Steven introduced a soldier.
"This is a local from around here. He knows the terrain perfectly, so he will be useful as a guide."
"My name is Kobe," the soldier said, his dark face showing determination.
Roman accepted Kobe's greeting and moved to the command room, where he spread a map on the table.
"Here is the map of the southern front. What is the fastest route to the rear position?"
"…The rear position, you say?" Kobe's eyes widened in surprise.
According to Steven's explanation, Roman had said he needed help to assist another defensive line.
Therefore, the destination should have been the defensive line, but suddenly mentioning the rear position raised questions.
There was no need to explain the reason.
However, to encourage cooperation, Roman shared his thoughts.
"I don't believe the defensive positions on the southern front can hold out for long. Even if we move quickly, one of them will surely collapse. In such a situation, we are likely to be isolated at the defensive position. Therefore, I plan to move to the rear position first. After joining the troops at the rear, I will assess the situation at the defensive positions and respond accordingly."
"…Ah!" Kobe couldn't help but admire Roman's practical judgment.
It was true, as Roman said.
With such a small force, they couldn't resolve all the threats on the southern front.
Kobe's gaze turned to the map.
As he searched for the fastest route to the rear position, he pointed to one path and said, "I think it would be best to go this way. If we follow this road, we can arrive in as little as three hours."
Among the many paths leading to the rear position, this was the safest route.
However, Roman shook his head.
"No. We don't have the luxury of seeking a safe path. What we need now is time, and to shorten our arrival time, we must endure difficulties like steep slopes and obstacles."
"Hmm, then how about this path?" It was a route that went around the mountains.
Compared to the first suggested path, the terrain was much more rugged, but it allowed for a quicker arrival by cutting through the mountains.
If the first path took three hours, this one would take two and a half.
Roman's expression showed no sign of satisfaction, which surprised Kobe.
"As far as I know, moving through this path would take about two and a half hours by general standards. That is not enough. My soldiers can maintain a fast pace in any terrain. Therefore, we need a shortcut that can get us to the rear position in under two hours."
At that moment, Kobe felt something strange. '…Huh?' Two suggestions, two responses.
Kobe looked up at Roman with a bewildered expression, realizing Roman's thorough understanding of the paths.
The first path was obvious even to someone who wasn't a local.
Just looking at the map, it was clear it was flat terrain, and Roman had every right to demand a faster route.
However, the second path was different. 'How does he know that the mountain route would take about two and a half hours? That’s not just a simple guess.
It’s a statement made with confidence in his calculations, which means he has some understanding of the geography of the southern front.
But why did he choose me as a guide?'
Kobe was puzzled.
He was curious about what Roman Dmitri was thinking.
"…I didn't know you knew the paths so well," he asked indirectly.
Even though Roman seemed knowledgeable, he wanted to know why he had called for him.
Without taking his eyes off the map, Roman replied calmly, "I have been stationed on the southern front for a while and have studied this area. I wanted to understand how the battlefield I would be living in for two years is structured and what the terrain is like. I have studied a lot to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. I don’t have a complete grasp of everything, but I am familiar with the basics that others would know."
After hearing about Valhalla, Roman had ordered Lucas to gather information about the southern front.
It wasn't just to confirm the signals of war.
He had assessed the current situation of the southern front and checked the various paths leading to each defensive position.
When the fifth defensive line was attacked, Roman arrived at the battlefield in just over an hour.
People thought he had run at full speed to arrive quickly on a path that would normally take two hours, but the truth was he had used a shortcut he had in mind.
Recently, he had received information from McBurney.
It was similar to what Lucas had provided but more detailed, allowing him to know the paths of the southern front as well as a local.
Kobe found Roman's response even more confusing.
If he was this knowledgeable, he didn't seem to need his help at all.
"When you received my call from Steven, you probably thought I was ignorant about the southern front," Roman said.
"Oh, no, I didn’t think that."
"You don’t need to be so flustered. It’s normal to think that way. When I told Steven I needed someone knowledgeable about the southern front, it was because the information I received through documents might differ from reality.
The information I confirmed said that the second path would take two and a half hours. But what if the weather is bad or there have been recent changes to that path? That would require knowledge of the reality that cannot be found in documents.
That’s why I said I needed your help. I thought you might know special paths that only locals would know. Is that explanation sufficient?"
"Yes?! I, I understand perfectly," Kobe stammered.
He felt as if his thoughts had been read.
Roman understood why Kobe had asked and hoped to gain his full cooperation by clearing up his doubts.
Kobe saw Roman in a new light.
Many nobles had been assigned to the southern front, but none were like Roman. 'He is different from those nobles who come to the southern front for a comfortable life.
This man is truly prepared for war.
If I can help him realize his intentions, there will surely be hope for the southern front.'
Kobe felt a surge of confidence.
He examined the map and then pointed to a spot.
"If you are truly confident in moving quickly regardless of the terrain, I can assure you this path is the best choice. It’s a route I secretly used with my friends since childhood. If we push through the dense underbrush, we can reach the rear position in under two hours. However, you must be very careful. If you misstep even slightly, you could fall off a steep cliff."
That was the type of response Roman had been waiting for, signaling the end of the meeting.
The meeting lasted exactly ten minutes.
When Roman left the command room, his soldiers were already prepared and lined up.
"Chris and 30 others are ready," came the sharp response.
However, beside the disciplined soldiers stood an unwelcome face.
"Henry Albert and 50 others are ready," Henry announced.
He glanced at Chris, trying to mimic his actions.
Of course, there was a significant difference in their demeanor, but Henry made an effort to appear serious.
Roman asked, "What are you doing here?"
Roman was not pleased with Henry's presence.
While having more troops was good, in a time-sensitive situation, the ragtag group following Henry would be of no help.
Moreover, considering Henry's earlier misbehavior during their first meeting, there was no need for further explanation.
Henry himself knew this but couldn't speak the truth. 'If I say I want to get close to someone who will become a key figure in Dmitri's future, they would tell me to leave immediately.'
Henry's true feelings were conflicted.
What he needed now was a proper act.
"First, I apologize for my previous mistakes. The reason I shamelessly want to follow you, Lord Roman, is that I am also a citizen of Cairo. The Hector Kingdom has declared war. I believe I must lend my strength as a noble of Cairo in a situation where innocent people are dying. Just give me your orders, and I will do my utmost to assist you with my life on the line."
He raised his voice, speaking as if he were invoking noblesse oblige.
He stood tall and proud.
It was truly a ridiculous scene.
Roman knew that Henry Albert was not someone who would move without any purpose.
Roman said, "It is your choice to follow me. However, I will not give you any orders, and whether you can keep up depends on your abilities. Let me make one thing clear: if you become any hindrance to my plans, I will cut the chains that bind me and move on."
It was a chilling warning.
With that, Roman turned sharply.
"Chris."
"Yes."
The soldiers followed Roman.
It was time to set out.
Despite Roman's warning, Henry followed him.
However, he quickly fell behind.
With his poor stamina, he couldn't keep up with Roman even on flat ground, let alone on a steep shortcut.
There was no need for special conversation as they moved.
Roman and Kobe took the lead, moving quickly under Kobe's guidance.
They pushed through the dense underbrush.
It was definitely not a typical path.
It was a route that people rarely traveled, and without Kobe's help, they wouldn't have even known it existed.
After some time, they heard a strange sound.
"…Ugh."
It was the groan of a person.
Roman halted the soldiers.
The sound came from a distance away from the shortcut, but he deemed it necessary to investigate the source of the groan.
"Is that…?"
"That's a soldier from the southern training camp!" Roman's soldiers recognized him immediately.
He was one of the soldiers who had been controlling the training under McBurney's orders.
However, the soldier's condition was utterly tragic.
His clothes were stained with blood, and his pale face looked like someone on the brink of death.
Roman rushed over to check the soldier's condition, attempting basic first aid and pouring potions on the severely injured areas.
But it was already too late.
Seeing the soldier's dying state, Roman asked, "What happened?"
The soldier looked up at Roman with dim eyes.
In a moment of clarity, he focused on Roman and spoke in a desperate voice, "The southern training camp… was attacked. Please, help us. Please…!"
With those final words, his body slumped.
After struggling to speak, he accepted his fate.
'The southern training camp was attacked?' It was an unexpected situation.
The southern training camp was closer to the rear position than the front defensive line.
Yet, it had been attacked.
Before Roman left the fifth defensive line, he had not heard any news of other defensive lines being breached.
'Since the soldier from the southern training camp managed to escape here, the attack must have happened at least 30 minutes ago.
That means the situation is independent of the defense line's ability to hold.
The Hector Kingdom must have launched a simultaneous attack on all five defensive lines, deploying fast-moving troops to execute the assault.'
Why would they carry out such an operation? It didn't make sense in terms of timing, and he couldn't guess their intentions.
In an instant, a possibility arose in Roman's mind. '…If my assumptions are correct, we may not have as much time on the southern front as we thought.'
The Hector Kingdom had not attacked recklessly.
It was clear that they had executed this attack after thorough preparation.
Rising from his position, Roman declared, "Let's head to the southern training camp."
"Understood."
Right now, helping the southern training camp was the priority.