Chapter 185: Current Life’s Relationship (3)
Rodwell Dmitry didn’t have a very happy childhood. Although born into a noble family, his only older brother kept walking on the wrong path.
“I really don’t understand. How can he and Rodwell be brothers?”
“Maybe they are half-brothers?”
“What is certain is that Rodwell is in a bad situation. He has to live with that horrible Roman Dmitry for the rest of his life. If I was in Rodwell’s shoes, I would have demanded my father to drive out Roman Dmitry.”
On that day, Roman Dmitry found a slum. He went to meet his friends from the time their family was still commoners and after playing all day long, he smelled and looked filthy when he returned home.
It was a scene that Rodwell and the other noble kids witnessed, and the words they whispered to Rodwell stuck to him. At that time, Rodwell was still a child.
He had lived all his life as a noble so he could not understand Roman, who undermined their family’s status.
‘Why is he living like that? I know that we were commoners once, but we are nobles now. It wouldn’t be too much if he tried to live with a little bit of dignity, but Roman still chooses to do things that ridicule our family. I cannot accept such a person as my older brother.’
He was angry. No matter what achievements he attained, the label of having commoner origins was always attached to them. It was all because of the rumors about Roman Dmitry, and Rodwell couldn’t stand it.
From then on, he desired to be the successor. Rumors said that if Roman inherited the Lord’s position, the Dmitry family would be ruined. So Rodwell swung his sword all night long, and he worked in the forge all morning.
Every time he hit the steel, anger rose inside of him. Rodwell understood Roman Dmitry. He was once a commoner, so he couldn’t abandon the life he once had. But on the other hand, what about his younger siblings? His younger siblings, who were born as nobles, were being dragged into his selfish recollections of his commoner days. It was a world they never experienced but made people point at them.
Rodwell knew what it felt like, so he wanted to make sure his younger brother didn’t feel the same humiliation. He had to be the brother their youngest was proud of. So he worked hard to become an aura swordsman and entered the Royal Academy.
He had a life that people looked up to. Everything was perfect, at least until the rumors spread that Roman Dmitry had defeated Homer.
Kiiik.
Thud.
The gates opened and Rodwell Dmitry stepped inside. Blood was flowing down from his left eye, which had deep sword wounds, and every part of his body had injuries. Just the fact that he could walk was already amazing.
As the cheers of the soldiers on the fortress walls sounded muffled, Rodwell suppressed his memories. He still couldn’t accept his brother’s existence. It seemed that unless he saw Roman Dmitry in person, he would never be able to shake off the emotions from his childhood.
And at that moment, there were people who went out to meet him. They were Count Vandenberg, the leaders, and Flora.
Rodwell Dmitry walked up to Flora.
“My role is done. Will the plan succeed?”
He asked a humble question, not losing eye contact.
Seeing him straight in the eye, Flora nodded.
“Yes, definitely.”
A confident voice.
From now on, it was time for them to lure their enemies into the trap.
Even after their defeat in the Battle of Great Warriors, Kronos didn’t waver at all. From the moment they sent Osford, it was just simple entertainment for them. Their victory was a natural result, and even if one of them was defeated, they didn’t doubt their win.
Rather, anger rose. Count Fabio, the commander of Kronos, marched forward.
“Prepare the Flares!”
“Starting now, the Flares and the magicians will attack and break down the enemy’s walls.”
It was as they had expected. The war magicians came out, and from the top of the fortress’s wall, Flora watched them.
‘If the magician is more than 300 meters away from the magic traps, they cannot be killed right away. The farther the explosion range is, the weaker the power of the traps is, and it is certain that they will use shields to protect themselves right after they explode. As planned, the margin of error is around 100 meters. If the magicians on top of the traps are defenseless when they cast their magic, we can wipe out their existence with a single blow.’
Swish.
The magicians moved, and their location was not as they had planned. It was possible to identify the location of their enemies during the Battle of Great Warriors, but the miracle of them standing on top of the magic traps didn’t happen. Their location was about 150 meters away from the magic traps. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but that didn’t change Flora’s plans.
Count Vandenberg asked,
“Flora. When will you explode the magic traps?”
“They’ll have enough time to prepare if the explosion happens too soon. Magicians become vulnerable at the moment they cast their magic. If we aim for that perfect timing to set off the magic traps, the backflow of mana will render those war magicians immobile.”
“I get it. Just give me the signal.”
“Yes.”
Their nerves were on edge. First, Cairo’s soldiers moved. By directing them to attack from a distance, it showed that the Cairo Kingdom would respond normally.
Swish.
The arrows that were shot through the sky didn’t reach the magicians. Most of them couldn’t even get close and fell, and the arrows that landed near the magicians lost their power.
At that moment, an aura of mana rose around the magicians. Until their magic reached its peak, the war magicians didn’t notice the existence of the magic traps.
Wheik!
Their manas shone brightly, and at that moment, Flora shouted,
“Now!”
“Explode it!”
The magic traps were triggered. Just before the magic of the magicians manifested, there was a huge explosion.
Kwaang!
Kwakwakwang!
It wasn’t something anyone could react to. Flora had installed layers of magic traps in specific locations, and the series of explosions completely wiped out everything.
The magic of the war magicians was canceled in that shock, and they all coughed up blood. Before long, many died from the explosion.
Flora’s plan was a success. It was a plan that began with the Battle of Great Warriors, and now they have succeeded in removing the powerful weapon of the Kronos Empire. But…
“It is fine. This only makes me angrier. The Cairo Kingdom is currently in a civil war. How dare those bugs think they can stand up to the Kronos Empire?!”
“Woaahhhhh!”
“Attack!”
The command was given. They were only able to remove one weapon called the war magicians. At the sight of the enemies flocking towards them, dark clouds rolled over the Western Front.
It was a blood-curdling sight. Not long after, the army of the empire stormed into the walls, straddled a dozen ladders, and quickly climbed up the walls.
“Stop!”
“Push the ladders!”
Cairo’s soldiers were desperate. They were pushing down the ladders that were being set up on the walls, and some soldiers threw hot water and arrows at the enemies. It was clear that they had the advantage. They managed to reduce a significant number of enemy troops with this method, but this didn’t guarantee their victory.
The soldiers of the empire didn’t stop. They continuously climbed the ladders, and soon they were able to set foot on the walls.
Puak!
An arrow pierced the enemies. It was Flora. Equipped with clothes for war, she aimed her arrow and climbed up the wall to deal with enemies one by one.
“Do not lose focus! The enemies have lost their war magicians! The fight is in our favor!”
She screamed loudly. Blood and death—screams could be heard from everywhere. There was no way to know whose side was screaming, but Flora wasn’t shaken.
Right after she arrived in the capital, Flora had two teachers. One was a professor teaching tactics at the Royal Academy, and the other was a commander who was called ‘Sharpshooter’ in the neighborhood.
She experienced war in Lawrence. Her plan, which she thought would work, collapsed with a single Flare, and looking back now, her decision almost cost them their lives.
Why? Couldn’t she have thought of the Flare? No matter how financially overwhelming their opponent was, she should have considered the existence of the Flare.
So she studied tactics in order to make the right decision in similar situations, and she learned archery because she knew that war is ruled by logic. No matter how plausible her tactics were, she needed the power to kill the enemy.
Flora didn’t want to be a commander. She wanted to become a being who could defeat the enemy by joining forces with the soldiers.
Her pretty hands became ugly. Even though her fingers now had scars and calluses, she wasn’t ashamed of her hands because these hands would bring her results.
The arrow that left her hand pierced the enemy’s head.
Puak!
“Do not pull back! The moment the Western Front collapses, our families in Cairo will be in danger.”
The battle was fierce. The Kronos Empire, which appeared to be on the verge of capturing the castle at any moment, was being pushed back as time went on.
Once again, it was a strategic success. Count Vandenberg gave up the second line of defense and concentrated the troops here, and thanks to that, they weren’t shaken by the empire’s attacks.
And finally, the Kronos Empire retreated. They didn’t win the war. Their first attack was blocked, but the war had just begun.
On the next day, the attacks resumed. They pushed their troops to the wall, almost fell, and then ordered a retreat once again.
It was their last breath at the edge of a cliff. The original plan was to last five days. However, since they had to deal with the war magicians, the Western Front faced a crisis.
But the Kronos Empire didn’t attempt a third attack. The reason was clear—Roman Dmitry’s army of the kingdom arrived on the Western Front.
Just three days. The miracle turned into reality. During the time when they thought that he was still putting an end to the rebellion, Roman Dmitry appeared on the Western Front.
The leaders gathered. Count Vandenberg couldn’t hide his admiration for Roman Dmitry.
“… you are amazing. In just one day, you were able to clean up the rebellion of Marquis Benedict. Thanks to you, we are able to take a breather. If you had arrived later, the fate of the Western Front wouldn’t have been guaranteed.”
Everyone agreed. The Western Front did its best. Obviously, it resulted in a perfect situation, but the problem was that the power of the Kronos Empire was too great.
In the meeting room, Roman saw familiar faces—Flora with her haggard hair and Rodwell with bandages around his eyes. From the moment they saw Roman Dmitry, they both seemed agitated. Every time their eyes met, their eyes would widen, but Roman Dmitry never spoke to them, and then they would avert their gazes.
Looking at Count Vandenberg, Roman Dmitry said,
“Please assemble the troops now.”
“… can I please know the reason? Kronos might not attack. Marquis Benedict’s nobles’ faction, which was communicating with them, failed, and their siege in the third line of defense also failed. From what we expect, within a day or two, the enemies will likely clear this place.”
The war was over. It was Cairo’s victory—no, it couldn’t be called a victory. The Kronos Empire judged that there was no benefit and chose to withdraw. But Roman had other thoughts.
“The enemies invaded Cairo’s land. Up until now, Kronos has become accustomed to trampling on us and leaving whenever they please, but from now on, Cairo will take a hard stand against the enemy’s actions. His Majesty has entrusted me with full authority over the situation. So prepare the troops and open the gates.”
Count Vandenberg was shocked. He knew what Roman’s words meant.
“We will pursue the enemies who are returning to the empire and defeat them.”
It was a statement that was different from what they expected. Everyone was shocked.