The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 80

Hector was once a kingdom of great power, spoken of in the same breath as the mighty Cronos Empire. But those days were long gone. Hector had grown strong because of their powerful army. Then, disaster struck. They were badly defeated in a war against Valhalla, fierce warriors who emerged from the wild jungle. Hector fell into ruin.

Now, Hector was in a bad situation, much like the Cairo Kingdom. Both were weak and had to obey the Cronos Empire. Hector was just one of six kingdoms on the continent, and not a powerful one. Any choice they made had to consider the Empire’s wishes.

But even though they were weak, in secret, in a dimly lit room in the royal palace, away from prying eyes, they held a meeting.

A man with a battle-scarred face.

Jackson, the captain of the ranger unit, knelt before King Hector and reported the information he had gathered.

“Over the past year, the ranger unit has checked the southern front of the Cairo Kingdom a total of 48 times. The southern front consists of five lines of defense, but they are so preoccupied with defending the western front, which is in conflict with the Cronos Empire, that they pay no attention to the southern front at all. The guards at each defense line usually change shifts every four hours, and perhaps because they believe they have maintained peaceful relations with the Hector Kingdom, both the number of personnel and their vigilance are significantly lacking. I can confidently say that capturing the southern front would not be a difficult task.”

It was truly…

A situation where they could almost walk into the castle without a fight.

When secretly checking the castle walls while hiding in the bushes, the sight of the guards dozing off or drinking alcohol brought a hollow laugh.

In the distant past.

Back when the Hector Kingdom was still called a great power, the Cairo Kingdom would never have been so careless.

Back then, they guarded the border with as much tension as they did on the western front.

But as time passed and the Hector Kingdom lost its power, the Cairo Kingdom began to see Hector as similar to themselves.

Just another weak nation.

A place that wouldn’t dare to even think of invasion, trembling every day from the threat of foreign aggression.

“Father, may I say something?”

In addition to King Hector and Jackson, there was one more man in the royal palace.

A man with red hair.

Edwin Hector, the only son of King Hector.

“Speak.”

“For the past five years, the Hector Kingdom has experienced the worst crop failures in its history. The land has dried up and withered due to drought, and on days when it seemed like rain might fall, strong winds swept away all the crops. And the money we borrowed from the Golden Bank to solve these problems has become a huge burden due to the enormous interest. The Hector Kingdom no longer has the strength to endure. The national treasury has been empty for a long time, and if we continue like this, we will lose our meaning as a kingdom.”

“…I am not unaware of that fact.”

King Hector wore a dismal expression.

The previous kings.

They may have started the war to achieve a grand dream, but the consequences of their defeat had to be borne by their descendants.

King Hector was a complete victim.

From the moment he ascended the throne, the Hector Kingdom was in a bad state, and after struggling desperately to manage the country, problems finally erupted recently.

People said.

That the heavens were angry.

Seeing the people sitting on the parched, withered land, shedding tears, the time to make a decision had come.

Edwin said.

“Since the defeat in the war against the Valhalla Empire, the history of the Hector Kingdom has been marked by a determination not to repeat the same mistakes and to stay away from war. But not now. We are living in the present, and we must do anything for the people who are currently in despair. The defeat that history speaks of is not something we have experienced. We have been preparing for the past year, and the opponent is not the Valhalla Empire, but the Cairo Kingdom. For the sake of the kingdom, you must make a decision now.”

War.

It was a word that could not be uttered lightly.

As much as King Hector was considered weak, he showed a cautious disposition.

That was why it took a year.

After the issue of war was raised, it took a great deal of time to discuss it in earnest.

‘Is that man truly my son?’

Edwin Hector.

He did not resemble his father.

He was strong, inheriting the bloodline of the once-powerful Hector royal family.

Watching his son’s eyes burning with desire.

King Hector cautiously opened his mouth.

“…Are you confident?”

“Yes. If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.”

“I understand.”

Thud.

He rose from the throne.

The Hector Kingdom was driven to the edge of a cliff.

Just as heroes are born in times of turmoil, he thought that Edwin’s growth was an inevitable destiny.

“I hereby entrust all authority related to this war to you, Edwin Hector.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Finally.

The Hector Kingdom made a decision.

Around that time.

The Southern Training Camp had completed its three-week training period.

In front of hundreds of trainees, Baron Veil was giving a tedious speech at the graduation ceremony.

“Everyone has worked hard. Unlike the western front, the southern front is not a place where battles are fought daily. After being assigned to the reserve forces, you will spend more boring days than you might imagine, but you must not forget that you are soldiers dedicated to defending the Cairo Kingdom. Complacency invites disaster. I hope that your time on the southern front will be remembered as peaceful days.”

Words repeated like a parrot every time.

Baron Veil concluded the graduation ceremony with insincere words.

Immediately after the graduation ceremony.

He called Roman out separately.

Just like when they first met, he brought out sweet coffee in the command room and said with a benevolent smile.

“You will be assigned to the reserve forces of the 5th defense line from today. You may have heard what other nobles are saying. That place is a paradise that all nobles entering the Southern Training Camp wish to be assigned to, and it is the most comfortable place to live while your freedom as a soldier is restricted. And… ahem, I used my connections a little to send you to the 5th defense line.”

He had heard the rumors.

In the shadows.

The nobles sang praises of the 5th defense line.

As it was known to be the most comfortable place on the southern front, it was difficult to be assigned there without any connections.

Baron Veil usually exerted his influence in exchange for a special price.

However, this time, he was in a position where he had to make a good impression first, and he had to reveal his favor directly to be satisfied.

“Thank you.”

“What thanks between us? I was just doing what was natural. I told you before, I don’t want much. I just want you to live a comfortable life in the Southern Training Camp, and when you become a person of Marquis Benedict later, to remember that there was a person called ‘Baron Veil Frank.’ That’s all I need. So, if you need anything while living on the southern front, feel free to contact me anytime. The position of commander of the Southern Training Camp can help with many things.”

Baron Veil smiled playfully.

Roman nodded, ending the insincere meeting.

After leaving the command room.

There was one more person looking for Roman.

It was McBurney.

The head instructor of the Southern Training Camp, he spoke to Roman with a different expression than usual.

“…Thank you for everything. In fact, while in charge of the Southern Training Camp, I have never seen a noble who showed as much passion for training as Roman Dimitri. Thanks to you, I realized what I was working for, and I think I will be able to teach the trainees more passionately in the future. And this, I prepared it thinking it might be of some help, though it is small.”

The items McBurney handed over.

They were a worn book and a map.

When Roman gave him a questioning look, McBurney added an explanation.

“It is a summary of information and terrain features about the southern front. If, just in case, a war breaks out on the southern front, it will be necessary information. Of course, the best situation would be to spend two years peacefully. I also hope that Roman Dimitri will be discharged in good health.”

“Thanks.”

To the other person’s kindness.

Roman accepted with a smile.

At that moment, McBurney’s heart pounded.

He wanted to follow Roman, if only he could.

As a former warrior, Roman Dimitri was a person worth dedicating his life to.

But.

‘I would only be a hindrance.’

A one-armed cripple.

It was impossible to even wield a sword properly with his left hand.

Roman Dimitri was a person who would become great in the future, and he already had outstanding talents like Chris and Kevin under him at a glance.

There was no place for him.

If he couldn’t do his part, he would only be a hindrance, so he thought it was right to stay in the Southern Training Camp, where he could actively use his abilities.

Thus.

The two men’s conversation ended.

Roman moved his steps.

It was time to go to the reserve forces of the 5th defense line, and as McBurney walked away, Roman took something out of his arms.

‘Lucas said he had a hard time getting this.’

It was a map.

A map recording information about the southern front.

It was very similar to what McBurney had given him.

In fact.

Roman already had McBurney’s gift.

He had gathered information before coming to the southern front, so it was not a very necessary gift.

But still, he smiled.

As if he was truly grateful.

Even now, he carefully kept it in his arms, along with the existing map.

There was no special reason.

Because it was McBurney’s sincerity.

Roman thought that pure goodwill was worth respecting in itself.

The unit assignments were over.

On the way to their respective units, Henry showed sluggish footsteps.

‘I have to move with my own feet. Shouldn’t the nobles at least supply a carriage?’

His feet hurt.

Soft feet that had never suffered hardship.

Trying to travel a long distance with feet that had no calluses at all, he already felt sweaty and thirsty.

But he couldn’t complain and demand a carriage.

It wasn’t impossible to use Baron Veil’s connections, but the problem was a certain figure within his sight.

Roman Dimitri.

He didn’t seem to be dissatisfied with the current situation, and he was walking with the soldiers far ahead.

‘Haa. How did my life end up like this?’

Yesterday evening.

Baron Veil called Henry out separately.

And then, he emphasized the words he had repeated countless times once again.

“Henry. I have specially assigned you to the reserve forces of the same 5th defense line as Roman Dimitri. During the two years, you must somehow form a close relationship with Roman Dimitri. Remember. This issue is a very important matter that my future depends on, and no matter how much you are my nephew, I will have no choice but to be angry if you don’t do your job properly.”

He felt dizzy.

Assignment to the 5th defense line reserve forces.

It was very good news.

It would have been nice to walk with a smile if it was just that, but he was annoyed at the thought of spending time with Roman Dimitri.

But what could he do?

The reality was already upon him.

In order to look good to Roman even a little bit.

Henry chose to walk with the soldiers, suppressing his thirst rather than complaining.

How long had he walked?

After a long time, the group was able to reach their destination.

But.

The scenery there was different from what he had expected.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Emergency! Emergency!”

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

There was a commotion.

The emergency signal rang, and the scene became chaotic due to the soldiers running around urgently.

At that time, he didn’t know what was going on.

He wondered if it was a virtual training exercise, but Henry’s expression turned pale when the executive of the reserve forces came and said.

“All five defense lines on the southern front are under attack! The Hector Kingdom. They have declared war!”

War.

At that word.

Henry’s heart sank.