The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 199

The middle of the dusty training grounds baked under the hot sun. Lordwell Dmitry stared down at his sword. The metal felt strangely heavy in his hand.

Now, one side of Lordwell’s sight was dark. It was like looking at the world with half a curtain drawn. His senses felt wrong and bothered him all the time, like a constant buzzing in his head. He felt sick for a moment, a wave of dizziness washing over him.

There was a time when this sword felt like part of his own arm. He could move with it without even thinking. But now, even his own body felt clumsy and strange, not obeying his commands.

Tap.

He lunged forward.

Muscles, trained for years, pushed him forward. The sword *whipped* through the air, but missed its target with a *hiss*.

Just a hair’s breadth away.

The attack missed.

His senses told him where the enemy should be, but when he swung, the enemy was always a little further off. His senses were not working together right. His mind remembered how things *used* to be, but his one eye was showing him a different world.

He stepped forward.

He pressed the attack without stopping, but none of them were proper hits.

Whoosh.

It was the same just now.

He fought an enemy that wasn’t there, very close to him. He attacked wildly, not caring if he got hurt, like it was a real fight. But the satisfying *clang* of a good hit never came. His sword only scratched the air, or maybe just grazed the enemy’s side. Instead, he imagined the enemy’s attacks hitting him – a knife in his heart, his head cut off.

Lordwell Dmitry gritted his teeth, his face red with effort and anger. He didn’t mind dying, not really. Just once, he wanted to use his senses correctly again. But when his last desperate attack failed, he felt like the ground was falling away beneath him.

Thud!

He fell awkwardly. A line of blood trickled from his forehead, warm and sticky, down into his eye. Lordwell Dmitry stared blankly up at the sky. The sky was so calm and blue. *Why can’t I be calm like that sky?* he thought bitterly.

The battle with Chronos.

He did not regret risking his life in the Grand Warrior battle.

If he could turn back time, he would have made the same choice without hesitation for Cairo’s victory.

However.

The realities he had to accept were too harsh.

He had lived his whole life for the future of Dmitry, but even he had to admit that he had to give up his position as heir.

Roman Dmitry had shown enough results to warrant it.

Lordwell Dmitry had lost a major goal in his life, and his unstable physical condition had even regressed his swordsmanship.

It was sickening.

He was the one who said he would give up the succession.

He had decided to give up being the heir after thinking about it. But now, he was feeling the sadness of that decision.

He stared at the sky for a long time.

It was clear.

Looking at the sky, which was so peaceful unlike his own heart, Lordwell Dmitry showed a small, sad smile on his face.

He was annoyed. In fact, it wasn’t anyone’s fault.

If he had been strong enough not to lose an eye. If he had been a more suitable person for the succession than Roman Dmitry.

In a series of situations, there was no reason for him to be so pathetic.

“Let’s not be pathetic.”

Tap.

He picked up his sword and stood up.

He was a man who knew honor.

He didn’t understand how his brother had changed. But he didn’t want to be a shame to his family, like when people used to call him ‘Dmitry’s fool’.

So what if he wasn’t the heir?

So what if he lost an eye?

He would rise again.

Gritting his teeth, Lordwell Dmitry began to swing his sword.

It was a mess.

He had lost his former sharpness, but he tried his best to adapt to his only eye.

The sun beat down on Lordwell’s back, making his sweat run. The metal of the sword handle felt slippery in his hand.

“You can’t solve your problem that way.”

A familiar voice.

Roman Dmitry was standing on one side of the training ground.

Roman Dmitry said.

“Lordwell, I see you are struggling. This is very hard, losing your sight like this. Your body has been practicing swordsmanship in a normal state for a long time. Losing an eye doesn’t just mean a visual limitation, it means all the changes that start from it. The way you’re training mindlessly now isn’t necessarily wrong, but there’s a more certain way.”

During the conquest of Murim.

Many subordinates lost their bodies.

They experienced the disconnect of the senses, and many cases created a way to overcome it.

“Block the five senses and start from a new starting point. Don’t just keep training like you have both eyes. You need to learn to fight with only one eye. If you practice using just one sense now, it will be easier when you use all your senses again later. Of course, you can’t block the five senses in a normal way. But if you want, I can do that for you.”

It was honest advice.

He spoke of the best solution, but Lordwell Dmitry’s reaction was not welcome.

“Why should I listen to you?” Lordwell turned away, his jaw tight. He muttered, not even looking at Roman.

Blocking the five senses.

Maybe it was the answer.

Even if it was a way to solve the problem in a short time, Lordwell Dmitry didn’t want to follow his brother’s words.

It was an emotional issue.

While acknowledging how great Roman Dmitry was and how suitable he was for the position of heir, he didn’t want to receive his brother’s help in a situation where everything had been taken away anyway.

It was a pointless backlash.

Lordwell Dmitry turned his gaze and focused on his swordsmanship training again.

“The choice is yours. But there’s something you need to know.”

It wasn’t a conversation.

He just said these words, not really talking to Lordwell.

Even if the other person ignored his words, Roman Dmitry spoke sincerely.

“Lordwell, I’m telling you this not just as your brother, but as someone who cares deeply about Dmitry. We need to be strong, *all* of us. Dmitry has now entered a new phase. There will probably be many trials. We don’t know what tricks the Chronos Empire and the Valhalla Empire, who are unhappy with us, will play, and we can’t trust the Kingdom Alliance, which we think of as allies right now, until the end. In that situation. We have to protect ourselves. If we become weak and fall apart inside, the people who trust us will suffer.”

Roman Dmitry thought about the future. His influence was growing, like a fence spreading wider and wider. As he made new friends and connections, Roman’s values changed. In his past life, he had lived by the law of the jungle, but in this new life, he wanted more than just power.

“I need people I can trust to help Dmitry in the future,” Roman said. “Until now, I could do everything myself. But as time passes, I will have limits. What if Dmitry is attacked while I am at the border? What if the Empire sends soldiers from all sides? In battles where I am not there, I need people who can take my place.”

He remembered conquering Murim. It wasn’t just his own strength that won that battle. When Baek Jong-hyuk was not there, others stepped up to lead. They became known as the Four Kings.

“Rodwell Dmitry,” Roman continued, looking at his brother. “You are my brother, my own blood. If someone needs to lead Dmitry when I am gone…” He paused, searching for the right words. “I hope that person is you.” Trust is important, and sometimes it starts with one person believing in another.

Rodwell Dmitry’s eyes widened, a storm of emotions swirling within them. He was shocked and confused by Roman’s words. It felt like a long time ago that he had lost his brother. And now, here he was, standing right in front of him.

Time passed quickly. Finally, the day of the festival arrived, bright and sunny. People from all over came to Dmitry Castle, excited for the celebration. Dmitry Castle was decorated with colorful banners and flowers. The streets were filled with people laughing and talking. The smell of delicious food filled the air, and music played loudly. It was a day of great joy.

The declaration ceremony of the Dmitry Duchy began. Daniel Cairo, the King of Cairo, stepped forward to speak. He looked out at the crowd, his face serious but his eyes shining with pride. He knew this was a big moment for Cairo and Dmitry.

“Today is a truly important day for Cairo, and for the whole Salamander Continent!” Daniel Cairo said in a strong voice. “Recently, Cairo faced dangers that threatened our nation. The traitor Marquis Benedict brought the Cronos Empire into his evil plans, and the people of Cairo were afraid because of the battles in the west. In the past, Cairo might have given up and compromised in such a situation. We used to bow our heads even when we were not wrong, thinking that was the only way to survive. But the Dmitry family showed us we were wrong. They woke up Cairo’s pride and showed us how a true nation should act!”

His voice was strong and clear, showing how much he had grown. His past experiences had made Daniel Cairo a powerful leader. He looked at everyone in the crowd, from the Kingdom Alliance to the Hector Kingdom. He wanted to make his message clear to everyone celebrating the new Dmitry Duchy.

“Dmitry deserves this new beginning, with everyone’s blessing,” Daniel Cairo announced. “I, Daniel Cairo, King of Cairo, sincerely congratulate the Dmitry Duchy, our friend, on its start. I will do my best to make Cairo and Dmitry strong together, like family.”

A huge roar of cheers exploded from the crowd. The people of Dmitry were overjoyed. Important people from other countries understood what Daniel Cairo meant. “Friendly nation” was not like being a vassal state, where one country is controlled by another. He was saying that he accepted the Dmitry Duchy as an equal, independent power.

‘Cairo is the first to recognize Dmitry as a separate power,’ someone thought in the crowd. ‘Even though everyone already loves Roman Dmitry, this makes Dmitry’s future even brighter!’

This was exactly what Daniel Cairo intended. When he finished speaking and Baron Romero came to the stage, the festival in Dmitry was truly in full swing.

The party was in full swing. Inside Dmitry Castle, the Dmitry family had prepared a special area for the nobles. They enjoyed a lavish feast with roasted meats, fine wines, and sweet cakes. Outside, for the common people, there was plenty of food too. Grilled sausages, hearty bread, and sweet drinks were offered freely. It was a scene that showed how wealthy Dmitry had become. It cost a lot of money to feed thousands of people, but Duke Romero gave generously.

Dmitry was very wealthy, mainly because of its successful iron mine. The mine produced so much iron that Duke Romero could easily afford to feed everyone at the festival. Since they had made the mine safer, it produced even more wealth than before. New veins of iron were discovered in the endless mountains. There were plenty of jobs, and because Dmitry was known for its safety, workers came from everywhere. Dmitry was growing quickly.

Because Dmitry was so rich, giving food to the people didn’t hurt their wealth at all. Everyone was having a wonderful time, eating, chatting, and enjoying the festival. As the party went on, the representative of the Kingdom Alliance, Count Verdi, spoke to Duke Romero.

Count Verdi smiled smoothly, his eyes fixed on Duke Romero. “Duke Dmitry,” he said, his voice polite but with a clear purpose, “Roman Dmitry is getting older. Shouldn’t he be thinking about marriage soon? A man can only do great things when his family is settled. It just so happens that the princess of the Umberto Kingdom is also ready for marriage. How about we arrange a meeting?”

Duke Romero frowned slightly, a troubled look on his face. He hesitated before answering. “I also hope Roman finds a good wife,” he said. “But as you know, Roman has a problem. He was engaged before, but it didn’t work out. How can I arrange another marriage? Right now, I’m more worried about Roman’s safety than his marriage.” He was avoiding the question.

In noble society, people usually find partners even after their late teens. Roman Dmitry hadn’t had many offers because people remembered him as ‘Dmitry’s fool,’ and his previous engagement was broken off. It was a difficult issue for the Dmitry family. Duke Romero didn’t think marriage was the most important thing right now, especially after what happened with Lawrence. Also, breaking off an engagement was a big deal. Many nobles might not want to risk marrying into a family with that kind of history.

But Count Verdi waved his hand dismissively. “A problem? He is Dmitry’s hero! He defeated the Gustavo Knights Commander when he was only 20! Who would care about a broken engagement? A hero’s life is full of ups and downs. If anyone sees it as a problem, then we will find a wise woman who understands Roman Dmitry’s true worth.”

“That’s right,” Viscount Ringo of the Redford Kingdom added quickly, leaning forward eagerly. “He is the heir to the Dmitry Duchy now. A broken engagement is nothing!”

Marquis Marten of the Odelia Kingdom nodded in agreement. They all spoke quickly, eager to support Count Verdi. For a moment, their eyes met. They all realized they had come to this party with the same goal: to find a way to connect their families to Roman Dmitry through marriage.

‘They are all trying to get Roman Dmitry!’ Duke Romero thought, annoyed. ‘Damn bastards. How dare they be so obvious!’ The nobles looked at each other, and sparks of competition flew between them. Each wanted Roman Dmitry for their own kingdom.