Chapter 224: Political Games and Personal Vendettas

The voice of the masses holds undeniable power. The people are the majority.

Leaders are inevitably forced to heed the public mood. Even those who act arbitrarily often yield when the masses unite and raise a strong voice. History is filled with examples of those who ignored public sentiment and met a miserable end.

In other words, swaying public opinion in a kingdom could potentially give you control over the kingdom itself.

“This was only possible because Your Majesty is such a wise ruler. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to use this method,”

The one who orchestrated the praise for the King of Sanguo from the people of a vassal state—a nation with its own ruler—smiled faintly.

The King of Sanguo, listening intently, chuckled.

“You certainly have a silver tongue. Capable people are usually so prickly, but you’re quite the versatile one,”

“Thank you for your kind words,”

“It’s truly a pity, a waste even, that someone as talented as you is so hung up on love,”

……

Sareen fell silent. King Yeonhwa of Sanguo rose from her seat and approached.

Even at this closer distance, Yeonhwa reached out to the silent woman. Her fingertips, with a touch as gentle as if handling something precious, lifted Sareen’s lowered head.

Looking directly into her trembling eyes, Yeonhwa asked,

“Does your resolve remain unchanged?”

……

“He’s a man who never looked back at you, not even at the very end. Even wanting revenge is more than he deserves,”

“……Your Majesty,”

“Oh, of course, I’m not trying to dissuade you from revenge. I’m merely wondering if, after you’ve had your revenge, you could cleanly forget about him and continue to work with me for the Human Realm and Sanguo,”

“I’m sorry,”

Her wavering eyes hardened with resolve.

Before proving her abilities and agreeing to serve the king, Sareen had declared her intentions to her future superior.

[My goal is to kill Deon Hart.]

[Well, in the current situation, it’s natural…]

[No, that’s not what I mean.]

[……]

Even though a commoner dared to interrupt the king, the King of Sanguo remained silent. She couldn’t bring herself to scold Sareen.

The eyes that met hers were like those of someone who had lost everything, swirling with suppressed despair.

It was immediately clear. Sareen had lost someone precious—at the hands of Deon Hart, of all people.

[Not in some vague sense, but truly, for deeply personal reasons, I want Deon Hart dead. Once his death is confirmed, I will leave, regardless of whether the war with the Demon Realm is over or not.]

[……]

[To avoid any misunderstandings down the line, I’m telling you this upfront, Your Majesty. I earnestly request that you understand and acknowledge that revenge is my absolute priority.]

Her expression suggested she’d leave immediately if refused understanding.

The king immediately began to calculate in her mind. Was accepting her truly beneficial? Would the gains outweigh the losses?

As her strategist, her advice would undoubtedly be geared towards killing Deon Hart. She’d likely advise taking actions to secure his head, even at some cost.

In certain situations, her advice would be tainted by personal feelings. Was her talent worth the risk of such biased counsel?

[……Very well. I understand.]

It was a no-brainer.

[As long as it doesn’t harm me too much, I won’t interfere with your revenge.]

Unfortunately, Sanguo was desperately short of talent.

The kingdom relied entirely on its king. For Yeonhwa, already stretched thin keeping an eye on everything and constantly scheming, Sareen’s arrival was a godsend.

What was wrong with prioritizing Deon Hart’s death? He was a target to be eliminated anyway, so it wasn’t a great loss. In fact, it was a gain; she would faithfully serve until he was dead.

Leaving after her revenge? That was something to worry about later, something to persuade her against in due time. There was plenty of time, enough to sway her with subtle temptations.

Back in the present, Yeonhwa looked at Sareen. Not the reaction she’d hoped for, but a bitter smile—perhaps exactly what she’d expected—greeted her.

“From Your Majesty’s perspective, I know he must seem like a worthless, terrible man. I understand. He is a bad man, truly. This incident has cemented his reputation as human garbage, and for good reason. But…”

……

“The human heart doesn’t always follow reason, does it?”

Even knowing he’s manipulating her, exploiting her feelings so blatantly, even after all the terrible things he’s done, Sareen still unreservedly loves the man who first recognized her worth.

It was a blind, instinctive devotion, like a hatchling imprinting on the first thing it sees, mistaking it for its mother.

“Finding a new master to pledge my loyalty to is an impossible task for me. I have only one master,”

If anyone saw her devotion to a piece of trash like the Duke, her willingness to act for him, they’d surely see her as equally worthless. She was well aware she’d be condemned alongside him.

Still, she didn’t care.

The Duke was destined for a bad end, so to be with him, she had to sink to his level.

To love a madman, you had to be mad yourself; to love trash, you had to become trash. In that sense, Sareen was already there.

“So, you should just give up before you wear yourself out further…”

“Saying that only makes me more determined. Am I so lacking? There’s still plenty of time before you leave, and as they say in the south, even the toughest tree will fall if you keep chopping at it. You never know,”

“People aren’t trees, though…”

Even at that lukewarm response, Yeonhwa pretended not to hear and turned away. She too had her reasons for not giving up.

The alliance with Rweche was broken, and the Empire was in no position to aid Sanguo. What could those youngsters, barely managing their own affairs, possibly do? The re-alliance with the Empire had been purely out of respect for the former Emperor’s wishes. Yeonhwa, with no real expectations from the Empire, had to rely solely on her kingdom’s strength.

Therefore, needing to gather every scrap of talent she could, Yeonhwa couldn’t afford to give up on Sareen so easily.

She smoothly changed the subject.

“Speaking of which… your attempt to polish the Duke’s image backfired spectacularly, didn’t it? Are you alright?”

“……Do you really want an honest answer?”

“Oh dear.”

That answer was enough. Yeonhwa fell silent and gave her shoulder a comforting pat.

Sareen bit her lip hard.

The Duke’s name, which she’d tried so hard to elevate, had been dragged through the mud. It was even worse than what had happened to Deon Hart, now being torn to shreds by the public.

‘If only I hadn’t tried that ridiculous stunt.’

At least it could have been buried as just the death of a minor noble.

She’d ruined the man she loved with her own hands. Of course she wasn’t alright.

‘And to make matters worse, nasty rumors about the Duke were starting to spread…’

Haa.

Finally, she buried her face in her hands.

***

Paul, who had boldly stepped forward only to be manipulated and soundly defeated, now brooded over his crushing loss in his office.

Then it hit him.

“They were waiting for me to take the bait,”

Dan had been waiting for Paul to interfere.

To expose the Duke’s crimes, clear Deon Hart’s name, and use it all as a weapon. Perhaps even his foreknowledge of the broadcast wasn’t a coincidence.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it.

Paul, with his ear to the ground and access to the rawest rumors, had already heard whispers starting to circulate soon after the broadcast.

‘They’re saying the Duke didn’t just kill Cruel Hart, he played around with his head after!’

‘And they say he strapped bombs to people and blew them up!’

‘And get this—they’re even saying he made a deal with the Demon King!’

These rumors were still in their early stages, not yet widely known, but…

The source wasn’t hard to guess. It had to be Dan.

Cunningly, anything he could prove, he’d used in the broadcast for all to see. Anything without concrete proof, or too sensitive to reveal, he’d cleverly leaked as rumors.

“First he resorts to blatant lies and manipulation, and now he’s cowardly producing ‘evidence’ to attack me,”

Even presenting the truth on screen was cowardly, but using lies and manipulation before and after? That’s double the cowardice.

Completely played, Paul clenched his fists in defeat and rage, thinking,

‘Now that things have come to this, I’ll make sure to obstruct them at every turn.’

The Demon King and his demons, and especially Deon Hart and Dan—none of them would get what they wanted.

***

The first thing Elpidius Deserth, the current Emperor of the Empire, noticed on the screen wasn’t Dan at the forefront, but Deon Hart in the corner.

He could hear the now-Crown Princess, former Princess Aletea, urgently dispatching people to the Den Merchant Guild, but he ignored it, his eyes fixed on Deon Hart’s attire, teeth grinding.

“Is he… mocking the Empire?”

The black uniform, embroidered with gold thread, seemed to be a color-inverted version of the Empire’s own military dress.

He took it as a provocation against the Empire, simmering with silent rage. But when Deon Hart was revealed to be the Hero, Elpidius clenched his fist for a different reason entirely. Aletea, who had been issuing orders and watching beside him, quietly lowered her gaze.

Their target for revenge was the Hero himself. This improbable twist plunged both royals into silence.

Chancellor Ardal, who had been working on documents nearby, observed the scene and raised an eyebrow.

This confirmed his long-held suspicions. His gaze deepened with suspicion.

“Your Majesty, Crown Prince Your Highness,”

……

……

The two royals, belatedly regaining their composure, smoothed their expressions. But their reaction only fueled Ardal’s suspicion, twisting his face into a frown.

Still, just in case, he needed to confirm directly. Praying it was all a misunderstanding, he slowly began to speak.

“I’ve been meaning to ask…”

……

“Are you truly… acting in the Empire’s best interests?”

“……Stating the obvious, are we?”

“Ah, my apologies, I phrased that poorly. Are you prioritizing the Empire over your personal vendetta?”

……

A heavy silence descended.

Elpidius and Aletea exchanged a glance, then turned to Ardal. A slow voice followed, as if carefully choosing each word.

“If you really press the issue, you could say we value both revenge and the Empire,”

“Are you being serious? You both know that’s impossible,”

……

“As Emperor and Crown Prince, you both know that revenge and the Empire’s welfare cannot coexist. To pursue revenge, you’d have to sacrifice the Empire. To protect the Empire, you’d have to abandon your revenge. So, I’ll ask again,”

……

“Revenge or the Empire—which takes priority?”

How persistent can you be?

Aletea sighed. Elpidius simply stared at Ardal.

Ardal, like former General Nemesius, was a commoner personally appointed by their uncle, he knew. Perhaps that was why he was as inflexible as he was capable.

“You… you prioritize the Empire, don’t you,”

Instead of answering directly, he started with something else.

Ardal’s brow furrowed slightly. Elpidius continued, unperturbed.

“I know you prioritize the Empire even above yourself. That’s why I also know that if the former Emperor had fled instead of staying to face the Demon King’s army when they invaded the old capital, you’d have dragged him back yourself and put his head on a pike. You’re certainly capable of it,”

To ruin the country like that, then just try to save his own skin?

Failing to take responsibility for his actions—in Ardal’s eyes, that made him an emperor unfit to rule, deserving of death.

“……You know me quite well, Your Majesty,”

“The handover from the former Emperor included a thorough assessment of the talents at my disposal. Can’t wield a weapon effectively without knowing what it is, can I?”

The former Emperor knew this and kept him close regardless.

Because Ardal was one of the few men who’d kill him if he went astray—a safeguard.

But Elpidius was no Eudoard. He didn’t need someone to restrain him, but someone to propel him forward. Anyone presumptuous enough to question his path, to judge right from wrong, would only be an obstacle.

He knew this approach would likely lead to numerous clashes with the Chancellor. Which led him to his question.

“If I say revenge takes priority over the Empire, would you move to depose me?”