Chapter 199: Consequences of Rest

Back in his room, Deon slept for three days straight, as if determined to make up for all the sleep he had missed.

He didn’t even stir in between, sleeping so soundly that the Lofty Knights hovered anxiously near his door.

“Are you sure he’s alright?”

“He hasn’t woken up once! Could something be wrong with him…?”

“Hey, you bastard! Don’t say ominous things! …But have you checked if he’s still breathing?”

“…He’s just sleeping deeply, nothing more. He’s in a normal slumber, so please stop disturbing him and return to your accommodations. You’re being too loud, and the hallway is completely blocked with all of you here.”

Blocked by Dan’s firm words, they had no choice but to return to their respective rooms.

Dan chased away the lingering onlookers like stray dogs barking at the door, ensuring no one would give up easily. He carefully locked the door before turning around.

Deon was still fast asleep, seemingly unfazed by the commotion outside, lying peacefully in bed like a character from a fairy tale. A wooden box sat on the bedside table, adding to the scene.

‘…Why does he sleep with that at his bedside?’

It’s better than holding it to sleep, I suppose. Or maybe holding it would be better?

The ambiguous and uncomfortable way he slept suggested he wanted to hold it close but couldn’t bring himself to, leaving it nearby instead.

Dan cast a peculiar glance at Deon before turning his attention to tidying up the room.

Though, there wasn’t much to tidy. The person who usually made a mess had been asleep in bed since arriving. What was there to touch?

He merely brushed his fingertips across surfaces to check for dust and examined the vase on the windowsill. Expecting it to be as vibrant as ever, he was about to move on after a cursory glance, but he soon had to doubt his eyes and turn back to inspect the flower more closely.

‘It’s… slightly wilted?’

Even when left without water until the soil was bone dry, it had remained vibrant.

Could it be that being in the Demon Realm for so long had severely affected it? The standards for its vibrancy and wilting were utterly unpredictable.

‘It looks like an ordinary flower from the Human Realm though.’

He eyed the slightly wilting flower suspiciously before shaking his head.

It was suspicious, but unless he sensed any danger, he needed Deon Hart’s permission to remove it. There was nothing he could do to the flower right now.

***

On the fourth day, after three days had passed, Deon Hart finally woke up.

Contrary to expectations that he would resume the conquest of the Human Realm after resting, he abruptly became listless and holed himself up in his room. Many were understandably bewildered.

‘The reason is obvious.’

Amidst the demons floundering, unsure how to react to this unexpected situation, one person moved calmly.

Dan sighed deeply, forcibly pulling the lethargic Deon up, feeding him, and pushing him into the bathroom to wash.

‘He accomplished a major goal, after all.’

Having achieved a significant objective—destroying the Empire and avenging the Duke—a sudden wave of listlessness had washed over him. No one could keep burning with emotion indefinitely, be it vengeance or anything else. He had lasted quite long until now.

‘If he were an ordinary person, his mind would have surely broken down.’

Was it because of his seemingly fragile appearance, or the precarious air of sharpness he always carried?

Frankly, Dan had judged Deon Hart’s mental fortitude to be below average.

Even his current state suggested as much. He looked like he was clinging to shattered glass.

‘…Thinking about it, it’s amazing he endured this long after experiencing all those things.’

From the age of 14 until now, merciless hammer blows had relentlessly struck Deon Hart’s mind. No gentle taps, just full-force swings in every strike, constantly.

His mind, which should have been reduced to dust long ago, was still holding on, albeit cracked, purely due to his mental strength. Perhaps the person with the strongest mental fortitude wasn’t anyone else, but Deon Hart himself.

‘Though, even that has its limits. He looks like he’ll shatter if you just nudge him now.’

Dan turned to look at Deon, who had emerged in his gown, quickly realizing he was heading straight for the bed and hastily spoke up.

“You need to put on clothes.”

“Too bothersome.”

“No, Master… hah.”

Deon collapsed onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow, completely still. Dan briefly wondered if he might suffocate like that, but dismissing the thought that a Hero would die from something so trivial, he pushed aside his worry and spoke again.

“The legion commanders have come to see you again.”

“I already met them once. Isn’t that enough? What more do they want?”

A muffled voice grumbled.

Yes, he had met them. He had lounged in a chair, addressing the legion commanders who had come about the Human Realm conquest with a lack of sincerity. The main point was essentially to leave it to them.

[You guys are capable enough, aren’t you? I took down the biggest obstacle, the Empire, so you should be able to handle the rest yourselves.]

[But.]

[The magic ban is gone too, right? Surely you can manage that much?]

[…….]

[Right?]

Unable to object to the Hero, the commander-in-chief, the Commander of the 0th Legion, and the Demon King’s most cherished being, they had all shut their mouths and left, but they couldn’t be without complaints.

What if enemies arose within the Demon King’s castle because of this? Dan looked at Deon with troubled eyes before turning his head at a knock.

“Sir Deon, it’s Ed.”

“……Mmm.”

Now, even speaking seemed bothersome, as a faint nasal hum of indiscernible meaning accompanied a beckoning index finger.

Not even a full hand gesture, just an index finger. Dan chuckled in disbelief, but quickly understanding the signal, he moved to open the door.

“He says to come in.”

“…….”

Ed, casting a displeased glance at Dan as he emerged, brushed past him and stood by Deon’s bedside. He held something in his hands.

“I brought a new puzzle.”

“Mmm.”

“I thought it might help with mental stability… though, I’m not sure if it’s useful.”

“Mmm.”

“…Perhaps I’ve done something pointless.”

“Mmm.”

“…….”

Ed’s gaze, seeking an answer, turned to Dan, speechless. Meeting his blue eyes, Dan shrugged nonchalantly.

“Meaningless sounds uttered without thought. Don’t take it to heart.”

“…I’m not offended. And what kind of language is that in front of Sir Deon?”

“Just a simple explanation.”

He was not in the mood for an argument. Ed, about to say more, sighed and shook his head as if saying ‘never mind’. He placed the box containing the puzzle on the table in the middle of the room.

“…Sir Deon.”

“Mmm.”

“Could you at least tell us the reason why you’re doing this?”

“Mmm.”

Whether Ed was attempting a meaningless conversation or not, Dan subtly examined the puzzle on the table. Oh, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

‘Judging by this, they used a rather high-quality painting for the puzzle.’

It was a puzzle that, when completed, would reveal a beautiful landscape painting. Every time he saw the puzzle hanging in the room, he wondered who had gotten it, and it turned out to be the adjutant.

It must have been difficult to find this in the Human Realm, which was in ruins due to the war. One had to acknowledge his competence.

“Sir Deon, please.”

“……Ah, really.”

As if finally unable to ignore Ed’s persistent calling, a voice laced with annoyance filled the room.

Deon, still lying face down, only turned his head to the side, slightly furrowing his brow with half of his face buried in the pillow.

“I’m just tired and trying to rest a bit.”

“But we are in the middle of a war….”

“Even the Lord Demon King isn’t saying anything. Do you think it’s your place to speak up?”

“…….”

Deon glared at the speechless Ed before abruptly turning his head to the opposite side.

“Go away. I’m tired, so don’t disturb me.”

“…….”

“Master, are you going back to sleep again?”

Stepping past the frozen Ed was Dan.

“You’ve already slept enough, haven’t you?”

As if Ed didn’t exist, Dan smoothly started a conversation. Ed, feeling utterly ignored, momentarily looked down at his hands to check if he had turned into a transparent demon.

“I’m still tired.”

“But all you’ve done today is eat and go to the bathroom, Master.”

“I’m just sleepy, what can I do?”

“Even though you’re spending most of your day sleeping?”

“…I’ll go get Ben.”

Even though he was being pushed back by that glib human Dan and his presence was fading, he wasn’t so easygoing as to quietly accept being treated like he didn’t exist. Ed raised his voice appropriately.

“Sleeping even when you’re already sleeping too much might be a sign that something is wrong with your body. It might be good to get a thorough checkup.”

“But….”

Deon finally turned his gaze to Ed, trailing off his words. His red eyes rolled around as if bothered.

“I’m a Hero, you know?”

“Even Heroes are ultimately mortal. It’s not good to blindly believe in the power of a Hero.”

“……Fine, whatever. Do as you please.”

Despite the reluctant and curt reply, subsequent events unfolded quickly.

Receiving Ed’s signal, Ben rushed over in a flurry and forcibly sat up the lying Deon, starting all sorts of examinations. Deon kept trying to slump back down, but instead of allowing it, Ben sharply yelled at Ed and Dan, asking why they weren’t supporting him.

Dan, supporting the constantly sliding Deon, asked playfully.

“Master, has your spine melted or something? Your body is like… an octopus.”

“Watch your mouth. I don’t understand why Sir Deon keeps you around.”

Ed irritably furrowed his brow as he hoisted up Deon, who was subtly slipping back down, and repositioned him. Dan chuckled.

“Perhaps Master likes this side of me.”

“That’s not it.”

“…….”

“…….”

He complained about even talking, but now he answers clearly.

Leaving the momentarily speechless Dan behind, Ed cleared his throat, as if stifling a laugh. Thanks to that, Dan snapped out of it and looked at Deon as if he were being unfair.

“Master…….”

“…So Ben, what are the results?”

“His body is fine, but….”

“See?”

No problem, see?

Deon, explicitly showing his annoyance, shook off their hands holding his arms and wriggled back under the blankets. It was his way of telling them to get lost, but it was no match for Ben’s unwavering professional spirit, who hadn’t finished speaking.

“It seems to be a mental issue.”

“……What?”

Unable to ignore those words, Deon shot up. His sharp, red eyes, which had been languid just moments ago, fixed on Ben.

“Are you saying I’m crazy? That I’m mentally ill?”

“No! That’s not it!”

Ben jumped back, feeling a threat to his life.

“Sir Deon, you’ve been through a long war recently and experienced many things. Due to the nature of the battlefield, mental fatigue must have accumulated without any way to relieve it.”

“…Ah.”

He understood what he was trying to say.

Deon blinked his now languid eyes again and slid back down as if melting. Ben’s voice continued, solidifying the prediction.

“It seems the accumulated mental fatigue has finally erupted as you started resting.”

“When you rest, shouldn’t it become stable, not erupt? Why is Master….”

“No, if you make a small hole in a dam to drain a little water, would it burst or not?”

Cracks gradually form around the hole, and soon, the dam itself collapses.

But one can’t avoid resting forever, so perhaps it’s fortunate it erupted at this point. At least now that the major hurdle of the Empire is overcome, there’s some room to breathe.

Dan sighed deeply, looking at Deon’s motionless white back of the head.

“So, what should we do?”