Count Fabius had a title.
‘Cairo’s Raccoon.’
He seemed like a man with an innocent face, but he was given that title because he knew how to use his mouth. Naturally, people expressed this in a negative manner, but Count Fabius himself didn’t think of it that way.
‘All the nobles of Cairo want to advance ahead. Among them, there are many people with outstanding abilities, but the ones who survive are those like me. Eyes that can read the right time, by doing business with people who will take care of me, I can succeed without much effort.’
The Fabius family wasn’t that great. Nevertheless, he entered the Central Government and stayed right beside Marquis Benedict because he was powerful. The same goes for now.
So, he assessed the situation carefully. When others were obsessed with Roman Dmitry, he knew that Roman’s men would be the key point. Although his intentions failed due to their blind loyalty, his plan wasn’t so bad.
And now…
“Count Fabius, since you have observed this situation from the start, I would like to ask you something.”
Count Castro asked him for help, and he turned his head. Even though he hadn’t even finished speaking yet, Count Fabius began to weigh the two sides.
‘Count Castro. He comes from a prestigious family in Cairo, is recognized by all, and has had a close relationship with Marquis Benedict since childhood. So, as soon as they entered the Central Government, I put a lot of effort into making this relationship with Count Castro work. The problem is that it’s Roman Dmitry on the other side. It is right to take Count Castro’s side, but Roman Dmitry is the Hero of Cairo, which Marquis Benedict is putting a lot of effort into. I don’t know what will happen if he touches him.’
It was a complicated matter. There were two important things to consider.
‘First, whose side would Marquis Benedict take? Marquis Benedict is a man who can always join hands with the enemy for the sake of victory. Just like when he chose to abandon the Southern Front for the Hector Kingdom, despite the fact that the division between enemies was not yet clear. Then, there is one exception: blood ties. Marquis Benedict had already shown his intention to accept Roman Dmitry as his son-in-law, meaning that he would turn away from Count Castro.’
He couldn’t throw it away. Should he choose to remain silent in light of their history? So, Count Fabius thought of the second point.
‘If the Castro and Dmitry families are sure to go to war with Marquis Benedict as a bystander, who will win the battle? This answer is simple. Although Castro is a noble who is recognized, he cannot be compared to Roman Dmitry, who had shown overwhelming force against the Hector Kingdom.’
So he made his decision. He relied on what he had seen and heard. He had been imagining Roman Dmitry fighting, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t think of a way to win against this man.
He turned away from Count Castro. Avoiding his gaze, he decided to make his own path.
“As I watched the situation, it was clearly William’s fault.”
As Count Fabius stood at a crossroads in life, he put faith in his own personal experience.
It was a different development than expected, and Count Castro was embarrassed. He never thought that he would turn down his request, so he couldn’t hide his expression.
“C-Count Fabius?”
His blood went cold. That title of Count Fabius—he knew from the beginning that this person was thoroughly calculating, but because of that alone, he was able to form a good relationship with Count Fabius. Didn’t it mean that he was someone who was good at making decisions?
Despite hearing rumors about Count Fabius, he decided to be friends with him anyway. And now he has been neglected. He felt as if he had been splashed by cold water, and his anger subsided.
‘It is clear that Cairo’s Racoon made a calculating move. Perhaps Count Fabius reasoned that supporting Roman Dmitry would be to his benefit. Damn it. Does this mean that Roman Dmitry is that great?’
His mouth felt dry. Count Fabius went to the Southern Front despite knowing it would be futile.
And the result?
Marquis Benedict was satisfied with Count Fabius’s appearance. He did his best, and his position in the Central Government improved with his hard work. Actually, it was something anyone could do. However, those who lived comfortably in the capital didn’t have the courage to go down to the south, but Count Fabius did.
‘It is certain that if we go to war with Dmitry, we will fall to hell then.’
He felt goosebumps. He decided to look at the situation objectively.
The Dmitry family—although they were from the outskirts, their wealth couldn’t be ignored. Actually, when you think about it more carefully, they didn’t lack much.
It was a well-known fact that the Benjamin Mercenaries originated from Dmitry. In a battle, Castro has no chance of winning against Roman Dmitry. There was just one weakness.
Humble birth.
It was the power of the Central Government that would crush Dmitry, but Count Fabius ignored him. The end result was predictable. Count Fabius calculated that if Marquis Benedict didn’t take his side, Castro couldn’t avoid an all-out war with Dmitry.
It was a fight where there was no gain. The risk of defeat was too great to face Roman just to help his son’s pride. There was also talk about Roman’s alleged cruel nature. In the process of destroying Barco and Hector, everyone said Roman was ruthless.
‘You cannot run into such a mess just because of pride.’
He swallowed down his anger. Count Castro said with a forced expression,
“After listening to Count Fabius, I think I made a mistake, and I am really sorry. It was a matter concerning my son, and I lost my temper for a while. Count Fabius, thank you so much for clearly stating what mistake I have made.”
His attitude changed.
The noble’s nature—changing one’s attitude in an instant, like flipping a coin depending on the situation. It was the secret to surviving in politics.
“Father!”
William Castro groaned. For him, it was as if the sky was about to fall. Count Castro suppressed his displeasure and forced his son to bow his head.
“You will follow the words of Roman Dmitry. This is clearly your fault. You will be asking Roman Dmitry’s younger brother for a reasonable apology, and I will withdraw you from the academy as soon as the work is done. Please understand the heart of your father just once.”
Count Castro bowed his head. It was the moment when the situation that seemed to explode at any moment ended with a white flag on one side.
In this case, Roman deliberately crossed the line, and the reason was clear.
‘The nobles of the Central Government always have the illusion that they have the upper hand. Now that my value is soaring, there is a chance that my family and I will be harmed by the envy of these people. That is why I need to show them who I am once in a while. Count Castro is a good example.’
The situation changed, and Roman was quick to take advantage of it. Instead of letting his fame go, he knew right away how to use it. If the opponent hadn’t retreated, the situation would have been a mess, but there was also a certainty that no such thing would happen.
Roman Dmitry gauged the situation. Marquis Benedict would have no choice but to side with Count Castro because if he sided with Roman, it would lead to an abrupt imbalance in the system. He was already convinced of his opponent’s victory, so he took a risk and crossed the line.
However, even if the plan didn’t work, Roman was confident that he could defeat the Castro family. He had one goal, but it required numerous steps. Roman was not the type of person who minced words. Although he moved radically, his actions were always based on a good plan.
Roman said,
“Alright, we will end this with a direct apology and resignation.”
“Thank you very much for your generosity.”
At that moment, William Castro’s expression turned pale. His world collapsed. Witnessing his father express his gratitude with a bright face, William Castro looked at Roman.
‘I am done for.’
That’s when he realized the caliber of the opponent he faced. Roman Dmitry, a man of real power.
At that time, Lauren Dmitry was still in the academy. His excitement at being praised by the professor didn’t subside, and he also wanted to meet Roman.
‘Where did brother go to?’
Roman asked him to prove that he was qualified. He wondered if he showed enough of it. Although he suffered a one-sided defeat against William Castro, he knew better that he was different than usual.
He still felt a stinging pain from the injury he got during the test. In the past, he would have been too depressed to bear the pain, but now, even the discomfort brings a smile to his face.
It was then that a familiar face approached Lauren.
“Lauren! There is a problem!”
His expression went stiff. The person who came in was his classmate. The problem was that he was not a friend of Lauren but one of those who tormented him with William.
Lauren asked him.
“What is it? Why would you even say that to me?”
He thought that even if he got bullied here, he was going to stand up for himself. Lauren was ready to hit him in order to not damage the reputation of his family, but he also wanted to live with dignity.
But his classmate’s purpose for coming was different from what he thought.
“Ah. Now isn’t the time to act tough. Your brother, Roman Dmitry, had an argument with William Castro, and they headed to the Castro family’s mansion! I don’t know what your brother will do if we leave him alone!”
“What?!”
He looked shocked.
What did it mean?
Roman Dmitry, whom he had been looking for a long time, suddenly fought with William and headed to the Castro family’s mansion. The classmate explained.
“Actually, William was angry that you managed to hit him, so he was going on a rampage about breaking your arm. Your older brother heard it, and they talked as he grabbed William by the neck and headed to the Castro family’s mansion together. It might be dangerous. You know how William’s personality is exactly like his father’s, right? Count Castro is more than capable of harming your brother.”
His heart sank. His own brother, Roman Dmitry, unable to bear words directed at him, went to the Castro family’s mansion and put himself in a dangerous situation.
‘Brother…’
Tears welled up in his eyes. Not once did Lauren experience getting help from his brothers. His friends would ask if he had brothers, but both of them were too busy with their lives to be asked for help.
But now his brother has taken a risk for him. Lauren couldn’t let it be.
‘If my brother gets hurt because of me, I will never be able to handle it.’
“Thank you for telling me!”
He ran right away. His time in the capital was hard and lonely. He always hid the truth because he didn’t want to burden his father, but he couldn’t do that now.
His eyes were filled with tears. Lauren Dmitry arrived at the dorm quickly and spoke into the magic communicator in a sorrowful voice.
“Uhhh…uhhh…Dad…I think my brother is in danger. I think he went out to help me but then got taken to the Castro family!”
At those words, the person at the other end of the line was stunned. As he didn’t know that the situation was over yet, he couldn’t ignore the news Lauren delivered.
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