Chapter 142: Roman Dmitry's People (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 142: Roman Dmitry's People (6)
Gabriel’s defeat.
Viscount Conrad’s heart sank.
A reality he hadn't even dared to imagine when Gabriel was assigned to the same group as McBurney was now unfolding right before his eyes.
"This... this can't be real."
His voice trembled violently.
Gabriel was a 3-Star Swordsman.
Conrad had assumed Gabriel would overwhelm his opponent through the sheer difference in their Aura. Yet, McBurney’s Aura—which had seemed as fragile as a candle flickering in the wind—did not extinguish even when clashing against Gabriel’s. Something was terribly wrong. He couldn't accept the fact that McBurney could use Aura, nor that his Aura had completely blocked Gabriel's. Least of all could he accept that a one-armed swordsman like McBurney had defeated Gabriel through pure swordsmanship.
Ah.
It felt as if his world was collapsing.
This tournament.
The pride of the Northeast Association was on the line.
Although they hadn't openly declared their ambition to win, everyone knew the relationship between the Northeast Association and Roman.
It's over. With this, the prestige of the Northeast Association will hit rock bottom.
The venue was filled with a festive atmosphere.
It was the ultimate victory of the underdog.
People who had initially walked on eggshells around the Northeast Association were now gossiping openly.
"Roman Dmitry completely dominated them."
"The Northeast Association was all talk. Roman only sent out six swordsmen, while the Association sent out dozens, yet they couldn't win a single match against Roman's men."
"It's over. The northeast region belongs to the Dmitry family now."
Their voices stabbed at his heart.
He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but his shocked mind wouldn't allow it.
Just when did the Dmitry family become this strong?
The six swordsmen.
Not a single one of them was weak.
Even if Gabriel hadn't used his 3-Star Aura, he had still lost to McBurney, who clearly seemed to be the weakest of the bunch. If so, just how strong were the swordsmen ranked above him? Chris was on a level Conrad couldn't even dare to approach, and he had no confidence in defeating the others, including Kevin.
Goosebumps broke out all over his body.
Those six were not even the entirety of Dmitry's forces; they still had the Dmitry Knights, who hadn't even participated.
On top of that...
Roman Dmitry himself hadn't even stepped forward.
It was the moment he truly realized just how high of a realm that monster—the one who had recently defeated Butler—resided in.
The Northeast Association has provoked a monster. Hostility toward Roman Dmitry is a shortcut to an early grave. If we wage war against monsters like them, we can never guarantee victory, even if we borrow the power of the Central Government.
It was exactly as Roman had planned.
Even without fighting directly, Viscount Conrad had come to realize the true depths of Dmitry's power.
"...Viscount Conrad. What on earth should we do about this?" asked one of the nobles.
Viscount Conrad spat out an irritated reply.
"Do you really have to ask? We are finished. Now that all the swordsmen of the Northeast Association have been eliminated, there is no reason for us to remain here like props. Let us leave this place at once."
A complete defeat.
Led by Viscount Conrad, the nobles of the Northeast Association swarmed out of the tournament venue.
* * *
The tournament came to an end.
The result was a landslide victory for Dmitry.
Roman Dmitry, who had entered only six swordsmen, achieved the unprecedented feat of securing victories in all six groups.
Rumors began to spread.
At first, people talked about how strong the swordsmen representing Roman Dmitry were, but eventually, they arrived at a single question.
"But if you think about it, Roman Dmitry's swordsmen weren't always that strong. While Chris was known as Dmitry's genius swordsman, the other five, including Kevin, couldn't even feel mana, let alone use Aura. If so, there's only one logical deduction: it's not that their talent is extraordinary, but rather that Roman Dmitry, the man who forged them, is the extraordinary one."
It was a plausible theory.
Once could be a coincidence.
While everyone could understand the growth of someone with talent like Chris, the rapid development of the other swordsmen—who had awakened their Auras one after another—defied common sense. Puki and Volkan were ordinary mercenaries commonly found on any battlefield. Kevin was merely a boy from the slums. Henderson was a farmer who used to till the fields in Lawrence.
And finally, McBurney.
People had doubted whether the one-armed swordsman could even swing a blade properly.
These men, who were undeniably ordinary just a year ago, had gone to the Southern Front with Roman and returned as completely different people.
The rumors swelled.
At some point, people began to believe it with absolute certainty.
"In prestigious swordsman families, there is always a 'first swordsman'—a figure with martial power strong enough to shake the continent, who also possesses the leadership to nurture the swordsmen who follow them. Roman Dmitry is exactly that kind of figure. Born into a family that didn't know the first thing about swordsmanship, Roman Dmitry rose to the level of a ranker solely through his own strength. Do you know what that means? It means Roman Dmitry is the first swordsman who will elevate the Dmitry family into a prestigious house. If you follow him, even a slum boy like Kevin can become a proper swordsman. The earlier you establish yourself in Dmitry, the more your future is guaranteed."
It was not a far-fetched story.
The families famous for swordsmanship all had a 'first swordsman' who gained renown just like Roman Dmitry before their families were truly recognized as prestigious houses.
Dmitry was no different.
Roman Dmitry had produced outstanding talents.
Not only was he brilliant himself, but through this tournament, he had also proven his ability to nurture the swordsmen under his command.
"From now on, the path for those from the northeast is clear. If you want to succeed as a swordsman, you must swear loyalty to the Dmitry family, no matter what."
Dmitry.
A family born of humble blacksmiths.
The reputation of Dmitry, which even fellow nobles had once refused to acknowledge, was beginning to change, bit by bit.
* * *
After the tournament ended, Roman called his subordinates together.
"You have all worked hard."
For the past month, they had all endured grueling days.
The order to win the tournament had come with no clear benchmark. Since his subordinates did not know exactly how strong they needed to be to secure victory, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and push themselves to their absolute limits for the entire month. The result of that effort was an overwhelming victory. Without facing a single crisis, they had completely dominated the swordsmen of the Northeast Association.
To them, Roman had something he wanted to say.
"You all made the decision to follow me for different reasons. Some swore loyalty because they needed my strength, some because they admired me, and others because they had no other choice. In truth, the reason does not matter. No matter what drove you to make that choice, if you were not someone of sufficient worth, I would not have accepted you in the first place."
He spoke the truth.
A relationship born of mutual need.
When others said they needed him, Roman willingly accepted them only if he judged them to be valuable.
"I do not care for complicated human relationships. While inexplicable human emotions can form what people call tight-knit bonds, I believe a relationship where both parties clearly have something to offer each other is the ideal relationship—one that does not demand the blind sacrifice of one side. You desire something from me. You have actually achieved those desires, and because you will continue to desire them, our relationship will remain unshakable. Even as a long time passes, I will always remain the existence you yearn for."
The Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk.
It was the same as back then.
To survive in a world where the strong preyed on the weak, he could not rely on fickle human emotions. He formed solid relationships by exchanging clear benefits.
"Some of you may wonder why I am saying this. I have heard that after swearing loyalty to me, many of you questioned your own abilities. Because one was from the slums, because one had never swung a sword before, because one was missing an arm. Even though no one criticized you, you belittled your own capabilities. That is why I have told you my way of doing things. I highly value that yearning. If I had judged you to be of no value as my people, you would not have been granted the opportunity to swear loyalty to me, even if you were an Aura Swordsman. You are the people I chose. I, Roman Dmitry, accepted you because I decided that your existence was necessary to me."
A relationship of necessity.
Even if there was a price, once Roman decided to trust someone, he bestowed absolute trust upon them.
"So, do not doubt yourselves any longer. Today's results prove your potential, and because I knew you would surely win, I set the stage to face the Northeast Association. From a month ago when the tournament was first mentioned until now, no matter who stepped forward, I never doubted you for a single moment."
Instantly, the faces of his subordinates flushed with emotion.
The battles on the Southern Front.
While those events had made them respect Roman even more, they had conversely made them think that perhaps Roman Dmitry was a man who could accomplish everything solely through his own power. During the guerrilla warfare in the mountains, Roman had not brought anyone along. It implied that he could trust no one but himself, and that realization had remained a heavy burden on their hearts.
But now, he spoke of trust.
His words—that he had never doubted them, and that their existence was necessary—caused a surge of emotion to well up within them.
Roman let out a soft chuckle.
The expressions on his subordinates' faces were quite a sight.
Seeing their flushed faces as they tried to suppress their emotions, he didn't feel too bad.
"Lastly, I will grant all of you a reward of ten gold coins and three days of leave. Aside from the emotional rewards, I hope you fully enjoy what it means to be my people in a material sense as well."
At those words, his subordinates could no longer hold back.
Letting their exploding emotions burst forth, they cheered in unison.
"Thank you, my lord!"
"It is truly an honor to serve you, my lord!"
"I will remain loyal to you for the rest of my life!"
For today, Roman did not hide the smile spreading across his face, letting his subordinates express their emotions to their hearts' content.
* * *
The next day, Roman summoned Lucas.
"After monitoring the movements of the Northeast Association, there doesn't seem to be any unusual activity. They did gather once after the tournament ended, but other than shouting matches among the members, they haven't plotted any separate plans. It is just as you predicted, my lord. Having indirectly experienced your power through the tournament, they have given up on opposing Dmitry. Until a clear opportunity arises, they likely won't rebel against whatever the Dmitry family does."
In Viscount Conrad's mansion, the servants serving tea and carrying food were members of the Hao Sect, and they had passed the information directly to Lucas.
The Northeast Association had raised the white flag.
However, Roman was well aware that this was only a temporary phenomenon.
"Perfect rule is impossible in this world. No matter how wisely a king rules a country, those who oppose him will inevitably harbor different thoughts. In that sense, the Northeast Association can be considered a necessary evil. Those who walk a different path from mine, whom I do not look upon favorably, will flock to the Northeast Association and build their own faction. If it were you, how would you handle the Northeast Association?"
"...To eliminate any variables, I believe wiping them out would be the correct course of action."
"That is not a bad method. If we had sufficient talent and resources to replace the Northeast Association, I might have chosen that path. However, we do not have that kind of time right now. In a situation where we do not know when friction with the Central Government might occur, we must minimize the sacrifices in the northeast region."
From the very beginning, Roman had devised his plan step-by-step.
Step one: Provoke the Northeast Association.
Step two: Force them to face reality.
Then, what was step three?
"Lucas. Proceed with step three."
"Understood."
Using Barbarians to Control Barbarians.
An idiom that meant using one's enemies to defeat other enemies.
Differing from its usual meaning, Roman Dmitry intended to personally step into the position of the 'barbarian.'
With this operation, the Northeast Association would be forced to reconsider the very existence of the Dmitry family.