Chapter 307: Hidden Intentions

“……”

You said you wouldn’t abandon me.

The Lofty Knights fell silent, as if at a loss for words.

Despite his calm tone and gaze, which contradicted his words, they couldn’t maintain their stubbornness. His precarious demeanor made them wary, and as they cautiously stood, Deon chuckled.

“Am I that untrustworthy?”

“…That’s not it.”

“Then we’re settled.”

Kleter, who was tidying the blankets on the floor, subtly furrowed his brow.

“That wasn’t why we insisted on coming in the first place. You know that.”

“Right, you said that staying in the Demon King’s castle with the Demon King when there are barely any demons would be awkward.”

“There’s no way that’s the real reason! Are you going to keep this up, Captain!?”

There was no way they had rushed here for such a ridiculous reason.

It wasn’t because they distrusted the power of Deon Hart, the ‘Hero’. Nor did they blindly believe the note of unknown origin.

Excluding the sender’s personal speculations from the note, they pieced together reliable information from the bustling atmosphere of the Demon King’s castle and came to their own conclusions.

‘At least it’s true that the Captain is personally participating in the war.’

They would figure out the Primiero Knight Order issue by meeting the Captain in person.

The knights, merely wanting to lessen the amount of bloodshed the Captain had to endure, sought out Deon Hart, clinging to the single matter they thought they could assist with.

[I heard the Primiero Knight Order is antagonizing the Captain?]

[…Who did you hear that from?]

And they gained certainty.

Now that they knew the information was true, their next course of action was clear.

[Please, let us handle at least the Primiero Knight Order!]

Deon Hart had been forced to bloody his hands from too young an age.

He was a child thrown onto the battlefield at an age when he should have been growing up eating, playing, and learning within the safety of adult’s embrace, forced to do anything to survive.

His immature mind had begun to wear down during a time when he should have been developing his mental fortitude to prepare for the trials of adulthood. What could his condition be now?

‘During the Eight Years’ War, we were powerless and had to rely on him, but it’s different now.’

Fundamentally, taking a life requires a level of mental strength that is taxing even for trained generals.

‘His limit arrived long ago.’

Deon Hart had silently broken, and the Lofty Knights had witnessed all of his changes up close.

In this situation, with an environment where they could lend a hand, there was no way they would obediently stand back.

‘Besides, the Captain’s current state is unsettling.’

Previously, no matter how erratic the atmosphere became, he would somehow push forward, but now it felt like he was approaching his destination. The problem was that the destination felt like a cliff.

His increasingly detached demeanor and the chilling dread they felt whenever they faced it.

The knights instinctively sought a way to slow his pace, and that led to the current situation.

“Captain…”

“…It’s a war where we have to kill fellow humans.”

“……”

“Why are you so insistent on participating in a war that offers nothing good?”

“Then what about you?”

Milan, who had been listening quietly, spoke in a rare subdued voice.

As the Captain said, it was a war where they had to kill fellow humans. There was no way he would be unaffected.

“Why are you trying to continue a war that offers nothing good, Captain? And even personally participating in it?”

…Deon Hart needs to kill even one person less. Especially since we don’t know how to stop him.

Our stubbornness is allowed under Deon Hart’s implicit permission. No matter how much we act like spoiled children, if Deon Hart hardens his heart and pushes forward, we have no choice but to back down.

In such a situation, the only thing the knights could do was to lighten the burden on his shoulders even a little, hoping that the direction of his steps would change or his pace would slow down.

‘If the weight of his burden lightens, his desire to rest quickly might also decrease.’

If his desire to rest decreases, he might have some time, and if so, he might be able to look around. If the surrounding scenery catches his eye, wouldn’t he be able to turn away from the ominous destination he was heading towards?

Among the many burdens piled on that young one’s shoulders, if they could reduce even the weight of killing people… then perhaps they could see hope.

Knowing that taking a cup of water from the ocean wouldn’t change anything, hopeful gazes turned to Deon Hart.

“……”

The red pupils, silent in response to Milan’s sharp question, slowly shifted sideways as if avoiding their gaze. Kleter, who had been quietly watching Deon, let out a faint sigh.

“…We don’t know what the Captain’s purpose is. You haven’t told us, so we won’t ask.”

“……”

“But if there’s something the Captain desires… if achieving it can bring you peace… then you must achieve it.”

“Kleter!”

Milan called out to him sharply, taken aback by his words that seemed to push Deon along.

Regardless, Kleter grinned at Deon.

“We just want to lend a hand. Are you still going to stop us from relieving you of the tiresome bloodshed?”

“…If you really want to help me that much.”

Only then did Deon, who had been silent, open his mouth.

These people who had come all the way here for me alone, the ones I had to take responsibility for. I couldn’t just ignore them. I had to make sure of things, at least until the end.

He naturally closed the window, checked if the door behind them was properly shut, and then lowered his voice.

“After everyone, including me, departs, make sure to come to the Human Realm at an appropriate time, using the excuse that you’re worried about me.”

“And then?”

“Should we go help the Captain?”

“…No.”

Red eyes, carrying the warmth of spring, gently curved.

“Go into hiding.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Don’t ever look for me again.”

Don’t burden me with more guilt, don’t get caught up in anything more terrible here, you must survive. You are just ordinary humans.

“What are you saying…”

The Lofty Knights froze at his blatant words.

They opened their mouths as if to protest immediately, but Deon, speaking a step ahead, cut them off.

“Don’t return to the Demon Realm either. Because I won’t be there anyway.”

They couldn’t possibly misunderstand the meaning of those words.

Words that dragged out the near-truthful speculation they had vaguely glossed over and buried. The truth they had been dismissing as pointless worry, hoping it wasn’t real, became vividly clear, and the knights’ faces paled.

Someone uttered a soul-stricken voice.

“Captain…”

“……”

“Right?”

Even so, the ‘cliff’ didn’t have to be a real cliff.

Deon Hart did not answer their desperate gazes. He simply rolled his eyes for a moment, then judged that continuing the current topic was pointless and changed the subject as if he had never said such things.

“By the way, where did you get the information?”

“……”

“Putting aside other things, there’s no way you would know about the Primiero Knight Order…”

How could they know news that even I just learned?

…But no, the answer is obvious.

In the face of their honest silence, Deon laughed savagely.

“Develania.”

The familiar name spat out as if chewing it.

From the start, even the document containing information about the Primiero Knight Order was delivered by Develania. Develania was also openly wary and suspicious of me.

And the only one bold enough to move so brazenly was also her, so Deon fiercely contorted his face.

“Being such a nuisance…”

“…Captain, that’s not what’s important right n-”

Knock, knock.

Just as the conversation was about to return to the difficult topic, proving that they were not ones to back down easily, a knock came from the door.

The silent knights all turned to one place. A calm voice followed from beyond the door.

“This is Derniban.”

“Come in.”

He came at a good time.

Deon shuffled the documents on his desk, placing another document on top, and looked back at the mad dogs.

“You guys get out.”

“…We will visit you again later, Captain.”

The mad dogs, who had been standing there with dissatisfied faces until the very end, trudged out without resisting further, and Derniban entered.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, he glanced at the backs of the mad dogs with indifferent eyes, then turned his gaze to Deon. Under his persistent gaze, Deon calmly picked up his pen and scribbled something on the document, opening his mouth only after the door was completely closed.

“I was going to call you anyway, perfect timing.”

“……”

“You came because of the Commander of the 9th Corps, right?”

The Commander of the 9th Corps, whom he was to kill with his own hands, had departed as the vanguard. The war was racing towards its end, so he must have been frustrated and impatient about when the opportunity would come.

He was just about to give him that opportunity. He said, writing out the order.

“I’ll assign you to the same place as the Commander of the 9th Corps.”

“……”

“Once you capture the castle, you can kill him as much as you want.”

Meaning he could shoot an arrow into the back of the guy’s head as soon as he rejoiced over capturing the castle.

Derniban, quick to grasp the meaning of his words, lit up his eyes. Deon quietly studied his face as if observing.

…He must know that if he actually started something, it wouldn’t just be a fight between the ‘5th Corps Commander’ and the ‘9th Corps Commander’, but a fight between the ‘5th Corps’ and the ‘9th Corps’, which would clearly be a large-scale internal strife, yet he didn’t seem to care.

He’s really desperate to kill Trober. Gaining a bit of certainty from that, he opened his mouth.

“Instead, there’s something I want to ask of you…”

“Speak.”

At his answer without hesitation, Deon raised both corners of his lips.

“If possible, I’d like you to kill the other legion commanders there as well.”

Back then, he hadn’t said such things to Jaykar, whom he didn’t fully trust, for no reason.

What made him so readily tell the Commander of the 1st Corps to kill demons and prioritize legion commanders? It was because now, no matter what anyone said, he would follow those he trusted and ignore those he didn’t.

It was like an unseen faction had been formed. Not clearly visible, but subtly there, a vague feeling.

‘And it doesn’t matter since I’m not just saying such things to Jaykar.’

He was saying the same thing to Derniban now, without even pretending to consider them ‘allies’.

Derniban, who had been silent as if thinking about something, looked at Deon.

“Would that also be something to proceed with after capturing the castle?”

“Of course, yes.”

“Understood. Is there anything else you would like to order…”

“No. You can go.”

With this, the Commander of the 1st Corps would be in charge of the aftermath on the Empire side, and the Commander of the 5th Corps would be in charge of the aftermath on the Sanguo side. Leaving aside whether the two would clash afterward, the only thing left now was Rweche….

Stopping the order he was writing for a moment, he tapped the paper with the tip of his pen, then called out to Derniban, who had just put his hand on the doorknob.

“On your way, bring Lirinel. Secretly, so you’re not noticed.”

“Understood.”

He should give her the same order. The only difference from the previous two would be that one more thing would follow.

Deon licked his bitter lips with his tongue. The conversation with her flashed through his mind, and he paused for a moment, slowly composing himself.

Now it was time to bring up the promise he had extracted through a previous request, no, plea…