The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 129

Baron Romero’s smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

“Roman,” he said, his voice heavy. “Do you understand the weight of your words?”

“I do, Father.”

“Then listen to my honest thoughts,” Baron Romero continued. “It may be hard to hear, but the nobles of the Northeast don’t truly accept the Dimitri family as their leader. If you aggressively try to ‘sort out the ranks,’ it will lead to war. I worry about the chaos in the Northeast. I cannot sacrifice our people for a little more power.”

Baron Romero’s mind was made up.

The overlords of the Northeast outwardly respected the Dimitri family, even if they didn’t like them.

So, why cause trouble?

There was no reason to start a war just to find out what they really thought.

The Dimitri family had power, which was why they could at least make the other nobles pretend to respect them.

Roman spoke, his voice firm. “If Cairo weren’t so unstable, I might agree with you, Father.”

The Southern Front was a mess, with the four powers of Cairo constantly fighting.

Having seen it firsthand, Roman knew that real power was essential.

“The Kingdom of Cairo is a ticking bomb,” Roman explained. “The royal family is weak and can’t control the nobles. Marquis Benedict has more influence than the King. And Count Gregory and Count Denver are feeding information to the Cronos Empire. How long do you think this peace will last, Father? The Cronos Empire is always crossing the border. Just last week, farmers reported seeing their soldiers near the river. Cairo is important to them, and they will declare war soon. When that happens, the nobles of the Northeast will be doomed.”

“That’s true for all nobles,” Baron Romero replied. “If the kingdom is at war, no one’s future is safe.”

“Exactly. But the problem is, the Central Government, not even the King, decides who has to fight.”

If war broke out, everyone would suffer.

The Central Government would exploit the local nobles until they had nothing left.

“In Cairo, the Central Government has too much power,” Roman said. “If they want everything we have, we’ll have to give it up to avoid being seen as traitors. And if we resist, the nobles in the Northeast who support the Central Government will try to destroy us with the Central Government’s backing. That’s why we need to make some sacrifices now. Soon, the Northeast must speak with one voice. We must control the nobles of the Northeast so that we remain strong, no matter what happens.”

Roman wanted to create a force to stand against the Central Government.

The issue with Baron Conrad was the first step.

“Father, after what happened with the Castro family, I realized that the Dimitri family is just as powerful as the important people in the Central Government. All we need is more influence. Why won’t you stand up for our people? We have the power and the right to help them. Why don’t you have the courage to make the necessary sacrifices?”

Roman had cornered his father, forcing him to choose.

He wouldn’t accept a half-hearted answer.

Finally, Roman said, “Most importantly, I don’t want the Conrad family hurting my people. Give me the order, Father. I’ll deal with Conrad myself.”

Baron Romero’s eyes widened, surprised by his son’s words.

The conversation ended without a clear decision.

Baron Romero sat alone in his office, drinking and thinking.

“My son has grown too much,” he murmured.

Roman’s words were right.

The Dimitri family had power but wasn’t using it.

He knew that problems were coming, but he didn’t want to start a war.

He still hadn’t decided what to do.

He knew the difficulties Dimitri would face, so he had to think carefully.

Roman’s last words kept echoing in his mind.

It wasn’t the request for the order that bothered him, but the words about protecting his people.

“Is a new era beginning in Dimitri?” he wondered.

The people of Dimitri had trusted Roman during the Castro incident.

And now, Roman Dimitri was showing that he would repay that trust with strong leadership.

Maybe the people were right.

He, a commoner, wasn’t good enough to handle Dimitri’s power, but his son Roman was different.

‘As a child, he lived as a commoner with me, a painful memory. People call Roman a half-blooded noble, but maybe that pain made him who he is today. Roman understands the people’s struggles and tries to solve them. Dimitri doesn’t lack power, but my decision. Shouldn’t I empower the person who will replace me?’

He poured more liquor into his glass.

He drank and drank, but he didn’t get drunk. Instead, his mind became clearer.

Sometimes, people feel a moment of destiny.

His heart was telling him what to do.

‘The succession isn’t important right now. But for the sake of Dimitri’s people, I must make a decision.’

He put down his glass with a thud.

“Is anyone there?” he called out. “Bring Knight Commander Jonathan to me immediately!”

He had finally made a decision.

While changes were happening in Dimitri, the Northeast was peaceful.

A few days later, the Dimitri family held a party.

The reason given was to celebrate Roman’s return, and all the nobles of the Northeast gathered at Dimitri.

“I am from the Bolt family,” one noble announced.

“I am Sophia from the Grisel family,” said another.

“On behalf of the Heros family, I have come to celebrate Roman Dimitri’s return,” a third noble stated.

Nobles of all kinds arrived from early morning.

The nobles of the Northeast didn’t see the Dimitri family as their ‘head,’ but they knew they were powerful.

In the Northeast, everyone knew the Dmitry family name. They were the most powerful, and everyone knew it.

Now, their eldest son, Roman, was back. He was a hero from Cairo. Everyone wanted him to like them.

The party was in a huge, fancy hall. It was packed with people.

Everyone at the party seemed to be having fun, but they all really wanted to talk to Roman. As soon as they could, they went up to him.

“Excuse me, Roman Dmitry?” a voice asked, a little nervously. “Perhaps… perhaps you remember me?”

Roman turned. “Sophia Grisel,” he said, a slight smile touching his lips. “Of course. Didn’t we talk about… about Barco’s hunting dogs at the last gathering?”

Sophia’s cheeks flushed pink. “Oh! You… you really do remember!” She laughed, a little breathlessly, and then seemed to forget what else to say, just smiling at him, hoping he would keep talking.

Roman Dmitry had a powerful presence. People around him felt it. The nobles from the Northeast all wanted him to think well of them.

The daughters of the noble families were especially eager to talk to Roman. Their fathers had told them to try and win Roman’s favor. So, they stayed close to him, smiling and laughing even when he said something boring.

Like bees to honey, people gathered around Roman.

Most people would have felt nervous with so much attention, but Roman seemed completely calm. He stood tall and confident, as if he was used to everyone wanting to talk to him.

A noble father thought: “This Roman Dmitry is different. He could be a powerful ally. I need to make sure my daughter catches his eye.”

A young noble woman thought: “He’s so impressive! If I could marry someone like him, our family would be set for life.”

An older noble man thought: “I need to find out what Roman Dmitry wants. Aligning with him could be very beneficial.”

This whole party was for Roman Dmitry. He was the hero of Cairo, and tonight, everyone wanted something from him.

As the party went on, a man approached Roman.

“I am Baron Conrad. It is a sincere honor to meet the hero of Cairo, who defeated Hector,” the man said.

“Roman Dmitry,” Roman replied.

Baron Conrad offered a handshake with a friendly smile, showing no sign of looking down on Roman. He tried to gain favor in their conversation.

“I heard that you defeated Butler, a 5-star swordsman, in the battle against the Hector Kingdom. It is truly unbelievable that you have achieved such a great feat at the age of mid-twenties. I, too, once dreamed of becoming a swordsman. Of course, I didn’t have the great talent like you, Roman, and I couldn’t even feel mana, so I gave up, but that’s why I know better than anyone else how amazing you are,” Baron Conrad said.

“You flatter me,” Roman said.

“Flatter you? Who in the world would deny the achievements of Roman Dmitry? I heard that you will soon be challenging the Ranking Match, and as a fellow nobleman from the Northeast, I have great expectations. The Northeast has not produced any top rankers so far, but I think Roman Dmitry can aim for the top spot,” Baron Conrad continued.

The atmosphere was friendly. Seeing that Roman was talking to him longer than expected, Baron Conrad ignored the glances from around him and kept speaking.

Then, out of nowhere, Roman brought up a strange topic.

“I personally have a question,” Roman said.

“Anything, please ask,” Baron Conrad replied.

“I heard that the farmers of Dmitry had their land taken away by Baron Conrad’s unilateral notice. Can I know the reason? There is a contract period, but the notice was so sudden that the farmers are suffering immensely,” Roman asked.

In an instant, Baron Conrad’s expression hardened. He didn’t want to answer if he could help it, but he still tried to smooth over the situation.

“Actually, there was a trading company that offered to use the surrounding area at a higher price. That’s all. Let’s move on from this meaningless talk……” Baron Conrad said.

“Was that the only reason?” Roman cut him off.

Baron Conrad, who was trying to change the subject, couldn’t hide his displeasure.

“Roman, we are enjoying a party for you. But why do you keep bringing up such sensitive issues?” Baron Conrad asked, his voice a warning, telling him to say no more.

However, Roman took a sip of champagne and continued the conversation.

“If we just ignore sensitive issues, we cannot solve the difficulties of the Dmitry people. It’s truly unfortunate. If Baron Conrad had thought of Dmitry even a little, wouldn’t he have been able to solve the problem with the farmers in a reasonable way? By sticking to the contract period, or by paying compensation that was fair. At least, that’s how I would have solved the problem,” Roman said.

Only then did Baron Conrad realize that Roman was picking a fight. He was displeased and didn’t want to have this kind of conversation anymore.

“I am truly disappointed in you today, Roman. I attended this event to celebrate your return in a good way. But why are you trying to undermine my reputation by talking about such issues in front of people? It seems that the rumors of the world calling you the hero of Cairo are all false. I sincerely respected you, Roman, but after receiving such treatment, I don’t think I can enjoy the party with a smiling face anymore,” Baron Conrad said.

In the world of nobles, justification is important. Baron Conrad judged that it was the right time to get angry.

Roman Dmitry’s reputation was great, but he had unnecessarily stirred up his displeasure by bringing up unnecessary issues, hadn’t he? Even if the problem grew because of this, he was confident that he could get sympathy from those around him. With that thought, Baron Conrad showed a firm attitude.

“I will be leaving now,” Baron Conrad said.

He turned sharply. People’s eyes were focused on him, and they opened a path along the way he was trying to leave.

It was then that Roman spoke.

“Baron Conrad, you have not yet properly answered my question. If you end the conversation like that and leave the party, I will take Baron Conrad’s actions as hostility towards Dmitry,” Roman said.

That was a statement that should not have been made now. Everyone was shocked. Baron Conrad also looked back at Roman with a surprised face.

“Come back in front of me, and I hope you will explain what happened that day,” Roman said.

It was not a mistake, but a clear intent. The party hall, which had been enjoyable until just now, had cooled down as if ice water had been poured over it.