Hans, a servant of the Dmitry baronial family, couldn't hide his confusion at the young master's strange behavior.
"So, you're saying I'm the eldest son of the Dmitry family? And this place is the Kingdom of Cairo on the Salamander Continent? The world of martial arts doesn't even exist here?"
It was strange.
The young master wasn't known for being particularly sharp, but he had never acted so foolishly before.
Hans began to suspect that the young master might be under the influence of some drug.
Recently, the deviant behavior of noble family heirs had become a hot topic in society, and Roman Dmitry was a prime suspect for such issues.
Dmitry's fool.
While his younger brothers had already gone to the capital and were steadily growing, Roman Dmitry, at the age of twenty-five, was rotting away in the borderlands.
This alone spoke volumes about his current state.
Hans spoke soothingly, "Young master, today is the day when Lady Lauren, who is promised to marry you, visits the Dmitry estate. As you may have heard, Lady Lauren values dignity and etiquette highly as a noble. It would be best to prepare and go out to meet her. Since it's your first meeting, it's important to make a good impression..."
"There's something more important than that," Roman interrupted.
The young master, who seemed to be in a daze, spoke with an unusually serious tone.
"Take me to the oldest person in this estate. Knowing about the world I will live in from now on is more important to me than some lady whose name I don't even know."
It was truly bizarre.
The young master, who had lived in the Dmitry estate for all of his twenty-five years, now claimed that understanding the world he would live in was important.
But what could Hans do?
"Understood, young master."
As a servant, it was Hans's duty to fulfill his role.
The place Hans led Roman to was a village outside the Dmitry castle.
During times of peace, the castle couldn't accommodate all the residents, so villages like this had formed outside its walls.
At first, the village seemed to have decent houses, but as they walked further in, the number of shanties increased.
Splash.
Hans frowned as he stepped into muddy water.
The foul smell rising from all around made him glance at Roman cautiously.
"Do you really need to meet the oldest person in the Dmitry estate? If it's about the history of the estate, wouldn't it be better to consult the wise men of Dmitry or use the library? Shouldn't we turn back now?"
"It's fine."
Roman didn't mind the surroundings.
Like Hans, he stepped into the muddy water without hesitation, and the splashing water soaked the hem of his pants.
'Gasp, his pants are all wet.'
Hans was flustered.
He expected Roman to throw a fit over his wet pants, but Roman showed no reaction.
For Hans, this was an incomprehensible situation.
The Dmitry family wasn't particularly prestigious, but Roman had always flaunted his status as a noble family's heir.
Despite having no talent, Roman had caused all sorts of trouble, earning him the nickname "Dmitry's fool" among the villagers.
But now, seeing him like this...
Hans began to wonder if this was the same person who had once refused to leave the castle even under the lord's orders.
'...
Did he hit his head or something?'
As they walked aimlessly, they soon arrived at their destination.
In front of a crumbling shanty, Hans stopped and looked at Roman cautiously.
"This is the place. He's an old man who has followed the lord since before the Dmitry estate was granted. He once worked as a blacksmith. He's already lived for ninety years, so it wouldn't be strange if he died any day now. The problem is... he's a bit immobile, so to talk to him, you'll have to go inside."
Hans glanced around.
The stench was overwhelming, and the spiderwebs covering the shanty made anyone who saw them grimace.
This was definitely not a place for a noble family's heir.
That's why Hans had kept asking for his opinion on the way, but Roman had already stepped forward before he could finish speaking.
"Wait outside."
"Gasp."
There was no hesitation.
Roman brushed aside the spiderwebs and stepped inside, surveying the surroundings.
"Are you the owner of this house?"
"Y-young master, how did you come to such a humble place?"
The old man lying inside was startled.
He hurriedly pulled up a ragged blanket and tried to sit up, but his legs wouldn't cooperate, so he couldn't rise.
"Sit and listen."
Roman sat down in front of him.
The sight of Roman sitting directly on the dirty floor left the old man at a loss, and he could only watch Roman's expression.
"I want to know everything about the Dmitry estate. What kind of land this is, and what history it has. It might be a long story, so why don't we take our time and talk while I offer you some wine to wet your throat."
Clink.
Roman showed the wine bottle hanging at his waist.
The old man's eyes widened in surprise, and Roman's smile melted away his wariness.
"Go on."
The bottom of life.
Roman had chosen his own way to adapt to this world.
At first, the old man couldn't speak properly.
But as the wine warmed him up and Roman listened intently, his wariness faded.
"Lord Dmitry was originally a famous blacksmith. He ran a trade business selling the iron goods he made, and by chance, he got the opportunity to supply weapons to the Kingdom of Cairo. It was during a time of war, so it was a tremendous opportunity to rise above his station. After the war, during the rewards for merit, the lord was granted the title of baron..."
The story was long.
Most of it was information the eldest son of Dmitry should already know, but the old man, now unrestrained, poured out everything he knew.
Roman's judgment had been correct.
He had asked Hans what the old man liked, and upon hearing that he couldn't resist wine, Roman had prepared a bottle to suit his taste.
Thanks to that, he got all the information he wanted.
Though he wasn't yet familiar with Roman, he began to accumulate new information in his mind.
'Roman.'
Roman Dmitry.
No, his original name was Baek Joong-hyuk.
He had been the leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult, which had unified the martial world.
Baek Joong-hyuk had lived fiercely as a martial artist.
Having achieved everything, he calmly accepted death.
Living out his natural lifespan was a tremendous blessing, but when he opened his eyes, he was in the body of Roman Dmitry.
It was absurd.
In fact, at the moment of death, Baek Joong-hyuk had stepped into the realm of ascension.
A sacred energy enveloped his soul, but Baek Joong-hyuk didn't want a life where he couldn't live as a human.
So he refused ascension.
While most martial artists ultimately sought ascension, Baek Joong-hyuk wished to die as a human.
And now.
At the crossroads of a new choice, Baek Joong-hyuk quickly accepted reality.
'Is this fate, or is it divine punishment for refusing ascension?'
It didn't matter.
A new life.
A new environment.
That was what mattered to Baek Joong-hyuk.
The latter years of his life as the Heavenly Demon had been dull and boring, but here, even the surrounding scenery filled him with vitality.
'Humans must live with purpose.
I had achieved everything, yet I couldn't live as a human.
This is actually a good thing.
Roman Dmitry, the Kingdom of Cairo.
This world, full of unknowns, will be a new challenge for me.'
His heart raced.
Though Baek Joong-hyuk had lived a life that would be remembered in martial history, looking back now, the earlier years of his life, filled with danger and intensity, had made him feel more alive than the peaceful latter years.
A man who couldn't live an ordinary life.
That was Baek Joong-hyuk.
"... That's all I know."
The story was over.
It had been quite some time, and the old man, who had been a stranger at first, now felt familiar.
"Thank you, you've been a great help. I'll make sure to reward you later."
"No, young master. Just having the opportunity to speak with someone as esteemed as you is a tremendous blessing for me."
Baek Joong-hyuk, no, Roman, smiled.
It was time to leave.
But at that moment.
Bang! Crash!
"You bastard!"
A loud shout from outside.
It seemed something had happened nearby.
As expected.
When they went outside, they saw a group of men beating a boy who wasn't even an adult yet.
Thud! Thud thud!
"Damn brat."
"Just die already!"
The boy didn't make a sound despite the brutal beating.
This only seemed to fuel the men's anger, and they continued to beat him mercilessly.
Thud thud, the boy's body jerked with each blow.
The exposed parts of his body were already bruised and bloody, and his face was a mess, with blood dripping from his nose.
The commotion drew a crowd.
But when they saw the fang tattoos on the men's bodies, they gasped and looked away.
"What's going on?"
"Young master!"
Roman stood beside Hans.
Hans had been watching the scene and spoke cautiously to Roman.
"It seems they're from the Blood Fang gang. They're a loan shark group active not just in the Dmitry estate but in neighboring estates as well. Seeing them act like this, it seems the boy owes them a large debt. Let's just ignore it. There's no good in getting involved."
Roman's gaze swept over the Blood Fang gang.
Loan sharks.
High interest rates, but in the end, it was about borrowing money and not repaying it, leading to violence.
The problem was.
'Punishment isn't the duty of ordinary estate residents.'
This was Dmitry's land.
According to what the old man had just explained, any issues should be judged and resolved by the lord.
Roman Dmitry.
He hadn't yet figured out how to act as Roman.
What was clear was that Roman was dead.
When he first woke up, he found what appeared to be Roman's suicide note and scattered pills on the floor.
The note revealed how weak Roman had been.
The Kingdom of Cairo was always under the threat of war, and as a result, each family was required to provide a certain number of troops and select one representative to fulfill two years of mandatory national defense.
Roman had been chosen.
Unable to send his two promising younger brothers to the battlefield, the head of the Dmitry family had decided to send Roman to the front lines.
So Roman chose death.
Terrified by the grim rumors of the battlefield, he had decided to end his life while under the influence of drugs.
'From now on, I am Roman Dmitry.'
He omitted his past life.
No matter what kind of life Roman had lived, now that he had taken over this body, he would follow the values of Baek Joong-hyuk.
"Stop."
"Young master!"
Hans was startled as Roman suddenly stepped forward and tried to stop him.
But it was too late.
Roman's voice was loud, and the Blood Fang gang, who had stopped their beating, looked at him with puzzled eyes.
"Roman Dmitry?"
They seemed to recognize him.
The problem was that Roman's reputation wasn't enough to intimidate them.
The leader of the gang, a man with a vicious face, sneered and spoke.
"Young master Dmitry, please don't interfere. This is our business."
"Playing the noble heir, huh?"
"Stop this nonsense. Hahaha, what a fool."
The gang members whispered and laughed among themselves.
Their voices were loud enough to be heard, and Hans, fearing Roman might make a mistake, spoke quietly.
"Young master Roman, we should go back now. The Blood Fang gang is unpredictable. If something happens, especially outside the castle, even the Dmitry family's influence won't be able to help. Please calm down..."
"Hans."
Roman looked at Hans.
His deep, strong voice instantly captured Hans's attention.
"I don't yet understand the laws of this place. So explain to me. Who has violated Dmitry's laws here? And what punishment is appropriate for breaking those laws?"
Hans felt his breath catch.
He felt as if he were being drawn into Roman's eyes.
Dmitry's fool.
The man who had lived a life of indulgence, now exuded an inescapable aura that bound him.
In this situation, running away was the right choice.
But, Hans found himself speaking the truth without realizing it.
"The boy is guilty of borrowing money and not repaying it on time. That is certainly punishable, but the Blood Fang gang has no right to punish him directly. Moreover, they dared to insult the eldest son of the Dmitry family within Dmitry's territory. That is a capital offense. According to the law, they deserve nothing less than death."
Hans bowed his head.
His heart was pounding, and his legs were trembling, but he felt he had to speak respectfully to Roman.
Silence fell over the area.
The onlookers held their breath, and the Blood Fang gang's faces were filled with sneers.
Then.
"You have violated Dmitry's laws. Therefore..."
Roman stepped forward.
In front of everyone, he picked up an ordinary stick from the ground and pointed it at the Blood Fang gang like a sword.
"As the eldest son of the Dmitry family, I will now carry out the punishment for your crimes."