Chapter 98: It’s Time

“Let’s call it a draw for today. We can pick this up again next time.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the legion commanders dropped their carefully constructed expressions, involuntarily revealing their utter dismay.

Fortunately, the Commander of the 0th Legion, Demon Hart, turned his head before seeing their faces, narrowly avoiding a truly disastrous situation.

The legion commanders, realizing their blunder, froze for a moment, and the training grounds, so silent you could hear a pin drop, erupted the instant Demon Hart was gone.

The first to break the silence was the Commander of the 1st Corps, Jaykar.

“…Does he intend to see one of us utterly destroyed before this is over?”

“Seems like you’ve drawn the short straw, Derniban?”

…….

Develania’s taunt fell flat. Derniban wordlessly brushed the dust off his clothes and stepped behind Oel.

Just as awkward silence descended again, Oel, whether intentionally or not, changed the subject.

“Demon-nim clearly told him to get off, didn’t he? So why is Trober still alive? If Demon-nim truly disliked it, Trober would be dead for disobeying. Ah, could it be? Even if his mouth says no, his body…”

“Oel-nim, that’s not the appropriate way to phrase it here.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes.”

Develania clutched her stomach, rolling around at the absurdity of their conversation. Oblivious to the other legion commanders’ scowls, she laughed for a good while before finally managing to stop, wiping tears from her eyes.

Her voice, still thick with mirth, offered a belated reply.

“Demon-nim is usually so gentle, so even if he disliked it, he wouldn’t go as far as killing him. Ah, no. If he really hated it, he wouldn’t have been caught by Trober in the first place. So, he liked it after all? It seems Oel is right. Even if his mouth says no, his body…”

“Enough, Develania. What are we supposed to do if even you’re like this?”

Controlling the legion commanders, each with their own overwhelming personalities, fell to the Commander of the 1st Corps once again.

Excepting the rather unusual Commander of the 0th Legion, Jaykar was the only one respected by all the commanders. As always, he skillfully diffused the situation and dismissed the gathered legion commanders.

There weren’t any specific rules against legion commanders meeting or interacting, but the more they gathered, the more trouble they caused. It was better to scatter them, at least for the time being.

***

My worry that Trober might ask for a rematch a week later thankfully didn’t come to pass.

On the dot of a week, the Demon King summoned me.

“Welcome.”

He rose from his seat to greet me as I entered his office, casually guiding me towards a chair. Whether by accident or design, his hand brushed the nape of my neck.

A subtle sense of unease made me glance towards the mirror on the office wall. A black mark, absent just before I arrived, now stood out clearly.

……?

“Oh, did I surprise you?”

Of course, you did….

I knew this mark was an implicit message that I’d be sent to the Empire. I’d also vaguely sensed that my departure was nearing.

But this suddenly?

While I stood there, unable to hide my bewilderment, the Demon King, now reseated, slid a uniquely colored map across the desk towards me.

“Before I explain, why don’t you take a look at this?”

The map showed the Empire and several surrounding kingdoms colored in the same hue. Combined, their territory was almost half the continent….

‘Almost half?’

Already?

Startled, I looked up. The Demon King’s eyes met mine, as if he’d been waiting for my reaction.

His unreadable eyes, which I could never decipher from the start, crinkled into a smile. The Demon King tapped the map with his fingertip.

“The Empire is living up to its name. At this rate, they’ll devour half the continent soon. No, they definitely will.”

…….

“The kingdom they’re currently trying to conquer is Esperance. The smallest kingdom on this map. Considering the Empire’s size, they’ll probably breach the city gates soon enough.”

…….

“Now, the question. Will the Empire stop here, satisfied, or will they press their advantage and advance further?”

No one present needed to know the answer.

Leaning back in his chair, the Demon King rested his clasped hands on the desk, tilting his head towards the ceiling.

“I’ve never met their Emperor in person, but I have a general idea of his character. He likely won’t stop. He’ll conquer each kingdom, unify the continent, and then turn his aimless sword towards the Demon Realm. There’s no reason for me to stand by and watch that happen.”

…….

“You probably know what I’m going to say next, right?”

I slowly nodded.

He intended to disrupt the Empire’s winning streak.

To overturn the board and change the game entirely.

What was previously a territorial dispute within the Human Realm would now become a war for survival between the Human and Demon Realms.

‘The Emperor will be furious.’

The Demon King had just announced his interference in the Empire’s conquest.

It was time to side with the Empire again.

Waving his hand playfully, the Demon King grinned at me.

“Go on, then. You don’t need to bring back any gifts this time. Or, if you do, make sure they’re just for me.”

Like ‘information,’ for instance.

Despite the heavy subject matter, his tone was remarkably light.

***

After Demon left, the Demon King spun around in his chair, stretching languidly.

The Demon Realm’s movements would be perceived as a challenge to the Emperor. Knowing his temperament, he would likely prepare for an all-out war against the Demon Realm.

His thoughtful gaze drifted towards the ceiling. A soft murmur filled the silent office.

“Now, I’ll have to be careful with how I use Demon Hart.”

A useful but dangerous piece.

Thinking about him brought a smile to his face.

‘Part of me doesn’t want to send him….’

Weighing the pros and cons of sending him to the Empire, it would be safer not to send him at all.

But that would be breaking the rules.

This was a psychological game of pride between the Demon King and the Emperor, with Demon Hart at its center. To hold him back or kill him would be an act of cowardice and defeat.

The Demon King, wanting this interesting game to last longer, couldn’t keep Demon Hart confined to the Demon Realm.

“Things are going to get hectic.”

He raised a hand to press against his eyes. Though his eyes were hidden, a clear smile played on his lips.

The spinning chair stopped abruptly in front of the desk. The Demon King lowered his hand and focused his gaze on the map.

His eyes settled on the smallest kingdom on the map.

“Well… a long history doesn’t necessarily determine the scale of power.”

He had witnessed countless times how long histories and traditions could be shattered by new forces.

So, no matter how ancient a kingdom might be on the map, it would eventually crumble before the Empire.

In any case, the immediate focus was the Empire. He reached out and touched the communication stone.

-Yes, Lord Demon King. It’s Trober!

“Return to the border.”

-Huh? Ah, okay, I understand.

He had abandoned his post because he found it boring and tedious. Since nothing had happened yet, there hadn’t been any repercussions, but Trober knew his head would have been forfeit if any problems had arisen.

In such a situation, how could he dare question the Demon King’s order to return?

Even the usually thoughtless Commander of the 9th Corps, Trober, had no choice but to quietly pack his things.

***

The Demon King is trying to interfere with the Emperor’s plans. A clash is inevitable. My workload will undoubtedly increase.

It won’t just be information gathering; I might even have to take up arms and join the fighting.

‘Damn it, will I have to stuff cloth in my mouth and go through that again?’

The blood that frequently spills from my mouth is a weakness.

Especially during the eight-year war when I had no one to rely on. I used to shove cloth into my mouth and hide it with a mask to conceal it. I almost suffocated myself a few times doing that.

‘No, wait. Now that everyone knows my condition isn’t great, it shouldn’t matter as much.’

Everyone will probably take it into consideration.

The Demon King’s curse, the aftereffects of stopping the Hero’s self-destruction, and so on.

“Ed, I’m going to the Human Realm.”

“Ah, yes. Will you be going alone this time as well?”

“Yes.”

“I will make preparations.”

Ed immediately stood and walked briskly towards the door. He encountered Hien, cradling a bizarre plant.

…….

…….

The door slowly closed. Just before it shut completely, a foot slipped inside.

“Take it out before I chop it off.”

“J-just a moment, I need to see Demon-nim….”

“Tell me.”

“Then please give this to Demon-nim….”

Kieeeek.

A crimson flower, one I’d never seen before, shyly let out a strange cry. Ed’s expression twisted in annoyance at the sight of the wriggling thing.

“What is that weird flower? Are you trying to give that to Demon-nim?”

“I planted and grew the seed Demon-nim gave me.”

“A very pretty flower indeed.”

…….

…….

Wait a minute. He planted and grew the seed I gave him? That thing?

I gave him a rose seed. There’s no way he could have grown it.

While I was speechless with confusion, Ed glanced at me, then back at the flower, and cleared his throat before stepping aside.

“…Come in.”

Hien cautiously entered the room, glancing around nervously.

Ed, with a displeased look, bowed deeply to me.

“Then, I’ll go and make preparations.”

…….

Don’t leave me alone.

My silent plea didn’t reach him. Ed left the room, leaving me alone with Hien. I carefully shifted my gaze to the plant in the flowerpot.

Upon closer inspection, it did somewhat resemble a rose. The petals were shaped like a rose, at least. Let’s just pretend I didn’t see it squirming.

How did he even grow this?

“That’s…”

“Ah, you recognize it! I finally bloomed the seed Demon-nim gave me! Normal seeds sprout within three days of planting, but the one you gave me was different. It barely sprouted after a whole week!”

But there’s no way it should sprout at all.

“Actually, I couldn’t bear to let the seed you gave me go to waste, so I injected a little magic into it.”

“Ah, so that’s why it’s such a bizarre creature….”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. But aren’t you prohibited from using magic?”

“I didn’t use magic, I just injected magic. Thankfully, it absorbed it well and grew quickly.”

Having said that, Hien’s eyes sparkled as he looked at me. Sensing his expectant gaze, I hesitated before saying in an uncertain voice.

“Th-thank you for your effort.”

“Yes!”

…….

“Oh, and please take this! It’s a reward for allowing me to grow such a precious seed!”

Kieeeek.

No, if it’s a reward, shouldn’t it be something good? Why this….

With complicated eyes, I looked at the flower placed on the table before reaching out to push the pot away. My fingertips trembled at the thought of accidentally touching the flower.

“It’s… alright.”

“Huh? Why… Ah, don’t worry. This flower won’t attack Demon-nim. I’ve trained it well.”

Is it an animal?

“Since you’re going to the Human Realm, wouldn’t you need a guard to deal with troublesome individuals?”

“…What does it eat?”

“Ah, that… I’m not really sure myself. It seems to eat anything, but it doesn’t really need to eat anything either….”

“Anything as in….”

“Magical beasts, humans, demons, that kind of thing.”

“Yeah, no thanks.”

It eats humans! Even if he says he trained it well, what if it tries to eat me!

Hien immediately looked dejected. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate his effort and sincerity, but my life was more important.

I desperately tried to avoid his gaze when a knock sounded on the door.

“Demon-nim, it’s Ed.”

“Come in!”

The moment Ed entered, I jumped up from my seat. Ed looked at me, puzzled.

I looked him straight in the eye and pointed at Hien. In essence, my message was:

‘Let’s switch places.’

I’ll make a quick escape… no, excuse myself, so you can deal with him.

“I’ll be right back, just going to the restroom.”

“Pardon?”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

I hurried into the attached bathroom.

Ignoring the bewildered stares boring into my back.