The border of Cairo and Hector.
In that vicinity, a group had set up a camp.
It was a secret stronghold hidden from the outside, and the number of people there easily exceeded several hundred.
"We just received a report that we passed through the southern training camp and are heading towards the rear positions. The operation seems to be going well. The Kingdom of Cairo is currently so focused on defending against attacks that they have not noticed our strategy at all," reported a knight.
A man with a calm expression received the report.
Edwin Hector looked over the map spread out on the desk and said, "It is still too early to let our guard down. Tell the commanders attacking Cairo's defensive positions to buy time without letting the enemy give up too easily. What is important to us is not to break down the walls in front of us. If the plan succeeds, we will naturally be able to take control of the southern front."
This operation was all about security.
Therefore, they had spent a whole year understanding the patterns of the southern front's defenses, and before starting the operation, Jackson led a ranger unit to infiltrate the southern front.
It was a very dangerous route, climbing steep mountains, but this morning, Jackson sent a report that he had arrived at the designated location as planned and had hidden himself.
The operation was just beginning.
The Kingdom of Cairo must have been flustered by the surprise attack, but the real intention was hidden within. 'The military strength on the southern front is very weak.
If we had attacked with full force from the beginning, we could have broken down all the defenses of the southern front in at least four hours.
But that alone would not mean we had completely occupied the southern front.
Ultimately, what matters is the existence of the Warp Gate.
If Cairo's main force crosses over to the southern front through there, we will have to fight a tough battle.'
The Kingdom of Cairo.
No matter how careless they were, they did not have no countermeasures.
The Warp Gate was a magical crystal.
It was a means to move across vast distances in an instant, and the appearance of the Warp Gate changed the way wars were fought.
Troops in the south could move to the west, and those in the west could move to the south.
What was physically impossible became possible in the blink of an eye due to the Warp Gate.
Therefore, capturing the Warp Gate on the battlefield was a matter of great importance.
There was the intention to cut off enemy reinforcements, but if they captured a Warp Gate that was functioning normally, they could use it offensively as well.
This was called "Connect."
It was a method of resetting the coordinates of the Warp Gate to use it in reverse, and as a result, explosive devices were usually installed on Warp Gates.
In the rear positions of Cairo, there was a Warp Gate.
That was the reason Roman could reach the south in just ten days, and the Kingdom of Cairo had placed the Warp Gate in the rear to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
Even if they were attacked by the enemy, they believed it was a safe position since they could either call in reinforcements or choose to destroy it while the front-line defenses did their job.
That was Edwin Hector's scheme.
'The Kingdom of Cairo is completely careless right now.
They never expected that we would attack, and they must be in a frenzy due to the visible attacks.
Now is the perfect opportunity.
If Jackson's ranger unit secretly infiltrates the rear positions and captures the Warp Gate, we can swallow the southern front in one fell swoop.' If they succeeded, there would be no defeat in their strategy.
Due to the absence of the Warp Gate, the Kingdom of Cairo would not be able to send troops quickly to the southern front, and if they launched simultaneous attacks from the front and rear in the meantime, the defensive positions would inevitably crumble.
From that point on, it would be a very easy matter.
The moment they took control of the southern front, the Hector Kingdom would gain the initiative.
In the underground of the secret stronghold, there was a Warp Gate that had been painstakingly installed over the course of a year.
The moment Jackson sent a report of success, all the troops here would move to the rear positions.
Edwin Hector said, "We must not rule out the possibility that the operation may fail. Prepare to destroy the Warp Gate in case of the worst situation. If Jackson's operation fails, we will destroy the Warp Gate and move on to the second operation."
"Understood."
The knight bowed his head, thinking. 'The man known as the Star of Hector.
Thanks to Edwin Hector, the Hector Kingdom will rise again.' That was a certainty.
Edwin Hector's birth as a prince was a blessing for the Hector Kingdom.
McBurney woke up quickly.
He had only lost consciousness for a moment due to the relief of being alive, but as the potion's recovery effect kicked in, his senses returned.
"Ugh."
Pain shot through his entire body.
He felt nauseous.
The potion had quickly healed his wounds, but it did not completely prevent aftereffects.
Looking at his abdomen, he saw that the torn skin had been skillfully stitched together.
It seemed someone had treated him while he was unconscious.
"Are you awake?" It was Chris.
At that sight, memories of his last moments suddenly came flooding back.
Just as he was accepting death, Chris's master, Roman Dmitri, had appeared and saved his life. 'How could he have shown up at the southern training camp?'
He was puzzled.
Roman Dmitri had been assigned to the reserve unit of the fifth defensive line.
Before the southern training camp was attacked, the five defensive lines had been in a very precarious situation, and logically, Roman Dmitri had the duty to assist the fifth defensive line, not to be here.
He thought maybe he had fled due to the danger.
He knew Roman Dmitri was not that kind of person, but the battlefield often revealed unexpected natures.
McBurney asked straightforwardly what had happened.
The answer he received surprised him.
"Upon hearing that the Hector Kingdom attacked, we immediately headed to the fifth defensive line. And there..."
The story was brief.
It was different from his worries.
Instead of fleeing, they had actually repelled the enemy, and McBurney was genuinely impressed.
"That's truly impressive."
He meant it.
The sudden attack from Hector.
They must not have had time to prepare, yet Roman Dmitri had made the most ideal judgment and achieved the result of defeating the enemy.
The decisiveness and strength he had shown during that process were evident even without witnessing it firsthand. 'As expected.' The only one preparing for war.
Roman did not disappoint.
The fact that someone like him was on the southern front was a great comfort to McBurney.
The conversation could not continue any further.
Roman stepped outside the building.
Roman checked on McBurney's condition.
Finding no special issues, he immediately got to the point.
"Explain in detail what happened at the southern training camp."
"Understood."
He rummaged through his memories.
His physical condition was terrible, but he clearly remembered the events of that time.
"The attack from the Hector Kingdom occurred about two hours ago. We were preparing for the next batch of training as usual when the soldiers from the Hector Kingdom suddenly appeared and attacked us. We quickly summoned our troops to resist the enemy, but the difference in strength was so great that we had no way to hold out. The result is as you can see. We were unilaterally slaughtered, and we do not know the fate of the commander of the southern training camp, Lord Vale."
Two hours.
That was an important point.
The fact that they could attack so quickly meant that the enemy had likely infiltrated the southern front in advance.
"Were there any peculiarities in the enemy's attire?"
"Everyone was wearing light armor. And the face of the person who seemed to be the enemy commander was covered in scars."
"Covered in scars?"
"Yes."
Light armor.
A scarred face.
A specific individual came to mind.
While investigating the southern front, Roman had also noted the key figures of the Hector Kingdom.
"It could be the ranger unit."
"Ah!" McBurney's eyes widened.
He felt he had heard of it before.
The ranger unit of the Hector Kingdom.
It was said that their leader wore the scars from numerous battles like medals.
It was a piece of old knowledge that he could barely recall, but he was surprised that Roman recognized it right away.
However, that alone did not resolve his doubts.
McBurney asked, "If it's the ranger unit, they might have infiltrated the southern front in advance. But I don't understand why they attacked the southern training camp. If they had captured a favorable position, it would be natural to use that advantage to quickly break down the front-line defenses. Yet they moved in the opposite direction. Instead of advancing, they attacked the southern training camp, which is located on the path to the rear."
"You're right."
"What does that mean...?"
"The southern training camp was on the path to the rear positions, so you had no choice but to be attacked."
McBurney was flustered.
To him, Roman revealed the truth.
"The Hector Kingdom is currently using a smoke screen operation. The attack on the front-line defenses is merely a ruse. Their real objective is the Warp Gate located in the rear positions."
That was a shocking truth.
When Roman first met the soldiers of the southern training camp, he thought, 'The fact that the enemy attacked the southern training camp means that their real destination is not the front-line defenses.
Following this path leads only to the rear positions.
What could their purpose be? If I'm not careful, I could be surrounded from both sides.' He formed a hypothesis.
If they were attacking while using a smoke screen operation, the reason must be related to the Warp Gate, which could create variables.
At that time, it was just a hypothesis.
And he gained certainty by interrogating Hector's soldiers. 'The Hector Kingdom has a strong conviction about this war.
If they succeed, they have a guaranteed winning strategy.
That is to capture the Warp Gate in the rear.
If that operation succeeds, the Hector Kingdom can not only block Cairo's reinforcements but also use it offensively in return.'
The Warp Gate.
It was the most surprising aspect of learning about the new world.
The magical crystal that bypassed space made Roman realize that magic was as formidable as martial arts.
Edwin Hector.
His strategy had been discovered by an unexpected presence.
McBurney suddenly stood up.
His face contorted in extreme pain, but that was not what mattered now.
"If that's the strategy, shouldn't we help the rear positions right away? I will lend my strength as well."
"No." Roman shook his head.
McBurney spoke.
The timing of the ranger unit's attack was two hours ago.
If so, he could reach one conclusion.
"The ranger unit of the Hector Kingdom attacked the southern training camp and left an hour and a half ago. At that point, they would have already executed their operation. McBurney, have you received any reports of attacks from the rear positions?"
"Could it be...?"
"Yes."
Knowing the truth, Roman did not rush.
To be precise, there was no reason to hurry.
"They have been preparing for war with us for a long time, and by now, they must have captured the Warp Gate. What we need to do from now on is clear. Soon, enemies will appear in the rear, and the forces of the southern front, including us, will be completely isolated. We must fight and survive against the Hector Kingdom here without the kingdom's help."
As expected.
At that moment, the ranger unit of Hector had succeeded in capturing the Warp Gate.