The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 36

Barco’s words had spread like wildfire. The very next day, Roman went to see his father.

And he spoke bluntly.

“The war between Barco and Lawrence. I intend to get involved in that fight, in the name of Roman Dimitri.”

Suddenly, Baron Romero froze.

He had been sipping tea just moments before, but now he looked at Roman with a fiercely changed gaze.

“Do you know what that means?”

“Yes.”

“And you still say such a thing! The war between Barco and Lawrence is a legally approved battle, okayed by the central government. If you were married to someone from the Lawrence family, you could have joined the war because you were related by marriage. But right now, we have no reason to get involved. If you’re thinking of helping Lawrence just because you suddenly feel like it, then stop these thoughts. They could destroy our family.”

Clang!

He slammed the teacup down hard.

Baron Romero’s trembling whiskers showed his fury.

‘I thought his recent actions showed he had come to his senses.’

Getting involved in the war.

This was very serious.

The central government was all-powerful in the Cairo Kingdom, and especially a fight without a good reason could quickly destroy you.

That’s how the noble world worked.

When he was a commoner, he could do whatever he wanted without problems. But now that he was managing land, that was no longer possible.

The moment he got involved in the war between Barco and Lawrence, like Roman said, the nobles in the northeast would stop being friends with Dimitri. In the worst case, the central government might send troops to defeat Dimitri.

Dimitri’s reputation and wealth would stop things from getting even worse, but it was still a dangerous choice.

Roman spoke.

“Father, how do you want me to live my life?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden!”

“My getting involved in Barco’s war isn’t just because I changed my mind. I recently had a bad experience. Antoni Barco, the oldest son of the Barco family, was jealous of my marriage to Flora Lawrence and threatened to trick me. I don’t have any proof of what happened that day, Father. But I had this thought: people say that Dimitri is the real power in the northeast, but Barco already thinks they are better than us.”

Roman’s voice was calm.

He spoke at a normal speed and emphasized the important parts.

It was strange.

His son, Roman Dimitri, whom he had watched his entire life, had a strange feeling that tightened Baron Romero’s heart. He instantly turned around the situation where Baron Romero had been angry until just now.

“Father, you are a blacksmith. You want to become a noble, but even with power and wealth, you don’t do anything. You must be happy with how things are now. But I, Roman Dimitri, your son, am different. I want power, and I won’t let anyone, not just Barco, ruin Dimitri’s name. I have a good reason. Just like Barco made up a reason to start a war over land, reasons are just words that powerful people use to get what they want.”

He looked up at his father.

A new life.

He still felt like he was lost in a big ocean.

But he knew that even when he didn’t know what to do, he was still Baek Joong-hyuk.

He had to live a life of ruling.

He didn’t look far ahead.

Not at the end of the sea, but at the sharks right in front of him, at the enemies before him.

He would destroy them.

He would tear off the shark’s fins and prove that he was still alive, thrilled by the taste of its flesh and blood.

“I’m not asking to use the family’s power. I’m just telling you what I think, Father, hoping that you will watch what I do. I will get involved in Barco’s fight not as the oldest son of Dimitri, but as Roman Dimitri, myself. So please, watch over me. The things I do from now on are how I will live my life.”

It was a one-sided announcement.

He didn’t even expect his father’s support.

However, he knew that he needed his father to agree without saying it directly.

Roman knew that his power came from Dimitri, and he didn’t ignore that.

He knew it.

To make the most of what he had, he needed his father, Romero Dimitri’s, agreement.

“…Ahem.”

Baron Romero looked embarrassed.

Roman.

The difficult son was becoming more powerful every day.

Looking straight into his eyes, seeing the desire in Roman’s gaze, Baron Romero knew that he couldn’t stop this.

Roman had blossomed.

Roman, who had been called Dimitri’s fool and lived like a dog, realized that he was born a beast.

In fact, he had dreamed that such a moment would come someday.

He came from a poor family.

In the end, unlike himself, who was happy with a small territory, he wanted his sons to go beyond what their social class allows.

Silence filled the air.

Baron Romero, who had been silently watching Roman, spoke with a determined look.

“Do what you want. And if there’s anything I can help you with, tell me. You are my son, and I, Romero Dimitri, am Roman Dimitri’s father. No matter what you do, you will not have to take all the blame alone.”

That was enough.

His father had said what Roman wanted to hear.

He didn’t need his father’s help.

He was planning to handle it alone, but if he were to get help, it would only be in one area.

It was the weapons to arm the soldiers.

Thirty soldiers.

He couldn’t send them to the battlefield without weapons.

Since things like money for the soldiers all came from his father, he honestly said what he wanted.

Then, Baron Romero readily said he would help.

“Go to Hendrick, the master of the smithy. If you tell him it’s my request, he will give you everything you need.”

Master Blacksmith.

It was the symbol of the Dimitri family.

In the past, Baron Romero had handled all the important and small matters as the master of the smithy, but when he became a noble, Hendrick, who had worked with him, took over.

Hendrick was a very skilled blacksmith, famous in Cairo.

Dmitry was the head of his family, and he controlled all the iron making.

Roman had wanted to meet this man for a long time.

Roman left his father and went straight to the smithy. Soon, the loud sound of metal hitting metal filled the air.

*Clang!*

*Clang! Clang!*

Dmitry’s smithy.

It was a place of intense heat, like a fire that never went out. Blacksmiths with strong arms hammered metal, again and again, everywhere you looked.

Dmitry’s smithy was the biggest in the whole Cairo Kingdom.

In Blacksmith’s Street, there were thirty workshops. Each workshop was large enough for many blacksmiths to work together.

*Impressive,* Roman thought.

Looking around, Roman understood how Dmitry had become so rich.

*Dmitry is powerful because they are skilled,* he thought. *They have the biggest iron mine in the kingdom, and their blacksmiths are experts. They can sell their iron for very high prices. That’s why nobles in the northeast of Cairo Kingdom are careful around Dmitry. It’s not just about Dmitry’s money. Cairo Kingdom *needs* Dmitry’s iron weapons.*

Roman walked further into the smithy.

A few blacksmiths noticed him.

The eldest son of Dmitry was here, but no one stopped hammering or said hello.

It wasn’t about Roman’s family name.

Roman remembered what his father, Baron Romero, had told him. “Son,” his father had said, “Dmitry’s blacksmiths are proud people. They won’t respect you just because you are a Dmitry. You have to know iron, to understand their craft, to earn their respect.”

Because of this, Roman’s younger brothers had spent time in the smithy.

His second brother, wanting to be the next head of the family, was especially eager. He even asked the master blacksmith to teach him the craft.

But Roman?

Roman had always stayed away from the smithy.

Working with hot iron was hard and sweaty. As a nobleman who only cared about having fun, it was not something he wanted to do.

So, the blacksmiths’ cold looks?

He had expected it.

Roman walked through the noisy smithy until he reached the master’s area.

*Thud.* Something heavy was dropped.

“Looking for me?” a voice grumbled.

Hendrick.

A strong, middle-aged man with a dark face looked up, sweat dripping from his brow.

Then, he saw it was Roman. Hendrick’s face turned sour.

“What do you want?” he snapped.

Hendrick.

The master blacksmith.

He saw people as either good or bad.

And Roman Dmitry? He was definitely in the ‘bad’ group, the ‘really bad’ group.

*What does *he* want now?* Hendrick thought angrily.

Once, long ago, Roman’s father had brought him to the smithy.

Hendrick had been excited to teach Baron Romero’s son. But Roman complained constantly, whining about the hard, dirty work. Hendrick quickly lost patience.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. Something else happened that made Hendrick truly hate Roman.

One day, Roman needed money.

His father had stopped giving him pocket money, so Roman sneaked into the smithy to find a way to get cash for fun.

He stole the most beautiful sword, the one Hendrick had poured his heart into making. Roman sold it to a street seller for almost nothing.

Hendrick was furious. He exploded with rage.

Hendrick beat Roman right there in front of Baron Romero. And surprisingly, Baron Romero didn’t stop him from hitting his son.

From that day on, Hendrick hated Roman. He didn’t even want to be in the same room as him.

So, Hendrick was not going to be nice about Roman’s request for thirty sets of armor and weapons.

“Over there in the corner,” Hendrick said, pointing. “Take whatever you want from that pile. That should be enough for thirty.”

In the corner of the smithy, there was a heap of weapons and armor.

*Just because it’s iron doesn’t mean it’s good,* Hendrick thought scornfully. *That’s all the junk made by the apprentices. But Roman Dmitry wouldn’t know good iron if it hit him in the face. He’ll probably be thrilled to get this garbage.*

Hendrick knew Baron Romero had asked for this.

But still, he didn’t want to do Roman any favors.

Even now, thinking about his stolen sword, Hendrick wanted to punch Roman.

Giving Roman these useless scraps was the most he was willing to do.

Honestly, he was only doing even this much because Roman was Romero’s son.

“You want me to take *those*?” Roman asked, pointing to the pile.

“Yes,” Hendrick said shortly.

Roman glanced at the pile of weapons.

He didn’t need to look closely to see they were poor quality.

*This isn’t the Roman you remember,* he thought to himself. His eyes were different now.

Roman spoke, his voice calm but firm. “My father told me to get good weapons and armor for my soldiers. Is *that* the best you can offer, Master Hendrick?”

“Best?” Hendrick scoffed. “If you don’t like it, leave! Get out of my smithy!”

“Master Hendrick,” Roman said again, ignoring Hendrick’s anger.

*Clack.* Roman picked up a sword from the junk pile.

He held the blade up to the light, looking directly at Hendrick. “Is Dmitry’s reputation for the best iron in Cairo just a lie? Are you really trying to give soldiers *this* kind of trash? I’ll ask you one more time. Do you honestly think this is your best work?”

Hendrick was stunned.

He hadn’t expected *this* from Roman.