The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live a Normal Life

Chapter 196: Dmitry Duchy (1)

Among the four factions within Cairo, three of them had walked the path of downfall. Those who participated in the rebellion, such as Marquis Benedict, suffered a bloody purge without anyone being exempted, and the future of those who followed Count Gregory and Denver depended on the severity of their mistakes.

Of course, those who actively acted as puppets didn’t get the same fate as the rebels, but those who stayed on the right side were able to save their lives.

The civil war turned the nation into a mess. The number of those who had to be punished just for joining a faction was too great, so they had to decide who could be forgiven and who couldn’t. It was a decision that everyone agreed on.

In their hearts, they wanted them to pay the price, but if they did that, Cairo’s power would weaken. So instead, Daniel Cairo, who finished the issue by freeing the captives of Kronos, prepared a grand ceremony for those who believed in him until the end.

The people gathered in front of the Cairo Royal Palace, and in front of them, the names of the heroes who saved the nation were spoken out loud and given awards.

“Count Vandenberg, the commander of the Western Front, confidently defeated the enemies despite the attack of Kronos and raised the status of Cairo. Accordingly, I, Daniel Cairo, will bestow the title of Marquis to Count Vandenberg and grant him land and the power he deserves.”

It was an extraordinary greeting. It was a position that only two people in the kingdom held. After the death of one of them, the position had to be given to another person. And…

“On the Western Front, besides Count Vandenberg, there were heroes who risked their lives against the Kronos Empire. Baron Noel, Flora Lawrence… Rodwell Dmitry did an amazing job on the Western Front, and I will give each of them a promotion and a reward of 1,000 gold.”

“Ohhh!”

“Woah!”

People were shocked. The rewards given to the Western warriors were not stingy. Besides that, the words continued. Not just those who had defeated Kronos but also those who had helped in the plan to put down the rebellion were naturally included in the list. The King’s people, including Count Fabius, and the people of Roman Dmitry were included.

It was a festive time. The people cheered, and their expectations for one person began to rise. Roman Dmitry, what kind of reward would be given to him? According to common sense, it would be right to give him the best treatment, but there were too many rumors going around.

“Daniel Cairo has taken back the power in Cairo by subduing the factions, but with Roman Dmitry alive, does it mean anything? Roman Dmitry’s troops are stronger than the three factions. Maybe he will form a force that takes down the royal family at once, but that isn’t going to stop them from giving him a reward. The royal family is holding on to his existence right now. It is a bit cruel, but they might have to cut down Roman Dmitry.”

At the transfer of power, Roman Dmitry was at the center. The great abilities he had demonstrated were now a danger to the royal family. And just like how the royal family was unable to handle the three factions, it was clear that Roman Dmitry would turn into a being that the royal family couldn’t touch.

The rumors began to increase. Despite rising to power thanks to Roman Dmitry, they thought Daniel Cairo would betray the man. The eyes of the people were focused. And looking into their eyes, Daniel Cairo said,

“We couldn’t have won this war without Roman Dmitry’s help and the Dmitry family as well. I, Daniel Cairo, recognize their merits and grant the title of Duke to the Dmitry family, and I recognize that the area of the northeast, including the land of Dmitry, will be declared a Duchy. In addition, I promise to provide them with the necessary knowledge and power so that they can establish themselves as a nation.”

The King’s words put an end to all the doubts.

It wasn’t like he didn’t know about the dangers of this decision. However, at the meeting held in the Royal Palace, all of those from the royal faction spoke in unison.

“We won the war thanks to Roman Dmitry. He deserves a fair reward.”

“Yes. You are right. Currently, the most horrid rumors are going around in Cairo, but we cannot let those words enter our ears and abandon the favor we have been given. We lived in a world where chaos was everywhere. It was a world where the four factions spoke over Your Majesty’s voice, and those who devoted themselves to the nation were not treated appropriately. If you make the same decision this time, the past is bound to happen again. We have to give what the people want, and that is expected.”

They also knew it. This one decision meant that Roman Dmitry would be out of their control. Even so, those who had lived in an unconventional world wanted Cairo to make the right decision.

Daniel Cairo said,

“My thoughts are the same as yours. It doesn’t matter that the Dmitry family has enough power to surpass the three factions.”

During the series of events, Daniel Cairo saw and felt things he had never experienced until then. The layer of experiences piled up on the heart of the young king, and his own standard went up.

“The future of Cairo starts with acknowledging the reality. Dmitry is not something Cairo can control. Even if we try to keep them under our control, by defeating Marquis Benedict, they have proven that their power is beyond Cairo’s. Then it is appropriate to regard Dmitry as a Duchy and a friendly nation with equal footing.”

It wasn’t a military relationship. Dmitry could regard Cairo as a military ally, but Cairo would never take their alliance for granted.

“Cairo has faced both internal and external enemies. External forces are infesting outside the borders, and the ones inside want to sell out the nation and threaten its safety. If only we would step away from being greedy in subduing Dmitry. Cairo has a firm shoulder on its side with Dmitry as an ally, as long as Cairo doesn’t cross the line.”

He no longer trembled. His mind felt clear, and he could see the way forward. He would keep his promise. And through his relationship with Dmitry, he planned to sketch the future of a new Cairo.

“I want to make use of this hard-earned opportunity. We are a small nation. A nation that cares about its people. Recognizing Dmitry as our ally from the start is a new beginning. People might think we are losing a huge amount of land, but by realizing their existence, we get the chance to build ourselves. The day that Dmitry officially declares itself a nation will be the start.”

He looked at the people. The Cairo royal family showed its desire for the first time.

“I, Daniel Cairo, will be happy with that.”

The process and the proclamation of the Dmitry Dutchy came a week later. A ceremony and a party were scheduled in Dmitry, and at some point, rumors about Roman Dmitry spread.

“I am telling you it is him.”

“I told you. From the time he defeated the Hector Kingdom on the Southern Front, Roman Dmitry was no longer the eldest son of a Baron’s family. Even the King acknowledged him. Cairo ended the long-running power struggle against the three factions and even defeated the Kronos Empire in a matter of days, so how can anyone oppose him?”

“But how far can Roman Dmitry grow? I heard that he won against Kronos’s Knight Gustavo.”

At first, they admired him. The people of Cairo cheered at Roman Dmitry’s achievements, and then more rumors spread across the continent—just how great Dmitry truly was. Seeing what happened in the past, they emphasized that the Hero of Cairo was not a frog in a well.

“Is there anyone else in the world who has grown so much like Roman Dmitry?”

“I assure you, there is no other monster like him. Even the one called the Greatest Sword of the Continent didn’t reach the 5-star level at Roman Dmitry’s age. He cannot be touched.”

“… perhaps, for the first time on the continent, a swordsman from the kingdom who can surpass the Demon’s 50th has appeared.”

The Demon’s 50th was the limit for the people of the kingdom, be it Count Nicholas or others. The people from the kingdom have never been named above it, and so Roman Dmitry’s name became a hot topic.

If he had the power to defeat Gustavo even when he was still in his 20s, then his potential for growth was extreme, and people predicted that he might surpass the 50th place before he even turned 30 years old.

Was it because of his unusual moves? People from the continent spoke of Roman Dmitry, and everyone was talking about him everywhere, even in the shabbiest pubs. Those who had finished their day tilted their beer mugs and pretended to wield swords as if they were Roman Dmitry.

And on the streets, bards would sing songs about him. Outside Cairo, Roman was being treated like a celebrity despite not knowing about it. And the more they talked about him, the higher his status rose.

Even though he was from a Baron’s family in Cairo, his potential and achievements during the civil war changed everything. Cairo even dared to say that they would recognize Dmitry as a nation. And the people’s interest in Roman Dmitry was directly connected to Dmitry.

It was said that his family, which would bring huge chaos to the continent, had taken its first step as a Duchy, so everyone on the continent turned their attention to Dmitry.

However, the series of rumors was not very natural. Of course, it was true that rumors began to get exaggerated, but they all started in a mansion in Cairos.

In a mansion in Cairos, a man received a report from his subordinate.

“The reactions are increasing from all over the continent. The main cause was the hired merchants who spread the rumors and the bards who were made to sing songs about Roman Dmitry being a hero. Now, even those outside Cairo know of Roman Dmitry. After all, the Lord’s plan was perfect.”

Just like his subordinate said, this was planned. Roman Dmitry’s name could be heard everywhere, yet the man wasn’t happy.

“No, this will not do. Roman Dmitry accomplished things that no one else could do in their lifetime. He defeated the Hector Kingdom on the Southern Front and took control of the messy Northeast, and this time, he caught the rebels and defeated the Kronos Empire. Just two years. That was the time it took for a Baron family to change into a Duchy.”

Not a single one of Roman’s achievements was easy. It was because only the big events were mentioned, but if one looked at them closely, so many things happened. The Star of Hector, Edwin Hector, Butler, Nicholas, and even Gustavo, who were ranked in the Continental Rankings.

Roman Dmitry’s action had been odd to the extent that Homer, who was the first one he defeated, was being forgotten.

“Those who know Roman Dmitry’s success do not know of his growth. But some people tend to look down on what happened at the little well called Cairo. It’s those people we’re aiming for. From one end of the continent to the other, everyone should look up to Roman Dmitry. In order for him to become a hero recognized by the continent, we must spread his achievements for everyone to know and not just take small steps forward.”

He was thirsty and desperate. The man said,

“Ask the family to secure funds and release more people to do this. Rumors are a form of a messenger’s battle. The more one talks about Roman Dmitry, the more often people talk about him.”

“I understand.”

The subordinate lowered his head and left the room. The room was now silent, and the man grinned while thinking of Roman Dmitry.

“Roman Dmitry. Meeting you was a stroke of luck that I will never have again in my life.”

The identity of the man—he was none other than Henry Albert, the guy from the Southern Front.