Chapter 301: Intervention

Aiga froze, staring into the crimson eyes that blazed with a bloody light.

Now Aiga understood why no one ever called the Hero ‘holy’ or ‘heroic’. Holy? What a joke. The human before him was more demonic than any demon he’d ever met.

“Who sent you?”

“Huk, gukk-.”

Unsatisfied with the silence, the hand tightened its grip, choking him further.

*This hand has to let go if he wants me to talk!* Without thinking, Aiga clawed at the arm around his throat. Only then did the damn Hero seem to realize he was choking him, letting out a short “Ah,” and loosening his grip.

“Huff!”

“Alright? Now talk.”

“Hah… there’s no mastermind. This was just… me, acting on my own.”

“Liar.”

“Keuk-”

The grip tightened once more.

Deon’s displeasure was clear as he glared at the struggling incubus. His mood was plummeting fast.

It had failed to imitate anything properly, but the mere attempt to impersonate his hyung was infuriating. If he was going to try, he should have done it perfectly, with the resolve to trap him in a dream forever.

…Deep down, his anger was simmering.

“Never seen your face before. How would someone like you, with no connection to me, know about my ‘plan’ and try to stop it? You must have been sent by someone.”

Couldn’t even lie or imitate properly. Pathetic.

…

“Now, tell me. Who sent you?”

Aiga remained silent.

He had heard about it from Ed, but Ed had tried to stop him. This was all his own doing. He couldn’t drag Ed into this, especially since Ed was always careful about security, even when sharing his worries.

The silence stretched on, and Deon, who had been waiting for him to speak, finally chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound.

…Fine. You’re not going to talk, are you?

…

“Then die.”

Deon had no patience for those who wouldn’t talk. He wasn’t going to waste time on someone who refused to confess. He didn’t know who sent him, but given the circumstances, it hardly mattered who was behind it.

A murderous glint flashed in Deon’s eyes. He tightened his grip, ready to crush Aiga’s neck, just like the Demon King had done to Dahar at the banquet.

*Bang!*

“Wait, please!”

A frantic voice cut in.

Deon paused, startled, and turned. His adjutant, who always knocked and waited for permission, had barged in without knocking for the first time.

Ed, breathless and flustered, glanced between Deon and Aiga. Seeing Aiga was still alive, he steadied himself, closed the door, and stepped forward.

‘……’

Red eyes tracked his every step as Ed approached. He moved slowly, observing Deon’s pupils, narrowed with fury. He knelt before Deon, feeling the man’s surprise above his bowed head.

“I apologize for entering without permission.”

“Forget about that. Looks like you know this one, though…”

“Yes, he’s… my friend.”

Even without looking up, Ed could feel Deon’s cold gaze. He lowered his head further.

“It’s my fault. I confided in him recently, and it seems my worries caused this.”

…

“I spoke out of turn. It’s entirely my fault.”

Aiga’s eyes widened.

Why was the one who tried to stop him taking the blame? Aiga was the one who acted rashly.

Ignoring the throbbing in his neck, Aiga spoke up.

“That’s ridiculous…! Keuk!”

“Doesn’t sound like he agrees.”

*Ah, but you should still shut it.* Deon muttered casually, tightening his grip slightly.

“Listening to him is starting to piss me off. You explain, Ed. And don’t try to cover for him with lies.”

“I’m not lying.”

“So, you’re holding back something.”

…

Ed quietly lowered his gaze.

Even though he’d told Aiga not to do anything reckless, Ed had been worried. He’d been checking in on the warehouse on the second floor below Sir Deon’s room, just in case. He was glad he had.

Good thing Sir Deon kept his windows open. Otherwise, an innocent life would have been lost.

“Ed.”

“Yes, Sir Deon.”

“You have something to tell me.”

…I’m sorry.

Explaining further would only increase Aiga’s chances of dying. Ed fell silent, placing his hands flat on the floor. His gaze flickered between his hands and the floor.

“I don’t want to burden you further, Sir Deon, with a long explanation when you’re already busy. I just want to say…”

…

“Please, have mercy on him. He was just swayed by my words.”

“So, you’re taking responsibility…”

Deon released the incubus. He dropped to the floor with a thud, coughing weakly.

Judging by his condition, and with Ed here, he wouldn’t run. Deon turned his back on the incubus and knelt in front of Ed.

“You’ll get yourself killed.”

…

“Well… but…”

The way Ed was taking the blame reminded him of someone else, someone who was already gone. And more than that…

Deon glanced at the white gloves Ed wore, worn but meticulously maintained.

Deon stepped back.

…You’re lucky. Fine, I’ll let him live.

…!

Besides, I can guess what you’re not saying.

Ed wouldn’t have asked him outright.

Ed probably just wanted a sounding board for his worries, but the incubus had obviously taken things into his own hands.

“Even with the consultation… considering security, you probably didn’t reveal much.”

!

“Guess I’m right.”

That explained why the incubus hadn’t said anything specific in the dream, just vaguely mentioning a ‘plan’ and trying to stop it. And yet, Ed was taking all the blame. How could he not let it slide?

Still…

“Don’t expect a second chance.”

…

“If this bastard crosses my path again, it’s over. Make sure I never see him again.”

“Yes, thank you, Sir Deon.”

Ed stood, thanking him repeatedly, then rushed to support Aiga. …No, he hesitated, glanced at the door as if measuring the distance, and then abruptly scooped Aiga up in his arms.

Deon could see Ed’s intentions clearly: get Aiga out of his sight as fast as possible, before anything else could happen. Deon chuckled in disbelief.

“Good thing you’re not a legion commander…”

Deon tossed the words offhandedly as Ed hurried past.

The casual tone didn’t mask the weight of his words.

***

As soon as they were out of Deon Hart’s room and the door shut, Aiga, who had been docile, squirmed to be let down. Ed set him down gently. Aiga stared at Ed for a moment, then quickly averted his gaze from Ed’s sharp eyes.

Regardless, Ed’s tired voice broke the silence.

“I told you not to do anything reckless.”

“And I said it was my decision.”

“Aiga.”

…Sorry. Thanks for saving me.

Aiga apologized readily. He wasn’t about to ruin their rekindled friendship.

Ed opened his mouth as if to say something more, then sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead.

…It’s my fault anyway, you don’t need to apologize.

He was the one who had spoken carelessly in the first place. If he’d kept his mouth shut, none of this would have happened.

Who was he to talk? He waved a tired hand dismissively.

“Alright, alright, it’s getting late. Go home. Your neck’s the only thing hurt, you can manage, right?”

“Oh, you even knew when I was supposed to leave?”

“Aiga.”

“Okay, okay, I’m going. Thanks for today.”

He almost died, what’s he so happy about?

Ed watched Aiga’s retreating back, dumbfounded. Aiga, neck throbbing, but spirits high, practically skipped away.

‘He called me a friend.’

He never thought it would happen. They’d come a long way.

That must be why he was so happy.

After Aiga left, Ed stood for a moment, his eyes lingering on the spot where Aiga had been. Then…

A gaze, which had been watching them since they’d emerged from Deon Hart’s room looking disheveled, finally moved.

“Looks like things finally blew up.”

…!

Ed jumped at the sudden voice behind him. He turned to see a familiar face, his eyes blinking in surprise.

“Ben?”

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t even notice you until you spoke…”

“Guess your head was somewhere else.”

“Definitely…”

Usually, he would have noticed the gaze immediately.

Between Aiga almost dying and the guilt of relying on Sir Deon’s mercy again, it had taken him longer than usual to snap out of it. Ed chuckled humorlessly.

Ben, his face expressionless, spoke.

“Don’t know what happened, but I have a good idea what caused it.”

…

“Bet it’s because you hesitated, as usual.”

Ed froze, as if Ben had struck a nerve. Ben continued, his words sharp and uncaring.

“And some innocent bystander got caught in the crossfire.”

…You knew?

Wouldn’t be strange if I didn’t.

So?

Ben’s voice was cold, chilling the air.

“What’s your point?”

…Sir Deon once told me something, and I’m going to use it now.

?

The moment Ed looked confused, Ben grabbed his collar, slamming him against the wall, and growled into his face.

It was the same thing Deon Hart had said to him once, when he’d offered him alcohol on the Demon King’s orders.

“Get your act together.”

And stop being so sloppy.

***

The Demon Realm was quiet for now, but it wouldn’t be long before they attacked again. The Human Realm gained nothing by giving them time to recover. So, the rulers of the Human Realm began preparing for the second war.

But first, there was something else to discuss.

[What to do with the Taehon Kingdom?]

The Taehon Kingdom, which had become a vassal state of Rweche in exchange for protection and support, was now all but confirmed to be a traitor.

Some might argue there was no concrete proof, but the Demon King’s army had crossed the Taehon Kingdom’s border to attack Rweche. Taehon Kingdom had offered no explanation. In fact, they remained stubbornly silent. What clearer proof could anyone ask for?

Besides Taehon Kingdom, several other vassal states under Sanguo also seemed likely to have betrayed them.

The rulers couldn’t ignore this. They activated their communication stones to discuss the fate of these kingdoms.

The Emperor of the Empire was the first to speak.

“We should wipe them out.”

It was a rather extreme statement.

“We need to focus all our strength on the Demon Realm right now. We can’t afford to leave our backs exposed. There’s no guarantee what happened to Rweche won’t happen again. Rweche was lucky to have troops ready, but we can’t rely on luck twice.”

“Wiping them out will also cost us troops.”

A voice from Sanguo countered.