The Heavenly Demon Can't Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 172

Roman Dmitry made a proposal. It was not what anyone expected. Even though he called himself the Sword of Cairo, Roman spoke of a deal, not of serving the royal family because he felt he should. So, King Daniel Cairo hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to answer.

King Daniel had always hoped the powerful nobles would lose their power in the confusion. But he was afraid of what Roman would ask for in return.

Roman had expected this reaction.

Roman broke the silence.

“When the Hector Kingdom attacked, I was fighting in the south. Cairo fell very quickly. The defenses were weak and did not stop Hector’s army. They easily took the gate that lets people travel quickly. Do you know what I thought then? I was hiding in the mountains with my soldiers, and I was angry. Why didn’t the Cairo Royal Family act faster? Cairo had time to do something. Even if the defenses were not strong, if they had reacted quickly and faced the danger, we wouldn’t have lost the whole southern area.”

This was an accusation.

He was pointing out the mistakes of the Cairo Royal Family, even if people didn’t like hearing it.

“Cairo has learned the problems of its power structure through this incident. But has anything changed in the past year? No. Every time the Cronos Empire looks dangerous on the western border, the Cairo Royal Family just has meetings. They wait for permission from the main government before doing anything. It’s really silly. We know what’s wrong, but we still do nothing.”

Four factions.

It was Cairo’s fundamental problem.

The relationship, like a magical bomb, was too sensitive to touch, so even after experiencing the events of the southern front, they failed to fix the problem.

“The politics of the Salamander Continent are unstable right now. War could start any minute. If the Cronos Empire attacks, Cairo cannot defend itself. You know this. How long will you keep doing nothing? Someone needs to take charge. Cairo must be united and organized to deal with what’s coming. And I think that person should be you, Your Majesty. Not Marquis Benedict, who acts like the king by using the main government’s name. You, the King, must lead.”

Roman spoke with more force.

People in the room looked around nervously.

Roman’s words.

His support for the King made their hearts beat faster.

“I attacked Marquis Benedict because he left me no choice. King, you might not trust me, but I hope you see that Dmitry has taken a big risk. The Dmitry family has put their lives in danger. If you ignore what Dmitry has done, then Dmitry and I will face all the danger alone. So, choose. Will you keep doing nothing, or will you use this chance that Dmitry has made for you?”

He gave the choice to the King.

Now, it was the King’s turn to speak.

King Daniel Cairo had been quiet for a long time. Now, he looked determined.

He asked, “Before I decide, I need to know something. What does the Dmitry family want in exchange for this?”

The promise Roman had talked about.

That was the important part now.

Roman thought about his goal in this new life. He wanted to be the best, the strongest. But he didn’t want to conquer Cairo and build a huge empire. Dmitry was enough for him. He didn’t want to destroy cultures or kill lots of people just to control land. In his past life, he had learned a different way to be powerful. He didn’t need to control every little thing. He just needed everyone to know who was in charge. He wanted to be like a mountain, strong and unmoving. People could live their lives, but they would always know and respect his power.

He wanted to create a place where Dmitry was the strongest, and everyone knew it. Then, he could find peace in Dmitry.

“I will make Dmitry strong and influential. I don’t want to destroy everything to do it. I will defeat anyone who tries to stop me, but if I don’t have to destroy Cairo or other places, I won’t. When everyone on the continent knows that Dmitry is the strongest, I will go back to Dmitry and find my own peace.”

A firm goal.

He cleared his mind.

And now.

To Daniel Cairo’s question, Roman Dmitry frankly revealed his purpose.

“I want the northeastern area, including Dmitry, to be independent. If you agree that this area is separate and call it a Duchy, then Dmitry will always use its power to help Cairo, because we have the same history. We don’t want to completely leave Cairo. We want to stay connected to Cairo, but we want to build our own place.”

At first, it sounded like he was starting a rebellion.

King Daniel looked shocked.

Roman spoke again, his voice strong and sure.

“Your Majesty, if you can’t have everything you want, choose the best thing for Cairo.”

The room became colder.

Roman’s words.

If the King had offered this himself, it would be different.

But the King’s supporters could not accept Roman demanding it.

“Your Majesty, this is wrong!”

“Yes! No one gives the title of Duchy just because someone asks for it! Dmitry is just using the fight against the nobles to get what they want. You can’t let them do this!”

The royalist faction protested.

Roman looked at them and smiled.

“Yes, you are right. It’s never been done before. But do you have another choice? When everyone here did nothing about the nobles’ bad actions, I fought them. I have killed people. Now, I have to keep fighting the nobles. I am just asking for something in return for this risk. The Duchy comes from Cairo, and Cairo and Dmitry will always be connected. I want the power to protect ourselves in the future. If you are lazy and do nothing like you did in the south, then as an independent Duchy, I will have to tell you what to do.”

Roman Dmitry was drawing a line. He called it a deal, not a rebellion, even though it looked like one.

Even though it looked like a rebellion, Roman Dmitry did not plan to explain everything.

This was a deal, and the choice was up to the king.

King Daniel Cairo felt Roman Dmitry’s eyes on him. He was lost in thought.

‘What am I to do?’

Roman Dmitry looked confident, but it wasn’t just arrogance.

Even if he were to order an attack on Roman, the Royal Knights would not be able to subdue Roman Dmitry.

Ever since Roman Dmitry defeated Count Nicholas, King Cairo knew Roman was a power he could not control anymore.

King Cairo thought, ‘Roman Dmitry’s idea makes sense. I watched as Cairo became weak and broken. I didn’t do anything to stop it. If Roman hadn’t helped, I wouldn’t have even thought about going against the nobles. But if the royal family just wants power without giving anything back, Dmitry will have to think of his own plan. Dmitry could easily become independent now that he defeated the nobles. He has the power, and he could find a reason if he wanted to. Knowing this, Roman Dmitry gave me the opportunity to join him.’

He faced reality head-on.

Daniel Cairo.

He was called a weak king, but he wasn’t a fool who didn’t understand reality.

The royal family had no power.

If he could borrow Dmitry’s power to correct the kingdom’s chaos, it wouldn’t be such a losing proposition.

King Cairo thought, ‘Roman Dmitry has done something the royal family never even imagined. Because of that, the royal family can’t fully control him. So, Cairo must choose. Should he be happy with things as they are, or should he let go of the old ways and try to lead Cairo in a new direction with Dmitry?’

Already, the choice was made.

Thinking about it more just made his decision clearer.

King Cairo thought, ‘I’ve always wanted to make my kingdom strong. Even if Roman Dmitry has bad plans, it can’t be worse than being controlled by those nobles who use me like a doll and will eventually destroy me. Roman Dmitry at least spoke his honest thoughts. So, the right thing to do is to make a clear decision and work with Dmitry.’

This decision, he knew it was a dangerous choice.

If he trusted Dmitry completely, and things went wrong, his life would be in danger.

However, looking at Roman Dmitry, he gained confidence.

He believed that this man would surely finish what he had failed to do.

King Cairo took a deep breath. His hand, resting on the cold throne, was still. He looked directly at Roman Dmitry, his voice now firm, not wavering like before. “I swear it on the honor of the Cairo royal family,” he declared. “When this war is over, the northeast, including Dmitry, will become a duchy. And Baron Dmitry, you will be Duke. Tell me everything you need to win this war. And make sure Marquis Benedict pays for the chaos he has caused.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of the king’s decision. Outside the palace walls, Cairo was still a city filled with whispers and fear. But inside, in that moment, something shifted. The king, once seen as weak and powerless, had finally chosen a path.

The whole country was in an uproar.

As the noble faction and Dmitry clashed, Count Denver, who followed Valhalla, watched the situation from his residence.

“Roman Dmitry. He’s a truly terrifying fellow.”

It was a series of shocks.

He couldn’t hide his surprise at the mere fact that he had defeated Count Nicholas, but he went straight for Marquis Benedict’s noble faction.

Usually, someone like Count Denver would consider the possibilities. Even if Roman Dmitry could defeat Count Nicholas, he couldn’t even imagine a clash with the noble faction.

Count Denver thought, ‘Roman Dmitry has made his choice. He wants to be independent, like he’s building his own group, the Dmitry Alliance. He’s not going to just join one side. Since he directly attacked Marquis Benedict in the capital, Cairos, Dmitry and the noble faction cannot stop fighting until one of them dies.’

Creak.

He leaned back in his chair and chuckled.

The situation was turning extreme, but it wasn’t necessarily bad for Count Denver.

Count Denver thought, ‘According to reports, Roman Dmitry headed to the royal palace. I can’t be sure if it was planned in advance with the king, but it can be interpreted as an intention to borrow the king’s power in the confrontation with the noble faction. It will be a fight between the king’s people, Dmitry, and the nobles. It will be interesting to watch. When they weaken each other, I can step in and make things better for Valhalla.’

There was one dangerous element: The Chronos faction led by Gregory.

They probably have the same idea as me. If I’m not careful, they could use me instead.

His heart fluttered.

Cairo was in trouble.

Count Denver didn’t want to die for this country. He wanted to give Cairo to the Empire and get a good job for himself.

Bang!

“Lord! Something terrible has happened!”

“What is it?”

It was a family knight.

As Count Denver frowned, the knight spoke with a desperate expression.

“Roman Dmitry and his soldiers are attacking the mansion! It feels dangerous. You need to run now! Ack!”

Thud!