At first, Kevin found it strange.
When he was told to go to the outskirts of the city instead of the slums, he was puzzled and didn’t understand why. “Why are they telling me to go here?” He never imagined that his family had moved.
Kevin’s parents weren’t financially well-off enough to move into the city, and they had already used up their emergency funds due to Blood Pang’s threats.
So, he simply assumed there was some “business” there.
That was the extent of his reasoning.
Thinking he would soon see his parents and younger sister, he stopped by a bakery to buy a baguette and some fresh cream. “Marie will really like this,” he thought.
Marie was his younger sister.
Every morning, she would complain while eating stale bread, asking why they couldn’t have freshly baked bread.
Back then, Kevin could only watch her sulk as she put down the bread, unable to promise her anything.
The price difference between freshly baked bread and stale bread was more than double, and the fresh cream to spread on the bread was something they couldn’t even dream of affording.
He could have indulged her once, but knowing the cost of such indulgence would be hunger, Kevin, who had matured early, forced himself to eat the stale bread.
But now, things were different.
Even after buying the bread and cream, he still had plenty of money left, and he planned to give it all to his parents as pocket money.
He smiled.
With light steps, he soon arrived at the location he had been told to go.
But then… “What is this?!” His jaw dropped.
The scene before him was surreal.
His parents, who had lived in a shabby shack, were now sitting in the yard of a beautiful wooden house, sipping tea.
On the table, warm bread steamed invitingly.
Not only that, his younger sister Marie, who used to wear patched-up clothes, was now dressed in a pristine white dress, watering the flowers in the yard.
The world had changed.
Kevin’s family was no longer living in poverty but had transitioned to the life of commoners who could enjoy the simple pleasures of life. “Brother!” “Son?!” Kevin’s family noticed him belatedly.
Marie ran over and hugged him tightly, while Clark and Michelle’s eyes reddened at the sight of their son after so long.
It was a reunion.
The bread and cream he had prepared now seemed insignificant, but Kevin was genuinely relieved to see his family living so well.
And he was curious.
What had happened to bring about such a change in his family? His father, Clark, spoke on behalf of the family. “At first, we were very confused too. A servant named Hans, who works for Young Master Roman, came to us and said it was Young Master Roman’s order to provide us with a house and land to cultivate. Not only that, but he also helped us settle in the city and provided financial support. These past few days, it’s felt like we’ve been living in a dream. In the slums…” His father’s story was long.
He recounted in detail how their lives had changed and what had happened.
But at some point, Kevin stopped hearing his father’s words.
The realization that the change in his family’s circumstances had come from Roman made him recall what Roman had said to him. “From now on, your family won’t have to worry about making ends meet. They’ll live in a warm house that keeps out the cold wind, eat three delicious meals a day, and not just spend their days in exhausting labor but also enjoy hobbies. The way to make that happen is simple. I’ll make it so.” On the day Roman accepted Kevin, he had made a promise.
Kevin had thought that the kindness he had already received was enough to make him willing to lay down his life for Roman, but without him realizing it, Roman had kept his promise.
Kevin’s family no longer had to worry about their livelihood.
The wooden house kept out the cold wind, and the food on the table was a clear sign of their prosperous life.
In that moment, Kevin felt a surge of emotion.
He lowered his head and swallowed his tears. “Thank you so much,” he thought.
In a society where the gap between classes was as vast as the sky, Roman had not turned his back on a promise made to an ordinary boy.
Kevin’s faith had not been misplaced.
Roman was a man worth dying for, and now, Kevin felt that if he were to die for him, he could do so with a smile. “I need to go back,” Kevin thought.
Now was not the time to relax.
Having experienced how powerless he was at Varko’s social gathering, he needed to train in the Ghost Soul Demon Art as quickly as possible to become stronger.
Even if he were to die in the process, it didn’t matter.
Roman would keep his promise to take care of his family, and as long as he had that assurance, Kevin had no regrets about this choice.
Therefore, he would become stronger.
Once again, Kevin steeled his resolve toward Roman.
But then, Clark, who had been talking at length just moments ago, suddenly froze as he noticed Kevin’s face. “Did… did Young Master Roman hit you?” The wound on Kevin’s face—the swollen, red cheek—was clearly a mark of violence.
Human hearts are fickle.
Just moments ago, Kevin’s parents had been expressing their gratitude to Roman, but now their expressions turned fierce. “Tell us honestly. Did Young Master Roman really lay a hand on you?” It was an understandable misunderstanding.
The rumors about Roman’s reputation included stories of him mistreating commoners.
If the mark of violence on Kevin’s face was indeed from Roman, Kevin’s parents would never be able to accept the comfortable life they now enjoyed at the cost of their son’s suffering. “No! Young Master Roman would never do such a thing!” “Then why does your face look like that?” “Well, the truth is…” Kevin hurriedly waved his hands.
Faced with his parents’ demand for the truth, he had no choice but to explain what had happened at Varko’s social gathering.
“I was slapped by a knight from the Varko family for that reason. But Young Master Roman didn’t just stand by. He stood up for me. He asked why they were hitting his person and punished the Varko knight in front of everyone. Thanks to him, I wasn’t humiliated in front of everyone. So please don’t misunderstand Young Master Roman. I know he’s been given a bad reputation, but the Young Master I’ve experienced is definitely not someone who resorts to violence.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. You know I wouldn’t lie to you. Young Master Roman truly values me.”
Kevin’s words left Clark and Michelle looking at each other in confusion.
If it wasn’t Roman’s doing, then that was a relief.
But logically speaking, punishing a Varko knight was a much harder solution than simply hitting Kevin.
Yet, according to Kevin, Roman had punished the Varko knight.
It was clear.
The rumors were wrong.
If even half of what Kevin said was true, Roman was completely different from the person everyone misunderstood.
Michelle spoke up. “What a kind person. Not only does he value our son, but he’s also taken care of us, his family. Son, what Young Master Roman did was no easy decision. We must remember that and dedicate ourselves to him even more than what we’ve received.” “That’s right. If there’s anything we can do for Young Master Roman, let us know anytime.” Their parents’ sincerity was genuine.
At the time, Kevin didn’t realize it.
His parents’ heartfelt reaction.
They had completely fallen for Roman’s character, and that would become the starting point for spreading the rumors.
The reunion was brief.
And its aftermath spread quickly.
The day after Kevin returned, Clark, who had reunited with his old friends from the slums, couldn’t help but share what had happened.
“You can’t believe the rumors out there. You all know our Kevin serves Young Master Roman, right? Well, according to Kevin, Young Master Roman is a truly noble nobleman who embodies noblesse oblige.”
“Dmitri’s fool? No way!”
“Come on, how do you think I got this house and land to cultivate? It was Young Master Roman’s kindness toward Kevin. Just that alone shows his character. And not only that, there was an incident at Varko’s social gathering. Kevin got into a dispute with Varko’s knights, and Young Master Roman stood up for him, slapping a Varko knight in front of everyone. That’s the kind of man Roman Dmitri is.”
“Is that really true?”
“Yes! Whose child is he? He’s got a good eye for people.”
At first, it was just a small rumor.
But soon, the rumor spread throughout the Dmitri region, and Michelle, who had heard it, added fuel to the fire.
At the village laundry spot, Michelle answered the questions of the women around her.
“Is the rumor true? That Young Master Roman severely punished a Varko knight for Kevin?”
“Oh my, where did you hear that? But since you brought it up, Young Master Roman truly values his people, including Kevin. That’s why he stood up for Kevin when Varko’s eldest son threatened to punish him. Have you ever heard of such a nobleman? Dmitri’s fool? That’s all nonsense. I don’t know who’s daring to tarnish Young Master Roman Dmitri’s reputation, but if you actually saw him, you wouldn’t even dare to look him in the eye because of his aura.”
“Didn’t you say you saw Roman Dmitri causing trouble before?”
“What nonsense! I must have seen wrong, or it was someone similar to Young Master Roman causing trouble.”
Michelle, the benefactor of her son, even rewrote her bad memories.
The Roman Dmitri of the past, known as Dmitri’s fool, and the present were too different to be the same person.
Rumors start from the bottom.
Clark and Michelle’s words spread, and as they did, they grew, completely reversing Roman’s image.
People began to say, “Roman Dmitri is someone who values his people. If you earn his trust, you can live a completely different life. Kevin from the slums and the Clark family, who successfully entered the city, prove it.” The rumors swelled.
And just in time, Roman posted a notice about recruiting soldiers.
It was not an intentional timing. “Because of this, many people are planning to apply for this recruitment. So just give up. All the men in Dmitri who are any good are planning to apply, so don’t waste your energy.” The old man finished speaking.
The recruitment chaos.
With just one notice from Roman, Dmitri was in an uproar.
Lucas, who had been quietly listening to the old man, was confused by the disparity between his memories and the current rumors. “The Roman Dmitri I know doesn’t deserve such a reputation. Has Roman Dmitri really changed so much? Even if only half of what happened from the Blood Pang subjugation to the incident at Varko’s social gathering is true, Roman is not the hopeless fool he’s made out to be.” His interest was piqued.
Roman Dmitri.
What kind of change had come over him? And if the rumors were true that he valued his people, then Lucas might consider applying for the soldier position. “The problem is, such a nobleman doesn’t exist in this world.” That was something he’d have to confirm for himself.
For now, he was intrigued.
He could always withdraw after taking the test, so he thought he might as well give it a try for fun.
Besides, he was getting tired of mercenary work.
Three days until the recruitment deadline.
Lucas wasn’t the only one in this situation.
Thanks to people like him who broke down the walls of prejudice, on the day of the test, countless people headed toward Dmitri Castle.
The recruitment.
Due to the unintended rumors, it had grown to an unprecedented scale.