The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 167

Silence hung heavy in the royal palace. No sounds echoed in the halls as Daniel Cairo waited with an anxious expression, accompanied by a knight dressed in the Royal Knight’s attire.

Creak.

The door opened.

All eyes turned towards it.

The knight entered and paid his respects to the king before reporting what he had seen and heard.

“It was an overwhelming match. He defeated Bruno, the first challenger, easily. Now, less than thirty minutes later, he has also brought down Oscar. Your Majesty, Roman Dmitry has defeated all the ranked fighters from 9th to 2nd place in a single day. There is no longer any justification to stop him from challenging for the top spot.”

His voice was filled with dismay.

He understood what this meant.

While the people of Cairo might celebrate this historic feat, Daniel Cairo could not bring himself to smile.

“…So, it has come to this.”

His voice trembled.

He looked down at the man standing before him.

The man, with his neatly combed gray hair, had a strong body for someone in their sixties.

The emblem of the Royal Knights was on his chest.

The sun shining above it showed that he was the greatest swordsman among the Royal Knights.

“Count Nicholas.”

“Speak, Your Majesty.”

“Is there no way to avoid a fight with Roman Dmitry? I know you are Cairo’s greatest swordsman, but I have to think about every possibility. Lately, the aristocratic groups, like Marquis Benedict’s, have been acting strangely. If Cairo’s greatest swordsman were to fall in a situation like this… my position would be in danger from the aristocratic groups.”

Over the years, Count Nicholas had become the protector of the royal family.

The aristocratic group had not dared to start a rebellion only because he was loyal to the king.

His presence was that important.

Oscar had once tried to take his place, but after being easily defeated in less than a minute, no one had dared to want his position.

If he were to lose, it would mean the collapse of power.

The fact that such an important person had fallen would release the desires that had been held back, like a dam breaking.

Count Nicholas said.

“I know your concerns, Your Majesty. That’s why I can’t avoid this fight. Marquis Benedict’s group hasn’t rebelled because they didn’t have the strength. They just don’t want to lose anything in the unstable power situation, and they can make a decision at any time. If I refuse Roman Dmitry’s challenge, I might keep the title of Cairo’s greatest swordsman, but from that moment on, Marquis Benedict would no longer see me as a threat.”

Four groups.

The unstable power system helped the royal family.

Marquis Benedict didn’t try a risky rebellion because he had to think about what would happen after.

In the end, Count Nicholas was alone.

It was possible to defeat him, but the balance was kept because no one knew how much blood would be shed in the process.

He had no other choice.

From the moment Roman Dmitry defeated Oscar, Count Nicholas had no choice.

“An important person who ignores challenges has no reason to exist. Please, trust me. I will defeat Roman Dmitry and prove again why I am called Cairo’s greatest swordsman.”

A strong challenger.

That was why it was even more important.

Count Nicholas stood up, showing his powerful presence.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

As he left the royal palace, a familiar voice caught his attention.

“…Are you really going to be alright? Win or lose, Cairo’s greedy people will try to take advantage of you even if you’re just injured.”

It was Ventner.

He was the man who had contacted Roman Dmitry for the king.

He looked at Count Nicholas with worried eyes.

“More than sixty years have passed since I started serving the Cairo royal family. Whether I’m alright or not isn’t the important thing. This is something that must be done, and I will do it as I always have.”

Count Nicholas looked out the window.

The bright sunlight brought back memories of the past.

“‘Nicholas, I trust my son to you.”

The former king, Daniel Cairo’s father, had met with Count Nicholas a few days before he died.

He was a weak man.

Count Nicholas had lived for the Cairo royal family since he was born, and the king had always been the object of his loyalty.

The problems in Cairo’s power structure were the fault of the former king.

If he hadn’t allowed the problems to start, the Cairo royal family might have stayed strong.

Even so, he didn’t want to blame the king.

Weakness in the royal family meant incompetence, but the king was a good man.

Seeing Nicholas upset at the hard training every day, the king secretly gave him help.

He would sneak him away to relax, and when he ate something delicious, he would invite everyone to eat together.

Those were good times.

The innocent child became the sword of Cairo, and the king, who was like a shining sun, was brought down by the bad side of power.

There was no way to protect him.

The best Count Nicholas could do was to remove the real threats, and that’s why he tried to become stronger.

In the end, the king died.

People called Count Nicholas Cairo’s greatest swordsman, but there was no way to stop the secret plans.

He chuckled.

Looking at the sunlight outside the window, he kept thinking of the former king’s face.

‘Everyone called me stupid for saying I would follow King Daniel.’

After the former king died, Count Nicholas received many offers.

If he had taken one, he would have lived a different life, but he never regretted his choice.

“Ventner.”

“…Yes.”

“Roman Dmitry, what kind of man is he?”

He changed the subject.

There was no time to think about the past.

Reality had arrived, and it was time to focus on the present.

Ventner paused.

He had only spoken with Roman Dmitry once, but the memory was still clear.

“I can’t really say what Roman Dmitry is like. But even when he wasn’t recognized, Roman Dmitry was sure of his path. He is a natural fighter, and he wouldn’t have made the extreme choice of a public ranking battle if he wasn’t confident of winning. From 99th to 1st place, everyone said it was risky, but he will prove himself, just as he appeared before Count Nicholas as a challenger.”

He also believed in Count Nicholas.

But this time, he wasn’t sure he would win.

“So please, be careful. If you lose, the Cairo royal family is finished.”

The next day, dawn broke.

In the capital of Cairo, a huge crowd gathered at Cairos.

The people filling the streets made way whenever someone moved.

Thud, thud.

Roman Dmitry walked calmly, accepting the people’s gazes.

He arrived at a large mansion.

Entering through the open gate, he saw the people surrounding him and the man waiting in the center.

Count Nicholas, known as the Greatest Swordsman of the Cairo Kingdom, looked at Roman Dmitry and said,

“Roman Dmitry, I have faced many challengers, but none have been as arrogant as you.”

It was admiration.

From 99th to 1st place, Roman Dmitry had risen from the bottom.

The people’s doubts had turned into amazement, and now they were excited that a real upset might happen.

“You’re barely in your twenties. You have the potential to make a name for yourself not only in Cairo but also on the continent. But not now. I, Richard Nicholas, will remain Cairo’s greatest swordsman until I die.”

He drew his sword.

The atmosphere became heavy.

The people were silent due to the tension.

“Come. I will show you reality.”

At that moment, Willas gave a signal.

Rumble!

Roman Dmitry charged towards Count Nicholas.

Wham!

Rumble!

The battle was intense from the start.

Roman immediately attacked, and Count Nicholas met his attack head-on.

An explosion of aura occurred.

The ground and sky shook each time the swords clashed, but neither Roman Dmitry nor Count Nicholas backed down.

Flash!

It was the technique that had defeated Jeron, who was ranked 10th.

As the sword tried to slice his forearm, Count Nicholas rushed forward and deflected it upwards.

Clang!

At the same time, he tried a counterattack.

Roman blocked the attack and then used the method that had defeated the 3rd-ranked fighter.

He attacked without stopping, and Count Nicholas’s expression changed slightly as the attacks targeted his head, arm, torso, and legs.

The 3rd-ranked fighter couldn’t handle the second attack on his arm.

It was fast and dangerous, but Count Nicholas calmly deflected all the attacks.

Clang-

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

It was an incredible exchange.

Ordinary people could barely see it, and they had to step back from the waves of power.

Four attacks.

Four defenses.

Count Nicholas’s presence grew stronger.

Roman’s fighting style had been overwhelming.

No one had been able to block even one attack, and they had suffered a one-sided defeat.

So people had doubts.

It was clear that Count Nicholas was Cairo’s greatest swordsman, but was he really as strong as the others?

As they watched Oscar, who was ranked 2nd, fall easily, people began to doubt their memories.

However, their memories were correct.

Count Nicholas’s skill was worthy of his reputation.

Unlike Cairo’s ranked fighters, who couldn’t withstand five attacks, he had already exchanged more than twenty blows.

Tap.

A gap between attacks.

Count Nicholas’s eyes changed.

A powerful aura rose from his sword, and he exploded forward, slashing at his opponent.

A hidden move.

It was a dangerous attack.

This time, he planned to hit Roman Dmitry.

Wham!

Rumble!

Roman Dmitry blocked the attack easily.

It wasn’t a predicted move, but a reaction.

Swish.

Count Nicholas was pushed back.

He grinned.

“You’re really interesting.”

From beginning to end, Roman Dmitry hadn’t acted like a challenger.

As if he were Cairo’s greatest swordsman, he pushed forward without backing down.

It was fun.

It was different.

Roman Dmitry wasn’t afraid of him at all.

‘If I make a mistake, I will lose.’

It was unacceptable.

He gripped his sword.

Mana surged from within.

Cairo’s greatest swordsman was just beginning his attack.