Roman's question was direct and to the point.
"Hans. Have you ever seen me taking drugs, or have there been any circumstances that might suggest I was using them?"
"Huh?!" Hans was startled.
Drugs? He had thought Roman was just going to ask him to run an errand as usual, so he couldn't hide his flustered reaction to Roman's sudden question.
And seeing that reaction, Roman became certain.
If Hans, who had been meticulously taking care of Roman's daily life even before he was possessed, knew something, then he must have the information Roman was looking for.
Roman spoke.
"I'm not testing you, nor do I intend to scold you. I just want to take some time to reflect on myself. I want to see how I lived, not through my own memories, but through the eyes of a third party."
He didn't add any excuses.
The memory loss due to possession.
It was something that needed a detailed explanation, but Roman knew that in his position, there was no need for that.
The question was thrown out calmly.
The pondering was left to Hans.
Hans, who had been hesitating more than usual, finally made up his mind and showed a serious expression. 'The Roman I've experienced recently isn't someone who speaks carelessly.
He must really want to confirm the circumstances of drug use from a third-party perspective, so I should honestly tell him what I know.'
"... I've never seen you taking drugs. However, there was a time when your behavior was a bit unusual."
"When was that?"
"It was about half a month ago. You had attended a social party for the first time in a while. That itself wasn't particularly unusual, but after returning from the party, your condition was a bit off. After that day, you avoided going out and stayed holed up in your room, and every night you demanded an excessive amount of alcohol with a lifeless face. So, I suspected that you might have gotten involved with prohibited drugs at the social party."
The day Roman committed suicide.
Hans had looked at Roman, who was possessed by Baek Joong-hyuk, and suspected drugs.
Given how much of a problem it had become among the nobles recently, it was a reasonable suspicion, especially considering Dmitry's foolishness.
But.
"Other than that, there's nothing else that could be considered a circumstance. And now I know how foolish that thought was. There's no way someone as strong as you would have gotten involved with such drugs."
It was just a suspicion that ended there.
Hans trusted Roman.
The intelligence Roman had shown during the process of subduing the Blood Fang was something an addict could never have displayed.
'A social party.' Roman fell into thought.
A social party.
It was a familiar term.
Roman had attended a social party and then changed, and not long after that, he made the extreme choice of suicide.
And the rumors of slander that Flora had heard also originated from the social party.
Then.
"Who hosted the social party I attended?"
The root of the problem.
That was important.
And the answer was.
"You attended a party hosted by the Barca family."
Barca.
The situation was entering a new phase.
The explanation was simple.
"You had known the eldest son of the Barca family for a long time. Although your relationship became awkward after the marriage talks with Lawrence began, among the noble children, no one else spent as much time with you as he did. So, it wasn't particularly strange for you to attend a social party hosted by the Barca family. The interests were complicatedly intertwined, but that didn't mean the previous relationship disappeared."
The eldest son of Barca.
Antonio Barca, like Roman, was a man with a bad reputation in the area.
That's why they got along.
Both were from powerful families in the northeast, and the two men with trashy reputations often hung out together.
'They probably weren't close friends.
With similar reputations, they were just companions for entertainment.
But that relationship became entangled around Flora.
Antonio Barca wanted to marry Flora, and Roman was no different.
And the winner of that fight was Roman.
In the end, the Lawrence family, who had rejected Barca, decided that Dmitry was better than Barca.'
The puzzle pieces were falling into place.
Barca's invitation.
If Roman, who had been acting strangely since then, chose death, then the cause must lie with Barca.
'In the current situation, the reasonable suspicion I can make is that Barca induced Roman's suicide.
If Dmitry and Lawrence become one, Barca would not only lose Flora but also the fertile lands of Lawrence.
And the simplest way to solve that problem is to prevent the marriage from happening in the first place.
From what I heard from Hans, Barca had previously wanted to marry me instead of Lawrence, so the only option left for them is to induce a breakup or create a situation where the marriage can't happen.'
The picture became clear.
Roman's death.
The ones who benefit the most from it are Barca.
I don't know how they induced the suicide, but they tried various methods to achieve their goal.
They spread slanderous rumors to induce a breakup.
They made Roman commit suicide.
'Trash exists everywhere.' The truth wasn't grand.
But.
It was unsatisfactory.
Since I decided to live Roman's life, the name Barca touched a nerve.
At that moment, Hans spoke. "... Actually, a few days ago, an invitation to a party from Barca arrived. Since you had entered seclusion for training, I couldn't deliver it to you. What should I do with this?"
"Barca invited me?" "Yes."
Pfft.
A laugh escaped.
They were blatantly ignoring Roman.
Even after causing him harm, they boldly sent an invitation to meet again.
'It's irritating.' The name Barca didn't sit well.
To live as Roman from now on, it was necessary to clearly deal with the irritating parts.
Therefore.
"Tell them I'll attend the party."
Facing the problem head-on.
That was how Roman would live from now on.
The party was two weeks later.
With some time to spare, Roman went to find Kevin, who had been waiting for him during his seclusion training.
"What should I do from now on?" Kevin.
He bowed his head and spoke.
Although he had followed Roman's proposal, the problem was that he couldn't think of anything he could do for Roman.
Kevin was just a teenager.
With ordinary talent like a pebble rolling on the street, he couldn't come up with an answer about his role no matter how much he thought about it over the past week.
So he asked.
About his role.
Why he had been accepted.
Roman spoke.
"I want to use you as my sword. But a person's use isn't determined by someone else's will. So, from now on, I'll give you three paths to choose from."
A sword.
It was unexpected.
To use someone like him, who had never even held a sword before, as a sword.
It was a statement that couldn't be understood logically, but Kevin didn't raise any objections to Roman's words.
"The first is to give up being used as a sword. If you're afraid of holding a sword and don't want to shed blood, then instead of being a sword, become my hands and feet. Follow Hans around, learn what he does, and just carry out the non-dangerous tasks I assign. That alone will fulfill your role."
A safe choice.
It didn't force danger.
Forced danger creates variables, and Roman didn't keep weak humans by his side as his sword.
"The second is to protect me as a sword. But a teenager in his mid-teens, who has lived a life far from that of a swordsman, can't become strong in a short time. The world isn't a beautiful fairy tale.
To become strong late, you need the will for it, and if you choose the second option, I will test your will with the method of 'Fen Jin Cuo Gu' (separating muscles and dislocating bones). Fen Jin Cuo Gu is a method that delivers the pain of twisted bones and muscles.
It's not just a verbal decision, but proof of your will through results."
It was chilling.
Fen Jin Cuo Gu.
The terror emanating from the word made Kevin's mouth go dry.
But the last.
When Roman accepted Kevin, he thought that perhaps Kevin could endure the final trial.
"The third is..."
Roman drew his sword.
And then.
Thud.
"Cut your own wrist with this sword. If you can endure the pain of inflicting pain on yourself and achieve your goal, then you can become stronger than anyone else, faster than anyone else."
The sword that fell before his eyes.
For the first time, a look of fear appeared on Kevin's face, which had been showing determination until now.
The Mad Demon.
When he first met him, the Mad Demon was just a worthless boy who knew nothing about martial arts, just like Kevin.
But.
How could such a boy grow to become one of the Four Heavenly Kings? Was it because of innate talent? No. His growth came from a strong will.
'In the treasure vault of the Demon Sect, there exist ancient martial arts.
Among them, the Ghost Soul Demon Art is a powerful demonic technique that has turned countless demons seeking strength into cripples.
The Mad Demon learned the Ghost Soul Demon Art to become a sword useful to me, and by overcoming the trials of the Ghost Soul Demon Art, he became a sword I could trust.'
The Ghost Soul Demon Art.
It's a dangerous martial art.
The moment you use it, your spirit is gnawed away by demonic energy, and you exert power amidst excruciating pain that feels like your blood vessels are being torn apart.
It's a pain that ordinary people wouldn't dare to face.
Like Roman's last suggestion, using the martial art while enduring the pain of cutting off your own arm is exactly what the Ghost Soul Demon Art is.
A world that ordinary will can't approach.
That's why he chose the Ghost Soul Demon Art.
He didn't think Kevin could really endure the Ghost Soul Demon Art, but at least he wanted to give him the option.
Roman spoke.
"For an ordinary person to transcend the limits of talent, they need the corresponding sacrifice and will. You are already my person. Whatever choice you make, I will use you valuably, but the use is up to you to decide."
He handed over the decision.
Kevin swallowed dryly.
His eyes, looking down at the sword, shook with fear, and his mouth was so dry that he didn't even have saliva to swallow.
Cut off your own arm.
It was harsh.
How could anyone do such a thing?
"Huff, huff."
His breathing became rough.
He wasn't sure if this was the right thing, but at least he had as much trust in Roman as Roman had in him.
He trusted Roman.
Just as Roman had saved him before, he believed Roman would save his life this time too.
"I'll do it."
Grit.
He clenched his teeth.
He bit down so hard that it felt like his teeth might shatter.
Thud! Kevin grabbed the sword.
And the moment he tried to plunge the sword into his arm.
'Illusion Demon Technique.' Whoosh.
Roman's eyes flashed.
At the same time, mana surged.
The martial art of the Demon Sect, known to have bewitched the souls of countless people, was unleashed, and Kevin's eyes became hazy.
And then he collapsed to the floor.
In Roman's world, he was lying face down on the floor as if dead, but in Kevin's world, the moment he tried to plunge the sword into his arm hadn't changed at all.
From now on, it was a world of illusion.
Soon.
Crack! Kevin's face twisted in pain.