Chapter 296: Provocation and Suspicion

“Idelia!”

Asild, startled, called out to her. Idelia simply shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.

“Why? It’s not like I was happy to see him strutting around here, flapping his gums. Serves him right, doesn’t it? Especially for a talentless human.”

“Must be because he lost at gambling last time. Did he lose everything?”

“Shut up.”

That couldn’t be the real reason. Asild was so clueless.

They had eased their overt vigilance to some extent, but that didn’t mean they had stopped being suspicious. Idelia still suspected Deon Hart. Was it just suspicion? It was almost a conviction.

This conclusion was based on her own investigation and the information she had gathered.

‘In the process, I also learned that it’s highly likely the Lord Demon King knew and condoned it, even shielding Deon Hart…’

The Lord Demon King had always been like that.

Even when disputes broke out between legion commanders, even if it resulted in the death of a legion commander, the Lord Demon King would usually condone it, siding with the victor unless it was a special case. So, if you just exclude the fact that the target is human, a ‘Hero’, it’s no different from what has happened so far.

You couldn’t call someone who had acted consistently a traitor now. At least, that’s what Idelia thought.

So she excluded the Demon King from the hostile targets she needed to be wary of and suspicious of.

‘Then the only one left is Deon Hart.’

She needed something to change ‘suspicion close to conviction’ into just ‘conviction’. Idelia decided to target Dan here.

Because she doubted whether it was really Dan who had acted unilaterally.

She knew that Deon Hart hadn’t intended the discord incident this time from his demeanor in the basement, but the previous incidents were different. Rather….

“Asild, remember that guy who was caught in the act but still brazenly talked back? Shouldn’t we cut off his tongue to feel better?”

“…”

“Or cutting off the hands that committed the crime wouldn’t be bad either.”

Provocation based on the premise that suspicion was the truth continued.

This was a declaration of war, practically stating that she was convinced Deon Hart was the culprit and that she would break ties with him.

The legion commanders, reading her intentions, held their breath. Idelia smiled brightly, as if to show off, at Deon, who was subtly frowning.

‘React, even just a little.’

Even for a moment would be fine. Any displeasure he showed would be seen as an intention to shield Dan.

She couldn’t ‘openly’ declare conviction because she lacked evidence, but she judged that there was no harm in being wary of Deon Hart and keeping him at a distance, so her actions were unrestrained.

Keeping distance alone would be useless, and at least other legion commanders needed to be alarmed to be effective. For her, it was a rather bold move.

‘….’

Click.

The hand turning the cube stopped. Deon lowered his chin from his hand and lifted his head. Crimson eyes stared directly at Idelia, and a terribly low voice flowed out slowly, as if applying pressure.

“Strange….”

“….”

“Idelia. Why does your behavior look like a provocation to me?”

Idelia covered her nose and mouth with her unfolded fan. Only her eyes, drawing a pretty arc, were revealed.

“Is it because you feel guilty?”

“I don’t think so. You’re watching my reaction the whole time you’re talking, aren’t you?”

Displeasedly.

Annoyance surged up at the almost blatant provocation, but Deon forced himself to smooth out his face, which was about to contort.

Whatever emotion I show here will be interpreted as being related to Dan. I can’t give leverage to those who are trying to find a gap to bite.

“Either way, I’m not going to get involved in this, so I don’t know why you’re trying to waste unnecessary emotions. You should know that, Idelia.”

From the beginning, from his appearance of keeping his mouth shut and turning the cube listlessly, she would have read the intention not to get involved in this matter. It’s absurd for a legion commander who specializes in deriving new information by combining given information not to know.

But still provoking him like this, does that mean she has decided on her attitude towards him? It doesn’t seem like a good decision for me, but it’s certainly convenient.

Anyway, that’s that, and this is this. He said in an even lower voice, as if warning her.

“Don’t waste time trying to probe me clumsily, just make a decision quickly.”

“….If you say so.”

Idelia smiled brightly.

“Let’s go with cutting off the tongue. Right here, right now.”

“….”

Deon pretended not to care and fixed his gaze back on the cube. It was the other legion commanders who were watching his reaction.

3rd Corps Commander Asild watched 4th Corps Commander Idelia borrowing a dagger from the 7th Corps Commander with uneasy eyes.

“…Are you really going to do it?”

“Then would I do it for show?”

It’s a relief I wore gloves. Because this place is only for legion commanders.

Eerie murmuring followed. Dan met eyes with Idelia, who was lifting his chin. The dagger in her hand shone sharply under the lights, but the eyes looking at it were calm without a trace of agitation.

In a space filled with tension and uncomfortable silence, a mocking voice spread.

“Blame your foolish choice.”

Was she telling him to blame himself for trying to cause discord between legions, or to blame himself for following Deon Hart?

Dan lowered his gaze without answering, and Idelia raised the dagger, and….

…Deon did not even glance at them until the end.

The cube was never completed.

***

Deon, who had faced Dan’s death right in front of his eyes, sprang up from his seat as soon as the situation was over. His face was terribly indifferent until the very end.

He struggled to turn his coldly composed head and think.

‘Following Develania, now even Idelia is an enemy….’

Two legion commanders who handle information are enemies. It’s going to be troublesome. Well, considering they handle information, it’s inevitable that they would be quick-witted.

‘Then now the countermeasures….’

Suddenly. His busy steps stopped.

‘Countermeasures… I need to come up with countermeasures….’

I don’t want to think.

Did I really have to think about it now? Deon turned his head and looked out the hallway window.

The open sky and three moons were still the same, but why did he feel so unwell? A thick stench of blood made him nauseous, and he covered his mouth with the back of his hand, then lowered it again, conscious of the gaze following him from behind.

At least for now, until he was completely alone, he had to be okay.

‘….’

Pressing his lips tightly, he quickened his steps again.

He didn’t want to go back to his room, but he didn’t know where to go. Not wanting to stop, Deon just started moving to wherever his feet led him.

Asild, watching his retreating figure, turned back to Idelia.

“Did you really have to go that far? You ended up becoming enemies with Sir Deon.”

Idelia listlessly filed her nails.

“Then would I have done this without thinking? Honestly, it’s true that Sir Deon is suspicious.”

“….”

“It’s true that I respect and follow Sir Deon, but my life and the Lord Demon King are above that. In a situation where higher things are threatened, how can I blindly follow Sir Deon because I like him?”

I’m not an idiot.

“In the first place, weren’t you following ‘Sir Deon who has excellent skills’ ‘because he belongs to the Demon King’s army’?”

It’s not just ‘because he’s skilled’. She had respected and followed him because he belonged to the Demon King’s command, thereby increasing the Demon King’s army’s power.

Idelia, who sharply pointed out that part, turned away, leaving Asild, who seemed to have nothing more to say, behind. They weren’t on good terms, and the conversation was over, so there was no reason to be together any longer.

‘Going to the banquet hall in this mood is a bit much… I should go back to my room and rest.’

It was when she had gone up about one floor that she found a familiar demon.

“Ed?”

“Ah, Lady Idelia.”

Ed, stopping at the familiar call, found her and immediately bowed his head. A truly consistent attitude, polite yet distant.

A mischievous glint flashed in Idelia’s eyes as she looked at his smooth face.

“Come to think of it, I should congratulate you.”

“Yes? What are you talking about….”

“Dan is dead, so you can go back to your original job. You were upset that you kept losing opportunities to serve Sir Deon by his side, weren’t you?”

“….Yes?”

Ed’s expression went blank for a moment.

“I’m sorry… I must have misheard. Could you please say that again?”

“I said congratulations on being able to return to your original job?”

“Not that, but….”

“Dan is dead?”

“….”

So, he hadn’t misheard.

Dan, that guy, is dead… Ed mulled over Idelia’s words with a dazed expression.

‘…Did I poke him too much?’

Come to think of it, he’s quite sensitive.

Idelia, shaking her head at his almost dazed look, muttered with a regretful expression to wrap up the conversation with her usual words.

“If you had come to me, I would have treated you really well.”

“….”

“Well, that’s your choice too.”

Tap. She took her step again, which had stopped, and passed by Ed.

As if leaving room for any possible situation, an offer that had always been rejected and would never be accepted was thrown out in front of him.

“If your mind changes, come find me. Anytime is fine, but I hope it’s not too late.”

“….”

Even after Idelia left, Ed couldn’t move easily. He was quite overwhelmed just by accepting and processing the shocking news he had just heard.

He had heard the story that Dan had caused trouble long ago. Considering the matter and the situation, he thought he had considered that he might die, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

He knew that the 4th Corps Commander wouldn’t lie, but it still didn’t feel real.

Ed, left alone, mumbled blankly.

“Really… that guy died?”

So meaninglessly?

***

Deon walked slowly, pushing through the blood that reached up to his waist. In a situation where there was no one around, he was unexpectedly expressionless.

An expressionless face that looked as if all the expressions that had been overlaid on his face had been broken and shattered over and over again.

A precarious gait as precarious as his expression and atmosphere that somehow gave off a precarious feeling. Deon, of all people, was walking with a gait that made the viewer unable to take their eyes off him in anxiety, so there was no way the Lofty Knights would just ignore it.

“Captain?”

“Ah.”

It seems he had come here without realizing it. Deon, taking his eyes off the blood, lifted his head.

The Lofty Knights, reading an unusual atmosphere from his gait and the expression and atmosphere they faced, rushed over and stood in front of him. Familiar worries poured out.

“Captain, why do you look like that?”

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“Isn’t it because you’re not sleeping again?”

“….”

Only then did an expression appear on Deon’s face.

Added to all the emotions that were rising, confusion where he himself couldn’t even articulate what emotions he was feeling and couldn’t even grasp what expression he should make, all mixed together in their raw state and revealed on his face.

“….Why.”

Deon Hart collapsed silently.

“Why.”

“Captain… ?”

“….”

“Captain!”

His pupils were empty. What is this…!

Milan, who hurriedly grabbed Deon’s shoulder, realized that the situation was more serious than he thought and looked at Kleter. Kleter, also noticing this, frowned slightly, then smoothed it out again and approached, taking off his coat.

This place is where demon servants also come and go. They can’t show the captain in his current state. Kleter’s coat covered Deon’s head with a thud.

The other guys, understanding his intention, surrounded Deon as if to block the gazes from outside, and one by one, they covered Deon with their coats. Kleter’s expression became subtle as he looked at the result.

‘….If someone passes by, they’d think we piled up clothes and are performing some kind of ritual.’

Putting aside the pointless thoughts, he quietly reached out and patted the back of the captain, whose mental strength was at the level of an ice craft.

“Our captain, he looks cold and heartless on the outside, but he’s a delicate person who will break if you touch him. Just who the hell touched our captain?”