Chapter 10: Change (3)

At first, it was hard to believe.

Roman.

The fact that he personally dealt with the Blood Fang.

If the person reporting hadn't been Knight Commander Jonathan, Baron Romero would have thought Roman was mocking him.

"…I don't know how to describe the current situation, but one thing is certain: Young Master Roman has changed. In front of everyone, Young Master Roman executed the leader of the Blood Fang, Ben Miles. And when facing Viscount Lawrence, he confidently explained his actions. That's not the Young Master Roman we know."

Jonathan is not one to lie.

Hearing the full account from Jonathan, Baron Romero's long-abandoned hope for his eldest son was rekindled.

'Has Roman really changed?'

Romero's three sons.

Among them, Roman was the sore thumb.

A child who, having experienced a time when his father and he were commoners, became twisted in his attempts to give him more.

It pained him to look at him.

Back then.

Baron Romero was heavily involved in securing the tunnels of the iron mine. It was a crucial project that was a matter of life and death for him, and he dedicated himself to it day and night.

At that time, Roman was only three years old.

He toddled over with a small cookie, which he wanted to give to his father.

How adorable it was.

With a face blackened from the tunnel work, Baron Romero laughed heartily and hugged Roman.

Perhaps because of that.

He wanted Roman to live happily.

Unlike his other two sons, Roman didn't know how to do much, and Romero gave him a generous allowance, hoping he wouldn't be looked down upon.

He didn't realize this would be the beginning of Roman's misdeeds.

Roman vented his pent-up frustrations through extravagance, and from then on, the term "Dmitri's fool" was born.

Baron Romero was an inexperienced father.

He was frustrated by his son's rebellion, and the marriage to Lawrence was a gift he arranged for his son, even at a loss.

But now, he has changed.

There was no choice but to have hope.

The process didn't matter.

Even if Roman had hired people with his own resources to dismantle the Blood Fang, the fact that he took the initiative was what mattered to Baron Romero.

If his son showed even a little change, Baron Romero was ready to dedicate himself to his son.

"I see you, Father."

Roman.

He appeared.

His calm and composed expression was so serene that it was hard to believe a terrible incident had just occurred.

Instinctively, he knew.

Roman had changed.

Roman's gait, his attitude, his expression.

Just by these, he could tell his son had changed.

Or perhaps, from the moment Roman spoke confidently to him, he had already anticipated this situation.

"So, you personally dealt with the Blood Fang?"

A spontaneous question.

Even though he instinctively knew.

Baron Romero wanted to hear the truth from Roman.

The answer was simple.

Yes or No.

If he told the truth, that would be enough.

There was no need to hesitate; if he recounted everything he had experienced, this matter would naturally be resolved.

Plus, he would gain his father's trust.

Roman could gain a lot.

But.

'Exceeding expectations will come back to haunt you like a boomerang.'

The expectations for Roman were zero.

A person who could make people marvel by showing just a little, showing a tenfold result was a huge event.

The future.

What to do.

Reveal himself or hide?

In the martial world, standing out is a dangerous word.

If you show talent that stands out, you are bound to meet a tragic end.

If by some chance.

Those who survive the attention of others are called experts in the martial world.

'I haven't fully grasped this world yet. Compared to when I was Baek Joong-hyuk, Roman Dmitri possesses a negligible amount of strength. Exposing myself too much is not a good idea for my safety. What I need now is to be aware of reality and have enough time to grow. The reputation of "Dmitri's fool" is very appropriate to buy me time.'

A chuckle.

A rational judgment.

He knew what was right, but from the moment he opposed the Blood Fang, such premises were meaningless.

Exposing himself.

Roman didn't know how to hide.

"Yes, I did it."

Baek Joong-hyuk.

He was a person who couldn't live an ordinary life.

Most people have a childhood where they were protected by their parents.

But Roman.

No, Baek Joong-hyuk was different.

When Baek Joong-hyuk gained enough strength to move, he was left on the cold cave floor.

In the dark cave.

His father, who called himself the Heavenly Demon, said this:

"You are the son of the Heavenly Demon. If you truly have the qualifications to succeed me, prove it by surviving from the cold bottom. Son, I have twelve sons. Your death won't change anything, and even if all twelve die, I will create more. Remember, ruling is the only way to prove your worth."

The 12th Cave.

The life of the youngest, Baek Joong-hyuk, began like this.

It was brutal.

The other children living in the cave didn't show any consideration for being the Heavenly Demon's sons; they lived a life of survival of the fittest, taking from each other and competing.

At that time, Baek Joong-hyuk was very weak.

His small stature made it difficult to compete with others, but Baek Joong-hyuk instinctively knew what to do.

To show his presence.

Even if he was weak, he learned that by puffing himself up and showing his venom, he could rule.

Thus.

Baek Joong-hyuk smashed the head of the strongest child with a rock.

Blood dripped from the rock as he struck repeatedly, and the other children looked at Baek Joong-hyuk with shocked eyes.

The king of the 12th Cave.

Baek Joong-hyuk's position was set.

He always exposed himself and survived countless threats.

The Heavenly Demon was born through adversity.

If he hadn't walked the thorny path, Baek Joong-hyuk knew he wouldn't have reached the position of the Heavenly Demon.

'There is no perfect preparation in the world. In the reality I face, the only thing that matters is doing my best to prove myself.'

Baek Joong-hyuk's life.

Attention was familiar, and he was far from ordinary.

Would he want to live an ordinary life in a new life?

What a ridiculous idea.

The life he had lived made him who he is now, and he could no longer live an ordinary life.

Roman.

A new name.

He had no intention of hiding himself.

This incident.

Some explanation was needed.

Based on the information he heard from Hans, Roman gave an answer that people could logically accept.

"In fact, I've been training in swordsmanship separately."

"Why did you hide that? If you had told me, I would have supported you wholeheartedly."

"I know. But there was a period when I was lost and couldn't pull myself together, so I couldn't confidently ask for anything from you. People call me Dmitri's fool. I wanted to show that I could do it on my own, and through self-study, I reached a certain level."

It was an ambiguous answer.

Learning swordsmanship on his own.

It didn't fully resolve the doubts about how Roman had the strength to deal with the Blood Fang.

"How did you handle the Blood Fang?"

"According to my investigation, the Blood Fang is not a group with strong trust among its members. It formed through coercion and bribery, and a small number of leaders controlled the organization completely. They were like a sandcastle, a ragtag group. I thought that if I cut off the head, they would collapse immediately. I lured them with false information and attacked Ben Miles directly."

"Ben Miles? You lured him out?"

"Yes. The Blood Fang has shown a clear pattern of behavior. When a powerful noble family interfered with their members, they kept quiet, but they always retaliated against weaker nobles to maintain their reputation. Although it's a bit embarrassing, I am called Dmitri's fool. I was confident they would target me. So, I used myself as bait and attacked Ben Miles when their forces were scattered."

"It's a very dangerous plan. If they decided to take revenge, they could have abandoned Ben Miles and killed you."

Baron Romero's heart sank.

Roman's plan.

It was extremely dangerous.

The fact that his son had experienced such a thing made Baron Romero's eyebrows tremble with emotion.

Roman said,

"As you said, it's a dangerous plan. That's why I thought if you knew my movements, the Dmitri Knights would move. And that information would have been immediately relayed to the Blood Fang. So, I ask you, Father, if you were a member of the Blood Fang, would you risk your life to save Ben Miles when you didn't know when the Dmitri Knights would arrive? The premise of this plan is that they are a sandcastle. People who formed the organization through coercion and bribery have no reason to risk their lives in a situation where they can regain their freedom."

It was close to reality.

Roman attacked the Blood Fang.

There was no luring; he cut down all the enemies who filled the space and captured Ben Miles, who was trying to escape.

The subsequent situation.

The Blood Fang members abandoned Ben Miles.

As Roman explained, they couldn't afford to waste time in a situation where the Dmitri Knights could arrive at any moment.

A bit of truth and mostly lies.

Roman logically explained the situation.

If "Dmitri's fool" had eliminated the Blood Fang purely through force, it might not only expose him but also raise suspicions about his very existence.

So, he gave a realistic answer.

One that the other party could accept while not denying that he had done this.

The explanation ended.

Baron Romero, who had repeatedly asked in disbelief, eventually fell silent.

"My son."

It was touching.

Roman.

The sore thumb.

The son he thought couldn't do anything, showing such a planned and executed task.

Baron Romero had not given up on his son.

This feeling now.

The actions he took to straighten out his son's life, even slapping him.

It revealed Baron Romero's true feelings.

"You've done something truly remarkable. Something no one in this area could do, and our son has done it."

Perhaps because he was excited.

He wanted to see his son's changed appearance firsthand.

"Can I ask one thing?"

"Please speak."

"I want to see your swordsmanship skills. I want to see how my son has changed and what sword skills he used to handle the Blood Fang. Knight Commander Jonathan, can you prepare a sparring match right away?"

"It's possible."

The gaze returned to Roman.

A father's heart.

He fully understood.

If a son called a fool had achieved something, it was natural to want to see it firsthand.

Roman nodded.

"I understand."

A new life.

Roman was devoted to reality.