Chapter 152 – Greedy Collector (4)

The atmosphere was chilly and cold. At the explicit refusal and the somewhat aggressive response, McKean said,

“Those words. Should I accept them as hostility?”

After all, the Cairo Kingdom was a weak nation. And within that small nation, there were four factions fighting one another.

The same went for Roman Dmitry. He was highly regarded because he defeated Butler in his mid-20s, but he lacked the strength to overcome the nation’s powerhouses.

Roman’s answer was important. And the Valhalla Empire had the power to trample on a being like Roman.

“Speak clearly. From the moment you threaten me, I have no intention of being nice to you.”

His voice was firm.

Roman looked at the man in front of him. Even though the opponent showed such bloody intentions, neither his body nor his eyes were shaking.

“The Valhalla Empire. It isn’t that I don’t know how strong you are, but I have no intention of being forced into allegiance to anyone, even if you point a sword at me. Do you want to accept this as hostility? Do whatever you want. Either instigate the Central Government to attack Dmitry or summon your warriors in Valhalla to assassinate me. No threat can force the answer from me.”

The Valhalla Empire was strong. But Roman knew that even the Valhalla Empire had its limits.

‘The Cairo Kingdom is the prey that the Kronos Empire has worked hard for. If Valhalla attacked Cairo now, Kronos wouldn’t stand still. In the end, the fight in Cairo will end in internal strife. And the power of Dmitry now cannot be threatened by the Central Government alone.’

Things weren’t so simple when it came to dealing with the Dmitry Alliance. When the Central Government decides to punish them, it would require them to take power from the surrounding estates, but all the forces in the northeast follow Dmitry.

And Count Denver, who followed Valhalla. Even if he raised his voice and said Dmitry should be punished, the Central Government would not wage war because of threats from outside forces.

The Kronos Empire was also holding back, and if a civil war broke out, Cairo would have no choice but to fall into an abyss. And the fall of Cairo means the rise of Kronos.

Roman knew that by forming an alliance, he would hold the most important position.

‘Valhalla has no way to attack me, not even once. There is no way that they would assassinate me by mobilizing the most powerful people in Valhalla, so this kind of threat won’t work on me.’

He received numerous assassination threats during the days he lived as Baek Joong-hyuk. No matter what kind of assassination was attempted, Roman was sure that he wouldn’t even have to blink an eye.

Roman said,

“If you do not intend to be my enemies, Valhalla only has one option to choose. And that is to wait. I, Roman Dmitry, do not want to be a parasite on someone else’s power. The moment I make a choice, the force will surely rise to the pinnacle of Cairo, and the people will call the Dmitry family a kingmaker. That is what I hope for.”

He gave them a reason to shut their mouths and wait for his choice. Despite the threats from the Valhalla Empire, Roman came out strong.

The world didn’t know of the union between Dmitry and Valentino. But Dmitry’s power on its own was enough to make a bold move against the Valhalla Empire.

“… you are acting so bold.”

McKean’s face hardened, as he didn’t like this situation. Roman’s attitude was clearly crossing the line, but he couldn’t attack Roman. After the war with Hector and the unification of the northeast, he knew Dmitry was now untouchable.

‘I have to take a step back. But if he continues to show the same attitude as now, then we will have to make a decision.’

McKean said,

“If you act all stiff with that neck, it will break one day. Roman Dmitry, make sure to keep these words in your mind. We are stepping back not because you are strong but because we are giving you time. You are no threat to the Valhalla Empire. The continent is huge, and keep in mind that Butler, whom you fought, is a base level of power in Valhalla, so make a decision after carefully considering everything. If you decide the same, then….. then I will show you just how pointless your sandcastles are.”

He gave a warning and backed down.

Then McKean stood up and began to leave.

Starting with Valhalla, calls came from all factions in Cairo. They knew about the existence of the Dmitry Alliance, and every one of them urged him to make a decision. Some were trying to appease him, and some gave him threats.

And when the powerhouses in Cairo were quickly making their moves, Roman stood his ground.

“Currently, I have a lot of things to do in Dmitry. Exactly one year later, after finishing the work in Dmitry, I plan to move to the capital and challenge the Public Ranking. And if everything is done, at the same time, I will reveal my decision.”

One year. They didn’t want to wait. All four factions were already feeling like they had been betrayed by Roman, whom they wanted to decide right then.

The leader of the nobility, Marquis Benedict, didn’t like Roman’s one-sided talks, and like Valhalla, he couldn’t do anything.

“… will you leave the Dmitry family alone?”

A subordinate asked him.

Marquis Benedict fixed his gaze on the papers in front of him.

“We have no other choice but to wait. Our chance might have been after the war with Hector, but after that, Roman Dmitry returned to his home and made the most unconventional move to unite the forces. What an evil-minded boy! From the moment the northeast, which rebelled against Dmitry, surrendered to him, the Dmitry family turned into something that even the Central Government couldn’t touch. To be precise, if we do touch them, the balance of power will collapse.”

“But this is risky. Give Dmitry time, and they will expand further.”

“I know.”

Tak.

Marquis Benedict turned over the papers, and he looked at his subordinate. He did not become the leader of the noble faction by chance.

“Let us face the reality. We cannot gain benefits if we antagonize Dmitry, so it is better to pin our hopes on a better chance. Surely, the royal family has no choice but to disapprove of Roman Dmitry’s actions. Unlike them, we will stand by Roman Dmitry until the end and treat him well so that he can trust me. Even if the price for waiting ends up in betrayal, Roman Dmitry is worth putting everything on the line.”

The hero of Cairo. He was someone everyone would want to covet. He also wanted to have the man and decided to make a bold move.

“If only Roman Dmitry would choose me. I won’t make an issue of what happened all this time. But….”

His voice lowered.

Blind loyalty. It was something that could lead to betrayal too.

“If the route he would take is different from mine, then I will make sure he pays the price.”

Just one year. That was the longest time he could wait.

At that time, Roman was reading a letter in the library.

[Brother. I’ve never been happy about being at the academy all this time. But ever since you visited me, my life has completely changed. The kids who were afraid of the Castro family began to approach me as friends, and my sword skills developed rapidly as I worked hard on what Brother taught me. Not too long ago, I even heard a compliment from our swordsmanship teacher that I might be a genius. Thank you very much. As your younger brother, I did nothing for you, but Brother gave me so much. There is nothing I can do for you right now, but I will live my life step by step and repay the favor I received from you.]

It was Lauren Dmitry.

At the sincere letter, Roman smiled.

‘Brothers, huh? This isn’t so bad.’

This life was different from the previous one. He had no reason or intention to fight with his brothers now. The fact that they could exchange such warm greetings while being siblings was special for Roman.

‘I need to get stronger in a year.’

Many people were now involved in Roman’s plan. He was no longer alone and could no longer accept defeat.

‘Using the power system is now at its limit. The king’s faction, the noble faction, the Kronos Empire, and the Valhalla Empire. These four forces are dividing the nation and will not wait for me. So, in this one year, if I don’t make use of this time in a good manner, I will lose everything in the war against them.’

He couldn’t falter now. His family, subordinates, and maybe his own life could come to an end. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t let it stop him.

Living his new life, Roman had many hopes, and like in his previous life, he wanted to rise to the supreme position without having to lose anything. And unlike in his previous life, Roman Dmitry, who lived as Byeok Joong-hyuk, now had the power to be greedy.

‘When the war really starts, there won’t be any time to look back.’

The mid-state of the Heavenly Demon Sword would not be enough. Although it worked against Butler, Roman wanted something more overwhelming.

He had one year to make progress. He would have to work harder than before and prepare for another thing in the future.

‘Edwin Hector. I never know when I will come across a magician like him again. To respond perfectly to whatever variables arise, I must first understand magicians. Even if a magician more powerful than Edwin Hector comes, I need to be able to behead them to accomplish my goal.’

At a time when he had nothing to lose, Baek Joong-hyuk struggled to survive. And now, with so much at stake, Roman Dmitry has shown a stronger will than ever.

Three months have passed since then.

There were thirteen Magic Towers on the continent, and Phoenix was the weakest of them all. And they had a problem that plagued them.

“Ehhh.”

The heir to Phoenix, Felix, sighed.

There was a magic society. It was hosted by the Vast Heavens Magic Tower, and it was a place where the representatives of each Magic Tower would prove their achievements.

The problem was that it was Phoenix’s turn, and even though Felix showed off a powerful 5-circle magic at the age of thirty, all the other magicians looked at him with cold eyes.

Felix’s magic was common. There were widely known magics, and the Phoenix Magic Tower’s identity did not appear to be particularly unique.

“It seems to be true that the Phoenix Magic Tower has lost the magic books that have been handed down for generations.”

Three years ago, Felix’s teacher and the Magic Tower master had gone missing.

As a result, Felix took on the role of acting master. But the problem was that he completely lost the power his position held as he didn’t inherit the magic books of the Magic Tower called Burning.

Even if it weren’t so, the power of their Magic Tower was weak. It came to the point that their tower fell, and their magicians were leaving every day.

The magician’s world was cold. Since the Vast Heaven Magic Tower was known to possess the best magic in the world, there was no reason to stay humble towards the Phoenix magicians who lost their own technique.

“… it would die in an instant.”

The words spoke of an unknown future.

Usually, the Magic Tower borrows some land with support from the nation. However, since their master’s disappearance, Felix has been passively supporting the magicians.

It felt shocking. At first, he acted as if he would give up any body organ for the Magic Tower, but now, it just looks like a nuisance to everyone.

The Magic Tower and the kingdom were mutually beneficial. The Magic Tower provides living conditions, and the kingdom could borrow the power of the Magic Tower in emergencies.

“As the days go by, my worries continue to grow.”

Felix got a letter.

[… the conditions are simple. For the next six months, if you become my opponent, I will reward you 1,000 gold each month.]

It was an unusual request, but the 1,000 gold made it worth considering. And wasn’t the Magic Tower in a bad situation now? Then he couldn’t refuse this request.

Frank was a nation in the southwest of the continent. It was a long journey to get such letters, and no one in such distant lands ever gets such a request.

‘It’s the farthest end, the northeast. So far.’

On that day, Felix packed up and headed for his destination.

The place was Dmitry in the Cairo Kingdom.