The soldiers would have thought that they were doing the right thing for the sake of their comrades, but their decision would cause a problem at any time.
“I watched them from a distance. Edwin Hector cremated the corpses, and he looked sorrowful. Edwin Hector is a good commander. With bold judgment and outrageous tactics, he quickly took the Southern Front, but he isn’t the kind of man who is completely rational. So how would he react if a discouraging situation got created?”
“No.”
“Yes. Butler is capable of breaking his righteousness in a fight.”
Butler and Edwin Hector.
They didn’t have a normal relationship.
Butler, as a member of the Royal Knights, supported Edwin Hector for a long time, showed loyalty to the prince, and directly participated in the surprise war.
A good catalyst.
If Butler collapsed and coughed up blood, Edwin Hector would not be able to think rationally in that situation.
“From what I’ve found, they seem to have a special relationship. I’m going to ask for a formal battle with Butler. If I beat him, the first part of the plan is done, and the second part starts. I will not kill Butler with a single blow, I will only incapacitate him.”
Butler fell down, bloody. It was a calculated outcome. Although Roman could have decapitated him, he only cut his chest to show Edwin despair.
And he reacted as expected. When the next attack looked like it would kill Butler, Roman made sure that Edwin couldn’t think rationally.
“Then, if Edwin Hector decides to save Butler.”
It was a trap. Not a trap to defeat Butler but a trap for Edwin Hector, who was looking down from the wall.
“We will use Edwin Hector’s choice as a chance.”
As planned, Edwin Hector made an irrational decision. With the intention of saving Butler, he opened the gates and sent soldiers.
“Attack!”
“You have to buy time to save the knights’ captain!”
From above the wall, archers fired arrows. Hundreds of arrows headed toward Roman. All to save just one knight and bring him to safety.
They fired the arrows, but that didn’t end with just that. The soldiers running towards Butler showed their will to die. Blocking arrows that might hurt him, they wanted to save Butler, who had fallen to the ground.
With enough distance, they moved ahead like a scene from a play. Butler’s existence was worth risking their lives. Just as they fought for the Hector Kingdom, they fought for Butler.
‘Edwin Hector. It is clear you are a good commander.’
Roman looked over the wall.
Edwin Hector.
Seeing him try to attack with mana, Roman smiled and slammed the ground.
Tak!
“… this!”
“Stop that!’
“Attack that monster!”
The top of the fort wall flipped over. It was different from the plan. Roman was supposed to retreat after the arrows fell, but Roman moved ahead despite the sea of arrows.
Not a single arrow landed on him.
A thin film was blocking the arrows like a shield, and suddenly he was in front of the soldiers.
Slash!
“Kuak!”
The battle began. Roman slashed the knight who rushed before him and ruthlessly slashed the others.
There was no battle followed by two or three clashes. Even though Hector’s knights attacked with Aura, their heads were blown away with single slashes.
It was a massacre. Roman Dmitry’s presence was overwhelming. Even though the soldiers of the Hector Kingdom came rushing in like a wave, Roman was breaking them down.
“Rescue Butler!”
“Buy us time!”
Their purpose was to rescue Butler. As his comrades were dying, a few troops came up to Butler and carried his limp body away.
Roman deliberately left him alone. His attack that cut off Butler’s chest weakened him. Instead of trying to kill the unconscious man, he grabbed the others by their ankles and pulled them closer.
Butler was still alive.
By blocking Roman, the enemies couldn’t escape.
They had no choice but to block the man despite being scared, and they were helplessly swept away.
“Damn it.”
“We cannot attack like this!”
From above the wall, people who were watching this were shocked.
If they could put some distance between themselves and Roman, they could attack him. But now, their allies were fighting with him, which made it tough to land a hit.
Even Edwin Hector was confused. His magic attack could land good damage, and even though his casting was complete, he couldn’t fire it at Roman.
It was a willful decision. He knew it was a wrong move, but from the moment they opened the gates and sent the troops out, there was nothing else they could do.
The nobles of Cairo, watching the situation from a distance, couldn’t help but marvel at Roman’s progress.
“So much like magic.”
First, they thought defeating Butler was impossible.
Second, no matter how they tried to defeat Butler, they weren’t sure if Edwin Hector would save him.
When the nation’s prince saw that Butler was about to be beheaded by Roman, he opened the gates without hesitation, despite knowing that doing so would bring shame upon the Hector Kingdom.
And Roman’s frenzy wasn’t done yet. Even in a situation where arrows were falling, Roman moved toward the enemies and slaughtered them.
From start to finish, each process was shocking. An existence that couldn’t be understood, and they seemed to understand why the powerful people of Cairo wanted him.
‘Roman Dmitry is the greatest talent Cairo has ever produced. I can see why Marquis Benedict tells us to recruit him at all costs. The moment Roman Dmitry swears allegiance, not just the weak king but the other two empires which harass Cairo will back down.’
His face turned red. For now, it’s more important to focus on the present. Count Fabius, who had come to his senses, gave the order as planned.
“Fire the flares!”
“Fire!”
The order was carried out. The soldiers placed the flares they had prepared in advance on the front row and fired it.
Pung! Pung!
Rumble!
They smashed into the wall. It was deliberately fired into areas where Roman wasn’t, causing a strong impact. Despite the repeated hits, the walls showed no signs of collapsing. The people of the Hector Kingdom relied on magic defense to keep their position safe, which made the wall strong.
But they had no intention of destroying the wall in the first place. Flares were fired to keep the people inside from escaping, and when the intended plan was laid out, Count Fabius shouted,
“Troops, forward!”
“Attack!”
“Wooah!”
Cairo’s soldiers began to run. The battle between Roman and Butler was nothing more than a prelude. From now on, the real war was going to start.
Kwang!
Rumble!
The flares were shot. The magic defending the wall helped lessen the damage, but the archers could not fire arrows. Meanwhile, the soldiers of Cairo began to rush. Once the gates are breached, the Hector Kingdom will not be able to survive.
“Damn it!”
Kellan, a Knight of Hector, who was in charge of the rear position, expressed anger at the situation in front of him. Witnessing the situation, he wanted to close the gates immediately, but the soldiers were still fighting Roman.
‘If it continues like this, the gates will not hold up.’
This was bad. He had to do something. The Hector Kingdom couldn’t be defeated. Kellan knew what Butler meant to Edwin Hector, but he was given the role of a guard to make the right judgment.
His heart ached. He looked ahead with bloodshot eyes, and as soon as the soldier carrying Butler came in, he shouted,
“Raise the gates!”
“Raise the gates!”
He gave up on the soldiers outside. Hundreds of soldiers would die like this, but he didn’t have the time to save them.
Kiik!
The chains connected to the gate made an unpleasant sound, and the gate connected to the moat’s top like a bridge began to ascend.
If the gates were closed, the Hector Kingdom could take advantage of the fort, and they believed they could defeat Cairo.
It was then.
Wheik!
Above the gates, which should have been closed, a black shadow bounced in.
At that moment, Kellan’s heart sank.
“Roman Dmitry…!”
The Devil of Cairo.
After seeing him standing there in front of him, Kellan’s mind went completely blank.
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