Tuk.
Baron Romero cut off the communication. His face, which smiled brightly when he saw his youngest son, distorted so badly that his smile faded.
“Fucking Castro!”
Lauren’s message said that Roman was in danger while trying to help his brother. He actually couldn’t believe it.
Starting with the Blood Fang incident, Roman’s actions were too much, and now it was hard to imagine that he would be harmed. He wouldn’t take this situation seriously if it weren’t for Lauren.
‘Lauren is a child who doesn’t ask for help unless it is serious. It must be a cause for concern. And if Lauren, who is as careful as Rihanna, and caring as her, called in tears, then something must have happened to Roman.’
His stomach was churning in agitation. He wanted to lead the troops and go to war against Castro right away, but he knew that he had to keep his composure in this situation.
Baron Romero knew his shortcomings. He may have reached the peak of being a craftsman, but the fiery nature of the smith always brought trouble. So, he used to cause a lot of trouble at one time. Since he used to fix problems after he committed them, from some point forward, whenever problems arose, he sought advice from his wife.
Rihanna was wise. After meeting her, Baron Romero made up for his shortcomings, and his solution to the current problem was no different.
He went to see Rihanna. As she was watering the plants in the garden, he rushed there, and her expression changed at his words.
“Tell me again, how is Roman now?”
“Like I said, what do you think we should do? As you know, the Castro family is a member of the Central Government and has a close relationship with Marquis Benedict. They can’t be dealt with in one simple fight. In a worst-case scenario, the Central Government will step in.”
He said it as calmly as he could, trying to calm his agitation. But contrary to what he expected, Rihanna had an angry face.
“Are you really saying that right now? Our relationship with the Central Government is a matter we can talk about at a later time. The problem we need to face is that the eldest son of Dmitry is in danger, and we, as parents, should be a fence for our children. The Dmitry family is strong and would never abandon their kids.”
So he made his decision. Even Rihanna would agree. Baron Romero had no reason to contain his anger any longer. He headed straight for the conference room and gave the order.
“Call the family vassals right now! It is an important issue, and no one should be absent.”
Dmitry wasn’t usually a place where the Lord asserted his authority. Baron Romero was a man who put up a wall between himself and his people, but everyone would still obey his orders.
He finished summoning everyone. Even those who were dealing with their urgent tasks had immediately gathered when the Baron called.
In Dmitry’s conference room, the vassals of the family gathered in one place. Baron Romero looked at them with a stiff face.
“You must have heard the brief explanation on the way here. The eldest son of the Dmitry family, Roman Dmitry, now faces a dangerous situation due to the feud with the Castro family. According to Lauren, he had been taken to the Castro family’s mansion. The opponent is Castro of the Central Government. I know what it means to deal with them, but I cannot sit and watch as my son is in danger.”
This wasn’t just a simple matter. The moment he moved the troops in the name of Dmitry, he might have to be prepared for an all-out war. So, the consent of the vassals was required.
“I know better than anyone that it is a risky choice. I have already made a decision, but the problem we have now isn’t something I can decide alone. What do you think? If the majority opposes it, we will consider other means to wage war against Castro.”
Even if the decision was made by the head, everyone was held responsible. Baron Romero was no tyrant and always wanted to seek the consent of the vassals that made Dmitry.
‘There will probably be a lot of opposition..’
It was now a matter of persuasion. He was preparing to answer any questions that might come up, but a different reaction was given.
“I agree.”
It was Jonathan, the Commander of the Knights. He, who oversees the military force under Dmitry, spoke without hesitation.
“I understand what the Lord is worried about. It’s dangerous to go up against someone in the Central Government, but isn’t our goal to get Dmitry’s eldest son? There’s no need to spend time thinking about this. Young Master Roman Dmitry is a symbolic figure representing the Dmitry family, and we are ready to sacrifice our lives to protect that symbol.”
But Jonathan had hated Roman in the past. Roman never looked good whenever he went to learn swordsmanship, and he would openly show dislike and hurt the people in the family.
But that, too, had become a thing of the past. He thought this wasn’t an easy problem, but Roman Dmitry was completely different.
Roman was now the symbol of Dmitry. Wasn’t he called a hero for breaking the record for the youngest ranker in Cairo and playing an active part in the war against Hector?
Jonathan knew he couldn’t always choose a peaceful life on such a path.
“Just give us the orders. People say that Dmitry seeks peace, but I have never been complacent with reality. I can command Dmitry’s power at the orders of the Lord.”
He had cleared one hurdle on his way to war. The consent of at least three key figures was needed. One was Rihanna, and the other was Jonathan. And the last…
‘Blacksmith Hendrick. In order to not become a problem later, I need his consent.’
It was a difficult problem. Hendrick sought peace. He made a huge fortune by making weapons, but he thought blacksmiths shouldn’t be directly involved in the war.
The last person would be difficult to persuade.
However, the Baron had no intention of prolonging the meeting in a dangerous situation. As he was about to say something, suddenly, Hendrick spoke.
“I am going to prepare Dmitry’s forge right now. Captain Jonathan, please tell us what we need for war.”
It was shocking, but Hendrick was speaking like he was angry.
Baron Romero thought Hendrick supported peace.
If the weapon maker said he wanted to get involved in the war, he thought that life wasn’t just about tapping iron from then on. And like Jonathan, he too once hated Roman.
However, that was in the past. If they were asked what kind of person Roman was for Dmitry then they would all say…
“Young Master Roman is the future of Dmitry.”
Before leaving for the Southern Front, Roman overhauled the foundation of Dmitry.
He went out of his way to understand the problems in the mine. Despite knowing that the situation couldn’t be fixed easily, he still made a large-scale investment for the safety of the residents.
That was the start of this virtuous cycle. The residents found stability thanks to the safe environment, and many jobs were created as the mining workload increased. People no longer had to worry about their livelihoods, and the money they spent led to the development of commerce in the estate.
It was only one change, yet it resulted in a butterfly effect. Dmitry’s workers laughed a lot, and they knew that this change came from Roman.
‘Roman’s choice wasn’t forced by anyone. Dmitry’s people are living peacefully thanks to the determination that he himself took to enter the iron mines, which is the foundation of the family and which made him understand the reality of the people. Young Master Roman is the future of Dmitry, and he deserves to rule them in the future. They can never ignore Roman, who is in crisis.’
Moreover, Hendrick received a gift from Roman. When he looked at Salamander, he laughed loudly at the masterpiece the eldest son had made. Hendrick spoke with a furious tone, as if he were about to explode at any moment.
“It is unacceptable to touch Young Master Roman. Castro or whatever, Lord. The blacksmiths of the smithies, the workers of the iron mines, and even the residents of Dmitry have all received a great favor from Roman Dmitry, and we are not people who deserve such grace. No one will object to this choice. So, if you make the decision to go to war, please tell me firmly what I need to do,”
As the atmosphere changed, everyone’s opinions were gathered. In response to the reactions that neither of them could afford to pass on, Baron Romero burst into tears.
‘What is this?’
He figured that Dmitry, the loser in the northeast area, was heading in a different direction than in the past.
The order was given. To prepare for war, all available manpower was mobilized. In addition to preparing the soldiers, people were busy moving to secure the best weapons and food.
“What?”
“Is that true?”
The miners in the iron mine heard the news. The miners went to Master Jacob after hearing that they were planning a war to save Roman Dmitry.
“Where are those fucking trash touching Dmitry’s treasure? Call the miners right now! Even if we cannot fight on our own, we need to help the others prepare for war!”
“Yes!”
Everyone moved. Baron Romero’s orders didn’t include the miners. It was time for them to take a break from their hard work, especially the night workers, who were supposed to sleep.
But once Jacob’s order was given, they moved without saying anything. Even the night workers, who couldn’t sleep properly, got up with bright red eyes.
“These fuckers. You said they touched Young Master Roman? What do we do? Can we fight with bamboo spears?”
“Wake everyone up! Now is not the time to sleep!”
Among them was Morkan. The enthusiasm spread like wildfire, and Dmitry was shaken.
Wheik!
The blacksmiths worked. The fire was lit in the forge, with Hendrick and many other blacksmiths constantly working and checking the weapons.
Kang!
Kang!
“I think you all heard the news, Young Master Roman is in danger. The sooner we finish this task, the quicker we can bring back our Young Master safely. There is a saying that one shouldn’t move too late. I feel very fortunate to call Dmitry home. We are all grateful to the Dmitry family. So do not stop moving unless you are an ungrateful man!”
Hendrick spoke in a fiery voice. Everyone in Dmitry was focused on one goal and worked quickly together. It all happened in less than an hour after Lauren called.
People in the capital could never predict what kind of bomb Lauren had dropped on the Dmitry estate.
