Roman presented two choices.
Both were evil hands.
Baron Barco understood that he should not move according to the opponent's intentions, but Roman did not allow him any chance to escape.
"I have clearly presented two choices. There are no exceptions. If you do not choose the former here today, I will report to my father about the threats I faced upon returning to my family. At that time, we cannot avoid war with Dmitri. The misdeeds of Antoni Barco have provided sufficient justification, and unless Barco shows a clear attitude of repentance, I have no intention of backing down."
He blocked the retreat.
With statements made firmly to prevent any delay, Baron Barco wished to turn away from the harsh reality before him. 'The latter is absolutely not an option.' War with Dmitri.
The outcome was obvious.
Having already lost a war even while borrowing money from the Golden Bank, he did not believe he could defeat the wealthy Dmitri in the northeast.
He would likely suffer a crushing defeat.
If he were to be attacked by Dmitri in an already fallen situation, Barco would face the threat of annihilation.
In the end, there was only one choice.
Roman was aware of this fact and proposed the only option that Barco could accept. 'What you desire is the fact that Dmitri has brought Barco to its knees.
If he were to come boldly into Barco's home and punish Antoni Barco, it would create a tremendous uproar in noble society.
The Barco family would lose all means to recover from the defeat in war and the plummeting reputation, unless they show a clear attitude of repentance.'
It was devastating.
In front of Barco's last connections, Roman mocked the Barco family and sought to cut off their breath. 'What a cruel fellow.' He drew the blade.
He abandoned his pride.
Bowing his head to the ground, he took responsibility for his defeat and forced his eldest son to come and bear the punishment for the Barco family.
His mouth would not open easily.
His eyebrows trembled.
As the Baron of Barco, who had boasted of absolute power in the northeast, he could not bow his head to the young Roman Dmitri.
There was only one way to preserve his pride.
To execute Roman, who had come to Barco's home without fear, prepared for the annihilation of the Barco family.
However, he could not do that.
He still wanted to live.
The strong desire for life within Baron Barco ultimately led him to accept a reality he did not want to acknowledge.
"The matter of Antoni Barco is not something that should escalate into a family issue. I will speak to Antoni Barco directly and have him apologize. Is that enough? I ask if your anger has been resolved by me personally bringing the knees of the Barco family's eldest son to the ground!"
He shouted in anger.
The chance for revival had vanished.
Having lost everything, Baron Barco spoke desperately with bloodshot eyes.
Yet, "When did I say for Antoni Barco to kneel?"
"…What does that mean?"
"If you wish for punishment, I will choose the method. Who in this world would allow the perpetrator to choose the method of punishment?" Roman's voice was cold.
Even as he pushed Baron Barco to the edge, Roman bared his fierce teeth as if he were not satisfied.
"I propose a judgment duel with Antoni Barco."
Judgment duel.
At that word, Baron Barco's expression turned to one of horror.
A judgment duel was not a common method.
It was a public execution, putting the wrongdoer at the crossroads of life and death, atoning for their sins with blood and death.
If Antoni Barco were to engage in a judgment duel, the chances of surviving against Roman were slim. 'Could it be that he intends to kill Barco's eldest son before my eyes?' It could not be.
If that were the case, Roman would not survive either.
Roman clearly expressed that he could not forgive merely for Antoni Barco to kneel, and if he accepted the judgment duel, he might have to be prepared to become disabled.
Truly a cruel fellow.
Even after abandoning his pride and bowing his head first, Roman wished for Barco to receive the 'price of sin' in reality.
Dizziness struck.
What Roman was saying was clear.
Would he stake the fate of the Barco family or abandon his son? The answer was already given.
No matter how much Antoni Barco was the eldest son to carry on the Barco line, if he could avoid war with Dmitri by giving up an arm, it was a deal he had no choice but to accept.
He tightly shut his eyes.
Having lost the war against Lawrence and with debts piling up like a mountain, the choice to push Barco's eldest son into a deadly situation was not something he could easily voice.
Yet, it was reality.
After much contemplation, Baron Barco finally said he would accept Roman's proposal and left the conference room.
And to his son, who had yet to grasp the reality, he spoke of his future.
"Ah, Father!"
"I'm sorry."
"Absolutely, absolutely not! Roman Dmitri is a swordsman who has even defeated Homeros, right? Do you truly intend to entrust the life of Barco's eldest son to another's hands? Please, refuse Roman Dmitri's proposal. That fellow will never spare me."
Antoni Barco knelt.
With a face full of fear, he cried out, grabbing the hem of Baron Barco's trousers and begging desperately.
He understood.
Even if he survived the judgment duel, he would not return in one piece.
The eldest son of Barco, who thought he had grown up somewhat maturely, threw a tantrum like a three-year-old child, turning away from reality.
Seeing this, Baron Barco spoke in a stern voice.
"Get a grip. You are the eldest son of Barco. From the moment I said I would pass on the position of heir to you, you became someone who must do anything for the fate of the family. Even if it puts your life at risk. Roman will not kill you. If he intended to kill you, he would have come with a guard to ensure his own survival. So accept reality. Become strong. Look Roman Dmitri in the eye and never forget this humiliation if you wish to take revenge on him in the future."
"Father, please…!"
"Antoni!" Baron Barco was resolute.
Only then did Antoni Barco realize that the judgment duel was an unavoidable reality.
Sitting down heavily, Antoni Barco looked up at the sky with a pale face. 'Oh, God.' From now on, all he could do was hope that Roman would show mercy in his hands.
The setting was arranged.
Antoni Barco stood before Baron Barco and the nobles of the northeast for the judgment.
Trembling.
His limbs shook like aspen leaves.
His face was pale as a corpse, and he trembled so much that the sword shook visibly in his hands.
In essence, there was no meaning to the duel.
Roman had proven his overwhelming strength by defeating Homeros, and there was no way Antoni Barco, who did not even know how to use Aura, could survive the duel.
The only thing he could choose was not to swing his sword at Roman but to appeal to his humanity.
"Ro, Roman. I truly apologize for what I did to you. I had no malice. As you know, I admired Flora Lawrence too much, and for a moment, I lost my reason upon hearing that such a woman would marry you."
His voice was earnest.
He did not kneel but showed an attitude that he would do anything if asked just this once.
"We are friends, right? Although we fell out over Lawrence, we had some good times together, didn't we? Roman. No, Roman-nim. Please spare me this one time. If you truly forgive me just this once and let it go as if nothing happened, I, Antoni Barco, will never forget this grace for the rest of my life."
It was pitiful.
The attitude of Barco's eldest son was not something he should have shown, and the nobles watching this displayed discomfort.
They glanced at Baron Barco's expression.
The baron's face was flushed with anger.
In a situation where he was watching his son being pushed into danger, he seemed to engrave this moment in his mind with wide-open eyes.
"I will repay this grace for a lifetime."
Roman droned on.
Slowly walking toward Antoni Barco, the latter flinched and pressed the sword tightly against his body.
He knew Roman would not kill him.
However, he did not want to be disabled.
His pale face was not ready to accept pain.
Roman said, "What kind of way do you think you can repay me? The Barco family is completely finished. Even the connections of the central government cannot cover up the misdeeds you have committed, and simply repaying the money borrowed from the Golden Bank will lead to losing everything. So why should I forgive you? You openly disregarded me in front of others and trapped me with your vile schemes."
In that moment, Baron Barco felt something strange.
A strong warning echoed in his mind.
Just as he was about to urgently stop the duel, Roman turned his gaze to Baron Barco and swung his sword.
"Indeed, there is no reason to forgive."
Swish! The wind blew.
The sensation of the blade catching.
Baron Barco's expression turned to despair as blood was scattered into the air.
Once, Baek Jung-hyuk had engaged in a bloody struggle.
To survive, there was no other way.
He endured the threats of his brothers who attempted assassination every night and instead drove a knife into their hearts to cut off their breath.
One day, as the situation was being sorted out one by one in Baek Jung-hyuk's hands, the eldest son, a strong candidate for the successor of the Demon Cult, said this:
"Jung-hyuk, do you know what your problem is? It is that you have no room for compromise. The moment you perceive someone as an enemy, you do not think of utilizing the relationship but push it to ruin unconditionally. That will eventually catch up with you. Even those weaker than you may do something desperate when cornered, yet you grant no leeway to your opponent. That is your fatal flaw."
The eldest son, Baek Ho-yeol.
He was strong.
Not only did he possess great martial power, but he also showed the ability to accept those who threatened his position by defeating them one by one.
He was truly an impressive person.
Even Baek Jung-hyuk had to acknowledge Baek Ho-yeol, but that did not mean he agreed with what he said.
Covered in blood, Baek Jung-hyuk looked up at Baek Ho-yeol and said, "As you say, compromise is necessary. However, for those who show hostility towards me, I believe that completely trampling them is the only way for me to survive. So do not criticize my methods. I have lived this way from the bottom of the Demon Cult, and I will continue to do so."
To reach the peak, countless enemies lurk.
If he were to kill them all, the karma would surely return, so leaders like Baek Ho-yeol always emphasized the importance of acceptance.
He did not think that was necessarily wrong.
In fact, those who had been Baek Ho-yeol's enemies became strong allies once they turned to his side.
However, Baek Jung-hyuk's way was different.
There was no reason to spare an enemy.
Death was the only way to block the possibility of variables, and Baek Jung-hyuk had learned to use fear.
It was no different now.
Barco.
They would think of him as an irreconcilable enemy.
Even if he showed mercy, if they were someone who would seek revenge at any time, Roman had no reason to spare them.
Thus, Swish!
"…Cough."
He beheaded Antoni Barco.
His face turned to one of shock.
With an expression of disbelief, he looked at Roman, desperately trying to stop the blood gushing from his neck with both hands.
Thud.
He knelt.
Then, he buried his face in the ground and slumped down.
The death of Antoni Barco was an ending that no one present had anticipated.