Chapter 148 – The Alternative (6)

Roman asked.

“Do you think the Cairo Kingdom is moving in the right direction?”

The first topic was a sensitive one. The nobles’ faces stiffened at this, but Roman didn’t care.

“I was on the Southern Front during the invasion of the Hector Kingdom. What made it difficult for me at that time wasn’t the Hector Kingdom but the enemy on the inside. Immediately after the war broke out, I noticed the enemy’s intention to capture the warp gate. However, the captains in the Southern Front didn’t listen to me, and in just a few days, the Front fell into the hands of the Hector Kingdom.”

It was a disaster. Their careless attitude caused chaos, and a large area was lost instantly. The reality of a small nation couldn’t be put into words. The Hector Kingdom was no different than the Cairo Kingdom, but in times of crisis, Hector was at least united.

“And that alone wasn’t the problem. When the royal family learned of the attack, they didn’t act immediately. The leaders of the nation were torn into four factions and had to take a lot of time to make up their minds before sending troops, and during that time, the Southern Front had a very difficult time. The same happened afterward. Did they send troops from the royal family? No. They even minimized the troops of the Central Government nobles and sent people around the South. If my soldiers and I failed to turn the tide, maybe even now, the kingdom would be at war with Hector.”

“… what do you mean by all of this?”

A noble asked.

Roman’s words were against the royal family. He was hearing words he had never even thought about.

“I am not speaking of rebellion, but we must face reality.”

Rebellion. It was something the nobles were worried about, and as Roman denied it, they asked him,

“Then please tell us the main point.”

“The Cairo Kingdom is being controlled by the Central Government. This case alone proved that the royal family could not move its troops without the permission of the Central Government. And even when the Southern Front was in danger, the troops of the South were the main force, and the Central Government conserved its own men. What do you think this means? What if Cairo is at war? Then the Central Government will mobilize troops from the northeast. And they will surely go to war for the sake of the good fortune of the nation, but will they put their own men in harm’s way or take advantage of the local troops, even if it is a sure victory? The nobles of these estates will lose their troops, whereas the nobles of the capital will retain their power.”

The royal family was unstable. The others had no plans to overthrow the royal family or claim the throne, but they did require a force to oppose Cairo’s power.

“The reality of the Cairo Kingdom is horrible. We live in the same nation and pay the same taxes, so why do the nobles of the Central Government and us have different priorities? How long are we just going to watch this reality? After experiencing this, I decided to make a new change in the northeast.”

Finally, Roman revealed his true goal.

“Just as the nobles in the capital have enough power, why don’t we join forces in the northeast to form a force that protects one another? This is why I called for you here.”

At that moment, all the nobles looked at each other. They belonged to the northeast region, but they never thought they could be a strong force. They had never considered it before. But if they say something wrong here, things will be worse for them, and they may even face Dmitry’s wrath.

Their reactions were understandable. Even in such a small nation, the Central Government was absolute.

‘It doesn’t matter whether they are moved by my words. Once Dmitry starts moving earnestly, the Central Government won’t allow me to play around. So we have to move fast. We need to quickly unite the entire northeast. If the northeast becomes one under Dmitry, the Central Government will not move so hastily. Even within the Central Government, there must be some forces that don’t agree with each other. Moving troops to deal with the entire northeast would be a difficult and troublesome choice.’

The problem of families wasn’t resolved yet. Unless the Central Government becomes hostile, Cairo’s powers won’t give up on Roman.

‘And with the whole northeast in my hands, the next time I go to the capital, a new plan can be made.’

He looked at the nobles. They were worried. Uniting forces is good, but it creates a fatal problem.

“… fine. If we join forces here, we will definitely be able to raise our voices against others. The problem is that the northeast is barren. Some areas, like Lawrence, are fertile for farming, but not all, and each region has its own strengths. Just as Dmitry has mining, most other families have their own means. We bring basic needs from outside with our income for the people, and a fight with the Central Government would halt these purchases.”

Commerce. This was the true problem. Cairo has a capital. The disconnect from the capital was a huge problem, and the Central Government could take advantage of that.

If they go to war with them, they will have to worry about food. They might be fine for a year or two, but in the long run, they would starve.

To which Roman said,

“Commerce is directly linked to the Central Government. If the link isn’t cut, then the local nobles will always end up being dragged around by them. Not all problems can be solved, but if we put our minds to it, there is a way to solve the food crisis.”

And he signaled for the master of the information guild.

Lucas came forward.

“This is the plan for the future.”

Drip!

Then he opened up the map.

As Lucas said, the map showed the northeast area with a development plan. Everyone’s eyes were focused as they wanted some information.

“The northeast area has more mountains than others, especially behind Dmitry. There are endless mountains all the way to the end of the continent. And we can take advantage of this. A mountain is advantageous for ambushing enemies, and we will build a fortress on the mountains to prepare for emergencies. And by clearing the mountains, we plan to grow crops so the northeast can be self sufficient.”

“Is it possible? Clearing a mountain isn’t a trivial thing.”

Throughout history, thousands of people have tried to scout the mountains. However, they constantly failed, and the local nobles ended up being dependent on the Central Government.

But Roman was different.

“Yes, it is possible.”

In his previous life in the sect, hundreds of kilometers of mountains stretched out—it was the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Before leaving the Southern Front, Roman ordered Lucas to investigate the endless mountains.

‘The mountains are similar in my past.’

New life? As time passed, it felt closely related to the past. Just like in the past, he was born into a blacksmith family, and behind the family’s estate were mountains like those the sect held.

A coincidence? Or similarity? It wasn’t possible to know yet, but what was certain was that his previous life had given him knowledge about such mountain ranges.

‘Sky Demon Order was established on the Hundred Thousand Mountains for generations. And we grew accustomed to farming on those slanted, sloping fields, and we managed to build a fortress that was impenetrable to attacks from other sects. It is no different now. If I make good use of these mountains, the northeast can move to a new path.’

And now, Roman told the nobles,

“As shown in the data, we have classified land which can be handled, and some of them are already in the process of reclamation. It’s probably going to take a long time, but if we use the endless mountain range as a last resort rather than a wall, we wouldn’t have to step back ever again.”

“… that is amazing.”

Everyone was shocked. From clearing the mountains to making a fortress, Roman was strict and thorough. It wasn’t just a suggestion but a detailed plan.

‘The existence of endless mountains. The meaning of it isn’t so simple. If the endless ranges are used to help the northeast, the fact that the mountains are located behind Dmitry cannot be ignored. And naturally, Dmitry’s power will grow stronger. This is just the start. As soon as Dmitry takes full control of the northeast, I will have the strength to go against the Central Government.’

The Northeast Alliance. There was a reason he saved them. If he had destroyed them, there would have been a lack of money and human resources. And that was only a waste. So instead, he decided to accept them and use them as walls.

When the Central Government comes to attack Dmitry in the future, they will have to come and destroy the Northeast Alliance. It was no longer just a fight between the Central Government and Dmitry.

The dispute with Count Douglas. Roman sided with the northeast and attacked the north to show them the reality. That was how it would be.

If the Central Government attacked the Northeast in the future, it would mean that a power that could stand up to them had come.

‘As time goes by, the northeast will lose its ability to betray me, and they will break away from their connection with the Central Government and only rely on Dmitry. In order to survive in the same area, they will need to move alongside me. Needed evil. Allow them to exist at the price of paying me.’

A plan that started with a simple need. Viscount Conrad would have gone insane if he had known.

All the nobles watched. They initially thought it was reckless, but now they understand.

It was then…

“We will follow the Dmitry family. Lawrence is willing to help with whatever you do.”

“So is the Conrad family. We will help as well.”

Lawrence and Conrad. They moved first. In any case, the tides had turned. If they had to go with Dmitry, they decided that this was the time to be loyal.

It was expected of Lawrence, and Viscount Conrad’s judgment was swift. He had long since abandoned his pride, and every other noble, beginning with him, swore allegiance.

They all spoke up. They all hoped to form a force in the northeast, with Dmitry in the center.

Roman said.

“The name of the alliance in the northeast will now be changed to the Dmitry Alliance.”

One name. Dmitry gave them the new name. And it was finally the moment when the entire northeast was in Dmitry’s grasp.

At that time…

Jiik.

Baron Romero titled his glass.

On the other side was Jonathan.

“Commander. Do you think I am wrong?”

This meeting was of great importance. Baron Romero wanted Roman Dmitry to lead, not him.

Jonathan just drank without saying anything. His blood boiled, but he couldn’t say that to his Lord.

“From the moment I got the nobility title, I have been endlessly thinking about whether the noble life is truly right for me. As a blacksmith since birth, I didn’t fit in with their minds, and I was more used to my regular life. Don’t you realize that too? Who am I? At first, I thought living like this was fine, but when I look back, I can see how stupid I was.”

“Do not say that.”

Smile.

Baron Romero laughed.

Romero Dmitry. It was not a great name. Despite having power, he never used it, and the family was ignored all this time. And now? At a single word from Roman, everyone looked up to Dmitry, and now a crowd of nobles had gathered as well.

“Dmitry is heading in the right direction. The people are taking pride in the estate now, and the northeast no longer ignores us. So I have decided to step back. For the future, it would be better for Roman to handle the important tasks rather than me.”

He realized this new reality. He was a blacksmith. The position of the Lord didn’t suit him, and he could finally end this succession dilemma.

‘I am sorry to Rodwell, who has suffered until now, but Dmitry’s eldest son cannot be replaced.’

That didn’t mean that the title would be inherited right away. But this was like taking a step back. At the very least, he intended to delegate all external affairs to Roman so that he could seize full control when the time came.

He drank more alcohol. Baron Romero couldn’t hide his feelings.

“So nice.”

On that day, a great change happened within Dmitry.

A transfer of power.

In addition to Baron Romero’s pledge, the nobles who attended the meeting also regarded Roman as the center of the family.

The Dmitry Alliance.

In the capital, nobody knew what had happened that day. As Roman expected, there were people from the capital, but they were so impressed by him that they also joined hands with him.

To be exact, the fight he had with Count Douglas was what made them move. They were scared of how Roman would treat them if the truth got out.

And at the same time that Dmitry was going through a turbulent time, there was someone who had found Dmitry.

“… this is Dmitry. The sacred place for blacksmiths?”

A middle-aged man with a handsome sword hung at his waist.

Marquis Valentino.

He followed the trail and arrived at Dmitry.