The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 90

News of Hector’s attack arrived suddenly, and the Cairo Royal Family was slow to react.

King Daniel Cairo stared at the empty conference room, a look of utter dismay on his face.

“When on earth will they arrive?”

“…My apologies, Your Majesty. It seems the news was so sudden that everyone is taking longer to arrive from their distant estates.”

The servant bowed low.

But that was all.

He didn’t offer to make further inquiries. He knew that even though he didn’t serve a specific master, a careless word against the central government could cost him his life.

Daniel Cairo’s power couldn’t protect the servant’s life.

If the royal authority had been strong, the current situation wouldn’t have arisen in the first place.

“Haa.”

Daniel Cairo sighed deeply.

The news was shocking: the southern front was under attack!

But instead of acting fast, the nobles in charge told the king to wait until everyone arrived for a meeting.

Which meant the king had no authority to make decisions.

Marquis Benedict, Count Denver, Count Gregory. Only with the consent of these men, who wielded immense power, could the nation’s forces be mobilized.

A considerable amount of time passed. During that time, the Hector Kingdom’s Ranger Corps infiltrated the rear guard post, bypassing the southern training grounds, and successfully seized the warp gate.

Yet, the Cairo Royal Family remained blissfully unaware of the reality.

Daniel Cairo could only wait for the power brokers of the central government, who finally deigned to appear.

“Hahaha, I am a bit late. The carriage gave me some trouble on the way, so I was unavoidably delayed. But is it true that the Hector Kingdom has attacked the southern front?”

Marquis Benedict showed no remorse for his tardiness, nor did the other nobles.

Count Denver and Count Gregory, settling into their seats, ignored the time Daniel Cairo had spent waiting alone and said,

“According to the reports from the southern front, the Hector Kingdom has launched a surprise attack across the border, assaulting our defensive positions. We do not know what justification they claim, but as things stand, the southern front is in danger.”

“Shouldn’t we send reinforcements immediately, then?”

Finally, the idea of sending support was mentioned.

Daniel Cairo’s stomach churned. If the nobles had attended the meeting promptly, or if he had the authority to issue orders, he would have dispatched reinforcements to the south an hour ago.

But what could he do? This was the reality of Cairo.

Daniel Cairo spoke.

“Then I shall send troops to the southern front immediately.”

“Understood.”

“Your command is my order.”

The decision was made. Deciding the important affairs of the nation after a meeting of the central government—that was the way of Cairo, a weak nation.

However, it was already too late. The warp gate on the southern front had been captured.

Only then did Marquis Benedict realize the gravity of the situation.

“…The warp gate has been captured. This is a very serious problem. Not only have we lost the means to quickly send troops to the southern front, but the southern front has no way to withstand the Hector Kingdom’s attack.”

This attack wouldn’t necessarily put Cairo in danger. The southern front was a rather barren region. It wasn’t geographically important to the Cairo Kingdom, and they were confident they could subdue Hector’s forces attacking beyond the south.

The problem was if the enemies held out in the south. If the situation unfolded that way, the capture of the warp gate would inevitably become a very troublesome issue.

In the end, the divided command structure exacerbated the problem. If they had responded just a bit faster, the Cairo Kingdom wouldn’t have lost the southern front so easily.

Daniel Cairo said.

“How do you intend to take responsibility for this outcome? When I informed you of the crisis on the southern front, if you had at least conceded to allow me, as king, to make a decision, the southern front wouldn’t have been in danger. Reflect on your actions. This is entirely your fault!”

A weak king. Even he couldn’t tolerate this situation.

Despite his flushed face and angry outburst, the other nobles didn’t seem particularly moved.

It was around that time Edwin Hector contacted the Cairo Royal Family.

As the magical communication connected, Marquis Benedict, on behalf of Daniel Cairo, demanded an explanation.

“On what grounds does Hector attack Cairo? We have always believed that Cairo and Hector maintained friendly relations. We have never threatened each other’s borders, and recently, we even provided food aid knowing Hector’s difficult situation. What is the meaning of this!”

His voice was aggressive. On the screen, Edwin Hector, even facing Cairo’s anger, didn’t lose his composure.

[How utterly brazen. It is not we who have crossed the line, but Cairo.]

He had rehearsed it countless times in his head. He knew how the Cairo Kingdom would react, and so Edwin Hector delivered the perfect response.

[Six months ago, soldiers of the Cairo Kingdom crossed our border. They claimed they were lost, but a map detailing Hector’s geography and the location of key buildings was found in their bags. We attempted to apprehend and subdue them, but realizing their intentions had been discovered, they fled and fell off a cliff to their deaths. Since then, we have had no choice but to suspect the intentions of the Cairo Kingdom. Why else would they scout Hector’s borders? There is no reason for such a brazen act unless they harbored impure motives.]

It was different from the truth. The Cairo soldiers had been found at the bottom of the cliff from the start.

It seemed like a simple accident, but Edwin Hector used it as the foundation to justify the war.

In truth, the justification itself was flimsy, but it didn’t matter.

After all, war was a battle where the victor’s logic prevailed. Even if problems arose later as a result, what mattered to the Hector Kingdom was resolving the immediate issue.

“That’s absurd!”

“Do not slander Cairo! We have never done such a thing!”

The protests were fierce, yet Edwin Hector didn’t even blink.

[What matters is that distrust has arisen between Cairo and Hector, and we have attacked the southern front to address that grievance. You are aware that the warp gate is in our grasp. The Hector Kingdom has the southern front in its grasp. From now on, our demands are clear. Apologize for what happened that day, and provide compensation befitting the offense. If you faithfully comply with our demands, we will consider our past relationship and withdraw our forces.]

That was Hector’s true objective.

Continuous crop failures meant the national treasury was drying up, and interest on loans from the Golden Bank was overdue.

Borrowing money from other sources would only exacerbate the problem, so Edwin Hector devised a special measure: War.

Demanding monetary compensation as a result was not an unreasonable request. The southern front was barren but necessary land for Cairo, and he intended to use it as collateral to solve Hector’s problems.

“What a bunch of highway robbers!”

“Do you think that’s a reasonable demand!”

Cairo’s nobles protested, but that was all. Edwin Hector had no intention of backing down.

If it were a matter that could be compromised, he wouldn’t have attacked the southern front in the first place.

Gazing upon his people wailing in agony, he vowed to solve the problem, even if it meant becoming a devil.

[I will give you exactly three days. Think carefully and make a decision. If you do not comply with our demands, we will prepare to annex the southern front into Hector’s territory. Remember, if you attempt to stall for time with insincere compromises, the hostages on the southern front will not return alive.]

With those words, Edwin Hector unilaterally cut off the magical communication.

After the heated magical communication ended, silence descended upon the conference room.

Even Marquis Benedict, who had been so assertive, was left speechless by Edwin Hector’s unilateral declaration.

In the end, Daniel Cairo, with a desolate expression, spoke of the reality.

“With the warp gate in the hands of the enemy, we have no other choice. Even if we send troops to the nearest region, it will take at least fifteen days to reach the southern front. The Hector Kingdom will have completed all preparations for defense during that time, and a protracted war will plunge Cairo into ruin, regardless of the outcome. The only way to minimize losses is to pay the compensation that the Hector Kingdom is openly demanding.”

“They will surely demand a huge sum.”

“Is there any other way? If you don’t like this method, then offer an alternative!”

Everyone swallowed their words.

It was truly laughable. The nobles of the central government, these people, who acted as if they were important figures in this small country, couldn’t exert any power when a real crisis struck.

The reality was that they were fighting over petty power. At least Marquis Benedict showed some desire to resolve the problem, but Count Denver and Count Gregory were different.

They followed other countries. They acted as if Cairo’s fate had little to do with them.

It was always like this. They usually treated Daniel Cairo like a puppet, but when faced with difficult situations, they pushed the king forward.

“…We will accept Hector’s conditions.”

“I object.”

It was then a figure who had been silent until now, Count Denver, stepped forward.

“Do you have another plan?”

“The reason why the Hector Kingdom is demanding money is clear. They intend to resolve the difficulties facing their country through war, and the amount will be significant enough to shake Cairo’s foundations. This issue won’t end with reclaiming the southern front. We must also consider the situation afterward. If the Cronos Empire crosses the border while our national treasury is depleted, we may suffer even greater damage in exchange for reclaiming the southern front.”

“…But is there any other way?”

“There is.”

In that moment, all eyes were focused. The leader of Valhalla, Count Denver, knew special information that the other nobles gathered here did not.

‘They believe there is no element to reverse the situation on the southern front right now.’

There is only one way.

Count Denver said.

“Roman Dmitry is on the southern front. According to the latest report, Roman Dmitry has successfully defended the 5th defense line and has conveyed his intention to gather troops and resist the Hector Kingdom.”

They don’t know Roman Dmitry’s true strength. With his talent reaching the 4-star level and his power to defeat Barco, he would never simply be defeated.

Therefore,

“We must trust him. We send troops to the southern front immediately, and if Roman Dmitry creates a rift within, we will have a good chance of winning.”

A single variable. Count Denver placed his bet on Roman.