133. Tightrope walking (7)
…I’d better go back as expected. I know that disobeying the words of either of the two monarchs in the current situation is a dangerous action that could put one’s life at risk, but wouldn’t it be right to avoid death at hand? If I leave the death that comes after that to my future self, things will work out somehow.
‘My life has never been like a candle in the wind.’
It’s been like this ever since the day we went to war, so there’s nothing new about it.
‘I’ felt a sudden surge of stress and closed my eyes tightly. My complicated mind became clear and my mental fatigue went away a little.
‘Oh, I’m craving medicine. Even alcohol…’
I’ve always been like that, so even though I quit taking drugs a long time ago, I wonder why I crave it so much these days.
Anyway, let’s go back first. As I made that decision and turned around, a vibration came from the communication box I had in my arms.
‘what? Did I take a wrong turn?’
I think I got the direction right….
With a brief question, I took out the communication table. As soon as I connected the communication, what I heard was a short groan that sounded like pain.
“What… did I take a wrong turn?”
– no. Deon better get ready. The work may end sooner than you think. The monster is moving that way now.
“…yes!?”
I was trying to run away now.
The ground shakes slightly, as if to let you know that it is already too late to run away. … Yes, I was at a level that I could handle on my own. Let me see your face somewhere.
I turned my head to find the source of the vibration. I could see a tree on one side crashing down, revealing five or six large monsters.
…Haha.
‘Is this something I can handle on my own? I’m serious?’
How high did you rate my level?
They say there aren’t that many of them, but that number is definitely smaller than the other groups of monsters I’ve encountered so far.
It’s small, but…
‘He’s no joke!’
The tree is broken! I didn’t mean to destroy it, I just moved it!
After silence, I barely opened my mouth. Even so, my voice did not tremble and I calmly called out to the other person.
“Demon King?”
– Oh yeah. If you leave the communication seat on, it will be a distraction, right? I’ll hang up first. Please contact me when you’re finished organizing.
Pop.
….
“Shii…bal….”
The hand holding the communication seat suddenly gained strength. I wanted to just throw it away and vent all my anger, but…
I quietly lowered my gaze. The communication seat is fine, but only the hand that gave strength has turned white and is trembling, a pitiful sight.
After taking a quick look at it, I relaxed my hands and put the communication stone in my arms.
Yes, living comes first. Even though my body is already weak, I can’t relax my strength in unnecessary places.
“Okay, let’s see who dies, you bastards.”
I took out my familiar dagger and glared at the guys running towards me.
And I remember my head gradually rising as the distance got closer…
‘Did I go crazy when I realized how ridiculously large it was?’
I don’t remember anything after that.
***
They also failed to kill Deon Hart. Some of them were even eliminated by an unknown person before they could reach Deonhardt.
The duke quietly crumpled the note he was reading in his hand and raised the corners of his mouth. His gaze rose and he made eye contact with the other nobles standing in front of him.
…It’s annoying, but dealing with them should be a priority right now.
“So… why did you come to me without any message?”
That’s how many people do it.
I moved my eyes from left to right and slowly looked at the people in front of me. Familiar faces. If they weren’t from the aristocratic faction, they would have been kicked out right away.
While I was swallowing my subtle regret with my tea, one of the people who had been sitting on the sofa watching me mustered up the courage to boldly open my mouth.
“I think the emperor is crazy.”
“oh.”
That’s too bold.
It’s not completely wrong, but it’s not something to say out loud like this. Should I say that it is fortunate that we inherited the users in advance?
I slowly put down the glass I was holding. Once I took the attitude of listening, others seemed to gain courage and began to raise their claims loudly.
“From the beginning, it was a war at a disadvantage for the empire. Even if you win or lose, it’s still a loss.”
“We have to stop it now.”
“It is still early in the war, so it is not too late.”
It is true that it is a war at a disadvantage for the empire, and it is true that it is a loss whether it wins or loses. If you can block it, it’s right to block it, but…
The duke lifted his delicate hand and placed it on his chin, tilting his head. Her purple hair flowed to the side as she moved.
“What is the reason you come to me and make your claim? “All I have to do is give advice to His Majesty.”
“The emperor… doesn’t you know?”
Well, that’s true.
Even if you rebuke, it’s lucky if your head doesn’t fly off. Because the emperor is especially merciless towards the noble faction.
“…great. “You insisted that we should stop it, but is there any way to do it?”
“that.”
“For your information, this war has already occurred. Even if you want to stop here, there is a possibility that the Demon Lord will not accept it. “It will have to be a plan that takes all of this into account.”
Even so, I am on edge after hearing some unsatisfactory news. If the plan you come up with is clumsy, it would be a good idea to be prepared.
The Duke smiled brightly as he put the crumpled note in his clenched hand into the remaining teacup. The nobles, who sensed something ominous, trembled as if they were not completely oblivious.
Still, I opened my mouth to see if I was in the room I had brought with me.
“I’m going to hit the emperor’s… neck.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very good method.
The duke stopped and couldn’t believe his ears at the sudden suggestion of treason.
“…I beg your pardon?”
“The Demon King said that he would retreat if the empire made no further moves. But the Emperor is a warmonger. Rather, they welcome the war against the demon world and have no intention of stopping it. So…”
“—You will stop the war by beheading the emperor?”
“If we hand over the emperor’s head to the devil, won’t the devil know what we mean and retreat?”
“Ha…”
That’s stupid.
As he was looking at them, the duke felt like his head was pounding for no reason, so he quietly closed his eyes. Negative emotions such as anger and irritation boil over, but then subside under the pressure of cold reason.
Perhaps due to the aftermath of the rapid emotions that soared to the point of explosion, a voice close to lament came out weakly.
“Why don’t you know that that’s what the Demon King wants?”
“…yes?”
“Have you ever thought about why the Demon King said that when he declared war?”
“yes? “That’s right…”
He trails off. I tried waiting for a while just in case, but there was no answer.
That really is a noble of the empire.
“Of course it led to internal strife, didn’t it? Aiming for division within the human world and division within the empire! “The devil is trying to create strife against humanity!”
Oops. Voices rose unexpectedly.
The Duke wiped his face and lifted the teacup in front of him, then found the note he had put in a moment ago and calmly put it down. I can’t call the employee because of the topic we’re talking about right now, so I have no choice but to endure it.
The brief silence that had fallen for a moment was broken by a calmer voice again.
“You must have learned history with the basic knowledge of an aristocrat.”
“Yes, yes… of course…”
“Then you understand. “What was the cause of the majority of countries failing?”
“….”
There is no answer again.
This country is bad. Even if it wasn’t because of the monarch, it was because of his subjects. Even the emperor knows the importance of history, so where did such stupid nobles come from?
As I once again see the shortcomings of the hereditary system before my eyes, I feel the urge to wholeheartedly support those calling for revolution. Of course, it’s just a fleeting impulse.
The duke sighed and calmly answered.
“It’s an internal dispute.”
“Ah….”
What is ‘Ah….’?
Of course, the proportion of countries that collapsed due to foreign powers has increased due to the current emperor, but ultimately, throughout history, the cause of the fall of almost all countries was internal strife.
“On the outside, it may seem like it collapsed due to foreign forces, but if you look into the details, there were many cases where it was already in a precarious state due to internal strife.”
When a country is in trouble due to internal strife, another country suddenly touches it and it collapses.
“But… dividing the nobles into various factions and fighting against each other has been the practice since before this country became an empire. According to what the duke said, this country will soon…”
“Oh my god.”
You can’t even tell the difference between political confrontation.
A sigh comes out of nowhere. The duke looked at them in bewilderment, not even thinking about removing the hair that had flowed down like a curtain.
“…Who said confrontation was bad? “Political confrontation is a natural and natural phenomenon that inevitably appears in order to achieve better results.”
“Then, just now…”
“However, the confrontation and the replacement of the emperor must be done depending on the situation. Even if such a thing were to be done while the country was still intact, would it be dangerous to engage in a confrontation in a situation where there is a threat from foreign powers? “That’s crazy.”
How many times does your blood pressure rise today? There are limits to suppressing with reason.
The duke raised his hand, pressed his forehead, and spoke quietly.
“All nobles have a basic obligation to protect their country, whether politically or militarily. No matter how divided our factions are, if a foreign force attempts to invade, we must join forces to drive them out. “The fight is what comes after.”
Who do you think you are eating well and living well right now?
Protecting the people of the empire is the number one duty of nobles and monarchs. Out of frustration, sharp words well up in my throat.
I swallowed them hard, placed my clasped hands on my crossed knees, and smiled brightly at those who were just looking at me.
“The words leaked to a slightly different place, but you understand now. This means that the thoughts the monks have now were induced by the devil. How can you believe the devil’s words in the first place? There are rumors throughout the continent that demons are prone to lies. “Even if you hand over the emperor’s head and receive a promise of peace, will they protect you?”
“….”
“So, in the current situation, beheading the emperor is consistent with destroying this country and handing over the human world to the devil. “Do you want to wear the crown alone in a collapsed country and play the role of a master with no one to cater to you?”
Of course, before you can even play such a meaningless game of house, you will already be dead and only corpses will be lying around.
Anyway, I think I understood it correctly as intended. The nobles, whose faces turned pale, hurriedly waved their hands.
“Oh no.”
“We were foolish.”
“…Your Majesty has said this over and over again. It is a sin for the person standing on top to be foolish. “I think you need to know why history is one of the basic skills of nobles.”
I thought they wouldn’t leave me alone if they came with a clumsy plan… but when they came up with a plan that was stupider than I could imagine, I lost my strength.
The duke, who was suddenly tired, raised his hand and gave the order to congratulate the guests.
“I also need to find out the truth about the rumor about the Honorable Marquis Adeon Hardt’s vampire theory…” “
…Please leave.”
“yes yes!”
In the space left behind after the people who were watching hurriedly left, he remembered the note he had been looking at before those stupid nobles arrived.
‘Attacks always fail, and poisonings fail because people either overthrow the poisoned food by pretending it was a mistake or detect it before eating it…’
In addition, there is the protection of someone whose name is unknown.
In addition to formidable skill, unbelievable luck. To be honest, I’m a little disappointed, but…
‘…Whether it’s luck or skill, if I keep pushing until I succeed, it will happen someday.’
Because his thoughts had not yet changed, the duke did not withdraw his initial request for murder, telling him to try until he succeeded, saying he would give him as much money as he wanted.
