The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 550

The people in the audience were watching.

Unlike Park Min-woo, they didn’t know the full story.

Everyone was impressed that Wang Wei-long would give up his connections in China. But the truth was, Wang Wei-long’s ties to Cheonma Shin-gyo weren’t that important to Roman Dmitry.

Of course, it made sense. Cheonma Baek Joong-hyuk *was* Cheonma Shin-gyo. So, any information Wang Wei-long had gathered was not really useful.

Wang Wei-long and Roman Dmitry both knew this.

The reason they made the announcement in front of everyone was to show how serious they were about making a grand gesture.

Park Min-woo’s insides were boiling.

He was furious.

“That cowardly jerk,” he thought. “How dare this newcomer try to take my position just because he knows people from the past? I guess he has no choice. Kim Pan-seok, Aleksandr, and Park Min-woo. To get ahead of me, who has been through so much with Roman Dmitry, he has to rely on Cheonma Shin-gyo. But it’s not fair! He can’t just step all over me like this.”

In this life, Park Min-woo had one clear goal.

At first, he wanted to fix his past mistakes. But now, he wanted to be known as Roman Dmitry’s right-hand man.

So, seeing Wang Wei-long being praised by everyone was extremely annoying.

It was a small thing, but people were amazed by everything Wang Wei-long said.

Park Min-woo believed in himself.

He knew he was the best choice to be Roman Dmitry’s second-in-command. But he couldn’t ignore the fact that Wang Wei-long was related to Cheonma Shin-gyo.

Think about it.

Even though Wang Wei-long was just a painter’s descendant, Roman Dmitry considered his ancestor, who passed on the mural, a close friend.

The Wang family’s connection to Cheonma Shin-gyo might earn them real respect from Roman Dmitry.

Then, he wouldn’t just be a descendant in name. Just like Kevin, who was taught the Cheonma Sword Technique, Wang Wei-long could become important at any moment.

Relationships could change instantly.

That worry made him angry, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.

He saw Wang Wei-long walking off the stage.

Wang Wei-long looked confident, and Park Min-woo started imagining things in his head.

“Yes, Wei-long. Laugh now while you can,” he thought. “Even if everyone else accepts you, I never will.”

His mind was a mess.

He calmed himself down.

He remembered the days when he was Aleksandr, wanting to rule the continent and giving up his humanity.

Park Min-woo’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

On the stage, Roman Dmitry watched everything.

He saw Wang Wei-long walking off the stage and Park Min-woo looking at him with jealousy.

It was a familiar sight.

Like the rivalry between Chris and Kevin, a battle had begun in his new life to be the one closest to him.

“What are they doing now?”

Suddenly, he felt a sense of longing.

He had lived a life where he couldn’t show emotions. Now, when he thought about his past, he felt emotions he hadn’t noticed before.

Even Roman Dmitry was human.

He had people who would risk their lives for him, Hans who truly cared about him, and parents who looked at him with love. But he hadn’t fully enjoyed those relationships.

That’s how life was.

Because he had lived so intensely as Baek Joong-hyuk, he couldn’t escape that way of life, even as Roman Dmitry.

But now, things were different.

Roman Dmitry felt a sense of peace he hadn’t known before. He could finally relax and look around him. He saw the faces of his people, and a warmth spread through him. He was strong enough now, strong enough to keep them safe.

He was sure of it.

Even if he conquered the continent again in this new life, he wouldn’t be happy with just the victory.

He needed the people of Dmitry.

Only when the people who allowed him to live as a human, Roman Dmitry, not just as Cheonma, were by his side would his life be complete.

He didn’t rush things.

Step by step, he would solve the problems in this world and find a way to connect it with Dmitry.

For now, he focused on the present.

He put aside the memories of the past and looked at Park Min-woo and Wang Wei-long, who were determined to be the one closest to him.

“Now that things have changed, we need a way to prove who is the best and stop these pointless arguments.”

He didn’t want to repeat his past life.

Cheonma Shin-gyo was a group that believed in power.

Roman Dmitry knew that this was necessary.

That’s why he created a competition for Park Min-woo and Wang Wei-long.

When Roman Dmitry signaled to his subordinate, the subordinate stepped forward and shouted loudly.

“From now on, we will give out rewards based on what each person has done.”

The best part of the festival was about to begin.

The rewards would be given based on merit.

He had already told the winners to think about what they wanted.

They were called up one by one.

The first was Kim Joon-hyuk.

Roman Dmitry said,

“In the future, the Korean Empire will have clear rewards and punishments. Those who commit crimes will be judged fairly, but those who have helped the empire can ask for reasonable compensation. Kim Joon-hyuk, the mayor of Incheon, I recognize your hard work in defending against Russia’s surprise attack. Tell me, what reward do you want?”

Kim Joon-hyuk had already thought about it.

After fighting Russia, he realized something new.

“Before meeting you, Your Majesty, I didn’t think I was important. I thought there was not much I could do because I wasn’t special. But now, I see things differently. In Incheon, in the Korean Empire, we need people like me, people who can understand situations and use strategies. I want you to create a place to train strategists like me and invest a lot of money in it. I want to make the Korean Empire stronger than it is now.”

“Is that all? You can ask for something for yourself.”

“That’s enough. As you know, Your Majesty, my main goal is to rebuild Incheon.”

Kim Joon-hyuk was sincere.

That was enough for him, but Roman Dmitry wanted to give him more.

“I will do what you ask. I will create a new facility and also give you money that is equal to your contribution.”

“Thank you!”

Next was Kang Min-ho.

Kim Jun-hyuk, who helped win this victory, bowed his head. “I don’t need a reward for myself,” he said. “Before I met you, Your Majesty, I was very poor, with nothing. You have already given me so much. Accepting me and my daughter is more than enough.”

Kim Jun-hyuk and Kang Min-ho were like this. They cared about loyalty and family, not money. They weren’t greedy, even when they had a chance to become rich and powerful.

Roman Dmitry saw their honest hearts and knew he couldn’t just accept their loyalty without giving something back. He thought about his people’s lives. He wanted to make sure they would never regret being loyal to him. He had to value what they thought was important.

This was a good thing that kept getting better. Roman Dmitry knew he was the ruler and they were his people, but he always rewarded their loyalty. This is why they trusted him completely.

Roman Dmitry shook his head firmly. “No,” he said, his voice strong and clear. “Just feeling good about yourself is not enough reward. Our country doesn’t want people to just sacrifice themselves without getting anything back. As long as the Great Korean Empire stands, you will get a good reward every month. This is payment for leading the Guardian Unit. Even if you die, this reward will go to your daughter, Kang Min-ho. In this dangerous world, no one knows when they will die. But I promise you this: anyone who works hard for the Great Korean Empire will never be unhappy, even if we don’t know what will happen in the future. I will make sure of it.”

Roman Dmitry understood what Kang Min-ho cared about most.

His daughter.

That was everything to him.

Promising to take care of her future was the best reward for Kang Min-ho.

“So, enjoy everything I give you,” Roman Dmitry said. “You deserve it.”

“…Thank you,” Kang Min-ho whispered, his voice shaking. Tears welled up in his eyes.

He felt Roman Dmitry’s honest sincerity. He was so grateful. He knew Roman Dmitry was praising him in front of everyone, but he also knew Roman Dmitry was the one who truly won the war. That’s why he didn’t think he deserved a reward. Just stopping Russia’s attack didn’t feel like enough to ask for anything.

But a reward for his daughter, that would always be there for her… He had to accept it. Even if some people thought he was greedy, he would take the reward and work even harder for Roman Dmitry.

All of this, the rewards and ceremony, was also a kind of show. Roman Dmitry truly wanted to reward those who sacrificed, but he also gave out the rewards in front of everyone on purpose. Moments like this showed everyone what the Great Korean Empire was about.

This public display had a purpose. It was important to show people that their sacrifices were valued and remembered.

The giving out of awards continued.

Finally, it was Park Min-woo’s turn.

Roman Dmitry thought he knew what reward Park Min-woo would ask for, like Kevin had. He thought Park Min-woo would want a personal reward to make it clear who was more important than Wang Wi-ryong. Roman Dmitry planned to give him a personal reward, besides this public ceremony.

But then…

“Please let the White Lily join one of Your Majesty’s official guard units,” Park Min-woo asked.

It was a completely unexpected reward.

The ceremony ended.

After all the awards were given out, Park Min-woo left the place alone.

He actually wanted to challenge Wang Wi-ryong to a fight to show who was stronger, just like Roman Dmitry thought. He wanted to prove to everyone that he was the number two person. But he knew now wasn’t the right time. He needed to control his strong feelings.

He had a plan in his head. He was taking a step back now to move forward later.

He put on a mask – not a real mask, but he hid his true feelings. On stage, he was the White-Robed Wizard. As he came down from the stage, the people cheered for him as the White-Robed Wizard.

After the festival, he waited for someone. This was the start of his plan.

Finally, he saw a group coming towards him. Park Min-woo stepped in front of them to stop them.

“Wang Wi-ryong,” he said, his voice cold.

“Be careful how you speak,” Xiao Long warned.

*Swish*. He moved quickly.

It was Xiao Long.

When Park Min-woo said Wang Wi-ryong’s name, Xiao Long glared at him, his eyes sharp with anger.

Xiao Long really didn’t like Park Min-woo.

Even though they both followed Roman Dmitry, Wang Wi-ryong was a huge hero in China. He was famous for conquering China with just one sword. But Park Min-woo showed no respect to Wang Wi-ryong at all, like he was just a common criminal.

Park Min-woo didn’t even look at Xiao Long.

As if Xiao Long was unimportant, he kept his eyes on Wang Wi-ryong. “I want to talk to you alone,” Park Min-woo said. “What do you say? Tell your followers to leave so we can talk.”

“How dare you say that!” Xiao Long shouted, getting even angrier.

He pulled out his sword and tried to attack Park Min-woo, but Wang Wi-ryong raised his hand to stop him.

Wang Wi-ryong smiled slightly.

Park Min-woo’s rude behavior annoyed Wang Wi-ryong, but he was also curious. “Alright,” Wang Wi-ryong said. “Let’s talk alone.”

They went to a private place where no one else could see or hear them. Park Min-woo got right to the point.

“Wang Wi-ryong,” he said. “I don’t think you understand, but I have a special secret with Emperor Roman Dmitry. Because of this special connection, which was meant to be, I am now working closely with the Emperor as Park Min-woo. I don’t know why you keep wanting my job when you don’t deserve it. You can’t understand my relationship with the Emperor, and you shouldn’t try to get involved.”

His words were clearly hostile.

Park Min-woo spoke angrily, and Wang Wi-ryong reacted coldly.

“You are the one who doesn’t deserve your place,” Wang Wi-ryong said. “The Emperor cares about the Cheonma Church more than anything.” (Maybe add a brief explanation here: “The Cheonma Church was a powerful group…”)

Cheonma Church.

That was Park Min-woo’s weak point.

In his past life, he was just an ordinary person named Kim Pan-seok. (Consider if this line is needed here or earlier/later)

Park Min-woo smiled coldly. He couldn’t use his connection to the Cheonma Church openly. “I knew it,” Park Min-woo said. “From the first time I met you, I knew you would annoy me. That’s why I didn’t ask the Emperor for a fight to show who is stronger in public. To really beat you, I can’t do it in front of everyone.”

*Clang*.

*Rumble!*

He used his magic power.

Dark red magic power surrounded Park Min-woo, making Wang Wi-ryong feel threatened. It felt hot and heavy in the air.

“I have a proposal for you,” Park Min-woo said. “Let’s decide who is stronger by fighting right here. The loser will respectfully serve the winner as the number two person, and the loser will be number three for the next year.”

*Tap*. One step forward.

He moved so close that he could feel Wang Wi-ryong’s breath on his face. He looked down at him and smiled cruelly.

“Decide,” Park Min-woo said. “Yes or no?”