The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 245

Days passed, each one stretching with a tense quiet. The Chronos Empire did not attack again on their journey to the trade city, which felt strange, like the calm before a storm.

Reaching the city walls, Roman Dmitry and his soldiers found lodging in a simple inn. After ensuring his men rested, Roman Dmitry went to the city’s warp gate. He had a bad feeling, a sense of déjà vu that prickled his skin.

The gate operator, a man with a forced smile, greeted him politely. “I am very sorry, sir,” he said, his voice smooth but firm. “Warping to Adelian is not possible at this time. Valhalla is on high alert because of the Chronos Empire near our borders. To stop them from using the gates, all travel to other countries is blocked. If you wish to reach Dmitry, you will need to travel towards Paulo and go on foot from there.”

Impossible.

Roman Dmitry understood. Valhalla wasn’t just stopping travel; they were setting a trap.

‘So, this is what it meant.’

After the conversation with Rodriguez, he grabbed the reins of his horse, a dark expression on his face.

“Roman Dmitry. The only way for you to survive in Valhalla is to fully cooperate with Valhalla and give us the ‘justification’ to protect you. If you are someone protected by the Valhalla Imperial Family, we would not welcome your death. However, it is a pity that you refuse to accompany us. Go ahead and struggle to the end. We will meet again soon.”

Recently, people’s criticism of the Valhalla Imperial Family was harsh.

Confronting Nocya, led by Rodriguez, before reaching the trade city was to prove that Valhalla had been trying to protect Roman Dmitry.

At the same time, they would have known that nothing would happen while they were protecting him.

After all, even if they arrived at the trade city, moving to Dmitry would be impossible, and Chronos could simply attack from outside the border.

Therefore, the only method Rodriguez mentioned was meant as mockery.

Looking good to the Valhalla Imperial Family was not simply accepting the accompaniment but surrendering to Valhalla.

There was no other way.

The person in charge of the warp gate showed a kind smile, just like in Marin.

“Will you still use the warp gate?”

Sanchez said.

“This is definitely a trap.”

The next day, after taking sufficient rest, the decision to move to the warp gate was made.

At the mention of crossing Valhalla’s border on foot, Sanchez felt that something was seriously wrong.

“There have been many incidents in Valhalla, but there has never been a case where warping to other countries was prohibited unless it was a time of war. So, what does this mean? It is an explicit expression of their intention not to send Roman Dmitry back, and the moment he steps outside the border, Roman Dmitry’s death is not Valhalla’s responsibility. Anything can happen outside the border. Even if Valhalla directly harms Roman Dmitry, there are many targets to shift the blame to, whether it be the Chronos Empire or the Hector Kingdom, in a place where there are no witnesses.”

The intention was clear.

Outside the border, that place was a death zone.

The reason Valhalla stopped warping to other countries, even at the cost of astronomical losses, was to express their intention not to let Roman Dmitry live.

From now on, public opinion meant nothing. The size of the information that Valhalla releases will determine the truth about what happens outside the border.

Roman Dmitry said.

“I know. The moment I cross the border, Chronos and Valhalla will cooperate to take my life. Even if their relationship does not pursue perfect cooperation, they currently have a common goal.”

“Are you still going to cross the border?”

“Yes.”

A firm answer.

Sanchez gritted his teeth. He felt frustrated and suffocated, like he was drowning, unable to help the man he admired. It was despairing.

He, who had been proud to be a warrior of Valhalla, now felt so pathetic.

“Sanchez. If you trace back the history of Valhalla, before it became as corrupt as it is now, there must have been a crossroads where Valhalla itself made a choice to determine its future. At that time, Valhalla chose to compromise with reality. The decision-makers at that time might have thought it was ‘just one exception,’ but compromising once makes it easier to compromise again. It’s like a sweet treat that you want more and more, even if it’s bad for you. That is how Valhalla fell. It became corrupt, and at least the country I have experienced cannot be called a nation of warriors.”

Roman Dmitry emphasized a single compromise.

If you want to reach the summit, precedent is important.

If you accept reality and succumb to trials, you cannot overcome all the difficulties while heading to the top.

Each time, the comfort of compromise will come to mind.

“I am clearly aware that this matter is wrong. The hostility of Chronos and Valhalla stems from an unjust cause, and compromise with them means succumbing to power. That is why I have no choice but to take the risk. To prove that there is a being that cannot be subdued even by the power of the Empire. Knowing what consequences a single compromise can bring, I am willing to take the risk.”

In that moment, Sanchez looked at Roman Dmitry.

The cause this man spoke of was in line with the warrior’s will that Valhalla had historically emphasized.

It was certain.

Even if all the warriors of Valhalla, including himself, were to die, Roman Dmitry had to be saved.

“I will follow you too. I will give my life for Roman Dmitry.”

“No. You stay in Valhalla.”

“But…!”

“Sanchez. The moment you cross Valhalla’s border with me, you become a witness to Valhalla’s disgrace. Regardless of my survival, everyone related to you will have to be eliminated to destroy the evidence. It is a different matter from accompanying within Valhalla. Valhalla’s delayed response will end with criticism, but what happens outside the border is Valhalla’s secret that must never be known.”

He painted a picture of the future in his mind.

The existence of Sanchez needed to be used for something more meaningful.

“Remain in Valhalla and gather those who remember the pride of a warrior. At the southern end of Valhalla, I heard that Duke Vieto, who was once a powerful figure in Valhalla, is living in seclusion. Persuade him to gain the power to oppose the Valhalla Imperial Family. In the future, if Valhalla truly makes the wrong choice, at that time, only a voice with power will be the only way to correct Valhalla.”

Sanchez’s eyes turned red.

To not forget this moment, to remember the powerlessness and not repeat the same mistake, Roman Dmitry turned away.

“You do your job. What happens from now on is Dmitry’s responsibility.”

The next day, Roman Dmitry and his soldiers left the border.

The people of Valhalla came out to cheer from afar, but as they moved away from the border, the figures of the people could only fade away, because they too had to live their own lives.

About ten days had passed when there was no one but Roman Dmitry and his soldiers in the desolate wilderness where sandstorms blew.

It was then, from afar, there were beings approaching, stirring up sandstorms.

Indeed.

Neigh!

At the very front, Rodriguez rode towards them, his armor gleaming in the harsh sunlight, his warhorse a powerful black beast.

“Well, well, Roman Dmitry. Fancy meeting you here. Did you really think you could escape?”

Dmitri and his soldiers had just stopped to rest by the edge of the forest. Suddenly, they heard the sound of many feet marching.

Dust rose in the distance, and then they saw them – soldiers, so many it looked like a dark wave coming towards them. They were the Nokya soldiers, known as the toughest fighters in Valhalla. Everyone knew Nokya soldiers were always sent to the most dangerous battles.

Dmitri’s soldiers halted.

Rodrigues spoke, not hiding his dislike, “Well, well, Dmitri, Didn’t I say we’d meet again soon? From the moment Roman Dmitri accepted Valhalla’s invitation, no, from the moment he took the life of Count Denver, this was going to happen. The Valhalla Empire does not forget favors or grudges. If you had sworn loyalty to Valhalla, you would have enjoyed wealth and glory, but since you have shown you are our enemy, we cannot let you live.”

Hostility filled the air.

They were in a wide, empty wilderness. Dry grass crunched under their feet, and the sun beat down on them. There were no trees, just open land stretching as far as they could see.

They were far from Valhalla lands. If something happened here, no one from Valhalla would know what really happened. It was just wilderness.

However.

“Chronos and Valhalla. They think they are so strong because they have been in charge for so long. They start to believe they can control everything, like they are dreaming.”

Dmitri drew his sword with a swift movement.

Dmitri’s soldiers calmly accepted the situation.

One of Dmitri’s soldiers stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. “We were waiting for you.”

At that moment.

The troops on both sides rushed towards each other, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Meanwhile, back at the festival stage.

Watching the fight between Barbosa and Roman Dmitri, Rodrigues felt his blood boil.

‘Roman Dmitri. To show such skill, overwhelming Barbosa, at only 20 years old!’

He was impressed.

A swordsman from a small country, whom he had not worried about at all, was showing skill that shocked everyone.

On the raised seats around the fighting arena, important people like Rodrigues were watching.

Each of them thought about themselves fighting like Barbosa.

If it had been them, not Barbosa, facing Roman Dmitri, would they have been able to withstand that destructive swordsmanship?

Rodrigues, although ranked 7th, one step lower than Barbosa, thought that he might have been different.

Barbosa was more interested in getting rewards and being close to powerful people than in real fighting. He was like a servant to the powerful.

Rodrigues loved the battlefield. He felt most alive when swords clashed and people fought.

In the middle of the fierce fight, Rodrigues’ gaze did not leave Roman Dmitri.

He was truly a demon of the battlefield.

Roman Dmitri took the lead, and even as the warriors of Nokya raised their auras and rushed at him, he slaughtered them in an instant.

The difference in numbers was huge.

Clearly, the Valhalla Empire was in an advantageous situation, yet Roman Dmitri and the soldiers who followed him did not show any fear.

How.

It was an interesting sight.

Watching Dmitri fight, you would think Dmitri’s country, not Valhalla, was the land of great warriors.

‘If I could kill Valhalla’s great warrior,’ Rodrigues thought, a thrill running through him, ‘that would be amazing!’

The Valhalla’s leadership ordered not to overextend.

The distance from the Valhalla border to Dmitri was quite far.

Valhalla’s plan was to slowly make Dmitri’s soldiers tired and weak, and then attack to finish them off.

The warriors of Nokya were tasked with the beginning.

According to the original plan, they should have fought for a while and then retreated, but Rodrigues’ competitive spirit could not stay still.

Many ideas filled his head.

He had been thinking about many different ways to defeat Roman Dmitri, and finally, he rushed towards the battlefield.

He thought of a way to defeat Roman Dmitri.

It was possible because the opponent did not know his full strength, and he had seen Roman Dmitri fighting.

The warriors of Nokya attacked Roman Dmitri.

In the frantic back-and-forth, Roman Dmitri had no choice but to show a weakness.

‘Now is the time.’

Suddenly, a bright flash of light burst from Rodrigues’ sword. It moved so fast it was just a blur, and the air cracked like thunder as he swung.

But at that moment.

Rodrigues’ body swayed.

“…?!”

Rodrigues’ body swayed.

He clearly thought he had beheaded Roman Dmitri, but suddenly, a burning pain arose from around his neck.

His vision twisted.

Only then did he realize that his head had been cut off.

Trying to do what even Barbosa couldn’t was just being too proud and not understanding how strong Dmitri really was.

Dark red blood gushed from his neck, staining the ground.

The battle at the border, from the beginning, signaled the start of a fierce battle with Rodrigues’ death.