Chapter 75 Southern Training Camp (1)

Ten days had passed since leaving Dmitri.

Roman arrived at the final stronghold of the southern front.

This place was a land without a lord, where people naturally formed a village to trade with those heading to the battlefield.

Before entering the southern training camp, he decided to rent an inn to relieve the fatigue of travel.

"Today, we will rest here for a day, and tomorrow at dawn, we will head to the southern training camp."

"Yes!" Everyone's expressions brightened.

In truth, they did not expect good accommodations.

Typically, noble families would provide shabby lodgings for soldiers while enjoying comfort themselves.

However, Roman rented a large and clean inn to ensure they had a proper rest.

It was a situation that naturally inspired loyalty.

The soldiers moving their belongings inside were filled with excitement.

Meanwhile, Roman entered first and unpacked his things.

He then sat down and reread the letter he had received a month ago.

[I've heard that you intend to fulfill your duty to the country.

If you say you want to be my person, I can resolve that matter immediately, but knowing your determination to dedicate yourself to the nation, I won’t stop you.

However, I cannot leave someone who might become my person to suffer in the harsh environment of the front lines.

I have arranged for you to be stationed at the southern front.

Always remember, when you feel the need for help, the Benedict family is right there waiting for you.]

In the past few months, Roman had been persistently courted by Marquis Benedict.

As the leader of the noble faction, he sought to recruit talents to oppose the Royal Knights, and Roman's appearance struck his heart like fate.

The youngest ranked warrior of the Cairo Kingdom, Marquis Benedict could not help but be anxious, and despite Roman's rejections, he continued to pursue him with affection.

And now, thanks to Marquis Benedict's connections, Roman was assigned to the southern front.

As he said, compared to the western front, which directly faced the Kronos Empire, the southern front was a peaceful place without much danger.

However, the information he had gathered told a different story.

Mackin from the Valhalla Intelligence Agency described the southern front as a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

At that time, Roman did not know he would be stationed at the southern front, but he ordered Lucas to investigate just in case.

'In the end, I’ll have to face it directly to know.' If the information was true, he was not assigned to a mere idle position.

Since he might be busy in the future, Roman decided to take a rest.

However, he could not sleep for long.

Bang! From below, he heard the sounds of men shouting and fighting.

When he went downstairs, he found a brawl had broken out in the hall.

Bang!

"You filthy insects! Do you know who I am? I am Henry Albert, the second son of the Albert family! A descendant of a prestigious family in the Cairo Kingdom dares to use this inn, and you lowly scum are causing a ruckus! Get out now!"

The situation was clear.

It was a one-sided provocation.

Still, to confirm the facts, Roman asked as he descended.

"What’s going on?"

"My lord!" Chris exclaimed with relief.

Just moments away from exploding, he reported what had happened with a slightly flushed face.

"Well..."

The situation was as follows.

Thanks to Roman's consideration, the soldiers were resting comfortably when this second son of the Albert family barged in with his men.

He was shouting for everyone to get out without any reason.

It seemed he intended to use the inn because it was the largest and cleanest around, but there was no reason for them to vacate their place for any reason.

Moreover, 'The Albert family is not a prestigious family.'

They were not an unknown family.

They had produced some remarkable talents and once held a reputation, but they had recklessly expanded their influence and were now suppressed by surrounding forces.

They were people living in the illusion of their past glory.

Still, considering the northeastern region, they were a considerable force, but even if they claimed to be a prestigious family, Roman's reaction would not change.

"Why should we leave?"

He stepped forward.

In that moment, Henry's fierce gaze turned toward Roman.

"Are you the master of these people?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then get a grasp of the situation. I don’t know where you’re from, but I, Henry Albert, need to use this inn. Since we are both heading to the southern training camp, you know it would be pointless to clash with me. I’ll give you exactly ten minutes. Clear all this trash out of my sight."

He was bold.

The emblem of the Dmitri family.

It was the first time Roman had seen it.

Henry Albert judged that his opponent was weak and acted accordingly.

'Is this the reality of Dmitri?' A frog in a well.

Dmitri was recognized as a strong family only in the northeastern region.

Naturally, families from other regions would not recognize Dmitri, and even among nobles, there was no reason to treat an unknown family with respect.

The families assigned to the southern front were mostly those classified as power holders in the Cairo Kingdom, so it was wise to retreat without trouble whenever possible.

However, Roman was irritated by Henry's gaze, which was fixed squarely on his face.

"I have no intention of vacating the inn. There is a very simple way to resolve this situation."

His attitude changed.

Dropping his formalities, he unsheathed his sword in plain sight.

"Draw your sword. If you can defeat me, I will gladly vacate the inn."

It was a provocative statement.

Henry's face flushed red.

How dare he show such disrespect and hostility? It was unforgivable.

Just as he was about to draw his sword, the knight beside him turned pale and stopped him.

"My lord, you must stop! The opponent is Roman Dmitri! The one who just became the youngest ranked warrior!"

At those words, Henry's body stiffened.

In that moment, was this the feeling of goosebumps? His eyebrows trembled as he remained in the stance to draw his sword.

'...

That guy is Roman Dmitri?' The youngest ranked warrior of Cairo.

No one was unaware of that name.

It was natural that Dmitri, a family from the outskirts, would not recognize the emblem, but Roman's reputation for defeating Homeros at the age of twenty-five was immense.

The fact that he was still an unofficial ranked warrior did not matter.

If Valhalla's temple acknowledged Roman's ranking, then he was not just a person of mere rumors.

"Draw your sword."

Once again, Roman urged him.

Waiting with a relaxed expression for Henry to draw his sword, Henry swallowed hard.

'If I draw my sword, I will die.' Among the rumors about Roman, there was one that stood out.

During the war with Barco, Roman Dmitri cornered his opponent and, as if that was not enough, went to Barco himself and killed the heir of the family.

That incident became infamous.

A demon without pity or tears who would annihilate his enemies.

Along with the rumors of being a ranked warrior, the fear of Roman Dmitri spread.

Thus, Henry slowly averted his gaze.

His pride was wounded.

As a man of the Albert family, he had lived without knowing how to bow down since childhood, but in a situation where his head might fly off, he had no intention of holding onto his pride.

If his opponent was indeed the subject of rumors, then putting aside pride, avoiding the immediate danger was the priority.

His once proud demeanor vanished.

Henry took a step back and said in a very small voice, "I just remembered I have an appointment. Let’s consider this matter settled with my apology. You should consider yourself lucky. If it were up to me, I would have... Ugh!"

As Roman took a step forward, Henry panicked and dashed out of the inn.

The soldiers, now without a master, had no choice but to follow suit.

As they hurriedly exited the inn, Roman smiled as if it were all a joke.

'Is this the reality of the southern front?'

The southern front.

A vacation spot for noble offspring.

That reality was unfolding before his eyes.

The incident with Henry was not a one-time occurrence.

That day, three similar incidents occurred, and they all hastily retreated at the name Roman Dmitri.

In such a situation, the innkeeper spoke.

"This happens often here. Unlike the western front, which is threatened by the Kronos Empire, the southern front maintains a good relationship with the Hector Kingdom, so there is little danger. Therefore, the noble offspring who cannot avoid their duty to defend the country try to come to the southern front by any means. It’s no wonder it’s called a vacation spot for noble offspring. The training is light, and there’s no need to risk their lives, making it the perfect place to safely fulfill their duty to defend the country."

The western and southern fronts.

Even though they were both war-torn nations, the circumstances were completely different.

The troops dispatched to the western front were truly going to war with their lives on the line, while those on the southern front were mostly idlers with nothing to do.

Because of this, disturbances often occurred at the final stronghold heading to the southern training camp.

Just like Henry, everyone lived comfortably in their own lands, so even if someone had reserved the inn first, they would throw a fit if they wanted to.

It was an amusing situation.

Even before entering the training camp, the reality of the southern front was already visible.

Flapping.

Roman unfolded a map.

It contained information related to the southern front, with each area meticulously recorded.

'Forty-eight days ago, scouts from the Hector Kingdom crossed the border.

They confirmed the situation on the southern front and returned to their country, but since then, they have shown up three more times to check on the southern front.

I cannot be certain if they have a clear intention of war.

However, from the fragmented information I have gathered, the southern front is not merely a safe land.'

War has signals.

Warnings from the Valhalla Intelligence Agency.

The movements of the Hector Kingdom, watching the border.

While this does not directly mean war, there were sufficient signals indicating something was brewing.

For that reason, Roman had been training the soldiers.

If during the two years spent on the southern front, no war broke out, they could spend their time safely, but it was necessary to prepare for the worst-case scenario regardless of probability.

Most people coming to the southern front did not prepare for war, either mentally or physically.

Unlike other troops who made no preparations, Roman and his soldiers had spent the last few months in a hellish time.

If war broke out, he had no intention of relying on the trash who came for a vacation on the southern front.

He would survive on his own and lay the groundwork for future plans.

"War, huh."

From the tip of his nose, he could smell the familiar scent of blood.