Chapter 150 The Greedy Collector (2)
That Time.
At Dmitri’s gymnasium, training was going on for a long time.
tadak.
It was Chris.
Chris, who was watching the opponent with fierce eyes, tried to attack with lightning-like movements.
slap.
The attack missed.
Chris’ attack was so fast that it was hard to follow with the eyes, but Roman let the opponent’s attack flow with concise movements.
Still, Chris didn’t look embarrassed.
As if he had expected it, he blocked Roman’s retreat by launching a linked attack as if he was rushing forward.
It was a sharp attack.
The watching soldiers held their breath, and Chris, who exchanged dozens of attacks in an instant, seized the opportunity.
‘Now.’
That moment.
sudden!
“… ?!”
Suddenly, Roman came in.
The timing I thought was the perfect opportunity.
A single counterattack completely disrupted Chris’ breathing, and he continued to push until he fell to the floor.
“Chris’ aim was good. There was nothing wrong with the process of predicting the number of opponents and driving them into a corner. The problem is the timing to decide the winner. When the power is instantaneously released in a smooth attack. Inevitably, there will be gaps between attacks. It is a problem that cannot be solved in a general way. If the opponent is a skilled player who can attack the gap, he must have a clear card to knock the opponent off balance before a decisive attack.”
“… I will keep that in mind.”
There was no sign of resentment.
A natural result.
No matter how many times Roman attacked, he didn’t seem to be shaken, so he boldly attacked when he thought it was an opportunity.
The price of failure is experience.
Roman Dmitri demonstrated how an opponent stronger than himself could counterattack, and Chris showed no signs of shame even though he rolled on the floor in a shabby look.
Other soldiers did the same.
People praised Chris and other soldiers for their performance on the southern front and their performance in the tournament, but no matter what evaluation they received, they did not lose their beginner’s heart in front of Roman.
outside.
Roman was an overwhelming presence.
Those who followed such an existence did not dare to show an attitude of being caught off guard and complacent.
“next.”
Dalian proceeded one after another.
After Chris, Kevin McBurney Henderson and so on.
they collapsed miserably.
The sparring with Roman was a practice that was repeated every day, and he had never successfully attacked Roman.
Still, they clung to training like tenacity.
Knowing that the more they fight against Roman, the stronger they become, so even if they lose, they try to learn from it.
Dmitry’s gymnasium.
It was stained with the men’s sweat and rough breathing.
When the training that had been going on for a long time finally ended, Hans, who had been waiting from afar, approached.
“young master. A guest has arrived.”
“Guide me.”
presence of guests.
I already knew.
When Roman moved his gaze, he saw the figure of the Marquis Valentino waiting with a flushed expression.
* * *
The wait was quite long.
Marquis Valentino waited for two hours at the gymnasium, but did not feel bored at all during that time.
‘Is this Roman Dmitri’s class?’
Soldiers including Chris.
Not everyone was an ordinary skill.
As they proved their skills in this competition, each of them showed enough skills to occupy a place in a tolerable noble family.
In particular, Chris’ presence was overwhelming.
He showed swordsmanship to the extent that ordinary people couldn’t follow him, and he thought that if he was as good as Chris, he would be able to chew on the Northeast area.
Even so.
It was no match against Roman.
The moment the swordsmen who had a strong presence faced Roman, their presence faded like a fading flame.
‘Recently, there is a topic that is causing a topic in the Cairo Kingdom. What rank will Roman Dmitri, who defeated Hector Kingdom’s ranking number 2, be given in Cairo Kingdom? Some of the more skeptical would say he was in his mid-twenties and that it might have been a fluke for knocking out Butler, but Roman Dmitri, who I’ve seen firsthand, is not a man to be underestimated. A presence that casually knocks out talented people like Chris. He has more overwhelming skills than the public’s evaluation.’
My heart raced.
If it was simply a superior existence.
It wouldn’t have made the Marquis of Valentino so excited.
‘The greatest talent of the Kingdom of Cairo. I have the sword he forged.’
It was a great symbol.
At the thought of meeting such a being, I was excited as if I were meeting a beautiful opposite sex, and while I was walking to the reception room, I was tidying up my clothes.
Aside from the value of the name Marquis Valentino. I wanted to look good as a person to person.
“This is Roman Dmitry.”
Let’s get to the reception room.
Roman asked for a handshake first.
Moment.
It felt like my heart would explode.
Thinking that he had made a famous sword with that hand, Marquis Valentino wiped his hands on his pants and joined hands.
“This is the Marquis of Valentino.”
“Please sit down.”
“thank you.”
It was a strange atmosphere.
Although the two had not met for the first time, the burning eyes of the Marquis Valentino made the reception room feel hot.
The Marquis Valentino could hardly hide his emotions.
It was the first time he met Roman Dmitri, but the single fact he confirmed formed an infinite affinity for Roman.
He said.
“The reason I came to see Roman is because of Blaze. I think you know what a blaze is. I was surprised that such a great treasure was released on the auction house, and I won the bid thinking that I had to get it somehow. To be honest, I’ve been looking for a lot of places to find out who made the blaze. And today, I came to find Dmitri as my final destination.”
The voice was slightly elevated.
people said
As a collector, Marquis Valentino’s aspirations are great.
It was a pure emotion that wasn’t false, and that’s why he didn’t assert the power of the Marquis in front of Roman.
“Mr Roman. Are you really the one who created the blaze?”
I asked directly.
Eyes stained with longing.
It was a funny situation.
I didn’t know that the intention to find out the value of the sword would lead directly to this result.
‘People call the Marquis of Valentino a greedy collector.’
Blaze’s Auction.
conducted anonymously.
Rather than trying to hide his identity, he hoped that the value of his name would not dictate the value of the sword.
blast furnace.
“you’re right.”
There was no reason to hide it.
A statement that acknowledges the facts.
The Marquis Valentino could not contain the burst of joy.
* * *
Marquis of Valentino.
There is no one in the kingdom of Cairo who does not know him.
Aside from his nickname as the greedy collector, he was always mentioned when explaining Cairo’s power system.
‘Among the forces of neutrality. He is the most powerful person.’
four factions.
The King’s faction, the Aristocratic faction, the Cronus Imperial faction, the Valhalla Imperial faction.
They shared the power of the Cairo kingdom and always hoped to rise to the top while keeping the rest in check.
In the process, the Marquis Valentino was quite attractive.
His wealth, which dominated Cairo’s commercial districts, had the power to upset the balance of power, but he remained adamant even after years of love calls from four factions.
he said.
“I am not interested in power. No matter who takes power, Valentino always wants to be in the same place.”
It was a clever choice.
From the moment he firmly supports one faction, everything he does is inevitably involved in a faction fight.
So I stayed in the middle.
cover your eyes
shut up
Regardless of how Cairo worked, he focused on his hobbies, earning money.
A key figure in Cairo.
It’s not about what to say.
Such a great person reacted like a girl fan to the truth Roman revealed.
“also! Roman-sama is the one who created Blaze! What an honor! You have no idea how much I wanted to meet Roman. When I first saw Blaze at the Adelian Auction House, I felt as if lightning had fallen from the sky. How the hell did you make such a famous sword? I heard that Dmitri is a sacred place for blacksmiths, so you inherited your father’s lineage?”
The question bites the tail.
pure fandom.
He had no malicious intent.
He really wanted to meet Roman, and as he was asking about this and that, his eyes went to Roman’s sword.
“… If you really don’t mind, can I take a look at that sword?”
A request to see the sword.
It was something that would not have been allowed on the battlefield.
but.
Roman handed over the sword.
It was not to trust the opponent, but to understand the intention of the Marquis Valentino who accepted the sword.
gulp.
Marquis Valentino swallowed dryly.
As if accepting a huge treasure, carefully touched the sword and checked here and there.
‘… What is this?’
I was astonished.
Blaze and Salamander.
It’s a shockingly great sword.
That alone made him full of respect for Roman, but Darkness was on a completely different level.
A heavy sword that seems to hold darkness.
The eyes of the Marquis Valentino, who had experienced numerous famous swords, recognized the true value of Darkness at once, and his eyes trembled in surprise.
Roman Dmitry was a great craftsman.
It also showed a gradual development, not a flame that cooled down by making a masterpiece of a lifetime.
The first sword Salamander.
The second sword, Blaze.
The third sword, Darkness.
‘Every time a new sword is made, it is showing rapid growth. If Roman Dmitri is called the greatest genius of all time as a swordsman, it is no different in the world of blacksmiths. How much greater will the sword that this monster will create in the future? And if Roman Dmitri gains a reputation as a craftsman, the sword he creates will be recognized for its immense value.’
It was so shocking that I was about to laugh.
Blaze.
People thought it was overinvested in just one sword.
I don’t know if that’s common sense, but while checking Darkness, Marquis Valentino saw the future.
Roman Dmitry.
He will be called the best swordsman and the best craftsman.
Took.
put down the sword
Marquis Valentino looked at Roman and showed a rather serious expression.
“Even if I ask you to sell this sword, I don’t think you will ever agree. That’s why I’m telling you, can I make a special suggestion to Roman-nim?”
* * *
Special offer.
There were two conditions.
“first. If you are going to sell the sword, please give me a chance.”
It was a personal desire.
If Roman found a new master, as in the case of Blaze, Marquis Valentino wanted to become that master.
“second. If you make a new sword, please let me know. No, if possible, I would like to see what kind of sword it is. Place and time don’t matter. Whether it’s in Dmitry, in a faraway country, or in a remote area that doesn’t allow human footsteps. If Roman-sama allows it, I would like to go and check the state of the famous sword.”
His eyes gleamed with longing.
Roman didn’t answer.
Marquis of Valentino.
The Cairo tycoon was burning alone.
Rather than ask questions to get his intentions, I waited for him to vomit all his thoughts to himself.
“If you promise me two things, the Valentino family will support Dmitri in the future.”
that remark.
Exceeded expectations.
Rather than simply being greedy as a collector, he made a statement that he would give up his neutral position.
It was fun.
Roman looked into the eyes of the other while drinking tea.
“Do you know what that means?”
“Of course I know. The Valentino family has maintained a neutral position. Thanks to that, there were no special problems while running the guild, and people started calling the Valentino family the most wealthy in Cairo.”
“Then why do you want to support Dmitri? I don’t think it’s just because of the desire to collect. The Valentino family sacrifices too much to satisfy the needs of the Marquis Valentino.”
neutral force.
That he takes a side.
Even if the opponents are not the four powers, it is inconvenient for those in power who divide Cairo into quarters.
Marquis Valentino said.
“I will be honest. In fact, four factions have been putting a lot of pressure on us lately. In a situation where the power struggle in Cairo is getting more and more intense, Valentino can’t keep a neutral position forever. So, I was constantly thinking about which faction to support. Would you prefer the noble faction, the Kronos imperial faction, or the Valhalla imperial faction? In the meantime, I heard a rumor that Roman Dmitri defeated the northern lords and established the ‘Dmitri Alliance’.”
Just a suggestion.
It is not an instantaneous judgment.
Until meeting Roman, Marquis Valentino thoroughly calculated his profit and loss.
“People call me a greedy collector. I pay a fair price for things of value, but not limited to things. I also really like investing in people. When a person who is still undervalued develops and achieves something, it gives a tremendous pleasure that cannot be felt by collecting.”
Roman Dmitry.
His behavior was unconventional.
People simply focused on the names of the enemies he defeated.
However, the Marquis of Valentino noticed that the leadership Roman had shown so far was unusual.
and.
Dmitry Alliance.
Dmitry, who, like himself, kept a neutral position, showed a movement to get out of neutral for the first time.
“Of the four factions in Cairo, there is none that I will follow. But with Roman, it’s a different story. Watching how they took control of the Northeast area, which seemed like a mess, at once, I decided that the Dmitri family led by Roman was worth investing in. furthermore. I even confirmed that he was the craftsman who created Blaze, so there’s no reason I don’t like Roman-nim, right?”
“Dmitry already has a lot of money. Is there any reason to accept the Valentino family as an ally while being checked by the central government?”
It was as expected of Marquis Valentino.
The other person had no intention of following the trend, and the question just now proved that he had the courage to do so.
It was great.
The richest man in Cairo.
They were not accepted as necessary.
“I am well aware of how much wealth Dmitry has amassed. but.”
More benefits.
Marquis Valentino laughed.
“Isn’t more money better? There are not many things I wish for. If I can establish a relationship with Roman in the future, as long as Valentino is alive and well in Cairo, I will do anything for Dmitri.”
Collector’s instinct.
The sense that brought Marquis Valentino up to his current position strongly desired Roman Dmitri.
