The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 64

Time passed.

A month had gone by since the end of the war with Barco.

At the Dimitri family’s regular meeting, the vassals reported on recent events.

“With the Barco family gone, there’s no one to challenge Dimitri anymore,” one vassal said. “Because Barco is gone, families that supported them now want to be our allies. They ask us almost every day, and some are willing to pay a high price. But, as you ordered, Lord, we haven’t even spoken to those who were very unfriendly to us when they were on Barco’s side. What should we do with them? Dimitri will definitely become the most powerful family in the northeast. But those families, if pushed too hard, might become another Barco.”

The fall of Barco.

It was like the saying, ‘the fisherman’s profit,’ where Dimitri gained the most even though they weren’t the main fighters.

Even though the Dimitri family wasn’t a big part of the war, they still got the biggest rewards.

As the vassal said, all the families in the northeast were trying to get close to Dimitri.

The ones who had supported Barco were especially eager, showing up daily and saying they were sorry. But Dimitri’s people knew they weren’t sincere.

It was clear they weren’t sincere. If another strong family like Barco came along, they would leave Dimitri and support the new power.

Baron Romero spoke.

“Even if another enemy rises, we will not welcome back those who betrayed us,” Baron Romero said, his voice firm. “To forgive those who caused us such deep wounds is not kindness, it is foolish pride. We will not work with them. Let their fate be a lesson to all who think of turning against Dimitri.”

“Understood,” the vassal replied.

“Let’s move on to the next topic.”

The second topic was about expanding the troops.

Dimitri already had the strongest military in the northeast, but this war had made them realize they needed to be even stronger.

“Barco showed us that outside forces can change a war,” another vassal explained. “If Dimitri had fought Barco directly, people like Flare and Homeros would have been a big threat. So, I hope we can make our military bigger and get more magical weapons to be ready for anything. Dimitri can’t be seen as just another family anymore. As the most powerful family in the northeast, we need to be strong enough to protect our position.”

Military power.

There is no safer way to protect themselves than with a strong military.

Baron Romero agreed and decided to spend a lot of money on the military because of what had happened.

Also, Dimitri had some good luck.

“Lord Roman was right,” a vassal announced. “We spent a huge amount of money to put special items in the mine. But the iron mine is now producing 30% more iron in a short time. We haven’t even hired many more workers yet. So, we expect the production to increase by over 100%.”

“What about the cost of those special items?” Baron Romero asked.

“It’s not a problem,” the vassal replied. “The increased production covers the cost easily.”

Roman was right.

It was a good cycle of investing.

By investing first, he made the mine safer, and the workers could focus on their work without worries.

It was a great decision.

Looking at the results, they wondered why they hadn’t thought of it sooner. But it wasn’t easy to predict the results and spend so much money before seeing any benefits.

Roman made it happen.

He volunteered to work in the iron mine without being asked. He saw the problems himself and found the best way to fix them with his good judgment.

From start to finish, it was perfect.

Roman’s reputation was changing fast, both inside and outside the family, and this event made it complete.

One of the vassals spoke up.

“Lord, have you thought about who will be the next leader of the family?” he asked.

The question showed how much Roman’s reputation had changed.

People thought the Dimitri family hadn’t decided on an heir yet.

But that wasn’t true.

Although they hadn’t announced it, they had already secretly chosen the heir in a private meeting.

The vassal continued.

“Three years ago, we chose Lord Rodwell as the next head of the family. At that time, Lord Roman’s actions didn’t seem right for a leader. We also thought the youngest lord was too weak to handle important responsibilities. But things are different now. Look at Lord Roman’s actions. He defeated Homeros, a Ranker, in the war with Barco. And he solved the iron mine’s safety problem perfectly. Lord Roman, who we thought didn’t have the qualities of a leader, is now showing the dignity of one.”

“That’s right,” another vassal agreed.

“We think the same way,” said another.

Everyone nodded.

Roman’s actions were amazing.

They still couldn’t understand how Roman Dimitri, who couldn’t even use a sword properly, had become an Aura Swordsman. But they knew he was improving quickly before their eyes.

With his strength and ability to solve problems, the vassals couldn’t help but have doubts about Rodwell.

Rodwell Dimitri was also known as a genius, but Roman’s actions were beyond genius.

And then the first vassal spoke again.

“The choice of heir isn’t official yet. We chose Lord Rodwell early to avoid confusion in the family. But now that Lord Roman is proving himself, I think we need a fair competition.”

In the usually calm Dimitri family, a ripple of unease spread.

The clear line of succession was now a mess, and Baron Romero couldn’t make a quick decision.

‘Roman and Rodwell,’ he thought.

Two sons.

They were very different.

Roman, who had lived as a commoner, struggled with his new status. Rodwell, on the other hand, worked hard to overcome the limits of his position.

Rodwell was very greedy.

He wanted to be the heir so badly that he didn’t even see his older brother as competition. He probably wouldn’t like the family’s idea of a competition.

Maybe he was afraid of a family fight.

If Roman was only a little better, Baron Romero would have stuck with his first decision. But now, he couldn’t ignore what he was seeing.

Baron Romero spoke.

“There’s still plenty of time,” he said. “Let’s watch the situation and decide later.”

“Understood,” the vassals replied.

That day, Baron Romero’s worries truly began.

After the meeting, Baron Romero called for Hans.

Hans was Roman’s closest aide.

He thought Hans could help with the heir issue because he had been with Roman since people called Roman ‘Dimitri’s fool’.

“I greet you, Lord,” Hans said, bowing.

Baron Romero skipped the long introduction and got straight to the point.

“Hans, what do you think of Roman Dimitri?” he asked.

“What do you mean by that…?” Hans asked, confused.

“I’m asking if Roman Dimitri is fit to be the heir to the Dimitri family,” Baron Romero clarified.

There was silence for a moment.

Hans thought hard, then looked up at Baron Romero and spoke honestly.

“If you had asked me this three months ago, I would have said no. Lord Roman is kind, but he did things that weren’t right for an heir. Everyone knew that, not just me. But Lord Roman is different now. I’m not just talking about his recent successes. I’ve watched Lord Roman closely, and he has become someone who is fit to be an heir.”

“Tell me more,” Baron Romero requested.

“During the Blood Fang incident, Lord Roman punished the evil group that was hurting the people of Dimitri’s territory. I remember it clearly. He questioned the criminals about Dimitri’s laws and even went to Lawrence to destroy them completely. That incident was a blessing for the people of Dimitri. People who were suffering from unfair loans were freed, and they finally had hope.”

The first incident.

The reason seemed simple.

Baron Romero had ordered him to deal with Blood Fang, and Roman was moved, so he took action himself.

But Hans saw it differently.

He thought Roman’s actions were very meaningful.

“You can see it in the iron mine incident too,” Hans continued. “Lord Roman said he worked in the iron mine to understand the lives of Dimitri’s people. No one forced him to do it. Lord Roman humbled himself to understand the people of the territory. He faced Dimitri’s reality while working with the workers. And he risked his life in the collapse. Because they are his people. As someone who carries the name of Dimitri, he believes it’s his duty to take those risks.”

Hans’s words made Roman sound like a hero.

It was understandable.

As someone who was protected by Roman, Hans knew how valuable that protection was.

“I understand. You may leave now,” Baron Romero said.

“Yes, Lord,” Hans replied, bowing and leaving.

Baron Romero was even more worried.

He thought Hans’s experience would help, but his overly praising words only made things more confusing.

‘Rodwell is already sure he will be the heir to Dimitri,’ he thought. ‘But is it right to create a competition between them now? Roman has proven himself quickly, but Rodwell has been preparing to be the heir since he was young. He has studied swordsmanship, tactics, and politics. He even learned how to work with iron in the smithy whenever he had time.’

Still, he wasn’t sure.

Above all, Roman wasn’t interested in the smithy.

That was different from Rodwell Dimitri, and that’s why Baron Romero couldn’t make a quick decision.

In the end, the heir issue needed the agreement of key people.

The vassals, the master of the iron mine, and even Master Blacksmith Hendrick.

At least three groups had to agree for Baron Romero to start a competition, even if he was ready for the confusion it might cause.

Baron Romero called a servant.

“Tell the master of the iron mine that I want to ask him about the incident at the iron mine,” he ordered.

The second step.

It was time to hear Jacob’s opinion.

Soon, the servant’s voice came from outside the door.

“Lord, the master of the iron mine has arrived,” the servant announced.

“Let him in,” Baron Romero replied.

The door opened.

But there wasn’t just one guest.

There was another man behind Jacob. Jacob carefully spoke, looking questioningly.

“I heard you wanted to know about the incident at the iron mine. So, I thought the person who spoke with Lord Roman directly would be better to talk to you than me.”

Jacob quickly gave a hint.

Then, the man stepped forward and bowed politely.

“I am Morkan from the iron mine,” he introduced himself.

Morkan.

He was the spokesperson for the iron mine.