Chapter 424: Rewards and Punishments Based on Merit (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 424: Rewards and Punishments Based on Merit (4)
It was a staggering declaration.
The representatives of every nation stared in disbelief, doubting their own ears.
"…What on earth do you mean by that?"
"Attacking the Demon Realm first? That is impossible."
Even if the proposal came from Roman Dmitry, they could not bring themselves to agree this time.
The Demon Realm was a world inhabited by demons. Whenever those who wielded dark mana exerted their influence on the Earthly World, a massive disaster followed. It was a realm beyond human control. By using humans like Alexander as their pawns and resurrecting the dead with dark mana, the Demon Realm had become the very embodiment of terror.
History had proven exactly what kind of existence the Demon Realm was.
Recalling the continent's history—a history stained with blood and death—the King of Umberto spoke with a grave expression.
"Just this once, I cannot agree with Your Majesty's wishes. The being who rules the Demon Realm has reached the Divine Realm. We cannot judge such an existence by human standards; with a single breath, he can create monsters like Alexander at will. Furthermore, continental history records that the beings of the Demon Realm cannot fully unleash their original power when they descend to the Earthly World. This means we are only capable of facing their limited strength by repelling their attacks. Marching into their territory to fight is nothing short of suicide. Please, withdraw your decision."
"Please withdraw your decision."
Everyone united in their plea.
Although Roman Dmitry was a symbol of absolute trust, the terror engraved by the very words "Demon Realm" surpassed even that faith.
Roman did not dismiss the King of Umberto's concerns. He had thoroughly investigated the Demon Realm, and that was precisely why he refused to back down.
"I am not unaware of what you worry about. Crossing over directly to the Demon Realm to wage war means abandoning the battlefield we are familiar with. However, during the last war, I read Alexander's memories. Although I could not learn everything, I confirmed what they sought to achieve through him. Their goal was the perfect assimilation of the Earthly World and the Demon Realm. If that happens, the demons will be able to fully manifest their power even here in the Earthly World."
"…Is that true?"
"It is."
"My God…"
Sighs and gasps erupted from all sides.
Assimilation with the Demon Realm.
It was despairing news. If the demons, who had caused such horrific disasters with only a fraction of their power, could unleash their full strength, a true catastrophe would unfold. The representatives' mouths went dry. They thought they had overcome a major hurdle by defeating Alexander, but beyond him lay a despair they hadn't dared to imagine.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"As shown in Alexander's memories and the oracle, the demons of the Demon Realm will descend upon this world sooner or later. Even with thorough preparation, we cannot perfectly counter that threat. If the beings of the Demon Realm hold the initiative, we will only spend our days in a superficial peace while our insides burn with anxiety. I cannot tolerate such a reality. If this is a disaster we must face anyway, we must seize the initiative and eradicate the root of our anxiety. Why do you assume we cannot strike first? Rather than fighting the enemy while our own lands are devastated, I intend to invade their territory and show them exactly what price they must pay for targeting the land ruled by Roman Dmitry."
His voice grew passionate.
As Roman Dmitry's presence swelled, the representatives felt suffocated.
The Emperor of the Dmitry Empire was a giant. They had known this, but his sheer presence was even greater than they had imagined, forcing them to look at him in a new light.
Their opponent was the Demon Realm.
In the history of the continent, no one had ever conceived the idea of attacking them first, yet Roman Dmitry declared his intention with a firm, unwavering voice. Looking back, he had always been a pioneer. From the invention of a new Aura and the Magic Revolution, to rising from the successor of a mere barony to the Emperor of the Empire—for a man who accomplished the impossible as if it were only natural, the yardsticks of past history were meaningless.
"My people are trembling with anxiety. Rather than forcing them to wait indefinitely, I will take the initiative to resolve this situation. I will slaughter every single demon in the Demon Realm. I will not stop at merely feeling relieved that we blocked their attack; I will ensure that such a threat can never happen again in the first place."
Those words proved exactly who Roman Dmitry was.
If an existence threatened his domain, Roman Dmitry was someone who would eradicate them by the roots, no matter who they were.
Silence hung in the air.
With a bewildered expression, the King of Umberto asked cautiously, his voice strained, "…How do you plan to handle the being who rules the Demon Realm? If you cannot defeat him, this decision will only hasten the destruction of humanity."
It was a crucial question.
If an uncertain answer came back, they might understand Roman Dmitry's intent but would not be able to agree to his decision.
However, the response they received shocked them once again.
"Trust me. I will defeat the ruler of the Demon Realm. Even when facing Alexander, and in all the wars I have fought so far, I have never once unleashed my full power. Continental history describes the ruler of the Demon Realm as an existence humanity cannot handle… but I can."
* * *
The meeting was adjourned.
The representatives were not forced to make an immediate decision; instead, they were given a full day to deliberate. The schedule had been set for two days from the beginning with this exact intention.
A war with the Demon Realm was not something Roman Dmitry could wage arbitrarily on his own; it absolutely required the active support of the entire continent. Their opponent was the Demon Realm. Unless humanity was united, the battle itself could not even begin.
Outside the building, the King of Umberto stepped into the garden and looked up at the sky with a complicated expression.
"…You know, through this war, I thought I had finally come to understand His Majesty the Emperor in my own way. But to think he never once exerted his full power, even while facing Alexander… Just what kind of existence is His Majesty?"
This meeting had been a series of shocks.
The boldness to accept the duel, the declaration of war against the Demon Realm, and the staggering truth that he had never once revealed his full power.
His mind was a mess of tangled thoughts.
The King of Umberto, who had once led the Drake family, had been evaluated as a special existence whom ordinary people could not understand. When everyone else tried to cling to the Kronos Empire, he fought against the enemies to the very end to protect Umberto's borders, prompting people to react with the same incomprehension he was feeling now.
Roman Dmitry.
Whenever he faced him, it felt as though even he himself had stepped into an unknown realm.
"I feel the same way. While I cannot define exactly what kind of person he is, one thing has certainly become clear."
It was Edwin Hector.
The practical leader of Hector. Having decided to inherit the throne in the near future, he stood beside the King of Umberto and continued.
"We only shrank back because we feared the existence of the Demon Realm, but His Majesty's words are not wrong in the slightest. The art of war always dictates that one must dominate the battlefield. If we truly wish to eradicate the threat of the Demon Realm, it is only right that we proactively secure the timing of the war rather than trembling in fear of when the enemy might strike."
"But if we lose, everything ends. There is a saying that offense is the best defense, but it is a maxim that carries just as much risk."
"Yes, I agree with that."
Ultimately, there was no perfect answer.
At the crossroads of choice, where each option carried its own heavy risks, Edwin Hector recalled the past.
"What I believe in is the history His Majesty has carved out. On the Southern Front, in the civil war of Cairo, and in the war against Kronos—His Majesty has overwhelmingly won wars that everyone deemed impossible. The Demon Realm may be powerful, but the Kronos Empire was also considered an impossible opponent just a few years ago."
During the meeting, Edwin Hector had been the only one to hold his tongue.
Having maintained his silence throughout, he looked at the King of Umberto and spoke his true feelings.
"Now that he has turned the impossible into reality, is there any reason for us not to believe in and follow His Majesty?"
* * *
The next day, the atmosphere of the meeting completely shifted.
The representatives, most of whom had held negative opinions, expressed their willingness to align with him after sufficient deliberation. Even if it defied common sense, they believed in the very existence of Roman Dmitry.
"What do you plan to do from now on?"
All eyes focused on him.
Now that their wills were united, they needed to know the path they would walk together.
When Roman Dmitry signaled Lucas, he stepped forward and explained the plan they had prepared.
"During the Odelia riot, the rioters exhibited strange symptoms. Because they appeared tainted by dark mana, we subjected Karman to mental torture after capturing him. In the process, we uncovered evidence suggesting that the passage to the Demon Realm might be located within Odelia's territory. This matter is also connected to Isabelle. Isabelle, the Queen of Luna, went missing after stating she would stop Alexander's plans. The last place she was spotted was the Umberto Kingdom. After projecting her route, we concluded that she likely headed toward Odelia via Umberto."
"…Odelia?"
"Does that mean a passage to the Demon Realm truly exists in Odelia?"
"We cannot say for certain. However, the prevailing opinion within the Dmitry Information Guild is that Alexander's destruction of Odelia's capital was by no means a coincidence. For that reason, we are currently collaborating with the priests of Luna to conduct a search operation centered around Odelia to locate the dark mana."
It was a plausible argument.
Recently, as Arcadia regained its original climate, the priests of Luna also showed signs of their divine power growing stronger. If they worked in tandem with them, they felt they could eventually find the passage to the Demon Realm, even if it took some time.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Finding the passage to the Demon Realm will require sufficient time. In the meantime, focus on repairing the damage caused by the war and preparing for the war against the Demon Realm. There is absolutely no need to be hasty. As long as we remain aware of the enemy's existence, we will not crumble before the danger that will descend upon the continent."
"Understood."
"We will conclude the meeting here. One month from now, the Dmitry Empire will host a tournament to re-establish the rankings. I expect each nation to select the individuals who will participate by then."
"We obey your command."
With those words, the meeting came to an end.
The representatives parted with smiles on their faces, but as soon as they returned to their respective countries, they all issued the exact same order.
An order to select the swordsmen who would participate in the tournament!
This tournament was the first major event to be held since the birth of the Dmitry Empire. They instinctively knew that this event would have a significant impact on the future balance of power.
* * *
The world was in an uproar.
Between the impending war with the Demon Realm and the upcoming Dmitry swordsmanship tournament, the public was in a frenzy.
However, the people of Dmitry were focused on a completely different matter.
Rodwell Dmitry.
He had chosen to go to Arcadia.
No one had forced him into it. After the war ended, Rodwell Dmitry had pondered deeply on his own and concluded that he would leave for Arcadia.
‘Dmitry will face many hardships in the future. To rule the Salamander Continent and prepare for the war against the Demon Realm, we cannot rely solely on my brother's personal martial might as we did in the previous war. We must build a stronger foundation. The solution for the current Dmitry is to completely transform the unknown land of Arcadia into the territory of the Empire.’
Arcadia was an unknown land, overflowing with infinite possibilities.
He was certain that its undeveloped lands, the non-human races with their special abilities, and the existence of the World Tree that bestowed blessings upon its surroundings would become the foundation of the Dmitry Empire. Since Roman Dmitry had to remain in Dmitry, someone needed to take the lead in stabilizing Arcadia. Rodwell felt that, as a blood relative of the Dmitry family, he was the right person for the job.
Through everything that had happened, Rodwell Dmitry had been finding his own role.
Just because he had laid down the heavy burden of being the family's representative did not mean he intended to live a life unrelated to the family.
Roman Dmitry had said he trusted him.
He wanted to live up to those expectations.
While he was packing his belongings and preparing for his departure to Arcadia, his mother, Rihanna Dmitry, came to see him.
"Rodwell. Do you really have to leave?"
"…I am sorry, Mother. I decided that this is necessary for the family, and for myself."
"You and Roman are exactly the same when it comes to not listening to your mother. When I told Roman to take a companion now that he has ascended to the throne, he said he would consider it after the war with the Demon Realm. It is perfectly understandable, of course. If we lose the war against the Demon Realm, humanity will cease to exist."
The Emperor's companion was a matter of great public interest.
An Emperor needed to take an Empress, but given the unique circumstances, Roman Dmitry had postponed that choice.
At that moment, Rodwell Dmitry felt a strange sensation. As soon as the thought crossed his mind that his mother's words were somehow connected to him, his anxiety became reality.
"But I cannot send you, my second son, to an unknown land all by yourself. Rodwell, if you must defy my wishes and leave for Arcadia, then take a companion who can look after you in my stead. This is not a request. If you truly care for your mother's heart, do not turn away from my wishes this time."
It was a bewildering situation.
Before he could even formulate a response, Rihanna Dmitry smiled.
"You do not need to worry about finding a marriage partner. If you simply express your intent to marry, the daughters of every noble family will line up for you."
She was absolutely right.
The very next day, as the news of Rodwell Dmitry's search for a bride surfaced, the entire continent began to stir.