306. Commit a greater sin than anyone else (4)
After finishing the communication and getting ready to leave, Alethea felt anxious eyes following behind her and looked back. She paused for a moment when faced with an expression that seemed in fact desperate, but then smiled and took a step closer to her brother.
“Brother.”
“….”
Lindel Reiner left the scene a long time ago as soon as the communication ended.
In the space where only the two of them were left, Alethea dared to hold the emperor’s face with both hands and slightly lift it up.
A strong man who had been kind and gentle ever since he was the crown prince, and who showed no signs of weakness even when angry, was looking at me with an expression as if he were about to die.
I whispered softly as if to reassure him.
“I will definitely succeed.”
“…is that your feeling?”
“no. But…”
The lips rose in a pretty curve and spit out a familiar sentence.
“If it doesn’t work out, we have to make it happen.”
A remark that the former emperor’s uncle often made.
Oh really… I can’t win over my family. Elpidius laughed as if he was collapsing.
“Really… yes.”
“….”
“If it doesn’t work out, we have to make it happen.”
Alethea turns around. Leaving only a simple greeting, I set off on what may be my last journey without looking back.
Still, Elpidius could not catch her. I couldn’t stop it.
It’s not because he’s an emperor or because of political circumstances or anything like that. He just couldn’t break Aletea’s will.
‘Why did that kid become a hero?’
It would have been better if it had been me.
On the one hand, he blames Heaven, but on the other hand, he cannot help but understand that she has become a hero and becomes despairing. Because right now, she was truly showing behavior worthy of a ‘hero’.
“After all, you should have been the emperor.”
In the alone space, Elpidius muttered lowly.
***
The decisive battle is just around the corner, and the entire human world is engulfed in war clouds.
‘…No, since the demons have departed, the war has already begun.’
The King of the Mountain Kingdom, who had cut off communication, looked back at Saerin, who was standing on one side.
The tension caused by the approaching war lingered between the two, so Yeonhwa looked at her for a moment and then calmly opened her mouth.
“After the war is over… instead of leaving right away, how about taking a look around the country with Gwain?”
“….”
“There are a lot of pretty beautiful scenery. “You will be satisfied when you see it for yourself.”
This is an overly hopeful statement.
However, knowing that it was to relieve tension, Saerin relaxed her stiff expression and smiled mischievously, just as the other person intended.
“Aren’t you trying to manipulate me into relieving the aftermath of the war?”
“Did you get caught?”
***
The King of Rweche was quietly immersed in darkness.
It’s the second round… It’s the last chance to force what was originally supposed to end in the first round by bringing in all the power.
He was quietly looking into empty space as if drawing the future, and for a moment he muttered vaguely as if he were whispering.
“…I might lose.”
It is a war that we have a high chance of losing.
According to the words of the defeated country, it was always miserable, so it would be even more so in the Demon World, which is not even a human being. But I don’t regret it.
This was the only way left anyway.
“If we cannot protect the current generation, it is right to protect future generations.”
This is the best that a king of a country can do.
If you kill the current hero, even if not immediately, another hero will be born someday. Through this, future generations will have another opportunity.
That is why they willingly gave up the troops they had raised, the heroes they had worked hard to gather, and even food.
‘There is no such thing as love for humanity. If it weren’t for the fact that if other countries collapsed, Rweche would also collapse, we wouldn’t have provided support to other countries.’
To the King of Rweche, who has no family left, people are divided into two categories.
People of Rweche and those who are not.
There are nationals above foreigners. Unless there is a special situation like the present, what reason is there to support another country? Just feeding my people during a long drought is overwhelming.
The human world is not important.
The king had to protect the human world simply for his country.
That was it.
***
And.
The first snow fell prematurely in castles in each country.
From the warm climate of the Shan State to the middle kingdom located in the northern part of Rweche. It all happened simultaneously.
***
Maybe it was because it was a war situation, but Develania faithfully brought us information.
Maybe that’s why I’ve been seeing it here and there a lot these days, and it seems like it’s quite busy. Deon looked over the documents he had received and said indifferently.
“You seem to be moving around a lot these days.”
Devellania stopped walking towards the door and looked back with a smile on her face.
“I need to get information.”
“Meeting other corps commanders?”
“Because our troops’ information is also important.”
“okay?”
fluttering-.
In contrast to the tense atmosphere, documents are handed over lightly. Deon kept his eyes fixed on the documents and blurted out words without even giving Develania a glance.
“I guess it is because you say so.”
“….”
“Go out.”
The air surrounding him is incongruously gentle and carefree.
What on earth are you thinking? Devellania, who was examining Deon with narrowed eyes, could not wait long and had to come out with a nod.
Even if it isn’t, I’m busy because there are people I need to meet today.
‘Let me see, the appointment time is in 10 minutes.’
Luckily, I’ll be able to arrive just in time.
I wanted to stay closer to Deon a little longer, but it was a pity. Some of the contents of the documents I gave to Deon were leaked on purpose, but I haven’t seen the response.
Devellania, who was looking at the end of the noisy hallway as if a reaction was already coming, left her disappointment behind and kicked the ground. Just before encountering the culprits of the commotion, the shadow on one side of the hallway quickly disappeared like an afterimage.
Devellania arrived at his destination without being noticed by others using his nimble and flexible body and stood in front of the door of the abandoned warehouse.
How many people gathered? I placed my hand on the doorknob with a little curiosity. When I opened the door, I saw everyone inside turning their heads in this direction.
‘One two… Okay. ‘It’s all gathered.’
As she closed the door and entered inside, she narrowed her eyes.
“Have you made up your mind?”
“….”
“Well, coming here means that you’ve made up your mind. “You know that once you’ve come this far, there’s no turning back, right?”
He took the map out of his pocket and spread it out on the floor.
“Then I will take it as a positive and explain it, so listen carefully.”
***
Deon, who didn’t care whether D’Vellania went out or not, was only focused on reading the document.
It is said that other kingdoms attached to the Demon World are being closely monitored. Even if it is just a suspicion without any physical evidence, it is probably impossible to use it since it is under close surveillance.
‘It’s enough just to have troops spend on surveillance, so…’
Our military power isn’t so low that we have to use them anyway. Deon thought lightly and turned to the next chapter.
And I had to stop and fix my eyes on a word that caught my eye in the very first paragraph.
[The Primiro Knights are stationed near the place where the heroes are presumed to be.]
The Primiro Knights.
Aren’t you an elite knight corps led by Stigma Primiro? A trace left behind by my senior in the empire and proof of his competence.
‘What on earth are you thinking?’
No matter how elite they are, they cannot compare to warriors or heroes.
Putting ordinary people in the fight between heroes and warriors doesn’t mean they almost have to die.
Elpidius, who seemed to have carried out this, or the monarchs who just watched it happen… they sighed, doubting whether they were truly sane.
‘I’m tired just from being a hero, but even your knights…’
I glanced down and saw blood trickling slightly above my waist.
…If we go beyond killing the heroes and kill those who were part of the senior knights’ order, how far will this go? Can I, who is the culprit of everything in a battlefield where so many lives are fleetingly lost, not be swallowed up by this?
‘…I have to return to the Demon King’s Castle alive.’
How did I get here?
You can’t die from hallucinations or something like that before you achieve your goal.
‘It’s safer not to kill the knights with the premium, but…’
Each corps commander and corps have to attack the castles of three countries, so there is no power left. Taking some of them out this way would be a waste of energy, and since I originally planned to go to the side where the heroes were by myself, I didn’t have this situation in mind, so I couldn’t come up with any particular solution.
‘It’s going to be a little annoying.’
Should I select just the normal troops from the Demon King’s army and take them with me?
So, how many people would it be appropriate to take?…
‘…It’s not that important, so let’s think about it.’
You can think about it later.
After roughly organizing his thoughts, Deon lowered the hand that was pressing between his eyebrows and grabbed the document. Just as I was about to move on to the next page, the door burst open with a harsh knocking sound.
A commotion rushed inside.
“Leader!”
“Great ego!!”
“…uh why?”
What.
Amidst the commotion, Cleter, who was comfortably in the middle, quietly laid down the blanket he had brought with him on the floor. The people standing on top looked this way with determination in their eyes.
…what is it really?
“Why are we left out of the plan!”
“…ah?”
“We are not participating in this war!”
“The captain also participated in the war!”
What, did you already know that? The news is coming sooner than expected…?
The thought, which was meant to end with an admiration for one’s excellent hearing ability to pick up news quickly instead of a tired doubt, took a sharp turn due to someone’s subsequent remarks.
“I heard that the Primiro Knights are offending the captain?”
“…Who did you hear that from?”
Deon’s expression hardened.
This was clearly delivered intentionally by someone. Let’s get these guys to participate in the war!
If you interpret this differently, it means that you want to kill crazy dogs.
‘Why?’
Deon clenched his fists.
Are you asking me to participate in the war just to cause mental pain to you? Or to reduce my power? Although the probability is slim compared to the previous ones, it could be that the crazy dogs took a grudge against someone.
The crazy dogs, who had no way of knowing what was going on, quickly changed the topic as if they had missed it.
“That’s not the point! “We will fight!”
“How can we send all the troops of the Demon King’s Castle to war and leave only us alone!”
“It’s embarrassing to even think about staying with a demon lord in a demon castle where there aren’t many demons!”
Like Deon Hardt’s question, I didn’t ‘hear’ it from someone. Because there was a note in the dorm along with some documents.
There is a Primiro Knights and there is a high possibility that Deon will go there alone. It seems like he will fight the heroes right after fighting them, but if he does that, he will probably be very tired and it could be dangerous.
“Please let us deal with at least the Primiro Knights!”
“I will fight them and go right back!”
“Even if I’m fighting, if I see a hero, I’ll jump right away!”
“You guys…”
The Lofty Knights who loved their leader lay down on the floor.
That’s why I put a blanket on the floor. It was a very deliberate move. Deon sighed, frowning, and cursed softly.
“Wake up you bastards.”
“Let me participate in the war!”
“Please do it!”
“…The Primiro Knights are elite.”
A more subdued voice brought down the commotion.
The members of the Lofty Knights, reading the mood, stop and look at Deon. Deon looked at the people still lying down with a confused look on his face.
“It’s difficult for you to confront them head-on.”
It’s definitely tiring and annoying to fight with guys like the Primero Knights who are worth killing even if you kill them. But that didn’t mean we had to send these guys out instead.
But crazy dogs don’t even know this situation.
“…We are also elite in our own right!”
“In the eyes of the captain, we may seem inadequate, but even though we look like this, we have accumulated some experience. “I am confident that I will do well in at least surviving.”
“You know. Why don’t you know that you are elite?”
These guys are the ones who survived after fighting and fighting for over 10 years, so who can confidently deny that they are not elites?
but.
“It’s because I don’t want to lose you.”
