Chapter 309: A Final Order and a Last Request

After the Demon King left, Deon exited his room and sought out Develania’s.

Luckily, she seemed to be still in her room. A knock on the door brought a voice telling him to enter. Without hesitation, he opened the door and stepped inside, finding Develania staring wide-eyed at him, clearly surprised by his unexpected visit.

“Sir Deon…? What brings you here?”

“I have something to tell you.”

They weren’t exactly on friendly terms, and Deon had no intention of wasting time with pointless pleasantries before getting to the point. He immediately pulled a map from his inner pocket, detailing the structure of Rweche castle, and spread it out on a nearby table.

Under the questioning gaze of the demon, his pale finger pointed to a section marked in red ink on the map.

“Everything marked here represents the core of the arrays within this castle.”

“……!”

“There are additional notes beside it, so you shouldn’t have any trouble with the locations. I’m not sure if they’ll collapse all at once if you remove one, or if their power will weaken each time you remove one, but figure it out and destroy them accordingly.”

If they collapse all at once, you only need to destroy one. If their power weakens gradually, then destroy them all.

Develania studied the map with a serious expression, a clear question in her eyes as to why he was telling her all this. Deon offered her a faint smile.

“Infiltration is your specialty, isn’t it? Things will be easier if you start by destroying the arrays.”

“……That’s right. You’ve come to the right person.”

Develania looked at him for a moment, then returned his smile.

“Thank you for this valuable information. Trust me with it.”

“Yeah, well…”

Even without it, they would still conquer the castle, it would just take a bit longer. So, it wouldn’t matter much if she failed, but better safe than sorry.

Deon turned to leave. Develania carefully folded the map and tucked it away, speaking to Deon as he was about to leave.

“There’s nothing particularly to watch out for in the Human Realm right now, so this will probably be our last battle.”

“……I suppose so.”

It wasn’t exactly a valuable exchange of information, and Deon paused, slightly annoyed by the pointless conversation, turning back to look at her. Her ever-present smile, masking inscrutable intentions, met his gaze.

Develania, unfazed by Deon’s narrowing eyes, maintained her wide smile, her gaze lingering on his long, flowing hair.

“But, are you sure you’ll be alright going into battle like that? Your hair might get in the way.”

“I brought something to tie it up with, so it’s fine. And it’s none of your concern in the first place.”

“Shall I tie it for you?”

“……Huh?”

Maybe in the old days, but hadn’t they gone too far for him to turn his back to her now?

He fixed Develania with a gaze that openly expressed his bewilderment. As if anticipating this reaction, she continued, unfazed.

“It’s the last time, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“Come on, have a seat right here.”

……Right, ‘last time’ was indeed a convenient excuse and weapon.

Might as well see what she’s up to. Deon obediently sat in the chair Develania offered, turning his back to her. He felt unfamiliar hands gently smoothing through his hair, as if combing it.

“Hair tie?”

“Here.”

Her eyes seemed to widen slightly at the sight of the red hair tie, before curving into a soft smile. Deon didn’t miss the subtle pause in her hands as they worked on his hair.

“This is the one I gifted you.”

“Blood won’t stain it too obviously, after all.”

“As I think I’ve said before, I’m really glad you like it.”

He thought he remembered thinking before, but he was pretty sure he’d never actually said he liked it.

He let out a soft sigh and let her do as she pleased with his hair. His senses were on high alert as he felt delicate hands tying his hair. Thanks to her surprising skill in this area, his hair was quickly tied up, but Deon remained seated.

Without even tilting his head, his red eyes glanced downwards before he turned his gaze forward again and calmly spoke.

“So, this is your hidden agenda…”

“This was it.”

“You’re trying to kill me?”

Each word he spoke caused his Adam’s apple to bob, reopening the cut-like wound. A razor-sharp thread, almost invisible, glinted in the light right in front of Deon Hart’s neck.

Deon tilted his head to one side, seemingly unconcerned whether his neck was cut or not.

“It would be inconvenient right now.”

Blood trickled down his neck. In response, the taut thread loosened slightly.

Just as he thought. Only a complete fool would cause trouble here. He smirked, as if to say ‘I knew it’.

“Is this a threat, or a warning? It’s certainly not a request.”

“It could be a prelude.”

“Bold. Could this be related to your recent busy movements?”

“…….”

Instead of answering, Develania retracted the thread and walked out from behind him, standing in front of Deon.

Glancing down, he could see the area where he’d been cut. It had already healed completely, with only a smear of blood on his skin to mark where the wound had been. She reached out a hand and gently rubbed at the bloodstain, as if to wipe it away.

With a natural pressure applied to his neck, Deon wordlessly looked up at her.

“Sir Deon, as you may already know, I don’t trust you.”

Her eyes, now even more vacant than before, seemed even more like jewels. He stared into those smooth, ruby-like eyes for a moment before she cleanly withdrew her hand.

“……No, in fact, I’ve gained even more certainty.”

That’s why she’d been so busy lately.

Images flashed through his mind of those who had clenched their fists and gnashed their teeth in betrayal. Those who were now in the same boat as her.

After briefly meeting his probing red gaze, as if trying to see through her, Develania took a step back.

“So you can look forward to it. A mere human castle—we’ll crush it in no time and come see you.”

……It was blatantly obvious there was something more to it, but whatever, he didn’t trust her either.

The fact that wounds healed so quickly was really inconvenient at times like this. If it were his body from before becoming the Hero, he could have used the clearly visible wound as evidence to deal with Develania.

‘Though even with that body, he probably would have just let it slide, given the impending war.’

He’d gone through the trouble of organizing troops—it wouldn’t do to kill her now.

Deon lightly brushed his thumb over the area where he’d been cut and smirked.

“Alright, I don’t know what else you’re hiding…”

“…….”

“Go ahead and try.”

***

Stepping outside, he saw the ‘mad dogs’ had come to see him off, as if they were the final gate he had to pass.

Though ‘seeing him off’ was just a pretense; it was obvious they were going to try and change his mind again. Memories of their constant nagging made him reflexively halt, but after a moment, Deon gave a bitter smile and started walking again.

‘They’ve been annoyingly clingy the whole time, and even at the very end, they’re still going to be noisy.’

Would they try to cling to him and insist on following again this time too?

As he got closer, the guys loitering around snapped their heads up and looked at him. Unlike their usual boisterous reactions, this time their calls were somewhat subdued.

“Captain…”

“……?”

These weren’t the ‘mad dogs’ he knew. Their uncharacteristic demeanor made Deon, who had been walking without hesitation, stop in his tracks.

Regardless of Deon’s reaction, Milan strode forward and stood before him, opening his mouth with an uncharacteristically calm demeanor.

“We’re not here to beg this time. We’ve come to see you off.”

“…….”

“Instead… we won’t insist on following you… but could you promise us just one thing?”

“……What is it?”

“As we promised before, we won’t leave you, Captain…”

As if sensing the answer even before the question was fully formed, his voice trembled.

“Please, Captain, don’t abandon us either.”

“…….”

……’We won’t insist on following you,’ they said. In the end, weren’t they saying the same thing?

This was a plea not to die, and at the same time, a request to withdraw his previous order. That’s why Deon couldn’t bring himself to answer.

He simply looked at them in silence, waiting for an answer, before pretending not to understand and whispering.

“You remember my orders, right?”

The order that had made them chase after him to retract it, and the order that had led to this conversation. Both sides knew better than anyone that they wouldn’t have forgotten it.

Yet, the fact that he mentioned it now… The faces of the Lofty Knights paled as they sensed the ominous undertones.

“That order, it’s my final command, so make sure you obey it.”

“……You’re cruel, Captain.”

The order to go to the Human Realm and disappear. An order not to seek out Deon Hart again, and not to return to the Demon Realm.

At his words, confirming he was finally leaving them, the knights each rubbed their faces or squeezed their eyes shut. Their pale faces were pitiful to see, but Deon couldn’t back down from his stubbornness, so all he could do was become even more brazen.

So he deliberately spoke in a playful tone.

“Well, who’s your captain?”

“…….”

“……And I’ve hidden some fairy herbs in your quarters, so find them and use them well. I’ve written down the effects and usage instructions for each herb on a note, so you shouldn’t have any problems using them.”

“When did you even… No, never mind. More importantly…”

“More importantly?”

“……!”

It wasn’t the Captain’s voice. It was a somewhat unfamiliar voice.

Startled, the guys hastily backed away. The Demon King, who had appeared out of nowhere without a sound, stood among them, grinning as if amused.

“I knew it already, but it seems the human knight order is ‘definitely’ not participating in this war.”

“……Is there a problem with that?”

“Problem? What problem? I just came to see you off.”

If it was just seeing him off, he distinctly remembered finishing that in the room a little while ago.

Deon frowned at the incomprehensible behavior. The Demon King, pretending not to notice, smiled as usual and told him to have a safe trip. His demeanor was full of unease.

Perhaps it was because of this, but Deon felt inexplicably uneasy and hesitated, unable to leave. Then, the Demon King asked with a smooth face, as if nothing was amiss.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“…….”

“If it’s the human knight order you’re worried about, I’ll take good care of them, so don’t worry and be on your way.”

“There’s really no need for you to bother…”

Now Deon understood why the Demon King had come to him again under the pretense of a farewell, which they’d already finished. He wasn’t the target; the ‘mad dogs’ were.

……What is he planning to do?

Malice flickered in his eyes involuntarily. Even in the face of his warning red gaze, telling him not to touch them, the Demon King feigned ignorance, casually smiled with his eyes and waved his hand.

Unable to argue further there, Deon turned back to the ‘mad dogs’.

“Don’t disobey my words.”

If he had his way, he would have taken them to the Human Realm and then released them, but to save time, they were moving using the 11th Corps’ large-scale magic, so if they departed together, it would be difficult to extract them midway.

Therefore, he just gave a stern warning, like a final piece of advice, then turned his head, glaring suspiciously at the Demon King before curtly nodding.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

“Alright.”

The Demon King replied with his usual relaxed demeanor.

***

The 11th Corps simultaneously cast their magic.

Magic power gathered beneath their feet, intertwining like a net and expanding its reach. Soon, as the area grew large enough to encompass everyone in the space, it engulfed them all in a flash of blinding light.

In the space that had become silent in an instant, the Demon King leisurely scanned the area where they had been.

……So many of them, gone in an instant.

The number of presences sensed within the Demon King’s castle had clearly decreased, making it feel like a dead castle.

Well… soon this castle too would become remnants of the past, so maybe it wasn’t entirely wrong to think of it that way.

‘Well then, should I start preparing too?’

……But before that.

Putting aside the unfamiliar feelings, the Demon King turned around. The ‘mad dogs’—no, the Lofty Knights—came into view, their eyes wide open as they stared at the spot where those who had vanished had stood.

He deliberately narrowed his eyes as he asked.

“Are you sure it’s alright for you to stay here like this?”

“Huh?”

“Deon might be in danger. Wouldn’t it be better to follow him?”

Did they even realize? The Demon King wasn’t one to just meekly accept being taken advantage of.

He’d turned a blind eye to Deon’s arrogant behavior because his goals aligned with Deon’s actions, but because of that, he’d lost quite a few legion commanders.

In any case, it was a significant loss.

‘It’s not fair if only I suffer losses, is it?’

A playful smile crept onto his lips.

Setting aside the fact that legion commanders and all would soon become meaningless pawns anyway, just passively taking hits wasn’t fun. Anything was more interesting with a proper counterattack.

‘So, Deon, shouldn’t you lose some of your precious troops too, to make things fair?'”