Chapter 210: A Calculated Gamble

Didn’t I say it was a gamble? This was the plan from the start.

The mercenary matter in Esperance was just bait. My real gamble was whether Rememver had Cruel’s body—success if they did, failure if they didn’t.

‘No, even if it’s a failure, it’s not really a loss. Hard to call it a gamble.’

If the gamble failed and the Demon King withdrew his magic, I planned to ask Lirinel to preserve it.

Deon smirked, the corner of his mouth slightly lifting.

“Even if you withdraw your magic, I have nothing to say. I apologize.”

“Ha… Ahahaha!”

To think he’d pull off such audacity so openly. The Demon King, who had been shaking his shoulders while bowing his head, finally burst into laughter.

This is why I can’t let Deon Hart go. Just when things are about to get boring, he pulls something interesting!

The long-standing madness of someone who had lived an eternity of boredom, something humans could never possess, gleamed with delight through his reversed eyes.

“You found Cruel Hart’s body! And returned the body intact. You knew this from before you even set out, didn’t you?”

“……”

To dare play tricks on the Demon King. I’m so fond of him, it’s maddening.

He snapped his fingers demonstratively. With Deon Hart’s perceptiveness, he’d surely understand what this meant. The Demon King grinned.

“As you wished, I’ve withdrawn the magic. Now that the time I’ve held back has begun to flow again, everything will return to the laws of nature.”

“……”

“I don’t know if you didn’t consider the possibility of me tracking down and desecrating that grave, or threatening you, or if it’s because you have faith…”

He glanced at Deon. His calm red pupils met his gaze.

The Demon King curved his eyes into a smile, facing those composed eyes that betrayed no emotion.

“If it’s faith based on confidence, then you’re right.”

“……”

“I’ve always been weak to you.”

Even before he fell into his grasp, when he was merely an interesting and coveted toy, he cherished him. Now that he was in his hands and had become the Hero, how much more so?

If he offered such enjoyment on top of his qualities as a teacher?

“Since you amused me, I’ll let it slide this time too.”

Of course, he had no choice but to let it slide.

Besides, the Demon King wasn’t so weak that he needed to resort to using Cruel Hart’s grave. From the start, he had no intention of doing anything so underhanded. The Demon King leaned back against the chair, intending to ease the tension.

Deon nodded calmly. His attitude was as nonchalant and presumptuous as ever.

“Thank you.”

It was the expected answer. That’s why he hadn’t wavered even when he heard about desecrating the grave.

The former Emperor Eudoard and the Demon King seemed to be polar opposites, yet they shared a strangely similar aspect. Could this be a characteristic of rulers?

Perhaps it was because they sat in high positions and wielded great power, they had no need for petty actions. They possessed the confidence to punish or crush their opponents at any time without resorting to desecrating graves, hence their relaxed tolerance.

‘Annoying as it is, it’s to my advantage….’

I’m angry that he dared to overstep his bounds with my hyung’s grave, but I can’t show it.

Deon lowered his gaze, his pupils reflecting a light like someone’s green eyes.

‘Given the situation, I mustn’t rashly explode in anger.’

As long as Deon Hart is the Hero and the Demon King is the Demon King, no matter how playful and peaceful the atmosphere, a strange tension is bound to underlie it. To explode in anger in this situation?

It would only instill unnecessary vigilance in the Demon King, and if things went wrong, a life-or-death battle between the Hero and the Demon King might break out on the spot.

Anger can be unleashed later when I kill the Demon King. Until then, I can break it down into petty complaints and sulking, and adjust it appropriately. Anyway, the Demon King also knows the current situation is like walking on thin ice, so he’ll overlook most things like he is now.

‘…No, even without that, he might just find most of the accidents and impudence I commit amusing.’

Without thinking, he lifted his gaze. As if he had been looking here all along, his reversed eyes met his directly.

A brief silence passed, then as if something had occurred to him, the Demon King exclaimed ‘Ah’ and snapped his fingers.

“A meeting will be held shortly.”

“……Pardon?”

“Break time is over, isn’t it? You promised with your own lips.”

Even if it turned out to be a lie, the moment he promised to move as soon as magic was cast, from the moment he departed for the Human Realm, Deon Hart could be seen as having properly stepped onto the front lines.

So, it’s not strange to participate in a meeting as soon as he returns.

Deon, who had been silently watching the grinning Demon King, let out a faint sigh.

“Understood. I will stop by my room to prepare.”

***

He had walked a long way from the Human Realm to this place. Unbeknownst to him, fatigue had accumulated, and he wanted to lie down on the bed and rest for a while until the meeting, but cleanliness was also part of rest, so Deon first went into the bathroom as soon as he returned to his room.

Then, after putting on a gown and coming out, he glanced at Dan, who was standing by with a towel as if it were natural, and sat crookedly on a chair, resting his arm on the backrest. Dan, standing behind him, began to towel-dry his hair.

In the comfortable silence, a low voice was tossed out.

“Did you say your final farewells well?”

“……Yeah.”

It was a sudden and brief remark, but it wasn’t impossible to understand its meaning.

It would be strange if Dan didn’t notice that the wooden box he had been carrying around was gone. Deon smiled languidly with his eyes closed.

“I saw when I came into the room, the flower was completely withered.”

“Pardon? It’s a bit wilted, but it’s still alive and well, what are you…”

Dan, who had checked the vase by the window, shut his mouth.

“…It really is… Since following Master, I feel like I’ve been experiencing a lot of unrealistic things.”

Even more than when he was in the village where the sorcerer lived.

It was clear that just this morning, it seemed to be reasonably alive, but when did it wither? The flower, withered and dry, scattering petals, existed in his vision. Even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it, and he stopped toweling his hair and approached the window.

As he touched the brittle petals that had fallen on the windowsill, Deon’s low voice was heard.

“It finally closed its eyes.”

Look at its withered appearance, as if it had fulfilled its calling. Surely it had accepted the meaning that there was no need to block nightmares or curses anymore.

He was pleased that it had accepted his intention, but even so, seeing the flower withered made him feel inexplicably regretful, and Deon smiled bitterly.

“The windowsill will feel empty.”

“It’s withered, so we should dispose of it… but if Master wishes, I will leave it as is.”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

It was just a sense of emptiness from something that had been there disappearing.

Tap, tap. Deon, who had been tapping the table with his fingers, abruptly stopped moving.

“I should ask Hien for that carnivorous plant from the Human Realm.”

“……Pardon?”

“Because it’s the same kind.”

Cruel had entered eternal rest. As if proving it, the flower had withered, and the affection and warmth that had been felt along with it had also vanished without a trace.

The withered flower was just its remnants, having lost its original meaning, so there was no need for it to necessarily be the one to fill the empty windowsill.

That’s why Deon remembered. The carnivorous plant from the Human Realm that Hien had introduced several times to gift him. That the flower by the window and that plant were of the same kind.

Moreover, since it had become something akin to a magical beast, it wouldn’t wither easily. Quite pleased with the satisfactory condition, he hummed lowly, when a sharp gaze was felt.

“Carnivorous plant…? Master, has your taste become strange lately?”

“Do you want to go to the Human Realm every time it withers to find the same flower, or just take good care of that carnivorous plant?”

“Upon reconsideration, it seems to be a very wonderful taste. What human would tame a carnivorous plant? Only Master can do such a thing.”

“♬”

A commendable change in attitude.

Feeling satisfied with the disappearance of the sharp gaze, he continued to hum. Dan, who had approached at some point and was now brushing his almost dry hair, spoke again.

“That song, is that it? Thou shalt not sin?”

“You know it too?”

“It’s a very old folk song. I know it’s known throughout the continent.”

“I knew it was old… but I didn’t know that.”

Recalling the lyrics, it’s so funny that he hums it even more.

There must be more people who have sinned than those who haven’t in the world, so what’s the point if it only contains content about not sinning? What about people like me?

Quiet silence descended again. But before he could enjoy it, a polite knock was heard.

“Sir Deon, it’s Ed. I’ve come to escort you.”

“……Ah, the meeting. Come in.”

Ed, who had come in to guide him to the meeting room, paused. Momentarily taken aback by Deon’s appearance, who hadn’t even properly put on his clothes, he shouted.

“Dan!”

Well, I expected as much. He would never shout at me. Watching him act like a mother-in-law scolding her daughter-in-law, Deon leaned his face on his arm nonchalantly.

Ed’s nagging towards Dan continued.

“You should be going to the meeting room soon, how can you still not have prepared his clothes! As expected of you….”

“Yes, yes, I apologize. Shouldn’t we prepare Master’s clothes first before that?”

Impertinent and annoying, but not wrong. Ed, who had been moving his lips, glared at Dan once and turned his body to take out the clothes.

In the meantime, Dan, who had finished brushing his hair and put down the brush, stroked his chin as if something was bothering him.

“Master, your hair has grown a lot.”

“Has it?”

“Yes, it’s long enough to tie up.”

“Now that you mention it, my neck does feel a bit stuffy….”

Until now, he had only roughly trimmed his bangs just enough so they wouldn’t poke his eyes, so it was understandable.

Dan, who was fiddling with his back hair, asked.

“Shall I cut it for you?”

“There’s no time right now, and more than anything, it’s annoying. Just tie it up.”

What’s so annoying about just sitting still?

Dan, suppressing his bewilderment, gathered Deon’s hair down and roughly estimated its length before letting go. Deon turned back to him, question marks floating above his head.

“You should put on your clothes first.”

“Ah.”

As if waiting for it, Ed held out the clothes.

It’s a uniform again. Deon obediently stood up and took off his gown.

Thanks to two people sticking to him, he could put on his clothes quickly. In between, he heard things like, ‘Master, you mustn’t grab it there. It’ll wrinkle,’ ‘Sir Deon, one button is off,’ ‘Just stay still and we’ll take care of everything, please,’ but since the result was good, it could be considered okay.

Now it was time to tie his hair. Deon, who had sat back down on the chair Dan pushed in, languidly closed his eyes at the careful touch gathering his hair.

But this didn’t last long.

“……”

“……What are you doing?”

He should either tie it or let it go, why is he just holding it?

At the brief reproach, Dan rolled his eyes. Uh… his words trailed off involuntarily.

“I don’t have a string to tie it with… do you perhaps have anything?”

“Your tone is impudent.”

While saying that, the sight of him diligently racking his brains because it was what Sir Deon wanted was clear. While Dan was swallowing a laugh, Ed, who had finished thinking, untied the bolo tie he was wearing around his neck and held it out.

“Is this sufficient?”

“I’ll try it for now.”

As a result, it was tied reasonably well.

Deon, who was fiddling with the ponytail tied low at the back, which seemed a bit awkward, roughly nodded and stood up from his seat.

“Dan, don’t follow me, go to Hien and get that plant. It’s a situation where I’m trying to receive a rejected gift again… but he’ll probably give it willingly.”

Wouldn’t he rather be pleased?

“And wait in front of the meeting room.”

“Yes.”

Dan nodded and went outside. Deon turned back to Ed who remained.

“Lead the way.”

***

The Demon King hadn’t arrived yet, it seemed.

Deon, who had checked the head seat as soon as he entered, turned his head at the clunking sound. Uncomfortably bright eyes met his gaze.