Chapter197
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: Dmitry Duchy (2)
Henry Albert.
How had he been living lately?
At first, it started as a simple job.
As Roman Dmitry’s exploits drew the world's attention, the value of Henry Albert—who had served as his point of contact on the Southern Front—skyrocketed as well. The fact that he was known as the good-for-nothing of the Albert family didn’t matter anymore. The Cairo Royal Academy, a prestigious institution he wouldn’t have dared to even look at under normal circumstances, requested him as a guest lecturer, giving him the opportunity to teach the children of elite families.
He didn’t actually have much to say.
He merely recounted the events of the Southern Front and how Roman Dmitry had defeated the Hector Kingdom. He only spoke of what he had seen and heard, yet the students couldn’t tear their eyes away from him for the entire duration of his lecture.
His life changed.
The children of prominent families recognized by the Central Government flocked to him after his lectures to ask for his autograph. They looked up to Henry Albert as if he were a hero alongside Roman Dmitry. They didn’t know the truth. However, the mere fact that he had been present at the scene of events they could only dream of was enough to completely change how people viewed him.
A single lecture.
An explosive response.
Soon, lecture requests began lining up one after another.
The Cairo Royal Academy wanted him to take the podium regularly, and countless other institutions clamored for Henry Albert to make an appearance. Naturally, this came with corresponding rewards. While he had initially accepted the podium simply out of a desire for honor, people soon began offering massive sums of gold just to buy a fraction of Henry Albert’s time.
They say the position makes the man.
With people recognizing him simply walking down the streets of Kairos, Henry Albert—who had spent his life acting like a worthless fool—straightened his back and tried his best to act in a way that befitted his new reputation. Terrified that students might ask difficult questions during his lectures, he even began to study, wringing out his meager intellect to make himself look respectable.
Thanks to that, wealth and honor naturally followed.
His family grew proud of him, and from a certain point onward, he never had to worry about money again.
A single lecture was worth dozens of gold.
Some even offered to pay over a hundred gold for an appearance, so what could he possibly have to worry about?
“Ah, I’m so happy.”
In just half a year, he had acquired a luxurious mansion in the capital of Kairos.
He purchased the estate with the help of connections he made while lecturing, and the neighboring nobles welcomed him as a truly wonderful addition to their community. This was the ideal life he had once only smirked about in his wildest fantasies. Yet, as he sat on his luxury sofa, basking in its cozy warmth, Henry Albert suddenly felt as if this comfort was nothing but a fragile illusion.
In truth, he was a nobody.
He was living this life purely out of luck, and it wouldn’t be strange at all if he plummeted back into the abyss tomorrow.
Happiness and anxiety went hand in hand.
While he had initially just enjoyed his newfound success, whenever the creeping dread set in, he found himself reaching for a drink.
Then one day, Henry Albert experienced a truly shocking moment.
“Lord Henry Albert. Listening to your lecture, I couldn’t control the passion boiling in my heart. It is thanks to the dedication of Cairo’s heroes on the Southern Front that we are able to live in safety, so why on earth have our people lived without showing proper gratitude? Thanks to you, I have finally awakened to reality. From now on, I too will contribute to Cairo’s national defense, and I will tell everyone how informative and amazing Lord Henry Albert’s lectures truly are.”
The speaker was a man in his late sixties.
With white hair and a neatly trimmed beard, he was one of the representative professors of the Cairo Royal Academy. He was a man recognized as having the highest authority at the podium, yet he looked at Henry Albert with eyes brimming with profound respect.
It was shocking.
Ignorant young children reacting that way was one thing. But for an elderly man of profound academic learning to look at him with such reverence...
At that moment, a realization pierced through Henry Albert’s very soul.
* * *
His lectures.
Were they really that amazing?
No. Absolutely not.
The reason people nodded, cheered at his every word, and flocked to him claiming to be his ardent fans was entirely thanks to Roman Dmitry. At first, he had thought that capitalizing on fame was a skill of his own making. However, as Roman Dmitry conquered the northeastern region and the public's reaction toward Henry grew even more fervent, he had no choice but to admit the truth.
The attention directed at him originated entirely from Roman Dmitry.
The more Roman spread his fame and made his name known, the more Henry Albert benefited.
Why are people going so wild over me?
He thought about it deeply. There were many people who had served on the Southern Front, so he couldn't easily understand why the public cheered so specifically for his words and actions.
The answer was simple.
His contact with Daniel Cairo.
When reporting the situation on the Southern Front, Henry Albert had taken on the role of conveying the facts on behalf of Roman Dmitry. It wasn't because he was an important figure. Aside from Roman Dmitry, there was no other noble with sufficient status to face the King, so he had ended up showing his face on the communication screen purely by chance.
At that time, people saw it.
They saw Henry Albert speaking as the voice of Roman Dmitry. Unlike the others who had taken active roles on the Southern Front, Henry Albert’s presence was broadcasted clearly for all to see.
People are projecting Roman Dmitry onto me. They don't really know what kind of person I am, but just because I stood in for Roman Dmitry, they think of me as someone incredible. How hilarious. Back when I was called the good-for-nothing of the Albert family, people looked down on whatever I did. I'm the exact same person, yet their attitude toward me is completely different. It's not because they're stupid. If even a distinguished professor of the Cairo Royal Academy looks up to me, this must be a primal human instinct.
That single fact was more than enough to change his life.
He gained the conviction that even if he wasn't extraordinary himself, he could still live an extraordinary life.
Looking back at history, there have always been heroes whose fame spread across the world. How did they acquire such fame? It wasn't because they achieved great deeds and went around shouting to everyone that they were the protagonist. It was because the people who could scavenge some crumbs from their fame went around diligently spreading rumors. From now on, what I must do to maintain my wealth and honor is clear: spread Roman Dmitry’s achievements to the world. As long as he remains an incredible figure, the single fact that I shared life and death with him on the battlefield will keep my life comfortable.
Spreading rumors wasn't very difficult.
Roman Dmitry was constantly achieving things that ordinary people couldn't manage in a lifetime.
The Hector Kingdom.
The Dmitry Alliance.
The public ranking match, and even this recent civil war.
There was more than enough material to work with. He merely informed people of these events and fanned the flames, yet the public eagerly put Roman Dmitry on a pedestal as a hero.
And consequently, Henry Albert naturally became known as the hero’s companion.
He leaned back on the sofa. Taking a sip of wine, Henry Albert smiled.
“Roman Dmitry. You and I aren't as close as people say. But as long as you live a life that others look up to, I will let the world know exactly what kind of person you are—if only for the sake of my own comfortable life.”
The finest wine. It tasted sweet.
The mansion he lived in, the luxury sofa beneath him, the wine in his glass. They were all proof of Henry Albert's success.
This was the new way of life for Henry Albert, the man who was once called a good-for-nothing.
* * *
Henry Albert’s method worked flawlessly.
Thanks to him actively seeking out audiences and spreading rumors, Roman Dmitry’s actions received immense attention. And naturally, the biggest point of interest right now was the declaration ceremony of the Dmitry Duchy.
With Roman Dmitry, hailed as the hero of Cairo, taking a historic first step, even people from other nations expressed their desire to attend the ceremony. It was born out of sheer admiration for Roman Dmitry, a man they had only heard of through rumors. Even if only half of those rumors were true, it was well worth traveling the long distance to see him.
A few days before the declaration ceremony, Dmitry was in an absolute frenzy due to the massive crowds flocking in from all over the continent.
Knight Commander Jonathan, who was specifically in charge of guarding the castle gates, showed a look of awe as he checked the faces of the visitors.
To think so many people from other nations would flock here just to see Roman Dmitry. And among them are key figures representing their respective countries. Yesterday, the Kingdom of Frank sent an envoy, and today, representatives from three kingdoms belonging to the Kingdom Alliance arrived first thing in the morning. That means they formally recognize the existence of the Dmitry Duchy and intend to establish friendly relations moving forward.
He was deeply moved.
Just a few years ago, Dmitry had been an anomaly in the northeastern region. The established nobles refused to recognize a family of commoner origin. When Knight Commander Jonathan first declared his oath of loyalty to Dmitry, his colleagues were appalled and tried to stop him. It was a natural reaction. As a 3-Star Aura Swordsman, his future was practically guaranteed, so they couldn't possibly understand his choice.
But now, the situation had completely changed.
Dmitry’s value had skyrocketed to the point where those very same former colleagues would occasionally contact him to ask if there were any open positions.
Roman Dmitry. It is all thanks to him.
He knew it well. Baron Romero was not a man of great greed. If Roman Dmitry had not made moves to completely overturn the board, they might still be locked in a tense, confrontational relationship with Barco. A massive shift brought about by a single man. It had transformed the very nature of the territory, and the people of Dmitry were no longer ashamed of their commoner origins.
He was a truly great existence.
The countless people visiting Dmitry right now—they all wished to meet just one person. From a certain point onward, Roman Dmitry had become the absolute pride of Dmitry.
Jonathan. Keep your wits about you. In times like this, you must not get drunk on the celebratory atmosphere.
He quickly pulled himself together. He was the sword that protected Dmitry. He had to be prepared for any potential variables.
As he meticulously examined the incoming visitors, his eyes suddenly widened at the sight of an unexpected figure.
“…You?!”
The man standing before him was someone who did not fit in at all in a place celebrating Dmitry's rise.
* * *
At that same time, Baron Romero called in his two sons.
Before declaring the Dmitry Duchy, I need to settle the succession issue once and for all. If I leave everyone with false hope due to a half-hearted attitude, problems will inevitably arise after the Duchy is established.
A fratricidal war. That was an outcome he desperately wished to avoid.
Some fathers might watch their sons compete and hand everything over to the winner, but Baron Romero hoped such a bloody situation would never occur in the first place. And in truth, his heart had already leaned to one side. Although Rodwell Dmitry had dedicated years of his life to the family since childhood, if he were to be named the successor now, the backlash from the family's vassals would undoubtedly be immense.
Therefore, he had arranged this meeting. As for the youngest, Lauren Dmitry, he was not called, as he was far removed from the succession race.
Knock, knock.
“Father, we are coming in.”
“Come in.”
The door opened. At the sight of the two brothers who represented the future of the family, Baron Romero wore a heavy expression.
“The reason I have called you both here is to settle the family’s succession issue once and for all. As you know, in a few days, Dmitry will declare its new beginning as a Duchy. This does not simply mean that Dmitry’s power has grown; it means that the responsibilities and duties we must shoulder are entirely different from before. Countless lives will depend on our every choice. Therefore, I intend to decide Dmitry’s succession here and now.”
His voice was dignified and resolute. In this room, he stood not just as a father, but as the absolute head of Dmitry.
Baron Romero looked at Rodwell Dmitry.
The fact that he had to deliver unfavorable news to his son—a son who had lost an eye on the battlefield—made his heart incredibly heavy. In truth, Rodwell also had a legitimate claim to the position. If he argued that the decision was unfair, Baron Romero was prepared to call in the leadership and hold a fair vote instead.
It was then.
“Father. There is something I would like to say first.”
It was Rodwell Dmitry. As Baron Romero looked at him with a questioning gaze, Rodwell spoke with a calm, composed expression.
“I will give up my claim as the successor. I believe Roman-hyung is far more suited for that position than I am.”
Over the past few days, having finally returned to Dmitry after the war ended, he had experienced and realized a great many things.