The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 331

The message from Arcadia was finished.

Cayden stared at the screen, Roman Dmitry’s face still in his mind. He felt a cold dread spread through him. Taking a shaky breath, Cayden forced down the despair that threatened to choke him. He had to tell the truth.

In a voice barely above a whisper, cracking with emotion, he said, “…Luna’s fortress… has fallen.”

His shoulders slumped. The words hung heavy in the air, the death knell for his kingdom.

In effect, the war was over.

From the start, it was a war where they were outnumbered, and that was why they had to defend Luna’s fortress at all costs.

But Luna’s fortress had fallen.

Sebastian and Jairo’s lives could not be confirmed, and Luna’s soldiers would have been killed, or worse, taken as food by the orcs.

There was no possibility that they had abandoned the fortress and survived.

Luna’s fortress had a temple dedicated to the gods, so people would defend it even at the cost of their lives.

“I will no longer ask you to stay. The fall of Luna’s fortress means that there are no troops left to turn the situation around. I am truly grateful that you have come such a long way to Arcadia. And I am sorry that I cannot repay you for it. The future of the Luna Kingdom is already over.”

He gritted his teeth.

He wanted to, with all his heart.

For the sake of any possibility, he wanted to ask them to fight to the end.

But he couldn’t.

As a strong believer who served the gods, he did not want Dmitry, who had shown him kindness, to sacrifice himself for nothing.

Even trying to teach Luna’s technology.

Even this choice now.

It was an effort not to be selfish.

There would be tens of thousands of orcs holding out inside Luna’s fortress, and to take 30 soldiers to destroy it and retrieve Luna’s people would be to force a one-sided sacrifice.

That was no different from betraying goodwill.

Even though it was conditional, Roman Dmitry sincerely cared about Luna’s safety, and Cayden could not drag Dmitry into hell in a future that was so obvious.

If they parted ways like this.

Cayden was planning to head to Luna alone.

He would probably die.

If he was caught by the orcs, he would be reduced to a terrible state where his flesh would be peeled off alive, but as a knight of Luna, he would fulfill his duty.

Truly, life was unpredictable.

Even when he was training with the sword as a child, people around him said, ‘Why are you working so hard on something that is not needed?’

Arcadia was a peaceful world.

Because there was no war, weapons were not needed, and there were also criticisms that the construction of fortresses was a meaningless act.

That was how Luna’s future ended.

Arcadia could never return to the old days.

A single betrayal, a single war, had given rise to distrust.

It was then.

“I told you. I make the choice.”

Instantly.

He looked at Roman Dmitry with a bewildered face.

Roman Dmitry had refused when Isabella had suggested cooperation, and Roman Dmitry had drawn a firm line even when he bowed his head to ask for Luna to be saved.

That was the image Cayden remembered.

If it was a war with no chance of winning, Roman Dmitry was the kind of person who would retreat without hesitation when he knew the truth.

But.

“From the moment Dmitry and Luna signed the contract, Luna became Dmitry’s vassal state. Cayden, Luna’s fate is not a matter for you to decide. So, stop speaking with such despair and tell me all the information you know about Luna’s fortress from now on.”

*(He said ‘vassal state.’ That meant Luna was now under Dmitry’s protection, like a smaller kingdom under a bigger one.)*

Roman Dmitry.

He did not abandon Luna.

His heart pounded.

For a moment, he doubted his ears.

He had clearly said that Luna’s fortress had fallen, but Roman Dmitry did not seem to care at all.

The problem was that the other soldiers were the same.

It was normal for them to stop Roman Dmitry from the side when he said he would carry out the operation, but they accepted it calmly without any particular reaction. He couldn’t understand it at all.

He knew that it was not normal from the moment he said he would send 30 people as reinforcements, but Dmitry far exceeded the range he had expected.

He could no longer hide his sincerity.

If there was even a slight possibility, he wanted to do anything for the Luna Kingdom.

Cayden said.

“Luna’s fortress is actually just called a fortress, but it is not really suitable for defense. The walls themselves are low and the interior is not very wide, so it cannot accommodate a large number of people. As you know, Luna is not a country with a large population. Usually, the residents live in the villages near the fortress, and major items such as food are managed inside the fortress. If the Orcs of Graksar have captured Luna’s fortress, not all of them will be able to live in the fortress.”

“What’s the basis?”

“Graksar wants to turn other races into food. When they attacked the eighth storage, they did not hesitate to kill to subdue them, but after that, I heard reports that they were taking people as prisoners and leaving them with only the minimum amount of food. Perhaps they are trying to raise other races as livestock. If so, Luna’s fortress will not only have tens of thousands of orcs, but also Luna’s people who have been taken as prisoners. In order to cope with that many people, some orcs will inevitably have to live outside.”

Therefore, there were two ideas.

“There are two options for the orcs. The first is to deploy troops inside and outside Luna’s fortress and reorganize the ranks, or they may have left some troops behind and left to attack other races. Graksar is a very aggressive being. Once they start a war, they will move non-stop until they occupy Arcadia. In fact, from the beginning of the war declaration until now, Graksar has been constantly waging war and attacking the surrounding area.”

The more he spoke, his head cleared.

Roman Dmitry listened intently.

Unlike the Salamander Continent, there was not much information, so he listened to Cayden’s words for sufficient information.

Perhaps that was why Cayden also seriously accepted this absurd war.

“In the case of the first idea, it is virtually impossible to recapture Luna’s fortress. But in the case of the second idea, there is only one way. It is the passage that connects to the ice storage. The ice storage refers to a naturally formed cave, and the Luna Kingdom uses it to store ice and keep food fresh. The secret passage of that cave is connected to the outside. If we use that, we can secretly enter Luna’s fortress without destroying the walls.”

He said everything he knew.

The choice was Roman Dmitry’s.

Even though he mentioned the secret passage, it was an unreasonable operation to enter Luna’s fortress, where tens of thousands of troops were teeming.

But now, he wanted to follow silently. Like Roman Dmitry’s soldiers, he supported what he was trying to do.

Soon, Roman Dmitry said.

“From now on, I will explain the plan for the future.”

The wind howled outside, rattling the windows. Snow scratched at the glass like icy fingers.

Through the swirling snow, three figures emerged, walking towards the dark shape of Luna’s fortress. Danger waited for them behind those walls.

On the wall, the soldier who had been grabbed by the collar by Calot screamed, suppressing his fear at the sight of the approaching men.

“Stop! This is Luna’s territory!”

His body trembled.

Behind the wall, Calot and the orcs were watching the situation.

They aimed their weapons so that they could kill the soldier’s family at any time, and when he looked at his wife’s face filled with fear, he could not refuse Calot’s order.

It was a shame for Dmitry’s reinforcements.

They had clearly come to save the Luna Kingdom, but Luna’s future was already over.

A heavy thud echoed through the air, like a stone gate slamming shut.

The heavy thud made Roman Dmitri stop walking.

Roman Dmitri and his two companions looked up at the high wall. A soldier standing on top spoke.

“Identify yourself.”

“I am Roman Dmitri of the Dmitri Kingdom. I have come to help Luna at her request.”

Beside Roman Dmitri stood two others: Chris and Kevin.

The soldier looked closely at Roman Dmitri. He looked puzzled.

“I heard that Dmitri’s support force numbered thirty. Why are there only three of you? And where is Sir Kayden, who went to Dmitri?”

Roman Dmitri smiled, but it was a weak, forced smile. It didn’t reach his eyes.

His pale face and awkward voice showed that something was wrong, even before he spoke the words.

“From this moment on, listen, people of Luna!” Roman Dmitri boomed, his voice suddenly loud.

The soldier looked confused, but Roman Dmitri went on with what he planned to say.

“Luna has become a vassal state of Dmitri – it is now ruled by Dmitri. You are now under Dmitri’s control, and from now on, you will follow my orders. If you promise to be loyal to me, I will protect you.”

This sudden change surprised everyone. The soldier and Kalot were both stunned. This was not what they had expected at all.

“If you are ready to fight with me, I will protect you from what is coming.”

Just then, from the top of the walls, the orcs raised their heads. They seemed to sense something was wrong.

“Kwiik, attack!” Kalot shouted. The orcs shot arrows at Roman Dmitri.

Suddenly, there was a flash. A strike. Roman Dmitri’s sword cut through the fortress gate.

***

In the secret passage, Kayden waited for the signal. He turned to Macburney, his face showing his worry.

“…Do you believe this plan will succeed?”

Roman Dmitri’s plan was very surprising. He had watched how the enemy moved and decided that he and a few men would make noise at the gate to distract them. While they were distracted, the rest of their group would sneak in through the secret passage. Their most important job was to free the prisoners.

It wasn’t just to keep the prisoners safe. Graksar had made a mistake. Keeping the prisoners locked up seemed like a good idea for now, but Roman Dmitri knew that if they were freed, the Luna Kingdom could become strong again.

This was what Roman Dmitri hoped would happen. If they could get the prisoners to join them from inside the fortress, their small group of 30 men could quickly become a much larger force.

Fighting directly was going to be very hard from start to finish. It seemed crazy to try and distract the enemy with only three men. And even if they managed to sneak through the secret passage, they might not be able to defeat the guards inside.

Even if they managed to free the prisoners, they would still have to fight more than ten thousand orcs with prisoners who were weak and had no weapons.

So Kayden asked if the plan would work. Macburney answered calmly, “Yes, of course.”

Macburney had no doubt at all. He had been in many wars, starting in the south. He trusted Roman Dmitri completely. Macburney had followed Roman Dmitri and won in even crazier situations than this one, many times before.

Also, Roman Dmitri had once defeated Rascal’s ten thousand soldiers almost by himself.

It wasn’t that taking back the fortress was safe, but Macburney was sure Roman Dmitri would win, no matter what it cost.

Macburney had a strong belief in Roman Dmitri.

Kayden felt something strange. He really wanted to know more about Roman Dmitri and why Macburney trusted him so much. ‘If he really wins this fight…’

Being ruled by Dmitri… it didn’t seem so bad now. At first, Kayden had disagreed with Isabel’s idea to find Roman Dmitri. But Roman Dmitri had not given up on Luna, even when things were very bad.

The reason why Luna was needed to control Arcadia didn’t matter much anymore. When Luna’s fortress fell, the promise seemed broken. But Roman Dmitri was a man who kept his promises.

Kayden thought Isabel was like a messenger from God. But Roman Dmitri was a real king.

Kayden, who had only ever respected Isabel, started to imagine a different future. Roman Dmitri ruling Luna. In Arcadia, which was now in chaos, it seemed like the best thing that could happen.

Then, rumble! rumble! “Now is the time,” Macburney said. Finally, the signal they were waiting for came.

***

Rumble! The fortress gate was gone. Beyond the gate, on the walls, the orcs were in confusion.

The orcs were rushing around, yelling and waving their weapons. Roman Dmitri started walking forward.

“Let’s go,” Roman Dmitri said.

“Yes,” Chris and Kevin replied. They followed him, acting like they were just going for a walk. They walked towards the many enemies in front of them, not rushing at all.