The Heavenly Demon Can't Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 353

Thud.

The communication was cut off.

After a long silence, Count Gomes spoke, his voice tight with worry.

“…The opponent is Roman Dmitry. If he says he will keep pushing, he absolutely means it.”

“I know that.”

Marquis Belphir was shocked. Only 100,000 men?

Facing Valhalla with that many troops was unbelievable.

Moreover, the Chronos army gathered at the Cairo border was watching for an opportunity.

Yet, what confidence did he have?

If the opponent were anyone other than Roman Dmitry, Marquis Belphir would have dismissed their words as nonsense.

Crack!

Thump.

“Damn it, Roman Dmitry!” Marquis Belphir roared.

He threw the magic communication device to the floor, his face red with anger.

It wasn’t enough to just throw it. He stomped on it, again and again, taking deep, shaky breaths to calm himself.

“Count Gomes, what do you think will happen if we just ignore Roman Dmitry?”

“…It seems impossible for Roman Dmitry to attack our capital city with only 100,000 soldiers. If he goes that far in, our big army can cut off his way back. He would be trapped with a million soldiers around him. He couldn’t escape. However, we can’t just ignore him. Roman Dmitry has shown us before in the war with Chronos Empire what he can do. Even when they were much stronger than him, he used clever surprise attacks to capture Rascal and Cortas. That showed everyone that Roman Dmitry was becoming a powerful force between the two empires.”

That day.

The whole continent was shaking with shock. Every time Roman Dmitry made a move, people whispered in disbelief. Could a human being really do such things? His victories were so unbelievable, it was like magic.

“Our situation is the same. If Roman Dmitry attacks quickly across the north using surprise attacks, even with only 100,000 men, Valhalla will be badly hurt. Marquis Belphir, we must decide what to do. The Chronos Empire ignored Roman Dmitry, and they paid a big price. They were badly defeated and felt the shame of having to make peace. If Valhalla makes the same mistake, Roman Dmitry will become even more powerful. He could become dangerous to both empires.”

Gomes was right.

Marquis Belphir knew it too. If Roman Dmitry wouldn’t back down even when Chronos got involved, they couldn’t just ignore him.

“There’s no answer… no answer!” Belphir muttered, walking back and forth.

Chronos… Even their best plan had failed.

He didn’t want to let Roman Dmitry control what they did. He paced around his office, thinking hard, trying to find a solution. Finally, he forced down his anger and made a decision.

“…I guess I have to go and see the Emperor.”

The Valhalla Emperor.

Belphir really hated going to see him. The Emperor was lazy and unpredictable. But there was no other choice now.

There was a rule in Valhalla, everyone knew it.

If you asked the Emperor for something when he didn’t want to give it, you would make him very angry.

It was just as Belphir expected.

After he explained everything, the Emperor looked at him with eyes like ice.

“Marquis Belphir.” The Emperor’s voice was low and dangerous.

“Yes.” Belphir answered quickly.

Smack-

Belphir’s head snapped to the side. Pain shot through his cheek. He quickly turned his head back to face the Emperor, trying to ignore the stinging.

“Marquis Belphir.” The Emperor repeated, his voice still cold.

“Yes.” Belphir said again, his voice barely a whisper.

Smack-

“Marquis Belphir.”

“…Yes.” This time, Belphir hesitated, but still answered.

Smack-

The violence went on and on. Each slap was weak, but the repetition was humiliating. Blood started to drip from Belphir’s nose. His face was getting red and swollen, but he kept his face blank. He wouldn’t show any sign of pain or anger. That would only make the Emperor angrier.

Like a new soldier being punished, Belphir stood straight and still, head lowered. He had learned to be afraid of the Emperor, and he knew how to react to his violence: silence and obedience.

After being slapped about ten times, the Valhalla Emperor finally calmed down and stroked his wrist as he spoke.

“You worm-like bastards. You should know that the reason I gave you power was so you wouldn’t bother me. If you handle things like this, why should I trust you lot?”

“I am sorry.”

“Yes, you should be sorry.”

The Emperor started to walk around.

He walked slowly around Marquis Belphir and Count Gomes, who stood frozen, not moving a muscle. The Emperor’s voice was sharp and cold.

“You know,” he said, “I don’t really like people from Valhalla. They talk about old traditions and brave warriors, but they don’t see the real world. It was the same when I became Emperor. All those people who said I shouldn’t be Emperor, who insisted I wasn’t the rightful one – they all died by my hand.”

People said that Valhalla changed completely when the current Emperor took the throne.

Before him, Valhalla was full of stories of brave warriors and honor. But everything changed when the previous Emperor’s 14th son decided he wanted to be Emperor.

It was strange to everyone in Valhalla.

The strongest warriors in Valhalla supported this son, even though he didn’t seem to have any power base. Then, a lot of people were killed. Those who believed in being strong warriors and never giving up fought to the end, and they all died.

Because of all that, Marquis Belphir became powerful.

He hadn’t been important when everyone was trying to be brave warriors. But when the new Emperor took over, Belphir suddenly got noticed again.

“When I see what Roman Dmitry is doing,” the Emperor continued, “it reminds me of that time. Those people who shouted that I shouldn’t be Emperor, who told me I had to follow the rules of the royal family. Roman Dmitry is like them. Even though he’s from a small, unimportant place, he acts like a Valhalla warrior from the old days. He’s not afraid of anything.”

The Emperor thought about the world as a place where only the strong survive.

Roman Dmitry was like a hunter.

He was used to the strong eating the weak, and the weak being eaten by the strong. That’s why the people of Valhalla liked him so much.

They felt a connection to him.

Valhalla’s way of thinking was similar to a dangerous group called the Demonic Cult.

Suddenly, the Emperor stopped walking.

He leaned close to Marquis Belphir, his face inches away. He smiled, but it was a crazy, unsettling smile.

“If I ignore what Dmitry wants to do,” he whispered, “will he come here to me faster? Or will my army defeat the Hernard rebels and trap Dmitry first?”

Belphir didn’t answer.

He held his breath, not saying a word.

Both nobles had learned the hard way that answering the Emperor too quickly could get them killed.

“Heh heh heh.” The Emperor chuckled softly.

He started walking again, then turned and sat down on his throne.

Looking down at the two worried nobles, he told them what they would do next.

“I will not be controlled by Roman Dmitry’s foolish ideas,” the Emperor declared. “Send soldiers to Hernard. Kill everyone there, don’t leave anyone alive. Then, cut off Roman Dmitry and kill him, just like I did to all those who opposed me.”

The Valhalla Emperor was violent and cruel.

Marquis Belphir knew this very well. But he had to come to the Emperor because only the Emperor could use the full power of Valhalla.

The Emperor’s soldiers controlled the Imperial Palace and were the key to Valhalla’s strength. No one could ignore them.

The two nobles bowed their heads low.

“We will do as you command,” they said.

The Emperor spoke, his voice loud in the throne room. “You will march on Hernad!” A soldier bowed deeply.

“I shall obey the command.”

The next day, the Emperor’s army departed for Hernad.

At the same time, their movements were reported to Roman Dmitry.

Chris asked, “Are you sure about this plan, Roman?”

Chris knew this operation was dangerous.

If Roman Dmitry started a war with Valhalla, no one knew what the Chronos army might do. They were gathered at the Cairo border, a threat like Marquis Belphir.

Also, if the rebels in Hernad lost quickly, the Valhalla army might cut off their retreat.

Roman Dmitry said, “This battle has already started. If we retreat now, the cost will be more than just one defeat.”

The risky gamble had begun from the moment he beheaded Count Bragan.

“The rebels in Hernad cannot win without our help. If they fail, those who dislike Dmitry will stay in power in Valhalla. Then, Dmitry will have to fight Chronos and Valhalla at the same time. Chronos gathering troops at the Cairo border at Valhalla’s request shows they might become allies.”

He had seen the chance of an alliance at the Valhalla Festival.

Valhalla ignoring Chronos’s attack showed that the two great powers didn’t always have to fight each other.

Maybe the risky gamble started then.

When Count Bragan came, Roman Dmitry didn’t believe their promises.

So, he sent back his head.

He didn’t allow any compromise with the Valhalla Emperor, who wanted to kill him.

“The Valhalla civil war affects more than just Valhalla. The continent’s interests are at stake. The loser will lose everything. If neither side backs down, the damage will be great. Even if Chronos crosses the Cairo border and starts the Second Continental War, we must first remove the ‘Valhalla’ risk. We can deal with Chronos later.”

“Understood,” Chris nodded.

He always worried about the worst, but he trusted Roman Dmitry’s judgment.

From the beginning, Roman Dmitry had always gotten the best results with the most aggressive methods, like when he defeated Barco.

That was why the soldiers followed Commander Dmitry. Even though they were crossing the Valhalla border, they trusted Roman Dmitry.

The top officers gathered, and Kevin spread a map of Valhalla on the table.

Roman Dmitry pointed to three major Valhalla strongholds in turn.

“Luenos, Portbell, and Santino are on the shortest path to the Valhalla capital. Santino has a warp point, so you can travel to the capital and all of Valhalla from there. Valhalla knows these places are important, so they have strong fortresses and many soldiers there.”

He had explained the plan before, and the officers listened carefully as he repeated it.

“If we destroy these three places in a week, Valhalla will have to take us seriously.”

Later that day, the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the land. Lord Luenos, who had watched over Luenos for his entire life, stood on the high stone walls. He squinted, his eyes fixed on the horizon. In the distance, a cloud of dust rose, growing larger with each moment. It was them. Dmitry’s army.

Lord Luenos sighed, a heavy sound in the evening air. “So,” he muttered to himself, his voice low, “they have finally arrived.” His face became grim, his jaw tightening as he prepared for the battle to come.

He had heard that Dmitry destroyed the front lines in just one day.

He wanted to leave Luenos and join forces at fortresses like Santino, but he received an order from above.

“Roman Dmitry wants to gather our troops. If we combine several battles into one, he can move far with each victory. Lord Luenos, defend your position. It’s okay to lose Luenos, you won’t be punished. But don’t let them pass in one day. Even if you sacrifice all your soldiers, hold them for a few days, and I will reward you greatly.”

It was a reckless order. Lord Luenos swallowed hard, knowing he was expected to die holding onto the enemy’s ankles.

‘Just a few days. A few days is enough.’

The Valhalla Imperial Family’s plan was clear.

If they could slow down Dmitry’s army while they passed through the northern territories, Hernad would fall. Then, they would counterattack.

Once they sent the Emperor’s army north through the warp point and cut off Dmitry’s retreat, they could trap the arrogant Roman Dmitry.

They would use many soldiers to overwhelm him. Even though the capital was far away, Dmitry couldn’t do anything if his army was slowed down in each territory.

Lord Luenos said, “Stay alert! Don’t relax for even a second! If the enemy attacks, use all your strength. This isn’t about winning. Just hold out for 3 days, and we will have succeeded.”

He raised his voice, and the guards on the walls glared at the front.

But Dmitry didn’t move at all.

He thought they were just resting on the first day since it was late.

The next day, Lord Luenos was confused because Dmitry’s army still wasn’t moving.

‘Could they have given up attacking? Maybe. The Valhalla Imperial Family sent troops to Hernad, so Roman Dmitry probably knows he can’t win. No matter how strong he is, he can’t win in our territory against 100,000 troops.’

He was excited.

Just one more day. If he held out for 3 days, he would be greatly rewarded even if he just ran away.

“Don’t relax! Roman Dmitry is our enemy!”

Strangely, the Dmitry army didn’t move even as the sun set.

That evening, Lord Luenos went to bed feeling satisfied, but a soldier woke him up.

Bang!

“Lord! Bad news!”

“Has Dmitry attacked?!” He jumped up.

The soldier, seeing Lord Luenos’s urgency, said with a pale face, “No, the Dmitry army is still in position, but we just learned that Roman Dmitry is attacking Portbell! It seems to be a trick to distract us and attack Portbell!”

Portbell was behind Luenos, and he was horrified.

Only then did he realize that Roman Dmitry had tricked the Valhalla Empire from the start.