Chapter 260: The Waterway Gambit

The game unfolded in the same manner as before.

A board mirroring real-world terrain was set up, and game pieces were placed on it. Yeonhwa, casually scanning the terrain, frowned as she noticed something amiss.

‘Coincidence?’

The supply route is the same as last time.

The terrain on the board only replicated map features; other elements like food storage were randomly placed in empty spaces. If the number of board shuffles was the same as before, it might not have changed, but this time, the dice roll was completely different from the last, so those elements should naturally be in different locations.

Yet the supply route is the same?

‘I need to investigate,’

Deciding to move as soon as the game ended, she reached for her game piece.

A small war began.

***

Deon, returning after finishing the nighttime game, fiddled with the game pieces spread out on the chessboard on the table. His eyes, deeply focused as if reviewing the game with the King of Sanguo moments ago, curved into a faint smile.

When will she notice?

‘I hope she realizes it soon.’

Gaisitel’s digging speed is faster than expected. They even hit a water vein while digging. Judging by the amount of water gushing out, if they combine it with the flowing water and properly build a dam to store it, the power when it bursts will be no joke…

I only thought the ground was a bit damp; who would have guessed there’d be a water vein?

The order was given to buy time, but if we delay any further, it might become useless.

Even if that happens, I can just issue another order to handle things, but it’s better to finish it in one go without unnecessary trouble.

‘She seemed to notice something; should I have expectations?’

He didn’t sleep. Even the carnivorous plant quietly cooperated, and as time passed, the moon hid and the sun rose.

Fortunately, the King of Sanguo didn’t disappoint his expectations.

Not long after dawn, the area outside the barracks suddenly became noisy.

It felt too chaotic to be just the movement of people waking up. Instinctively sensing something, Deon drew back the tent flap and went outside.

“What’s all the commotion?”

“Ah, Sir Deon! We’ve received reports that the supply route has been attacked!”

“……Is that so?”

As if surprised or deep in thought, Deon Hart brought his fist to his mouth and lowered his eyes. However, Dan, watching the situation from the side, clearly saw it.

The corner of his lips, hidden beneath his hand, subtly curving upwards.

Deon Hart was smiling.

Finally.

***

The moonlit games continued thereafter.

In the game, a few pieces from Deon’s side moved out from the camp to procure siege weapon materials from a slightly distant location. The next day, Sanguo attacked the material procurers.

The location where prisoners were held was revealed on the game board. At dawn, the prisoners were rescued.

The strange game between the King of Sanguo, who accepted the benefits without grasping the intentions, and the Commander of the 0th Legion, who kept giving out information, only stopped after Deon Hart was attacked and they met once more.

There were those who noticed Deon Hart secretly crossing the city walls.

“What the heck is going on?”

Paul, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, voiced his confusion.

“What’s the intention…? Did they join hands or something?”

No, considering that, only the demons are unilaterally suffering losses. And the battles are still too fierce to see it as them joining hands.

But…

Seeming uneasy, he glared at the report documents.

“……Although I don’t know the reason, looking at this situation, I can’t guarantee that they won’t join hands at all.”

If there’s even a slight possibility, we can’t just ignore it.

He picked up a pen. Scribbling an addendum below the report, Paul muttered quietly.

“Just in case, it’s better to sow discord between them, just to be safe.”

And if possible, kill Deon Hart too.

***

The game was the same as before.

The only difference was…

Thud.

A general piece was placed on the board. Yeonhwa’s gaze naturally shifted to the appearance of this piece, exceptionally important among the game pieces, yet never before utilized on the board despite its strength.

The location was a bit away from Sanguo’s camp, a place where water flowed.

‘Within this ‘game,’ it’s a meaningless location, but…’

Yeonhwa looked up at Deon Hart. He was wearing an inscrutable smile.

“……At this point, I can’t help but ask again.”

“……”

“What exactly is your intention?”

Silence returned instead of an answer.

Toying with the game piece she picked up, without hastily placing it down, she pointed it at Deon Hart. The tip of the game piece aimed at his head, and suspicion-filled pupils gleamed between her narrowed eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about it constantly, but I can’t figure out your intentions at all.”

“I’m delighted that you’ve given it so much thought.”

“Don’t be coy.”

“……Huh?”

Deon Hart wore a bewildered expression. Regardless, Yeonhwa averted her gaze from his face and continued slowly.

The game piece, hovering in the air, eventually failed to find a suitable position and tumbled off the game board.

“You are the Hero. A Hero who can come and go from the king’s room as if it’s your own home. Surely, if you were so inclined, you could not only open the city gates but also turn this entire city upside down single-handedly.”

Reaching out a finger, she flicked the general piece that Deon Hart had placed.

“The games until now were for this moment, weren’t they?”

“……”

“Ah, you don’t need to answer this question. I’m just laying out my thoughts. In that sense…”

Calm eyes directly met red eyes.

“In my eyes, the death of this ‘legion commander’ seems to be your goal.”

“……”

The general piece, shaken back and forth by the finger touching its head, eventually toppled over with a thud. The sound of it falling was quite loud, perhaps due to the quiet space, but neither of them paid it any attention.

Gazes clashed in the air. Not at all bothered by the blood-red eyes, she looked as if to see through Deon Hart’s inner thoughts, voicing the questions she had accumulated while playing the game so far.

“Are you truly on the side of the Demon Realm?”

“……”

“This is a question, so answer it.”

“……In Your Majesty’s eyes.”

Deon smiled faintly.

“Do I look like I’m on the side of humans?”

“……Don’t force a black and white dichotomy. There are many things in the world that cannot be divided into two. Do you think I’ll fall for it just because you narrow down the choices like this? ……And I told you not to be coy.”

“……”

The smile retreated, hidden behind a bewildered expression.

His red pupils seemed to glance sideways for a moment before returning to their original position. After a long silence, the answer that slipped out like a whisper was short.

“……I am not a betrayer of humanity.”

“Then?”

“Well, if I had to categorize myself… ‘Avenger’ might be more fitting.”

“Revenge?”

Yeonhwa’s face contorted.

“Is targeting Sanguo revenge?”

“To be precise, ‘destroying the Human Realm’ is revenge.”

“What…”

What grudge does he have against the Human Realm?

If he had anything to avenge, it would only be related to the death of his family, wouldn’t it?

“Isn’t destroying the Empire revenge enough?”

“Do you think so?”

“I think it’s more than enough.”

“Well… if you only consider what Your Majesty knows, then perhaps.”

The reason Deon Hart is targeting the Human Realm is to get back at the ‘world’ that controls his fate. It’s presumed that humanity is the race the world cherishes most. It’s just a guess, but seeing how all other races are driven into the dark abyss and only humanity is placed under the sun, it’s probably right.

A bitter smile surfaced, as if slightly weary.

“The only remaining revenge target for me is the Demon King.”

“……!”

“And the target I want to screw over is the ‘world’.”

The King of Sanguo’s eyes widened at the words that cut off everything before and after and spat out only the core.

She seemed more surprised than he expected. Was it that shocking that even the king of a nation couldn’t hide her agitation? Deon, watching her quietly, added as if to reassure her.

“But don’t worry, the Human Realm won’t be devoured by demons.”

“……Why?”

Well, because I’ll be dead before that happens.

Why would I let those bastards born from my revenge target get the Human Realm for free?

Yeonhwa, staring intently at his face that only smiled faintly without answering, sighed deeply.

“I don’t know what story you have, what truth is hidden further… but I understand this one thing.”

“……”

“You’re insane.”

Not in your right mind.

Again, there was no answer. Deon Hart just smiled. Unlike the pretty smile, a glimpse of madness flickered in his blood-red pupils between his smiling eyes.

…He’s far more dangerous than I thought. A chilling sensation ran down Yeonhwa’s spine, and she tightly clenched her hands on her knees under the table.

Deon Hart smiled, reading the clear wariness in her eyes.

“Your concern is appreciated, but I’m not insane yet.”

“……Yet, you say.”

“That’s not what’s important right now, is it?”

The atmosphere lightened.

Yeonhwa chuckled at his brazen remark.

“……Right, that’s not what’s important now.”

Telling her these things so confidently meant that Sanguo’s fate was sealed.

She flicked the fallen general piece. It rolled in a circle, centered on the water flow location.

Water flow, water flow…

‘A stream wouldn’t be enough to do anything significant, it must be a river.’

But if there were a river nearby, we would have known about it first. Did they hit a proper water vein somewhere?

Continuing to think separately from her words, she moved her lips.

“Does this waterway you’ve placed mean Sanguo will be greatly shaken or collapse?”

“……”

“Even if I use this against you and deal with the ‘general,’ the ‘Hero on the side of the Demon Realm’ will personally step forward to take responsibility and destroy Sanguo, right?”

“Yes, as the ‘commander-in-chief’ of the Demon King’s army, I must take responsibility for losing a major force, the ‘legion commander’.”

He affirmed that this game piece is the ‘legion commander’. The legion commander is going over there and plotting something.

Yeonhwa’s expression hardened at his relaxed affirmation.

“Checkmate.”

Whether she stays still or takes action, Sanguo will fall.

Deon Hart nodded, smiling as if to say she was right.

“That’s right. I’m curious which you will choose.”

“……”

“Well then, it’s late, so I’ll take my leave. I’m not sure if we’ll meet again.”

He always ended with saying ‘see you again’, but this time his farewell is different.

Leaving behind the silent King of Sanguo, with only inescapable choices left, he packed up the game tools, tucked them under his arm, and leaped out the window.

Silence lingered in the room that had become quiet again. Yeonhwa, staring at the window he disappeared through, reached for the communication stone. A low murmur followed, as if gritting her teeth.

“No, we will definitely meet again.”

The communication connected, and a familiar voice flowed out.

– Why are you contacting me at this late hour?

“I apologize for the discourtesy. I know it’s rude, but the situation is urgent, so I had no choice but to contact you.”

May I ask how the persuasion of Rweche is progressing?”