The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 415

Count Snodin’s eye twitched, a small muscle jumping in his cheek.

The officer’s words echoed in his mind. His face turned red with anger. How *dare* they?

“Insubordination?” Snodin roared, slamming his fist on the heavy oak table. “How dare a small kingdom even *think* about disobeying the Valhalla Empire!”

The table shook.

Dmitri’s statement had crossed a line.

Valhalla did not belong to Dmitri.

They didn’t have to follow his orders, so talking about disobeying was just silly.

It clearly showed they didn’t respect Valhalla.

If they ignored this, people would stop seeing Valhalla as an Empire.

If the wise advisor hadn’t stopped him, Count Snodin would have contacted Dmitri right away.

“Count, please calm down,” the advisor said.

“Calm? How can you expect me to be calm after hearing ‘insubordination’? Dmitri is ignoring us. He’s saying that because we lost the war, we should just give up, bow down, and beg for forgiveness. That’s not going to happen. The second we look weak, Baron Ayrn’s forces will destroy Valhalla.”

“That’s right. Baron Ayrn, with Dmitri’s support, will see this as a chance. But, it could also be a trap by Roman Dmitri. He might be trying to make us angry so he has a reason to attack Valhalla.”

“A reason to attack?” Snodin asked.

“Yes.”

A cold fear gripped him.

The possibility that it was a trap made Count Snodin look at the advisor, wanting him to explain more.

The advisor continued, “Now that the Chronos Empire is gone, Roman Dmitri sees the Valhalla Empire as a problem. He only agreed to stop fighting before because he didn’t have a good reason to attack. But if he gets the chance, he’ll try to destroy Valhalla at any cost. ‘Insubordination’ is a strong word, no doubt. But if it leads to a fight, Roman Dmitri will probably use force to solve the problem. And we all know Valhalla can’t beat Dmitri.”

“So what should we do? Just let them disrespect us?” Snodin asked.

“We need to think about the future. It might be embarrassing now, but getting angry won’t fix anything,” the advisor replied.

It was a tough choice.

If they got angry, they didn’t know how much worse things could get, even if they defended Valhalla’s honor.

If they accepted it, the Empire’s reputation would be ruined forever.

Count Snodin looked miserable.

Roman Dmitri was someone to be feared.

He had not only convinced Baron Ayrn to cause trouble for Valhalla, but he was also using pressure tactics after the war.

Actually, they knew this would happen as soon as Chronos fell.

After thinking for a long time, Count Snodin, looking much older, said, “Let’s wait before we answer. Once I’ve thought things through and calmed down, I’ll give Dmitri the answer he wants.”

“Understood,” the advisor said.

The communication officer left.

It seemed the meeting was over.

But, a few minutes later, the communication officer rushed back into the conference room, looking desperate, and said something unexpected.

“Ro-Roman Dmitri has asked to arrive suddenly. He says he’s coming straight to the capital of Valhalla!”

They couldn’t refuse his request to arrive suddenly.

Valhalla and Dmitri had officially ended the war, so refusing Roman Dmitri’s sudden arrival would likely cause more problems.

It was annoying and made him sick.

But, the moment Roman Dmitri walked into the conference room, Count Snodin smiled brightly, as if he was really happy to see him.

“Welcome,” Snodin said.

Dmitri didn’t reply.

Roman Dmitri just nodded slightly and sat down as if he owned the place.

Count Snodin’s face twitched.

This was clear disrespect.

He wanted to explode with anger, but Roman Dmitri had all the power.

He was quite a figure.

Even in enemy territory, his confidence showed that he believed Valhalla couldn’t hurt him, no matter what.

And that was the truth.

Knowing this, Count Snodin held back his anger and sat back down.

Then he asked, “What brings you to Valhalla so suddenly?”

“You know why I’m here, Snodin. Don’t play games,” Dmitri replied.

“What do you mean?” Snodin asked.

“I made Dmitri’s intentions clear through magical communication. I said we would have a meeting to gather representatives from each country, and that it was an order, not a request. Count Snodin, I don’t think Valhalla is disobeying me yet. But why did you wait to answer? I told you to reply right away through magical communication.”

He was very direct.

Count Snodin couldn’t hide his embarrassment at the obvious and hostile question.

His mind was racing.

He wanted to flip the table in anger, but he knew he shouldn’t.

“We needed time to think. It doesn’t mean we won’t go to the meeting Dmitri is hosting. But, Valhalla is an Empire. It’s unheard of for a kingdom to order an Empire to do something, so we couldn’t answer so quickly,” Snodin explained.

He was subtly shifting the blame.

He mentioned the difference between an Empire and a kingdom, pointing out how rude Dmitri had been.

“So, you *are* going to disobey?” Dmitri asked.

It was a strange answer.

There was no explanation, no chance to compromise.

Hearing him mention disobeying so quickly, Count Snodin couldn’t ignore it this time.

“Disobey? Why are you being so extreme? We’re talking about the rules of this world. It’s not right to call it disobeying, since Valhalla doesn’t serve Dmitri. I don’t need to explain myself anymore. I know Valhalla and Dmitri don’t like each other, but now that the war is over, we need to at least show each other some respect,” Snodin said.

Roman Dmitri leaned back in his chair.

As everyone in the conference room watched him nervously, he casually said, “I’ll ask one last time.”

He changed his attitude.

Roman Dmitri knew it too.

Dimitri’s question hung in the air, sharp and cold. “So, Valhalla is now openly defying me?”

The air in the conference room seemed to freeze. Count Snodin, his face pale, tried to avoid Dimitri’s direct question. He started to talk about the long history between Valhalla and the Empire, hoping to smooth things over.

But Dimitri cut him off.

He didn’t just disagree; he destroyed Snodin’s attempt to change the subject. It was clear Dimitri had no respect for Valhalla anymore.

Count Snodin was silent, shocked. He expected anger, maybe threats, but not this open disrespect. His eyes flickered around the room, showing his confusion. Dimitri was ignoring everything Valhalla stood for.

Even the idea of demanding an apology felt weak. Valhalla knew they were not strong enough to face Dimitri’s anger.

Then, the silence broke as Roman Dimitri spoke again.

“Valhalla and Chronos,” Dimitri began, his voice calm but sharp, “you both understood one thing: power. You solved problems not with fairness, but with strength. Count Snodin,” he turned his gaze directly to him, “if I decided to see your actions as defiance, and ordered everyone in this room killed… what do you think would happen?”

Silence. Count Snodin didn’t dare to breathe.

Dimitri answered his own question. “Nothing. Just as your empire ignored the cries of the people you hurt, no one can truly punish me. It’s simple. If you wanted to be treated fairly now, you should have acted fairly before, when Chronos was falling. You should have stood up for yourselves even against smaller threats,” – here, he paused slightly – “like Baron Ayrn, when he pushed you around. You did nothing.”

A cold smile touched Dimitri’s lips. He looked around at the silent, pale faces. His anger was clear.

“The world has changed,” he continued, his voice hardening. “You were not just. So why should you expect this new world to be kind to you? I won’t force you to do anything. But understand this: from now on, don’t expect any kindness from me. Don’t expect ‘common sense’ when it comes to Dimitri.” He paused again, letting his words sink in. Then, his smile turned chilling. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes locking onto Count Snodin. “I will ask you one last time. Are you choosing to defy me?”

A few days later, the capital of Chronos was a city reborn, yet still holding the echoes of its fallen master. In a grand hall, now stripped of the Chronos Empire’s banners, a meeting was called by Dimitri. As the time drew near, representatives arrived, one by one.

“It’s been a while,” King Umberto said, smiling warmly.

“You all look much better without Chronos hanging over us,” King Redford replied, chuckling.

King Frank nodded in agreement. Edwin Hector and Daniel Cairo exchanged relieved smiles. These were the leaders who had fought against Chronos, and now they were here to divide the spoils and build a new future. They were happy, excited even.

But in a corner, away from the cheerful greetings, sat Count Snodin of Valhalla. He was alone, like someone left out in the cold.

*Damn it,* he thought, his jaw tight. This was humiliating.

The Valhalla Empire, once the center of attention, always the leading power. People used to rush to flatter Valhalla’s representative, eager for their favor. Count Snodin had felt pride in that power.

Now, no one even glanced his way. When he did catch someone’s eye, it was like they were looking right through him, as if he wasn’t even there.

He clenched his fists. He hadn’t wanted to come to Dimitri’s meeting, but he had swallowed his pride for Valhalla’s future.

*Valhalla will not be broken like Chronos,* he vowed silently. *We are weak now, but we will plan, we will prepare. One day, we will be strong enough to challenge Dimitri. Maybe not in my lifetime, maybe not even in my son’s, but someday, we will tear down his fortress. I will have my revenge for this shame.*

The previous meeting with Dimitri had been long and harsh, stretching late into the night. Valhalla’s leaders had left with grim faces, united in their resentment. *Dimitri has made a mistake,* they believed. *If he had offered us a way to save face, we might have accepted this new order. But his open contempt has only made us stronger in our defiance.* Valhalla was not Chronos; they would not simply crumble. They would endure.

Count Snodin pushed down his anger, forcing himself to accept the reality of their situation. Being weak was new, uncomfortable, but he would use it. He would bide his time, and plan his revenge.

Suddenly, a clear, strong voice echoed from outside the hall. “Roman Dimitri is entering!”

The heavy doors slowly creaked open. A hush fell over the room. And then, there he was. Roman Dimitri.

As if on cue, everyone in the room stood. Kings, representatives – all rose to their feet to greet him. It was more than just politeness; it was recognition of power.

Count Snodin hesitated for a fraction of a second. He hated the thought of standing for Dimitri. But he knew he had no choice. He couldn’t remain seated. With a stiff, unwilling movement, he too stood, forcing his face into a mask of false welcome as Roman Dimitri entered.

This was the new reality. This was the power of the victor. And Valhalla, for now, had to accept it.

Roman Dimitri moved with an air of command and settled into the most prominent seat at the head of the table, the seat of honor. It seemed perfectly natural. No one questioned it. The other kings and representatives took their places, their eyes fixed on Dimitri. Only Count Snodin felt a burning resentment at this display of dominance, but even he knew, deep down, that Dimitri had earned this place.

Once everyone was seated and the room was silent, Dimitri looked around, his gaze sweeping over each face. Then, without preamble, he spoke, his voice clear and strong.

“We are here today to decide the future of the Salamander Continent. Before we discuss the lands of the fallen Chronos Empire, there is a matter we must address first, a problem that cannot be ignored.”

Every eye in the room was fixed on Dimitri, attention sharpened. This meeting was about redrawing the map, about power and land. Count Snodin, despite his forced calm, felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach.

Then Dimitri spoke the words that shattered the tense silence.

“The first item on our agenda,” he announced, his voice ringing through the hall, “is the matter of the Valhalla Empire. And its treatment as a war criminal state.”

The words hit Count Snodin like a physical blow. *War criminal state?* His blood ran cold. He stared at Dimitri, his mind reeling, unable to believe what he had just heard. Shock, disbelief, and a rising tide of fury warred within him. This was not just disrespect; this was an open declaration of war.