The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 203

A week prior, during her stay in Cairo, Flora Lawrence spent time with the tactics professor who had once taught her.

Tap.

The pawn advances one step.

Flora Lawrence, trying to pressure her opponent, spoke without looking away from the chessboard.

“Right after the battle in Cairo, Roman Dmitry went to Benedict Castle,” she said. “He said it was to stop rebels. This action quickly ended the rebellion, but it was also very risky. Calling the Benedict Marquis’s group rebels and capturing the leader of the imperial faction was bold and dangerous. It stopped the imperial faction from getting involved in the civil war for a short time. But if the fight at Benedict Castle had taken too long, the imperial faction would have stepped in.”

She was thinking back to everything that happened.

She slowly remembered the events, analyzing the process that led to the result, instead of just agreeing with it because it worked out.

The professor blocked the pawn’s movement, his eyes fixed on the chessboard through his glasses.

“There’s some truth to what you’re saying,” he replied. “Just three days. If it had taken any longer, the civil war in Cairo would have been different. But Roman Dmitry’s decision was bold and based on good reasons. He got a weapon the rebels didn’t expect, the Phoenix Magic Tower, and made them go into the castle, thinking he could capture it. He knew that the war would last longer if he gave the enemy choices, so he forced them to choose what they thought was best for them.”

Tap.

He tried to counterattack with the Knight, glancing at Flora as he adjusted his glasses.

“There’s a fine line between being reckless and being bold,” he continued. “The fact that the Chronos Empire kept going even after getting involved shows that Roman Dmitry was sure of his plan. And that’s what made it work. The Benedict rebels were defeated much faster than they should have been.”

“Then what about opening the gates?” Flora asked. “It shows that Cairo won’t be defeated, but the risk of failure is very high. He had already defeated the rebels and created the best outcome. Was it really necessary to risk the western front?”

“I agree that it was a dangerous choice,” the professor said. “If we had lost the battle outside the gates, the previous victory would have meant nothing.”

The chess pieces moved as they fiercely attacked and defended, thinking about tactics.

“But again, Roman Dmitry’s decision came from strong belief,” the professor explained. “He believed he could handle changing factors like Commander Gustavo. Also, Chronos’s power was easy to guess because of the conflict with the Kingdom Alliance. So, if he could gain an advantage, there would be fewer changing factors than when fighting the rebels.”

Tap.

The professor’s words put pressure on Flora Lawrence. At first, she was at a disadvantage, but soon she was winning.

“Flora, Roman Dmitry’s bold decisions made this war what it was from beginning to end,” the professor stated. “I can say for sure that this is something you can’t learn from books. Roman Dmitry skillfully led the war the way he wanted. It’s surprising. Looking at the results, everything seems brilliant, but they were dangerous decisions that could have easily failed. This war was a game created by Roman Dmitry’s own skills, not just good tactics.”

Tap.

The Queen moved forward, cornering her opponent.

“Checkmate.”

Surrounded by the enemy’s pieces, Flora Lawrence gave up, laying down her king.

Flora was alone in her room, staring at the chessboard, but she was thinking about Roman Dmitry’s tactics. Usually, she was focused when playing chess with her old professor, and they won about the same number of games. But today, she couldn’t think about chess because she was too busy thinking about Roman Dmitry.

The professor’s words kept repeating in her head: “…Something you can’t learn from books.”

Flora didn’t believe it. *Talent?* she thought. *Is that all it is?*

Flora Lawrence knew Roman Dmitry’s life. Because she once wanted to marry him, she asked around to find out what he was like.

There was no reason for the professor’s experience. Roman Dmitry had lived a life away from the battlefield, and he suddenly became a new person without any clear reason.

If so…

“Is it talent?” she wondered.

There was no other way to explain Roman Dmitry’s actions, from the battle with Barco to the southern front and the problems in the northeast.

Flora Lawrence used the events in Cairo as lessons for studying tactics.

She got goosebumps.

At first, she just admired what Roman Dmitry had done. But as she understood more, she realized how amazing his accomplishments were.

His actions on the southern front were perfect. His quick decisions, like realizing Edwin Hector’s plan to take the warp gate, were key to Cairo regaining the southern front.

Flora Lawrence studied very hard during this time. She studied the tactics of famous people in history and realized that Roman Dmitry was just as good as them.

‘How can Roman Dmitry always make the right decisions on the battlefield where his life is at risk?’ she wondered. ‘When the war is over, I know his decisions were right, but I wouldn’t have made the same decisions at the time.’

She also stood at a crossroads, considering Daniel Cairo’s offer of a promotion and thinking about staying on the western front. The situation with Roman Dmitry confused her.

Thinking about it, why did she go to the western front? It wasn’t just about taking risks. She believed that Cairo was the best place for her to grow.

But was it still the same now?

No.

The more she thought about it, the more she looked back on the past. She realized what the right choice was.

‘Forget personal feelings and choose what’s best for my own growth,’ she decided.

If so, there was no need to worry anymore.

A week later, on the day of the party, Flora Lawrence met her father in a park with few people.

Lord Lawrence leaned forward, his voice serious. “Flora, it’s time you returned to the Lauren family.”

His face was red from drinking. He finally said what he had kept hidden for a long time.

“At first, I wanted to support you in whatever you wished to do. As your father, it was wrong of me to give you family duties. I shouldn’t have done that, and knowing your reasons for studying tactics, I sincerely cheered you on. But, do you know how anxious I am every time the Chronos Empire invades the border? I haven’t had a peaceful day worrying about you. I fear something bad will happen to you.”

The Western Front. People called it the ‘death line’ because it was so dangerous.

It was a place others would avoid at all costs, yet Flora Lawrence had boldly chosen the West on her own.

Lord Lawrence’s heart burned with worry.

Enduring on the battlefield as a woman was never easy, and the thought of Lawrence’s precious daughter suffering constantly brought tears to his eyes.

He knew the Western Front was dangerous. He also knew that if Flora got into trouble, he might need help. That’s why he tried hard to be friends with Dimitri, who was a powerful person.

He looked at Flora, his eyes full of worry.

As a father, he could no longer watch her.

“I won’t stop you from doing what you want. I won’t force you into a political marriage, nor will I tell you to live like the daughters of other noble families. However, just stay within a distance where this father can reach you in an instant.”

He spoke from the heart.

Flora understood her father’s feelings.

But Flora couldn’t go back to living safely at home.

“Father, I’ve experienced a lot on the Western Front. When I was in Lawrence, it felt like the northeastern region was the whole world, but the reality is completely different. The northeastern region, no, Cairo is small compared to the whole Salamander Continent. The moment the Chronos Empire decides to declare war, we’ll be forced to watch our homes burn and our people die.”

She used to be like a delicate flower, grown safely inside.

In a restricted environment, she had only seen the good.

If she had lived like that, she would have covered her eyes and ears and ignored reality, but the current Flora couldn’t live that way.

She had seen and heard much.

This world.

The ever-changing political situation hinted that peace wouldn’t last long.

“War has already become a reality. There were signs of trouble everywhere in the continent. News of battles and armies moving showed that war was coming. It was a problem they couldn’t ignore. Father, what will Lawrence do when that time comes? Remember the battle with Barco? We, the Lauren family, were too weak to defend ourselves. We had to ask Roman Dimitri for help, but when war breaks out, we won’t be able to find a force to rely on like that. The Chronos Empire desires to conquer the continent, so they’ll eliminate all forces that oppose them.”

She faced reality head-on.

Without looking away, she stared straight at it.

In the trials to come.

Flora Lawrence wanted to do something herself.

“So, I need to experience as much as possible and develop myself further, even for that time.”

“Flora……”

Leaving Cairo.

She had already made her decision.

Flora Lawrence, looking at her father with a pitiful gaze, spoke in a firm voice.

“I’m thinking of joining the Dimitri army.”

The Next Day

The next day, something happened that surprised Dimitri.

Flora Lawrence’s visit.

Chris looked surprised and a little embarrassed as he faced her. He wasn’t expecting Flora to come.

“……If I heard correctly, are you saying you want to join the Dimitri army as a strategist?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

It was a bold statement.

Not stopping there, Flora Lawrence added.

“I want to join Roman Dimitri’s personal army. In the upcoming war, the presence of a strategist will be essential, and as someone who has experienced war on the Western Front, I’m confident that I’m a necessary talent for the Dimitri family. I don’t intend to ask to be treated as a daughter of a noble family. If you use me effectively as a strategist, I’m willing to dedicate my life to Dimitri.”

Chris scratched his head.

An unexpected situation.

Flora’s decision wasn’t something he could interfere with, so he spoke in a slightly firm voice.

“Whether you join the Dimitri army is not something I can decide. Please wait here for now. I can report to our lord and convey your intentions, but I can’t guarantee he’ll accept you.”

“I understand.”

Flora responded calmly.

Chris turned around.

He reported this fact to Roman Dimitri, and his reaction was different from what he expected.

“Flora Lawrence is a useful asset. If we accept her as a strategist, she will definitely fulfill her role.”

The battle in the West.

She had proven her worth.

She had proven her skills in the West when the enemy attacked.

She had even made Roman Dimitri think differently about some things. He started to trust her judgment.

There were no prejudices.

Roman Dimitri remembered that he hadn’t always thought well of Flora in the past. But Roman Dimitri judged people based on what he directly saw and felt.

The current Flora Lawrence was definitely a useful person.

Moreover, since she was from the northeastern region, finding such a resource from a limited pool of talent was not an easy task.

“However, bringing her into the Dimitri army is a separate matter. Tell Flora, for the next week, she must join the training schedule and prove that she is a person who fits into the Dimitri army, and then I will formally accept her.”

“Understood.”

Chris received the order.

Chris came outside.

Someone else might think Roman Dimitri was agreeing to let Flora join. But Chris knew Dimitri was not so easily convinced. He suspected Dimitri was making it hard for Flora on purpose.

Dimitri’s training. Perhaps, it would be a difficult time for Flora Lawrence to endure.