The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 118

Count Fabius didn’t waste time. He got straight to the point.

“I want to recruit Chris,” he said. “Let me tell you what we can offer.”

Count Fabius started to speak, but Chris cut him off. “I don’t need it,” he said firmly, without even looking at Fabius.

Fabius’s smile tightened, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn’t used to being refused. Chris was turned away and was focusing on his training again.

“Why do you say you don’t need anything without even hearing what I have to offer?” Fabius asked. “I work for Marquis Benedict, a powerful noble and important person in the government. You must know how great this opportunity is. It’s a chance to change your life. What do you want?”

“Money? Imagine never having to worry about money again. We can give you enough gold to live like a king for the rest of your days. Honor? There is no greater honor in Cairo than serving Marquis Benedict. And if you want to be a noble one day? Marquis Benedict himself will make you one. He has that kind of power. Just name it. There is nothing we cannot provide in the Cairo Kingdom.”

Fabius spoke with pride, and there was no hint of falsehood in his voice. Everyone knew that Marquis Benedict was one of the most powerful people in the Cairo Kingdom.

Fabius continued, “If you are worried about betraying Roman Dmitry, don’t be. Roman Dmitry will also become a man of Marquis Benedict someday. Since we will be on the same side anyway, why not join us now? It’s going to happen anyway. Marquis Benedict is going to be in charge. So, you can join us now and be rewarded, or wait and just be another follower later. It’s your choice.”

Chris chuckled, a short, disbelieving sound.

Half a year ago, Fabius’s offer might have tempted him. But now, no offer could reach his ears.

“How can you be so sure that my lord will become a man of Marquis Benedict?” Chris asked.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Fabius replied. “No one can refuse such power.”

Chris found it laughable. Count Fabius didn’t know Roman Dmitry well. Chris, who had watched him closely, knew he wasn’t someone who would bow his head to anyone. He might compromise, but he would never let anyone stand above him.

Roman had said he would one day rise to the top of the continent, and Chris believed him completely.

Count Fabius was wrong from the beginning.

“No matter what you offer,” Chris said, “I have no intention of leaving my lord’s side. You say that Marquis Benedict can do many things for me, but I know that no one can replace my lord.”

He valued Roman’s teachings and the knowledge he had gained. Above all, Chris didn’t want to disappoint Roman.

In Barco and Hector, everyone thought they would win, but those who stood against Roman were defeated. If Roman didn’t choose Marquis Benedict, Chris would stand with Roman against any temptation.

Count Fabius was speechless at Chris’s firm attitude. He had been confident he could recruit Chris and did not expect such strong resistance.

“…If you say so, I understand,” he said.

With a stiff nod, Count Fabius turned on his heel and walked away, his back straight with annoyance.

“If you are thinking of trying to win over my colleagues, you should give up,” Chris said.

Count Fabius didn’t take Chris’s words to heart until then.

Chris was right.

Next, he spoke to Kevin, who fought like a ghost on the battlefield, making him the same offer as Chris.

“Don’t ask me again,” Kevin said. “My life is with Lord Roman. If he follows Marquis Benedict, I will too. But if you want me to betray him, I’d rather die. Don’t test me.”

Kevin was angry at Count Fabius’s offer, but he controlled his anger for Roman’s sake.

Pooky and Volkan, mercenaries who used Aura, waved their hands in horror.

“Oh no, no, no,” Pooky said. “I don’t want to do anything Lord Roman wouldn’t like. Please forget you asked.”

“Count Fabius, thank you for the offer. It’s very generous,” Volkan said. “But Lord Roman has given us everything. We can’t betray him.”

They emphasized that it wasn’t about betrayal. No one was tempted by Count Fabius’s offer.

Lastly, he thought Henderson, who was from a commoner background, would be tempted, but Henderson blocked his ears and avoided eye contact.

He didn’t even answer, daring to ignore the nobles of Cairo completely.

He realized that Roman Dmitry had good people around him and great talents working for him. As Roman’s subordinates said, they would have been nothing if they hadn’t met Roman.

Chris was born with talent, but Kevin and Henderson, who were from commoner backgrounds, and Volkan and Pooky, who had lived as war mercenaries, thought they had grown because of Roman’s help.

Chris had become a talent that Marquis Benedict wanted because of Roman.

Count Fabius looked at the sky, dazed.

“Why are they so loyal?” he wondered.

Count Fabius became more curious about Roman.

Meanwhile, Loren Dmitry was training for the exam.

“Hmph!”

He gritted his teeth and struck the scarecrow hard. He imagined William Castro was the scarecrow, and he aimed for the scarecrow’s weak points with strong attacks.

He attacked cleanly. In real fights, Loren was terrible. But when he practiced alone, he was actually quite good with a sword.

He had been training for hours. Even though the sun was setting, Loren Dmitry didn’t stop.

“Hoo, hoo.”

He was out of breath. His arms and legs were shaking, and his face was burning red with shame and exhaustion.

He wanted to collapse, but he remembered his conversation with Hans, so he kept training.

“Yes. Why would I lie to you, young master? Lord Romero has been really happy lately because Roman Dmitry has changed. Why don’t you meet him in person? I heard he’s coming to the accommodation tonight. If you meet him, you’ll see how Roman Dmitry has changed.”

The words that his father was happy stayed in his mind. He felt like he was becoming his father’s weakness, but his brother, who was once a troublemaker, was now a different person.

‘What happened to Roman?’ Loren wondered.

Loren trusted Hans. Hans wouldn’t lie, and he knew Roman Dmitry better than anyone else. But it was hard to believe the rumors.

The Roman Loren remembered was a hopeless troublemaker. But now, people were saying he was a hero. It just didn’t make sense.

He was the hero of Cairo, the youngest ranker, and a genius swordsman who defeated Butler. Was this even possible?

He would have accepted it if it was Rodwell Dmitry, but it was Roman.

‘Roman has changed. But why am I still the same, just pathetic?’

Maybe Loren had thought he was better than Roman. He was okay with being behind because Roman was known as the fool of Dmitry, but now he was the only dropout.

“Aaargh!”

He swung his sword, attacking the scarecrow crazily.

He lost his balance and fell to the ground. Loren Dmitry, lying on the floor, looked at the darkening sky, trying not to cry.

“…This is really not it,” he said.

He was the third son of Dmitry, the only trash that William Castro talked about. His brothers were proving themselves, but the Dmitry family was being ignored because of him.

Tears welled up in his eyes. He covered his face with his arm, not wanting anyone to see him crying.

“What are you doing here?” a familiar voice asked.

Loren Dmitry looked up and saw his brother, who was different from what he remembered.

Roman didn’t need an explanation. He saw the typical signs of someone who had given up.

“I heard about you from Hans. That you came to find me. If you have anything to say, you can say it now,” Roman said coldly.

He didn’t mention that Hans was worried or that he knew Loren was being bullied at the Royal Academy. He just waited, looking at Loren quietly.

Instead of giving Loren the answer he wanted, he wanted Loren to speak first.

“…It’s nothing,” Loren said, avoiding his gaze.

He was ashamed. The thought that Roman had seen him struggling made his face burn.

If Roman had spoken more kindly, Loren might have told him his worries. But his brother was so different and showed no affection for him, so he couldn’t be honest. He just wanted this moment to end.

Loren couldn’t even raise his head, afraid that Roman would see his tears.

“Pathetic fellow,” Roman said.

Roman turned to leave. He had no intention of staying with Loren.

Seeing Roman leave, Loren shouted, wondering what Roman was thinking, “Roman, brother!”

The word ‘pathetic’ was like a dagger, because Roman had been in the same situation.

“I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you why I came to find you, brother. I’ll tell you everything!”

He mustered up courage and revealed his shameful state.

Only then did Roman stop and look at Loren.