The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 145

The Northeastern Union was in a difficult situation.

They were cornered.

Normally, they would have been happy to get help. But this offer was from Roman Dmitry, the leader of Dmitry family. That made them suspicious.

‘Roman Dmitry is hiding his real reasons with words that sound good. He can’t just do nothing because it’s about the Northeast? Nonsense! If Count Douglas and the Northeastern Union fight, Dmitry will gain the most. There’s no reason for him to get involved in a messy fight.’

Their suspicion made sense.

They hadn’t been friendly with Dmitry. In fact, they had been fighting each other recently.

He wanted to ask about his intentions.

But he couldn’t make a quick mistake. He was afraid it might lose them a chance to get help.

‘We don’t have time to be picky.’

He swallowed his doubts.

Count Conrad spoke, holding onto hope like a drowning man grabs a straw.

“The Northeastern Union and Dmitry have not been friends. Actually, Dmitry had reason to dislike them. Whenever there was trouble in the Northeast, they always sided with Barco, and their dislike for each other grew. I admit our relationship with Dmitry has gotten worse recently. But we need help now. It might be a bold request, but if you promise to forget our old fights and help us, we will do anything. So, please tell us what we need to do.”

He stopped thinking in complicated ways.

He thought simply.

If they went to war with Count Douglas.

They couldn’t deal with the problems after the war anyway.

In that case, it was better to bring in the Dmitry family and plan for the future.

‘Roman’s sincerity doesn’t matter. If he helps us, for any reason, we can reduce the damage from the war with Count Douglas. If we can do that, we will be strong enough to fight back against Dmitry even after the war. Now is not the time to worry about pride.’

He weighed the pros and cons.

It was much better to be humble than to make useless threats.

How would Roman Dmitry respond?

Because Roman was young, he hoped Roman would be too proud of his victory and show them a small act of kindness.

But.

Roman’s answer was very different from what he expected.

“[Since you admit how we were in the past, I will be honest with you too. Actually, it would be better for Dmitry not to help you. But I don’t want to forget the important things just to win a small fight. Dmitry and the whole Northeast must unite, especially because war is coming to Cairo. I think you understand that the Northeast’s location is important when we work together.]”

Roman was speaking of pure goodwill.

Count Conrad expected a mean reaction, so he looked very surprised.

“[We know this choice might put us in a worse situation. Nevertheless, we can’t just watch while armies from the north attack the Northeast. Even though we had problems in the past, we are all part of the same area called the Northeast. If we just watch a group in our area get destroyed just because they are unfriendly, the Northeast will surely be ruined. My demand is clear. I am not asking for payment. I just want you to truly be sorry for what you did in the past and show you want to work with us in the future. If you promise that, I will forget our old fights and help you with your problem, because we are in the same area.]”

In that moment.

Count Conrad felt a strong feeling.

If Dmitry had seemed selfish, Count Conrad would have quickly used their help.

But pure goodwill?

His mind was very confused.

He never expected Dmitry, especially, to help the Northeastern Union, which was almost destroyed.

‘What on earth should I do?’

He couldn’t bring himself to speak.

His prejudiced view was shattered.

Dmitry, who he had disrespected because he was not born noble, now seemed like a good leader who could lead the Northeast.

It was funny.

He only realized how good Dmitry was when he needed help.

‘It’s certain. Dmitry has the qualities of a leader who can lead the Northeast.’

In a single conversation.

Their old hatred was fading away.

Perhaps that was why.

“I will contact you again after talking to the people in the Union.”

Despite the good offer, Count Conrad hesitated and looked serious.

He ended the communication.

Count Conrad’s answer that he would talk to them.

He seemed sincere enough, but Roman didn’t care much about their sincerity.

‘The Northeastern Union has no choice but to accept my offer. They may think that accepting my offer won’t cause them any problems, but as soon as they get help from Dmitry, they will become weak.’

The Northeastern Union.

They were like bats. Bats are animals that are not really birds or animals, they are in between. The Northeastern Union was like that – they depended on others.

And to them.

A new path had opened.

Dmitry seemed to accept them just because they were all part of the Northeast.

‘The Northeastern Union is like a necessary evil. Something bad that is needed for a bigger purpose. If I can’t make everyone truly loyal anyway, I can easily get rid of the people who cause trouble by ignoring the Northeastern Union on purpose. But that doesn’t mean they can unite and resist as they did in the past. Those who now feel real kindness towards Dmitry because of this will cause problems in the Northeastern Union, and the people who depend on others will not be able to act as strongly as before. Becoming weak… Even though they are not actually losing anything, they will lose their strength without even knowing it.’

It was Baek Jong-hyuk’s method. Baek Jong-hyuk was a powerful leader in the past.

He didn’t only accept people who were only loyal to him.

Among the people who followed Baek Jong-hyuk, there were selfish people who only cared about themselves, and there were people who made groups to protect themselves.

Baek Jong-hyuk accepted all those different kinds of people. When he ruled many people, he knew from the start that people would always be different.

However.

He controlled them perfectly.

He gave them some freedom, but stopped them from having bad ideas.

With great power and rule, the Demonic Cult stayed in charge of the Murim world until Baek Jong-hyuk died.

‘As soon as they accept my kindness even once, Dmitry can take over the Northeast easily.’

Roman was greedy.

He wanted the entire Northeast.

Only then would he know that Dmitry could remain strong even in future problems with the central government.

‘To attack Dmitry, they must go through the other forces in the Northeast. When Dmitry hadn’t gained people’s support yet, it might not have been a big problem for the central government, but now it will be different. When they take over the Northeastern Union, they will have to face many difficulties to reach Dmitry. We can make the war happen away from Dmitry, and the more we help them fight the central government, the more the Northeast will work together. And then, the groups working together in the Northeast will not be allowed to betray Dmitry.’

He looked far into the future.

The plan that started with Dmitry’s peasants had formed an amazingly perfect way of ruling.

Therefore.

Sincerity was not important.

It would be good if they were sincerely loyal, but even if they weren’t, the result would not change.

Just one surrender.

That would be enough.

Creak.

He leaned back in his chair.

He waited for the moment.

When the Northeastern Union contacted him.

He would then finish it successfully.

A few days later.

The day of the important battle dawned.

Count Douglas had gathered his army, convincing the leaders of the North to enter the Northeast with him.

A northern nobleman said.

“Count Douglas, if we destroy the Northeastern Union, you must pay us fairly.”

“Of course. Why would I gather the lords of the North and speak nonsense? This war is a golden opportunity. Since the fall of Barco, the northeastern region has lost its strength, and they are like sandcastles that crumble with the slightest touch. Shouldn’t someone seize such a land of opportunity?”

“Indeed.”

“Haha, just hearing it makes me feel good.”

The lords of the North were not helping out of kindness.

Count Douglas had offered them something real: a share of the land and riches after they won.

‘People think I’m a mindless beast. But I don’t attack without thinking. If a fight is unavoidable, I make sure I have the best chance to win. That’s how I’ve survived this long.’

He was cunning.

He turned a matter of pride into a direct path to getting something valuable.

The northeastern region was truly like a mountain with no owner.

He might have been angry and acted quickly, but after thinking about it, he knew there wouldn’t be a better chance.

Starting with the Northeastern Alliance, he planned to take over the surrounding area if things went well.

‘Foolish fellows. When Barco was protected by the central government, I couldn’t do anything rash. But now it’s different. The Northeastern Alliance is on its own. The northeastern forces won’t help them, so defeating them won’t be difficult.’

His blood boiled with excitement.

He imagined the upcoming bloodshed.

His face filled with anticipation, he quickened his pace, and soon he could see the Northeastern Alliance forces in the distance.

Noble wars usually follow rules. Unlike Barco and Lawrence who fought by attacking castles, nobles usually agree on a time and place to fight in an open battle. This is to test each other’s strength.

This time was no different.

He told the central government he was going to war and gave the Northeastern Alliance a choice. They agreed to fight on this plain today.

Finally, he arrived at the scene.

Count Douglas rode his horse forward and spoke in a menacing voice.

“You there, commander! Show yourself!”

At those harsh words, Baron Conrad stepped forward. He wore simple, practical armor, and his face was pale, but his eyes were steady. Unlike Count Douglas, who looked eager for a fight, Baron Conrad seemed weighed down by worry.

“The time we agreed on has not yet come,” Baron Conrad said, his voice clear but quiet. “Please, wait a little longer.”

“It seems that most of the people who are coming have arrived. How about we start right away? Or perhaps surrendering right now would be a good idea,” Count Douglas said with a smirk, his eyes looking down at Baron Conrad. “There’s no need to waste strength on a battle you’re going to lose anyway.”

It was an arrogant remark.

Count Douglas was already sure of winning, and the lords of the North behind him felt the same way.

However, Baron Conrad did not lose his composure.

Even though Count Douglas was trying to provoke him, he spoke calmly without any change in his expression.

“We won’t know who’s better until we’ve tested each other,” Baron Conrad said, looking straight at Count Douglas, his voice calm but strong. “When the time comes, we have no intention of avoiding the fight. We will see who is stronger on the battlefield.”

Baron Conrad stepped back, his heart beating faster. *We have to be brave,* he thought.

Perhaps it was because the reaction was different from what he had expected.

Count Douglas looked slightly annoyed.

‘Arrogant bastards.’

Indeed, he could not forgive them.

He vowed to destroy them the moment he won the war.

He too returned to his position.

Time passed slowly. The lords of the North laughed and joked, confident in their easy win. They pointed and made fun of the Northeastern Alliance soldiers in the distance.

Then, someone pointed. “What’s that?” At first, they just saw flags in the distance. But as the flags got closer, they could see the symbols clearly. Their laughter stopped. Faces went pale.

“…Dmitri?”

“This is insane.”

That was truly something that should never have happened.

Everyone was sure that Dmitri would not get involved in this war.

They had recently been enemies, so no one expected him to show up to help the Northeastern Alliance.

At the front of Dmitri’s forces was Roman Dmitri. He rode a large black horse, and his armor shone in the sun. He looked strong and fearless.

As he arrived at the scene, Count Douglas asked in an aggressive tone.

“…What business does Dmitri have here?” Count Douglas’s face went red. His hands tightened on the reins of his horse.

“Just as Count Douglas has gathered the lords of the North, I have simply led my forces for the sake of the Northeastern Alliance,” Roman Dmitri replied.

It was a response that blocked any objection.

People could have thought this was just a fight between Count Douglas and the Northeastern Alliance.

But Count Douglas had gathered the lords of the North to make sure he would win, and that gave the Dmitri family a reason to join in.

If Count Douglas had known that Dmitri would step in like this, he would never have given them a reason to participate, even if it meant taking a loss.

‘Damn.’

He showed a sign of panic.

The lords of the North also exchanged glances, worried.

It was then that Baron Conrad spoke.

“We have finished our preparations.”

A few days ago, the Northeastern Alliance had made a decision after a meeting.

“It is an offer we cannot refuse. If we defeat Douglas with Dmitri’s help, wouldn’t it be beneficial in every way? At least, rather than the northern forces trying to trample us, I think it is a much better choice to accept Dmitri, who still has room for compromise, as our ally.”

In the end, they shook hands with Roman.

They thought it would be helpful, but some people, like Baron Conrad, seemed genuinely grateful for Dmitri’s actions.

Whatever the reason, the fact that Dmitri had accepted them as part of the same northeastern group gave them a new way to see the Dmitri family.

And now, Baron Conrad stood behind Roman.

With that figure hiding behind a powerful protector, Roman spoke on behalf of the northeastern region.

“You came here for war. Now you have it,” Roman Dmitri said, looking at Count Douglas with cold eyes. “Tell me, Douglas, how do you want to lose? Will your soldiers fight and die, or will you send out your best warriors to be crushed by mine? Choose your fate.”

From now on, Roman Dmitri had to prove that he deserved to be the ruler of the northeastern region.