Chapter 116: In Fact, They Knew

Now I understand that Deon, inherently taciturn and unexpressive, must have suffered silently in the Hart household.

Looking back, when a clerical error sent him to the battlefield, he immediately blamed the family, never once considering any other possibility. It speaks volumes about the lack of trust they inspired.

However, Cruel acknowledged some responsibility for the Hart family’s downfall, yet didn’t place the entire blame solely on me and my kin. There was a more direct instigator to shoulder the true responsibility.

The Duke.

He was the one who sent Deon Hart to the battlefield.

Exactly why, for what reason, and using what means, remains unknown. But he swapped the names on the roster, replacing Cruel Hart’s with Deon’s, and dispatched men incapable of reason to drag Deon Hart from the mansion.

Even the gentle persuasion of his father, the head of the household, was futile. Despite the reasonable alternative of sending Cruel instead, they sought only Deon Hart, as if brainwashed.

It was incomprehensible.

‘What did that child do to deserve this?’

Cruel, belatedly realizing the Duke’s involvement, began to quietly monitor him.

The inexplicable malice directed at Deon Hart showed no signs of waning even after the war. In fact, it intensified.

That’s why I intentionally placed myself under his command, but…

‘That’s for later.’

Now is not the time to dwell on that.

The Duke raised his head at the unusual question, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

He usually only answered questions, never initiated them. Did Cruel truly wish to save Deon Hart?

The Duke’s eyes narrowed, and realizing his misstep, Cruel belatedly added,

“I have ample reason to kill him, but it seems Your Excellency does not find it sufficient.”

“Isn’t the fact that he is the Emperor’s dog, and I represent the noble faction, reason enough?”

“……”

“Apparently not.”

He’s perceptive.

Indeed, that wasn’t the only reason for wanting him eliminated. Deon Hart was a threat to the Empire.

From the perspective of the future ruler of the Empire, the Duke couldn’t simply ignore such a threat.

Why was Deon Hart a threat to the Empire?

“The reason can be found by recalling the orders I gave you when Deon Hart was carrying out the Emperor’s mission.”

“[While pursuing the Revolutionary Army, you will find someone watching Deon Hart on the Emperor’s orders. Kill that person. And if circumstances allow, follow Deon Hart to ascertain his destination.]”

“……”

“Ah, perhaps you are unaware.”

When he completed his task, he reported that Deon Hart had already left.

Whether he truly didn’t know or was merely feigning ignorance, if he had followed Deon Hart and confirmed his destination, he would have inferred some connection to the Demon Realm.

The Duke smiled faintly, touching the area near his heart.

“If you don’t know, then there’s nothing to be done. That’s my full answer.”

He knew that Deon Hart was a commander in the Demon King’s army.

If someone were to learn this, they would be curious.

Anyone with a working brain would prioritize the question, ‘Since when?’ before asking ‘how’ or ‘why’.

The answer to that is simple.

‘From the beginning.’

After declining Cruel’s offer to escort him, the Duke returned to his office and leaned back in his chair.

A faint smirk played on his lips.

‘I knew from the start. After all, I was the reason Deon Hart caught the Demon King’s eye and ended up in the Demon King’s castle.’

During the eight-year war, why did the Duke send Deon Hart to the battlefield?

Why did he block the Count’s family’s pleas to the Imperial Family to bring him back, and why did he suggest sending Deon Hart to the Demon King’s castle as the Hero’s companion?

What caused Deon Hart, a noble scion, to start as a common soldier, and who was responsible for him becoming the vanguard?

The root of all these questions ultimately boils down to one thing.

“The contract with the Demon King.”

Deon Hart was the Duke’s bait to pique the interest of the bored Demon King.

What ill will could he have harbored against someone he had only encountered within the confines of the mansion? Deon Hart’s misfortune of being dragged onto the battlefield was simply bad luck.

The Duke nonchalantly pondered Cruel’s likely reaction – clenching his fists until they bled – at this casual explanation of using him as bait, placing a hand over his heart. He could feel an alien power there, one that felt capable of defying the world’s rules.

Within the Duke’s heart resided the Demon King’s contract mark, and the demonic energy he gained from it.

He had been utterly bewildered when the Demon King, contrary to his expectations, rejected the contract, claiming disinterest after a simple summoning.

[I propose a wager.]

[A wager?]

[Yes, I believe you’ll find it quite intriguing.]

In that situation, the Duke miraculously recalled a young boy he had coincidentally encountered long ago at the Hart Count Estate during an official visit.

***

“Red eyes, white hair, pale skin.”

“I was under the impression that humans couldn’t have red eyes.”

“As far as I know, he is human. And quite young.”

“He’s somewhat intriguing, but what does this have to do with a wager? If you’re simply throwing out things to pique my interest…”

“Not at all. Please hear me out. This child is said to be frail and has never left his home since birth.”

Meeting the gaze of reversed pupils, white irises and black sclera, the Duke deliberately curved his eyes into a smile.

“If such a delicate young noble were to go to the battlefield, how long do you think he would last?”

“…Ho?”

“That is the condition of the wager.”

A unique appearance, yet undeniably human.

The peculiarity of being too weak to ever leave his home combined with a ruthless wager that disregarded all conscience.

This would work. Those jaded by boredom seek stimulation. Even excluding the child’s unique characteristics, among the likely few contractors of the Demon King, none would have proposed such a bet.

“I’ve heard the situation in the Human Realm is unsettling… Is war truly breaking out?”

“Yes, our king, who recently ascended the throne, has declared his kingdom an ‘Empire’ and is provoking all other kingdoms. Minor and major armed conflicts are already occurring with neighboring kingdoms.”

So, what’s your answer to the wager?

The Demon King, momentarily lost in thought by the unexpected information, nodded.

“Very well. I’ll wager on ‘survival’.”

“Pardon?”

Not ‘how long he’ll last,’ but ‘survival’.

“Since you initially set the condition as ‘how long he’ll last,’ I’ll choose ‘death,’ shall we? The deadline will be the end of the war he participates in.”

“Yes? Yes.”

Strange. The odds were shifting in his favor.

He had clearly stated that the boy was frail and had never been outside.

As if sensing the Duke’s confusion, the Demon King chuckled.

“Wagers are more interesting when you bet on the unfavorable side.”

***

What followed was predictable.

Deon Hart had to die before the war ended. With the Demon King watching, the Duke couldn’t directly intervene, so he indirectly created situations that would lead to his demise.

For example, ensuring that the noble-born Deon Hart was conscripted as a common soldier alongside peasants.

When he didn’t die, he promoted him to captain of the vanguard.

Since the king had only recently seized power by force, issues with handover and other matters weren’t settled, and the war erupted almost simultaneously, making document manipulation easy.

‘Surely, a hastily formed vanguard composed of commoners and the destitute will be decimated quickly…’

Yet, Deon Hart survived. No, he became infamous for his ruthlessness and ‘immortality’.

The undying vanguard. Murderous figures who brutally killed anyone who dared approach. And their leader, Deon Hart.

He became a hero, and the long eight-year war concluded.

The Duke had lost.

‘Should I… abandon the contract?’

His belief that more power and authority were always better, coupled with his instinct to climb higher, had driven him to seek the contract with the Demon King. But it was alright. While slightly disappointing, the contract was just a contingency plan for unforeseen circumstances.

Even if he had completed the contract, he wouldn’t have used it unless absolutely necessary.

[Let’s make another deal.]

Despite his lingering disappointment, the Demon King extended an offer.

[Send Deon Hart to me. In return, I will grant you a portion of my power.]

[…….]

[Not a full contract… think of it as a semi-contract.]

Ah. A smile slowly spread across the Duke’s previously impassive face.

He had lost the wager, but the Duke hadn’t failed. The groundwork he had laid was now paying off handsomely.

The wager’s subject, the bait to attract the Demon King’s interest. For eight years, the Demon King had received news of Deon Hart through various channels, sometimes even observing him directly using magic. It wasn’t surprising that he had become interested in him.

[While sending him to the Demon King’s castle seems within my capabilities, apprehending him is…]

[That’s my part. I know. That’s enough.]

And then.

The Duke argued for Deon Hart’s selection as a companion to the Hero and to be sent to the Demon King’s castle. The Emperor, for reasons unknown, agreed and sent him.

He might die on the journey, but judging by his past luck, he probably wouldn’t. Well, if he did, there was nothing to be done.

Either way, he thought he would never see Deon Hart again. The Demon King wouldn’t easily relinquish something he had obtained.

…Or so he thought.

[You have retrieved the Hero’s body!]

Deon Hart returned alive. And he was carrying the Hero’s corpse!

That day, the Duke swore for the first time in his life.

‘At first, I was bewildered by what had happened…’

But as time passed, the mystery gradually unraveled.

Deon Hart, the commander of the Demon King’s 0th Legion, whose existence had slowly begun to surface. Deon Hart periodically traveling to and from somewhere under the guise of the Emperor’s secret orders. And the rigorously concealed identity of the 0th Legion Commander in both the Demon Realm and the Empire.

──Deon Hart is the 0th Legion Commander. And the Emperor is aware of this and turning a blind eye.

Someone holding a position in the Demon Realm also holds a significant role in the Empire? That’s dangerous. Moreover, the Emperor held Deon Hart in high regard. What would happen if such a person sided with the Demon King?

‘He must be killed.’

Even if it meant defying the Emperor, he had to be eliminated for the Empire’s sake.

The conclusion was self-evident.

‘I don’t know if it’s possible to kill him…’

But constant attempts might eventually succeed.

A human who went to war as a child without ever wielding a sword and rose to become a hero. It was a bit worrying, but he suppressed his unease, believing that constant attempts would eventually breach his shield of luck.

Knock, knock.

“Your Excellency, Mr. Daniel has arrived.”

News of an unscheduled visitor reached him.

….

“I’ve acquired a skilled writer from Ireon. I plan to use him to sway public sentiment.”

Daniel announced abruptly, even before taking a seat.

“…Are you planning to scatter writings on the streets?”

“Yes.”

“….”

The Duke was speechless.

One thing was certain: the man before him was not in his right mind.

A pale, ashen complexion. Eyes darting nervously.

…Come to think of it, he had heard rumors sometime ago that Daniel’s mother had started coughing up blood. He had heard it was being kept secret from the leader, and time had passed without further news, so he had assumed they were managing to conceal it well. But it seemed the secret had finally been exposed.