Chapter 57: The Man for Everyone (3)

Sylvia's eyes narrowed.

Roman Demetrius.

The appearance of her prey (or so she thought) in an unexpected place made her quickly scan Roman from head to toe.

"Hmm."

First, his face.

Better-looking than she expected.

Even covered in the dirt from the mine, his strong features and sharp gaze exuded a distinctly masculine aura.

Sylvia's admiration didn't stop there.

As her scrutinizing gaze moved down to his body, a gasp of admiration escaped her lips when she saw Roman's physique through his shabby clothes.

"Wow."

It was impressive.

Like a well-carved statue.

Roman's physique was lean and defined.

Though he was clothed, the glimpses of smooth muscles revealed just how remarkable his body was.

In fact, she had felt a bit of regret after arriving in Demetrius.

She had come to Lawrence at her uncle's request after a long time, but she had thought Roman might not be as impressive as she had hoped.

So,

she had wished he would at least meet the basic expectations.

If Roman's appearance wasn't too bad, the conditions he possessed were truly perfect.

'As the eldest son of the Demetrius family and the one who defeated the 4-star swordsman Homer, he is a rising star. Despite rumors suggesting that the second son might take the heir's position, today's observation suggests otherwise. No noble family would make their son work as a miner. This must be a training exercise ordered by Baron Romero, indicating a recent rise in Roman's status.'

Pass.

It was worth coming to Lawrence.

After a brief analysis, Sylvia encouraged the other noble daughters.

"Go see Roman Demetrius. It would be nice to greet him before the party, right?"

"Should we?"

Smiles appeared on their faces.

They, too,

had the same goal as Sylvia.

They had received special orders from their families to secure Roman, and they pushed each other to approach him.

"Hello."

"Is this Roman Demetrius?"

The women who had frowned were not there.

They showed Roman a spring-like smile, regardless of the dirt in the air or the dirt on their dresses.

However,

Roman didn't respond.

Staring at him blankly, Sylvia said,

"I'm Sylvia from the Lawrence family. I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for your help. Without your assistance, the Lawrence family wouldn't have survived Barco's attack. You're as impressive as the rumors suggest. They say a hero has been born in the Demetrius family, and I can see why just by looking at you."

She was a fox.

Speaking smoothly with an unflinching expression, she seemed to know exactly how to appeal to him.

The problem was,

he was Roman Demetrius.

"Ah, yes. I understand."

A curt response.

It wasn't an invitation to continue the conversation.

It was as if he was telling her not to bother him further.

Without looking at Sylvia, Roman moved on with Hans.

Suddenly,

"Phew."

Flora, standing at a distance, burst into laughter.

Roman was truly consistent.

He wasn't just prickly to her.

She approached Sylvia to offer comfort.

Hans hurried after Roman.

"Master. They are guests at the party. Can't you be a bit nicer to them?"

"If they were worth it, I would. But I didn't want to smile for them even before the party."

"Ah."

It was a sigh-inducing response.

If Roman had been a bit nicer,

he might have gained many allies from that conversation.

But seeing him draw a firm line, she thought he would never win people's favor, as he always had.

Hans said,

"I understand. But how long do you plan to work in the mine? You've been working hard for days, even though the lord didn't specifically order it. Everyone is worried."

Recently,

there had been much talk about Roman's actions.

Especially Baron Romero and Lihanna were concerned about his health, and Hans asked on their behalf.

Roman didn't stop walking.

While walking alongside Hans, he explained why he had come to the mine.

"Do you remember the day I met the old man in the slums?"

"Of course I do."

It was unforgettable.

It was the day Roman started to change, and the impact was so strong that the memory was still vivid.

"The old man, who had lived for ninety years, told me the history of the Demetrius family. He said that the Demetrius family, originally a commoner family, rose to their current position through the iron products made in the forge. From then on, I thought, if the root of the Demetrius family is in the forge, shouldn't I also understand it?"

A new life.

Roman had fully accepted reality.

He had opened his world to new connections, and the name Roman Demetrius was becoming more familiar to him.

Therefore,

he wanted to fully understand the Demetrius family.

It wasn't about succession.

Just as he had risen from the bottom of the dark cult, he wanted to feel the pulse of this land from the bottom of the Demetrius family.

That's why he came to the iron mine.

People thought the forge was the root of the Demetrius family, but Roman believed the miners were no different.

He didn't specifically ask his father for permission.

He went to the mine alone and said he wanted to work.

At first, the mine master was suspicious of Roman's intentions but eventually accepted him as a miner.

For days,

he mined iron ore in the dusty underground.

He didn't try to take shortcuts and made an effort to do his assigned tasks like the other miners.

"The root of the Demetrius family is in the forge, and further, in the iron mine. The miners sweat to mine iron ore, and the forge turns it into iron products. I want to experience and empathize with this process. Only then can I truly understand their hardships. To live as Roman Demetrius, I need to understand the people of this land, not just in words."

"…Master."

Hans stopped walking.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

'When did you grow so much?'

Roman, who had suddenly matured,

showed a different side every day, and Hans was truly proud to be his servant.

As Roman moved away,

Hans, undeterred by his coldness, hurried after him and shouted,

"I will take full responsibility for your attire from morning to night! I don't mind getting dirty! I will wash your clothes perfectly, as if nothing happened! This Hans is ready to dedicate himself to you!"

As always,

Hans followed Roman's shadow.

Roman arrived at the training ground.

In the vast training ground,

dozens of men were sweating and training.

"One."

"One!"

"Two."

"Two!"

They swung their swords in unison.

Chris walked among the soldiers, correcting their stances, and the soldiers focused on their sword swings, adjusting their postures as instructed.

The recent war with Barco

had instilled a blind loyalty in the soldiers. After all, Roman had defeated the 4-star swordsman Homer, and Chris had defeated the 3-star swordsman Janzon.

Perceptions had changed.

What was once seen as a borderland figure, Roman and Chris were now no longer ordinary.

"Chris."

"Yes, sir."

Chris ran over.

The soldiers continued their training, and Roman, watching them, asked,

"How is the training going?"

"I'm teaching the training methods you provided. Everyone is enthusiastic and quick to learn, so I expect rapid progress."

After the war,

Roman decided to expand his influence.

So, through Chris, he taught the basic training methods of the dark cult.

Using the Asura cultivation technique to build a foundation of internal energy and the Asura sword technique to efficiently defeat opponents.

In reality, what seemed basic was a treasure trove of knowledge in this world.

Roman rewarded the soldiers who had followed him into battle, and the reward was the potential to become Aura Swordsmen.

If they followed well,

these thirty soldiers might achieve the miracle of becoming Aura Swordsmen.

'This is not enough.'

The recent war had variables.

Flare and Homer.

Roman couldn't gather information on them, and the lack of information made it seem like he was falling into a trap.

Fortunately,

overwhelming power solved all problems.

But his past life's experience told him that such a method couldn't solve problems forever.

'I need my own intelligence network. A network that can thoroughly analyze the enemy from the bottom up. The problem is that creating an intelligence network requires resources and manpower, which I don't have enough of yet. Therefore, I must find a way to maximize my current position and situation.'

The trip to the mine

was also part of his plan.

As he told Hans, he wanted to experience the Demetrius family from the bottom up, but he also wanted to see the family's roots as the eldest son.

Facing the reality of the Demetrius family. To fully understand his current situation, he needed to find a way to utilize it.

Roman

didn't just act.

He had a clear purpose, and he fulfilled his role without complaint, even in the dusty conditions.

And finally,

Roman had one more thing to do.

"Chris, I will teach you a new sword technique now."

At Roman's words,

Chris felt his heart skip a beat.

'…He's going to teach me a sword technique?'

In fact,

Chris had been frustrated while teaching the soldiers.

He trusted Roman, but he couldn't understand why Roman didn't teach him anything.

He had learned the Asura sword technique and cultivation method,

but Roman had only taught him the basics, telling him not to make them his own.

And now,

Roman explained his reasoning to Chris.

"You started from a different place than the others. Unlike those who had learned nothing, you had already built your own world, making it difficult to accept new knowledge. I wanted you to develop flexible thinking. Not to be trapped in rigid knowledge, but to think differently based on what you see and hear. If you hadn't shown the courage to accept a new world, you wouldn't have survived the battle with the 3-star swordsman."

The battle with Janzon.

It was a test.

On the stage to test Chris, he overcame his limits and beheaded the 3-star swordsman.

Now,

he was ready to learn something new.

Looking at Chris silently,

seeing the burning desire in his eyes, Roman bestowed a favor upon him.

"The name of the sword technique I will teach you now is Lightning Flash."

The Lightning Flash Sword,

once a master of martial arts, was passing on his ultimate skill to Chris.