The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 240

The audience watched the stage, frozen.

They couldn’t think straight. Barbosa… Who *was* he, really?

People whispered bad stories about him using poison. But everyone knew he was one of the Twelve Swords because he was truly skilled.

Even Morales, who always complained about Barbosa, was too scared to fight him. Barbosa was that strong.

And now… this?

How could they understand what they were seeing? The fight was over, but the crowd just stood there, faces blank, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Am I seeing things?”

Someone muttered.

It was what everyone was thinking.

Before the duel, the people had been angry about the rumors about Roman Dmitry.

From the start, it was an unfair fight for Roman Dmitry.

He had shown great power in his fight with Morales, but most people thought Barbosa was better.

The result seemed clear. People came to the festival, angry and saying they would not be quiet if they saw poison being used.

No one thought Roman Dmitry could win.

Not against Barbosa.

If Roman Dmitry had just fought evenly with Barbosa, even with poison in his body, people would have respected him.

So…

It was even more unbelievable.

Roman Dmitry had won.

He had controlled the fight from beginning to end, and Barbosa never had a chance.

At first, people were amazed by Barbosa’s experience.

Even though Roman Dmitry attacked quickly, Barbosa responded just as people expected.

But with the second attack…

The third attack…

And the fourth attack, the audience was as confused as Barbosa, who looked like he was about to break.

It didn’t make sense.

Barbosa…

One of the Twelve Swords of the Continent…

Had been completely helpless.

As they watched him disappear, people couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

And there was more.

Even after this amazing win, people felt like they hadn’t seen Roman Dmitry’s best fighting. This made them wonder what else Roman Dmitry could do.

“…The duel between Barbosa and Roman Dmitry… The winner is Roman Dmitry.”

On the stage…

The judge cleared his throat, his voice shaky as he spoke into the sudden silence. ‘…The duel between Barbosa and Roman Dmitry… the winner is Roman Dmitry.’

The denial only lasted a moment.

They had to accept what was real.

As Roman Dmitry stood alone on the stage, the audience cheered loudly all at once.

“Waaah!”

“Roman Dmitry won!”

“A new Sword of the Continent is born!”

The cheers spread quickly.

Still…

People hadn’t fully accepted what happened.

But they could see that Roman Dmitry, who had shown his honor as a warrior in the fight with Morales, had defeated Barbosa.

It was a happy moment. Someone who respected Valhalla’s honor had won, and he had turned the situation around with his skill, even after being poisoned.

People cheered.

Even though he wasn’t from Valhalla, Roman Dmitry deserved the cheers at this event to honor the spirits of warriors.

Then, someone walked onto the stage while everyone was excited.

The man, who looked a bit nervous, was Greg, the one who had been given a task by Roman Dmitry.

The day before.

Greg hadn’t understood what Roman Dmitry wanted to do.

He knew the plan, but he wanted to stop Roman Dmitry from trying such a difficult thing.

‘Even if he finds out what’s in the poison, it won’t matter if he loses the fight against Barbosa. Does Roman Dmitry really think he can beat Barbosa? I know he is skilled from the fight with Morales, but he won’t have a chance to prove if poison was used or not.’

It seemed impossible.

Morales’ death.

After seeing what happened that day, Greg and the others wanted to save Roman Dmitry no matter what.

This plan…

Was very dangerous.

If Barbosa found out that a group was messing with his plans, he would definitely kill Greg and the others.

It was a risk he took. While he was finding out what was in the poison, he wondered if he should quit, but he didn’t want to betray Roman Dmitry.

Valhalla…

Was becoming weak and corrupt. The people leading Valhalla now used its name but didn’t risk their lives anymore.

So Greg risked his life.

He risked his life like that.

And…

He saw the result himself. Seeing Roman Dmitry defeat Barbosa, Greg was sure he was right.

Even though it meant showing his face, he went before the people and showed the evidence to prove the poison was used.

“I risked my life on you. So, please tell the people the truth. So that the people of Valhalla might feel a little ashamed. Roman Dmitry, show them how hard the fight was for you.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Roman Dmitry accepted the evidence.

Everyone was watching them.

As everyone wondered why Greg was there, Roman Dmitry looked at the Emperor and spoke loudly.

“Yesterday evening, someone poisoned the tea I was drinking. I have proof that there was poison in the tea, and you can check it if you want. To be honest, I don’t really care who poisoned me. But, I am disappointed in how Valhalla has acted about this.”

Thud.

He threw the evidence.

It fell to the floor, showing its black color and proving that Roman Dmitry was telling the truth.

“When I found out about the poison and tried to find out the truth, Baron Jonathan asked if I would be blamed for disrespecting Valhalla. Isn’t that funny? I, someone from another country, say that poison was found in the tea made by the servants of the lodging, and instead of finding out the truth, Valhalla just wanted to blame me! I am very sorry about this. I won’t guess too much. It makes sense that someone who wanted to beat me poisoned the tea, but Baron Jonathan denying the truth shows that Valhalla’s pride has fallen. So, I accepted the challenge. Even though the poison made me feel sick, I didn’t want to do what the people who used such unfair tricks wanted.”

The poison didn’t work.

But…

He didn’t tell them the truth.

It was better for the people of Valhalla to think that he had won a difficult fight even though he was poisoned.

The audience…

Was very angry.

Listening to Roman Dmitry’s words, they felt ashamed, as if they had done something wrong.

This was a shameful thing.

The people of Valhalla had been easily influenced by rumors and doubts, and they had almost judged a hero who had overcome a difficult situation.

How embarrassing.

Imagine inviting someone from another country to Valhalla, a land known for its strong warriors. Then, imagine using poison to cheat in a fight. This is what happened.

I couldn’t bring myself to look Roman Dmitry in the face properly.

“I would like to ask His Imperial Majesty,” I said. “I have heard that Valhalla is a nation of warriors. But is the way you treated me – trying to find out the truth and blaming me – really what Valhalla, a nation of warriors, believes in? If I had lost the duel against Barbosa, the truth would have been buried. Roman Dmitry, the swordsman, would have simply faded into the background of history as an unremarkable figure. Your Imperial Majesty, I ask for an answer regarding this matter.”

On the stage, I looked up at the Emperor.

At Roman Dmitry’s words, the Emperor of Valhalla’s face showed his displeasure.

The Emperor of Valhalla spoke.

“The Empire has become a laughingstock.”

This was also a problem for the Emperor. The truth was not important to him.

He knew that Barbosa used poison.

The problem was that Roman Dmitry had completely defeated Barbosa even after he used poison. This provided an excuse for the ugly truth to be revealed to the people.

Roman Dmitry had ruined the entertainment.

Roman Dmitry was an amazing fighter. But the Emperor was angry that Roman Dmitry had challenged him so directly, especially in front of everyone.

“Baron Jonathan, is what Roman Dmitry says true?” the Emperor asked.

Below the head table, among the nobles, Baron Jonathan spoke with a pale face.

“……I am sorry,” Baron Jonathan said.

“So, it is true,” the Emperor said.

At this moment, Marquis Belphegor could not say anything.

The Emperor of Valhalla always made sure punishments were carried out.

In this situation, if Marquis Belphegor tried to be lenient, he didn’t know what would happen to him.

Creak.

The Emperor rose from his seat and drew a sword from the waist of a knight beside him.

“The sinner, come before me,” the Emperor commanded.

Baron Jonathan trembled as the sword gleamed in the sunlight. His heart sank.

Feeling a chill, Baron Jonathan immediately ran and fell to the floor, pleading desperately.

“I am truly sorry!” he cried. “With the festival just a day away, I thought something bad should not happen, so I was too quick to try and fix the situation. I promise this will not happen again. Please, just spare me! For the rest of my life, I will give everything to the Valhalla Empire!”

“Silence, you pathetic worm,” the Emperor spat, his voice dripping with contempt.

*Thud.*

The cold steel tip of the Emperor’s sword jabbed into Baron Jonathan’s shoulder, pushing him down. A sharp cry escaped Baron Jonathan’s lips, but he bit it back, gritting his teeth against the burning pain. He could taste blood welling in his mouth.

The Emperor leaned closer, his face a mask of cruel amusement. “Baron Jonathan,” he said, his voice low and dangerous, “you have stained the honor of Valhalla like filth. This festival, meant to celebrate our warrior ancestors, is now a joke because of your weakness. And I,” he paused, his eyes glinting, “have no patience for trash like you.”

“Plea, please… Ack!”

Whack!

The Emperor’s frail arm swung the sword, severing Baron Jonathan’s neck without hesitation. Blood splattered.

Baron Jonathan trembled, desperately trying to grab onto the Emperor’s trousers.

The Emperor continued to swing his sword. His poorly trained body couldn’t cut through the neck of a sturdy man in one go. Even as he swung the sword several times, staining the surroundings with blood, Baron Jonathan’s breath did not cease.

It was a scene so brutal that even the people of Valhalla turned away. The sound of flesh being torn apart continued to echo in their ears.

Finally…

Plop.

Baron Jonathan’s body collapsed.

The Emperor, pushing his blood-stained hair back, grinned.

“Hoo, hoo. This much, hoo. Should be enough to take responsibility for this matter, right?” he gasped for breath.

His gaze turned to Roman Dmitry. It was clearly the look of a madman.

And yet, Roman Dmitry looked up at the Emperor with an unwavering face.

“It is not enough,” Roman Dmitry said. “Murder is not a way to solve problems. Punishing Baron Jonathan is merely a personal punishment. I ask that you take systemic measures to ensure that this kind of thing does not happen again.”

Roman Dmitry’s attitude did not back down even a little.

The Emperor of Valhalla smiled brightly.

It was certain. Roman Dmitry did not feel fear even when standing before the Emperor of the Empire.

The situation was concluded.

The two pillars of Valhalla, Count Gomes and Marquis Belphegor, followed the Emperor.

With blood dripping onto the floor following their steps, they could not carelessly say a word.

“Count Gomes, what do you think of Roman Dmitry?” the Emperor asked.

“……He is a dangerous individual,” Count Gomes replied. “Barbosa is one of the Twelve Swords of the Continent. If Roman Dmitry’s skill is enough to overwhelm him, Roman Dmitry may be skilled enough to be considered one of the best on the continent. Of course, I do not think he is the strongest. Among the Twelve Swords of the Continent, Barbosa is not a top-tier fighter. However, we cannot ignore the fact that Roman Dmitry is not yet 30 years old.”

“Marquis Belphegor, what are your thoughts?” the Emperor asked.

Marquis Belphegor’s expression was not good.

The death of Baron Jonathan flickered in his mind, but now was not the time to displease the Emperor of Valhalla.

“I agree with Count Gomes,” Marquis Belphegor said. “However, the most dangerous thing, in my opinion, is not Roman Dmitry’s individual fighting ability. After all, there is a limit to what one person can do in a war between nations. Yet, Roman Dmitry dared to step onto the Empire’s territory and showed no signs of backing down. He was born with the nature of a predator. Knowing that poison was used, he accepted the duel with Barbosa. After defeating him, he revealed the truth in a place where everyone was watching. He knows the timing. If he had made such remarks outside the stage, I would have shut Roman Dmitry’s mouth.”

Roman Dmitry’s actions were appalling.

The perfect plan to avenge Count Denver was torn to shreds by Roman Dmitry.

The Emperor of Valhalla chuckled. He was excited.

In his boring life, a truly interesting person had appeared.

“Roman Dmitry dared to object to the punishment I gave. He is a warrior fit for Valhalla, but he is an existence that cannot be allowed to live for Valhalla’s future. Fully support Chronos’s plan. Make sure Roman Dmitry cannot safely return to Dmitry; never let him return alive!”

The Emperor felt like Roman Dmitry was a kindred spirit.

Murderous intent arose.

The Emperor of Valhalla wanted Roman Dmitry’s death.

The conservatives opposed the alliance with Chronos.

However, with the appearance of the dangerous Roman Dmitry, the conservative Count Gomes did not argue against it at all.

He also acknowledged that Roman Dmitry was dangerous.

Even though it was different from what the conservatives wanted, they compromised with reality for the sake of practical benefits.

“We shall obey your command,” they said.

“We will surely eliminate Roman Dmitry.”

They were certain that Roman Dmitry would never be able to return alive.