One hour earlier.
At the time when the sun was high in the sky, the soldiers of Cairo stationed at the first defensive line gazed lazily at the border, their expressions no different from any other day.
Guard duty was always a continuous stretch of boredom.
Not a single ant was in sight, and the dullness of standing guard alongside a taciturn comrade only amplified the tedium.
Eventually, the marksman could no longer endure the monotony.
The senior soldier sat down on the ground, leaned his head against the wall, and spoke in a blunt voice, “I’ll take a nap, so let me know if anyone comes or when the shift ends.” “Understood.” It was a routine situation.
In the southern front, where no one came, there was no need for the two to stay awake and watch the border.
How much time had passed? The junior soldier urgently called out to the senior soldier. “Hey, wake up! You need to see this!” “What the hell… Huh?!” The senior soldier, roused from his slumber, was about to express his anger, but upon seeing the scene outside the walls, he was momentarily speechless.
In the distance, a multitude of people approached the first defensive line.
At a glance, they were armed forces, and at their forefront fluttered a flag symbolizing the Hector Kingdom.
His mind felt completely paralyzed.
For about ten seconds, the senior soldier stared blankly at the sight before him, then snapped back to reality and shouted at the junior soldier, “Contact the commander immediately! Hurry!” “Ah, understood!” Panic set in.
Even at the very front line, it took considerable time for the commander to be informed of the enemy's appearance.
Only when the approaching troops were quite close did the unprepared commander rush up, breathless. “What in the world is happening?” Count Donald, the commander of the first defensive line, checked the border with a pale face.
It was as reported.
The Hector Kingdom was advancing, and if things continued like this, they would soon attack the walls.
According to the manual, they should have launched an immediate counterattack.
Utilizing the defensive weapons prepared on the walls to block the enemy's approach was the primary response, yet even as the soldiers readied their arrows, he hesitated to give the command. ‘…Do they really intend to declare war on Cairo?’ The relationship between Hector and Cairo was not particularly bad.
Especially since the Hector Kingdom had recently been in a difficult situation, there was no reason for them to engage in war at this time.
Perhaps it was merely a military exercise or some other purpose.
If they truly intended to go to war, there was no reason to march openly with their flag waving in such broad daylight.
Moreover, the Hector Kingdom had no justification.
Just as it was important in noble society, justification was essential for war between nations.
His mind became a tangled mess.
The taut arrows awaited the commander's order, but Count Donald ultimately swallowed his command. ‘If I give a hasty order, it might lead to war.
That’s a problem an ordinary noble cannot bear.
For now, it seems that the Hector Kingdom is approaching with their flag raised, which could be interpreted as a willingness to negotiate.
Let’s talk to the commander of the Hector Kingdom first.
It wouldn’t be too late to make a decision then.’
Count Donald, a typical puppet commander with no experience in war, finally said, “For now, lower your bows. If we show that we have no intention to fight, the Hector Kingdom will respond to negotiations.” He had truly made a foolish mistake.
The Hector Kingdom had no intention of negotiating at all.
As they drew closer to the walls, the drums of war sounded, and they ordered a full charge.
Boom! Boom! “Charge!” “Attack!” In an instant, chaos erupted.
The soldiers of Hector rushed forward with siege weapons, and the sudden turn of events left the Cairo soldiers bewildered, unsure of how to respond.
War had begun.
It was a sight they had never imagined would occur on the southern front, making it hard to accept that this was reality.
Eventually, Count Donald regained his senses.
What he had thought impossible had become reality, and now they had to prevent the enemy from breaching the walls to survive. “Everyone, fire arrows!” “Fire!” Pata-pata-pata! Hundreds of arrows soared high into the sky, raining down like a storm upon the enemy.
Contrary to the threatening image, the enemy suffered minimal casualties.
The soldiers of the Hector Kingdom had raised their shields in preparation, and the accuracy of the arrows was embarrassingly poor.
Most arrows barely flew far before hitting the ground, and those that reached the enemy were blocked by shields.
This was not merely a training issue.
While some soldiers had been lax in their training, others had been drinking during the day, their faces flushed.
Had they known a war would break out, they would never have touched alcohol.
But the war had come suddenly, and with their bodies unsteady, they could hardly shoot arrows properly.
It was a mess.
As the enemy approached, they had barely managed to inflict any damage, and other problems arose from all sides of the walls. “We’re out of arrows!” “Quickly, bring more arrows!” “The magical weapons aren’t working!” “Damn it!” It was a complete disaster.
Some soldiers ran to fetch arrows because they hadn’t set them up in advance, and the magical weapons purchased years ago were gathering dust and not functioning.
This scene showed just how complacent Cairo had been.
Unlike the western front, where one could die at any moment from carelessness, the southern front had become so comfortable that they had neglected even the most basic defenses of the frontline border.
Ultimately, ladders were placed against the walls.
As the enemy climbed quickly, Count Donald realized the mistake he had made. ‘At this rate, we won’t last long.’ His complexion turned pale.
It was clearly a disadvantageous situation.
Judging that the first defensive line could not hold, he shouted at a soldier, “Contact the reserve troops immediately! Send everyone stationed at the reserve to the first defensive line, and report to the royal family that the Hector Kingdom has declared a surprise war! Time is of the essence. Move quickly!”
The fire was lit under his feet.
War had become a reality.
Now, it was time to pay the price for their negligence.
At that moment, news of the attack on the fifth defensive line reached Henry and the soldiers, who were moving quickly. “Huff, huff.” They were out of breath.
After walking for a long time, trying to run at full speed without resting made them feel dizzy.
The distance between the fifth defensive line and the reserve troops was farther than expected.
According to the officer’s explanation, it would take about two hours to walk, meaning they had to run desperately for at least an hour from now. ‘Do the guys on the southern front really have no sense? If the reserve troops are meant to quickly support the defensive line in emergencies, they shouldn’t be stationed more than an hour away, right? Damn, stupid bastards.’ Anger boiled within him.
Just a day ago, Henry had thought it was good that the reserve troops were in a quiet place, but he had completely forgotten his past.
Reality was too harsh.
Yet, Henry could not see Roman and his troops anywhere. ‘If it’s Roman Dmitri, he should arrive soon, right?’ Immediately after hearing the news of war, Roman had led his troops and rushed out.
It hadn’t even taken three minutes for him to disappear from Henry’s sight.
Though he gritted his teeth and tried to keep up, Roman vanished in an instant.
For some reason, Henry felt a moment of embarrassment.
He had mocked Roman Dmitri for being foolish while resting in the shade with other nobles, but now, as war broke out, the difference in stamina was evident from the start.
In contrast, Henry and his soldiers were all panting just like him.
They all looked like they were about to die.
Running under the hot sun without rest made Henry feel as if he would become dehydrated.
Eventually, Henry collapsed onto the ground.
The embarrassment was brief.
Compromising with reality, he gasped heavily and said, “Huff, huff. Everyone stop! Huff, let’s take a break!” If they didn’t hurry, the fifth defensive line would be in danger.
But what could he do? His heart felt like it was about to burst.
As always, Henry simply lay down flat.
The first place to be attacked was the first defensive line.
However, the place that faced the crisis of collapse before them was the fifth defensive line.
Bang! Crash! “The gate has been breached!” “Stop them!” The gate was shattered.
The steel gate had become very weak due to neglect, and after a few strikes from the Hector soldiers with their siege weapons, the gate swung wide open.
From that moment on, hell began.
With the enemy climbing the ladders and pouring in like a tide through the broken gate, screams echoed from all directions.
The commander of the fifth defensive line, Baron Bruce, stepped back with a pale face. ‘This is the end.’ The southern front had earned the nickname paradise for a reason.
Baron Bruce was a thoroughly rotten individual, providing a comfortable life in exchange for bribes while not imposing any military duties on the personnel of the fifth defensive line.
The risk involved? What problem could arise when a war wasn’t even expected? Once again, he had accepted a bribe from Count Vale, placing useless nobles as reserve troops at the fifth defensive line, and just that morning, he had felt good about receiving his reward.
Thus, he understood.
Even if the reserve troops arrived, they could not turn the current situation around. ‘Holding the fifth defensive line until the end is an act of suicide.
To survive, I must abandon this place and flee.’ His judgment was swift.
There was no time to hesitate and risk death.
Baron Bruce shouted, “Hold your positions until the end! If this place falls, innocent lives will be in danger! Everyone, risk your lives and do not retreat!” He shouted, veins bulging in his neck.
He had no intention of risking his life at all.
However, wouldn’t they need people to buy time?
Baron Bruce drove the unaware into a trap and quickly fled from their sight. “Commander! Where are you going?” “I intend to contact the royal family directly. So buy me some time.” Some tried to stop Baron Bruce along the way.
He lied to them.
No matter how their testimonies turned out later, he judged that saving his own life was the priority.
Baron Bruce was fat.
Normally, he would be out of breath after just a minute of running.
But today, he was truly fast.
Quickly escaping the fifth defensive line, Baron Bruce ran without stopping, sweating profusely. ‘I must flee all the way to the rear.
Once I reach the rear position, I should be safe from the Hector Kingdom.’
How long had he run? At that moment, Baron Bruce spotted a group rushing toward him.
At the forefront was none other than Roman Dmitri.