The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 271

For the moment, the Chronos Empire made themselves comfortable in the ancient castle.

Since the entire army of 300,000 soldiers couldn’t fit inside the castle walls, only the main forces were allowed in. The rest set up camps outside.

The top commanders were immediately called to a meeting.

The problem of finding food was solved, which was a relief. But this good news brought new worries.

Duke Bamford began the meeting, “Tell me what you think about our current situation.”

He wanted to hear everyone’s opinions.

When he couldn’t decide on his own, he knew it was important to listen to ideas from everyone.

Duke Bamford made good decisions because he was willing to consider different points of view.

Those who had worked with Duke Bamford for a while were used to this. They took turns sharing their thoughts.

“Could it be that they tried to destroy everything as they left, but they failed?” one commander asked. “The Cairo-Dmitri alliance tried to trap our army by giving up the western front. But thanks to your good planning, Commander, we took the western front without losing anything. Maybe the enemy was surprised by how fast things happened, and they didn’t even think about destroying the supplies in the ancient castle.”

Another commander agreed, “I think so too. We checked the food, and it wasn’t poisoned. They probably didn’t think we would find the ancient castle, so they didn’t prepare well.”

Everyone seemed to agree.

It was hard to understand otherwise.

This war…

The Chronos Empire was much stronger. With their best warriors and an army of 300,000, they were almost certain to win against the kingdom alliance.

So, the other side didn’t have many options.

They had to avoid a big battle, but they didn’t have much time.

Even if they took Cortas, the Chronos Empire’s army would eventually arrive in the west. After that, they wouldn’t be able to win.

It was a difficult situation.

The only way for Roman Dmitri to win was to destroy everything so the enemy couldn’t use it, but finding the food in the ancient castle had ruined that small chance.

It looked like a complete victory for the Chronos Empire.

Even the top commanders who had been with Duke Bamford in many battles knew that Chronos had a big advantage this time.

Maybe that’s why Duke Bamford was having strange thoughts.

The top commanders said that taking the ancient castle was a great idea, but he didn’t understand why Dmitri had started such a hopeless war.

From what he knew about Roman Dmitri, he wasn’t someone who would start a war he couldn’t win.

Duke Bamford spoke, “What if Dmitri wants us to stay in the ancient castle and force us into a fight?”

“That doesn’t make sense,” someone replied.

“It’s not likely. Do they think we’re crazy? Why would they try to start a big war with Chronos?”

They didn’t think it was likely.

Using the ancient castle to trap the Chronos Empire seemed like too much of a stretch.

It was a reasonable reaction.

But once the question bothered him, he couldn’t forget it.

‘Roman Dmitri, what are you planning?’ he wondered.

Why did he declare war with only Dmitri’s power?

Until he understood the reason, he couldn’t accept the situation.

Even at the end of the meeting, Duke Bamford frowned, his brow still furrowed. *Roman Dmitri, what are you really up to?* he thought, but the answer still felt far away.

Meanwhile, somewhere else, people were also talking about Roman Dmitri.

Edwin Hector, King Redford, and King Franck were meeting. They were known to support Dmitri. King Franck looked worried.

“The Chronos Empire has already crushed the western front,” King Franck said. “Roman Dmitri has done well by taking Rascal and Cortas, but shouldn’t we send help soon so they don’t get pushed back? Umberto and Odelia are clearly on Chronos’s side. If we’re not clear about where we stand, we could be in trouble.”

Roman Dmitri’s actions were amazing.

He attacked the Chronos Empire first and proved he wasn’t just making empty threats by destroying Rascal and Cortas.

This had never happened before on the Salamander Continent.

The war was spreading quickly, and King Franck wanted to help in any way he could.

If Dmitri lost, it would be the end.

The Kingdom of Franck would be punished for supporting Dmitri.

Edwin Hector shook his head. “No, not yet. Roman Dmitri said he would prove he could face the Chronos Empire with only Dmitri’s power. Maybe he wants to show that this war is possible to win. Let’s wait and see. If Roman Dmitri proves it, we won’t have to fear the Chronos Empire anymore.”

“I’m still worried. Chronos’s Duke Bamford is a tough opponent,” King Redford said.

Seeing that everyone was still concerned, Edwin Hector shared his true thoughts.

“Actually, when I heard that Roman Dmitri had taken the warp gate in Cortas, I was scared. It’s not just a clever plan. When I visited Dmitri for the declaration ceremony, Chris told me something interesting.”

Since they were now on the same side, Chris told Edwin Hector something he thought he would find interesting.

“My lord has said a few times that he respects Prince Edwin Hector,” Chris said. “He said that attacking the warp gate was a bold move that everyone thinks about but doesn’t do. Since then, my lord has been studying the warp gate. I didn’t ask why, but maybe it means he was impressed by Prince Edwin Hector’s plan.”

It was a simple compliment.

But Edwin Hector was shocked.

Edwin Hector said, “I completely lost the war on the southern front. None of my plans worked against Roman Dmitri, and I felt defeated for the first time in my life. But Roman Dmitri learns and improves even from a big victory. That’s what’s scary. He’s already amazing, but he’s always trying to get better.”

Edwin Hector had to choose between Chronos and Dmitri.

He chose Dmitri because he didn’t like Chronos and because of his own experience. He didn’t want to become enemies with Roman Dmitri.

“I don’t want to be at odds with Dmitri more than with the Chronos Empire,” Edwin Hector said. “Once was enough. So, let’s trust him and wait. Just like I lost on the southern front, even though I thought I had won, he will find a way to turn things around.”

He believed in what he had seen.

He believed in Roman Dmitri, the demon of the southern front.

Roman Dmitri was making good progress.

Duke Bamford had taken most of his forces to the western front, so the remaining forces in eastern Chronos couldn’t stop Dmitri’s attack.

Very quickly, Roman Dmitry took control of eastern Cronos.

Now, facing a decisive battle with the Cronos Empire on Cairo territory, Roman Dmitry ordered his soldiers to rest.

That day, one man couldn’t sleep.

Pale moonlight bathed the training ground as Kevin practiced alone. The cool night air was still, and only the whisper of his sword cutting through the air broke the silence.

Clang!

Rumble!

In his mind, he imagined the sounds of battle. *Clang! Rumble!* Aura exploded around him. He pictured Sven rushing at him through a storm of swirling aura.

Wham!

His face showed pain.

In his imagination, Kevin’s aura shattered when he faced Sven head-on. He felt Sven’s sword tear through him.

It was a painful thought, even in his imagination.

With a single blow, Kevin imagined losing control of his body. He knew he couldn’t face a monster like Sven if he was injured.

It was over.

His head was gone.

He had imagined fighting Sven many times, but he always died.

If I meet someone as strong as Sven on the battlefield again, what can I do to help my lord?

Nothing.

He knew he had already achieved a lot, coming from the slums. Trying to be better than a 6-star aura swordsman felt like too much to hope for.

He knew it was normal to lose to Sven. He should be proud of even bringing Sven down with help.

However, he could not sleep.

Whenever he thought about Henderson in the next bed, a strong feeling burned inside him.

I don’t want to repeat what happened then. If I collapse helplessly, as always, it will be my lord’s responsibility to resolve what I couldn’t handle. People say that Dmitry’s actions were due to the merits of those who followed him, but the truth is that it all stemmed from the belief that my lord would solve everything.

He swung his sword.

He imagined Sven and attacked him desperately.

The result was a disaster.

Falling, tumbling.

While others slept soundly, Kevin was a mess.

The memory of that day filled him with rage.

His uncontrolled feelings woke up a dark feeling inside him, like a demon, pushing against a wall he couldn’t climb.

Grrrr.

His eyes turned red.

Just as the demon inside him was about to take over, he heard a voice.

“Kevin.”

It was clear and the voice of Roman Dmitry.

Hearing the voice he longed for, the angry look in his eyes went back to normal.

No explanation was needed.

Roman Dmitry had been watching Kevin’s struggles.

Since Kevin joined Corta, he hadn’t been able to sleep.

Shadows deepened the hollows of Kevin’s cheeks, making him look thin and weary. Dark circles under his eyes spoke of countless sleepless nights. Roman Dmitry spoke calmly, seeing the dark feeling growing in Kevin, showing on his face.

“I have something to tell you,” Roman Dmitry said. This was unexpected.

For Kevin, it was hard to accept, a story that didn’t seem to relate to his own problems.

“While analyzing what people call ‘aura,’ I realized that the ways of this world have developed in the wrong direction. At one time, I thought that drawing out extreme destructive power through indiscriminate outbursts might be a new method, but after fighting Barboza and other strong fighters, I realized it was wrong.”

Roman Dmitry had called aura a trash-like method when Chris first taught him.

As time passed, he admitted it was a new branch, but he felt something was wrong when he fought Barboza.

That day, he fought to test his own strength.

He wanted to know how strong the ‘Twelve Swords of the Continent’ were and how many swords he needed to defeat them.

However, Barboza’s swordsmanship wasn’t based on anything solid.

It’s like the saying ‘all rivers flow to the sea.’ Swordsmanship, no matter what kind, should have one main goal. But Barboza’s aura was just destructive power, labeled as 6-star.

A question came to mind.

If destructive power is all that matters, then star levels don’t really mean anything.

In the Central Plains Murim, victory isn’t just about destructive power.

Softness can beat strength, and everyone’s unique swordsmanship creates a world called ‘Central Plains Murim.’

But the way they used aura in this world didn’t make sense.

Magic had grown a lot, but aura swordsmanship was weak and had a short history.

Then, he knew he was right.

His swordsmanship was the best on the continent.

After fighting Barboza, one of the ‘Twelve Swords of the Continent,’ he knew there was no one in this world who could really understand swordsmanship like him.

Therefore…

“In a fight to the death, aura power doesn’t guarantee victory. You may have felt like you couldn’t beat a 6-star swordsman, but that’s because you created that wall in your mind. If you truly understand aura and have the right kind of power, even a 3-star aura swordsman can beat a 6-star.”

Kevin’s eyes widened.

Roman Dmitry’s words opened up a new world.

If he could become strong enough to defeat Sven, as Roman Dmitry said, Kevin would give his life for it.

Roman Dmitry looked at Kevin and said,

“The name of what I am about to teach you is the Demonic Heavenly Sword Art.”