A few days ago, upon hearing the report that Cairo’s main troops were attacking the rear point, people gathered in the conference room with serious expressions.
“If that is the case, what happens to us if we fail to retrieve the position?”
They were the words of a nobleman belonging to the Royal Family. The nobles of the Central Government didn’t attend.
Daniel Cairo spoke with a desperate look,
“… the responsibility for the defeat rests with the Royal Family. Even if the nation’s command system is hampered, the people will try to hold the King accountable for the war. From then on, I can no longer raise my voice as a King. The Central Government nobles are like hyenas who would do anything to bring me down.”
“Damn those guys!”
“Still, they are born in Cairo, so they should at least think nicely.”
They were too stiff. The nobles of the Central Government—Marquis Benedict, Count Gregory, and Count Denver. They didn’t do their best to help the Southern Front. Winning or losing this war didn’t matter to them.
If they failed to retrieve the rear position, the Hector Kingdom might refuse to negotiate, and they would hand over the land to the Kronos Empire. Then, the status of the Royal Family would fall to rock bottom.
The people residing on the border with the Kronos Empire in the south and west would panic in fear, not knowing when they would be attacked.
Daniel Cairo said,
“The nobles of the Central Government must think that whatever choice they make will be beneficial to them. If Cairo’s main troops win, then it will be good to get over the crisis, and if they lose, then the nobles can use it to pressure the Royal Family. It isn’t the safety of Cairo that they are worried about. If they really wanted the Cairo Kingdom to be revived, they wouldn’t have stayed still and watched the south fall like that. Even if they had to spend money, they would have given priority to negotiating with the Hector Kingdom.”
Why did the nation end up like this?
From the moment he took over the throne, he didn’t want it. Daniel Cairo couldn’t even get a single good night’s sleep.
“The enemy that threatens Cairo is within. They selfishly seek their own gain, but we cannot act like them. We need to prepare for the future if we lose here, even if we have to be stoned by the people. In order for us to not lose our meaning as a Royal Family, we need to hold on to it until the end.”
“… I understand.”
“We accept the orders.”
The nobles bowed their heads. Even the weak and feeble King had some nobles following him. It was because he truly cared for the kingdom.
If he had been born in good times, he would have been called a saint. However, the reality was never that good, and the weak King was easy prey for the hyenas.
The meeting continued, and contingency plans were made. As the meeting finally ended and the people in the room got up from their seats to prepare for what they discussed, news from the Southern Front was suddenly delivered.
“Is that really true?”
“We will live!”
“Victory in just a few hours!”
At the shocking result that nobody expected, Daniel Cairo’s face turned red.
Golden Welcoming—a spectacular grand feast. As Roman returned as a hero, the nobles in the capital welcomed him.
“You worked really hard!”
“Thanks to you, Cairo got out of a terrible situation.”
They heard the rumors. To be precise, each of them learned about the great things that Roman did.
Among them, Count Fabius said,
“Actually, I still can’t believe that what I heard is real from start to finish. Roman Dmitry came up with the strategy that brought down the Hector Kingdom. Roman knew exactly what his opponent was trying to do, so he set up a trap for the Hector Kingdom and beat Butler, who was a 5-Star Swordsman. Marquis Benedict, I have never seen such talent in my life. Even the existence of the ‘Best Sword on the Continent’ wouldn’t have shown such progress at the age of 20. Roman Dmitry is a person who will unconditionally achieve greater success as a swordsman and commander.”
It was commendable. Even though he was a person they desperately wanted, Roman’s value began to rise again. Defeating Butler and his skill as a commander was shocking and made them feel bad about what they had done before.
A grand feast celebrating Roman’s return was prepared. Even the nobles had given up all their pride, wanting to get Roman on their side.
“Roman Dmitry, I finally get to see you.”
“I greet His Majesty.”
It was Daniel Cairo.
The nobles opened up a path for him. Even though he was a puppet King, they weren’t stupid enough to be rude to the King in a place with so much attention.
“I wanted to express my sincere gratitude on behalf of the Cairo Kingdom. You showed the will of Cairo against the Hector Kingdom. You defeated Hector with daring courage and brought peace back to us. Is there anything you wish for? I will make sure to grant whatever you want to the best of my ability.”
It was time for a reward. It was the authority of a King, and everyone’s attention was focused on Daniel Cairo’s words.
Before Roman Dmitry could speak, Daniel Cairo added,
“At the same time, the position of Deputy Commander for the Royal Knights is vacant. If you wish, I wouldn’t mind granting you the title and giving you access to the Royal Treasury. You can take the wealth from there, or if you want, you can learn the knowledge of Cairo that has been kept for generations. What do you think?”
At those words, the hall turned cold. Daniel Cairo’s words suggested that he had the intention of taking Roman in, and the nobles could no longer smile.
To be given the title of Deputy Commander of the Royal Knights was a huge honor. Granting the position to someone still in their 20s has never happened before in the history of Cairo.
Daniel Cairo said,
“The ‘Best Sword of Cairo’ is the Commander of the Royal Knights. Count Nicholas is looking for someone to succeed him. It would be an amazing chance for you. Even now, you have a talent that shines brighter than anyone else’s. If you lead from ahead, you will be able to reach higher ground. There is no need to worry about fulfilling your national duty. Aside from the rewards, I intend to specifically waive your remaining obligations.”
Daniel Cairo was greedy for the first time.
‘I want to make Roman Dmitry my vassal.’
He took over the throne at a young age due to his father’s death. The nobles of the Central Government welcomed him and used him as a puppet for their benefit. That was their reason for treating him respectfully.
The heads of the Central Government, like Marquis Benedict, started to put pressure on the King as soon as he acted as if he could be treated like a subordinate.
The King felt like he was being suffocated. Cairo’s people considered him their absolute ruler, but in reality, he was something else.
‘Roman Dmitry defeated Butler, a 5-Star Swordsman. If I could take a person as strong as Count Nicholas as my vassal, even nobles wouldn’t be pressing me in haste. From then on, the situation can be reversed. People call me the feeble and weak King, but I refuse to live like this forever.’
After this war, he began to think differently. Seeing the nobles take care only of themselves, even at the cost of the kingdom, he thought this wasn’t right. He removed his weak side and bared his teeth for the first time.
Right then, Marquis Benedict’s angry voice could be heard,
“No one would consider the duty given as a reward. Your Majesty, the Royal Knights, as a military organization, are directly under the Royal Family. Are you going to force the young talent with a guaranteed future to sacrifice all that? Please take it into consideration. We need to reward our hero.”
“I agree. I am fine with opening the Royal Treasury, but this isn’t right.”
Objections were heard in the hall. The nobles of the Central Government stepped forward. Each of them added words, saying that Daniel Cairo’s words weren’t right.
‘Since when did joining the Royal Knights turn into a sacrifice?’
Royal Knight—it was the most honorable organization for knights. At one time, the sons of noble families worked their entire lives to join the Royal Knights, but after the collapse of the Royal Family’s power, they considered it to be the worst organization to be a part of.
As the nobles speculated, Roman might not be pleased with this proposal. However, since he already said it, he wasn’t going to take it back.
“Marquis Benedict, I said what I wanted. From now on, it is up to Roman Dmitry to decide what he wants.”
He crossed the line. The King decided to stand his ground, unlike his usual self.
For a moment, Marquis Benedict’s expression distorted, but Daniel Cairo didn’t mind and looked at Roman.
Everyone looked at him. If Roman said he would follow Daniel Cairo, the Cairo Kingdom would fall into chaos and terror.
The King’s proposal was surprising. Daniel Cairo, whom Roman remembered as a feeble King, looked at him with unwavering eyes.
‘Still, is it because of his royal blood?’
The public’s opinion of Daniel Cairo as a fragile King might be far from the truth.
He had no choice but to bow his head under pressure ever since he was young and was labeled weak. There was finally a chance to change this.
Daniel Cairo walked out of the line. This will surely make things harder in the future, but he felt that Roman Dmitry was worth the sacrifice.
But…
‘There is no reason for me to take the side of the Cairo Royal Family.’
The war against the Hector Kingdom made Roman realize that he hadn’t fully grasped the new world.
Edwin Hector, magic, and Butler.
The people of the Cairo Kingdom say that it was amazing to defeat them, but by his standards, it wasn’t that great.
Edwin Hector?
He was just a 4-Circle Magician. Magicians with seven circles were called “archmages” and were known to be able to cause natural disasters with magic.
And Butler?
He was ranked second in the Hector Kingdom. However, in the ‘Public Ranking of the Continent,’ Butler was at the bottom.
‘Right now, this is all I am. A frog in the well, a being who cannot raise his head proudly outside Cairo.’
Daniel Cairo.
Marquis Benedict.
Count Gregory.
Count Denver.
They, too, were frogs in a well.
Because this is the Cairo Kingdom, they act all-powerful, but when they get out of this place, they will be nothing. So, no proposal could be accepted.
What was required now was to maintain the balance of power while delegating a few responsibilities to others.
So Roman said,
“This war made me realize that the world is wide. The Royal Knights is an honorable organization for a swordsman, but before I decide on my future, there are things I want to do.”
“What could they be?” Daniel asked.
It was an obvious refusal. Daniel Cairo didn’t hide his feelings. In contrast, the nobles were smiling.
“Actually, if I hadn’t been exempted from military duty, I was planning to do two full years. After a few days in the capital, I plan to head back to my family. I’ll take some time to process the new insights I’ve gained on the battlefield. I’m not sure how long that will take, but one day, I will be completely ready.”
He raised his head. He spoke of his future plans to those who were watching him.
“I will be challenging the ‘Public Ranking.’”
‘Public Ranking.’
At those words, everyone’s eyes trembled.
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