Chapter 199: Dmitry Duchy (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 199: Dmitry Duchy (4)
In the center of the training ground, Rodwell Dmitry stared at his sword.
Unlike before, half of his vision was shrouded in darkness. The unbalanced sensation constantly grated on his nerves, bringing with it sudden waves of nausea. There was a time when a sword felt as familiar as a limb, but now, even his own body refused to fully obey his commands.
Tap.
He lunged forward.
Muscles forged through years of training exploded with power. He rushed ahead, swinging his blade against an imaginary foe.
Whoosh—
By a hair's breadth, the strike missed.
His senses had correctly judged the enemy's position, but when he actually swung his sword, the phantom opponent was slightly further away. A sensory disconnect. His mind still relied on past memories, but his current physical state delivered conflicting data simply because he was missing an eye.
He adjusted his footwork.
He pressed on without halting his assault, yet not a single strike landed properly.
Swoosh.
It was the same just now.
He traded blows in close quarters with the imaginary enemy, executing dangerous attacks that, in a real battle, would have shown a complete disregard for his own life. Yet, the outcome was far from satisfactory. His strikes did nothing more than graze the enemy's flesh, while he repeatedly found himself in positions where his own life would have been forfeit. Whenever the phantom entity drove a blade into his heart or slit his throat, Rodwell gritted his teeth, his face flushing red with frustration.
He didn't care if he died.
Just once.
He just wanted to use his senses properly.
However, the moment his desperately attempted final strike ended in failure, he felt the ground give way beneath his feet.
Thud!
He fell awkwardly.
Blood trickled from his forehead, but Rodwell Dmitry simply stared up at the sky with a dazed expression.
The battle against Kronos.
He did not regret risking his life in the Great Warrior Battle.
If he could turn back time, he would make the exact same choice without hesitation for the victory of Cairo.
However, the reality he had to accept was far too harsh.
Though he had lived his entire life for the future of Dmitry, even he had no choice but to accept yielding the position of successor. Roman Dmitry had shown results that more than justified it. Rodwell had lost his life's greatest goal, and to make matters worse, his unstable physical condition had caused even his swordsmanship to regress.
It was sickening.
He was the one who had declared he would give up the succession.
Even though it was a conclusion he had reached after sorting through his own thoughts, the delayed aftershocks still made his emotions boil over.
He stared up at the sky for a long time.
It was perfectly clear.
Looking at a sky that was far too peaceful compared to his own turbulent mind, Rodwell eventually let out a hollow laugh. He felt irritated. In truth, there was no one else to blame. If only he had been strong enough to not lose his eye. If only he had been a figure more suited to be the successor than Roman Dmitry. Had that been the case, there would have been no reason for him to feel so pathetic.
'Let's not become unsightly.'
Thud.
He pushed himself up, leaning on his sword.
He was a man who knew honor.
He didn't know why his older brother had changed, but he had absolutely no intention of becoming a stain on the family name, as Roman once had when he was called the Fool of Dmitry. What did it matter if he wasn't the successor? What did it matter if he had lost an eye?
He would rise again.
Gritting his teeth, Rodwell began to swing his sword once more.
It was a mess.
He had lost his former sharpness, but he did his absolute best to adapt to his single eye.
The sunlight was scorching.
Sweat poured down like rain.
"You cannot solve your problem that way."
A familiar voice.
Roman Dmitry was standing on one side of the training ground.
*
"For a long time, your body has practiced swinging a sword in a normal state," Roman said. "Losing an eye does not simply mean a visual limitation; it encompasses all the physical changes that stem from it. I am not saying that training blindly like you are doing now is entirely wrong, but there is a much surer way."
During his conquest of Murim, many of his subordinates had lost parts of their bodies. They had experienced this exact sensory disconnect, and countless such cases had led to the creation of methods to overcome it.
"Block out your Five Senses and start anew. Do not wander in confusion over losing just one thing. If you practice utilizing your senses in a situation where only one is permitted, then later, when you reopen all Five Senses, the gap in your vision will no longer be a problem. Of course, you cannot block out your Five Senses through ordinary means. But if you wish, I can do it for you."
It was honest advice.
Though Roman had offered the best solution, Rodwell's reaction was cold.
"Why should I listen to you, Brother?"
Blocking out the Five Senses.
Perhaps it was indeed the correct answer.
Even if it was a way to solve his problem in a short amount of time, Rodwell did not want to follow his brother's words. It was a matter of pride and emotion. While he fully acknowledged how incredible Roman was and how suited he was for the position of successor, he hated the idea of receiving his brother's help when he had already been stripped of everything else.
It was a petty rebellion.
Rodwell turned his gaze away and focused on his swordsmanship training once more.
"The choice is yours. But there is something you must know."
It was not a conversation.
It was a one-sided declaration.
Even if the other party ignored his words, Roman spoke with absolute sincerity.
"Dmitry has now entered a new phase. There will likely be many trials ahead. We do not know what schemes the Kronos Empire and the Valhalla Empire—who both look upon us with displeasure—will concoct, and we cannot fully trust the Kingdom Alliance to the very end, even if we currently consider them allies. In such a situation, we must protect ourselves. If we collapse and rot from within, the people who believe in and follow us will be the ones to pay the price."
The boundary of his protection.
Its scope was expanding.
As he accepted new connections, Roman Dmitry's values had also changed.
If he had strictly followed the law of the jungle in his past life, in his current life, he did not pursue mere practical benefit alone.
"For the future of Dmitry, I need people I can trust. Until now, I could take responsibility for everything on my own, but as time passes, I will inevitably hit a limit. If Dmitry is attacked while I am away fighting at the border, or if the Empire leads its forces to attack us from all sides... on the battlefields where I am absent, I will definitely need people who can stand in my place."
The conquest of Murim.
It was not a result achieved by his power alone.
In the places where Baek Joong-hyuk was absent, there were people to take his place, and they were later known as the Four Kings.
Therefore...
"Rodwell Dmitry. You are my younger brother, my own flesh and blood. If there must be someone to lead Dmitry in my absence..."
A relationship of trust.
While it usually required mutual exchange, sometimes it stemmed from the blind emotion of one side.
"I wish for it to be you."
At those final words, a great tremor shook Rodwell's remaining eye.
The brother he thought had ceased to exist a very long time ago was now standing right before his eyes.
*
Time passed.
Finally, the day of the festival dawned.
People flocked to Dmitry Castle, and the declaration ceremony of the Dmitry Duchy was held before everyone's eyes.
Daniel Cairo stepped forward.
"Today is a truly meaningful day for Cairo, and indeed, for the entire Salamander Continent. Recently, Cairo experienced events that threatened the very safety of our nation. The traitor, Marquis Benedict, brought in the Kronos Empire for his own power, and the battles that erupted in the west left the citizens of Cairo trembling in fear. In truth, the Cairo of the past would have chosen compromise in a situation like this. Even when we had done nothing wrong, we bowed our heads first. At one time, we believed that was the natural course of action. However, the Dmitry family proved to all of us that this was wrong. They awakened the pride of Cairo and showed us how we must move forward for our nation to truly exist as a nation."
His voice carried weight.
His past experiences had matured Daniel Cairo, and he now exuded an aura that could command a crowd.
He scanned the audience.
From the Kingdom Alliance to the Hector Kingdom, to all those who had gathered to celebrate the founding of the Dmitry Duchy, he made his thoughts clear.
"Dmitry deserves to make a new start with everyone's blessings. I, Daniel Cairo, as the King of the Cairo Kingdom, sincerely congratulate the launch of our ally, the Dmitry Duchy. From this day forward, treating Cairo and Dmitry as a community of destiny sharing the same roots, I will do my absolute utmost for their prosperity."
At that moment, a thunderous cheer erupted.
The people of Dmitry went wild, and the key figures from other nations understood exactly what Daniel Cairo's words meant.
An ally.
It was not the concept of a vassal state.
He had declared that he would accept the Dmitry Duchy on equal footing.
'To think Cairo would be the first to recognize the Dmitry Duchy as an independent power. Even without this, people are already wild over Roman Dmitry's actions. This is like giving wings to the future of the Dmitry Duchy.'
This was the thought of someone in the crowd.
And indeed, it was exactly what Daniel Cairo had intended.
When he finished speaking and Duke Romero took the stage, Dmitry was swept up in a truly festive atmosphere.
*
The banquet commenced.
The Dmitry family set aside a separate space in the inner castle for the nobles, while outside, they distributed food and drink so the common people could enjoy the festival. It was a scene that truly demonstrated Dmitry's wealth. Feeding tens of thousands of people would require an astronomical sum of money, yet Duke Romero was not stingy in his generosity.
Dmitry's iron mine.
Since the installation of the safety net, the scale of wealth generated from the iron mine had completely transcended ordinary levels.
The Endless Mountains.
Veins of ore previously unknown to people were being excavated.
Jobs were overflowing, and as rumors spread that Dmitry strictly maintained security, laborers flocked not only from within Dmitry but also from the outside. Dmitry's rapid development was a natural consequence. With supply and demand in perfect harmony, Dmitry was growing into a massive city.
Therefore, generosity on this scale did not affect Dmitry's wealth in the slightest.
It was a joyous occasion.
As the guests ate and drank, and the atmosphere grew lively, a representative of the Kingdom Alliance conversing with Duke Romero subtly brought up a new topic.
"Duke Romero. Roman Dmitry is already approaching his late twenties, so shouldn't you start thinking about marriage? A man can only accomplish great things when his household is stable. Coincidentally, the princess of the Umberto Kingdom is of marriageable age. How about we arrange a separate meeting to discuss this?"
The representative of the Umberto Kingdom.
It was Count Verdi.
When he directly brought up a marriage alliance with Roman Dmitry, Duke Romero showed a troubled expression.
"I, too, hope Roman finds a good partner. But as you all know, Roman has a flaw. He was once engaged to a lady, but it did not work out. How could I take the lead in arranging another marriage under such circumstances? In truth, rather than Roman's marriage, my only wish right now is for him to remain out of harm's way."
He deflected the question.
Usually, in noble society, people sought partners once they passed their late teens.
Because of Roman's past reputation as the Fool of Dmitry, not many had desired him, and the marriage alliance that was finally pushed forward in his mid-twenties had ended in failure. While it was a matter the Dmitry family had to consider deeply, Duke Romero did not prioritize marriage due to the incident with the Lawrence family.
Furthermore, a broken engagement was a significant issue.
Nobles who were sensitive to gossip were highly unlikely to take on the risk of a broken engagement.
However...
"A flaw? He is the hero of Dmitry who defeated Knight Commander Gustavo at the mere age of twenty. Who on earth would consider a single broken engagement a flaw? A hero's life is bound to have its ups and downs. If people truly view a broken engagement as a flaw, then I shall personally arrange a marriage with a wise lady who recognizes Roman Dmitry's true worth."
"Indeed. He is now the successor of the Dmitry Duchy; a broken engagement is not a problem at all."
Members of the Kingdom Alliance.
Viscount Ringo of the Redford Kingdom.
Marquis Marten of the Odelia Kingdom.
Representing their respective kingdoms, they hastily chimed in after Count Verdi's remarks.
In that instant, their eyes met.
With those words, they realized they had all attended this party with the exact same objective.
'These bastards are eyeing Roman Dmitry!'
'Damn scoundrels.'
'How dare they!'
Glares were exchanged.
Sparks of rivalry flew between them.