The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 345

Count Bragan sat down heavily in the ornate chair, the velvet cushion doing little to soften his mood. He forced a smile, though it felt stiff on his face. “You’ve been keeping yourself busy, I hear.” His voice was smooth, but a sharp edge lurked beneath the surface.

A whole week had passed since the incident with Billy. A week of frantic calls from Valhalla, demanding answers, demanding action. Count Bragan had spent the time trying to smooth things over, to buy time. Now, seeing Roman Dmitry lounging in front of him, so utterly calm, the anger he had been holding back threatened to boil over.

Roman Dmitry finally spoke, his voice even and cool. “Yes, I was busy. Perhaps next time, you should request a meeting in advance. It would save us both time.”

“…I understand.”

That wasn’t the reaction he wanted.

He had hoped for at least an excuse to soothe his feelings, but the wooden response irritated him.

“Before we get to the main point, I would like to ask how you intend to handle Billy’s matter. Frankly, I would prefer to simply overlook it, but a knight who accompanied me as a representative of Valhalla is suffering in a miserable state. How can I simply stand by and watch? If this matter is handled without any action, I believe it would be trampling on the honor of Valhalla.”

Billy’s case was a problem that had to be resolved, not for Billy’s sake.

At the upcoming negotiation table, he needed to make Valhalla’s position known in order to lead the negotiations advantageously. In that sense, it was a good incident.

He spent time in the guest room, repeatedly considering and calculating how to pressure the other party.

Roman Dmitry picked up his teacup. After taking a sip, he looked at Count Bragan with a calm face.

“I heard he touched Hans first.”

“I am aware of that. However, there is a clear difference in status between a servant and a knight. Furthermore, he only made a gesture to touch him and did not actually commit any violence.”

Count Bragan had anticipated this response. He had prepared his next words carefully, chuckling inwardly while giving an obvious answer.

“Hans is no ordinary servant. He has taken care of me since I was young, and he is also very special to Kevin. In fact, I have tried to give Hans a different position several times. I even tried to bestow a title upon him in recognition of his past services, but Hans refused, saying he was satisfied with his position as a servant. Billy touched such a person. A person with special meaning in Dmitry, shouting threats and raising his hand to strike him.”

“That doesn’t change the truth. Kevin’s actions will only worsen the relationship with Valhalla.”

“I agree. This incident should not have happened for the sake of a friendly relationship.”

He put down the teacup with a soft thud.

“That’s why I’m saying this.”

He looked at the other man. His sharp eyes showed a fierce energy, as if he would harm the other man.

“Why shouldn’t we touch the people of Valhalla?”

It was an unexpected answer.

Roman Dmitry’s question, ‘Why shouldn’t we touch the people of Valhalla?’, changed everything. It was like he didn’t care about Valhalla anymore.

His eyes twitched slightly. Count Bragan did not back down.

“You’re going too far.”

Why. It was a word that should not have been said. Instead of making excuses, Roman Dmitry crossed the line.

“I acknowledge that Hans is an important person in Dmitry. That’s something we didn’t know, and generally, there’s no problem with treating a servant that way. Don’t try to find the cause with us. On the other hand, Billy is a knight of Valhalla. He visited Dmitry as a guest and came to convey Valhalla’s intentions as a representative. How am I supposed to accept the fact that such a person was unilaterally beaten? Don’t jump to conclusions. Roman Dmitry’s one word may make the relationship with Valhalla irreversible.”

Count Bragan thought his words were reasonable. Anyone would agree with him, right?

The problem was that the person listening to it was Roman Dmitry.

When Kevin committed the incident and reported it, Roman Dmitry did not reprimand him in the slightest.

“Count Bragan, I think you’re the one who’s seriously mistaken.”

His attitude changed abruptly. Count Bragan’s face flushed at the cold words he spat out while crossing his legs.

“Show some respect!”

“Dmitry and Valhalla are not in a relationship where we need to show respect. When I visited Valhalla for the first and last time, Valhalla tried to kill me under the pretext of a festival. And how did the Emperor of Valhalla react when I defeated Barbosa? He openly executed those involved and set the stage for Chronos to attack me. No matter how vast Valhalla’s territory is, it cannot escape the control of the Empire, and Chronos’ forces followed me all the way until they crossed the border, running rampant.”

Roman Dmitry’s words hit a sore spot.

If they wanted to restore the relationship, the Valhalla Festival incident was something they should have buried together.

“Quite some time has passed since then. But has the Emperor of Valhalla ever apologized for it even once? No. He didn’t mention it at all. He glossed over the incident as if it never happened, and that’s how we got to today. Count Bragan, answer me. Do you think it’s wrong for me to antagonize you? Looking at you holding me responsible for merely touching one of your knights, what kind of order should I give?”

The atmosphere turned grim.

The relationship with Valhalla was a hostile one.

Perhaps even more than Chronos, who had declared a truce, Valhalla should have been more careful in communicating with Dmitry.

Count Bragan’s face turned pale. Looking at him, Roman Dmitry spat out the words.

“So, try your best to persuade me. Give me a reason why I shouldn’t kill you and send you back, now that you’ve come to Dmitry.”

He swallowed hard.

Roman Dmitry’s reaction wasn’t unexpected.

It was the worst-case scenario he had imagined in his head, and Roman Dmitry had finally chosen revenge over reconciliation.

‘He’s as extreme as the rumors say.’

The other man threatened his life. If the rumors were true, he was a man who would put his words into action.

However, he couldn’t back down.

Marquis Belphegor’s order was to prevent Roman Dmitry from joining the rebel forces. Even if he couldn’t bring him over to their side, he needed to inform Roman Dmitry how dangerous it was for him to oppose Valhalla in order to prevent the worst-case scenario.

Even if the root of the problem stemmed from the Emperor of Valhalla, instead of admitting fault, he held his head high.

“Don’t think of the situation in extreme terms. Things change. Enemies can become friends.”

He said calmly. Even if the other man came out rough, he didn’t bother to get caught up in it.

“I will not deny what Valhalla has done. But the important thing is not that. Dmitry has gone too far with Chronos. Right now, they are spending peaceful time under the guise of a truce agreement, but who knows when the flames of war will reignite. But what if Valhalla takes Chronos’ side then? If you continue to show such a hostile attitude while clinging to the past, Dmitry may face the worst-case scenario.”

The alliance between Chronos and Valhalla.

The air in the room was thick with unspoken threats.

Valhalla and Chronos together were like a giant against a small boy. Dimitri’s kingdom and its friends were simply not strong enough to fight them both.

It was a big threat.

Dimitri stopped being angry and started thinking clearly about the real danger.

Dimitri, I’m not here to argue about old problems. We are not stupid men who only think about today, unlike some people in your kingdom and mine. Let me be clear: Valhalla wants you to promise not to get involved in our fight inside Valhalla. I know you talked to Sanchez. But joining them will destroy you. The rebels are weak. Even if you help them, they probably won’t win.

Then, he offered something tempting. If you agree to Valhalla’s deal, we will not get involved in your war with Chronos. In fact, we will even help you. If you help us quickly end our problems inside Valhalla, we will remember this kindness and try to become better friends with Dimitri.

The offer seemed fair. Valhalla wasn’t asking for too much. Dimitri could either ignore the rebels or even help the very strong Valhalla Empire. Either way, Dimitri would gain a lot. It was a very good offer, especially since he was already worried about a war with Chronos. Anyone in their right mind would say yes.

Dimitri was still angry about what Valhalla had done in the past. Part of him wanted to kill Bragan right then and there. But Bragan seemed sure he could finish his job and go back to Valhalla safely. Anyone thinking clearly would choose to make a deal.

Dimitri listened to Bragan, his face showing nothing. Inside, anger still burned, but he forced himself to consider the offer. Could he really trust Valhalla? Was this a trap? But fighting both Valhalla and Chronos… that was impossible. A sensible ruler would agree to this deal, he knew.

Dimitri knew that if he made Valhalla angry, Chronos, who was watching and waiting, would be very happy. The way these three countries were connected was complicated, and Bragan was using this to his advantage.

But then, Dimitri spoke, his voice calm but cold. “Is that all?” Bragan paused, surprised by Dimitri’s lack of response. Something felt wrong. Bragan, a little nervous now, tried to explain his offer again, thinking Dimitri hadn’t understood.

“If that’s all,” Dimitri said, his voice suddenly hard, “then I don’t see why I should let you live.”

Bragan’s eyes went wide with shock. *What?* He tried to jump up, but something heavy slammed onto his shoulder, pushing him back down with a *thud*.

“Sit,” a rough voice growled. It was Kevin.

Bragan finally looked behind him and saw Kevin’s face covered in blood, and the bodies of his guards lying still on the floor. Suddenly, he understood. Dimitri had never planned to make a deal. This was a trap.

Marquis Belphir sat in his grand office, sunlight streaming through the tall windows. His subordinate stood before him, reading from a scroll. “Duke Vieto is calling up all his men. Eighteen nobles in Valhalla have joined him, and they think the rebel army is about 200,000 strong. Valderas, who is ranked tenth strongest, is the only really powerful fighter with them. The rest are not top fighters, so we probably don’t need to worry too much.”

Belphir leaned back in his chair. “So, Vieto is finally doing it,” he said slowly. The rebels were gathering. Civil war was really starting now.

Two hundred thousand soldiers. That was a huge army. It was amazing that just eighteen nobles could gather so many. But Valhalla was an empire, not a small kingdom. This rebel army was still small compared to the whole empire’s army. Duke Vieto was powerful once, that’s why he could get 200,000 men. But the Emperor’s army was ten times bigger than that.

Also, all the strongest fighters in Valhalla were on the Emperor’s side. Many normal people supported Duke Vieto, but the powerful people believed the Emperor would win. Even if many common people joined the rebels and shouted about the old glorious days of Valhalla, they couldn’t beat the Emperor’s army. It was much better trained and much bigger.

Marquis Belphir asked, “What’s happening in Hernard?”

“We’ve sent soldiers to get ready for a rebel attack,” his subordinate replied.

“Tell them to watch and wait,” Belphir ordered. “Duke Vieto is called ‘The Boulder’ because he is slow and careful. But when he attacks, he is very determined. Right now, the rebels can’t beat the Emperor’s army. Vieto is probably just trying to get people to support him. Just make sure Hernard is safe, and we should be fine.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hernard was behind the front lines. It was like a door that Vieto had to go through to reach the capital. The Emperor’s army was there, in a very strong fort.

Vieto’s plan was clear. He was much weaker than the Emperor, so he had to get the people to rebel. “Tsk tsk, stupid Vieto,” Belphir thought. “If he had just stayed quiet and enjoyed his old age, he would have been fine. Why did he do this?” He clicked his tongue in annoyance. The rebels had almost no chance of winning. Even if something unexpected happened, the Emperor’s family was too strong.

He told his subordinate to leave. He tried to forget about the rebels and focus on other things. But soon, his subordinate knocked again. *Knock knock.*

“Come in,” Belphir said, a little annoyed.

The subordinate came back in, holding a box. “This arrived by magic post,” he said. “We checked, and it’s safe. It’s sealed with magic. There’s a message saying it’s for you, Marquis Belphir, and it has Count Bragan’s seal.”

“Count Bragan?” Belphir said, surprised. Bragan had gone to meet Roman Dimitri this morning. Belphir thought it might be good news. He smiled and reached for the box, ready to open it.

Then, *thud*. Something heavy fell out of the box and rolled onto the floor. Belphir frowned, then looked down. His smile vanished. His face went white, then red with rage. “ROMAN DIMITRI, YOU BASTARD!” he roared, his voice shaking the room. “Get the carriage ready NOW! Tell all the important people to come here! We are going to see the Emperor!” He stared at the thing on the floor. It was Count Bragan’s head. His dead, severed head.