One year ago.

Captain Jackson of the Ranger Corps remembered the day he had a conversation with Edwin Hector.

"Jackson. The Hector Kingdom can no longer withstand the pressure. With the interest from the Golden Bank increasing day by day, if next year brings another poor harvest, the national treasury will be empty. Therefore, I would like to propose something to you. How about we seize the southern front of the Cairo Kingdom together?"

It was a bold suggestion.

The rumors about Hector's Star were true; Edwin Hector was indeed an extraordinary figure.

Yet, he spoke of attacking the Cairo Kingdom as if it were a trivial matter.

His tone and demeanor made it seem as if the Cairo Kingdom would fall into their hands with just a nod.

At that time, Jackson naturally refused.

Even if Cairo was a small nation like Hector, it was impossible to topple a war nation without any losses.

Two hours.

That was how long it took Jackson to accept the proposal.

Upon hearing the plan that Edwin Hector had devised, he realized it was not just baseless talk.

It might actually be possible.

Rumors circulated that Hector was cursed by the gods due to the continuous poor harvests, and to resolve the current situation, a drastic yet certain method was needed.

In that sense, Edwin Hector's presence was like a refreshing rain in a drought.

He was hailed as the greatest genius in Hector's history, undoubtedly a hero born in troubled times.

Thus, a year passed.

They steadily advanced their plans.

They planted spies and dug tunnels to the rear positions, and Jackson's Ranger Corps successfully infiltrated secretly.

Edwin Hector had said, "We cannot help but win this war. For a year, we have conducted 48 reconnaissance missions. The Cairo Kingdom has never once realized that we were watching the southern front. I do not believe they can see through our smoke screen operation and protect the warp gate. What we need is an attitude of vigilance. Step by step, as planned. If we cut off the communication devices at the southern training camp and enter through the tunnels, the warp gate at the southern front will fall into our hands."

It was like magic.

Just as planned, Jackson stood before the warp gate.

"Thud!"

"Ugh!"

He swiftly assassinated the soldier guarding the warp gate.

Simultaneous assassinations echoed with screams, and Jackson rushed straight to the warp gate without clearing the bodies.

From now on, it was a race against time.

If they were discovered by the enemy before successfully connecting, they would be annihilated, but if they succeeded, they would win the war.

"Hurry."

The technician began working quickly.

It was a tense moment.

If the Cairo Kingdom had been on high alert, they should have already been discovered, yet they were still reeling from the news of the front line being attacked.

Finally.

"……We did it!"

The warp gate shone brightly.

Soon, through the blinding white light, Edwin Hector appeared.

One step forward.

He set foot on the land of Cairo.

The sight of Edwin Hector's red hair fluttering in the wind made the soldiers of the Ranger Corps kneel in unison.

"We greet Prince Edwin Hector."

Their voices surged with passion.

In this operation, the soldiers of the Ranger Corps had set out with a single determination to sacrifice their lives for the Hector Kingdom.

They had prepared with such dedication, and in the end, they achieved the results everyone had hoped for.

It felt as if they had already won the war.

Some soldiers teared up with emotion, while others stood tall with rising pride.

However, Edwin Hector did not smile at all.

As he walked forward, he asked Jackson, "What is the situation?"

"Most of the troops at the rear positions have been dispatched to the front line. As expected, due to Cairo's complicated command structure, reinforcements have yet to arrive. Now is the time for opportunity. If you give the order, we will completely seize the rear positions."

The Cairo Kingdom.

Their fragmented power structure caused problems even in urgent situations.

More than two hours had passed since the southern front was attacked, and they had not sent reinforcements, allowing the Hector Kingdom to safely seize the warp gate.

From now on, time was on Hector's side.

Cairo had no way to send reinforcements, so they needed to handle matters carefully, even if it took time.

"Kellan."

"Yes."

The knight following behind stepped forward.

"I will entrust you with one battalion. Eliminate the remnants at the rear positions and fortify the defenses in preparation for Cairo sending troops to the ground. We cannot predict how long we will stay at the southern front. It could be a week, a month, or even a year. Therefore, we must prepare for the worst-case scenario."

"I will obey."

Kellan stepped back.

Some of the soldiers emerging through the warp gate followed Kellan in another direction.

"Jackson."

"Speak."

"I have lost contact with Baron McCleary, who is in charge of the fifth defense line. Do you know anything about it?"

"I have not yet grasped the exact situation, but it seems they are too occupied with the battle to receive any communication. There is no need to worry too much. It is the fifth defense line, after all. The commander of Cairo is known for having the most problems even at the southern front, so it seems they believe they can break through the fifth defense line with only a portion of their troops."

Jackson halted his steps.

Edwin Hector's expression twisted.

"I told you not to force an attack under any circumstances. Am I wrong?"

"……That is correct."

"Once this operation is over, regardless of the outcome, I will punish Baron McCleary separately. Do you agree?"

"Yes, I agree."

He nodded.

Edwin Hector disliked plans going awry.

Yet, even he did not consider the possibility that Baron McCleary had been defeated.

It was inevitable.

The fifth defense line was the weakest at the southern front, and in all calculations, no variables were expected to arise there.

Edwin Hector said, "From now on, everyone except for one battalion will deal with the remnants of Cairo isolated at the southern front. The war is not over. Until we plant the Hector flag at the southern front, do not let your guard down for even a moment."

"I will obey!"

At that time, the Hector Kingdom was unaware of the existence of variables.

Not one, but two variables had arisen.

The first defense line.

Fortunately, they had overcome the crisis.

The fierce counterattack from the Cairo Kingdom had forced the enemies to retreat, allowing them a moment to catch their breath.

"Quickly repair the walls before the enemy attacks again! Our lives depend on this! Hurry!"

Count Donald shouted as he moved around.

The walls were under repair.

The enemy had been probing here and there, causing some sections of the walls to collapse, and especially the main gate was nearly breached.

It was fortunate that the Hector Kingdom had not been overly greedy.

If they had pressed on with their attack despite the damage, one side would have had to fight with the resolve to be annihilated.

Once things settled down a bit, Count Donald let out a sigh of relief.

At that moment, a soldier approached and said, "Commander, we have received a message from the southern training camp."

"Connect me."

He moved quickly.

Upon arriving at the command room, preparations had already been made to receive the call.

[Count Donald, I am Roman Dmitri from the reserve unit of the fifth defense line.]

On the screen, there was Roman.

Recognizing the name, Count Donald acknowledged him.

"What does the youngest ranker of Cairo want to discuss?"

[I'll get straight to the point.

The Hector Kingdom has used a smoke screen operation and seized the warp gate at the rear positions.

We are isolated at the southern front.

Before we are completely surrounded by Hector's soldiers, we must abandon the castle and flee to the mountains.]

"……What?!"

Count Donald sprang to his feet.

They had just barely repelled the Hector Kingdom's attack, and now the warp gate had fallen into enemy hands.

He felt dizzy.

It was a reality he could not easily accept, and thus Count Donald denied the truth before his eyes.

"The rear positions could not have fallen already. And if what you say is true, wouldn’t it be wiser to hold the castle rather than abandon it? There is no way to survive in the mountains, completely exposed to the enemy's attacks. Therefore, I will strengthen the defenses at the first defense line."

[Without a doubt, we can no longer withstand Hector's attacks.

The Hector Kingdom has intentionally not taken down the front line.

They are not weak; they simply needed a decoy to draw attention while attacking the rear positions.

Count Donald, think realistically.

Do you truly believe they have done their best?]

In that moment, he was at a loss for words.

There were indeed many strange points.

The Hector Kingdom had clearly been in a favorable position, yet they had made the incomprehensible decision to suddenly withdraw their troops.

However, there had been a message that reinforcements from the rear positions would arrive soon.

Roman said, [Fleeing to the mountains does not mean we are retreating.

If we stay within the castle, we will be isolated and will inevitably suffer from the disparity in strength against the enemy.

We must conduct guerrilla operations from the mountains to ensure the enemy cannot completely take control of the southern front.

We must become a thorn in their side.]

Roman's persuasion fell on deaf ears.

Count Donald had already made his conclusion.

He could not believe that the rear positions had been captured, and he firmly believed that the castle was safer.

And what if Roman Dmitri could be a spy for Hector?

"We will make our own judgment. I will end this communication now."

Click.

The unilateral notification ended the magical communication.

The commanders of the other defense lines were no different.

Their reactions were uniform.

Some accepted the fact that the rear positions had been captured, while others did not, but the common point was that they all deemed it impossible to abandon the castle.

In their common sense, the castle was a safe zone.

They believed that holding out within the walls protected by the fortifications was the best choice.

Only one person.

Currently guarding the fifth defense line, Stephen, followed Roman's orders.

[I will join you immediately.]

The refusal of the commanders was absurd.

It was a situation where they could not comprehend the truth even after being told, but Roman had anticipated their reactions.

'If they were knowledgeable about war and understood the situation, they would not have let the southern front decay like this.

The troops at the front lines are expendable.

Forcing them to come along would be akin to suicide.'

Through countless experiences of war, Roman realized one fact.

What is more frightening than a powerful enemy is an ignorant ally with power.

The reason he had made contact was clear.

He belonged to the Cairo Kingdom, and if they listened to him, he could strategically utilize them.

He had only fulfilled his minimal duty.

That was all.

Roman did not seek their agreement; he simply discarded their presence cleanly.

Roman gathered the soldiers.

"Pack your things. We are heading to the mountains from now on."

"Yes."

The soldiers moved busily.

From now on, they would have to engage in a difficult and arduous fight.

There was no fear.

In his past life, he had faced even worse situations, and each time he had emerged victorious, ultimately reaching the pinnacle.

One hour after Roman left.

Step, step.

A group of soldiers appeared.

Soldiers bearing the flag of the Hector Kingdom marched forward, trampling over the corpses scattered on the ground.

The direction they were heading.

The first target of the Hector Kingdom was none other than the first defense line.