Episode 417: Winner Takes All (3)
Everyone who attended the meeting.
Although they were great figures representing each country, they bowed their heads to Roman Dmitry without hesitation.
A new empire.
And the emperor there.
When Dmitry was told to declare that it had become an empire and rule the continent, Roman Dmitry looked at the people with a calm expression.
In fact, I knew that a moment like this would come someday.
Dmitry moved toward the goal of reaching the top every time, and those who had experienced the mountain warfare together in the process knew what to do at this point when the war was coming to an end.
yet.
The king of Dmitri’s kingdom was Romero Dmitri.
However, all discussions regarding the succession within Dmitry had ended, and he promised to hand over the position as soon as the war was over.
So representatives from each country were able to raise their voices without hesitation.
Knowing Dmitri’s inner situation, I thought now was the moment to declare the third empire.
All representatives from each country.
I waited for Roman Dmitry’s answer.
As the heavy silence continued, Roman Dmitry finally spoke.
“There are people here who have already discussed the future with me. “I said this clearly to them, but I will say it again to you all.”
Daniel Cairo.
Edwin Hector.
The two have already pledged loyalty.
Since the future was promised, what I was about to say was a message to the three southern kingdoms.
“In the meantime, a lot has happened on the Salamander Continent. The existence of Alexander, the union of Valhalla and Kronos. Everyone here played their part in the process of taking them down, but I will not promise you anything blind just because we shared this moment. “If there is someone who breaks the laws I have established in the new world I am creating, I will definitely punish them regardless of their previous relationship.”
It was not a matter to be taken lightly.
Roman Dmitry has strictly followed the words spoken by the representatives of each country through their experience.
“If anyone here repeats the mistakes of the past. Like the Marquis of Memphis, who died on the scaffold, we will give you a punishment that fits your crime. Indulgences are not permitted. What I am saying right now may sound cruel and harsh to you. Kronos and Valhalla lived for their own benefit, but even if you overthrow them, you cannot enjoy power to your heart’s content. But if you accept what I said and say you will follow the laws of the new world, I can promise you one thing.”
lang syne.
From the moment he first became possessed, Roman Dmitry has been envisioning the future he is about to tell.
“In the future, we will live in our own areas that will not be infringed upon by anyone. “That is the future I hope for.”
* * *
Past life.
When I was living as Baek Jung-hyeok, Goema, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, said this with an expression that I could not understand.
“No, if you weren’t going to enjoy the power you worked so hard to gain, why did you go through so much trouble conquering Wulin? I just can’t understand it. The lord gained omnipotent power. Even though he has dozens of concubines like me and lives a luxurious life every day, no one can say anything. But now, my lord, you are living a trivial life like a typical political faction.”
Monster.
After the conquest of Wulin, I can say for sure that there was no one who enjoyed reality as much.
There is even a saying, “Live like a monster,” and the monster lived a debauched life, squandering the wealth he had accumulated.
Even if he lived like that, his wealth never dried up.
In the process of conquering the martial arts, he was paid strictly on a merit-based basis, and the wealth he accumulated made him the number one martial artist.
Baek Jung-hyuk drank tea.
His daily routine was to wake up every day, drink tea, go for a walk, and swing his sword until he sweated.
The monster’s dissatisfaction was natural.
The absolute leader of the Heavenly Demon Church.
The life lived by someone who conquered the martial arts was boring and not that special.
How much tea did you drink?
Baek Jung-hyuk, who was looking at the lake from the pavilion, put down his tea cup and looked at the monster’s face.
“When do you think I decided to conquer the Wulin?”
“… … Isn’t that an innate instinct? “The life of a Heavenly Demon cannot be lived under anyone else.”
“You are right. Since I was born as a Heavenly Demon, perhaps my destiny was decided from the moment I was born. However, the moment I decided to conquer the martial arts was when I was abandoned by my father and forced to live a life of the fittest. At that time, I was afraid of my life being taken away. If I did nothing, as soon as I bowed my head and lived like everyone else, as the son of the Heavenly Demon, my life would inevitably be threatened. So I fought every day. “I couldn’t even resolve the fundamental question of why I had to live like this, and if there was someone threatening me in front of me, I would use my existence to trample on that opponent.”
A life that cannot be ordinary.
It’s not what I wanted.
Baek Jung-hyuk knew that he was destined to live an ordinary life, so he learned how to assert himself from a young age.
A day or two.
Time passed.
He gradually grew and became a powerful successor, and at that time, there were no people who treated him carelessly like when he was young.
But memories of the past always remained like lumps in my heart.
I was convinced that if I stood still and stopped growing, my peace would one day be torn apart.
“What I wanted was stability. A life where my territory is not invaded even if I do nothing. For that purpose, the Wulin had to be conquered. “I thought that only by achieving a feat so powerful that no one could touch me could I defy my fate of being born as a Heavenly Demon and find stability.”
It was a contradiction.
In hopes of stability, Baek Jung-hyuk caused the most tragic bloodshed in the history of martial arts.
The stability that Baek Jung-hyuk talks about.
It had a slightly different meaning.
This does not mean that we necessarily want a peaceful and stable life.
If you lose something, at least you are responsible for it.
It doesn’t mean you want to not compete or fight.
In the world of the fittest, everything was forced.
The future that Baek Jung-hyuk hoped for through the conquest of the Murim was a life in which people lived with respect for each other’s territory.
I laughed.
“I just wanted to live like a human being.”
At that smile.
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The monster looked away.
Although he was always considering the benefits, his heart warmed without realizing it every time he saw Baek Jung-hyuk’s side like this.
“… … “My lord, you are a truly unique person.”
that day.
Goema looked back on his life.
And came to a conclusion.
The stability that Baek Jung-hyuk talks about is the right to live the life that each person desires.
Thinking that he couldn’t live as old-fashioned as Baek Jung-hyuk, Goema stopped by Giru again after just one day and raised his glass.
* * *
Roman Dmitry’s remarks.
It was a matter that required thought.
But as soon as he finished speaking, King Redford opened his mouth.
“Back when I was just a noble. I thought a lot about how unfair this world is. Kronos and Valhalla collected taxes abnormally from foreign merchants, and even though we knew this, we had no choice but to compromise with reality. So, on the floor here, there is a concept called ‘imperial tax’. “It means you can’t do business without paying them bribes, in addition to paying taxes to them.”
Before he was king.
He was Redford’s number one merchant.
Born as an aristocrat in a weak country and experiencing many hardships, he would think about what if he drank a glass of wine.
“Every time I experienced something like that, all I wanted was to at least use common sense. I don’t want wealth or fame. If we create a world that makes sense, I will gladly accept the new world, even if it means that I end up on the scaffold. So, please accept my loyalty.”
King Redford bowed his head.
His emotions spread like an infectious disease.
Although it was not ordered by anyone or planned in advance, each representative’s leaders spoke their thoughts one after another.
This time it was King Umberto.
“People here have probably experienced the same difficulties. Umberto was on the border with Kronos, and he never had a single moment of restful sleep. What I want is peace of mind. If we live proudly under the sky, I hope we can at least sleep comfortably. “If the future that Dmitry talks about is truly a life in which we recognize each other’s territories, I will gladly pledge my loyalty.”
Following that.
King of the Franks.
Edwin Hector.
Even Daniel Cairo.
Those who had already sworn allegiance also said that they would swear allegiance to Roman Dmitry in the new world.
The thoughts came together.
Roman Dmitry accepted the will of the people.
If they had been polite to each other a little while ago, from now on they showed an attitude befitting a new relationship.
“I will not deny the oath of loyalty you say. In the near future I will declare that Dmitry has become an empire. You will make my coronation ceremony shine on that occasion, and from that day on, the Salamander Continent will create a new world under the rule of me, Roman Dmitri. But before that.”
His expression changed.
There is a pros and cons to things.
Before proclaiming a new world, Roman Dmitry will not allow any remnants of the past.
“We will do our best to carry out a large-scale purge. Keep in mind. Completely exclude personal feelings from the purge process. “If there is a crime, punishing it clearly will lay the foundation for a new world.”
* * *
That time.
There was a person whose feet were on fire.
Hoffman, the president of Golden Bank, shouted at people with an urgent look on his face.
“Move your luggage quickly. “One o’clock is urgent!”
Continental War.
When the two empires and the alliance of kingdoms were engaged in a fierce war, Hoffman naturally gave his full support to the Kronos Empire.
After confirming the secret of the Golden Bank.
As he realized the reason for the existence of the Golden Bank, he did not try to hide his intentions because he was strongly convinced that Alexander would win.
however.
I was defeated.
I still couldn’t believe the reality, but Alexander was dead and even the Marquis of Memphis, the most powerful person in Kronos, was executed in front of everyone.
As soon as he confirmed the fact, Hoffman quickly prepared to flee.
In order to survive, the only way was to avoid the bloody winds that would blow in the future.
‘The Roman Dmitry I know is a man who will never show mercy. All those who supported the two empires will be executed regardless of their status. If I continue like this, I too will die. And now the Golden Bank can’t even afford to repay the money it borrowed to fight the war.’
Immediately after the war ended.
Contacts poured in from all directions.
As soon as the war was lost, people who had lent money believing in the Golden Bank’s name sent a reminder message.
It was the price of not thinking about the future.
To put it bluntly, I didn’t think Kronos would be defeated.
To be exact, as Alexander’s servant, he risked his life and death because he could only survive if he won.
He gathered all the capital of the Golden Bank and delivered war materials, and thinking that this was not enough, he mobilized all his connections and did the best he could.
As a result, Golden Bank was saddled with debt.
It would have been a problem that could all be solved if the war had been won, but as of now, there was no way to repay.
blast furnace.
There was no other way.
As soon as the capital of Kronos fell, Hoffman immediately took his hidden wealth and looked for a way to escape.
I will probably never be able to make a living as the president of Golden Bank from now on.
Although I would have to use magic to change my face, change my name, and give up my glamorous life to live a new one, I still believed that it was a better option than dying.
It was then.
Just when I thought the interior arrangement was roughly complete, I suddenly heard a loud noise outside.
Clink!
At that sound.
Hoffman’s face turned pale.
* * *
A fleeting moment.
Hoffmann organized his thoughts in his head.
‘There is no need to panic. The creditors cannot hold me accountable because the repayment period has not yet expired, and Dmitry’s relationship with Valhalla has not been resolved. In a situation where Count Snowdin is hostile to Roman Dmitry, he cannot directly attack Valhalla, where the Golden Bank’s headquarters is located.’
Even back then.
Count Snowdin’s power was alive and well.
I couldn’t imagine that he, who was on his way to attend an international conference, would have been taken away in the middle of it.
Hoffman was greedy.
Since sufficient time is needed to cash out the hidden assets, I thought I still had time.
Of course, it will be resolved within a few days.
However, I came to the conclusion that no matter who attacked, I had to show myself as unwavering as possible to buy time.
I took a step.
Showing his proud demeanor as the president of Golden Bank, he uttered a dignified voice to the uninvited guest.
“Where am I… … “Huh?!”
Moment.
My eyes widened.
People who came in with troops.
At the front of them, a very familiar person smiled slyly.
“It’s been a while, Mr. Hoffman.”
He’s right.
It was Count Fabius.
And his presence reminded Hoffman of a nightmare from the past.
fantasy,
