Chapter 30: Recruitment (3)

At first, he thought it was strange.

When told to go to the outskirts of the city rather than the slum shacks, Kevin showed a puzzled expression, not understanding what was going on.

‘Why am I being told to go here?’

He never imagined they had moved.

Kevin’s parents did not have the financial means to move inside the city walls, and the Blood Gang’s threats had forced them to use up all their emergency funds.

So, he simply assumed there was some ‘business’ there.

That was the extent of his common sense, and with the thought of meeting his parents and younger sister, he stopped by a bakery to buy a baguette and some cream.

‘Mari will really like this.’

Mari was his younger sister.

Every morning, Mari would eat hard bread and complain, “Why can’t we eat freshly made bread?”

At the time, he could only watch her put down the bread with a gloomy face, unable to promise to buy it for her.

The price difference between freshly made bread and cold, hard bread was more than double, and especially the cream to spread on the bread was something he dared not even consider buying.

He could indulge in luxury once in a while.

However, knowing that the price of luxury was hunger, Kevin, who had matured at a young age, would stuff the hard bread into his mouth.

And now.

It was different.

He had money left over even after buying the bread and cream, and Kevin intended to give it all to his parents as pocket money.

He smiled.

With a light step, he soon arrived at the designated place.

But.

“…What is this?!”

His mouth dropped open.

The scene before him.

It felt surreal.

His parents, who had lived in shacks, were now drinking tea in the yard of a beautiful wooden house, with warm bread steaming on the table.

That wasn’t all.

His younger sister Mari, who used to wear patched clothes, was now watering the flowers in the yard in a white dress.

The world had changed.

Kevin’s family was no longer poor; they lived a life of commoners (平民) who could enjoy the ordinary things.

“Big brother!”

“Son?!”

Kevin’s family finally noticed him.

Mari ran over and hugged him tightly, and Clark and Michelle’s eyes reddened at the sight of their long-lost son.

It was a time of reunion.

Although the bread and cream he had prepared with such effort seemed insignificant, Kevin was genuinely relieved to see his family doing so well.

And he was curious.

The change in his family.

He wanted to know what had happened in the meantime.

His father, Clark, spoke on behalf of the family.

“At first, we were very confused. Mr. Hans, a servant of Master Roman, came and said that Master Roman had ordered us to be given a house to live in and land to farm. Not only that, but he also helped us secure positions in the city and provided financial support. For the past few days, it feels like I’m living in a dream. In the slums….”

His father’s story was long.

He detailed how their lives had changed and what had happened in the meantime.

However.

Kevin stopped hearing his father’s words at some point.

The realization that the change in his family was due to Roman brought back Roman’s words to him.

“Your family will no longer have to worry about making a living. They will live in a warm house that blocks the cold wind, eat delicious meals three times a day, and not just spend their days in hard labor but also enjoy hobbies. The way to live such a life is simple. I will make it happen.”

The day Roman accepted Kevin.

Roman had made a promise.

Kevin thought he owed Roman his life for the kindness he had received, but without his knowledge, Roman had kept his promise.

Kevin’s family no longer worried about making a living.

The wooden house blocked the cold wind, and the food on the table vividly showed a life of abundance.

Suddenly.

He felt a lump in his throat.

Overwhelmed by the warm emotion rising from his chest, Kevin lowered his head and swallowed his tears.

‘…Thank you so much.’

He was grateful.

In a society where class differences were like the sky.

Roman did not ignore a simple promise with a common boy.

His belief was not wrong.

Roman was a man worth giving his life for, and now he felt he could die with a smile for Roman.

‘Let’s go back.’

Now.

This was not the time to indulge.

Having realized his own powerlessness at the Barco social party, he needed to train in the Ghost Soul Martial Art as soon as possible to become stronger.

Even if he died in the process, it didn’t matter.

Roman would keep his promise to take care of his family, and with that certainty, he had no regrets about this choice.

Therefore.

He would become stronger.

Once again, Kevin firmly resolved to stay true to his feelings for Roman.

However.

Clark, who had been talking in detail just a moment ago, suddenly stiffened when he saw Kevin’s face.

“…Did Roman beat you?”

The wound on his face.

The red, swollen cheek was clearly a sign of violence.

Human hearts are fickle.

Kevin’s parents, who had just expressed gratitude to Roman, suddenly showed a fierce look.

“Tell me the truth. Did Roman really hit you?”

It was understandable.

Dmitri’s fool.

The rumors that tarnished Roman’s reputation included the act of physically assaulting commoners.

If.

The marks of violence were indeed from Roman.

Kevin’s parents felt they could not bear the thought of living comfortably at the cost of their son’s suffering.

“No, Roman would never do that!”

“Then why is your face like that?”

“It’s actually….”

Kevin hastily waved his hands.

In response to his parents’ desire for the truth, he had no choice but to tell them about the incident at the Barco social party.

“…I was slapped by a Barco knight for that reason. But Roman didn’t just stand by; he stood up for me. He punished the Barco knight in front of everyone, asking why he hit his own people. Thanks to that, I didn’t end up being ridiculed in front of everyone. So, please don’t misunderstand Roman. I know he’s called by bad nicknames, but the Roman I’ve experienced is not someone who resorts to violence.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes. You know I don’t lie to you. Roman treats me with great respect.”

Kevin’s words.

Clark and Michelle looked at each other with perplexed faces.

It was fortunate if Roman was not responsible for the incident.

However, logically, hitting Kevin would be a much easier way to solve the problem than punishing a Barco knight.

But according to Kevin, Roman had punished the Barco knight.

He was certain.

It was different from the rumors.

If even half of what Kevin said was true, Roman was completely different from the person everyone misunderstood.

Michelle said,

“What a kind person. Not only does he treat our son with respect, but he also takes care of us, his family. Son, what Roman did was not an easy decision. We must remember this and dedicate ourselves to him more than we have received from him.”

“Yes. If there’s anything we can do for him, come and tell us anytime.”

It was their sincere intention.

At that time, they didn’t know.

The sincere and moved reaction of his parents.

They were completely captivated by Roman’s character, and this became the starting point for the rumors to spread.

The reunion was short.

And its effects spread quickly.

* * *

The day after Kevin returned.

Clark, who had not seen his friends in the slums for a long time, couldn’t hold back his urge to talk and shared his story.

“The world is full of unreliable rumors. You all know that Kevin is serving Master Roman, right? But according to Kevin, Roman is a true noble who embodies noblesse oblige.”

“Dmitri’s fool? No way!”

“Oh, come on. How do you think I got this house and land? It’s all thanks to Roman, who did this for Kevin. Just that shows what kind of person Roman is. And not only that, but when Kevin went to the Barco social party, something happened. He got into a conflict with Barco’s knights, and Roman, in front of everyone, slapped the Barco knight beautifully to protect Kevin. That’s the real Roman Dmitri.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes! I can’t believe how well he can judge people.”

At first, it was a small rumor.

But it quickly spread throughout the Dmitri area, and Michelle, who heard it, fanned the flames.

At the village laundry.

Michelle, while doing laundry, answered the questions of the women around her.

“…Is the rumor true? That Roman punished a Barco knight for Kevin?”

“Oh, where did you hear that? To be honest, Roman treats his people, including Kevin, with great respect. Even when the eldest Barco threatened to punish Kevin, Roman stood up for him. Have you ever heard of such a noble? The rumors about Dmitri’s fool are all false. I don’t know who dares to tarnish our Roman Dmitri’s reputation, but if you see him, you can’t even look at him properly because of his aura.”

“But didn’t you see Roman causing trouble in the past?”

“What are you talking about! I must have seen something wrong, or it was someone who looked like Roman.”

The savior of her son.

Michelle even rewrote her bad memories.

The Roman Dmitri of the past and the present were too different to be the same person.

Rumors start from the bottom.

Clark and Michelle’s words spread, and as they gained more substance, they completely reversed Roman’s image.

People said,

“Roman Dmitri treats his people with respect. If you gain his trust, you can live a completely different life. The slum boy Kevin and the Clark family, who successfully moved into the city, are proof of this.”

The rumor grew.

And just in time.

Roman posted an announcement to recruit private soldiers.

It was not a planned timing.

“…Many people are applying for this private soldier recruitment. So, give up. All the men in Dmitri who can do physical work are applying, so don’t waste your energy.”

The old man finished speaking.

The private soldier chaos.

Dmitri was in an uproar due to Roman’s single post.

Lucas, who had been listening to the old man, showed a confused reaction due to the discrepancy in his memory.

‘The Roman Dmitri I know is not the type to have such a reputation. Has Roman Dmitri really changed completely