The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 187

This meeting was causing mixed feelings.

Flora Lawrence was happy about it, but Rodwell Dimitri was confused. He couldn’t hide it.

‘…Is that really Roman Dimitri?’ he wondered.

The commander of the Royal Army had arrived. As he appeared, the soldiers on the Western Front cheered wildly and made way for him.

Roman Dimitri was a symbol of hope. He had dealt with the rebels in just three days and arrived at the Western Front, meaning Cairo was safe from the Chronos Empire’s attacks.

His past actions were well-known: defeating the Hector Kingdom, becoming the best swordsman in Cairo, and even bringing down Marquis Benedict. Even though they hadn’t seen it themselves, people had blind faith in Roman Dimitri.

It was an impressive sight. Rodwell Dimitri, who had fought with an injured body, watched the scene with trembling eyes, just like the soldiers. It was hard to believe.

The Roman Dimitri he remembered was not like this at all. This new Roman was calm and accepted everyone looking at him. It was hard to believe it was the same person.

The meeting continued, and Rodwell was shocked again and again. As he watched Roman pressure the executives while asking about the situation, Rodwell felt more and more disconnected from his memories.

‘The last time I saw Roman Dimitri, he was a mess, always drunk. He didn’t care about swords anymore. He was always drunk and got into fights in bars. Guards often had to take him away. It hasn’t been that long since then. Could someone really change this much in such a short time?’

Logically, it seemed impossible. He had always wondered how the person he remembered could have reached the level of a Five-Star warrior.

But it was Roman Dimitri’s voice and face. It was definitely him. He looked much better than before, but the familiar features proved it was Roman Dimitri.

In fact, he had started to accept it. Even if only half the rumors were true, Roman Dimitri couldn’t possibly be the fool he remembered.

Throughout the meeting, Rodwell’s eyes were fixed on Roman Dimitri. The more he agreed with what Roman said, the more shocked he became.

When the meeting ended, Rodwell Dimitri stepped outside and looked up at the night sky.

‘…I lived only to make the family more respected on the Western Front. But Roman Dimitri made everything I did seem unimportant, just like that. Is it just talent? Everyone called me the future of Dimitri, but was it all for nothing?’

He accepted the truth: Roman Dimitri was definitely his brother. That’s why he felt so much self-loathing.

Even when my brother was living a bad life, I worked so hard. But now, it feels like all that hard work doesn’t matter anymore because of him. His left eye throbbed.

Rodwell Dimitri had lost his sight in his left eye forever as the price for defeating an opponent who was nothing compared to the ones Roman Dimitri had defeated. It was devastating.

What had he been working towards all this time?

Just then, he heard a voice.

“Rodwell?”

It was a familiar voice, and it made the hairs on his neck stand up. Rodwell Dimitri turned his head slowly, his face stiff. His brother, the one he remembered, was looking at him.

It was definitely Roman Dimitri. His face was strong, and his voice was deep. But unlike the face that brought back memories, Roman had an aura that made him seem unapproachable.

“I heard about your eye. It’s not in good condition, is it?” Roman asked.

Rodwell was surprised. Roman, who hadn’t even acknowledged him since arriving at the Western Front, was asking about him.

“Don’t worry about it,” Rodwell said.

“Thanks to what you did, we were able to stop the Chronos Empire’s mages. You did a good job. If you hadn’t done it perfectly, the Western Front wouldn’t have held out until I got here.”

Rodwell didn’t say anything. It was awkward. This conversation, this whole situation… Roman Dimitri, appearing before him as his brother, felt so unfamiliar.

It was the same for Roman. But even so, he spoke first.

‘Rodwell Dimitri. He’s my own brother.’

Over the past year, his father had always said the same thing. Rodwell Dimitri had been independent since he was young and always tried to handle things himself, but he was still only in his early twenties.

So, he hoped that Roman would take care of him as his brother. He knew their relationship wasn’t great because of the heir issue, but his father saw them as precious sons.

The words ‘flesh and blood’ weren’t very pleasant for Roman Dimitri, or rather, Baek Jung-hyuk. He had been forced to compete just because he was the son of the Heavenly Demon, and he had reached the top at the cost of others’ blood.

However, this life was different. Roman Dimitri was open to new relationships. People who remembered him as Dimitri’s fool looked at him with prejudice, but he didn’t reject those who accepted his new self.

That’s how he had gradually formed relationships in this life. Hans, Chris, Kevin, and Flora Lawrence were all examples.

And now, he had met Rodwell Dimitri. He knew that Rodwell disliked him, but Roman didn’t care.

‘When I started a new life, Hans trusted me completely just because I was Roman Dimitri. Others could have rejected and hated me, but Hans approached me first, which helped me adapt to this world quickly. It’s the same with Rodwell Dimitri. I don’t have to wait for him to come to me. Just like I formed new relationships with the connections I made in this life, I need to build a new relationship with Rodwell Dimitri.’

Dimitri’s second son. He looked at his younger brother. No matter what Rodwell thought of him, Roman Dimitri was going to make the first move.

It wasn’t just because his father had asked him to. It was because Rodwell was his brother. That alone was enough for Rodwell Dimitri to be worthy of being in his inner circle.

Unlike his previous life, where brothers were just rivals, in this life, he accepted family as family.

Roman spoke.

“You probably don’t like me very much yet. But remember this one thing.”

He looked into Rodwell’s eyes. He didn’t show it, but Rodwell Dimitri had lost an eye at a young age. It was something he couldn’t ignore.

Even though Rodwell tried to look calm, sadness showed in his one good eye. Roman could see the pain Rodwell carried.

Roman spoke, his voice strong but gentle. “Rodwell, you are my brother. Come with me to fight. I will show you what it means to be a Dimitri. You are Rodwell Dimitri, brother to Roman Dimitri – the one who lost an eye for our family. The Cronos Empire will regret what they did to us.”

Rodwell blinked, surprised. He hadn’t expected Roman to speak first, or to say such kind words. He looked into Roman’s face. It was true. Roman accepted him, just as Hans had. Roman saw past Rodwell’s mistakes and welcomed him as family.

Roman reached out and put a hand on Rodwell’s shoulder. “Remember this, Rodwell. We are brothers, now and always.”

Above them, the night sky was full of bright stars, watching as the two brothers found each other again.

At the same time, far away in the Cronos Empire camp, a tense meeting was happening.

A message screen flickered to life in the command tent. Baron Charlton’s face appeared, looking worried. […Marquis Benedict’s rebellion has failed completely. And now, Roman Dimitri’s powerful army has reached the western front. We should retreat now. There is no point in staying.]

Baron Charlton was from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and his words hung heavy in the air.

Retreat?

Count Fabio’s face turned red with anger. He slammed his fist on the table. Retreat was not an option he liked.

“You think I am a fool?” Fabio roared at the screen. “Those useless rebels couldn’t even last a day! Baron Charlton, I understand why you say retreat, but we have lost good soldiers here. Are you telling me to run away with nothing to show for it? Give me just one more day! I will teach those Cairo fools a lesson they will never forget about the Empire’s power!”

But deep down, Fabio knew it wasn’t just about winning or losing this small battle.

Just after the fight with Cairo’s Great Warrior, when he saw his mages trapped and hurt by simple magic tricks, Fabio felt foolish. He knew it was his fault for not being careful. The Cairo Kingdom had fought bravely and cleverly. He was angry at himself for being outsmarted by them.

This anger burned inside him. Every time he closed his eyes to sleep, he saw those traps again. He had to get revenge, just once. It was about his pride, more than anything else.

[I know you are angry, Count Fabio,] Charlton continued, his voice calm but firm. [But think about this. Roman Dimitri’s royal army is now with the enemy. Roman Dimitri is known to be very dangerous. We could lose many more soldiers if we stay. And remember, Count Fabio, the Empire is fighting a bigger war against the Kingdom Alliance right now. If you lose your army here, it will hurt our plans everywhere, even in the south. Think carefully, Count Fabio. Do you still want to keep fighting?]

Fabio was silent for a moment, his jaw tight. He made a frustrated noise in his throat. He hated to admit it, but Charlton was right.

What Charlton said made sense.

This fight was only using the soldiers already stationed on the western front. If he lost too many men fighting Cairo, he would have to take soldiers from other important places to replace them.

He would be blamed for that. Losing to Cairo was bad enough, but messing up the bigger war with the Kingdom Alliance? That was something he could never explain away.

Finally, Fabio sighed heavily.

“Damn it all,” he muttered. “Fine! I will tell the army to retreat at sunrise tomorrow.”

Count Fabio gave in, but he was still burning with anger inside.

What else could he do?

There was no other choice.

[You have made the wise choice, Count Fabio,] Charlton said, and the screen went dark as Fabio angrily ended the call.

The next morning dawned bright and clear.

The Cronos Empire began to retreat as soon as the first light touched the sky. Soldiers quickly took down tents and packed supplies. By late morning, before midday, the long line of soldiers started to move away from the Cairo Kingdom’s fortress.

An adjutant approached Count Fabio, looking worried. “Commander,” he said, “Should we leave some scouts behind? Just in case?”

“Scouts? No need,” Fabio snapped back, waving his hand dismissively.

“But sir, what if Cairo attacks us from behind? We could be caught unprepared.”

The adjutant’s advice was sensible. Usually, Fabio would listen to such caution. But after a sleepless night filled with bitter thoughts, he was in no mood for caution. He glared at the adjutant, his eyes hard.

“Do you really think those weak Cairo soldiers would dare to chase the Cronos Empire?” Fabio scoffed. “They only stood against us because they hid behind their walls. If they are foolish enough to come out into the open plain, we will crush them easily. We will destroy them completely.”

He gestured to the wide open land around them. It was flat and empty, with no trees or hills to hide behind. Here, in a real fight, Fabio was sure his army would win easily against Cairo.

In fact, he almost *wanted* them to attack. He hoped Cairo would be stupid enough to come out. Then he would make them pay for daring to challenge him.

“Understood, Commander,” the adjutant said quietly, stepping back. He knew it was pointless to argue further. He also believed in the Empire’s strength. Scouts were for unexpected dangers, but Cairo was not seen as a real danger.

Maybe that’s why the Cronos Empire soldiers marched carelessly. Normally, they would stay close together, ready for attack. But now, they stretched out in a long, thin line. If attacked in the middle, they could be easily split apart. They knew this risk, but they marched on confidently anyway.

In his mind, Fabio sneered at the Cairo Kingdom. *You think you are safe now that the rebellion is over? You are wrong. Soon, you will be just another part of the Empire. Cairo is the gateway to this whole continent. When the Cronos Empire returns with its full power, nothing will stop us.*

A small smile touched Fabio’s lips. Thinking about Cairo’s future pain made him feel a little better.

He rode his horse slowly, enjoying the morning air, imagining the Cairo Kingdom under his control.

How long had he been riding? The sun climbed higher, beating down hot rays. Suddenly, the adjutant who had spoken earlier came running back, his face white with shock.

“Commander! Enemies! They are attacking! Cairo soldiers are attacking our rear!”

“What?!”

Fabio’s mind went blank for a moment. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Cairo was attacking? From behind?

“Fools,” Fabio hissed, a cruel grin spreading across his face. “Those Cairo fools have made a deadly mistake.”

He grabbed the reins of his horse tightly.

Heeheeheeing! The horse reared up.

*They came out to play, did they?*

“Soldiers!” Fabio roared, his voice ringing across the plain. “Turn around! Kill those Cairo insects! Show them what happens when they dare to challenge the Cronos Empire!”

Count Fabio knew this was his chance for revenge. Finally.