Chapter 306: Impending War

Aletea finished the call and prepared to leave, sensing an uneasy gaze following her. Turning around, she met a look that bordered on desperation. She paused, then offered a gentle smile and stepped towards her brother.

“Brother.”

“……”

Lindel Riner had already left his seat the moment the communication ended.

In the space left to just the two of them, Aletea dared to take the Emperor’s face in her hands, gently tilting it up.

Since he was the Crown Prince, he had always been kind, gentle, and unwavering, never showing weakness even when angered. But now, the man before her looked as though he was on the verge of death.

As if to reassure him, she whispered softly.

“I will succeed, without fail.”

“…Is that your gut feeling?”

“No, but…”

Her lips curved into a familiar, beautiful arc as she spoke a well-known phrase.

“If it won’t work, we have to make it work.”

Words often spoken by the former Emperor, her uncle.

Ah, really… I guess I can never win against family. Elpidius laughed, as if collapsing.

“Seriously… Yeah.”

“……”

“If it won’t work, we have to make it work.”

Aletea turned away. Leaving with a light farewell, she departed on what might be her final journey without a backward glance.

Even so, Elpidius couldn’t stop her. He couldn’t hold her back.

It wasn’t because he was an Emperor, considering political situations or anything like that. He simply couldn’t bend Aletea’s will.

‘Why did it have to be that child who became the Hero?’

I wish it had been me instead.

While resenting the heavens, he was forced to understand why she had become the Hero, falling into despair. Because right now, she was acting exactly as a ‘Hero’ should.

“You should have been the Emperor after all.”

Alone in the room, Elpidius murmured quietly.

***

The entire Human Realm was engulfed in the clouds of war as the final battle approached.

‘…No, now that the demons have set off, has the war already begun?’

The King of Sanguo, having ended the communication, turned to look at Sareen, who stood to one side.

The tension of the approaching war lingered between them. Yeonhwa, after looking at her for a moment, calmly opened his mouth.

“After the war ends… instead of leaving immediately, how about touring Sanguo with me?”

“……”

“There are quite a few beautiful landscapes. You’ll be satisfied if you see them yourself.”

An excessively hopeful statement.

However, knowing it was meant to ease the tension, Sareen relaxed her stiff expression as intended and smiled playfully.

“Are you perhaps plotting to use me to clean up the aftermath of the war?”

“Oh dear, was I found out?”

***

The King of Rweche was silently immersed in darkness.

The second war… What should have ended in the first war was forcibly extended by scraping together every last bit of power, creating this final opportunity.

He gazed blankly at the empty air as if envisioning the future for a moment, then murmured faintly, as if to himself.

“…We might lose.”

A war with a high probability of defeat.

The end of a defeated nation was always miserable, and for the Demon Realm, which wasn’t even human, it would be even worse. But he didn’t regret it.

Because this was the only path left anyway.

“If we cannot protect this generation, we must protect future generations.”

This was the best a king of a nation could do.

If they killed the current Hero, another Hero would be born someday, even if not immediately. Through this, future generations would get another chance.

That’s why he willingly offered the troops he had raised, the Heroes he had painstakingly gathered, and even food supplies.

‘There’s no such thing as love for humanity. If it weren’t for the fact that Rweche would also collapse if other countries fell, I wouldn’t have supported other nations.’

For the King of Rweche, who had no remaining family, people were divided into two categories.

The people of Rweche and those who were not.

His own people came before others. Unless it was a special situation like now, why would he support other countries? It was already hard enough just to feed my own people in this long drought.

The Human Realm was not important.

The king had to protect the Human Realm simply because he was thinking of his own nation.

That was all.

***

And then.

The first snow of the season fell on the cities of each nation prematurely.

From Sanguo, with its mild climate, to Rweche in the middle, and the Empire in the north. It was a simultaneous occurrence everywhere.

***

Perhaps because it was wartime, Develania diligently brought information.

That must be why she’s been seen so often lately, busily running around everywhere. Deon said casually, glancing over the documents he had received.

“You seem to be running around a lot these days.”

Develania, who had been heading for the door, turned back with a smile.

“I have to gather information.”

“Meeting other legion commanders?”

“Information about our allies is also important.”

“Is that so?”

Flip-.

Unlike the tense atmosphere, the documents flipped lightly. Deon kept his eyes fixed on the papers, not even glancing at Develania as he tossed out the words.

“If you say so, then I guess so.”

“……”

“Leave now.”

The air around him was incongruously calm and peaceful.

What on earth is he thinking? Develania, narrowing her eyes as she scrutinized Deon, couldn’t linger for long and had to step out with a bow.

She was already busy, with people to meet today.

‘Let’s see, the appointment time is… 10 minutes away.’

Fortunately, I should be able to arrive just in time.

I wanted to stay near Sir Deon a little longer, but too bad. I deliberately leaked some of the information in the documents I gave to Sir Deon, but it’s a shame I can’t see his reaction.

Looking at the noisy end of the hallway where reactions seemed to be already brewing, Develania pushed aside her regret and kicked off the ground. Just before encountering the source of the commotion, a shadow in the hallway vanished like a phantom.

Using her swift and agile body to avoid being seen by others, Develania arrived at her destination and stood in front of the door of an abandoned warehouse.

I wonder how many have gathered? With a small curiosity, she placed her hand on the doorknob. Opening the door, she saw everyone inside turn their heads towards her at once.

‘One, two… good. Everyone’s here.’

Closing the door behind her and stepping inside, she curved her eyes into a smile.

“Have you made up your minds?”

“……”

“Well, coming here itself means you’ve made up your minds, right? Once you’ve come this far, you know there’s no turning back, don’t you?”

She took out a map from her pocket and spread it on the floor.

“Then, taking it as a sign of affirmation, I’ll explain. Listen carefully.”

***

Deon, not caring whether Develania left or not, focused solely on reading the documents.

The other kingdoms attached to the Demon Realm are said to be under thorough surveillance. Even though there’s only circumstantial evidence without any hard proof, they are under tight watch, so it will probably be impossible to use them.

‘Just making them expend manpower on surveillance is enough, I guess…’

It’s not like our forces are so depleted that we need to use them anyway. Deon thought lightly and turned to the next page.

And his eyes stopped—fixed—on a word that caught his attention in the very first paragraph.

[Primiero Knight Order is deployed near the location presumed to be where the Heroes are.]

Primiero Knight Order.

Wasn’t that the elite knight order led by Senior, Stigma Primiero? The trace Senior left behind in the Empire, and proof of his competence.

‘What on earth are they thinking?’

No matter how elite they are, they can’t compare to Heroes or Heroic Spirits.

Putting ordinary soldiers in a fight between Heroes and Heroic Spirits, isn’t that practically telling them to die?

Elpidius, who seems to have orchestrated this, and the rulers who just stood by and watched… Are they really in their right minds? He let out a heavy sigh, doubting their sanity.

‘Heroes alone are tiring enough, and now Senior’s knight order too…’

He glanced down at the bloodstains, shimmering just above his waist.

…If I kill not only the Heroes but also those who were in Senior’s knight order, just how much will this build up? In a battlefield where countless lives are meaninglessly extinguished, can I, the culprit of it all, truly avoid being swallowed by this?

‘…I have to return to the Demon King’s castle alive.’

How did I even get this far?

I can’t die from hallucinations before achieving my goal.

‘It would be safer not to kill the Primiero Knight Order, but…’

Each legion commander and legion must attack the cities of three countries, so there are no forces to spare. Taking some of them out for this is a waste of manpower, and from the start, I was planning to go to where the Heroes are alone, so I didn’t consider this situation and don’t have any particular plans coming to mind.

‘This is going to be a little annoying.’

Should I just pick out some regular troops from the Demon King’s army and take them with me?

If so, how many would be appropriate to take…?

‘…It’s not that important, let’s stop thinking about it.’

I can think about it later when the time comes.

Deon, having roughly organized his thoughts, lowered his hand that had been pressing on his forehead and picked up the documents. Just as he was about to turn to the next page, a rough knocking sound, thump thump, came with the door bursting open.

Commotion flooded in.

“Captain!”

“Captaaaain!!”

“…Uh, why?”

What is it?

Amidst the clamor, Kleter, who had appropriately positioned himself in the center, quietly spread out blankets on the floor. Those standing on them looked over at him with eyes full of firm resolve.

…Seriously, what is it?

“Why are we excluded from the plan?!”

“…Huh?”

“We aren’t participating in this war, are we?!”

“Even though Captain is participating!”

What, they already know about that? News travels fast, huh…?

Instead of tired suspicion, his thought process was about to conclude with admiration for their excellent hearing in picking up news so quickly, but someone’s subsequent remark drastically changed its course.

“I heard the Primiero Knight Order is getting on Captain’s nerves?”

“…Who did you hear that from?”

Deon’s expression hardened.

Someone clearly intentionally spread this. To get these guys to participate in the war!

Which, interpreted differently, meant they intended to kill the mad dogs.

‘Why?’

Deon clenched his fist subtly.

Are they trying to make me suffer mentally by making them participate? Or are they trying to reduce my forces? Compared to the former, the latter has a lower probability, but it’s also possible that the mad dogs incurred someone’s resentment.

The mad dogs, unaware of these inner thoughts, seemed to realize they had almost made a mistake and quickly changed the subject.

“N-No, that’s not important, is it! We will fight!”

“All the troops in the Demon King’s castle are being dispatched, so why are we the only ones left behind?!”

“Staying in the Demon King’s castle with the Demon King when there aren’t even many demons, it’s awkward just thinking about it!”

It wasn’t that they ‘heard’ it from Deon Hart’s question. There was a note in the accommodations along with some documents.

The fact that the Primiero Knight Order was there, and that Sir Deon was highly likely to go there alone. And even a conjecture that he would likely fight the Heroes right after fighting them, so he might be in considerable fatigue and in danger.

“Please, let us at least handle the Primiero Knight Order!”

“We’ll fight them and come right back!”

“If we see a Hero while fighting, we’ll run right away!”

“You guys…”

The Lofty Knight order members, who loved their captain, lay down on the floor.

So that’s why they spread out blankets on the floor. They came fully prepared. Deon sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead, and muttered a curse under his breath.

“Get up, you bastards.”

“Please let us participate in the war!”

“Pleeeease let us!!”

“…The Primiero Knight Order is elite.”

His voice, suddenly lowered, drew the commotion down with it.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, the Lofty Knight order members paused and looked at Deon. Deon looked at those still lying down with a troubled expression.

“It’s going to be difficult for you to face them head-on.”

Certainly, fighting guys like the Primiero Knight Order, who are a loss even if you kill them, is tiring and annoying. But that didn’t mean he had to send these guys instead.

But the mad dogs didn’t know this situation.

“…We are also elite in our own way!”

“Captain may see us as lacking, but even we have accumulated experience in our own right. At least we are confident in our ability to survive.”

“I know. Why wouldn’t I know you guys are elite.”

These guys who had survived after fighting and rolling around for over 10 years—who could dare to deny they were elite?

But.

“It’s because I don’t want to lose you.”