The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 123

Thud.

Baron Romero cut off the call.

The face that had been smiling during his youngest’s call twisted, all happiness gone.

“…Those Castro bastards.”

It was Lauren’s call.

She said Roman was in danger while trying to help his sister.

It was hard to believe.

After the Blood Fang incident, Roman had done so much. It was now hard to imagine anyone hurting him.

If it hadn’t been Lauren calling, he might not have worried so much.

‘Lauren is always careful, even when saying hello. She doesn’t want to cause worry. If Lauren is calling and crying, something must have happened to Roman.’

A cold knot formed in Baron Romero’s stomach. Worry twisted inside him like a painful rope.

He wanted to take his troops and find the Castros right away. But he knew he needed to stay calm.

Baron Romero knew his weaknesses.

He was a master craftsman. But his temper was fiery, like the forge he worked in. This temper often caused problems.

That’s why he had suffered in the past. He acted quickly and then had to fix the mess. So, he started asking his wife for advice whenever a problem came up.

Rihanna was wise.

She helped Baron Romero with his weaknesses. This problem was no different.

He went to find Rihanna.

He found Rihanna in the garden. Sunlight dappled through the leaves, falling on her as she gently watered the roses. The scent of damp earth and flowers hung in the air. Her face changed when Baron Romero told her the news.

“Say that again. What’s happening with Roman?”

“Just as I said. What should we do? The Castro family is part of the central government. They are close to Marquis Benedict. Fighting them means more than just fighting the Castros. The central government could target us.”

He tried to stay calm.

He tried to hide his worry and face the facts.

Rihanna’s voice was sharp. Her eyes flashed, and her face tightened with anger.

“Is that what you’re worried about? Our relationship with the central government can wait. Right now, Roman is in danger. We need to protect our children. Romero, we built Dimitri together. Is it weak and easily broken? Or is it strong and protects its own?”

He had her permission.

Since Rihanna agreed, Baron Romero didn’t need to hold back his anger.

He went to the conference room and told a servant,

“Gather the family’s retainers right away! This is important. No one should be missing.”

Dimitri was usually a relaxed place.

Baron Romero was friendly and would have drinks with the common people. But everyone obeyed his orders without complaint.

All work stopped.

Even those with urgent tasks stopped what they were doing when they heard Baron Romero say it was important. They gathered right away.

The Dimitri conference room filled with the family’s retainers.

Baron Romero looked at them, his face serious.

“You probably heard some of the story on your way here. Roman Dimitri is in danger because of a fight with the Castro family. Lauren said he was last seen being taken to the Castro family. The Castros are part of the central government. I know what it means to go against them, but I won’t just watch my son be in danger.”

This was more than just helping his son.

If they used Dimitri’s soldiers, they knew the worst could happen: their family could be destroyed.

So, he needed the retainers to agree.

“I know this is dangerous. I’ve made my choice. But the Dimitri family is not mine alone to decide. What do you think? If most of you disagree, I’ll find another way instead of starting a war with the Castros.”

Even if the head of the family decided, everyone would share the responsibility.

Baron Romero wasn’t a tyrant. He wanted the retainers who had built Dimitri to agree.

‘I expect strong disagreement.’

He had answers ready to persuade them. But the reaction from one side of the room was different than he expected.

“I agree.”

It was Jonathan, the commander of the Knights.

He was in charge of Dimitri’s military power. His face showed no hesitation.

“I know what you’re worried about. Going against someone from the central government is risky. But it’s Roman, isn’t it? We can’t just think about it. Roman is a symbol of Dimitri. We’re ready to give our lives to protect that symbol.”

Jonathan had once disliked Roman.

When Roman came to learn swordsmanship, Jonathan openly showed his dislike. He bothered the family members. Jonathan couldn’t see Roman in a good light.

But that was in the past.

It wasn’t easy to change, but Roman had completely changed.

Roman had become a symbol of Dimitri.

He was the youngest to reach a high rank in Cairo. He helped in the war with Hector. People called him a hero.

Jonathan knew they couldn’t always have peace.

“Just give the order. People say Dimitri wants peace. But I’m ready for anything. I can have Dimitri’s full force ready at any time.”

He had passed one challenge.

To go to war, they needed the agreement of at least three key people.

One was Rihanna, and another was Jonathan.

And the last was Master Blacksmith Hendrick. To prevent problems later, they needed his agreement.

It would be difficult.

Hendrick wanted peace.

He had become rich making weapons. But he believed blacksmiths shouldn’t be involved in war.

Getting Hendrick’s agreement would be the last challenge. It wouldn’t be easy to persuade him.

But he didn’t want to wait while Roman was in danger.

Just as he was about to speak, Hendrick burst out angrily,

“I will put Dimitri’s smithy into full operation right now! Commander Jonathan, tell me what materials are needed for the war.”

Surprisingly, Hendrick spoke first.

Hendrick wanted peace.

He believed that if a person who made weapons was involved in war, they could no longer live by hammering iron.

Like Jonathan, he had once disliked Roman.

But that was the past.

If you asked anyone in Dimitri what kind of person Roman was, they would all say,

“Roman is the future of Dimitri.”

Before leaving for the southern front, Roman had changed Dimitri.

He knew the mine was a problem, but he couldn’t fix it easily. He made the territory safer by investing a lot of money.

That started a good cycle.

Because it was safer, the people were more stable. As the mine produced more, more jobs were created.

People weren’t worried about money. Commerce grew because they spent more.

One change spread everywhere.

The workers of Dimitri had more reasons to smile. They knew Roman had made these changes.

‘Roman’s choice was his own. He decided to take care of the iron mine, which is the base of our family. He understood the people’s needs. Now, we live in peace. Roman is the future of Dimitri. He is the one who should lead us. We can’t ignore his crisis.’

He had also received a gift from Roman.

Whenever he saw the Salamander, he laughed that the eldest son of the family had created such a masterpiece.

Hendrick’s voice was about to explode. He couldn’t hide his excitement.

“I won’t let anyone hurt Roman, not the Castros or anyone else! Lord, the miners, the workers, and the people of Dimitri have been helped by Roman. We’re not animals who forget that. No one will disagree with this. So, if you decide to go to war, tell us what to do!”

The atmosphere changed.

Everyone agreed.

Baron Romero felt emotional that everyone wanted to help.

‘What is this?’

He realized Dimitri was changing.

The order was given to prepare for war.

Everyone was mobilized.

People were busy preparing soldiers, weapons, and food.

“What?”

“Is it true?”

The miners heard the news.

When they heard they were preparing for war to save Roman, they went to find Master Jacob.

“Where did those bastards touch Dimitri’s treasure? Call all the miners! Even if we can’t fight, we can help prepare for the war!”

“Understood!”

People rose up.

The miners weren’t included in Baron Romero’s orders.

They were resting because they had worked hard. The night workers were sleeping.

But when Jacob gave the order, they moved without complaint.

Even the night workers got up with bloodshot eyes.

“Those bastards touched Roman? What can I do? Should I fight with a bamboo spear?”

“Wake everyone up! This is not the time to sleep!”

The safety manager, Morcan, was also there.

Dimitri was noisy with excitement.

The smithies started working at the same time.

Fires were lit. The blacksmiths checked the weapons under Hendrick’s command.

Clang! Clang!

“You all heard the news. Roman is in danger. The faster we finish, the safer he’ll be. You’ve been saying it’s good to live in Dimitri. We’re grateful to the Dimitri family. So, do your part. If you’re not animals who don’t know gratitude, move without rest!”

Hendrick’s voice was fiery.

All of Dimitri moved.

Dimitri quickly prepared.

This happened an hour after Lauren called.

The people in the capital couldn’t have known what Lauren had started in Dimitri.