Chapter 298: Twin Brothers

……

At most, it would be Commanders of the 2nd and 4th Corps, right? …Though, the Commander of the 12th Corps also feels unsettling.

One out of four is suspicious. How is that ‘only a few’?

……Why are you telling me this to me?

Because of him.

No, before that, you heard everything back then, so why did you pretend not to know?

First, I need to resolve this part. I brought up the question I had been holding onto.

Seeming not to mind the interruption, Jaykar paused briefly, then answered again. Both questions converged on a single answer.

“Because the Fairy King defended you.”

For Deon, it was an answer he had never considered.

“Do you remember when the vampire leader barged in?”

“Of course, I do.”

Of course, I remember. There’s no way I could forget.

Because he barged in to kill me, of all people.

“Back then, the Fairy King tried to protect you.”

Jaykar also clearly remembered the events of that time, just as much as Deon. The Fairy King wanted to protect Deon Hart’s life.

“So, ‘Deon Hart’ must not die.”

Even without knowing the reason, if he wishes it, it must be so.

That was the reason he told Deon Hart the number of legion commanders who suspected him, and the reason Jaykar remained silent. If he had told anyone else about the conversation he overheard at the banquet that day, Deon Hart would surely have been killed.

From Deon’s perspective, it was also an incomprehensible reason.

……Just for that reason?

“It’s just a small thing a foolish younger brother can do for his twin brother; isn’t that enough?”

……!

Twin brother? With the Fairy King?

No wonder the Fairy King’s attitude was so sharp when talking about him. His twin brother became a demon, so it’s understandable he’d be sensitive. Recalling the time he went to the fairy territory, Deon nodded inwardly.

Clang! Again, swords lightly clashed.

“So, are you planning to betray the Demon King?”

“The word ‘betrayal’ doesn’t fit. I never truly followed him from the start.”

Jaykar was a fairy born with a lust for slaughter, as if he had taken all the evil of his twin brother. Then, influenced by demonic energy, he became a demon.

At the time, the Fairy King tried to protect him, saying it was okay and to stay there, but Jaykar, who would be satisfied just fighting and dying, didn’t miss this opportunity and entered Demon King’s castle, where battles were most frequent.

In the end, the reason he went under the Demon King was not ‘because he was a demon’.

“Loyalty or anything like that never existed from the start.”

So, you can’t call this situation ‘betrayal’.

“The reason I became the Commander of the 1st Corps wasn’t loyalty but simply because I was the strongest.”

……The Fairy King I met didn’t seem to have favorable feelings towards you.

“That’s understandable.”

He shrugged lightly.

Born from the start unlike a fairy and discriminated against, yet raised well under protection as his twin brother and even seated as his right hand. And then, even after becoming a demon, he tried to protect him, saying it was enough to just stay by his side as before, but the result was that he went to Demon King’s castle. How could he not feel betrayed?

His reaction when we met last time was very subdued.

“Either way, it doesn’t matter.”

No matter what the other person thinks, Jaykar still cherishes his twin brother.

The reason he lived in the fairy territory suppressing his desires was also to not let his brother’s consideration be in vain, and another reason he entered Demon King’s castle was because it seemed too much for his brother to face alone the fairies who were rebelling to protect just him.

“Since he’s going to die fighting anyway, it’s better to die in a way that helps his brother.”

A big battle will break out soon.

His senses, derived from being the Fairy King’s twin brother, and his exceptional senses regarding slaughter, both warn him at the same time. That almost all legion commanders will die then.

Whether he sides with Deon Hart or opposes him, he will die. If so, wouldn’t it be better to side with Deon Hart, just like the Fairy King’s attitude in protecting him?

“I will help you.”

As if the spar was over, he sheathed his sword.

Towards Deon Hart, who responded with silence without affirmation or denial, Jaykar spoke again, unfazed.

“Today was fun.”

……

“Let’s spar often in the future as well.”

It was an invitation to interact frequently.

***

Ed couldn’t hide his confusion at the news of Dan’s death.

He was annoying and disliked him, but he didn’t wish for him to die. A complex emotion surfaced, suppressing all other feelings.

Even so, Ben, who had come to Ed after hearing the news about Dan, noticed this and clicked his tongue quietly.

“The annoying guy is gone, so why are you reacting like that? Aren’t you relieved?”

……Ah, Ben.

He thought it was just someone passing by, but at the presence of someone sitting next to him, Ed turned his gaze from the air to look beside him. The cocky physician was looking at him with strangely worried eyes.

……Relieved? He gave a bitter smile.

“I’m relieved.”

“If you say that with a face that doesn’t look relieved at all, who would believe you?”

“I’m just tired.”

Words mixed with lies and truth spilled out.

As if not to pry further, Ben turned his head and gazed at the air alongside him. A calm question followed.

“You do look tired as you said, and it seems you have a lot of worries?”

……Yeah.

“That’s understandable.”

It was a light agreement, but Ed stiffened his body as if pricked by something in that moment.

His stiff, frozen gaze checked Ben’s demeanor. He briefly considered asking what his agreement meant, but Ed, knowing he was being sensitive, quietly shut his mouth.

Ben, who was watching Ed rubbing his face repeatedly as if weighed down by various factors with unknown eyes, suddenly spoke.

“How about taking a break?”

……What?

“Sir Deon doesn’t seem to plan on attending the last banquet either, so I thought it might be good for you to take a break too at this opportunity.”

At the last banquet, the results of the hunting competition held in the meantime are also announced, but it seems he plans to skip it entirely. Things kept happening throughout the banquet, so it’s understandable.

Ed, who was quietly understanding, mulled over Ben’s follow-up words and belatedly answered.

“I’m already resting though.”

“You’re only resting your body, but your mind isn’t. It seems difficult to relieve mental burden in Demon King’s castle itself, so I’m saying you should leave Demon King’s castle itself and take a break, even if it’s just for a while.”

……But.

“Anyway, the entire Demon Realm is in a resting atmosphere, so even if you leave the castle, Lord Demon King won’t say anything, right?”

Is that so? Ed’s eyes wavered.

I wanted to drink alcohol anyway. Should I really ask for permission to go out?

……Sh…Should I?

In the end, a subtle affirmation came out as if succumbing to temptation.

***

As Ben said, the request to go out was easily accepted.

Ed headed straight to the First City. The path was quite pleasant because he had cleaned up magical beasts in a hunting competition.

And so, quickly arriving at the First City, he immediately went into a conspicuous bar, took a seat, and sat down. He needed time to organize his thoughts.

The truth he learned was heavier than he thought.

‘Sir Deon has been killing legion commanders.’

Thanks to that, he also learned the reason why he distanced himself from him, but Ed was not happy at all. The truth that suddenly struck him was swirling around him like a storm.

‘Sir Deon plans to kill Lord Demon King.’

What else could be the reason for killing legion commanders? And what could be the reason for distancing himself from me?

There was only one answer. ‘To kill the Demon King.’

Legion commanders are just preliminary work, the real purpose is Lord Demon King. That’s why Sir Deon distanced himself from me, who serves both of them.

“What should I do……”

A groan leaked out.

Whether to tell this, to remain silent, or even to help Sir Deon… Ed couldn’t dare to choose any of them. It was even more so because he chose to ‘distance himself’ instead of killing him.

Even though killing would be easier than leaving a dangerous element by distancing himself, he spared me.

He didn’t want to betray the slight, shallow consideration and affection thrown at him. Nor the warmth that returned whenever he was about to forget or give up.

“Is there no way to stop him…?”

If possible, he wanted to stop Sir Deon. Ed found the current situation, which placed him at a crossroads of choices, too uncomfortable and overwhelming.

So, as he kept gulping down alcohol and groaning, someone sat down in front of him.

“You look like you have some worries.”

……Aiga.

“Tell me. Maybe it can be resolved? Stopping someone is my specialty.”

“You heard me.”

It’s not like the First City is small, and I just went into a conspicuous bar, but why do we keep running into each other?

Whether Ed showed signs of discomfort or not, the incubus wagged its tail and narrowed its eyes. Not liking that very much, Ed deliberately spoke in a stiff, cold voice.

“With what means?”

“Didn’t you know? Believe it or not, I’m often in Demon King’s castle as a garden maintenance assistant. Your connections are narrow, so it’s obviously someone from Demon King’s castle. How about it, doesn’t it seem like it could be helpful?”

……

“If it’s because of security issues, you don’t have to explain in detail, just tell me who you need to stop from doing what.”

“Isn’t that basically saying everything?”

After looking at Aiga as if dumbfounded for a moment, Ed, knowing that he was not capable of resolving the current situation alone, opened his mouth, slowly choosing his words in his mind, relying on a glimmer of hope.

He was quite exhausted from just enduring and waiting silently alone, as he had been until now.

***

The last day of the banquet, and also the day the hunting competition results are revealed.

Deon was eating snacks with the mad dogs in their accommodations.

Attend? To hell with that. Nothing good has ever happened during the banquet, why would I go there? I’m not crazy.

He just leaned deeply against the piles of blankets stacked up in the accommodations and quickly ate the snacks held out right in front of him.

“Oh, this is delicious.”

“Is it? Captain, please eat a lot.”

“Hey, hey, give that here. The captain said it’s delicious.”

“Huh? Uh-huh, take it, take it all. Should I give you what’s in my mouth too?”

“That’s not necessary.”

In front of Deon, piles of the snacks he had said were delicious were stacked up. Deon, scanning them with his eyes, picked up any and put it in his mouth. Uncomfortably warm gazes stuck to his chewing cheeks.

……What are you looking at?

“Nothing.”

“Oh my, our captain really eats well. Please try this too.”

“This too!”

If I eat all of this, my stomach will burst.

Looking at the piles of snacks stacked in front of him with troubled eyes, he raised his head. Looking at these guys suddenly reminded him of the hunting competition on the first day.

“By the way.”

“Yes?”

“On the first day of the hunting competition, you caught quite a lot.”

“Ah, we did. I thought they would be tallied up and shown, but they are recorded separately?”

“That’s not it, the Demon King told me. How did you do it?”

“This place is Demon Realm, and the number and quality of magical beasts are considerably higher compared to Human Realm.”

“Calculationally, it should be impossible to catch that many at the level of mad dogs. What means did you use?”

The question was quickly resolved.

“Looking at the situation, it seemed like they were only counting ‘number’ regardless of the size of the magical beasts. So, we did a herding hunt mainly targeting small fries at the rabbit level.”

……On the screen, you were fighting big guys though?

“That, isn’t that it? Showing only the most impressive parts!”

“Seeing that the scene came out even though we didn’t fight big guys many times, it seems right that they only show the impressive parts.”

……No wonder the returning Demon King was examining mana stones one by one for a long time.

“Well, if they were just picking out any scenes and showing them and announcing the results, they wouldn’t have examined them for so long.”

“These bastards, they’re clever with their tricks. Well done.”

“Could it be that other legions also hunted in that way?”

“Probably, wouldn’t you think?”

“Looking at it, some other legions we encountered in passing were also chasing mainly small fries…”

“So that’s how it was possible to record so many numbers.”