Chapter 128: Tightrope Walking

His voice was light, almost airy.

In contrast, the other legion commanders stiffened, a sense of inevitability washing over them.

Given their positions, information flowed to them even without actively seeking it. Surely, some of it concerned the Empire.

“It seems the Emperor is determined to start a war.”

“So, it’s finally happening…”

Tsk, the sound of tongues clicking echoed around the room.

Minor skirmishes at the border were commonplace, so this talk of ‘war’ must mean an all-out war. Even the battle-hungry commanders weren’t entirely pleased, while those with sharper minds frowned, struggling to comprehend the situation.

‘I thought a show of force would be enough to make them back down,’ one mused.

‘Is the Demon Realm’s reputation not worth more than this to humans? Or is the Emperor that serious about conquering the continent?’ another wondered.

Had too much time passed, making the Demon Realm’s warnings seem like empty threats?

They couldn’t be unaware of the Demon King’s recent actions, yet the Emperor seemed to ignore the unspoken warning to stop, instead openly declaring his intention to wage war against the Demon Realm.

Since the Demon King had initiated things, they had no choice but to respond.

“…We’ve always coveted the Human Realm’s land and have made some war preparations, but wouldn’t the Emperor benefit more from avoiding war?” one commander pointed out.

Humans have short lifespans, while demons live much longer.

Human realm rulers have to worry about internal enemies as well as external ones, but the Demon King doesn’t face such constraints.

The current Demon King might be weary and unwilling to attack the Human Realm first, but tales of his past ferocity, when he nearly annihilated the Human Realm, were still passed down through generations of demons.

As history showed, the longer a war dragged on, the more disadvantageous it became for the Human Realm.

Could there be some hidden motive? Idelia, the Commander of the 4th Corps, frowned as she spoke.

“To actually wage a war that puts them at such a disadvantage… I don’t understand it. The Emperor I know wasn’t stupid.”

For an emperor overseeing humans, who would splinter and scatter at the slightest provocation, winning would still be a loss, and losing… well, that went without saying.

Winning would mean dealing with the aftermath of a fierce war and losing the ‘Demon Realm,’ an external enemy that served as a tool to control the Empire and even the entire Human Realm. Defeat? Unthinkable.

“Maintaining a relationship of minor conflicts and withdrawals would help strengthen imperial authority. Why go this far…?”

Currently, the Empire was responsible for managing the borders that appeared in each kingdom. This signified the significant influence the Empire wielded by leveraging the Demon Realm.

The Demon King himself provided the answer to the contradiction of a non-foolish emperor acting foolishly.

“Isn’t the answer obvious? He wants to die.”

“…The Emperor… does?”

That stubborn human?

Idelia frowned at the incomprehensible answer. The Demon King, as if understanding her confusion, grinned and called out to Develania.

“Develania, what does the Emperor value most?”

“Well… ‘responsibility,’ I suppose.”

“And what’s above that?”

Beneath his sleepily lowered eyelids, his partially visible pupils darted around before his eyes squeezed shut in annoyance.

Develania was the Commander of the 2nd Corps, responsible for gathering intelligence. It was understandable that she felt a pang of wounded pride at not knowing something.

‘Though it’s natural not to know,’ he thought.

The Demon King chuckled and provided the answer himself.

“Guilt.”

“…Guilt, you say.”

“Indeed.”

His melodious voice resonated through the space.

“Shall we go over it again? Idelia, what was the reason the Emperor ascended the throne, even killing his own siblings?”

“Because he believed the power struggle between them caused the death of the sibling he was closest to.”

“Correct, but in reality, it was Duke Starbe Illuster of the current Empire who was responsible.”

Despite the casual tone, the information was significant. As Starbe Illuster was his semi-contractor, he was privy to such facts.

The conference room buzzed with the revelation. Develania and Idelia stared wide-eyed.

Amidst the confusion, the Demon King continued nonchalantly.

“Having inadvertently caused the deaths of his innocent siblings, he must have felt immense guilt. How do humans usually act in such situations?”

“In extreme cases… they commit suicide.”

Escaping through death under the guise of atonement.

Processing information was the 4th Corps’ responsibility. Idelia, piecing together the information the Demon King provided, shuddered as if struck by a sudden realization.

The Demon King smiled, pleased with her deduction.

“Right, but the Emperor now had responsibilities. His ‘ascension’ was the problem. He became responsible for countless citizens. Moreover, he had to care for his nephews and nieces, the children of the sibling he was close to. Furthermore, taking his own life would disrespect the siblings he killed to take the throne.”

“…Ah, I see…”

Now it made sense.

Guilt above responsibility. But the Emperor couldn’t kill himself, so he chose another way.

Only then could Idelia understand the Emperor’s insistence on waging a war with no apparent benefit. She understood why he chose a full-scale war with the Demon Realm.

“If he dies while doing his best to fulfill his responsibilities, it would bring him peace.”

“More accurately, while ‘pretending’ to do his best, but yes.”

If he couldn’t die from guilt, wouldn’t dying while burdened by responsibility be easier? At least if he died while pretending to fulfill his responsibilities, he’d have an excuse even in death.

In that sense, how delighted he must have been when the Demon Realm, something he couldn’t touch due to his responsibilities and position, initiated hostilities. It increased his chances of dying. The problems after his death wouldn’t be his concern.

“Truly selfish. Putting countless lives at risk on the battlefield for such a reason. Don’t you think?”

He turned to Deon, his eyes crinkling with amusement.

Receiving no response, the Demon King shrugged and spoke again.

“Oh well… if he wants to die, we should oblige him.”

“…”

“How envious. To have an enemy you can grant death to.”

He called it selfish, yet the Demon King understood the Emperor. As an ancient being and the leader of a race, he knew what it was like to be unable to end his own life and be forced to live on.

Ending the Demon King’s life was the Hero’s role.

“It might be interesting to see what a human with a mere fragment of the Hero’s power can do, instead of the Hero himself. So, perhaps we can overlook it for now.”

Idelia’s expression twisted strangely.

“…Are you really going to wage a full-scale war?”

The Demon King gave a light nod.

“Wouldn’t it be awkward to start a fight and then back out? The commanders of the 7th and 9th Corps at the front lines are already having fun fighting, aren’t they?”

“If we just fight moderately like we always have…”

“The Emperor will once again focus on conquering the continent, and as long as he’s alive, he will eventually pour his strengthened national power into this conflict, no matter how long it takes. It will be a much harder fight.”

“Why are you so sure the Emperor will succeed in conquering the continent…?”

“Then don’t you think so?”

His last words were a question directed not just at Idelia but at all the legion commanders.

The Demon King looked at each commander seated around the table and asked again.

“Really?”

“…”

Silence answered him.

The Demon King chuckled, knowing their silence stemmed from an unwillingness to openly acknowledge the strength of humans.

“This is a proper war after a long time. Just think of it as stretching your stiff limbs and enjoy it.”

“Indeed, Idelia. If Trober were here, he’d have grabbed you by the collar for being so weak,” Asild, the Commander of the 3rd Corps, mocked.

Idelia bit her lip and fell silent at Asild’s taunt.

In the brief silence that followed, the Demon King, who seemed oblivious to everything as he kept his gaze fixed on the desk, spoke with a hint of mischievousness while looking at Deon.

“Perhaps the full-scale war will begin after Demon leaves on his mission.”

Deon’s eyelids twitched.

“Do you mean they’ll attack while Demon-nim is away?”

“Targeting the period when our strongest force is absent… how opportunistic.”

“Well… let’s assume that’s the case.”

As long as Deon Hart remained in the Demon Realm, the Emperor couldn’t act carelessly. Otherwise, his actions might be perceived by Deon Hart as abandoning him.

It wasn’t unheard of for the Empire to prioritize strategic gains over the lives of captured generals, so caution was understandable.

Therefore, if a full-scale war were to begin while Deon Hart was in the Demon Realm and potentially siding with the Demon King, it would likely happen after Deon Hart safely returned to the Empire in the Human Realm.

“In other words, the authority to initiate a full-scale war rests with us… no, with Demon.”

He had already relinquished that authority by stating that Demon was free to return to the Human Realm whenever he wished.

The legion commanders’ gazes converged on one point. The Demon King also glanced at Deon. Sensing their attention, Deon looked up, scanned the room, and slowly offered his reply.

“I plan to make preparations immediately after this meeting.”

“Did you hear that?”

“That’s too soon….”

Idelia muttered instinctively.

Though it was a near-whisper, it seemed to be taken as a challenge by someone. Lirinel abruptly stood up.

“Are you questioning Demon-nim’s decision right now?!”

The red brooch pinned to her chest glinted in the light. Idelia stared at Lirinel in disbelief.

“But it’s true that it’s too soon. We also need time to prepare.”

“So, you are questioning Demon-nim’s decision!”

“…This cult fanatic…!”

Finally, Idelia also jumped to her feet.

“Enough.”

“…”

“…”

The air in the conference room turned icy.

Idelia, flinching slightly, glanced at the Demon King and slowly sat down. Lirinel, looking uneasy, also glanced around before clenching her mouth shut and plopping back into her chair.

The Demon King, his expression stern as he watched them, then curved his eyes into crescents, obscuring his pupils. A painted smile adorned his face.

“Prepare? How novel. When have we ever prepared separately before going to war?”

“…”

Those who remembered the commanders of the 7th and 9th Corps already clashing with the Empire at the front lines slowly shook their heads.

Prepare? What was there to prepare? The Demon Realm had always fought wars without warning. That was why combat readiness was a constant state. Even if more time were given, what would change for them?

Aside from the Commanders of the 2nd and 4th Corps, who dealt with information, the other commanders wouldn’t be negatively affected by the length of the preparation time, so no further complaints arose.

The Demon King scanned the silent room and propped his chin on his fist, elbow on the table.

“Still, Idelia isn’t entirely wrong. Preparing is much better than not preparing. Once the war starts, the 7th and 9th Corps won’t be enough, so maybe we should set aside some available troops in advance… let’s see…”

His voice was as dry as reading from a book. A haphazard plan thrown out as if to appease the dissatisfied Commanders of the 2nd and 4th Corps.

Whether he knew it or not, his tilted head, combined with everything else, revealed his nonchalant attitude towards life. The Demon King, in that posture, half-closed his eyes and mentally reviewed the list of his legion commanders.

There was only one thing he truly cared about and put his heart into.

***

[In other words, the authority to initiate a full-scale war rests with us… no, with Demon.]

At that moment, all the legion commanders’ gazes focused on me.

Even without looking up, I could feel the prickling sensations of their stares, and cold sweat trickled down my back. I managed to lift my head and look around, and as expected, the gazes meeting mine were so welcoming that I almost cried tears of gratitude—or maybe it was just sheer terror.

‘…Anyway, this is the moment I need to speak, right? They’re asking when I’m leaving.’

So, I barely managed to give my answer.

[I plan to make preparations immediately after this meeting.]

[That’s too soon…. ]

For a complaint to follow without hesitation was terrifying enough. My heart plummeted at that. But when Lirinel then challenged the speaker as if ready for a fight, I truly wished I could turn into a pill bug.

Hearing the unwanted story about the Emperor made it even worse.

‘If I accidentally let this slip in front of the Emperor, I’m dead.’

Even hinting that I know would be a death sentence.

Regardless of whether I’m useful or not, I’ll be killed for sure.

‘It’s a relief that this part of my memory is particularly hazy… but maybe I should consciously control even my subconscious now.’