The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 151

Marquis Valentino was a man who liked to take risks. Even though Dimitri was not yet powerful, Valentino decided to support him. Many people thought this was a strange choice.

In Cairo, there were four powerful groups, and they would not be happy with Valentino’s choice. If Valentino had stayed neutral, they might have left him alone. But now that he supported Dimitri, he could be attacked by all of them.

Most people thought Valentino was making a mistake. He could have joined Marquis Benedict’s group, the “aristocrats,” and been safe and important. But Valentino chose the risky path of supporting Dimitri instead.

You might think Roman would be happy to have Valentino’s support. But Roman was not easily impressed. He acted as if it was no big deal.

“I know,” Roman said calmly. “If Valentino helps Dimitri, we will become stronger.”

But Roman didn’t just accept help from anyone. He had rules. And Valentino had not yet proven himself to Roman.

“Look,” Roman said, his voice firm. “I don’t like unsure friendships. If Valentino supports Dimitri now, before we have done anything great, you might expect to be treated as our equal later. I don’t want that. The nobles who joined the Dimitri Alliance in the north didn’t just support us. They promised to be loyal to Dimitri, to follow our rules.”

Roman looked directly at Valentino, his eyes intense. He didn’t care about Valentino’s fame or what he could offer. Roman would not let anyone weaken his power.

“Dimitri doesn’t need help,” Roman continued. “We can solve our own problems. What I need from people who join us is loyalty. So let me ask you clearly: Can Valentino follow Dimitri? Are you ready to follow my orders completely, without question?”

Valentino thought about Roman’s question.

*Valentino and Dimitri.*

Valentino was more famous and respected than Dimitri, at least for now. It was already a big step for Valentino to support Dimitri at all. But Roman wanted more than just support. He wanted complete loyalty.

*What made Roman so confident?* Valentino wondered.

Valentino looked closely at Roman. *This young man doesn’t even care about the powerful groups in Cairo.* *If I say no to Dimitri, it could be dangerous. But Roman doesn’t seem afraid at all.* *Is he just showing off because he’s young?* *No, it’s more than that.* *This is Roman Dimitri, the hero of Cairo. He quickly took control of the north and won great victories against the Hector Kingdom. He has something special.*

Valentino smirked slightly.

*What does a collector value most?*

*Rare things.*

The great empire might have many talented people, but someone like Roman Dimitri was rare in a weak place like Cairo.

*I am really interested in Roman Dimitri,* Valentino thought.

He felt excited.

Valentino didn’t really want to be the most powerful man himself. He was happy to help someone truly great, as long as he was still important and strong.

*Even if that person is just from a small baron family, and not even from noble birth.*

“Let me be clear,” Valentino said at last. “If you accept me, Valentino will follow Dimitri completely. Even if it’s dangerous and difficult, I will follow your orders happily.”

It was an unusual promise.

Most people would have been surprised by Valentino’s choice. But Roman Dimitri just calmly accepted the loyalty of this powerful family.

*In his past life, loyalty was important to Baek Jung-hyuk.* Roman thought briefly. He was confident in his own abilities and didn’t need to be impressed by Valentino’s name.

“Good,” Roman said simply. “I look forward to working with you.”

That was all he said.

Roman knew there might be trouble because of this new alliance. But he would deal with it later.

And so, at the end of this surprising meeting, Roman and Valentino had formed an unexpected partnership. Before Valentino left, he asked one more thing.

“By the way,” Valentino asked, “when I go home, can I tell people that Roman Dimitri made Blaze? I have this amazing sword, and I really want to show it to everyone!”

Roman knew then that Valentino was a very unusual man.

They called Valentino “the collector of greed.”

He loved to collect rare things, and he also loved to show them off.

Soon after, Valentino invited the nobles who lived near the capital to a small tea party. As everyone relaxed and chatted, Valentino casually brought out Blaze.

“Wow!” one noble gasped.

“Is that… Blaze? The famous sword?” another asked.

The nobles’ eyes widened with excitement.

Blaze.

Everyone had heard of Blaze. Valentino had paid a huge amount of money for it at auction. It was known as a sword that could make a warrior’s “Aura” stronger. (Aura was a magical energy that swordsmen used). The rumors about Blaze were incredible, and everyone knew that if Valentino, the famous collector, had bought it, it must be truly amazing.

Marquis Valentino cleared his throat importantly.

“Well, you’ve probably heard stories about this sword,” he said. “But let me tell you, it’s even better than the rumors. I even tested it out. I had a swordsman who was only at the ‘one-star’ level use Blaze to fight a ‘two-star’ swordsman. And you won’t believe it – the one-star swordsman was able to block the two-star’s Aura!” (Swordsmen were ranked by stars, showing their skill with Aura).

“Really?” one noble asked, amazed.

“Have I ever exaggerated about my treasures?” Valentino said with a smile. “And there’s more…”

He lowered his voice, enjoying the moment. His lips curled up in a pleased smirk.

“The person who made Blaze is Roman Dimitri. Yes, *that* Roman Dimitri! The hero of Cairo who defeated the Hector Kingdom! And he’s the son of the Dimitri family, who are famous blacksmiths. He made this sword!”

“What?!” one noble exclaimed, shocked.

“Are you saying Roman Dimitri made this sword?” another asked.

“Exactly!” Valentino said proudly. “Roman Dimitri has only made three swords in his whole life. Blaze is the second one. And when he fought the Hector Kingdom, Roman Dimitri used Blaze to defeat their best warrior, Butler! Isn’t that incredible? I knew this sword was amazing just by looking at it, but I didn’t realize its true value until now. Don’t you see? Roman Dimitri is going to be the greatest swordsman in Cairo! A sword made by him is a priceless treasure!”

The nobles all started talking at once, buzzing with excitement.

Now they understood.

The price Valentino had paid for Blaze suddenly seemed small. The sword would be worth much, much more in the future.

At first, they had just admired the sword.

Now, their eyes were filled with envy.

It wasn’t just about the money. They were jealous that Valentino owned a sword made by Roman Dimitri, one of only three in the world.

The news spread like wildfire.

Valentino’s famous sword, Blaze.

Made by Roman Dimitri, the hero of Cairo.

People talked about how powerful the sword was and how amazing the story behind it was.

Swords became incredibly valuable. But there was more.

Some people doubted if the sword was really that good. So, Marquis Valentino asked experts to check it in public.

The expert said, “This sword is even better than people are saying! I’ve seen many famous swords, but never one that can hold so much mana. Honestly, I would buy it myself if I could afford it!”

The expert’s words stopped all doubts.

People started paying attention to Roman’s swords. They even called the three swords together the ‘Roman Dimitri Collection.’ These rumors led to something surprising.

Dimitri Blacksmith was now very busy. They always had orders, but when rumors about Roman spread, so many new orders came that they couldn’t handle them all.

A blacksmith asked, “Do you want to buy a sword made by Roman?”

“That’s not possible. Roman doesn’t sell swords one by one.”

Another blacksmith explained, “You can order equipment for a hundred soldiers, but we are very busy. You’ll have to wait at least a month. Sorry. Dimitri Blacksmith has many workers, but we can’t make things fast enough right now.”

At first, people asked to buy Roman’s swords directly. But when they were told no, they started ordering from the Dimitri family instead. People thought, “Roman Dimitri makes famous swords. His family must be the best blacksmiths in Cairo!” Because of Roman’s fame, people trusted Dimitri Blacksmith more.

And Dimitri Blacksmith made good products. People who got great swords and armor told others, and soon, even more orders came in than they could handle.

The furnaces roared with fire. Blacksmiths worked day and night, barely stopping to rest. Dimitri Blacksmith was making more money than ever before.

This news reached Baron Romero. Hendrick told him, “This is what’s happening. Because of Roman’s fame, we have orders for more than six months!”

It was Hendrick. His face was red with excitement. He was happy about the blacksmith’s success, but even more happy that people were recognizing how talented Roman was.

“Hahaha!” Baron Romero laughed loudly. “Everyone wants my son’s swords!”

Baron Romero wasn’t famous as a swordsman himself, but he was incredibly proud. Of course, he was happy about his son’s success, but this was even more special. “Roman, Rodwell, Lauren,” he said. “My sons grew up in the blacksmith shop with me, but none of them really loved working with metal. I thought that was normal. I’ve been a blacksmith my whole life, but noble children can’t live like me. But Roman… Roman made a sword that everyone in Cairo admires! This is truly wonderful!”

Baron Romero had three sons. He had always thought his oldest son would take over the family business. Now, seeing Roman’s talent as a blacksmith, he was overjoyed.

Hendrick agreed, “Yes, Roman was born to be your successor, Lord.”

“Really?” Baron Romero chuckled, “Hahahaha.”

Baron Romero had worried about who would take over the family after him. Roman had been a troublemaker for years, and Baron Romero had been disappointed. But now, all his doubts were gone. He was sure. Roman Dimitri was the perfect person to lead the Dimitri family in the future.

While all this excitement was happening, Roman had an unexpected visitor.

“It’s been a while,” the visitor said.

It was Mackin, from the Valhalla Intelligence Department.

This was the same Mackin who had asked Roman to join Valhalla before. He had come back after a long time.

“What brings you here?” Roman asked.

“I’ve heard great things about you, Roman,” Mackin said. “You’re very impressive. You defeated the Hector Kingdom and Butler too. I thought I knew you well, but I underestimated you.”

The Valhalla Empire had been worried lately. They knew Roman was a strong 4-star swordsman, and it wasn’t a secret anymore. The four powerful groups in Cairo were all trying to get Roman on their side. Marquis Benedict was especially eager, even offering his daughter in marriage to make an alliance. Valhalla realized they might lose Roman if they didn’t act quickly.

Mackin continued, “Honestly, we wanted to give you more time to decide. But we’ve heard about the ‘Dimitri Alliance’ you’re building in the northeast. That changed things. What are you planning? Do you want to create your own power, instead of joining one of the big groups in Cairo?”

The ‘Dimitri Alliance’ was becoming well-known. Valhalla heard about it, and they decided they couldn’t wait any longer for Roman’s answer.

Mackin’s voice became serious. “The leaders of Valhalla are worried about your plans, Roman. The only reason we haven’t bothered your family until now is because we thought you might join Valhalla. But if you have other ideas, we need to know now. Think of this as a warning. If you want to stay part of Cairo and not join Valhalla, we can’t ignore you as a possible enemy in the future.”

Mackin’s eyes became cold and hard. His friendly smile was gone. Now, there was only threat in his gaze.

The mention of the Dimitri Alliance was like lighting a fire. The delicate balance of power around Roman was starting to break down.

“Choose,” Mackin said. “Will you join Valhalla, or will you be our enemy?” This was not a friendly offer, but a demand. If Roman refused, Valhalla would become a dangerous enemy.

But… *Creak*. Roman leaned back in his chair. He looked directly at Mackin, his face hard.

“I understand what you’re saying,” Roman said, his voice cold. “But why should I do what *you* want?”