Chapter 163: Commotion

Despite the palpable terror, every noble silently agreed as the Emperor leaned an elbow on the armrest and crossed his legs.

“Hmm,” the Emperor hummed, a low sound.

“So… you’re suggesting I’m the root of all this?”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but a disloyal thought keeps nagging at me: if you hadn’t pursued the conquest of the Human Realm, the Demon Realm wouldn’t have interfered. Even if war with the Demon Realm was inevitable, as the future foretold, the situation would be far better now. We wouldn’t have squandered our forces on a pointless conquest. And didn’t the Deon Hart incident just blow up in our faces recently?”

The Emperor, who had listened calmly until now, finally lifted his gaze at the sudden mention of that name. The nobles, watching with bated breath, collectively held theirs.

Deon Hart’s name was practically forbidden in the Emperor’s presence. How dare he utter it so brazenly?

Ignoring the horrified stares of the nobles, the audacious noble continued without missing a beat.

“Even before he mentioned Your Majesty, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

“……”

“Did Your Majesty know he was the Commander of the 0th Legion?”

Knowing it was a problem, and not knowing it was just as bad.

All eyes turned to the Emperor, demanding an answer. For this moment, noble faction and imperial faction ceased to matter.

He was alone here, no allies in sight. Bearing the weight of countless gazes that felt like they could crush him, the Emperor slowly spoke.

“That’s quite a tangent from the agenda. I distinctly remember proposing a discussion about supporting Rweche.”

“……Your Majesty.”

“And does that even matter right now? Whatever answer I give, nothing will change. Isn’t it more crucial to defend the Empire against the demons and preserve the Human Realm? I suggest you focus more on the war effort.”

The Emperor’s words weren’t wrong, but that didn’t erase his culpability or the earlier question.

Especially now, amidst this power struggle over noble participation and the conscription of their last remaining soldiers, they couldn’t simply let it slide. The noble spoke again.

“But Your Majesty, how can we stand idly by when we’re on the verge of losing the bare minimum to protect our families and lands? Deon Hart’s declarations are a major reason why the Empire should support Rweche, yet why must the nobles bear all the sacrifice…?”

“Shall I take up my sword and lead the charge myself?”

The noble’s point was valid.

Deon Hart had declared himself the Commander of the 0th Legion, implying the Emperor knew all along. He’d branded the Emperor untrustworthy, and now all of humanity across the continent was scrutinizing the Emperor and the Empire’s every move with heightened sensitivity.

Thus, even for appearances’ sake, they couldn’t abandon their allies who had staunchly supported the Empire. This situation, too, could be traced back to the Emperor. And now, to seize even the nobles’ remaining soldiers felt like a step too far, understandably provoking outrage.

‘However,’

The Emperor tilted his head pointedly.

“I asked, shall I personally take up my sword, lead the reinforcements, and fight the demons at the front lines?”

“……”

“I’ve already committed every troop under my command to this war. Meaning, there are no more soldiers to send.”

“…We know there are forces stationed at the palace.”

“Do you truly believe they are here to guard me or this palace?”

Of course not.

Just because they remain still doesn’t mean those chess pieces aren’t engaged in the black-and-white battle.

Those stationed at the palace are chess pieces on the board, silently awaiting their turn. They are in a perpetual state of readiness, poised to deploy at a moment’s notice.

The Emperor had already placed every piece he held onto the chessboard of war.

“Therefore, my only remaining force is my own body. So, should I personally go out and face them?”

“……”

“Or should we, in these uncertain times, when demons could invade from any direction, sacrifice the last bastion protecting our Empire for the sake of another nation?”

It was ironic for him to talk about the ‘last bastion’ when he was trying to seize what the nobles claimed was their own territorial defense. But the Emperor, aware of the difference and priority of what needed protecting, remained unfazed.

“If your objection is truly about protecting your territories, then let me ask you this: When have I ever demanded you abandon your lands for the Empire? The soldiers I’m conscripting from you will be used to defend your very territories.”

“Then there’s no need to conscript soldiers…”

“The plan is to distribute forces across all territories near the border and provide immediate support when demon incursions are reported. It will be far easier to combat the demons this way than trying to hold them off with your own private forces alone.”

The nobles’ expressions became divided.

Those with lands near the border brightened, while discontent clouded the faces of those in safer regions. The Emperor, unfazed, concluded his statement.

“Naturally, your soldiers will be returned once the war concludes.”

That is, if they survive.

Swallowing that cynical thought, he returned to the original topic. In truth, the nobles’ opinions were merely for show, hardly important—especially if they were objections.

A tyrant wasn’t a tyrant for nothing.

“We’ll dispatch forces to Rweche comprised of commoners and peasants. The resulting troop deficit will be filled by the soldiers conscripted from you. They’ll be placed in positions suitable for ‘territorial defense,’ so rest assured.”

“We haven’t agreed to—”

“We will gladly comply, Your Majesty.”

“Margrave of Amiable!”

With even nobles agreeing like this, the outcome was as good as sealed.

The Emperor offered a faint smile.

***

After the meeting, the Duke sought out the Emperor.

“You navigated that skillfully.”

The Duke’s eyes curved into a smile, as if in praise.

The question about Deon Hart, the 0th Legion Commander, had been a dangerously loaded one for the Emperor. Acknowledging or denying it would only lead to unfavorable outcomes—truly a worst-case scenario.

Yet, as the conversation progressed, it somehow faded away, glossed over. Just as the Emperor intended.

“But how long can you keep sidestepping like this? Nobles aren’t fools. They know a weapon isn’t disposable. Just because they parried an attack once doesn’t mean they’ll deem a perfectly good weapon useless.”

They’ll just conceal it again, waiting for the opportune moment.

The Emperor frowned, his gaze fixed on the Duke. Irritation, impossible to mask, emanated from his eyes.

“What are you getting at?”

“It’s not too late, even now.”

“……Ah.”

He wanted the throne.

“Or at least relinquish all authority to me.”

Even in this crisis, he was still grasping for power. Utterly absurd.

As the Emperor scoffed in disbelief, the Duke pressed on.

“You must be exhausted.”

“……”

“You’ve handed the nobles a convenient excuse, so things will only become more exhausting and draining from now on. And the hallucinations, the voices…”

His violet eyes flickered, following the Emperor’s gaze into empty air, then returned to focus.

“They’re getting worse, if anything, not better.”

“…The Duke worrying about me? I never thought I’d live to see the day.”

“What do you mean? I’ve always been concerned for Your Majesty’s well-being. So, why not step aside and get some rest?”

The Emperor snorted derisively, as if he’d heard every joke in the book.

“You’re suggesting I hand over all authority to someone who can’t even defend his own territory? Preposterous.”

“……”

The Duke’s forces had been decimated by the Revolutionary Army’s assault, barely enough to defend his own lands, let alone contribute to the war effort.

Initially, the Emperor suspected the Duke was feigning weakness to hoard his troops. But upon investigation, the Duke’s forces were indeed in a pitiful state, and the Emperor couldn’t help but chuckle.

[Indeed, his arrogance finally tripped him up.]

The Duke’s expression hardened, his pride clearly wounded. The Emperor continued, unfazed.

“And you played a significant role in creating this very situation. How dare you act like you’re innocent?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who else but you could have killed Cruel Hart?”

The timing of the rumor that Deon Hart killed Cruel Hart had always struck him as suspicious. It spread so quickly after Deon Hart was declared an enemy.

The Emperor knew exactly who was capable of such manipulation.

“You must have killed him right in front of Deon Hart, no doubt. That’s why he’s been on a rampage.”

“……Ah, Your Majesty.”

Despite the sharp accusation, the Duke merely chuckled.

“You knew, yet you remained silent.”

“……”

“I understand. We need to stand united against a common enemy right now. Revealing the truth would have fractured the Empire from within.”

The Duke was confident the Emperor wouldn’t expose him. The Emperor clicked his tongue softly.

He was right. The internal strife within the Empire, dangerous enough on its own, wouldn’t stop there; it would jeopardize alliances with other nations.

Thus, Eudoardo Deserte, as Emperor, chose silence, tacitly endorsing the branding of Deon Hart as a public enemy.

“…Even so, your sin doesn’t vanish.”

“If it remains hidden, it’s no sin at all.”

“That’s a chilling statement. I fail to see what makes you so confident, knowing this isn’t the kind of secret you can bury forever.”

At the venomous words, the Duke offered a thin smile.

“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude that Your Majesty is concerned for me, but I’m far more concerned about you. You’re so determined to cling to the throne. I sincerely hope you won’t succumb to your hallucinations and suffer a humiliating downfall.”

“How kind of you.”

With no one else around, they could afford to trade barbs openly.

The Emperor dismissed the Duke’s barbed words with a wave of his hand, ending the conversation and turning away.

And on his way back to his office, the knight arriving for the twelfth report delivered some truly unwelcome news.

“…Repeat that. What about the Lofty Knights?”

“The Killer Squad—no, the Lofty Knights… they deserted during deployment.”

“……Finally.”

***

The sky was, as always, a clear blue.

Gazing at the sky, likely a refreshing breeze above the blood-soaked battlefield, I lowered my gaze to scan the Killer Squad assembled before me.

They were clearly bewildered by the sudden assembly order, especially since no battle was imminent, and stared blankly at me.

I began to speak quietly.

“I have something to ask.”

The response was immediate.

“Who is it?!”

“Where are they?!”

“Should we bury them up to their necks, or go for a clean head-to-toe job?”

The Killer Squad members fired questions, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. The sudden uproar caused me to pause.

Realizing the conversation was going nowhere, I was about to raise my voice when a booming shout erupted from one side.

“You bastards, that’s not the question to ask!”

“……Then?”

At someone’s query, Kleter turned, looking back this way. He posed a polite question.

“How many are we talking about?”

“Ah!”

‘Ah,’ my foot…

Realizing we’d never get to the point if this continued, I immediately spoke up.

“I’ve heard rumors that some of you are using drugs even outside of combat.”

“Ah…”

“Looks like it’s true.”

“……”

A few flinched visibly, subtly averting their gazes. I couldn’t help but sigh.

“Stop it.”

“……”

“Do you want to die? Or are you eager to stay here? That stuff is for surviving the battlefield, not for everyday life.”

“On the battlefield, everyone’s practically insane, so no one notices if you’re drugged up, but daily life is different.”