Chapter 114: They Actually Knew

Was that advice sincere, or a lure to manipulate my actions?

Cruel likely knows I wouldn’t simply obey his words. So, is it manipulation after all?

‘Back when we were kids, Cruel and I played chess often.’

Since my weak constitution kept me confined to the mansion, Cruel and I played various board games. Chess was our favorite.

On the game board, we used chess pieces as bait; outside the board, we engaged in psychological warfare with words.

‘I wouldn’t go that way.’, ‘Is that really the best choice?’, ‘This is a bit surprising.’, ‘Excellent choice.’

Which were sincere, and which were lies? Is the remark before me truly bait, or a feint?

Having played countless chess matches, with repeated wins and losses, we knew each other’s thinking to some extent. Cruel couldn’t have thought I wouldn’t consider the possibility of ‘manipulation.’ So, was it sincere advice?

‘…What does it matter? Whether it’s worry or bait, it’s annoying.’

Thus, my decision was made.

‘I’d rather move even if it’s bait than follow Cruel’s instructions.’

Thanks to that, I forgot my fatigue. I’d long since ignored the pain, so I headed out into the streets.

I put on the robe I was holding, decisively turning away from the mansion and heading towards a nearby street.

***

So noisy.

“When exactly are you planning to carry out this great undertaking?!”

“Do you even intend to go through with it?!”

Truly noisy.

Unable to see beyond their noses, consumed by their desires, squawking away. For such people to be in the leadership, it felt like a headache was coming. Daniel quietly frowned, only to smooth out his expression as if nothing had happened.

Raising his voice in this situation would only lead to an emotional fight. A calm voice, intended for persuasion, flowed out.

“The timing is poor. It seems a war between the Demon Realm and the Human Realm is about to erupt, and to bring down the Empire, which holds the greatest military power in the Human Realm…”

“Is the leader of the Revolutionary Army now siding with the Emperor?!”

“You were the one who said we’d do it soon, to prepare to take the Emperor’s head! And now you’re repeating that the timing is bad…! What exactly is going on! Are you intentionally delaying the undertaking?”

Bang!

Silence descended. Daniel, who had slammed his hand on the table to shut them up, lowered his head and slowly exhaled.

The stress and irritation that had surged to the top of his head slowly subsided with each breath. After a few moments of regaining his composure, he broke the silence.

“…There were those who rushed out to kill the Emperor before, weren’t there.”

Fools who charged in with great fanfare, only to be cleanly wiped out by the Emperor’s hand.

“Because of them, the forces we had painstakingly replenished have returned to square one.”

мыми.

“Did you think taking down the Imperial army was everything? If anyone truly thought that, I would advise them to step down from their leadership position.”

Some flinched as if stung.

“The Imperial army isn’t the only problem. The Emperor himself is strong. Very strong! No, even before discussing his power, to legitimately succeed in the revolution, we must enter through the Imperial Palace’s main gate!”

The previous ones were wrong from the start.

How could ambushing the Emperor when he was alone be called a revolution? That’s just assassination, attempted regicide, the rebellion of reactionaries.

No matter how many people gathered to kill the Emperor, the cause they championed was the ‘revolution’ to create a world without the class system. Actions that deviated from that could not be tolerated.

“Must we… enter head-on?”

“Are you seriously asking that? Acting like rats will only earn us a fittingly poor image.”

What’s important is the image. Entering through the main gate is also part of the performance for this.

Whether a spy opens the gate for us or we break it down, entering through the main gate becomes a symbol.

The masses are easily swayed by what they see.

So, whatever actions we take in the shadows, let’s act with dignity under the sun. We have done nothing wrong. Even if we have, it was for the greater good.

“What do you think our actions have been for so far? To weaken the Emperor’s forces? Of course, that’s also true, but that’s only a secondary goal. The main goal is to gain the support of the Empire’s citizens and lower the Emperor’s support.”

As a result, we’ve achieved our goal to some extent.

We punished corrupt lords, and punished arrogant nobles who looked down on the Empire’s citizens, gaining public support. In the process, clashes with the Killer Knights occurred, and a bomb malfunctioned, causing damage to civilian homes, but the blame entirely shifted to the Killer Knights.

It was an unexpected benefit caused by the Revolutionary Army’s ideology gaining favor with the Empire’s citizens and the Killer Knights’ poor image.

“Our raison d’être and the legitimacy of our actions come from the Empire’s citizens. Without their support, we are nothing more than a gathering of rebels.”

Therefore, we must persuade the Empire’s citizens. Persuade them, and then boldly kill the Imperial family before their eyes to gain recognition of our legitimacy.

Daniel paused his words and took a breath, then extended one arm.

“To reach the Emperor through the Imperial Palace’s main gate requires significant forces, and killing the one who holds the Hero’s fragment also requires considerable strength.”

Who was it that acted arbitrarily and depleted the Revolutionary Army’s forces?

It was the very people in front of him, those who were urging the undertaking.

Therefore, you have no further right to speak. After explaining this much, even if your faces are thick, surely no one will dare to assert their opinion.

—Victory.

“Our forces are lacking, and the timing is bad. So, I ask you. Is there anyone who still thinks we should proceed with the undertaking?”

мыми.

There was no rebuttal.

Daniel, having quelled the leadership’s spirit, left the meeting room with Paul, who had been watching the situation from the side.

Walking through the dark, secret passage in quiet silence, Paul quietly lifted his head to check on Daniel. As expected, he looked exhausted from the stress of the meeting.

At times like this, he would go see their Mother.

Having thought that far, Paul stopped abruptly at a fork in the road. Daniel, who was thoughtlessly heading towards the passage leading to their accommodations, belatedly turned back to look at him.

“Go ahead.”

“Huh?”

“You don’t need to bother escorting me when I know the way. I’ll go back to the accommodations, so you should just go straight to Mother.”

Daniel, stunned by the unexpected words, chuckled and placed his hand on Paul’s head.

“You’ve grown up.”

“I was already grown up when we first met.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The playful laughter soon turned into a warm smile.

“…Thanks.”

He thought he had grown accustomed to the warmth of others, but it seemed he was still not immune to situations like this.

Paul, who had frozen stiff, stammered something about him talking nonsense, eventually fleeing back to his accommodations, unable to bear the embarrassment. Daniel chuckled and turned his steps.

That laughter didn’t last long.

‘мыми.’

Daniel wandered aimlessly through the streets. According to his original plans, he should still be with his mother, but he had been kicked out, leaving him with no choice.

His head was spinning. Even though he had just lashed out at the colleagues who were attending to his mother, his emotions showed no sign of calming down.

The scene he had witnessed was that shocking.

‘Mother… blood…’

She had coughed up blood. That alone was shocking, but this had been going on for a long time. His colleagues knew, yet they hid it under the guise of his mother’s request.

Logically, he understood. His life revolved around his mother. He had even created the Revolutionary Army because of her, so what more needed to be said? Therefore, if something happened to his mother’s health, he would undoubtedly lose his footing and wander aimlessly.

She didn’t want her son to be hurt. The mental health of the Revolutionary Army’s leader was important. So, it was understandable why they hid it.

‘But.’

Understanding was separate from emotion. He had dedicated his life to his mother, yet he hadn’t known about this. How could that be?

He wandered aimlessly through the festively decorated streets. It was said that the festival was held to showcase the Empire’s strength even amidst the war with another kingdom. Before, he would have scoffed at the Empire’s wastefulness and arrogance, but now he couldn’t think of anything.

Perhaps it was because he had already lost his temper, but his mood was calm, as if the earlier excitement had been a lie. No, rather than calm, it would be more accurate to say he was dazed.

“…Uh.”

After wandering the streets aimlessly for a long time, he collided forcefully with someone pushed by the crowd.

The smell of alcohol wafted over. A drunkard, perhaps. Although it was a bit unpleasant, it couldn’t be helped with so many people, he thought, but then—

“Cough.”

“…?!”

The other person coughed up blood. Daniel, who was a beat late in realizing this because the other person was wearing a hood, widened his eyes.

His face, already pale from the shock of the truth he had just faced, became even whiter.

“H-hey, are you alright?”

мыми.

“Hey, get a hold of yourself… Ah, a doctor. I need to take you to a doctor…”

His hands trembled. Daniel tightened his grip on the person he was supporting.

Calm down, this person isn’t Mother. So, there’s no need to be this flustered.

Just calmly take them to a nearby doctor. But…

‘Is there a doctor near here? If so, where? Won’t I waste a lot of time looking for a doctor? What if this person dies in the meantime?’

…Damn it!

He picked up the unidentified patient.

He knew he was reacting excessively emotionally. But what could he do? If someone showing the same symptoms as his mother died, he wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully.

‘The only doctor I know is him.’

The only doctor he knew nearby and whose location he was certain of was that person.

He knew it was something the leader of the Revolutionary Army shouldn’t do, but Daniel, already consumed by emotion before reason could think and take control, was moving.

***

What is this?

I was just walking down the street after hearing people talk about a certain district because of the festival, when someone bumped into me hard from behind, and because of that, I vomited blood on someone else’s clothes.

Then that person picks me up and starts running?!

And the further we go, the more deserted the place becomes… Huh? The alley wall is splitting open, the ground is opening up, and there’s even a secret passage appearing?

‘What is going on?!’

Under the hood that half-covered my face, my eyes darted around until I felt the other person’s gaze land on me, and I quickly closed my eyes.

…Let’s just pretend to be unconscious.

***

He ended up doing it.

If others found out, they would question his qualifications as leader. Since they were greedy individuals, it was obvious they would try to tear him down somehow.

But it wasn’t known yet, and in the end, he had saved someone’s life, so there was no regret. Daniel, postponing the cleanup, waited anxiously for the doctor’s words.

“Their life isn’t in danger. There’s no need for any special measures; just let them rest well.”

“B-but, the blood…”

“They were a weak person to begin with. It seems they were under a lot of stress. There are traces of other physical impacts, but… they’ve already been dealt with or don’t require any treatment.”

“Ah…”

Thank goodness.

His legs gave way, and he slumped down. As he ran his hands over his face and let out a deep sigh, the old doctor asked casually.

“More importantly, did you know who you were bringing here?”