Roman’s proposal was unusual. Despite claiming to be the sword of Cairo, Roman Dmitry was offering a deal rather than loyalty to the royal family.
And so, Daniel Cairo wasn’t sure how to respond. He had always hoped that the nobles would collapse for the power struggle to stop, but he was afraid of what kind of price he would be asked for.
It was an expected reaction. Breaking through the silence, Roman said,
“When the Hector Kingdom crossed the border, he was on the Southern Front. The complacent defense system couldn’t stop the intentions of the Hector Kingdom, and the warp gate fell into the hands of the enemy without any resistance. At that time, do you know what I was thinking? While hiding in the mountains with the troops, I resented the Cairo family for not responding quickly. Although the defense was weak, if we had faced danger and learned to react quickly, the entire Southern Front wouldn’t have been taken.”
He rebuked their actions. Whether or not people showed a hint of response, he pointed out the fault of the royal family.
“I learned about the problems in the power system through what had happened. But has anything changed? No. Whenever Kronos makes a threatening move on the Western Front, the royal family just holds a meeting and watches the situation until the Central Government gives their approval. That is really horrible. Even though you know the issue, you just ultimately choose to stand by.”
The four factions were the problem in Cairo. Their relationship was like a magic bomb that couldn’t be touched, so the experience on the Southern Front didn’t fix it.
“Currently, the situation on the Salamander Continent is not serious. In a situation where war is on the verge of breaking out, if the Kronos Empire crosses the border, Cairo will not survive. Knowing that fact, how long will you just stand by? Someone has to wield the power. We need to unite the nation so that we have a systematic structure to deal with the events of the future. And I think it is right for Your Majesty to do it. Being the King, it is right for Your Majesty to hold the center and not Marquis Benedict, who speaks only for the nobles and pretends to be the King.”
His strong voice made the eyes of the people shake. Roman’s words about the King being the head made their hearts beat.
“I attacked Marquis Benedict for forcing me to make a choice. As Your Majesty, the King, you might doubt my intentions, but I want you to know that Dmitry just took a risky chance. The Dmitry family risked our lives and did this. And if Your Majesty ignores the chance we took, then the entire estate will have to face the consequences. Are you willing to stay on the sidelines until then? Or will you take advantage of the situation that Dmitry has given you?”
He passed over the decision to the King.
Daniel Cairo who had been silent for a long time, asked,
“I have a question before I make my decision. In return for what you did, what does the Dmitry family want?”
It was important for him to know the promise Roman was talking about.
In his new life, what was his goal? Roman Dmitry wanted to rise to the peak, but that didn’t mean he was going to engulf Cairo to make his own empire.
For the goal that Roman wanted, Dmitry was enough. In order to control a huge land, there was no need to trample on the existing culture and traditions and tread on the path of slaughter.
In his past life, Baek Joong-hyuk’s conquest of Murim and his rise as the Heavenly Demon were different from this. If the beings who once commanded Murim wanted to take over Murim, then what Baek Joong-hyuk did was a mental submission.
The Forces of Justice, the Forces of Evil, and the others, continued their way of life like before, but when asked who was the one above Murim, then they would speak of Baek Joong-hyuk. He destroyed all the forces that tried to stop his conquest. And then he returned to the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
But rather than attempting to control a vast expanse of land, he made the people aware that Murim was a place under his complete control, and everyone had no choice but to support him. And from then on, Baek Joong-hyuk became a sanctuary.
The forces of Murim continued to fight each other, but they never dared to get close to Baek Joong-hyuk. And as such, Murim had achieved the age of peace and prosperity.
If one looked at history, Murim always faced a crisis due to the beings that had dangerous thoughts. However, when Baek Joong-hyuk was alive, he held a certain role, as he became the center for making people abandon any potentially dangerous thoughts they might be having.
And that was the Murim of Baek Joong-hyuk. It wasn’t an empire in the sense that he was exploiting people and receiving things from them, but it was a firm domination that perfectly lingered over the minds of the people.
And the life of Roman Dmitry wasn’t so different. Roman wanted to rise to the top, but it was different from how the Kronos Empire wanted to conquer lands and the continent.
‘I will be the Heavenly Demon in Dmitry. I do not wish for destruction as I rise to the top. The forces standing in my path will certainly be trampled on only when necessary. Cairo or anyone else will have to acknowledge my existence. And when everyone finally recognizes Dmitry as the best in the continent, I will return to Dmitry and find my own peace.’
He had a clear goal in mind. And now, in response to Daniel Cairo’s question, Roman Dmitry has revealed his purpose.
“I want independence in the northeastern region, including Dmitry. If Cairo’s northeastern area is recognized as a Duchy and is given the power to work independently, then Dmitry will do our best for Cairo since we have the same roots. It does not mean that we are asking to break away or become completely independent. We will move with Cairo, but we also want to build our own world.”
At first glance, his words sounded like a rebellion. Looking at Daniel Cairo’s shocked expression, Roman firmly drove the nail into the wall.
“Your Majesty, my King. If you cannot do that, then make the best choice for Cairo according to you.”
The atmosphere cooled down at Roman’s words. If it was the choice of the King then it was acceptable, but the King’s faction wouldn’t like their King being given an order.
“Your Majesty. This isn’t right.”
“You are right. Has there ever been a case in the world where the title of ‘Duchy’ was granted at the request of someone? Dmitry intends to take care of his own interests in the name of nobility. You cannot allow it.”
The royalists protested.
Roman smiled.
“Yes, that is right. There is no such thing. But are there other options? While those present remain silent despite the atrocities of the nobles, I’ve drawn my sword against them. I’ve shed blood, and from now on, I need to fully bear the consequences of going against them. I only want the right price for my sacrifice. The title of ‘Duchy’ needs to be given by Cairo, and Cairo and Dmitry will forever be the same community. All I want is the strength to stand against what lies ahead. If they act complacently as they did at the Southern Front at that time, then at least we as a Duchy can provide you with a solid defense.”
He drew the line that it wasn’t a rebellion. Although his intentions could be seen that way, Roman Dmitry didn’t intend to make it completely clear to them. That was the deal. If the northeast would fall apart, he knew he couldn’t just give positive hope to Cairo.
Finally, the choice was up to the King. As he fixed his gaze on him, Daniel Cairo was lost in thought.
‘What do you mean by this?’
Roman Dmitry. Even though he was surrounded by soldiers with weapons, he didn’t look scared. Rather, he was looking confident. But it wasn’t arrogance. Even if he gave the order to attack Roman, the Royal Knights couldn’t subdue him. From the moment he defeated Count Nicholas, Roman was an uncontrollable monster in Cairo.
‘Roman Dmitry’s suggestion isn’t that wrong. I just watched and was unable to do anything as the power system in Cairo was being torn down. If it weren’t for Dmitry, I wouldn’t have even thought of fighting the nobles. However, if the Cairo royal family insists on our rights without a sacrifice, Dmitry will have a different line of thought from then on. Right after Dmitry defeats the nobles, they will not think much about rebellion. And if they have the power and justification, it will be enough. And knowing all of this, Roman Dmitry is giving me a chance to stand beside him.’
He faced the reality. Daniel Cairo was called a weak King, but he wasn’t an idiot who didn’t know the reality. The royal family had no power. And if he borrowed power from Dmitry to correct the mess in the kingdom, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
‘Roman Dmitry started something that the Cairo royal family couldn’t even dare to do. That alone puts Dmitry completely beyond Cairo’s control. And we need to choose now. Will we be content with the current power holders or will we give what we cannot have and bring Cairo into a new direction?’
He had already made the choice. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he didn’t need to think about it for long.
‘I always wanted to build my own kingdom. Even if Roman Dmitry has other intentions, it cannot be worse than losing my life after being swayed by the nobles who used me as a puppet. At least, Roman Dmitry spoke his honest thoughts. If that is the case, it would be best to make positive ties with Dmitry who has a clear path.’
He knew that this decision was a risky one. If he believed in Dmitry and worked with him, then he might die one fine day. But he was convinced after watching Roman. He believed that this man would surely finish what he had failed to do.
“I promise to you on the honor of the Cairo Royal family that if this issue is cleared, I will declare the northeastern area, including the Dmitry, as a Duchy and give the title of Duke to Baron Dmitry. So all you need to do is win. And be sure to punish Marquis Benedict, the traitor who disturbed the nation.”
The command was given.
It was the moment the puppet King finally made his own decision.
The nation had turned into a mess from the clash between the nobles and Dmitry. Count Denver, who sided with Valhalla, watched this from his home.
“Roman Dmitry. What a scary guy.”
A series of surprises. He couldn’t hide his surprise that Roman was able to defeat Count Nicholas, but then he went straight for Marquis Benedict’s faction.
It was a situation with too many variables. Even if Roman Dmitry was able to defeat Count Nicholas, he never thought he would clash with the nobles.
‘Roman Dmitry made the choice. Rather than choosing a side and relying on them, he intends to create an independent faction for the Dmitry Alliance. And as long as they are attacked by Marquis Benedict in the capital, Dmitry and the nobles cannot stop fighting until one side dies.’
Kiik.
He leaned back in his chair as he chuckled. Things were taking an extreme turn, but that wasn’t too bad for Valhalla.
‘According to the reports, Roman Dmitry went to the palace. I am not sure if the King had planned this in advance, but it can be interpreted as the King helping out Roman to fight the nobles. A confrontation between the King, Dmitry, and the nobles—it will be a fight worth seeing. After two sides fight to the death, then I will bring Valhalla to the scene to take advantage of it.’
The only risk factor was Gregory. He must be thinking the same thing as him, so the Kronos Empire must also be waiting for their chance.
He was excited. The Cairo Kingdom was in ruins. Rather than sacrificing his life for the kingdom he was in, he hoped to quickly dedicate it to the empire and receive a high-ranking position.
It was then….
Clack.
“Lord! We have trouble!”
“What is it?”
It was a family knight.
As Count Denver frowned, the knight said,
“Roman Dmitry stormed the mansion with his troops. The atmosphere is not too good. We need to run… kuak!”
Puak!
The body of the knight was thrown to the side.
And behind the door, a man appeared.
Roman Dmitry slowly walked inside and looked at Count Denver, who was seated.
“Count Denver. From now on, you shall follow the command of the King.”
Count Denver was shocked.
At the start of his work, Roman Dmitry first chose to remove the wrong plants within the discord.
