Chapter 63: Miners of the Iron Mine (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63: Miners of the Iron Mine (5)
Lucas could say with absolute certainty that the events of the past few weeks had completely upended his life.
'What on earth am I experiencing right now?'
After the war with Barco ended, Chris had gathered the soldiers.
Initially, veterans like Lucas scoffed at the idea of being trained by him. But after watching Chris utterly dismantle Janson, a 3-Star Swordsman, their doubts vanished, replaced by blind faith. Neither Roman nor Chris were ordinary men. Lucas was certain that learning from them would yield undeniable results.
Yet, even hearing it with his own ears, Chris's announcement that day had been downright unbelievable.
"From now on, I will teach you a mana cultivation method and a sword technique that utilizes it. This is a gift from our Lord, so you must train with all your heart and soul."
It was a completely absurd statement.
What exactly was a mana cultivation method? It was a systematic compilation of unique methods to harness and control mana. Unless it was some poorly imitated trash circulating in the back alleys, its value was immeasurable. Even a low-grade mana cultivation method cost a fortune in gold coins. Ordinary people rarely had the chance to even lay eyes on one in their entire lifetimes.
To freely teach them such a treasure... It made no sense. Naturally, Lucas could only interpret those words through the lens of common sense.
'He's probably just going to teach us some trash rolling around the market floor. A true mana cultivation method is a treasure that a father wouldn't even pass down to his own son. If such knowledge spreads indiscriminately, its value plummets. There's no reason for him to teach us anything good. We may be soldiers who swore allegiance to Roman Dmitry, but we haven't followed him long enough to build the kind of absolute trust that warrants giving away such a treasure.'
Once upon a time, Lucas had been obsessed with mana cultivation methods.
Lacking any innate talent, he couldn't break through to become an A-Rank mercenary. Desperate, he had poured every coin he earned into finding a way to manifest Aura. The result? He lost his entire fortune. Even though he knew the manuals sold in the markets were likely trash, he had no choice but to gamble on them. He tried several, but not once did he feel even a flicker of mana.
He had been devastated.
That was the moment he realized the harsh limits of sheer effort. From then on, he grew deeply disillusioned with his life as a mercenary. Based on those bitter past experiences, he assumed Roman Dmitry would simply hand them some flashy-looking garbage under the guise of lordly generosity.
His prediction couldn't have been more wrong.
"The name of this method is the Asura Mind Method."
Asura.
The demon of the battlefield.
When Lucas circulated the mind method according to Chris's instructions, he was left utterly shell-shocked.
'This is insane.'
This was a genuine treasure.
He had merely followed the breathing instructions, yet his body immediately began to heat up. His senses heightened to the point where he could distinctly feel the faint breeze tickling his skin. It was on a completely different dimension from the trash he had practiced before. Lucas had long since abandoned the dream of becoming an Aura Swordsman after his string of miserable failures, but the Asura Mind Method ignited a spark of hope. It might actually be possible.
And that wasn't all.
The Asura Sword Technique.
A martial art compiling 108 distinct ways to slaughter enemies, it was an ultimate technique designed to perfectly synchronize with the power of the Asura Mind Method.
It was a never-ending series of miracles.
Roman Dmitry.
He was a far greater man than Lucas could have ever imagined.
'What on earth is Roman Dmitry's true identity? Not long ago, he was ridiculed as the Fool of Dmitry. But then he defeated the 4-Star Swordsman Homeros, and now he casually hands out an incredible mind method and sword technique just because we are his private soldiers. Did he stumble upon some miraculous encounter? No, even if he did, his actions defy all common sense. If I were the sole possessor of the Asura Mind Method and Asura Sword Technique, I would have kept it an absolute secret from even my own blood relatives, let alone teaching it to mere grunts.'
He was in a daze. It was an unimaginable stroke of fortune. All of Roman's private soldiers, Lucas included, burned with newfound enthusiasm.
Knowing the immense value of a true mana cultivation method, they trained with such feverish passion that they stayed up through the night. It was a life-changing opportunity. If they could awaken as Aura Swordsmen through this mind method, a glorious new life they could never have dreamed of would unfold before them.
The past few days had been pure bliss.
It was a massive upheaval, and Lucas fully reveled in his transformation, training happily day after day. Therefore, when he heard Roman's proposal, he didn't hesitate for a single second.
"I am sorry, but I wish to remain by your side, my Lord."
The order to leave. That was something he absolutely could not accept.
* * *
While conceptualizing his new information guild, Roman searched for the right person to lead it.
Chris.
He was the absolute core of Roman's military strength. Since he wasn't a talent to be wasted on running an information guild, Chris was out of the question from the start.
Kevin.
Considering his experience surviving at the very bottom of society and his uniquely venomous drive, Kevin was actually quite suited for the 'Hao Sect' style of information guild Roman planned to create. However, Roman quickly dismissed the idea. Kevin was currently evolving into a pure combat force while mastering the Ghost Soul Demonic Art. Furthermore, the head of an information guild required the maturity and worldly experience to handle a myriad of unpredictable incidents. Kevin was still just a boy. He lacked that crucial experience, leading Roman to conclude he wasn't the right fit either.
After much deliberation, Roman chose Lucas.
'Lucas is a veteran who has weathered all kinds of hardships as a mercenary. Just as he demonstrated practical adaptability during the private soldier test, he is excellent at responding to sudden variables. Having lived as a mercenary for so long, his network is also wide. Above all, Lucas is someone who knows how to make cold, pragmatic judgments. The information guild I envision needs to be led by someone like him—someone solely focused on results.'
He was the perfect fit.
So, Roman made the proposal. He asked Lucas to organize the information gathered by Morcan and, furthermore, to take on the monumental role of gathering intelligence from across the entire continent.
The answer was a flat no.
"If I take charge of the information guild, I will surely have to leave your side, my Lord. To gather all the information on the continent, I won't be able to stay in one place until the system is fully established. That is why I must refuse. I want to remain by your side. Watching your back as you slaughtered our enemies in the war against Barco deeply moved me. I believed that a man like you was worth risking my life for, so please, do not send me away."
His voice was thick with desperation, playing the part of a fiercely loyal subject. Lucas earnestly expressed his refusal.
At that sight, Roman laughed inwardly.
'Quite the actor.'
His true intentions were entirely transparent.
Loyalty?
It was nothing of the sort.
Lucas was completely intoxicated by his training in the mind method and simply didn't want to waste his precious time on outside matters. The dream of becoming an Aura Swordsman—he instinctively knew that to achieve it, he had to stay right by Roman's side.
Roman spoke. "Let me ask you one thing. Why do you think I taught you the Asura Mind Method and the Asura Sword Technique?"
"I do not know."
It was still a profound mystery to him. Lucas didn't understand why Roman had made a choice that would inevitably lower the rarity of such a treasure, but since he was the primary beneficiary, he had kept his mouth shut.
"I gave you a gift as a reward for your loyalty. But in this world, few people give away their everything as a mere gift. Lucas, what do you think of me? Do you truly believe a man like Roman Dmitry would hand over everything he has just to reward his soldiers' loyalty?"
"Does that mean..."
Lucas immediately grasped the core of the message.
The Asura Mind Method and Asura Sword Technique—what the soldiers considered an unfathomable treasure—were not Roman's everything.
"I do not expect loyalty without reason. To me, the Asura Mind Method and Asura Sword Technique only hold enough value to be handed out as basic rewards for those who risked their lives on the battlefield for me. If that is the case, what do you think I would bestow upon someone who proves to be worth more than a mere soldier?"
Lightning to Chris.
The Ghost Soul Demonic Art to Kevin.
The Asura Mind Method and Asura Sword Technique to the soldiers.
Roman had freely shared his knowledge. He did not worry about any variables or betrayals that might arise from doing so.
Those who experienced even a fraction of his vast ocean of knowledge could never leave his side. Whether they held genuine awe for Roman's limitless abilities or, like Lucas, sought clear, tangible rewards, they were all trapped. It was a swamp from which they could not escape. He was far too terrifying an existence to make an enemy of, and he possessed the absolute ability to give them more than enough of whatever they desired.
Such a man was the Heavenly Demon Baek Joong-hyuk—now Roman Dmitry.
To Lucas, who thought his life had been turned upside down by just a tiny sliver of that knowledge, Roman's words were nothing short of earth-shattering.
In that instant, Lucas instinctively knew exactly how he had to act.
"By your command, my Lord. I will build the greatest information guild on the continent."
His internal calculations were complete. If Roman was willing to give him something even greater, Lucas was ready to do absolutely anything.
This was an incredibly rational transaction.
The situation was mostly sorted out. Now, it was just a matter of time.
Once they proved that prioritizing safety increased work efficiency, and the necessary budget was secured as a result, Roman's people would slowly form a massive network. Just as the Hao Sect had built the greatest information network in Murim through the everyday chatter of thousands—even tens of thousands—of commoners. Though it might start small, Roman firmly believed that the method he chose would eventually yield terrifying results.
The next day, Roman headed back to the iron mine.
He didn't stop his visits just because he had achieved his initial goal. He judged that he needed to personally observe the upcoming changes, planning to work there for at least another week.
However, upon Roman's appearance, the miners went absolutely wild.
"It's Young Master Roman!"
"Young Master!"
"Thank you so much, Young Master!"
A massive crowd of dirt-streaked workers rushed out to welcome him.
They had all heard the news. Not only had Roman Dmitry personally saved a worker's life, but he had also met with Baron Romero to actively resolve all future safety issues. Though only a single day had passed, the news had swept through Dmitry like wildfire. The very same people who had held deep prejudices against Roman on his first day now looked up to him as a hero.
Among the crowd was the father of the man who had been caught in the accident.
"Young Master. Thanks to you saving my son, my only child was able to survive. I don't know how to ever repay this gratitude. Thank you so much. If you ever need our strength in the future, I will risk my life in whatever task you give me to repay this debt."
He was an utterly ordinary man. His face was burnt by the sun, and the skin beneath his eyes was deeply wrinkled from years of hard labor. He was just one of the countless commoners living in Dmitry. A man who would normally never have crossed paths with a noble like Roman was now looking up at him, expressing his most sincere gratitude.
Roman looked at the man and smiled silently.
The Heavenly Demon.
The evil ghost who had stained all of Murim with blood.
But he, too, was human.
He had been forced to reign supreme just to survive. Accepting his fate as the son of the Heavenly Demon, he had achieved the impossible feat of conquering Murim. But throughout that bloody process, the only thing that had sustained Baek Joong-hyuk's soul was the people who faithfully followed him.
Now, faced with pure goodwill completely devoid of any calculating self-interest, Baek Joong-hyuk knew that his choice had not been wrong.
"Thank you."
For some reason, he just felt like saying that right now.
From that day on, the hearts of the people of Dmitry completely turned toward Roman.
And witnessing that shift in the atmosphere plunged Baron Romero into deep thought.