Chapter 67: The Baron of Romero's Dilemma (4)

Waiting for Hendrick.

Baron Romero recalled the past.

Three years ago.

During the meeting to decide the successor, when a vassal said, "He is still the eldest son, isn't he?" Hendrick reacted with fiery anger.

"Is the fact that he is the eldest son important enough to throw the family's future to the ground? Yes, Roman is the eldest son of the Dmitri family. If you go out on the street and ask who Roman Dmitri is, ten out of ten people will stick out their tongues and call him a fool of the Dmitri family. Do you still wish for Roman to be the successor of the Dmitri family? Please, everyone, come to your senses!"

He vented his anger.

And then.

He made a statement that put an end to the controversy.

"My lord, the foundation of the Dmitri family lies in the forge. Most of those who follow you work in the iron mines and the forge. If the next successor, who is supposed to be the next leader, doesn't even know how to handle iron, what would everyone think? It would be the most ridiculous thing. And we do have other options. Lordwell Dmitri has been working in the forge since he was young, learning the trade. He has proven his talent in the capital, and I believe that making Roman Dmitri the successor would put the family in danger."

Hendrick took the lead.

It was a part that everyone had to be cautious about.

When Hendrick made the statement to remove the eldest son from the position of successor, the vassals also added their words in support of Hendrick.

Thus.

Lordwell Dmitri was chosen as the successor.

Roman, unaware of this fact, continued to live a life of waste, giving the vassals the confidence that their judgment was correct.

'After three years, Roman has changed. The vassals who once spoke passionately with Hendrick are now asking to reconsider Roman's potential as a successor, and the sentiments of the iron miners and commoners of the fief are no different. However, I cannot ignore the opinion of Hendrick, the master of the forge. As he said, the foundation of the Dmitri family lies in the forge, and I cannot blindly support Roman, who has been negligent in his duties as a successor.'

His head ached.

The growth of his son.

If only Roman had proven his worth a little earlier, the problem could have been easily resolved. But now, thinking about the succession issue, he couldn't help but feel a headache.

Recently, Roman has shown good performance.

While it's true that Roman has grown as a knight and shown astonishing progress, what Hendrick values as a successor of the Dmitri family is whether he understands the work of the forge.

That is the basic quality of the Dmitri family.

If the family is to be managed, the forge must be directly managed, and Hendrick would not recognize or follow the orders of someone who knows nothing.

Hendrick.

He is the master of the forge and a colleague of Baron Romero.

If such a person opposes, Baron Romero cannot force the succession issue.

'Perhaps Hendrick will strongly oppose my opinion. But I have to ask. Since the trend is in favor of Roman, if I encounter Hendrick's opposition, I will have to discuss the current issue again.'

This was not a guess.

A strong conviction.

Having observed Hendrick for a long time, he was confident about his reaction.

However.

"I am, of course, in favor. I believe that Young Master Roman Dmitri is fully qualified to be the successor."

When faced with Hendrick, he made a statement contrary to expectations.

Baron Romero blinked in disbelief.

If it were Hendrick.

If it were the master of the forge.

It was normal for him to lash out in anger at the suggestion of making Roman the successor again.

"Are you serious?"

"How can I lie to you, my lord? There was a time when I thought Roman Dmitri was not suitable as a successor. But now, it's different. As proven in the recent war with Barco, Roman has worked hard, shedding blood and sweat in places we couldn't see. As a result, he has grown as an Aura Knight and has shown an attitude of trying to understand the Dmitri family by working in the iron mines."

It was hard to believe even after hearing it.

Hendrick, defending Roman.

Before he finished speaking, Hendrick recalled a past event.

"In fact, I had an incident with Roman not long ago. Roman had placed an order for the equipment of the soldiers, and I, out of my prejudice against Roman, told him to bring poor-quality items. But do you know what Roman said to me then? He said that your act of handing over such poor-quality items to the soldiers is no different from murder. You're right. It was an act that violated the spirit of craftsmanship, but that night, I carefully reflected on Roman's actions and had this thought."

Today.

Hendrick saw the true nature of Roman.

The past memories were romanticized, and even the conflicts with Roman were interpreted as good memories.

"Young Master Roman has the discernment that suits the Dmitri family. Otherwise, an ordinary person could not accurately assess the condition of the items. And today, I witnessed Young Master Roman working in the forge. Seeing him work with intense focus in front of the furnace's flames... Ha, it was a sight that any blacksmith could not help but admire."

Once.

It was called a bad relationship.

But from the moment Hendrick received a gift from Roman, he fell in love with Roman.

Hendrick handed over a sword.

The sword, shining brilliantly in the light, made Baron Romero look at it with a puzzled expression.

"What is this?"

"This is a sword made by Young Master Roman. If you are my lord, you will recognize its value immediately. I didn't believe in Young Master Roman's skills at first, but after seeing him work today, I realized it was true."

Baron Romero's eyes widened.

The sword in front of him.

It was a fine sword.

Like Hendrick, Baron Romero immediately recognized the sword's true value and could not hide his astonishment.

"......What is this?"

Exactly.

How did Roman make such a sword?

Recently, with Roman's actions.

Baron Romero had a hint of regret.

While Roman has grown rapidly as a knight, he still neglects the family's duties, which is regrettable for someone who once dedicated his life to the forge.

If it were his son.

If it were the eldest son of the Dmitri family, he thought that, as Hendrick strongly argued, he should at least show interest in the forge.

But.

Hendrick revealed a shocking truth.

This was not just a matter of showing interest; it proved that Roman had more than enough qualifications.

Hendrick said.

"The foundation of the Dmitri family lies in the forge. Although we chose Lordwell as the successor three years ago, now that Roman is proving his worth, we need to reconsider our decision."

The situation had reversed.

Hendrick, who opposed by talking about the foundation.

Contrary to Baron Romero's intention to persuade, he was now trying to persuade Baron Romero.

"Well, well."

A hollow laugh escaped.

Hendrick.

Master Blacksmith.

The last obstacle that Baron Romero worried about was crumbling so easily.

In his personal office.

After sending Hendrick away, Baron Romero remained in the office and read a letter he received a year ago.

[Father, it's Lordwell. I recently advanced to S-class at the Kairos Royal Academy. From now on, I will not only attend theoretical classes but also gain experience as a commander in the field. Father, you hope that the Dmitri family will pursue peace in the borderlands. But my dream is different. I will graduate from the Kairos Royal Academy with the highest honors and return to you as a proud son to show you a new future for the Dmitri family.]

Lordwell Dmitri.

The letter was from his second son.

He was a mutant of the Dmitri family.

Unlike Baron Romero, who lived a simple life, Lordwell had the ambitious nature of always wanting to be the best.

And he actually achieved results.

The Kairos Royal Academy is the top educational institution representing the Kingdom of Kairos, and advancing to the highest class, S-class, means that Lordwell Dmitri's talent has been recognized.

Once, receiving such a letter made his heart race with the new future of the Dmitri family.

He hoped that Lordwell would soar on the foundation he had built, but recently, his heart was complicated by Roman's growth.

Roman and Lordwell.

Both are outstanding talents.

But.

Looking at recent developments, Roman's talent is not just that of a talented person.

'Roman has the talent to make a name for himself not just in the Kingdom of Kairos but on the continent. Lordwell has shown a dutiful attitude as the family's successor, but even the genius Lordwell cannot compare to the current Roman. Then, what decision should I make for my two sons?'

His dilemma deepened.

And.

He made a decision.

The people want Roman.

The vassals of the family, the servants who follow Roman, and the masters of the iron mines and the forge.

If they all want Roman to be the successor, he cannot stick to the past decision and push Lordwell to the end.

Therefore.

'There is still time left. When Lordwell graduates from the academy and Roman completes his national service, I will officially declare the succession competition. I will not distinguish between the eldest and the second son. Whoever shows the ability to lead the Dmitri family, I will choose and support them as the successor of the family.'

Finally.

The headache-inducing dilemma disappeared.

Baron Romero left the office.

For the first time in a long time, he felt he could have a good night's sleep by Lihanna's side.

* * *

The past month.

What were the priests of Valhalla doing?

Villas, who should have arrived in Dmitri long ago, spent a considerable amount of time in a completely different region.

"Sir, the results of this ranking match are truly shocking. Just a year ago, Bertoff was ranked 99th, and now he has defeated Fernando, the 30th-ranked gatekeeper. When the new ranking list of the Kingdom of Kairos is announced next year, there will be a commotion. Bertoff is still unaffiliated, isn't he?"

"That's right."

In response to the apostle's words, Villas reacted calmly.

On the day they were supposed to leave for Dmitri.

They received an official ranking match request.

Bertoff, ranked 99th, challenged Fernando, and Fernando accepted the challenge without hesitation.

For the first time in a long while.

An official ranking match was held.

The result was Fernando's defeat, and the administrative processing that followed took up a lot of Villas's time.

Villas said.

"Actually, Fernando's defeat was a foregone conclusion. People revere Fernando as the 30th-ranked gatekeeper, but even after reaching the level of a 4-star knight, Fernando never entered the top 20. He must have reached his limit. Still, I spent too much time on this ranking match. According to the schedule, we should have already arrived in Dmitri."

"Do you want to see Roman Dmitri?"

"Of course."

The reason for Villas's calmness.

It was all because of Roman Dmitri.

Rumors kept rising from the northeastern region.

The Barco family was destroyed, and the rumors said that Roman, who defeated Homerus in the process, was truly talented.

Most people didn't believe it.

But.

Villas still wanted to see Roman.

'Logically, it's correct to assume that a variable occurred in the battle with Homerus. The problem is that Roman Dmitri, the subject of the rumors, was known as a fool of the Dmitri family. Even if the rumors of the battle with the Great Knight are exaggerated, it means there was a significant change that shocked people.'

Life in Kairos.

It was truly boring.

As a priest of Valhalla, Villas was assigned a mission, and now that he had completed half of it, he needed something interesting.

Then he heard about Roman.

People were enthusiastic about the match between Bertoff and Fernando, but Villas somehow wanted to see the truth of the northeastern region with his own eyes.

He quickened his pace.

Now