The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 282

That day began like any other at the Drake family home, but everything was about to change.

A knock echoed at the heavy wooden door. When it opened, a man named Lucas stood there. He said he was from Roman Dmitry.

Marquis Drake, a tall man with eyes as sharp as a hawk, stood waiting. He was the heart of Umberto’s army, and everyone knew it. He looked Lucas up and down, his gaze serious. “So,” Marquis Drake asked, his voice deep and strong, “why are you here?”

Next to the Marquis stood his son, Calderon Drake. Calderon had grown up on battlefields, learning to fight almost before he could walk. Like his father, he was a brilliant swordsman, already incredibly powerful even though he was still young. He watched Lucas with a thoughtful expression.

Umberto had always been troubled by Chronos, but when people wondered about Umberto’s future, they often looked to the Drake father and son. They were very important to Umberto. People looked up to them and trusted them to protect the kingdom.

The pressure was very strong.

An ordinary person might not have been able to handle their intense gaze, but Lucas had already experienced the powerful presence of Roman Dmitry.

Therefore, Lucas remained calm.

He enjoyed the tea offered by the Drake family, accepting the situation with ease.

“The aroma is delightful. Since you ask so directly, I will get straight to the point. You all know that the Chronos Empire has announced they want to kill Roman Dmitry. While dealing with those who tried to assassinate him, my lord found a document clearly marked ‘Top Priority Assassination List,'” Lucas said.

“Am I on that list?” Marquis Drake asked.

“No. The list had two names: Count London of the Redford Kingdom, and…” Lucas paused, his gaze shifting.

He looked past Marquis Drake towards Calderon Drake. Marquis Drake slammed his hand on the table.

Wham!

“Those damned bastards!” Marquis Drake exclaimed. “They dared to target my son? To think they would target the heir of the Drake family?!”

“Yes. They planned to kill your son and make it look like traitors within Umberto Kingdom did it. They want problems and fighting inside Umberto. If Marquis Drake, the symbol of the military, gets too angry, you won’t be able to fight Chronos, the real enemy. That’s why I came to warn you about the assassination attempt,” Lucas explained.

“Is that all?” Marquis Drake asked. “I appreciate it, but I doubt that’s the only reason you came to see me.”

The old warhorse, Marquis Drake, understood the situation.

He knew there was another reason why Roman Dmitry had gone to Redford and Lucas had come to see him.

Lucas smiled.

“Indeed. I want to tell the Drake family what will happen next. My lord will finish his work in Redford and then go to Valhalla. After that, war with the Chronos Empire might happen. If that happens, I hope the Umberto Kingdom will make a smart decision. The kingdoms might not know what to do. They might change their minds easily, like plants bending in the wind, between choosing Chronos or Dmitry, but if you choose Chronos again, you will lose the chance to change the continent forever,” Lucas said.

“Are you suggesting a full-scale war with Chronos?” Marquis Drake asked.

“Yes. If things get really bad, Dmitry will not back down,” Lucas replied.

Marquis Drake was impressed.

Dmitry. They were crazy.

They had made great progress recently, but he never thought they would be ready for war with Chronos.

Lucas’s words caused confusion.

Marquis Drake was a strong man, but a full-scale war with Chronos was a serious matter.

It was different from just defending the border.

Declaring war on devils like Chronos could destroy the Umberto Kingdom with one wrong choice.

He thought deeply.

Then, Calderon Drake spoke.

“Father, may I say something?”

“Speak,” Marquis Drake said.

“Looking back at Roman Dmitry’s actions, nothing has been an accident. He created the situations himself and brought Dmitry to where it is today. I think this is similar. If Roman Dmitry has decided on war and given us this chance, they must have found a way to fight Chronos,” Calderon said.

He looked at Lucas.

As a swordsman, Calderon Drake truly respected Roman Dmitry’s actions.

“I can’t give you a definite answer right now,” Calderon continued. “However, if Roman Dmitry really shows he intends to fight Chronos, Drake will not miss that chance.”

That day, the father and son had a long conversation.

And when Roman Dmitry declared war, they contacted Dmitry and promised a new future.

Click.

The communication ended. Queen Odelia was stunned.

She was incredibly shocked to learn that Drake had supported Roman Dmitry from the start.

“…Roman Dmitry didn’t start a reckless war,” she thought. “He had the support of most of the kingdoms on the continent—Hector, Redford, Umberto, Cairo—and had prepared to prove that Dmitry could defeat the Chronos Empire alone. And I, without knowing that, made such a foolish decision.”

A chill ran down her spine.

Roman Dmitry was brave, but he wasn’t someone who ignored reality.

He had Cairo and Hector as allies from the beginning, and he had gained favor with the Redford Kingdom through the London incident.

And Umberto. Instead of trying to please a weak king, he encouraged the Drake family, who supported the Umberto Kingdom, creating a plan for a new future.

In the end, Dmitry didn’t need the kingdom alliance’s support from the beginning.

Instead of trying to please Frank and Odelia, he did surprising things to test if the two kingdoms were truly on his side.

The King of Frank noticed quickly.

Frank followed the trend in the quickly changing situation, but Queen Odelia, after thinking carefully for a long time, chose to cling to the Chronos Empire.

She was desperate.

She wanted to tear her own mouth apart, but even if she could go back in time, she didn’t think she would choose differently.

“…Father,” she thought. “Why did you make me so weak?”

The former king, Queen Odelia’s father, had said this as he watched his son inherit the crown.

“Being king isn’t easy. Remember the pain of our ancestors. Those who stood up against strong empires like Chronos and Valhalla always ended badly. Some kings bowed to the empire many times, while others were killed and their heads displayed on the walls. That is the reality of Odelia. The king of a weak country must be happy with the power and life of a weak country.”

He looked at his son with a sad face.

Because his own life hadn’t been pleasant.

His father and grandfather had also told him how a king of a weak country should act to survive.

He passed on the teachings to save his son’s life. He believed there was no escape from Chronos in the future.

And that memory became something holding her back.

Queen Odelia couldn’t see a new future, even though an opposite power called Dmitry had appeared.

The ancestors of Odelia.

Despair hung heavy in the air, you could see it in their slumped shoulders and hear it in their quiet breaths.

“…If my father had said something, anything different, could I have made a different choice now?”

No. It was impossible.

He had lived his life this way, and a new future, even in imagination, was not permitted.

It was then.

Thump!

Thump! Thump! Louder now, the gate shuddered with each blow.

“The, the gate! The gate has been breached!” His guard cried out.

King Odelia saw the despair on his guard’s face and squeezed his eyes shut.

The Kingdom of Odelia…

His fate ended here.

The extreme opposite.

Unlike Odelia, now on the path to ruin, King Frank strode confidently into the conference room.

“The King!” The knight’s booming voice echoed.

The heads of staff rose from their seats and bowed.

King Frank, entering the room, sat in the seat of honor, basking in the respectful gazes of his staff.

“Your Majesty, your choice was truly wise. We were right to trust your judgment.”

“We are so grateful for your leadership, Your Majesty. You saw what needed to be done.”

“Long live King Frank!” A commotion erupted.

At the news of Dimitri’s victory, they reacted with more joy than anyone else.

“Ha ha, you’re too kind. I simply saw the way the wind was blowing and judged that I could no longer stand by and watch the terrible things the Chronos Empire was doing. The truly great one is Roman Dimitri. Having declared war first, I thought we had made thorough preparations, but I never imagined he would defeat Chronos with sheer force.”

“No one on the continent could have imagined it.”

“Is that so? Hahaha.”

He laughed loudly, his face red with joy.

A choice between two options. At the crossroads, the Kingdom of Frank, after much deliberation, chose Dimitri.

And then…

Hearing that Odelia was attacked by Chronos, and then that Dimitri defeated them, Frank felt a chill.

Odelia’s end could have been Frank’s future.

If he had rashly accepted the Chronos Empire’s plan, Frank would not have been safe either.

His judgment was correct.

From now on, he had to capitalize on this advantageous situation.

King Frank spoke.

“See? Chronos attacking Odelia proves they can’t be trusted. They want to rule everyone. Now is the time. Now that Dimitri has defeated Chronos, we must press the Chronos Empire and get good deals for ourselves. Therefore, gather the troops immediately. Tomorrow, after the meeting with the new kingdom alliance, we will get back at the Chronos Empire, who have always looked down on Frank and treated us badly.”

King Frank decided quickly. “Gather the troops!” he commanded.

The heads of staff reacted enthusiastically, praising it as a wise decision.

And the next day…

King Frank heard shocking news.

“What? Chronos wants a truce?!”

It was a shock. He never expected this.

Chronos’s representative… Was Baron Charlton.

He found Kairos and spoke, looking at King Kairos seated at the head of the table.

“This war began from a minor conflict. I fully understand Dimitri and Kairos’s anger and their decision to declare war, but Emperor Chronos wants this war to end. We are offering you a truce. Don’t think this is because of that small loss. Chronos is ready for more fighting. But the Emperor is being generous and offering you peace. It’s a good deal for you.”

He was confident.

He stood tall, shoulders back, looking down at them as if they were the losers, not Chronos.

Enemies surrounded him.

Dimitri’s people glared at him, but as Chronos’s representative, he had never felt fear. The fact that his background was the Chronos Empire gave him infinite confidence.

“This truce is good for you. Do you really think you can beat Chronos completely? One battle doesn’t win a war. And listen to this – if you agree, we’ll let King Odelia live. We control his capital now. We’re being generous here. Be smart and take this deal.”

That was absolutely… Not the demand of a loser.

Chronos’s offer was more like a command, not a real offer.

It was then.

“Roman Dimitri. What do you think of Chronos’s proposal?” King Kairos passed the right to speak.

Knowing that Roman Dimitri was the real power, people’s attention naturally focused on one place.

Then… Roman Dimitri spoke.

“Baron Charlton. Who decided on the code of not killing messengers during war?”

It was very rude.

Charlton was shocked that Dimitri spoke to him so casually in front of everyone, and his face turned red.

“Show some respect!”

“The rules say messengers are safe. I know the rules. But did you follow the rules? Did you ask if you could come? Did you show a white flag? No. Chronos just sent you here without asking. So, you’re not really a messenger.”

“…What does that mean?” In that moment… Baron Charlton was flustered.

Roman Dimitri, he had not expected him to react like this.

“We are still at war, Baron Charlton.”

Dimitri’s eyes narrowed, and Charlton felt a cold dread. It was like Dimitri could kill him with just a look.

“If you wish to exist as a messenger in the heart of enemy territory, kneel as a sign of raising the white flag.”