Chapter 229: The Valhalla Empire (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 229: The Valhalla Empire (4)
In that moment, Baron Paulo realized he had taken a step back.
His face flushed red with shame.
Having lived as a warrior long before rising to the position of lord, he could hardly accept that he had retreated simply because he was overwhelmed by sheer momentum. However, even though Valhalla was a closed-off and deeply xenophobic nation, there were no exceptions when it came to accepting the outcome of a duel.
"...I accept defeat. As promised, I will put the previous matter behind us and personally guide you to the capital."
He swallowed his anger.
Orders from above were beside the point. They had fought a duel that both sides desired, and since his side had lost, he believed it was only right to accept the result.
Baron Paulo gave a subtle nod.
At his signal, the regular soldiers stepped forward and carried away the unconscious wildmen.
'To defeat the wildmen so ruthlessly... Roman Dmitry... perhaps he is an even greater existence than I imagined.'
For the upcoming duel, everyone was certain of Barbosa's victory.
No matter how much fame Roman Dmitry had garnered recently, Barbosa was a figure whose name had been on the lips of the continent's people for over a decade. Thus, it was shocking that Roman had accepted the challenge. Valhalla had blatantly revealed its intention to seek revenge, yet Roman Dmitry had boldly chosen not to back down.
He possessed a temperament just like a warrior of Valhalla.
He was an anomaly.
Despite hailing from a weak nation, he was born with a disposition that entirely defied his background.
Baron Paulo spoke up.
"First, I will guide you to your new lodgings. Please rest comfortably while we confirm the schedule for the Warp Gate directly connected to the capital. As soon as it is set, I will send someone immediately. Also... I apologize for our disgraceful behavior thus far. As you said, Roman Dmitry, Valhalla is indeed a xenophobic nation. However, if you knew Valhalla's history, I hope you could understand where our perspective stems from."
Long ago, back when the people of Valhalla were called the 'savages of the south,' the continent's forces had trespassed into their territory, attacking them to plunder the jungle's resources. Although the tide turned once Valhalla revealed its substantial power, the painful memories etched into the minds of their ancestors had left behind a deep-seated animosity toward outsiders.
Even now, although the Valhalla Imperial Court was pursuing sweeping changes by accepting external talents, not everyone agreed with their stance. While it was necessary to bolster national power, the general populace still believed that for the sake of the empire, they should nurture those 'born in Valhalla' rather than relying on outsiders.
The conservative faction clung to the old ways.
The progressive faction wished for change.
This was the current reality of Valhalla.
Seeing Paulo walk ahead with a changed attitude, Roman Dmitry didn't bother to add anything.
Settling grudges through victory and defeat.
That was the way of the Demonic Cult—a method Roman Dmitry was intimately familiar with.
* * *
Baron Paulo was a man of his word.
He guided them to lodgings that were incomparably better than the shabby inn they had used before. Once there, Roman Dmitry ordered his soldiers to rest.
Inside a spacious room, Roman leaned back on a sofa.
He calmly organized his thoughts regarding the Valhalla Empire.
'Unlike Kronos, Valhalla is a highly duplicitous nation. While Kronos openly displays its ambition for continental conquest, Valhalla, centered around its warriors, appears content with the present. The problem is that their outward appearance differs from their inner motives. Valhalla undoubtedly harbors ambitions similar to Kronos.'
Throughout history, Valhalla's actions shared a clear commonality.
While they always seemed to criticize Kronos, they never bothered to stop the wars breaking out across the continent.
They, too, wished for the other nations to destroy themselves, leaving only Valhalla standing.
In truth, Valhalla's ambition was only natural.
Some people fantasized about the title 'land of warriors,' but for a force once dismissed as the savages of the south to form an empire, they needed the intellect to counter all kinds of conspiracies. In reality, Valhalla was highly adept at political maneuvering and schemes. That was why they had planted their own minion, Count Denver, inside Cairo. Though they did not take an active stance in continental conquest, they were always biding their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity.
One could tell just by looking at the current situation.
To avenge Count Denver, they had chosen the highly clever method of inviting Roman to a duel rather than attempting a crass assassination.
'Valhalla chose to provoke me until I stepped onto the stage. If I defeat Barbosa, will they truly accept the result? The conservative faction might, but those currently leading Valhalla are the progressive faction. Ultimately, no matter the outcome, my path in Valhalla is bound to be dangerous.'
The moment he set foot in Paulo, danger became unavoidable.
This was a land of death. From now on, nothing that happened would be surprising.
An empire, and those who wielded its power, did not need excuses.
Even if the world criticized them for harming Roman Dmitry, it would eventually be swept under the rug as time passed.
'It is just like my past life.'
The life of the weak.
He was used to it.
The man named Baek Joong-hyuk had risked his life to seize power in environments far worse than this.
Therefore, it did not matter what Valhalla's intentions were.
The more aggressively they reacted, the more blazing the grand finale would inevitably be.
* * *
The next day, Baron Paulo sent someone.
"My name is Sanchez. I will guide you to the capital."
He was a man in his mid-thirties.
With sun-bronzed, copper skin and long hair tied back, he explained that they first had to travel to a neighboring city where a Warp Gate was located. Horses had been fully prepared for Roman Dmitry's group. Following Sanchez, they departed Paulo, and during the tedious journey, a natural atmosphere for conversation formed.
"I have heard many rumors about you, Roman Dmitry. Defeating the continental ranker Butler in your mid-twenties, and when you defeated Count Nicholas, you climbed up the rankings starting from 100th, completely turning Cairo upside down. I was filled with admiration upon hearing those tales. Although you were not born in Valhalla, I felt as if a warrior from Valhalla's history had manifested in the present world."
He was a talkative man.
Though he showed respect at first, as the journey dragged on, he began to touch upon a slightly sensitive topic.
"...But is it really true that you defeated Knight Commander Gustavo all by yourself? Rumors always tend to be exaggerated, so I find it hard to believe everything people say. It's none other than Knight Commander Gustavo. In a situation teeming with soldiers of the Kronos Empire, does it make any sense to cut through that crowd and slay the knight commander? I mean, in those absurd stories from history books, a single swordsman might split the earth and cleave the sky, but you are a living, breathing person, aren't you, Roman Dmitry?"
His tone carried a strange nuance.
He was prodding.
At the remarks that kept grating on his nerves, Chris's expression contorted.
"Watch your mouth."
"It is fine," Roman interjected. "Sanchez, was it? It seems you have something you want to say to me, so get to the point."
At Roman Dmitry's words, Chris suppressed his anger.
From beginning to end, this country called Valhalla showed absolutely no courtesy toward its guests.
Sanchez smirked.
Originally, someone else was supposed to guide Roman Dmitry, but Sanchez had stubbornly insisted on doing it himself.
"Since we're on the subject, let me speak frankly, Roman Dmitry. By what right, exactly, were you chosen as Lord Barbosa's opponent?"
His remark and aggressive attitude pointed to a story unique to Valhalla that Roman Dmitry was unaware of.
* * *
Sanchez.
He was the disciple of Morales, a warrior ranked 12th in Valhalla.
Morales and Barbosa.
They shared a highly famous, ill-fated rivalry in Valhalla.
Born in the same region, they had competed since childhood, but due to Barbosa's dazzling talent, Morales was always pushed into the background. It wasn't that Morales lacked skill. He, too, was born with talent worthy of being called a genius even in Valhalla, but Barbosa's talent was simply peerless.
Half a year ago, Morales had been chosen as the warrior to stand on the stage of the festival.
A festival honoring the souls of warriors.
Since there was a saying that those who died there would ascend to Valhalla regardless of victory or defeat, Morales had gladly agreed to take the stage. Furthermore, when he heard his opponent was Barbosa, he truly believed that the god of warriors had created the perfect stage for him.
If he could defeat Barbosa, it would be his chance to settle their long-standing rivalry.
Conversely, even if he died, there was nothing more joyful than dying for Valhalla.
However, Roman Dmitry's appearance had ruined everything.
Morales had vehemently protested the decision of Valhalla's leadership, but there was no way to reverse a decision that had already been finalized.
Sanchez spoke.
"Roman Dmitry. The opportunity you snatched away is a dream that every warrior in Valhalla yearns for. By what right do you stand on that stage? Valhalla's leadership claims that you, with your fame echoing across the continent, are suitable for it, but I do not believe the rumors circulating in the world. Aren't they far too absurd? Even Lord Morales, whom I serve, could not reach such a realm in his mid-twenties. The same goes for the First Sword of the Continent. You haven't even been properly tested, yet you have usurped the position we all desire."
Ever since his right was usurped, Morales had lived in agony.
Watching his master suffer, Sanchez's ill feelings toward Roman Dmitry had only festered.
"You do not know the value of that stage. There are countless warriors in Valhalla who would throw away their lives just to stand on it. Tell me. Do you truly believe you are qualified to face Barbosa in Lord Morales's stead? If you die without even properly blocking a single strike from Barbosa, what will you do about the broken hearts of the Valhalla warriors who have been waiting for that day?"
His words mirrored the attitude of the Valhalla Empire.
An absolute belief that Barbosa would not lose.
Just as they had spread rumors about Roman Dmitry, they underestimated him from beginning to end.
In that moment...
Neighhh.
Roman Dmitry pulled back on his horse's reins, halting its steps.
* * *
From beginning to end, he did not like the attitude of the Valhalla people.
People who refused to speak of surrender.
People who claimed Valhalla was the absolute best.
They were foolish.
Was that truly the right way?
In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, accepting defeat and bowing one's head was only natural. If a mere sheep bared its teeth at a beast of prey, people would not applaud it as courage. Yet, the people of Valhalla tended to treat death with a foolish level of levity.
Valhalla.
He did not know if such a mythical place truly existed.
But in response to the doubts directed at him, Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Sanchez. What is the basis of your judgment?"
In his past life, living as the son of the Heavenly Demon, he would display his power, but he never tolerated being looked down upon by others.
Once you were underestimated, it meant the end in a world where the strong preyed on the weak.
Valhalla's attitude, Sanchez's remarks, and the reaction of the Valhalla people who were disappointed that Roman Dmitry was taking the stage had thoroughly grated on Roman's nerves.
Sanchez scowled.
"...No basis is needed. The reputation you have built is only worth that much."
"Is that so?"
Conveniently, in a situation that perfectly aligned with the picture he wanted to paint, Roman Dmitry let out a fierce smile.
"If doubts about me are so rampant, I shall show you that the results in Valhalla will be no different from those in Cairo. There are still a few days left before the duel. Convey this to the warriors of Valhalla, including Morales: if any warrior comes to find me before the Eve Festival ends, I will gladly face them with my position on the line. How about it? I think it would be quite fitting for you to challenge me yourself. If you draw your sword, I will deal with you right here, right now."
At those words, Sanchez felt his mind momentarily grind to a halt.