Baron Romero recalled memories from the past.
Three years ago, during a meeting to decide the heir, a vassal had said, "Isn't he the eldest son?" Hendrick reacted fiercely.
"Does the fact that he is the eldest son matter so much that it could throw the future of the family to the ground? Yes, Roman is the eldest son of the Dmitri family. And if you go out on the street and ask what kind of person Roman Dmitri is, everyone will click their tongues and call him a fool. Yet, do you still wish for Roman to be the heir of Dmitri? Please, everyone, get a grip!"
He poured out his anger.
Then, he made a statement that would put an end to the controversy.
"My lord, the essence of Dmitri lies in the forge. Most of those who follow you work in the iron mines and the forge. If the next heir does not even know how to handle iron, what will everyone think? It would be the most ridiculous thing. And it’s not like we have no other alternatives. Rodwell Dmitri has been working in the forge since he was young, learning the trade. There is a remarkable talent who proved his abilities even in the capital. I believe that putting Roman Dmitri forward as the heir would put the family in danger."
Hendrick took the lead.
This was a part that everyone had to be cautious about.
With the statement to remove the eldest son from the position of heir, the vassals added their voices in support of Hendrick.
Thus, Rodwell Dmitri was chosen as the heir.
Unbeknownst to him, Roman continued to live like garbage, giving the vassals confidence that their judgment was correct.
"Three years have passed, and Roman has changed. Even the vassals who once passionately spoke like Hendrick have asked to reconsider Roman's potential as the heir, and the sentiments of the iron mines and the common folk are no different. However, we cannot disregard the opinion of Hendrick, the master of the forge. As he said, the essence of Dmitri lies in the forge, so we cannot blindly support Roman, who has neglected his duties as an heir."
His head throbbed.
The growth of his son.
If only he had proven his worth a little earlier, the problem could have been solved easily, but now, pondering the heir issue was bound to be a headache.
The good performance he had shown recently was a separate matter.
Although Roman had grown as a swordsman and displayed astonishing progress, what Hendrick considered important as the heir was whether he understood the work of the forge.
This was undoubtedly a fundamental quality for the Dmitri family.
When taking charge of the family, one must directly manage the forge, and there was no way Hendrick would acknowledge and follow orders from someone who knew nothing.
Hendrick.
He was the master of the forge and a companion of Baron Romero.
If such a person opposed it, Baron Romero could not push through the heir issue.
"Perhaps Hendrick will strongly oppose my opinion. Still, I have no choice but to ask. Since the tide favors Roman, if I encounter Hendrick's opposition, I will have to discuss the current issue once more."
That was not a guess.
It was a strong conviction.
Having watched Hendrick for a long time, he was sure of how he would react.
Yet, "I am, of course, in favor. I believe that young master Roman Dmitri is fully qualified to be the heir."
The Hendrick he faced spoke words that were different from his expectations.
Baron Romero blinked in disbelief.
If it were Hendrick, the master of the forge, it would be normal for him to explode in anger at the suggestion of reinstating Roman as the heir.
"... Are you serious?" "How could I lie to you, my lord? There was a time when I thought Roman Dmitri was unfit to be the heir. But now, it is different. As proven in the recent war with Barco, Roman has worked hard, shedding blood and sweat in places we do not see. As a result, he has grown to become an Aura Swordsman and has shown an attitude of wanting to understand Dmitri by working in the iron mines."
He could hardly believe it.
Hendrick, defending Roman.
As if he had not finished speaking, Hendrick recalled a past incident.
"Actually, not long ago, there was an incident with Roman. Roman requested equipment for his soldiers, but I told him to take away the bad items due to my resentment towards him. Do you know what Roman said to me then? He said that handing over such items for the soldiers' equipment was no different from murder and shot me a glare. Indeed, it was an act that violated craftsmanship, but that night, I reflected on Roman's actions and thought this."
Today, Hendrick saw Roman's true nature.
The memories of the past were glorified, and even the discord with Roman was interpreted as a good memory.
"Young master Roman has the insight suitable for the Dmitri family. Otherwise, it would be impossible to accurately assess the condition of items with the eyes of an ordinary person. And today, I witnessed young master Roman working directly in the forge. Watching him focus on his work, facing the hot flames of the furnace... Ah, it was truly a sight that no blacksmith could resist."
Once, it was called a bad relationship.
However, from the moment he received a gift from Roman, Hendrick fell in love with him.
Hendrick presented a sword.
The sword, shining brilliantly under the light, made Baron Romero look on with questioning eyes.
"What is this?" "This is a sword made by young master Roman himself. I believe you will recognize its value at once, my lord. At first, I did not believe in young master Roman's skills, but after seeing him work today, I realized that it was the truth."
Baron Romero's eyes widened.
The sword before him was a famous sword.
Like Hendrick, Baron Romero immediately recognized the sword's true value and could not hide his astonishment. "…What is this?" How on earth did Roman create such a sword? Recently, Baron Romero felt a twinge of regret.
Although Roman was growing rapidly as a swordsman, his neglect of the family's duties was disappointing for someone who had once risked his life in the forge.
If he were his son, the eldest son of the Dmitri family, he believed that, as Hendrick strongly argued, he should at least show some interest in the forge.
Yet, Hendrick revealed a shocking truth.
This was not merely the result of interest; it proved that Roman had more than enough qualifications.
Hendrick said, "The essence of Dmitri lies in the forge. Three years ago, we chose Rodwell as the next heir, but now that young master Roman is proving his worth, we need to reconsider our decision."
The situation had reversed.
Hendrick, who had opposed citing the essence, was now trying to persuade Baron Romero, contrary to his intentions.
"This is something."
A hollow laugh escaped.
Hendrick, the master blacksmith.
The last barrier that Baron Romero had worried about crumbled so easily.
In his private office, Baron Romero, having sent Hendrick away, remained alone to read a letter he had received a year ago. [Father, this is Rodwell.
I was recently promoted to Class S at the Kairos Royal Academy.
From now on, I will not only be taking theoretical classes but will also gain experience as a commander in actual combat.
I hope the Dmitri family seeks peace in the borderlands.
However, my dream is different.
I will graduate with the highest honors from the Kairos Royal Academy and will definitely come to show you the new future of Dmitri as a proud son.]
Rodwell Dmitri.
The letter from the second son.
He was a prodigy of the Dmitri family.
Unlike Baron Romero, who lived simply, he was born with the ambition to always be the best.
And he had indeed produced results.
The Kairos Royal Academy was the premier educational institution representing the Kairos Kingdom, and being promoted to the highest class, Class S, meant that Rodwell Dmitri's talents had been recognized.
Once, receiving such a letter made his heart race at the thought of a new future for Dmitri.
He had hoped Rodwell would spread his wings based on the solid foundation he had laid.
However, recently, his feelings had become complicated due to Roman's growth.
Roman and Rodwell.
Both were outstanding talents.
Yet, looking at their recent progress, Roman was not just a talent that could be described simply.
"Roman is a talent that will make a name for himself not just in the Kairos Kingdom but across the continent. Rodwell has certainly shown his dedication as the heir of the family, but even the genius that people call Rodwell cannot compare to the current Roman. So what decision should I make for my two sons?" The dilemma deepened.
And then, he made a decision.
The public favored Roman.
The family vassals, the servants following Roman, the masters of the iron mines and the forge all wished for Roman to become the heir.
With everyone wanting Roman, he could not cling to the past decision and push Rodwell to the end.
Therefore, "There is still time left. Once Rodwell graduates from the academy and Roman fulfills his military duties, I will officially declare the competition for the heir. I will not distinguish between the eldest and the second son. If either of them shows the qualifications to lead Dmitri, I will select and support him as the heir of the family."
Finally, the headache-inducing dilemma disappeared.
Baron Romero left his office.
He felt that for the first time in a long while, he could sleep soundly next to Lihana.
What had the priests of Valhalla been doing for the past month? Willas, who should have arrived in Dmitri by now, had spent considerable time in a completely opposite region.
"Priest, the results of this ranking battle are truly shocking. Just a year ago, Bertoff was stuck at 99th place, and now he has defeated Fernando, the 30th ranked gatekeeper, in a ranking battle. When the new ranking list of the Kairos Kingdom is announced next year, everyone will be in an uproar. Bertoff still has no affiliation, right?"
"That would be the case."
Willas responded calmly to the apostle's words.
On the day he was about to leave for Dmitri, they received an official request for a ranking battle.
Bertoff, ranked 99th, had challenged Fernando, and Fernando accepted the challenge without hesitation.
After a long time, an official ranking battle was realized.
The result was Fernando's defeat, and due to the administrative processing that followed, Willas had no choice but to spend a lot of time.
Willas said, "In fact, Fernando's defeat was something that was foreseen from the beginning. People revere Fernando as the 30th ranked gatekeeper, but even after reaching the realm of a 4-star swordsman long ago, Fernando has never entered the top 20. Ultimately, he must have reached his limit. By the way, I have spent too much time on this ranking battle. According to the schedule, I should have already arrived in Dmitri."
"Are you eager to see Roman Dmitri?" "Of course."
The reason Willas was so indifferent was precisely because of Roman Dmitri.
Rumors had been swirling in the northeastern region.
The Barco family had been destroyed, and the strength Roman displayed in defeating Homeros was indeed real.
Most people did not believe it.
However, Willas wanted to see Roman.
"Logically, it would be right to think that there were variables in the battle with Homeros. The problem is that Roman Dmitri, the protagonist of the rumors, was such a poor figure that he was called the fool of Dmitri. Even if the rumors of the great warrior's battle were exaggerated, it certainly meant that there had been a shocking change."
Life in Kairos had been truly dull.
As a priest of Valhalla, Willas had been assigned a mission, and now that he had completed half of his term, he needed something exciting.
Then he heard the story of Roman.
While people were excited about the duel between Bertoff and Fernando, Willas felt an inexplicable urge to see the truth of the northeastern region with his own eyes.
He quickened his steps.
Having taken care of all matters related to the ranking battle, it was now time to head to Dmitri.
"Let’s head to Dmitri first. Since the unofficial duel resulted in the death of Homeros, we need to check if Roman Dmitri can even make it to the bottom of the rankings."
A few days later, the journey did not take long.
Before long, the gray walls of Dmitri began to come into view.