Chapter 117: Each Person’s Movements

“I understand your urgency, but it would be best if you calmed down first. You’re aware that the timing isn’t right for such an endeavor, aren’t you?”

“That’s why I’ve only considered actions up to this point. If not, I would have incited rebellion instead of merely swaying public opinion.”

“Even that level of unrest poses a significant threat to the Empire right now. With the war against the Demon Realm approaching, you know that a wavering populace benefits no one.”

“…The leadership calls for action every single day. If we don’t do even this much, it will be difficult. Exactly what level of activity are you considering, Your Excellency? Are you suggesting we don’t move at all?”

“Yes.”

“…What?”

“It would be better if we didn’t make any moves for the time being. It would be wise to halt all current activities and lie low. The Empire’s full strength is crucial for the war against the Demon Realm. Internal division is poison.”

The Duke overlooked the outburst of informal speech with great magnanimity.

“It would do you good to clear your head as well. Are you aware of how impatient you’re being right now?”

“….”

“An answer?”

Damn it, dealing with Cruel has made my tone overbearing.

He subtly observed the sharp-eyed man before him, wondering if he had noticed anything, but fortunately, Daniel, who had been silent with his lips pressed tightly together, didn’t seem to pay it much mind, nodding slowly without any particular expression.

“…Understood.”

Thank goodness. He seems to have been suppressed for now.

But his mother’s health will worsen with each passing day, and along with that, the Revolutionary Army leader’s mind will also falter. I don’t know how long this temporary suppression will last.

Watching Daniel’s retreating figure as he excused himself, the Duke closed his eyes and let out a silent sigh.

***

He wasn’t suppressed. He allowed himself to be.

Leaving the room and heading back to the Revolutionary Army’s base, Daniel slowly began to turn things over in his mind. The coldness in his eyes had long settled in.

Even if he hadn’t been in his right mind, he wasn’t so far gone that he wouldn’t feel a sting after hearing ‘those words.’ You let your guard down, Duke.

‘Should I be grateful that you’ve brought me back to my senses?’

It was true that his urgency had blinded him. His mind had become rigid, and he was about to recklessly charge forward for his goal. If not for the Duke, all his previous patience would have been for naught.

But that line.

“[It would be better if we didn’t make any moves for the time being. It would be wise to halt all current activities and lie low.]”

And.

“[An answer?]”

Thanks to that, his head cooled down, and he grasped the situation to some extent.

The Duke doesn’t want the Empire to fall. Not just right now, but in the past and in the future as well.

The true nature of the unease he had been feeling since before seemed to be gradually revealing itself.

‘Of course. What kind of person would willingly give up the high position of ‘Duke’?’

The reason he contacted the Revolutionary Army must have been to keep them in check.

‘This is why one must be cautious when joining hands with power.’

It might be beneficial in the short term, but not in the long run. It’s time to gradually pull away.

But how? Trying to shake off the Duke’s influence now would mean losing too much. The Duke himself wouldn’t suffer any losses, while the Revolutionary Army would take a significant hit. That won’t do.

“…Daniel, hyung?”

“Ah, Paul.”

“What are you doing here…?”

“One should avoid joining hands with power as much as possible. Later on, it will become a shackle on your ankles.”

“…Are you drunk?”

Daniel wordlessly stroked Paul’s head.

Paul gazed up at him, and after confirming that no one else was around, he quietly opened his mouth.

“…I saw Deon Hart.”

“…How did you recognize him? Wasn’t he wearing his robe?”

“He wasn’t wearing it. His clothes were quite extravagant, though.”

“….”

“Oh, but he was wearing his blindfold. Still, his clothes, and that unique hair and skin, made him easy to recognize.”

Seriously, this old doctor.

I told him not to forget the blindfold, and he really only took care of that. What was he going to do if he forgot the robe?

His memory has been getting worse, and he just had to prove it like this.

“The doctor was secretly taking him outside. Did you bring him, hyung? Why didn’t you kill him? No, why did you just let him go?”

Come to think of it, Paul held a grudge against Deon Hart.

Eyes filled with anger, he looked up at Daniel. Daniel quietly looked into his eyes before slowly stroking his head and answering.

“It seemed like he was going to die even if I didn’t kill him.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

We could have obtained information, or at the very least, used him as a hostage, couldn’t we?

Daniel paused. The hand that had been resting on Paul’s head slowly slid down.

A faint, hazy chuckle scattered into the air like smoke.

“…You’ve really grown up.”

“I’ve been grown up since the first time we met.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

…Right. It’s time for me to prepare too.

I need to prepare to break free from the Duke’s grasp.

“It’s natural that you don’t understand. It was my weak response.”

“Why did you do that?”

“I told you? I was being soft. No one in this world is perfect.”

So, Paul.

Calling his name softly, he met his gaze. A silence as serene as a moonlit forest descended.

Daniel willingly shattered that seemingly peaceful silence, gently raising the corners of his lips.

“You’ll see many strengths and weaknesses in me going forward. Absorb the strengths, and discard or learn from the weaknesses, just like you’re doing now. You’re doing very well.”

“…I don’t understand.”

“What about?”

“Why do you take me around? There were places you took me that I shouldn’t have been. It was to teach me, wasn’t it? Why are you trying to teach me?”

“You’re a child I took in, so it’s my responsibility to care for you. Education is a natural part of that responsibility.”

Lower-class people who are struggling to make ends meet often disregard the importance of education.

But I was taught that shouldn’t be the case.

Who starts a revolution? Those who know the state of affairs, those who are aware of the injustices. In short, it’s those who know a lot.

If a country is going the wrong way, you need to know it and be able to point it out. If those in power still don’t listen, you have to overturn things, that’s what she said.

That’s why education is important, my mother told me.

“Well, up until now, that was the reason.”

“So, it’s not anymore?”

“Yeah, it’s about time I had a successor. I plan to teach you a great many things in a short period. I hope you absorb them well….”

“Wait a minute! Successor? Me?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

Seeing his nonchalant expression, Paul was at a loss for words, his mouth only opening and closing.

After a few seconds of silence, a voice driven by a sense of duty to argue managed to escape.

“Why me of all people?! I’m young….”

“But you were so insistent on being all grown up.”

“No…! Hah… seriously….”

Rarely, Paul burst into frustration, pounding his chest. Daniel watched this and burst into laughter.

Usually, he would have gotten angrier, but this time, Paul’s face was flushed.

“It was a joke, right?”

“No. I’m serious.”

“Why?!”

“Well….”

He wiped the tears from his eyes with his fingertips.

Laughter was still bubbling out, but he needed to speak first.

“Because you’re young.”

“…Huh?”

“Ah, did I just throw that out there? Let me explain from the beginning again.”

Finally, the laughter stopped.

Daniel paused, gathering his thoughts.

“You’re from the Empire, but you have no affection for it.”

You don’t love other countries either, and there’s no reason for you to.

“Having no beloved country in this place where people from kingdoms destroyed by the Empire gather will increase the credibility of your impartiality.”

“…And?”

“And as I said, you’re young. Thanks to that, you’re capable of flexible thinking. Have you heard the saying, ‘The older you get, the more stubborn you become’? Older people don’t listen to the advice of others. They have this underlying thought, ‘What’s this young thing trying to advise me on?’ And the old don’t favor change.”

“But what about the elders who joined the Revolutionary Army? Isn’t ‘revolution’ itself a change?”

“They joined out of revenge. ‘My country was destroyed, so the Empire must also be destroyed,’ something like that. They won’t pay much attention to policies after the Empire is overthrown or will stick to the old ways.”

Revolution is, above all, a powerful change. It stands in complete opposition to stability.

A leader of the Revolutionary Army must pay close attention to policies after the revolution’s success, but you can’t hand that position over to someone who prefers the familiar.

If there are no changes in policy after the revolution, how can it be called a revolution?

“The old hope that what they don’t know doesn’t increase, and they love stability. They are too tired to take risks.”

Perhaps that’s why change has almost always been achieved by the hands of young people.

Therefore, the leader of the Revolutionary Army should be young.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean you should look down on the elderly. They were once young people who sought change, and they’ve accumulated a lot of experience over a long time. That experience can become knowledge, so it’s right to respect them.”

“What are you saying…? So what should I do? Should I listen to the old people? Should I not listen to them?”

“Is there a need to divide things so extremely? You’ve been doing well so far. Judge for yourself, discard what you need to, and absorb only what’s necessary. ‘Education’ exists to help with that judgment.”

You can’t just tell someone to make a choice without any information.

“…Okay. So that’s the reason you chose me as your successor?”

“Correct. Oh, there’s one more thing.”

“There’s more…?”

Ignoring the bewildered mutter, he smiled.

“You know how to love people.”

“I don’t have a lover….”

“Love isn’t just between lovers. There’s love between friends, love between family members… there are many kinds. Doesn’t anything come to mind?”

“…Sia.”

Correct.

Paul frowned, looking unconvinced.

“But isn’t that also a weakness? Even just with hyung….”

Although he trailed off, it wasn’t hard to guess what he meant.

Well, it’s understandable. Just a little while ago, I lost my mind simply because my mother coughed up blood.

The existence of someone you love is an undeniable weakness. But.

“What’s the ideology of the Revolutionary Army?”

“A world where everyone is equal without a class system.”

As he gave the answer, Paul’s face changed as if understanding dawned on him.

This ideology itself is based on the thought of caring for others.

The one who carries this ideology on their shoulders and paves a new path forward is none other than the leader of the Revolutionary Army.

“Knowing how to love someone means you can also be considerate and understanding of others.”

Those who don’t know how to love people are not qualified to sit in that position.

“…Is that really the case? Couldn’t someone just abandon everyone around them and only care about the person they love?”

“That possibility is always there, even if it’s not happening right now. And to prevent such a situation from arising….”

“That’s what ‘education’ is for? I understand.”

Paul shook his head as if defeated.

“It’s funny how a still-young ahjussi is already talking about a successor….”

“Paul…?”

“I’ll listen diligently to what you teach me for now.”

A rare, bright smile turned towards Daniel.

Daniel wore a blank expression for a moment before placing his hand on Paul’s head.

“…Okay.”

A mischievous smile appeared on his face.

“Then shall we begin right away?”

“Eek.”

“There’s so much to teach. Just about ‘words’ alone, it’s divided into methods of persuading or suppressing opponents, methods of inciting the masses, and besides that, there are the policies and laws to implement after the revolution, and how to deal with the economy that will be shaken up by the change in power….”

“…Can’t I just not do it?”

“Nope, you can’t.”

What should I teach first?

Those are important too, but the starting point is this.

Changing direction from the accommodations, he guided the child’s steps towards the office and slowly began to speak.

“First, let’s start with the concept of inherent human rights.”