The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live a Normal Life

Chapter 96: The Shadow Ghost (6)

Edwin hector continued,

[I’m not going to deny it. As is widely known, the Hector Kingdom is experiencing a terrible famine, and other countries are unwilling to provide any more money. That is why we launched an attack on the Cairo Kingdom. We had no choice but to make that decision in order to liberate ourselves from the shackles of debt.]

“Are you asking me to sympathize with that?”

[No. What I’m trying to convey is how desperate we are. In this war, the fate of the entire Hector Kingdom is at stake. There aren’t even enough soldiers. We will experience a food shortage in around three months, as you stated. Nonetheless, we will not back down. I have no intention of backing down until I obtain what I want, even if Hector has to dig out vegetables from the mountain soil or consume the remains of a deceased comrade.]

It was a bone-chilling statement. Edwin Hector’s attitude was resolute enough to even speak of cannibalism as something normal, even though it was something no one should have to experience if they were human beings.

On a certain day, Edwin Hector went to a temple. The state of the Hector Kingdom was truly miserable. The ground, which had been dyed golden in the past, was now torn apart due to the severe drought, and children, whose ribs could be seen sticking out on their skin, were staring at the ground. When they saw Edwin, they held out their bare palms and begged him for food.

Why did it turn out like this?

Edwin Hector, who was troubled every day as he was a person who had inherited the bloodline of the Royals, began to think about a plan to attack the Cairo Kingdom.

It was exactly as Roman had expected. His words of the Hector Kingdom being on the edge of destruction were correct. They would have fallen down soon enough, even if they hadn’t initiated a war.

[You know my plans, so you must know how I feel. Tell the Cairo Royal Family. If they do not accept the offer, we will fight until the end to get what we want. Do not think time is on your side. If we can’t get anything through this land, we will spread the poison the ‘Necromancer’ cursed Hector with everywhere on the Southern Front and turn it into a land of death as well.]

Edwin had turned the situation around and was trying to bring Roman to the edge as well. He had no intention of returning empty-handed right from the start.

[I am Edwin Hector. As the prince of the Hector Kingdom, I am ready to do anything to save my people. Roman Dmitry. What choice will you make? Will you fall down like the Hector Kingdom, which has come to the edge of the cliff of destruction, or make a compromise for the future?]

To Cairo, Edwin was surely a savage villain. However, that didn’t matter to him. He would do anything to save his kingdom.

[The choice is up to Cairo.]

To Edwin Hector, that was the role one who was born into the Royal Family had to bear.

The enemy had revealed his name. He was Edwin Hector, who was also known as the Star of Hector. While Roman was researching the Hector Kingdom, that name had come up frequently.

‘Unlike his incompetent father, he has grown into becoming the backbone of Hector Kingdom because of his outstanding abilities. From a young age, he was involved in the small and huge affairs of the Hector Kingdom and solved numerous problems, and eventually, those who admired the child began to call him the Star of Hector. Even though Hector was in the midst of a great famine, various nations, such as Kronos, wished to get their children married to Edwin Hector. He is a talent that has been recognized both inside and outside his nation. And such a being has taken up the baton in this war.’

As he had expected, this war wasn’t being led by an ordinary person.

And because of the bold systematic judgment that Roman saw, even he had no choice but to acknowledge the ability of Edwin Hector.

The cause was clear now—Edwin was following his role as someone of the Royal Bloodline.

He knew that Hector wouldn’t back down so easily, but Roman wasn’t an ordinary person either.

Puak!

“Kuaaak!”

[What are you doing?!]

Roman had thrust his sword into the thigh of Thompson. And thanks to the sound being cut off, no one else was able to hear it. Roman strongly suppressed Thompson’s body, which was writhing in pain, and slowly twisted the sword to make him scream even more.

“What am I doing? As you can hear, I stabbed him in the thigh with my sword.”

[I’d rather have you kill him! No matter how much we are enemies now, why are you torturing him?!]

“Why am I torturing him? You are making quite an emotional statement. I have no interest in the affairs of the Hector Kingdom. No matter the reason, the Hector Kingdom crossed the border and slaughtered the innocent soldiers of Cairo. So why are you shouting like a coward now that one of your soldiers got stabbed in the thigh? Don’t misunderstand. Just as you care about the soldiers of Hector, my people are important to me. Then why should I show mercy to my enemies? The war has just begun. And you, who crossed the line in the first place, should not expect me to do anything a normal human would do.”

Edwin Hector had made a huge mistake. Roman Dmitry was not a normal person. No matter what the reasons or choices of the other people were, he only did what he believed to be right.

Puak!

“Ahhhhh!”

Thompson yelled in pain. The pain of his bone being pierced wasn’t something he could suppress, no matter how hard he tried. Thus, he screamed.

Roman didn’t know Thompson. Although he had no malice toward him, he continued to torture him because they were enemies right now. In the world where the weak served as food for the strong, this was quite normal. No matter what values the other one had or whatever justice they pursued, from the moment they recognized each other as enemies and showed hostility, both sides did everything they could to defeat the other person.

And because of that, Roman didn’t have any complicated thoughts. He had no intention of backing down despite Edwin Hector’s threats, so he tortured Thompson.

A lot of blood splattered. Because of that, even Roman’s face was now drenched in blood. Then, Roman showed his fierce red eyes as he grabbed Thompson.

“As you do your duty, I will also do what I believe to be right. So, do not get caught by me. I will kill all those who crossed the border quite painfully. I will not spare a single one of Hector’s soldiers, and even if you choose to run away while waving a white flag, I will follow you until the end and stick my sword in your back. My name is Roman Dmitry, and I will definitely make you pay the price for the reason that you touched my people, and not for any grand cause, like you have.”

Roman showed clear hostility.

The Hector Kingdom didn’t know. The moment they crossed the border, they had touched someone they should never have.

As he knew that the Hector Kingdom would have set up multiple camps already, Roman decided that if they didn’t surrender, he would continue to send a chill up their spines.

Puak!

“Ughhh!”

Finally, he thrust his sword into the neck of Thompson.

Edwin Hector only stood silent when he heard the sound of one of his soldiers’ dying.

When Thompson’s head finally dropped, Roman continued, “If you choose to resist the warning, we will meet soon.”

Once he finished his words, Roman coldly cut off the Magic Call.

After the Magic Call was cut, Edwin Hector was only standing coldly while suppressing his anger beneath his expression.

‘Roman Dmitry. He is a more dangerous person than I thought.’

Any ordinary person would have stepped back with the number of threats Edwin had given. Even though saying something like “We will kill you even if we have to go down with you” couldn’t be done by any ordinary person, the reaction of Roman was even stronger than that. He killed Thompson slowly while torturing him and sending his screams through the Magic Call.

Although Roman knew what his circumstances were and his cause, he still sent Thompson’s death as a warning.

Roman was definitely a dangerous being. Knowing that he would lose the moment he retreated by even a single step, Roman Dmitry was constantly pressuring him and not allowing him to rest even for a while. He was the kind of person one would never want to meet as an enemy. The only variable that had occurred in the perfect plan which was made by Edwin Hector had now grown incomparably.

“…What will you do?” Jackson asked. He was listening to their conversation right from start to finish. Especially when Thompson was being tortured, he could not control his emotions, and his face looked so angry that it would explode at any moment.

Edwin Hector said, “If the Hector Kingdom had continued to spend time without making a decision, eventually, the entire Hector Kingdom would have died and lost the meaning of being a “Kingdom”. Thus, I made a decision. All warriors who would give their life for the Hector Kingdom and leftover funds were mobilized for this war. Jackson, we can never retreat. For those who remain in Hector now, the reward we will bring them is more important than our survival.”

That was the harsh reality. Nevertheless, it was a burden Edwin Hector had to bear. Even if a lot of people died, others could not help but feel grateful to be alive themselves. Humans were like that. And even though he knew that, Edwin Hector carried the burden. Taking all responsibility for the war, he left for the battlefield on behalf of the king.

“We cannot go back empty-handed. Mobilize all the troops right now and form a siege on the location where Roman Dmitry appeared. And if you manage to capture him alive, I will cut the flesh of Roman Dmitry slowly myself to avenge the death of Thompson.”

Seeing Edwin’s anger and sincerity, Jackson nodded, “I will obey your order.”

Even if he died in this war, Jackson would never regret the decision of following Edwin Hector.

The operation was now changed. Hector’s Aura Swordsmen took the lead.

“Follow me.”

They all had received an order from Edwin Hector 10 minutes ago.

“I will no longer be swayed by the remnants of Cairo. From now on, even if we have to make sacrifices, we will punish those beings hiding in the dark. The Aura Swordsmen will take the lead and light the way, and when attacked, soldiers from other areas will surround the enemy at once. It is a battle in which we need to overwhelm our enemies. We will give our flesh and take the bones of the enemy!”

He made his decision. The moment Roman Dmitry revealed himself, with a single attack, the troops would boldly block him and any escape route that Roman could use to escape. It was a strategy that required sacrifices. Being Edwin Hector, he wanted to produce the maximum results with minimum damage, but he changed his mind when he heard how hostile Roman was to him. He had acknowledged his opponent. And in order to catch that monster, he determined that soldiers had to walk in with determination.

A bright light shone from the leading Aura Swordsmen, thanks to the magical artifact. The magical artifact generated light when it was supplied with mana, and enemies that touched that light would be temporarily exposed due to the shimmering shards of light covering them.

It was a trap to maximize the effect of Edwin’s plan. Because of supplying the artifact with mana, the Aura Swordsmen would not be able to exert their full strength, but someone had to risk their life to bring Roman out in the open. And for that, the swordsmen of Hector decided to risk their lives. They had a strong desire to win this battle, even if they had to become the bait to kill the enemy. Their eyes were fierce.

“There is no one out here! Follow me slowly!” shouted the Aura Knight. As he had taken the lead, the troops of Hector rushed ahead with confident faces. When they were convinced that the unknown fear had been resolved, the search operation that was slow became full of energy again. Nevertheless, it was too early for that. The moment they stepped into the space where no one could be seen, the space twisted, and something reflected light toward them.

Slash!

The Aura Knights widened their eyes, seeing the blood flowing out uncontrollably, and eventually fell down on the ground.

Soon, Cairo’s soldiers, who were nowhere to be seen, suddenly appeared out of what seemed like a mirage and rushed in all at once.

“Attack!”

“Attack the enemies!” Chris shouted while his neck veins were protruding.

When they all had first entered the mountain, Roman Dmitry had foreseen that this would be the case.

Editor’s Thoughts: What a cliffhanger! Chris and the soldiers have begun their counterattack now. Roman Dmitry has warned Edwin. How will the Aura Knights fare against Chris, Kevin, and the other soldiers of Roman? That should be seen in the . Anyway, go, Roman’s soldiers!