Information travels faster than feet.
As soon as the Blood Fang's Dmitri branch collapsed, the news quickly reached their headquarters in Lawrence.
"Is it really true?"
"Yes. According to our informants, Roman Dmitri single-handedly took down the entire Dmitri branch. What should we do? The Dmitri Knights are already on the move. If we don’t act soon, we could all be in danger."
"Damn it."
Ben Miles, the leader of Blood Fang, grimaced.
"I can’t believe it. The Roman Dmitri we know is nowhere near that level. The so-called fool of Dmitri, the one who was even rejected by the Royal Swordsmanship Academy, wiped out the entire Dmitri branch? This doesn’t make sense."
A few days ago, when Ben Miles heard that his subordinates had been defeated by Roman, he thought it was a golden opportunity.
Most groups wouldn’t dare seek revenge against a noble.
Nobles value their honor highly.
If they were to seek vengeance for their family, they would come charging in without hesitation.
That’s why it’s always better to resolve issues with nobles peacefully.
This is how Blood Fang gained its infamous reputation.
Despite not being a major power, they dared to terrorize nobles, risking their lives in the process.
This situation was similar.
Ben Miles wanted to execute Roman Dmitri to reignite Blood Fang’s fading notoriety.
The target was perfect—the fool of Dmitri.
Although Roman was the eldest son of Dmitri, rumors suggested that Baron Romero supported his other two sons more than Roman.
Roman’s death might even be welcomed.
After weighing the pros and cons, Ben Miles boldly ordered his men to kill Roman right in the heart of Dmitri.
He didn’t doubt the success of the mission.
Nobles are still human.
A blade from the shadows would pierce their body, and they would bleed to death.
But the result was unexpected.
Not only did the men sent after Roman fail, but the entire Blood Fang Dmitri branch was completely wiped out.
‘If we run now, our reputation is finished.’
The problem was the opponent’s reputation.
They had underestimated him because he was known as the fool of Dmitri.
If word got out that they were defeated by such a person, their future operations would be severely hindered.
A decision had to be made.
If they disbanded the members as usual, they could ensure immediate safety, but maintaining their former notoriety would be nearly impossible.
Ben Miles asked, "Where is Roman now?"
"He just left Dmitri. It seems he got information from the Morning Dew. He’s moving separately from the Dmitri Knights, so it’s likely he’ll reach Lawrence first. But if he catches our tail, it’ll be hard to escape."
"So, he’s alone."
Ben Miles let out a cold laugh.
It was absurd.
How could they underestimate Blood Fang so much that Roman dared to attack their headquarters in Lawrence alone? And from dozens of kilometers away? This was not something they could back down from.
They had no intention of clashing with the Dmitri Knights, but at the very least, they had to deal with this reckless brat.
"Gather the troops immediately. Today, we will kill the brat of the Dmitri family and restore Blood Fang’s infamous reputation."
As a leader, Ben Miles was confident in his decision at this moment.
The Dmitri Knights arrived at the Lawrence territory when the sun, which had been high in the sky, began to set.
It took longer than expected.
The incident occurred during training, and there were many obstacles slowing them down.
The walls of Lawrence could be seen in the distance.
Jonathan, the captain of the Dmitri Knights, stepped forward and announced their purpose.
"I am Jonathan, the captain of the Dmitri Knights! I have reason to believe that Roman, the eldest son of the Dmitri family, has entered Lawrence! Open the gates immediately! Blood Fang is currently targeting Roman’s life!"
Time was of the essence.
He shouted with veins bulging in his neck, as if ready to break through the walls, but the gates of Lawrence remained unmoved.
On the walls, a man who appeared to be the guard captain peeked out.
With a square jaw and a stern expression, he remained unresponsive to Jonathan’s urgency.
"I’m sorry, but we cannot open the gates to armed forces. If you wish to enter Lawrence, you must disarm and follow the proper procedures."
"Didn’t you hear me? Roman is in danger! We need our weapons to save him!"
"Please understand our position. What territory would open its gates to an armed force without any prior notice? We understand the urgency, but if Roman Dmitri is in danger, we will send our own troops. So, you have two choices. Either turn back now, or disarm and follow the proper procedures. Those are your only options."
"Damn it!"
Jonathan’s face turned red with anger.
Lawrence and Dmitri were not families without any interaction.
Yet, despite his pleas, the gates remained closed.
While he understood the reasoning, his frustration boiled over.
"You damn bastards. If anything happens to Roman while we waste time here, I won’t let you off. I am Jonathan, the captain of the Dmitri Knights. I keep my word, and I will remember your faces. So open the gates. This is not the time to waste on rigid procedures. We need to join forces and find Roman as quickly as possible."
A vibration came from the sword at his waist.
A 3-star aura knight.
Jonathan’s presence was not something a mere guard captain could handle.
The guard captain finally realized the severity of the situation, but he still couldn’t make a rash decision.
The tension was palpable.
Just then, a soldier from Lawrence rushed over to the guard captain.
"Captain! Something terrible has happened!"
The soldier whispered urgently to the guard captain, his voice too low to be heard from outside.
The guard captain’s face turned pale.
"Is it true?"
"Yes. The Lawrence square is in chaos right now."
"Oh no."
Something was happening in Lawrence.
Jonathan’s patience snapped.
"Open the gates, you bastards!"
The Lawrence square.
Just a few minutes ago, it had been peaceful.
A place where everyday scenes unfolded.
But the appearance of one man shattered that peace.
"Ahhh!"
"What... what is that?"
Dragging.
Roman.
He had arrived.
An hour before the Dmitri Knights reached Lawrence, Roman had arrived, dragging a man whose face was covered in blood by the hair, pulling him to the center of the square.
People who saw this scene screamed and made way.
The unusual sight quickly drew a crowd.
"My god."
"What’s going on?"
"Shouldn’t we stop this?"
The onlookers were panicked, but Roman paid them no mind.
Instead, he tightened his grip on the man’s hair, causing the man to plead desperately with a dry mouth.
"P-please, spare me."
The man was none other than Ben Miles.
The leader of Blood Fang.
When he had ordered Roman’s execution, he never expected things to turn out like this.
His opponent was the fool of Dmitri.
He thought it would be a quick job, and then they could disappear.
But what followed was beyond belief.
Roman had arrived at Blood Fang’s headquarters.
And from that moment, the slaughter began.
Dozens of Blood Fang members charged at him, but Roman didn’t retreat an inch.
Every time his sword flashed, members fell, bleeding.
It was an overwhelming sight.
Ben Miles’s mind reeled.
The boundaries of common sense had collapsed.
‘This is the fool of Dmitri?’
Even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it.
For a criminal organization, information is life.
They knew exactly how pathetic and insignificant Roman was.
Revenge was selective.
If Roman had been someone formidable, they wouldn’t have dared.
But reality was different.
The Roman before him was nothing like the one they had known.
Ben Miles was terrified.
‘I need to run.’
But it was too late.
From the moment he stepped forward to deal with Roman, his options were limited.
And so, Ben Miles ended up like this.
The pain was unbearable, and the blood flowing from his forehead obscured his vision.
‘If this continues, I’ll die.’
It was instinct.
So he begged.
Clutching Roman’s pants, he sobbed.
"I was wrong. If you spare my life, I’ll do anything for you. I’ll give you the Blood Fang organization and all the treasures we’ve accumulated. Please, spare me. Think of me as a worthless dog you’re sparing. If you show me mercy just this once, you’ll gain a dog who will lay down his life for you."
He was desperate.
The onlookers’ gazes didn’t matter.
He was struggling to survive, willing to give up everything.
Roman stopped walking.
"A dog who will lay down his life for me."
He chuckled.
By now, they had reached the center of the square.
Roman looked down at Ben Miles.
"You should’ve made that decision before you bared your fangs at me."
"P-please, young master..."
Crack!
Roman grabbed Ben Miles’s head tightly.
Then, he addressed the crowd.
"The man I’m holding is the leader of Blood Fang, who has been sucking the blood of innocent citizens through usury. You all know how vile Blood Fang is."
The crowd murmured.
The conversation between Roman Dmitri and Ben Miles left them stunned.
The atmosphere was tense.
Roman did what he had intended to do since setting foot in Lawrence.
"Blood Fang has extended its reach to Dmitri. They’ve used despicable methods to plunge Dmitri’s citizens into despair and even attempted to kill me for interfering. Blood Fang’s crimes are clear. Therefore, in front of all of you, I will uproot this evil."
There was no time to close his eyes.
As soon as he finished speaking.
Thud!
Roman slammed Ben Miles’s face into the ground.
Blood splattered.
Ben Miles’s face was crushed, and his pupils dilated.
That was the end.
The man who had been dragged here, pleading for his life countless times, now lay motionless.
The crowd held their breath.
Even in a world where death was commonplace, the scene they had just witnessed was shocking.
And then.
"Young master?!"
Jonathan and the Dmitri Knights arrived, their faces filled with horror.
They had arrived too late.
Meanwhile, outside where the incident was unfolding, Flora was pacing in front of her father’s office.
"... Sigh."
She sighed.
After visiting the Dmitri territory, she had formally announced her intention to break off the engagement.
But she still hadn’t told her father the truth.
Breaking off the engagement.
For Lawrence, this was a crisis.
Her father’s plans to solve problems using Dmitri’s resources would fall apart.
And as a father who had raised Flora as a precious jewel, his disappointment would be immense.
She couldn’t face her father’s disappointed expression.
When she declared the annulment, she thought it was the right thing to do for her life.
But faced with reality, Flora had become a coward.
‘Yes, I’ll tell him.
It’s my life.
I can’t be sold off to a man I don’t love through a political marriage.’
She steeled herself.
Even if it was a political marriage, she wanted to marry someone she could respect, not a fool like Roman Dmitri.
This was the right choice.
As Flora was about to open the door.
"Lord! Lord!"
A soldier came running, out of breath.
It seemed something big had happened.
He barely acknowledged Flora before rushing into the office.
Flora was left bewildered.
The door closed in front of her, and questions filled her mind.
"... What’s going on?"
She had no way of knowing.
Outside the building, the man she had unilaterally broken off the engagement with, Roman, had just caused a shocking event.