The Heavenly Demon Can't Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 152

The air in the room suddenly turned cold.

Roman’s sharp words made Mackin frown.

The silence in the room was heavy, like a thick blanket. Roman’s answer was important.

“Speak properly. From the moment you threaten me, I have no intention of saying anything nice to you.”

Roman stared straight at Mackin, his voice firm and clear.

Even though the opponent showed a fierce aura, his gaze was unwavering. He stood tall, showing no fear even as Mackin’s anger filled the room.

“Valhalla Empire. I am not unaware of the fact that you are strong. But even if a knife is held to my throat, I have no intention of swearing allegiance to anyone by force. Did you ask if you should take it as hostility? Do as you please. Incite the central government to attack Dmitry, or summon Valhalla’s great warriors to assassinate me. No threat can forcibly extract an answer from me.”

Valhalla was powerful, everyone knew that. But…

Roman knew Valhalla’s limitations.

‘The Cairo Kingdom is a prey that the Chronos Empire has been cultivating for years. If Valhalla tries to attack Cairo, the Chronos Empire will not stand idly by. In the end, the fight in Cairo can only be concluded by internal forces. And the power that Dmitry possesses now cannot be dealt with by the pressure from the central government alone.’

The Dmitry Alliance. Its meaning was not simple.

When the central government punishes, it borrows the power of the surrounding territories, and all the forces in the northeast region have decided to follow Dmitry.

Count Denver, who followed the Valhalla Empire. Even if he raised his voice and insisted that Dmitry should be punished, the central government would not dare to wage war.

Threats from beyond the border. With the Chronos Empire standing firm, Cairo would inevitably fall into ruin if a civil war broke out.

And. The fall of Cairo meant the rise of the Chronos Empire.

It was a subtle point. Roman knew that by forming the Dmitry Alliance, he could seize a subtle point.

‘The Valhalla Empire has no way to attack me. Only one. They could mobilize Valhalla’s strongmen to assassinate me, but that kind of threat won’t work on me.’

Back when he was Baek Joong-hyuk, assassins were a common problem in his life.

No matter how they tried to assassinate him, Roman was confident that he wouldn’t even blink an eye. He had seen it all before. Threats meant little to him.

Roman said.

“If you don’t intend to antagonize me, Valhalla has only one option: wait. I, Roman Dmitry, do not wish to be merely someone who just takes power from others. The moment I make a choice, that force will surely rise to the top of Cairo, and people will call the Dmitry family a kingmaker. That is what I desire.”

He gave a compromise. To keep their mouths shut. And wait for his choice.

Even in the face of the Valhalla Empire’s threats, Roman went on the offensive.

The world did not yet know of the union between Dmitry and Valentino. But with the power that had already been revealed, he had enough strength to boldly confront the Valhalla Empire.

”
You handle things quite boldly.”

Mackin’s face became like stone.

His good mood vanished completely.

Roman’s attitude crossed the line, but he couldn’t attack Roman.

The war with Hector and the unification of the northeast region meant Dmitry had become a bomb that could not be touched carelessly.

‘I’ll step back for now. But if you continue to show the same attitude, then I’ll have to make a decision.’

Mackin said.

“Being too proud can lead to your downfall, Roman Dmitry. Always remember my words. The reason we are stepping back is not because you are strong, but because you are not a threat to the Valhalla Empire even if we give you enough time. The continent is vast. Remember that Butler, whom you struggled to defeat, is nothing in the Valhalla Empire, and please make a careful choice. If we make a decision, then we will show you how meaningless the sandcastle you have built is.”

It was a warning and a conciliation. Mackin left his seat, leaving behind a chilling aftertaste.

Starting with the Valhalla Empire, the four factions of Cairo contacted him.

Knowing of the existence of the Dmitry Alliance, they all urged him to make a decision. Some forces tried to appease him, while others resorted to threats.

Tension in Cairo was rising as each group fought for more power. Roman Dmitry showed a resolute attitude. He did not change his mind, no matter who tried to pressure him.

“There are matters to be settled in Dmitry. Exactly one year from now, I plan to finish the work in Dmitry and go up to the capital to challenge the public ranking match. And when everything is finished, then I will make my position clear.”

One year. It was not welcome news.

At Roman’s change, who seemed like he would make a decision right away, all four forces felt betrayed.

The head of the aristocratic faction, Marquis Benedict, was the same.

He didn’t like Roman’s unilateral notice, but like Valhalla, there was nothing he could do.

”
Are you just going to leave Dmitry alone?”

Marquis Benedict said, keeping his eyes fixed on the documents.

“We have no other choice but to wait. If it were right after the war with Hector, Roman Dmitry took a bold move of taking control of the northeast region as soon as he returned to his hometown. He’s a truly cunning fellow. From the moment the Northeast Alliance, which had been rebelling against Dmitry, surrendered, the Dmitry family has become a force that the central government cannot easily control. To be precise, rather than touching them and disrupting the balance of power, it would be the only way to maintain the current system to leave them alone.”

”
But it’s too dangerous. If we give Dmitry time, they will quickly grow stronger.”

“I know.”

He closed the document. Marquis Benedict looked at his subordinate.

Leading the aristocratic faction, he did not rise to his current position by luck.

“Face reality. If we cannot gain a clear advantage by antagonizing Dmitry, then it is right to place hope on positive possibilities. Clearly, the empire’s lackeys will have no choice but to express antipathy towards Roman Dmitry’s actions. Unlike them, we will support Roman Dmitry to the end and show him a favorable reaction, so that he trusts me. Even if the price is Dmitry’s betrayal, Roman Dmitry is worth the sacrifice.”

Cairo’s hero. He was a coveted opponent.

He wanted to have him at all costs, and his bold actions only fueled his desire.

“If Roman Dmitry chooses me, I will not hold any past events against him. But.”

He trailed off. He was determined to win Roman Dmitry over, no matter what.

A cold voice echoed in Roman’s memory, a threat hanging heavy in the air. “Choose your own path, and you will suffer.”

One year. He had exactly one year until that threat became real.

In his study, the afternoon sun cast long shadows across the room, Roman unfolded a letter. The paper felt thin and familiar in his fingers.

[Brother. I have never once thought that academy life was enjoyable. But since meeting you, my life has completely changed. Kids who used to be afraid of the Castro family have started approaching me as friends, and my swordsmanship skills are rapidly improving because I diligently practice the techniques you taught me. Recently, even the swordsmanship professor praised me, saying I might be a genius. I am truly grateful. I haven’t done anything for you as a brother, but you have given me so much. I may not be able to do anything for you now, but as I live my life, I will definitely repay the kindness you have shown me.]

It was from Loren Dimitri.

Roman smiled at the heartfelt letter.

‘Brothers existing as brothers. Not bad, indeed.’

This life was different from his previous one.

There was no reason to engage in fighting between brothers with his own brother, nor did he want to.

The fact that they shared warm feelings simply because they were brothers gave special meaning to Roman’s life.

‘One year from now, I must become stronger.’

Roman had built a life around him. Now, many people depended on him.

He was no longer alone, and defeat was unacceptable.

Roman knew using power alone wasn’t enough anymore. Four groups were growing stronger in the Cairo Kingdom: the Royalists, who support the King; the Aristocrats; the Chronos Empire faction; and the Valhalla Empire faction. These groups were dividing the kingdom and wouldn’t wait for him. Therefore, this last year, if he didn’t make good use of this time, he would inevitably lose something in the war with them.

Something that could not be determined.

It could be his family, his subordinates, or perhaps Roman Dimitri’s life could end.

Whatever it was, he didn’t like it.

Living a new life, Roman wanted many things, just like his previous life.

He wanted to reach the top and he wanted to lose nothing.

Unlike his previous self, Roman Dimitri, who had lived once as Baek Jung-hyuk, had the strength to be greedy.

‘If the war starts for real, there will be no time to look back on myself then.’

The mid-stage of the Heavenly Demon Sword Art was not enough.

Although it was a power that overwhelmed Butler, Roman wanted to be even more overwhelming than that.

One year was a time for development.

He would push himself even harder, and there was one more thing to prepare for the future.

‘Edwin Hector, I don’t know when I’ll meet a wizard like him again. No matter what happens, in order to respond perfectly to it, I must thoroughly understand wizards for a year. Even if a wizard beyond Edwin Hector appears, I will cut them all down and achieve my purpose.’

In the days when he had nothing to lose, Baek Jung-hyuk desperately struggled to survive.

And now that he has so much to lose, Roman Dimitri showed an even stronger will than ever before.

Three months had passed since then.

Of the 13 magic towers on the continent, the Phoenix Magic Tower, considered the weakest, always had a problem.

“Sigh.”

Felix, the successor of Phoenix, sighed deeply.

A few days ago, there was a magic academy conference.

It was hosted by the Sky Magic Tower, known as the best, and representatives from each magic tower went to show off their achievements.

The problem was Phoenix’s turn. Felix reached the 5th Circle of magic, a level showing he was quite skilled, at the age of 30 and showed powerful magic, but the wizards watching had cold expressions.

Felix’s magic was common.

They were commonly known spells, and the special identity of the Phoenix Magic Tower couldn’t be found at all.

“It was true that the Phoenix Magic Tower lost the magic book that had been passed down for generations.”

Three years ago, Felix’s teacher and the master of the Phoenix Magic Tower went missing.

Because of this, Felix unexpectedly became the acting tower master. The problem was that he completely lost his identity because he didn’t inherit the burning magic book, which was Phoenix’s secret.

Phoenix’s power was already weak.

The collapse was happening quickly, and wizards were leaving every day.

The world of wizards was ruthless.

Since the Sky Magic Tower was known to have all the magic in the world, there was no reason to stay in Phoenix, which had no secrets.

“…At this rate, it will collapse soon.”

The future was worrying and unclear.

Usually, magic towers get money from the country and borrow some land, but Frank, where they were now, had been passively supporting them since the tower master disappeared.

It was an absurd attitude. At first, they acted like they would give them everything to bring in Phoenix, but now they saw Phoenix’s existence as a problem.

Magic towers and kingdoms have a mutually beneficial relationship.

The kingdom can use the magic tower’s power in an emergency, right?

As his worries grew, Felix received a letter.

[…The condition is simple. For the next six months, if you become my sparring partner, I will pay you 1000 gold per month.]

It was an unusual offer.

A whopping 1000 gold for being a sparring partner!

His eyes widened.

The magic tower was not in good shape anyway, so he couldn’t refuse such an offer.

Frank was in the southwest of the continent.

It was somewhat far from where the letter was sent, but now was not the time to be picky.

‘The farthest end of the northeast. It’s really far.’

That day, Felix packed his bags.