Chapter 417: Winner Takes All (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 417: Winner Takes All (3)
Every single person attending the meeting was a giant representing their respective nation. Yet, they bowed their heads to Roman Dmitry without a moment's hesitation.
A new empire.
And its emperor.
Facing their pleas for Dmitry to declare itself an empire and rule the continent, Roman Dmitry regarded them with a calm expression. In truth, he had known this moment would come. Dmitry had always marched toward the absolute peak, and those who had weathered life-and-death struggles alongside them knew exactly what had to be done now that the war was drawing to a close.
Currently, the king of the Dmitry Kingdom was Romero Dmitry.
However, all internal discussions regarding succession had already been settled; the throne would be handed over as soon as the war ended. This was why the representatives of each nation could raise their voices without hesitation. Fully aware of Dmitry's internal affairs, they believed now was the perfect moment to declare the birth of the third empire.
Every representative awaited Roman Dmitry's response.
Amidst the heavy silence, he finally spoke.
"There are those in this room who have already discussed the future with me. I made my stance clear to them, but I will state it once more for all of you."
Daniel Cairo.
Edwin Hector.
Both had already sworn their allegiance.
Having secured their commitment to the future, Roman's next words were a message directed specifically at the Southern Three Kingdoms.
"Much has happened on the Salamander Continent. The rise of Alexander, and the alliance between Valhalla and Kronos. In the process of bringing them down, everyone here played a part. However, simply sharing this victory does not mean I will make blind promises to you. If anyone violates the laws I establish in this new world we are about to build, they will be punished without exception, regardless of our past relationship."
These were not empty threats.
The representatives knew from experience that Roman Dmitry was a man who strictly kept his word.
"If anyone here repeats the mistakes of the past, they will face a punishment fitting their crime—just like Marquis Memphis, who withered away on the gallows. No indulgences or pardons will be granted. What I say now may sound harsh. Kronos and Valhalla lived solely for their own self-interest; even after tearing them down, you will not be allowed to abuse your power as you please. However, if you accept my terms and pledge to follow the laws of the new world, there is one thing I can promise you."
Long ago.
From the very moment he first possessed this body, Roman Dmitry had envisioned the future he was about to describe.
"To live in your own domains, completely free from the encroachment of others—that is the future I desire."
* * *
In his past life.
Back when he lived as Baek Joong-hyuk, the Strange Demon—one of the Four Heavenly Kings—had once asked him with a look of utter bewilderment:
"No, if you had no intention of enjoying the power you fought so hard to obtain, why on earth did you go through the trouble of conquering the Murim? I truly cannot comprehend it. My Lord, you have acquired absolute, unchecked power. No one would say a word even if you kept dozens of concubines like me and lived in luxury every single day. Yet, you live such a dull life, just like those stuffy bastards of the Righteous Faction."
The Strange Demon.
After the conquest of the Murim, there was arguably no one who enjoyed their new reality as thoroughly as he did.
Indeed, his lifestyle was so legendary that people coined the phrase, "Live like the Strange Demon." He lived a life of sheer debauchery, squandering the wealth he had amassed. Yet, no matter how much he spent, his coffers never ran dry. Throughout the conquest of the Murim, he had been rewarded strictly based on his achievements, and the wealth he accumulated made him the richest man in the Murim.
Baek Joong-hyuk sipped his tea.
Waking up every day to drink tea, going for walks, and swinging his sword until he broke a sweat—that was his daily routine.
The Strange Demon's complaints were understandable.
For the absolute ruler of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the man who had conquered the entire Murim, his life was far too tedious and ordinary.
After taking a few more sips of tea, Baek Joong-hyuk, who had been gazing at the lake from the pavilion, set down his teacup and looked the Strange Demon in the eye.
"Do you know when I first resolved to conquer the Murim?"
"...Well, isn't it just your innate instinct? The Heavenly Demon is destined to never live under anyone else."
"You are not wrong. Having been born as the Heavenly Demon, perhaps my destiny was set from the moment of my birth. However, the moment I personally resolved to conquer the Murim was when I was abandoned by my father and forced into a life where only the strong survive. Back then, I feared a life of having everything taken from me. If I did nothing—the moment I bowed my head and tried to live normally like others—my life as the son of the Heavenly Demon would be constantly threatened. So, I fought every single day. Without even resolving the fundamental question of why I had to live this way, if anyone threatened me, I asserted my existence and crushed them completely."
A life that could never be ordinary.
It wasn't what he had wanted.
But knowing that survival was impossible if he remained ordinary, Baek Joong-hyuk had learned from a young age how to assert his dominance.
Days turned into weeks, and time flowed on.
As he grew and rose to become a powerful successor, people no longer dared to treat him lightly as they had in his childhood. Yet, the memories of his past remained like a deep bruise in his heart. He was certain that if he stood still and stopped growing, his peace would eventually be torn to shreds.
"What I desired was stability. A life where my domain would not be invaded even if I did nothing. To achieve that goal, I had to conquer the Murim. I believed that only by achieving feats so great that no one would ever dare touch me could I defy my destiny as the Heavenly Demon and find true peace."
It was a paradox.
Because he desired stability, Baek Joong-hyuk had unleashed the most horrific bloodbath in the history of the Murim.
The stability Baek Joong-hyuk spoke of had a nuanced meaning.
He did not simply want an unconditionally peaceful and quiet life.
It meant a life where, if he were to lose something, the responsibility would lie solely with himself. It did not mean he wished to avoid competition or conflict altogether. In a world governed by the law of the jungle, everything was forced upon you. The future Baek Joong-hyuk envisioned through his conquest of the Murim was a world where everyone respected one another's domains.
He smiled.
"I simply wanted to live like a human being."
At that smile, the Strange Demon averted his eyes.
Though he was a man who always calculated profit and loss, whenever he saw this side of Baek Joong-hyuk, his heart would swell with emotion despite himself.
"...My Lord, you are truly a peculiar man."
That day, the Strange Demon reflected on his own life.
And he reached a conclusion.
The stability Baek Joong-hyuk spoke of was the right for everyone to live the life they desired.
Deciding that he still couldn't live as stuffily as Baek Joong-hyuk, the Strange Demon returned to the gisaeng house just a day later to raise his cup once more.
* * *
Roman Dmitry's statement was a matter that required careful thought.
Yet, the moment Roman finished speaking, the King of Redford spoke up.
"Back when I was a mere noble, I often thought this world was incredibly unjust. Kronos and Valhalla levied absurd taxes on foreign merchants, and even though we knew it was wrong, we had no choice but to compromise with reality. That is why the concept of the 'Imperial Tax' exists in our line of work. It means that without paying their taxes and offering them bribes, doing business is impossible."
Before he was a king, he had been Redford's greatest merchant.
Born as a noble of a weak nation, he had experienced many hardships and often pondered the "what-ifs" over a drink.
"Whenever I experienced such things, all I wished for was for matters to be handled within the bounds of common sense. I do not even desire wealth and glory. If you create a world we can understand and accept, I will gladly embrace it—even if the day comes when I must ascend the gallows myself. Therefore, please accept my allegiance."
The King of Redford bowed his head.
His sentiment spread like wildfire.
Though no one had ordered it, and it hadn't been planned beforehand, the leaders of each delegation began to voice their thoughts one by one.
Next was the King of Umberto.
"Everyone here has likely suffered from similar hardships. Umberto shared a border with Kronos, and I have never slept peacefully for even a single night. What I desire is peace of mind. If we live honorably under the heavens, I wish for us to at least be able to sleep in peace. If the future Dmitry speaks of is truly a life where we respect each other's domains, I will gladly swear my loyalty."
Following him were the King of Frank, Edwin Hector, and even Daniel Cairo.
Even those who had already sworn their allegiance declared once more that they would pledge their loyalty to Roman Dmitry in this new world.
Their wills aligned.
Roman Dmitry accepted their resolve.
While he had maintained formal courtesy until moments ago, from this point on, he adopted an attitude fitting their new relationship.
"I will not reject the oaths of loyalty you offer. In the near future, I will declare Dmitry an empire. You will grace my coronation ceremony with your presence, and from that day forward, the Salamander Continent will forge a new world under my rule. But before that."
His expression shifted.
First things first.
Before declaring the new world, Roman Dmitry would not tolerate even the slightest remnant of the past.
"We will commit our full strength to conducting a massive purge. Keep this in mind: personal feelings must be strictly excluded from this process. Punishing the guilty without fail will lay the foundation for our new world."
* * *
At that very moment, there was a man with a fire lit under his feet.
Hoffman, the president of the Golden Bank, was screaming at his subordinates with a frantic expression.
"Move the luggage quickly! Every second counts!"
The Continental War.
When the two empires and the Kingdom Alliance were locked in fierce combat, Hoffman had naturally spared no effort in fully supporting the Kronos Empire. After uncovering the secret of the Golden Bank and realizing its true purpose, he had been so firmly convinced of Alexander's victory that he hadn't even bothered to hide his intentions.
And yet, they had lost.
He still couldn't believe it, but Alexander was dead, and Marquis Memphis, the highest authority in Kronos, had been executed right before the public's eyes. The moment he confirmed those facts, Hoffman immediately scrambled to prepare his escape. If he wanted to survive, his only option was to flee before the impending bloodbath swept over him.
'The Roman Dmitry I know is not a man who shows mercy. He will execute everyone who clung to the two empires, regardless of their status. If I stay here, I will surely die. Besides, the Golden Bank doesn't even have the funds to repay the money we borrowed to finance the war.'
Immediately after the war ended, demands poured in from all directions.
Creditors who had lent money trusting the reputation of the Golden Bank began hounding him for repayment the moment the empire was defeated.
This was the price of not planning for the future.
To put it bluntly, he had never imagined Kronos would lose.
More precisely, as Alexander's servant, his survival depended entirely on Alexander's victory, so he had staked everything on it. He had pooled all of the Golden Bank's capital to supply war materials, and thinking even that wasn't enough, he mobilized all his connections to do everything in his power. As a result, the Golden Bank was now buried under a mountain of debt. Had they won the war, everything would have been resolved, but now, there was absolutely no way to pay it back.
Therefore, there was no other choice.
The moment the capital of Kronos fell, Hoffman immediately gathered his hidden assets and sought a way to escape. He would likely never be able to live as the president of the Golden Bank again. He would have to use magic to alter his face, change his name, and abandon his luxurious lifestyle to start anew, but it was still a far better option than dying.
It was then.
Just as he thought the packing was mostly finished, a sudden commotion erupted outside.
Crash!
At that sound, Hoffman's face turned pale.
* * *
In that split second, Hoffman quickly organized his thoughts.
'There's no need to panic. The creditors can't hold me accountable yet since the repayment period hasn't arrived, and Dmitry hasn't settled its relationship with Valhalla. With Count Snodin opposing Roman Dmitry, they wouldn't dare launch a direct attack on Valhalla, where the Golden Bank's headquarters is located.'
Even now, Count Snodin's faction was still intact.
Having departed to attend the international conference, Hoffman could never have imagined that the count would be dragged away right in the middle of the meeting.
Hoffman was a greedy man.
Since he needed enough time to liquidate his hidden assets, he believed he still had some leeway. Of course, a final reckoning would come within a few days. However, he concluded that no matter who had burst in, he had to maintain a composed front to buy himself as much time as possible.
He took a step forward.
Adopting the dignified posture of the Golden Bank's president, he projected an authoritative voice toward the uninvited guests.
"How dare you barge into this place— Eek?!"
Instantly, his eyes went wide.
The people had burst in with armed forces.
At the very front of the crowd, a highly familiar face wore a sly smirk.
"It's been a long time, Mr. Hoffman."
He was none other than Count Fabius.
And his presence instantly brought Hoffman's past nightmares rushing back.