Chapter 98: The Time Has Come (3)
Chapter 98: The Time Has Come (3)
"For today, I'll call it a draw. We'll pick up the rest next time."
The moment those words registered, the Legion Commanders forgot to manage their expressions and revealed their sheer exasperation before they could stop themselves.
Fortunately, the 0th Legion Commander Demon Arut turned his head away without seeing any more of their faces. They'd nearly been in serious trouble.
The Legion Commanders froze as they realized their blunder, but only for a moment. The silence that had fallen over the training ground, so quiet one could hear breathing, shattered the instant Demon Arut vanished from sight.
The first to break the silence was the 1st Legion Commander, Jeikar.
"......Does he truly mean to see one of the two utterly obliterated before he's satisfied?"
"Seems like you picked the wrong fight. Don't you think so, Derneban?"
"......."
Dvelania's mockery didn't land. Derneban, without a word, simply dusted off his clothes and moved to stand behind Oel.
Just as an awkward silence was about to descend once more, Oel—whether by coincidence or design—brought up a different topic.
"Didn't he tell you to put him down? So why is Trover still alive? If he really hated it, Trover would be dead for defying him. Ah, or could it be that? His mouth says no but his body...."
"Lady Oel, that is not a phrase to be used here."
"It's not?"
"No."
At this nonsensical exchange, Dvelania clutched her stomach and rolled around. Oblivious to the scowls from the other commanders nearby, she laughed for a good long while before finally managing to stop, wiping at her eyes.
A languid voice still laced with amusement delivered a reply one beat late.
"Demon-nim is usually moderate about things, so he probably disliked it but not to the point of killing. Ah, no. If he truly hated it, he wouldn't have let Trover get his hands on him in the first place. So did he actually enjoy it? It seems Oel might be right after all. His mouth says no, but his body...."
"Enough. Dvelania, not you too. What are we supposed to do with you?"
Controlling this uncontrollably eccentric bunch of Legion Commanders fell, once again, to the 1st Legion Commander.
With the exception of the anomalous 0th Legion Commander, Jeikar was the only one who commanded the recognition of every commander. As always, he adroitly settled the situation and dispersed the gathered commanders.
There were no particular restrictions on meetings or exchanges among the Legion Commanders, but these were individuals who caused nothing but incidents the more they gathered, so it was best to scatter them for the time being.
* * *
My worry that Trover would ask to spar again after a week, thankfully, never became a reality.
Exactly one week later, the Demon King summoned me.
"Welcome."
He rose from his seat to greet me as I entered the office, smoothly guiding me to a spot. Whether by accident or intent, his hand brushed near my throat.
A subtle sense of discomfort that couldn't be ignored made me flick my eyes sideways. In a mirror on one wall of the office, I spotted a black brand on my neck that definitely hadn't been there before I arrived.
"......?"
"Ah, surprised?"
Well, of course....
I knew that carving this thing was an implicit declaration that he intended to send me to the Empire. I'd vaguely sensed the time was approaching.
But so abruptly?
While I stood there, failing to hide my bewilderment, the Demon King, seated once more, slid a separately colored map toward me.
"Before I explain, want to take a look at this first?"
The map showed the Empire and several surrounding kingdoms all painted in the same color. Combined, the territory covered nearly half the continent....
'Half?'
Already?
I raised my head with a jolt. My eyes met the Demon King's head-on, as if he'd been watching for my reaction the whole time.
The Inverse Eyes, unreadable since the very first time I'd seen them, curved into a smile as if showing off. The Demon King tapped the map idly with his fingertips.
"The Empire really does live up to its name, apparently. At this rate, they'll swallow half the continent soon. No, they definitely will."
"......."
"The kingdom they're currently attempting to subjugate is Esperanes. The smallest kingdom on this map. Considering the Empire's scale, I suspect their gates won't hold out much longer."
"......."
"Now, here's the question. Will the Empire be satisfied and stop here? Or will they ride that momentum and push forward?"
There wasn't a single person in this room who didn't know the answer.
The Demon King leaned back, resting against the back of his chair. His interlocked hands settled calmly on the desk, and he tilted his head toward the ceiling.
"I've never met that Emperor in person, but I know his general character. He likely won't stop. He'll keep conquering kingdoms, unify the continent, and turn his blade, left with nowhere else to go, toward the Demon Realm. There's no reason for me to sit back and watch that happen."
"......."
"You know what I'm going to say next, don't you?"
I nodded slowly.
He intended to force his way into the Empire's game, which had been building a dominant board.
Flip the board, change the game itself.
If it had been a territorial struggle within the human world until now, from here on it would be a war for survival between the human world and the Demon Realm.
'The Emperor is going to be quite furious.'
The Demon King had just announced his intention to obstruct the Empire's war of conquest.
The time had come for me to be on the Empire's side once again.
Waving his hand gently at me, the Demon King smiled brightly.
"Off you go. You don't have to bring back a gift or anything this time. Though if you do, make sure it's only something for me."
By which he meant something like 'information.'
Unlike the weight of the content, his tone was remarkably breezy.
* * *
Once Deon had withdrawn, the Demon King slumped back and spun in his chair lazily.
The current situation—the Demon Realm making a move—would feel to the Emperor like picking a fight. Given the Emperor's character, he never avoided a quarrel; he would likely prepare for all-out war with the Demon Realm.
Eyes lost in thought stared endlessly at the ceiling. A low murmur filled the silent office.
"From now on, I'll have to use Deon Hart sparingly."
My useful but dangerous card.
Thinking about him made a laugh slip out unbidden.
'If it were up to me, I wouldn't want to send him....'
Weighing the gains and losses of sending him to the Empire, it would be safer and better not to send him at all.
But that would be a violation of the rules.
This was a psychological battle and a contest of pride between the Demon King and the Emperor, with Deon Hart placed at the center. The one who tried to detain or kill him when he had to go would be the coward, the loser.
As the Demon King who hoped this amusing game would not end too soon, keeping Deon Hart bound to the Demon Realm was not an option.
"Things are going to get very tiresome going forward."
He raised a hand and pressed at his eyes. Unlike the hidden eyes, his exposed mouth was clearly smiling.
The chair, which had been spinning round and round, came to an abrupt halt before the desk. The Demon King lowered his hand from his eyes, dropping his gaze to take in the map.
Where his gaze landed existed the smallest kingdom on the map.
"Well... a long history doesn't necessarily dictate the size of one's power."
He had seen long histories and traditions shattered by new power time and time again.
So, however much it might be the oldest kingdom on the map, it would inevitably crumble before the Empire.
Regardless, the Imperial family was what required focus right now. He reached out and touched the communication stone.
-Yes, Your Majesty! This is Trover!
"Go back to the border now."
-Huh? Ah, no, understood.
He'd thrown his duties aside and come here in the first place simply because he was bored and restless. The only reason no one had said anything was because nothing had gone wrong yet. Trover knew perfectly well that if a problem had occurred, his head would have flown off long ago.
In such a situation, how could he dare question the Demon King telling him to go back?
Even the 9th Legion Commander Trover, who normally acted thoughtlessly, had no choice but to quietly pack his bags at this moment.
* * *
The Demon King meant to interfere with the Emperor's board. A clash was bound to happen. It was blindingly obvious my workload was about to increase.
Would situations arise where I'd not only have to deal in information but also take up a weapon directly and leap into combat?
'Fuck, do I have to stuff cloth in my mouth and go through that shit again?'
The blood that spurted from my mouth unpredictably, at any time, was a weakness.
Especially during the Eight-Year War, when I had no one to rely on, I used to cram cloth into my mouth and hide it with a mask. There was even a time I nearly suffocated to death doing that.
'No, wait. No. Everyone already knows my body's in bad shape now, so it won't matter much.'
They'd find their own convenient explanations.
Like the Demon King's curse, or the aftereffects of stopping the Hero's self-destruction, or something.
"Ed, I'll be going to the human world."
"Ah, yes. Will you be going alone this time as well?"
"Yes."
"I will make preparations."
Ed stood up immediately and walked briskly to open the door. He came face-to-face with Hien, who was cradling a bizarre plant in his arms.
"......."
"......."
The door slowly began to close. Before it could shut completely, a foot slipped inside.
"Get that foot out of here before I cut it off."
"J-just a moment with Demon-nim...."
"Tell me."
"Then could you at least deliver this to Demon-nim for me...."
Kieeeeh.
A dark red flower I'd never seen before shyly let out a monstrous shriek. Ed's expression twisted in irritation as he observed the squirming thing.
"What is that bizarre flower? Are you trying to give that thing to Demon-nim right now?"
"I planted and raised it from the seeds Demon-nim gave me."
"What a very lovely flower."
"......."
"......."
No, wait a moment. You planted and raised it from seeds I gave you? That—that thing?
What I gave him was a rose seed. There's absolutely no way it could ever grow.
While I was frozen speechless with confusion, Ed glanced at me sideways, looked at the flower once more, cleared his throat loudly, and stepped aside.
"......Come in."
Hien anxiously gauged the atmosphere and cautiously stepped into the room.
Ed, who had been eyeing him with displeasure, bowed his head deeply toward me.
"Then I will take my leave to go prepare."
"......."
Don't leave me alone.
My silent scream never reached him. Ed left the room, and I, now alone with Hien, cautiously shifted my eyes to examine the plant in the pot.
Looking closely, it did somewhat resemble a rose. The petals sort of looked like rose petals. I'll just pretend I didn't see the whole squirming and moving part.
How on earth did he grow this?
"That is...."
"Ah, you recognize it after all! I've finally managed to bloom the seed Demon-nim gave me! Normally, a seed sprouts within three days of planting, but the seed from Demon-nim was truly different somehow—it barely sprouted after a full week!"
Which is exactly why it shouldn't have been able to sprout at all.
"To be honest, I couldn't bear to let the seed Demon-nim gave me go to waste, so I injected a bit of mana into it."
"Ah, so that's why this monstrous lifeform...."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. But wasn't the use of magic prohibited?"
"I didn't use magic. I simply injected mana. Fortunately, it absorbed it well and grew up nice and fast."
Hien stopped there and looked at me, eyes shining. Under that gaze which seemed to expect something, I fell silent for a moment before speaking in an uncertain tone.
"Well... good work."
"Yes!"
"......."
"Ah, and please take this! It's my thanks for allowing me to cultivate such precious seeds!"
Kieeeeh.
No, if it's supposed to be a thank-you gift, shouldn't it be something nice? Why something like this...?
With a complicated look, I stared at the flower set on the table, then reached out and pushed the pot away. My fingertips trembled at the mere thought of my hand accidentally touching the flower.
"It's... alright."
"Huh? Why... Ah, don't worry. This flower would never attack Demon-nim. I made sure to train it thoroughly."
What is it, an animal?
"I heard you're heading to the human world. Wouldn't you like an escort to deal with troublesome nuisances at the lower levels before they reach you?"
"......What does this thing eat?"
"Ah, well... truthfully, I'm not entirely sure myself. It seems to eat all sorts of things, but it also seems like it doesn't really need to eat anything...."
"All sorts of things...."
"Things like demonic beasts, humans, or demons."
"It's definitely fine. I don't need it."
It eats humans! No matter how "thoroughly trained" it is, what if it tries to eat me!
Instantly, Hien's face fell. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate his effort and sincerity, and I did feel a bit sorry, but my life was more precious.
Just as I was desperately looking away from him, a knock came at the door.
"Demon-nim, this is Ed."
"Come in!"
The moment Ed entered, I shot to my feet. Ed's puzzled gaze landed on me.
I looked him straight in the eye and then pointed at Hien with my eyes. In short, this was the message:
'Let's swap.'
I'll flee for a bit—no, I'll just step away—so you deal with him somehow.
"I'll just step out to the restroom for a moment."
"Huh?"
"Well then."
I hurried into the bathroom attached to the room, ignoring the bewildered stares that latched onto my back.