Chapter 133: Tightrope Walking (7)

…Yeah, heading back might be the best move. Defying either of the two rulers in the current political climate is practically begging for a death wish, but avoiding the immediate threat seems wiser, right? I can leave the future problems to my future self to figure out.

‘My life has always been as fragile as a candle flame in the wind.’

It’s been like this since I stepped onto the battlefield, so there’s no point in being surprised now.

‘I’ took a deep breath, feeling the stress surge. Opening my eyes, I found my mind thankfully clearer, the mental fatigue easing slightly.

‘Ah, I could use a smoke. And maybe a drink….’

The alcohol craving is normal, but the urge for a smoke is strange; I quit ages ago. Why the sudden desire?

Anyway, time to head back. Just as I made the decision and turned, my communication stone vibrated in my pocket.

‘Huh? Did I take a wrong turn or something?’

I’m pretty sure I was going the right way….

With a flicker of doubt, I pulled out the communication stone. The first thing I heard was a short groan, like someone was in pain.

“What is it… did I get lost?”

– No, Deon, you should get ready. Things might wrap up sooner than expected. There are magical beasts headed your way.

“…Huh?!”

I was just about to run!

As if to confirm it was too late to escape, the ground trembled faintly. …Right, they said I could handle this on my own. Let’s see what they look like.

I turned towards the source of the vibrations. A nearby tree splintered and shattered, revealing a group of six or so large magical beasts.

…Heh.

‘They seriously expect me to handle *that* by myself? Are they for real?’

Just how highly do they rate my abilities?

They didn’t say there would be many, and to be fair, the number is small compared to other monster packs I’ve encountered.

It’s just that….

‘Their size is no joke!’

That tree just broke! Not because they meant to, but just from them moving!

After a moment of stunned silence, I managed to speak, surprisingly, my voice was calm as I addressed the person on the other end.

“Lord Demon King?”

– Yeah, got it. Having the comm stone on will just be a distraction, right? I’ll hang up. Call me when you’re done cleaning up.

Click.

….

“Shiii…t….”

My grip tightened on the communication stone involuntarily. I desperately wanted to throw it and unleash all my frustration….

Quietly, I lowered my gaze. The communication stone was fine; it was my hand that was pale and trembling – pathetic.

I stared at my shaking hand for a moment before relaxing my grip and tucking the communication stone back into my pocket.

Right, surviving comes first. I can’t afford to waste energy, not with my weak constitution.

“Alright, let’s see who dies first, you bastards.”

I drew my familiar dagger and glared at the creatures charging toward me.

I remember their forms getting closer and closer, my head tilting up as I looked at them….

‘Did the sheer size of them shock me into losing it?’

I don’t remember what happened after that.

***

They failed to kill Deon Hart again. Apparently, some were even eliminated by an unknown person before they could reach him.

The Duke crumpled the note he was reading in his hand, a smirk playing on his lips. He raised his gaze, meeting the eyes of the other nobles standing before him.

…Annoying as it is, dealing with these people is the priority right now.

“So… to what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

And with so many of you.

His eyes moved from left to right, slowly scanning the faces before him. Familiar faces. If they weren’t part of the noble faction, he would have thrown them out immediately.

He swallowed his subtle annoyance with a sip of tea. Among those sitting nervously on the sofa, one finally gathered the courage to speak out.

“The Emperor seems to have lost his mind.”

“Oh.”

That’s rather blunt.

It’s not entirely wrong, but it’s not something to be said so openly. Good thing I dismissed the servants beforehand.

He slowly set down his glass. Taking his attentive posture as encouragement, the others began to voice their opinions, their voices rising.

“This war was a bad idea for the Empire from the start. Win or lose, we stand to lose.”

“We have to stop it now.”

“It’s not too late, since the war is still in its early stages.”

It’s true that this war puts the Empire at a disadvantage, and it’s also true that we’ll lose regardless of the outcome. Stopping it would be the right move, but….

The Duke delicately rested his hand on his chin, tilting his head. A strand of his purple hair slipped over his shoulder with the movement.

“Why come to me with your concerns? You could take your grievances directly to His Majesty.”

“The Emperor… well, you know how he is.”

Well, that’s true enough.

Trying to advise him is more likely to get your head chopped off. The Emperor is particularly merciless towards the noble faction.

“…Alright. You say we need to stop it, but do you have a plan?”

“That…”

“Keep in mind that the war has already started. Even if we want to stop it, the Demon King might not agree. Your plan needs to account for all of that.”

He was already on edge after receiving the less-than-pleasant news. If their proposal is flimsy, they’d better be prepared for the consequences.

The Duke dropped the crumpled note from his fist into his half-empty teacup, offering a faint smile. Sensing the danger, the nobles visibly flinched.

Even so, they went ahead and presented their plan.

“We need to… execute the Emperor.”

Sadly, it wasn’t a good plan.

The Duke paused, momentarily taken aback by the sudden suggestion of treason.

“…Excuse me?”

“The Demon King said he would retreat if the Empire showed no further aggression. But the Emperor is a warmonger. He welcomes the war with the Demon Realm and has no intention of stopping it. Therefore…”

“—we’ll execute the Emperor to stop the war?”

“If we offer the Emperor’s head to the Demon Realm, wouldn’t the Demon King understand our intentions and withdraw?”

“Ha….”

How foolish.

Watching them, the Duke felt a throbbing pain in his head. Anger and irritation surged, only to be suppressed by cold logic.

Perhaps it was the aftershock of the rapidly escalating emotions, but his voice was weak, almost a lament.

“Don’t you realize that’s exactly what the Demon King wants?”

“…Huh?”

“Did you even consider why the Demon King made that statement in his declaration of war?”

“What? Well….”

Their words trailed off. He waited for a moment, but no answer came.

Are these really the nobles of the Empire?

“Obviously, he’s trying to incite internal strife! To sow discord within the Human Realm and within the Empire itself! The Demon King is attempting to divide humanity against itself!”

Oops. His voice had risen unintentionally.

The Duke ran a hand over his face, picking up his teacup, then paused when he saw the note he’d dropped in it. He carefully set the cup back down. Given the current topic, he couldn’t exactly call for a servant, so he’d just have to bear with it.

The brief silence that followed was broken by his now calmer voice.

“As nobles, you must have learned history as part of your basic education, correct?”

“Yes, yes… of course….”

“Then you should know the most common cause of a nation’s downfall.”

“….”

Again, no answer.

This country is doomed. Even if it weren’t for the ruler, the vassals are hopeless. The Emperor understands the importance of history, so where did these clueless nobles come from?

Seeing the downsides of hereditary titles firsthand, he felt a sudden urge to support the revolutionaries. Of course, it was just a fleeting impulse.

The Duke sighed internally and calmly stated the answer.

“Internal conflict.”

“Ah….”

‘Ah…’ my foot.

While it’s true that the current Emperor has increased the number of countries falling to external forces, historically, internal strife has been the cause of almost every nation’s demise.

“Even when it appears that a nation fell due to external forces, closer examination often reveals that internal strife had already made it vulnerable.”

A nation teeters on the brink due to internal conflict, then another country gives it a nudge, and it crumbles.

“But… nobles dividing into different factions and opposing each other has been happening in this country since before it was an Empire. According to your logic, this nation should have fallen long ago….”

“Good heavens.”

They can’t even distinguish between political opposition and outright rebellion?

He couldn’t help but sigh. The Duke stared blankly at them, not even bothering to brush back the hair falling over his face.

“…Who said that opposition was a bad thing? Political opposition is a natural phenomenon that inevitably arises to achieve better outcomes, and it’s perfectly normal.”

“Then just now….”

“However, opposition and changes in power should be done with consideration for the circumstances. Attempting such things when the nation is stable is precarious enough, but to engage in conflict with an external threat looming? That’s madness.”

His blood pressure was spiking again today. There’s a limit to how much his reason can suppress his frustration.

The Duke rubbed his temples, continuing to speak calmly.

“All nobles have a fundamental duty to protect their nation, both politically and militarily. No matter how divided they are by factions, they should unite to repel external invaders. Fighting comes after that.”

Who do you think you owe your comfortable lives to?

Protecting the Imperial citizens is the top priority for both nobles and the monarch. Annoyed words bubbled up, threatening to spill out.

He swallowed them down, placing his clasped hands on his crossed knee, and offered a polite smile to the vacant-looking nobles.

“My words may have wandered a bit, but you understand now, yes? The idea you had was exactly what the Demon King wanted. Why would you trust the Demon King’s words anyway? Rumors of the demon race’s deceitfulness are rampant across the continent. Even if you hand over the Emperor’s head and are promised peace, there’s no guarantee they’ll keep their word.”

“….”

“Therefore, suggesting the Emperor’s execution at this point is tantamount to destroying the nation and handing the Human Realm over to the Demon King. Do you really want to play king in a ruined country, wearing a crown with no one left to serve you?”

Of course, they’d likely be dead and their corpses rotting before they could even engage in such foolish games.

At least they seemed to have finally grasped the point. The nobles’ faces paled, and they hurriedly waved their hands in denial.

“Ah, no, not at all!”

“We were foolish.”

“…His Majesty has repeatedly said that a ruler’s ignorance is a crime. Perhaps you all need to understand why history is a fundamental part of a noble’s education.”

He had expected them to come up with a clumsy plan, but presenting such an incredibly stupid idea as a serious proposal left him feeling drained.

The Duke, suddenly exhausted, gestured dismissively, signaling for them to leave.

“Ah, there’s also the matter of confirming the rumors regarding Honorary Marquis Deon Hart being a vampire….”

“…Please, just leave.”

“Yes, yes!”

The nobles, having finally taken the hint, scurried away. Left alone in the room, he thought back to the note he had been reading before their arrival.

‘Every assassination attempt fails, the poisoning failed because he either knocked over the poisoned food by accident or noticed it before eating….’

And then there’s the unknown protector.

Considerable skill combined with unbelievable luck. Honestly, it was a bit disheartening, but….

‘…Whether it’s luck or skill, if I keep pushing until it succeeds, eventually it will.’

His resolve remained unchanged. The Duke had no intention of withdrawing his initial assassination request, telling his contacts to keep trying and that money was no object.