Drip, drip.
Blood fell from the blade.
In the shocked expressions of the nobles, who were lost in disbelief, the figure of Baron Antonio Barco, weeping and rushing out, was visible.
"Oh, no!" He hurriedly embraced the corpse of Antonio Barco.
His fine clothes were stained with blood, and the baron tried to stop the flow of blood from his neck with trembling hands.
But it was a futile effort.
Although he could still feel the warmth of his son’s body, as he watched his limp arm fall, the baron's eyes lost focus. "…Ah!" The death of his son.
He could not accept it.
He could not even imagine that his son would be killed right before his eyes in the Barco family’s own chamber.
"Uwaaaaaah! What are you doing right now?! Kill this evil spirit who dared to kill Barco's heir! Tear him limb from limb!" Baron Barco screamed.
With bloodshot eyes, he struggled, but the knights of Barco hesitated and exchanged glances.
They had witnessed Roman on the battlefield.
He had attacked Barco's rear, slaughtering dozens of soldiers and killing Berge and Homeros in a single blow.
None of them dared to rush in recklessly.
Whoever did would surely die first.
The creeping fear gripped their ankles, and even in the shocking situation of Antonio Barco's death, their loyalty could not suppress their terror.
Swish.
Roman wiped the blood off his sword.
Then, he retrieved his weapon and looked around at the gazes surrounding him.
"Is there a problem? It is quite common for a sinner to die in a judgment duel."
Baron Barco was mistaken.
Roman had never said he would not kill Antonio Barco when proposing the judgment duel.
It was a trap.
Roman had visited Barco without a single guard.
Baron Barco thought Roman would not make such an extreme choice alone and made the mistake of putting Antonio Barco on trial.
This gave Roman justification.
Since Baron Barco had missed the opportunity to punish him directly, the responsibility for Antonio Barco's death did not lie with Roman.
He had merely delivered the rightful punishment.
Roman warned those who were at a loss.
"From now on, remember what I say. Since the day Antonio Barco threatened me, I can no longer live under the same sky as Barco. That is who I am. I cannot sleep without repaying the grievances I have suffered, so I have been contemplating how to bring down the Barco family since then. And this is the result. If there are still those who cannot let go of their tenuous ties with Barco, then see clearly who you are dealing with."
People say that a cornered rat will bite a cat.
Christ had tried to dissuade Roman for this very reason, and in the past, Baek Jung-hyuk had pointed out the extreme attitude of Baek Jung-hyuk.
However, if one were to spare the rat out of fear of being bitten, the rat would bring its gang and attack the cat or wait for an opportunity to take revenge from its hole.
Thus, Roman did not allow his opponent any time.
Even if it meant tearing off his own flesh and seeing blood, killing when it was time to kill was Baek Jung-hyuk's way.
Baron Barco's eyes widened.
With eyes burning for revenge, he shouted at Roman, "Do you think you can get away with this?!" "What does it matter to say such things now? From the moment I joined the war on Lawrence's side, Barco and I became enemies who seek each other's lives. And that relationship, Baron Barco, will not change until you die. I will not let my guard down for a moment, and I will watch how the Barco family lives, and I intend to attack until Barco is completely destroyed."
It was a warning.
The nobles watching the situation understood how dangerous it was to assist Barco.
Roman's actions indicated that he intended to attack the allied forces of Barco as well.
No one stepped forward in response to Roman's warning.
The nobles of Cairo kept their mouths shut, and Barco's knights only pretended to grip their swords but did not charge in.
"I will take my leave now."
He turned on his heel, walking as he had come through the main gate alone.
Blood dripped from his path, yet no one blocked his way.
Thus, leaving behind the cries of Baron Barco, Roman disappeared from the sight of the people.
Barco.
Their collapse was swift.
Enraged by his son's death, Baron Barco tried to seek revenge, but the responses he received were cold.
"I’m sorry. As you know, we cannot afford to help Barco against Dmitri. While we acknowledge that our relationship has been good, Barco has touched a perilous enemy."
They drew the line.
Roman's actions were shocking.
He had gone to Barco's chamber and killed Antonio Barco right before the baron's eyes.
It was an act that definitively ended their ambiguous hostile relationship.
Roman Dmitri did not merely intervene in Lawrence's affairs; he made it clear that he was the protagonist leading the revenge.
Moreover, he had solid justification.
The threats and harassment from Antonio Barco, and the judgment duel permitted by Baron Barco's decision.
The nobles who had thought they were on Barco's side became witnesses that Roman's actions had justification.
It was a dead end.
Barco had no way to seek external help.
Even after his son was murdered, he had lost his justification, and despite running around desperately seeking help, not a single person would assist him.
It was no different from the connections of the central government.
Despite being from the Barco family, he found himself in a difficult situation because of this incident.
The tower he had built with great effort crumbled.
Roman's judgment was correct.
By completely trampling the cornered rat, Baron Barco had no way to escape the crisis.
And, "You have exactly three days left to repay the principal and interest you promised. If you do not repay by then, the Golden Bank will have no choice but to exercise its rights as a creditor. Baron Barco, three days. Even if you have to sell your soul to the devil, you must repay us the principal and interest you owe."
It was an ultimatum.
Baron Barco realized he was completely finished with the notorious reputation of the Golden Bank, known for recovering principal and interest by any means necessary.
It was a disaster brought on by greed targeting Lawrence's land.
In despair, he ultimately chose his last resort.
A few days later, Baron Barco attempted to flee under the cover of night.
He packed minimal belongings and wealth to escape, but not long after, he was found dead in an unnamed mountain.
The Barco family, once powerful in the northeastern region, met their hollow demise in that moment.
It was a bright moonlit night.
A man illuminated by the moonlight caught the attention of Hans, who happened to be in the hallway.
"Where have you been at this late hour?" The man stopped in his tracks.
Roman turned his head and smiled at Hans.
"The moonlight is bright. I went for a walk after a long time."
"Is that so?" Hans smiled back.
He approached Roman and took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the red stains on Roman's clothes.
"Everyone has been quite worried lately. It is a joyous thing that you are gaining people's recognition, but since you are involved in dangerous matters like war, I cannot hide my unease. Young master, you are the heir of the Dmitri family. Someday, you will be the master of this land, so you must not think of your life as solely yours. Always be careful. And if you need help, please let me know. I am always ready to do my best for you from behind."
Hans meticulously wiped the stains.
Only when the stains were no longer visible did he step back with a satisfied expression.
Roman looked down at him intently.
"Hans."
"Yes, sir?" "I told you before. You are my person."
"I remember."
As he began a new life, Roman accepted Hans for the first time.
It signified a special relationship.
Baek Jung-hyuk.
To reach that position, he had slaughtered countless enemies and lived in bloodshed to the point of forming a vast sea of blood.
It was not a human life.
People called Baek Jung-hyuk a ruthless monster for his behavior of thoroughly trampling enemies, yet there were always people around him.
Why was that? Baek Jung-hyuk prioritized one principle.
At least those who entered his fence were given his utmost effort.
One person inside the fence mattered more than hundreds or thousands of enemies.
That was enough.
If he had continued to leave the threat of Barco alone, his fence might have turned to ruins someday.
"I will also do my best to ensure that my people are not put in danger."
Barco.
They were no longer a threat.
The dead could do nothing.
With those final words, Roman turned and entered his room.
Creak.
Bang.
Hans stood in place, watching the door through which Roman had disappeared for a long time.
In the capital of Cairo, Kairos.
A place where countless crowds gathered from all over the kingdom, an unbelievable piece of news arrived. "…Is this true?" "Yes! At first, I couldn't believe it either, but since it was during the great warrior battle, there are many witnesses who saw him defeat Homeros. Isn't it amazing? Roman Dmitri, a guy whose name was not even known, has defeated a four-star knight in a single blow!" "Hmm."
The priest Wilas, who managed the Valhalla Temple's Cairo branch, narrowed his eyes at the commotion. 'It is realistically impossible.' Homeros.
The 49th ranked warrior.
Recently, Valhalla Temple had been keeping an eye on him, and he was unexpectedly killed by an unknown individual.
The problem was the identity of the opponent.
The northeastern region of the Cairo kingdom was so remote that it did not even need to be examined, and he had never heard of anyone outstanding enough to defeat Homeros from there.
Who exactly was Roman Dmitri? If his name had been known even a little, he would have tried to understand this shocking news.
Wilas said, "What is certain is that Roman Dmitri is only 25 years old. If this report is true, it means an unprecedented genius has been born in the Cairo kingdom. We need to verify the facts. No matter how high the probability of it being false, the impact if it is true cannot be ignored."
The Valhalla Temple was affiliated with the Valhalla Empire.
They usually managed rankings through 'ranking battles,' but in cases like this, it was necessary to mobilize personnel.
Interest was piqued.
Was it merely a rumor flowing from the outskirts? Or had a monstrous genius truly been born? He wanted to see Roman Dmitri's face at least once.
"Pack your things immediately."
"Understood."
At that time, they did not know.
A great change was brewing in the continent, starting from the northeastern region of the Cairo kingdom.
The sharp awl began to pierce through the pocket little by little.