Chapter 129: Tightrope Walking

I know the terror of the subconscious. Just today, I spoke unfiltered in front of the Fairy King, nearly incurring his wrath. Fortunately, I managed to smooth things over, but the Emperor wouldn’t be so lenient.

So, with renewed, taut tension, I mentally shrunk my heart and liver, careful not to let any careless words slip out. That’s why this sudden turn of events caught me so off guard.

Ah, but of course, this doesn’t mean I’m reconsidering my trip to the Empire.

‘After all… I stirred up quite the trouble here….’

Bringing in that medicine from the court physician and carelessly discarding it, which only strengthened the magical beasts….

Now that I’ve unintentionally become an illegal drug smuggler, the only sensible option is to get out of here as fast as possible. The Demon King may have said he’d overlook it, but judging by the murderous aura when I intervened in Idelia and Lirinel’s squabble earlier, leaving now and returning later would definitely benefit my lifespan.

‘Let’s go to the Empire.’

As soon as possible.

Just as I solidified my resolve once more, the Demon King’s voice continued.

“Still, Idelia isn’t entirely wrong. It’s better to prepare than not. Once the war starts, the 7th and 9th Corps alone won’t be enough, so we should move some available troops in advance… Let’s see….”

***

Deon Hart had returned.

The Emperor, however, didn’t immediately ask the returned Deon Hart if he had ‘decided’.

He merely observed Deon’s eyes, their conversation a veiled probe. Realizing Deon’s role hadn’t changed, he swiftly turned his attention to the other information Deon had brought.

‘…Indeed, spies during wartime are quite useful.’

He tried to convince himself.

The problem was that this spy was neither on his side nor entirely on the enemy’s, a wild card who could betray either side at any moment… But for now, it was manageable. He could wait.

The Demon King was likely waiting for his patience to wear thin so he would aggressively pressure Deon Hart.

‘Hoping Deon Hart would flee to the Demon Realm.’

In southern terms, it was like waiting for a persimmon to fall right into your mouth.

How laughable. The Emperor’s patience was far more enduring than the Demon King imagined.

“So… is that all?”

“That is all the information I have regarding Your Majesty’s inquiry.”

Thanks to Deon Hart’s gradual leaks, the Emperor already knew the missions assigned to each legion commander.

Therefore, the current information Deon brought was far from satisfactory.

“…Ha, so this is the extent of their preparation for a war against our Empire.”

It wasn’t the quality of the information, but the content itself.

The 6th and 12th Corps would continue eliminating magical beasts, the 5th Corps patrolling the Demon Realm would remain on standby at the Demon King’s castle, and even the 10th and 8th Corps, responsible for guarding major Demon Realm cities, had no changes in their assignments… Ultimately, the legions intended for war were the existing 1st, 3rd, 7th, and 9th Corps, with the 5th Corps as backup.

The 2nd and 4th Corps were involved in information gathering, rarely participating in direct combat, so they were excluded. The 11th Corps had historically seen minimal combat, so they were also excluded….

‘There are a total of twelve… no, thirteen corps, and they’re only using five….’

Were they simply underestimating the Empire?

They should be mobilizing every available legion, except for the absolute minimum garrison forces, yet this was their preparation?

The Emperor pressed down hard on the back of his gloved left hand before releasing it, a frustrated expression creasing his brow.

“There’s a limit to how much one can underestimate us.”

“……”

“…In any case, you’ve done well. You’ll be busy soon, so you should return and rest.”

Deon, who had been listening silently, flinched almost imperceptibly at the Emperor’s weighty words. He slowly raised his head, his crimson eyes, reminiscent of someone’s emerald gaze, meeting the golden eyes with blatant disrespect.

“…Am I… also participating in the war?”

“Yes.”

Even without direct pressure, traversing between the warring factions would create considerable psychological strain. Eventually, he would step down from that precarious tightrope.

From the start, his tightrope walk was tolerated by the two rulers. If they truly wished, they could have grabbed him by the collar and dragged him down, but the Emperor had refrained.

Talent acquired without genuine loyalty was nothing more than a bomb waiting to explode.

“……”

“……?”

No response followed his confirmation. The Emperor slowly shifted his gaze, studying the stark, emotionless expression before him, and then murmured as if realizing something.

“Come to think of it… is this your first war participation since the Eight Years’ War?”

He had only experienced minor skirmishes since then, never a full-scale war. Even in the recent conquest war, Deon Hart had been in the Demon Realm.

“Yes… there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for a while now.”

It was such an obvious point that he almost overlooked it, but Deon’s demeanor reminded him. It was fortunate he remembered now.

Something he absolutely had to tell Deon Hart before sending him to war.

The Emperor took a large step, closing the distance between them. Deon stared in surprise as his personal space was so boldly invaded, but the Emperor paid no heed, lightly placing his hands on Deon’s shoulders.

“When the fighting starts, you perform better than anyone, so I have no concerns regarding your physical capabilities. However, there’s a need to preemptively address other matters.”

So, let me say this in advance.

His slow voice carried considerable weight.

“If someone wields a sword and kills, blame falls on the wielder, not the sword itself.”

It was truly absurd. This individual, who had precariously tightrope-walked using that very principle, hadn’t even considered it from this angle.

Perhaps his thinking had solidified too early in life. Childhood experiences imprinted deeply, influencing even adulthood, so it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

If that was the case.

“You are my sword. Are you not?”

“…That is correct.”

As the owner of the sword, he would personally shatter that misconception.

He didn’t know how much of an impact these words would have, but it was better than saying nothing at all.

“Does a sword bear guilt?”

The Emperor, hoping that the sword named Deon Hart wouldn’t break, willingly spoke his mind.

Truly foolish. To claim he was a sword and should not resent being wielded by another, yet feel guilt when killing as a sword.

As if entirely unprepared for such a statement, his red pupils widened dramatically. The Emperor didn’t miss this reaction, continuing his gentle explanation.

“Everyone participating in war is a sword of their commander. All the evil deeds they commit by killing fall upon those who created the battleground and the commanders who wield them. Commanders, too, have superiors wielding them. Following this triangular relationship upwards, we eventually reach the ‘monarch’ at the apex.”

“……”

“Do you understand? In waging war, commanders like you bear no guilt. Did you kill someone? I ordered you to do so, so what choice did you have? Guilt? That is entirely my burden to bear. How dare a sword attempt to shoulder guilt? That is overstepping bounds, arrogance, and disrespect towards the monarch.”

All the sins committed by them on the battlefield belonged to the Emperor. Therefore, the consequences should also fall upon the Emperor.

Yet, how dare a mere sword try to steal his burden?

“I assure you. All the blood and resentment that existed during the Eight Years’ War, the recent war, and the upcoming war with the Demon Realm are mine. Therefore, do not remember the faces of the dead, nor listen to their stories.”

Whether they are foe or friend.

“Remembrance is my duty.”

“……”

Looking into the crimson eyes staring back at him, the Emperor offered a rare, slow upturn of his lips.

“You simply need to act according to the orders from above.”

***

I returned to the Empire. Before departing, I had called Hien and Ed in regarding that bizarre plant in my bag, which escalated into threats of killing each other…!

‘Ed actually asked if he should kill Hien by the neck….’

Anyway, it was resolved safely….

[Did the plant cause any problems?]

[Well… you could say that….]

[I apologize. I shall offer Hien’s head as recompense.]

[No… why Hien’s head….]

[Ah, I shall offer my head as well.]

[I don’t need it…!]

Safely….

[Was the plant not helpful…?]

[It was useful in the end….]

[Then I shall prepare more next time!]

[No, that’s alright….]

Safely… resolved…? Or not?

Well, I managed to get their promise not to do it again by pointing out that carrying bizarre plants in the Human Realm would only cause trouble for me. So, I suppose it’s safe to say it was resolved.

Regardless, thanks to the trauma from the last bizarre plant incident, I returned to the mansion empty-handed this time, without even a disguise. I’ll ignore the fact that I immediately coughed up blood upon arrival.

‘A war with the Demon Realm, of all places.’

Heaven seems intent on dragging my life down to the very depths.

To make matters worse, I’ll now be going back and forth not just across battlefields, but also between two fiercely opposing factions. Having to be mindful of both superiors is just a bonus.

So, I was prepared for a hectic time, popping stomach medicine like candy while being summoned here and there… but should I say my expectations were met, or subverted?

I became very busy. In a very different way.

“Marquis, your hand has stopped moving.”

“Ah.”

I moved the paused pen, scribbling my signature on the documents.

Troop withdrawal from the Marquisate… Permission granted, of course… The murderous… no, the Lofty Knights’ departure… Oh, they’re going quite far. Gladly granted… The commander is difficult to control, so they need someone to lead them… Lien would be suitable. It seems like they’re hoping for me, but I’ll dismiss it as my imagination… No, wait!

I stopped the pen and looked up. Dan met my gaze, likely about to point out my idleness.

“…Dan, aren’t we at war?”

“Yes, we are.”

“Then why aren’t I busy?”

“You are busy right now, are you not?”

“No… I’m not talking about being busy with this sort of thing….”

Don’t I go to the battlefield less often than I thought? I was summoned quite a bit in the beginning, but right now I’m leisurely handling paperwork…. Though my location is a military camp, not the Marquis’s mansion.

“Marquis, there’s a mountain of paperwork to process.”

“…Why are you here?”

“As a guard, and to… supervise… no, oversee… the Marquis’s paperwork at the butler’s request… no….”

You little…?

“Ahem, I came to offer my assistance.”

“Too late, you brat. Get lost.”

“Ah, regarding what you mentioned earlier about ‘the Marquis not being busy’….”

Your attempt to change the subject is obvious. Who taught you that?

If it’s about diverting the conversation, I’ve built up some resistance after being constantly subjected to Rememver’s tactics. I still can’t beat Rememver, but it’s not like I’d fall for tricks from this guy who’s lower in status and has weaker verbal skills than Rememver.

“His Majesty doesn’t seem keen on sending you to the battlefield, Marquis. There are even rumors that he’s busier than usual….”

“Yes, so why doesn’t he want to send me to the battlefield? It’s not bad, but it feels unsettling. More importantly, don’t change the subject and get l….”

“Speaking of which, recently there have been rumors that the combat styles of the Demon Realm’s Commander of the 0th Legion and the Empire’s third hero, Deon Hart, are similar.”

“Wha… what?”

Ah, I ended up falling for it.

He learned well from Rememver. Damn it.