The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 220

The executive officer’s eyes widened in surprise. It was Roman Dmitry.

Frowning, the executive officer watched as Roman Dmitry calmly sat down in the offered chair, ignoring the unasked questions hanging in the air.

“Please, sit down.”, the executive officer said, his voice sharp.

“What brings you here?”

“Count London had an accident,” Roman said, his voice steady. “I am here in his place. Anything you need to say, say it to me.”

The executive officer glanced sharply at the treasurer, expecting an explanation. But the treasurer just looked utterly bewildered and shook his head, his face pale. He clearly knew nothing.

And so, the negotiation began.

Even though a representative had appeared, the executive officer sat opposite Roman Dmitry, showing a displeased expression.

The executive officer began, “You’re the representative, right? Then you know the situation. I won’t waste time explaining what’s already clear. The amount that the Redford Kingdom owes Golden Bank is about 100,000 gold, including what we lent them and the interest. That was the deal until five minutes ago. If Count London had paid the 100,000 gold on time, Golden Bank might have ignored the past problems and tried to have a good relationship again.”

He leaned back, a slight creak from the chair.

With a somewhat arrogant attitude, he looked at Roman Dmitry. “Time is money, and you are wasting ours. We make money when the money we lend comes back with interest. So, do you think it’s right for us to take 100,000 gold and end this now, five minutes after 9 o’clock? I don’t think so. The agreement was to repay the 100,000 gold by 9 o’clock sharp, and from the moment that time passed, even by a second, we have the right to call the ‘Redford Kingdom’ a delinquent debtor and hold them responsible.”

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point,” Roman said calmly.

“Understood,” the executive officer smirked.

From the moment the promised time was missed, Golden Bank was in charge. To be precise, from the moment the money was borrowed until this was all settled, Golden Bank had to be the one calling the shots.

“We must receive interest for the late payment. 10% of the money to be repaid. If you pay 110,000 gold right away, we’ll forget the unpleasantness with the Redford Kingdom. Then, you can borrow money again without any problems. As long as you’re not a delinquent debtor, Golden Bank’s doors are always open for business.”

“……110,000 gold!” The treasurer gasped, his heart pounding in his chest. *110,000 gold! It’s impossible! We’re doomed,* he thought, his face draining of color.

It was an enormous amount.

Redford couldn’t even get 100,000 gold, and there was no way to repay an amount with an extra 10,000 gold on top of that.

Moreover, the news that Count London had an accident felt increasingly unsettling.

Combined with the recent attack on his home, the accident that happened while transporting the 100,000 gold coin boxes was no coincidence.

Roman Dmitry spoke, his voice even. “Count London had an accident on the way here. People who knew about the gold attacked, and he no longer has the money to repay the 100,000 gold. I’ll ask again. Is the only way to solve the problem between Redford and Golden Bank to repay 110,000 gold instead of 100,000 gold?”

“We don’t have to consider the debtor’s situation,” the executive officer replied firmly. “Only the promised repayment date matters. Even if you somehow get 100,000 gold again despite your troubles, we still want 110,000 gold from now on.”

It was a firm answer.

Golden Bank. The Iron-Blooded Bank.

People thought they just lent money, but they were the most aggressive force on the continent.

Only ruin if you don’t repay the money.

Even more than the evils of the continent, like the Chronos Empire, more people had been ruined by Golden Bank.

Roman Dmitry paused for a moment.

He met the other person’s gaze and then casually asked, as if it were nothing, “I will ask one last time. Do you want money, or do you want to be destroyed because of this debt?”

If you look at the history of the continent, you’ll find Golden Bank’s name on one of the pages.

They were consistent.

Because of them, who only cared about debt, countless people had fallen into the abyss, both in the past and now.

“Golden Bank is the devil of gold coins. If you’re thinking of doing business with them, repay the debt by selling your soul. Otherwise, the devil of gold coins will lead you and everything around you to ruin.”

That was the advice of a wise man.

Given Golden Bank’s history, which had many examples, Roman Dmitry’s question was quite aggressive.

“What did you just say?” The executive officer’s expression hardened coldly.

Roman’s words were a sensitive topic.

People often criticized Golden Bank’s actions, but no one dared to say such things in front of them.

It was something they knew but couldn’t dare to say.

Even as the executive officer glared at him as if he wanted to devour him, Roman Dmitry stared straight into his eyes.

“Actually, I don’t quite understand Golden Bank’s intentions. You claim it’s about legitimate debt repayment, but no loan shark in the world collects debts to the point of starting a war. Even if you destroy the other party and take all their assets, the cost of war doesn’t guarantee financial gain. It’s a foolish thing. As a group that makes money through interest, there’s no need to make things worse by forcibly destroying someone who is willing to repay the money.”

“Golden Bank is different from ordinary loan sharks. This is about keeping promises. The reason people somehow repay Golden Bank’s debts is because we’ve clearly shown what happens when promises are broken.”

“I wish Golden Bank was just a simple loan shark. However, there are things I don’t understand.”

Tension filled the air.

They didn’t draw their swords, but neither of them backed down, as if they wanted to devour each other.

“When Golden Bank lent money to the Redford Kingdom, the Redford Kingdom was already deeply in debt because of the king’s mistakes. Yet, Golden Bank lent them money. You, who value the other party’s credibility and debt relationship, lent them tens of thousands of gold without hesitation, even knowing it would be hard to get it back. The fact that the other party is the king isn’t enough to explain it. Doesn’t your past behavior prove that Golden Bank thoroughly assesses the situation, even to the point of being cruel?”

Looking back at history, Golden Bank was a mysterious force that appeared out of nowhere, like a mirage.

Who is the owner? Where does the money come from?

No one knew.

They suddenly appeared with money that was more than entire countries possessed and quickly became a force with a huge influence on the continent.

Now, no one questions it.

Because their existence has been proven over the years, people accept Golden Bank as it is.

However, Roman Dmitry was different.

Even through the Hoomun, he couldn’t find out the foundation of Golden Bank, but he confirmed that they sometimes do things that don’t make sense, like the recent Redford Kingdom incident.

Then, he could come to one conclusion.

The conclusion that Golden Bank’s actions are similar to the Chronos Empire, which wants to ruin other countries.

Aggressive remarks.

The executive officer’s expression twisted.

His face was red with anger as he shouted.

“So, are you saying we lent you money hoping for Redford’s downfall? This is unacceptable! How dare you say that? Negotiations are over. The Redford Kingdom is seen as not willing to repay its debts, and the Dimitri family will tell everyone in the world about this problem later.”

He stood up quickly, ready to leave.

“Please, hear me out until the end.”

His steps halted.

Roman Dimitri said with a smile.

“Redford’s debt. I will repay it.”

The matter was settled.

The official, though furious, could not refuse Roman Dimitri’s offer to repay the 110,000 gold on their behalf.

Loan sharks are interested in money, in the end.

If they didn’t accept Roman Dimitri’s money, they would be caught in the question of whether they desired Redford’s ruin under the guise of debt.

So, the matter was settled.

The official, after writing a document stating that the Redford Kingdom had paid back all the money in a gold coin box containing 110,000 gold, left the place with an angry face.

Before leaving the room.

He said this with his back turned to Roman Dimitri.

“The Dimitri family has made a big mistake today. I look forward to the day we meet again.”

The executor’s warning.

Roman Dimitri calmly drank his tea.

In the series of events, the treasurer, who had been holding his breath, spoke in a cautious voice.

“…Thank you so much. Thanks to you, the Redford Kingdom has overcome a great crisis.”

110,000 gold.

It was a huge amount of money.

The Dimitri family showed their financial power by lending a big 100,000 gold and then also repaying 110,000 gold.

The rumor that the Dimitri Duchy’s wealth was enormous was true.

There was a saying that all the steel on the Salamander Continent came from Dimitri, and Dimitri, who had a tight grip on an entire industry, casually offered an amount that was a lot for them to pay.

Also.

Due to recent technological cooperation with the dwarves, Dimitri was making even more money than before.

“I don’t expect to hear words of gratitude. Dimitri also didn’t help for no reason.”

Roman Dimitri reacted coldly.

He didn’t get up from his seat.

As if someone was waiting.

Even after drinking all the tea, he sat in his seat, creating a suffocating tension.

How much time had passed?

Finally, the sound of someone running from outside the door was heard.

Count London.

When he came to his senses, the appointed time had already passed.

“Count! It’s a disaster! The group that attacked us gave all the gold coins to ordinary citizens!”

“…Oh dear.”

It was devastating news.

The 100,000 gold that had been secured with such difficulty had simply vanished, and there was no way to recover the money scattered to the citizens.

Of course, if force were used, some of it would be returned, but bloodshed would be unavoidable in the process of finding the gold held by the starving citizens.

In the end, it was his fault.

Even though Roman Dimitri said he would protect their safety, he proceeded with the plan, excluding extreme situations, and an accident occurred.

How foolish.

He was intelligent enough to rise to the position of an important businessman, but he was not wise when it came to matters related to the country.

No.

If he had been wise, he would have abandoned his love for his country in the first place.

Count London, who had taken care of the injured people and fixed the problem, headed straight to the meeting place.

He didn’t have the ability to resolve the debt, but he had to explain the situation and buy time to secure the money somehow.

However.

Roman Dimitri was at the meeting place.

And at the treasurer’s words that he had resolved the debt, Count London immediately knelt down on the spot.

Plop!

“Redford owes Roman Dimitri a great debt. Because I had 100,000 gold stolen by the citizens, Redford would have collapsed due to the debt of the Golden Bank if Roman Dimitri hadn’t helped. Please, tell me anything. Redford will endure anything to repay Roman Dimitri’s debt, and will repay Dimitri’s kindness for the rest of our lives. Thank you, thank you so much.”

He bowed his head.

It didn’t matter that blood was flowing from his head.

With a tearful voice, he expressed his gratitude to the heavens that Redford was not over yet.

However.

Roman Dimitri’s expression was cold.

Even the treasurer, who was watching the situation from the side, knew that this was not a touching situation to express gratitude.

“Count London. I think you are greatly mistaken.”

A cold voice.

When Count London was surprised and raised his face, he was finally able to face reality.

“You said that you wouldn’t pass on the responsibility when you borrowed 100,000 gold from me. Dimitri accepted your proposal, even knowing that he couldn’t expect any financial gain, because of your talk about the safety of the kingdom alliance. But what is this situation? You lost 100,000 gold and lost the ability to repay, and I additionally used 110,000 gold to solve Redford’s problems.”

When the carriage carrying the gold coins left.

When attacked by citizens.

Roman Dimitri was informed of the situation.

If he had made up his mind, he would have had a clear opportunity to help, but Roman Dimitri reached a more important conclusion.

Therefore.

“Redford’s not doing things well has created the worst situation. Count, this is not the time for you to be giving thanks.”

From now on.

It was Dimitri’s turn to resolve the situation in his own way.