Chapter 51: If it has begun, it must be seen to its end (1)

Rumors spread quickly indeed.

The shocking news that Lawrence had defeated Barco.

People in the northeastern region, when they gathered in small groups, naturally talked about the events that had taken place in Lawrence.

"Really, Barco must be frustrated. After all that commotion, to be defeated by Lawrence..."

"But is that really true? I heard that Roman single-handedly attacked the enemy's rear and decapitated hundreds of soldiers in one go."

"Of course it's true! You know my relatives are natives of Lawrence, right? They told me that from atop the city walls, they witnessed Roman appearing like a savior of Lawrence. In a critical situation where the walls might collapse at any moment, Roman Dmitri single-handedly attacked the enemy's rear, decapitating Barco's soldiers. Moreover, he destroyed the Flare, completely turning the tide. If Roman hadn't appeared, Barco would have already planted his flag on Lawrence's land, no doubt."

Rumors mixed truth with fiction.

Like a hero's tale passed down through generations.

Just as the two men were chatting, people in the northeastern region praised Roman's achievements everywhere.

"This war started with Roman Dmitri and ended with Roman Dmitri. People who were on the scene say that when Chris, the vanguard, secured the first victory, the people of Lawrence thought they would win. But do you know who appeared then? It was Homer, the 49th-ranked hero of the Kingdom of Cairo, who came out as Barco's grand knight. The moment he revealed his name, the people of Lawrence fell into despair. They thought this time, Roman would declare a forfeit and save his life, as it was a battle he couldn't possibly win. But..."

He showed a solemn expression.

He straightened his shoulders and spoke as if he were Roman himself.

"Roman Dmitri, or rather, the hero, made a different decision. He declared that he would face the grand knight with dignity. And in front of many people, Roman Dmitri decapitated Homer with a single attack. Red blood splattered and scattered in the sky... Wow! It was truly a memorable scene. Roman Dmitri, who led the siege to victory, this time put an end to the grand knight battle."

"...But you weren't there, right?"

"No, I mean, that's what my relatives say. Anyway, to put it simply, Roman Dmitri is not the foolish Dmitri we knew. Look. He eradicated the Blood Gang, slapped a knight's face for his subordinate in Barco, and now this incident in Lawrence. He is a hero. The hidden dragon that Dmitri kept hidden has finally ascended to the heavens and is gradually building his own hero's tale."

People were excited.

Roman's actions.

Each one was impressive.

Children ran out onto the streets to play hero games, pretending to be Roman Dmitri, and the rumors spread fiercely.

It wasn't just that.

The grand knight battle.

Lawrence won all three of the three battles.

While Roman's impact was indeed significant, the fact that the other two battles were also fought by Roman's people was an important point.

"Heroes are truly blessed. Chris, the genius swordsman of the Dmitri family, defeated the 3-star Janzon with 2-star skills, and a boy who looked like a young soldier completely dismantled Barco's knight. In this grand knight battle, not a single person from Lawrence stepped forward. Those who followed Roman volunteered to be grand knights and proved their loyalty to Roman in front of everyone. There will be a lot of chaos in the future. For the first time in a long time in the northeastern region, a talent that will surprise the world has been born."

Flora's prediction was correct.

This war.

Lawrence secured victory at the cost of many sacrifices, but the glory of victory was directed entirely at Roman.

However, no one complained.

A battle where the outcome is decided.

The people of Lawrence knew how fortunate it was to remain the victor, even if they were injured.

* * *

It was over.

There were no other words to describe the current situation.

Barco, now a defeated noble, returned to his family and faced the reality before him with despair.

"Hah."

On the desk.

Papers were piled up like mountains.

The content was obvious.

The Golden Bank asked how Barco would repay the principal after losing the domain war, and the Cairo Mercenary Guild demanded a penalty for Homer's death, enraged by it.

A quick check of the mercenary guild's logic was truly absurd.

At the time of the grand knight battle commission, Lawrence had clearly stated that they only had 2-star knights, so they shifted the responsibility for the variable to Barco.

In short.

They completely looked down on Barco.

With the certainty that this defeat would send Barco to the bottom, everyone was determined to get something out of it.

"Damn bastards."

It was bitter.

Barco was not the only one being ignored.

Friendly forces that seemed like they would throw a party after the war showed no news, and according to rumors, some had even joined the Dmitri family.

It was a cold reality.

Certainly, when Barco was a powerful figure in the northeastern region, people came to him every day, but now, the way they cut ties was truly disgusting.

He wasn't unaware.

Of the truth behind the forces entangled in interests.

Barco, who had lived like a bat, couldn't laugh it off when he himself was cornered.

'What can I do about this?'

The responsibility for the defeat weighed heavily on his shoulders.

It was bleak.

He had no confidence in repaying the mountain of debts or finding a way to rise again in the current situation.

It was a battle he had started with the certainty of victory.

If that damn Roman Dmitri hadn't interfered, Barco would have returned in glory, drinking the champagne of victory.

"Yes, this is all because of Roman Dmitri. Roman appeared in this war without any justification and ruined everything from start to finish. It's really an absurd situation. In the noble society where justification is important, Roman Dmitri did something he shouldn't have."

Roman.

Everything happened because of him.

Barco thought.

To survive, the Barco family, cornered at the edge of a cliff, had to cling to Roman's existence.

'This is the last chance.'

He sprang up from his seat.

The only hope.

From now on, there was a lot to do.

* * *

Barco contacted the nobles of the northeastern region.

There were still nobles who would take his calls.

They showed reluctance to Barco's contact but granted a single meeting out of earnest pleading.

A few days later.

Nobles gathered at the Barco family estate.

If it were in the past, everyone except the pro-Dmitri would have shown their willingness to attend, but at the round table, there were barely ten nobles. A bleak reality. The decline of the family was visible, but Barco straightened his back and spoke to them.

"Before I begin, I want to sincerely thank you for coming to see Barco. You are true nobles. Unlike some nobles who ignored past relationships and turned their backs, I believe that with you, the future of the northeastern region is still bright."

"Hmm."

"Let's get to the main point."

The nobles present.

They did not appreciate the flattery.

They only allowed the meeting because of their poor relationship with the Dmitri, but they knew how dangerous this choice was.

Barco said,

"Let me be straightforward. In the battles between noble families, justification is very important. Especially in a situation where an external invasion could happen at any time, attacking neighboring domains out of mere greed is a clear violation of the rules of the noble world. Barco attacked Lawrence with a justifiable reason. It was to pay the price of our ancestors, and the central government even sent a judge to confirm the righteousness of our cause. However, Roman Dmitri, without any justification, interfered in the war. His sudden attack cost Barco the Flare, and we experienced the atrocity of not a single Lawrence warrior stepping forward in the grand knight battle."

His voice rose.

He demanded empathy from the nobles and strongly emphasized his thoughts.

"Is this a reasonable situation? What right does Roman Dmitri have to help Lawrence? If the two families were related, there would have been no problem, but Lawrence clearly stated that they broke off the engagement due to Flora Lawrence's responsibility. Roman Dmitri is just an outsider to Lawrence, and there is no justification for him to help. This is an overstepping action. We, too, could have received help from many forces, but we fought with Barco's strength to the end to uphold the line of nobility, and thus we had to taste the bitterness of defeat."

"That's right."

"You're correct. Roman Dmitri has no justification."

They all agreed.

It wasn't a wrong statement.

Unjustified interference should be punished, and this was a problem that could be brought to public attention.

'I don't think the Dmitri family will collapse because of this. But at least we can demand a large compensation from them. That alone would be enough. With the Dmitri family's wealth, we can settle the debt from the Golden Bank.'

The Golden Bank.

It was an urgent issue.

The dispute with the mercenary guild could be resolved with words, but the Golden Bank was a thorough group when it came to recovering the principal.

If.

Barco couldn't repay the principal, they would crush the Barco family to the bone.

A noble asked,

"So, what do you propose?"

Opinions converged.

Even the nobles who showed reluctance were now showing interest, and Barco knew his intention had been understood.

First, the people gathered here.

Barco planned to draw empathy from those around him and create a voice strong enough to pressure the Dmitri.

"First..."

At that moment.

The meeting room door burst open.

Barco, with a nervous face, looked at the soldier, who, pale-faced, stammered,

"R, Roman Dmitri. He has come to see you, my lord!"

It was.

A completely unexpected situation.

This made no sense.

Roman Dmitri was the cause of the defeat.

For him to come to the Barco family was like stepping into a death trap, asking to be killed.

'What is he thinking?'

The nobles gathered in the meeting room.

They looked at each other.

In the unexpected situation, they didn't know what to do.

"Everyone is gathered here."

It was Roman.

Roman ignored the restless soldiers and calmly walked into the meeting room.

At that moment.

Barco seriously considered.

Should he kill Roman?

He was already at the edge of a cliff.

He wanted to take revenge by killing Roman, but doing so would eliminate his last hope of using justification.

A situation where he had to endure despite the target of his anger being right in front of him.

Barco, suppressing his boiling anger, watched as Roman, who had entered, sat down opposite him.

Thud.

No one had told him to sit.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Roman sat opposite Barco, leaned back in the chair, and crossed his legs.

"I've heard you have a lot of complaints about me."

Swish.

Roman touched his lips.

Then, with a smile, he looked at Barco and said,

"Then tell me directly. What justification did Barco have for creating such a gathering?"