In the Kingdom of Hector, they were once a powerful nation, comparable to the Kronos Empire.
With a strong defense, they grew rapidly, but they fell into despair after suffering a devastating defeat in the war against Valhalla, emerging from the barren jungle region.
Now, they were no different from the Kingdom of Cairo.
No matter what decisions they made, they had to be wary of the Empire, becoming one of the six kingdoms on the continent.
In such a state, they were secretly holding a meeting in the palace, far from prying eyes.
A man with a scarred face, Jackson, the captain of the Ranger unit, knelt before King Hector and reported the information he had gathered.
"In the past year, the Ranger unit has confirmed the southern front of the Kingdom of Cairo a total of 48 times. The southern front consists of five defensive lines, but they are so focused on defending the western front, where they are in conflict with the Kronos Empire, that they have completely neglected the southern front.
The guards at each defensive line usually change shifts every four hours, but perhaps due to the belief that they have maintained peaceful relations with the Kingdom of Hector, both the number of guards and their vigilance have significantly decreased. I can assert that capturing the southern front will not be a difficult task."
Indeed, it was a situation where a bloodless entry was possible.
Whenever he hid in the bushes to check the city walls, he couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of guards dozing off or drinking.
Long ago, when the Kingdom of Hector was still called a great power, such complacency from the Kingdom of Cairo would not have been tolerated.
Back then, they guarded the borders with as much tension as they did on the western front.
However, as time passed and the Kingdom of Hector lost its strength, the Kingdom of Cairo began to see Hector as just another weak nation, one that trembled daily at the thought of foreign invasions and dared not think of invasion itself.
"Father, may I speak?" In the palace, besides King Hector and Jackson, there was another man.
A man with red hair, Edwin Hector, the only son of King Hector.
"Speak."
"In the past five years, the Kingdom of Hector has experienced unprecedented poor harvests. The land has dried up due to drought, and on days when it seemed like it might rain, strong winds swept away the crops. Moreover, the money borrowed from the Golden Bank to solve these problems has turned into a massive burden due to interest, choking us. The Kingdom of Hector can no longer endure. The national treasury has long been empty, and if things continue like this, we will lose our meaning as a kingdom."
"... I am not unaware of that fact."
King Hector's expression was one of despair.
The previous kings must have started wars to fulfill grand dreams, but the consequences of their defeat fell squarely on the shoulders of their descendants.
King Hector was a perfect victim.
Since he ascended to the throne, the situation in the Kingdom of Hector had not been good, and while struggling to manage the country, recent problems had finally erupted.
People said it was the heavens' wrath.
Seeing the people sitting on the cracked, dried land, shedding tears, the time for a decision had come.
Edwin spoke again.
"Since our defeat in the war against the Valhalla Empire, the history of the Kingdom of Hector has been marked by a resolve never to repeat the same mistakes, leading us to avoid war. But that is not the case now. We live in the present, and for the sake of our despairing citizens, we must do whatever it takes.
The defeats spoken of in history are not our experiences. We have prepared extensively over the past year, and our opponent is not the Valhalla Empire but the Kingdom of Cairo. For the sake of the kingdom, you must make a decision now."
War.
It was a word that could hardly be uttered.
King Hector, often seen as weak, was also known for his cautious nature.
Thus, it had taken a year for the topic of war to be brought up and discussed seriously. 'Is that man truly my son?' Edwin Hector did not resemble his father.
He was strong, inheriting the bloodline of the once-great Hector royal family.
Seeing the burning desire in his son's eyes, King Hector cautiously opened his mouth.
"... Are you confident?"
"Yes. If I were not certain, I would not have brought it up in the first place."
"I understand."
With a clap, he rose from the throne.
The Kingdom of Hector was on the brink.
As the saying goes, heroes are born in chaotic times; Edwin's rise felt like an unavoidable fate.
"I will entrust all authority regarding this war to you, Edwin Hector."
"Thank you, Father."
At last, the Kingdom of Hector had made its decision.
At that time, the southern training camp had completed three weeks of training.
In front of hundreds of trainees, Count Vale was tasked with delivering the tedious speech for the graduation ceremony.
"You have all worked hard. Unlike the western front, the southern front is not a place where battles occur daily. After being assigned to the reserve unit, you will spend days more boring than you can imagine, but you must not forget that you are soldiers tasked with protecting the Kingdom of Cairo. Letting your guard down invites disaster. I hope your time spent on the southern front will be remembered as peaceful days."
He repeated the same words like a parrot.
Count Vale concluded the graduation ceremony with insincere words.
Immediately after the ceremony ended, he called Roman aside.
Just like when they first met, he brought sweet coffee from the command room and said with a kind smile, "You will be assigned to the reserve unit of the fifth defensive line starting today. You must have heard what the other nobles say. That place is a paradise where every noble hopes to be assigned when entering the southern training camp, and it is the most comfortable life you can have as a soldier, even with restrictions on your freedom. And... ahem, I used a bit of my connections to send you to the fifth defensive line."
He had heard the rumors.
In the shadows, nobles sang praises of the fifth defensive line.
It was known as the most comfortable place in the southern front, making it difficult to be assigned there without connections.
Count Vale usually exerted his influence for a special price.
However, this time, he was in a position where he needed to show goodwill first, and he felt the need to express his favor directly.
"Thank you."
"What is there to thank between us? I merely did what was natural. I have said before, I do not desire much. I just want you to have a comfortable life in the southern training camp, and later, when you become a person of Marquis Benedict, I would like it to be said that 'there was a Count Vale Frank.' That is all I wish for. So, if you need anything while staying on the southern front, do not hesitate to contact me. My position as the commander of the southern training camp can help you with many things."
Count Vale smiled playfully.
Roman nodded, finishing the conversation with insincere pleasantries.
After leaving the command room, there was one more person looking for Roman.
It was McBurney.
The chief instructor of the southern training camp spoke to Roman with an expression different from usual.
"... Thank you for everything. In fact, there has been no noble as passionate about training as you, Roman Dmitri, since I took charge of the southern training camp. Thanks to you, I have realized what I am working for, and I believe I can teach the trainees with even more passion in the future. And this is a small token of my appreciation, which I thought might help."
McBurney handed over a shabby book and a map.
When Roman looked at him with a questioning gaze, McBurney added an explanation.
"This is a compilation of information and terrain about the southern front. If, by any chance, a war breaks out on the southern front, this information will be necessary. Of course, the best situation would be to spend two years peacefully. I also wish for your safe return, Roman Dmitri."
"Thank you."
Roman accepted the gesture with a smile.
At that moment, McBurney's heart raced.
He wanted to follow Roman.
As someone who had once been a warrior, Roman Dmitri was a person worth dedicating his life to.
However, 'I would only be a hindrance.' As a one-armed man, he could not wield a sword properly with his left hand.
Roman Dmitri was destined for greatness, already surrounded by outstanding talents like Chris and Kevin.
There was no place for him.
If he could not contribute, he would only be a burden, so he thought it best to remain in the southern training camp, where he could actively utilize his abilities.
Thus, their conversation came to an end.
Roman moved on.
It was time to head to the reserve unit of the fifth defensive line, but as he watched McBurney walk away, he took something out of his pocket. 'Lucas had said he worked hard to obtain this.' It was a map, one that recorded information about the southern front.
It was very similar to the one McBurney had gifted him.
In fact, Roman already possessed McBurney's gift.
He had gathered information before coming to the southern front, so it was not a gift he particularly needed.
Yet, he smiled, genuinely grateful.
Just like the existing map, he carefully kept it close to him.
There was no special reason.
Because it was McBurney's sincerity.
Roman believed that pure goodwill was worth respecting in itself.
The troop assignments were completed.
On the way to their respective units, Henry walked with a sluggish gait. 'I have to move on my own two feet.
At the very least, shouldn't the nobles provide us with a carriage?' His feet ached.
With soft feet that had never experienced hardship, moving along a long road without any calluses made him sweat and feel parched already.
However, he could not complain and demand a carriage.
While it was not impossible to use Count Vale's connections, the problem lay with one person within his sight: Roman Dmitri.
He seemed content with the current situation, walking ahead with the soldiers.
'Sigh.
How did my situation come to this?' The evening before, Count Vale had called Henry aside.
He emphasized once again the words he had repeated countless times.
"Henry, I have specially assigned you to the reserve unit of the fifth defensive line, alongside Roman Dmitri. For the next two years, you must form a close relationship with Roman Dmitri, no matter what. Remember, this issue is of great importance to your uncle's future, and even if he is your cousin, if you do not do your job properly, I will have no choice but to be angry."
Dizziness struck him.
Being assigned to the reserve unit of the fifth defensive line was very good news.
Had it ended there, he would have walked with a smile, but the thought of spending time with Roman Dmitri irritated him.
But what could he do? Reality was already upon him.
To make a good impression on Roman, Henry chose to suppress his complaints and walk alongside the soldiers, enduring his thirst.
After walking for a while, they finally arrived at their destination.
However, the scene there was different from what he had expected.
"Deng deng deng!"
"Emergency! Emergency!"
"Everyone, prepare for deployment!"
It was chaos.
The emergency signal rang, and the frantic movement of soldiers turned the place into a frenzy.
At that moment, Henry did not understand what was happening.
He wondered if it was a simulated training, but when an officer from the reserve unit approached and spoke, Henry's expression turned pale.
"All five defensive lines on the southern front are under attack! The Kingdom of Hector has declared war!"
War.
At the mere mention of that word, Henry's heart sank.