Chapter 322: Three Factions

Sensing the unfavorable situation, the demons retreated and gathered at a pre-arranged rendezvous point, pursued by the legion commanders who had been fighting them.

The rendezvous point was very close to where Deon Hart was engaged in battle. Both those who considered Deon Hart an enemy and his followers were converging on the same location.

The first to arrive were those responsible for Rweche Castle.

Develania frowned, realizing that despite rushing all the way here, no one else had arrived yet. The pursuers were closing in, and it seemed nothing had changed except the location.

In this worst-case scenario, her battle-hardened mind churned, grappling with the situation.

‘…Now that things have come to this, should I just plunge into the thick of it where Deon Hart is?’

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to barge into Deon Hart’s fight, dragging these persistent leeches along, and throw everything into chaos.

It was a thought born of frustration, but Develania’s eyes gleamed at the surprisingly appealing idea.

‘Yes, if I can’t control the board perfectly and the situation is unfavorable, then creating utter chaos, where nothing is predictable, might be the best option.’

It would rely on luck, but at least it would level the playing field, as no one could manipulate the situation anymore.

Her deliberation was brief. Drawn by the immediate dire situation and the unpredictable chaos that barging into the fight would create, she strode forward without hesitation. Her destination: Deon Hart’s location.

But her steps halted again almost immediately.

“Apologies, Commander of the 2nd Corps. Sir Deon has ordered that no one is to be allowed in.”

“Not even allies?”

“Yes, he said it would be a hindrance.”

Hmmm. Her gaze narrowed with displeasure, sweeping over the 0th Legion members blocking her path.

Soon the 11th Corps, along with the 3rd and 4th Corps, would arrive. The battle would reignite, and these soldiers would realize she was the enemy.

‘…Should I just kill them while they’re off guard?’

Her fingertips, seemingly relaxed, twitched almost imperceptibly.

…But engaging in combat and wasting time would mean the pursuers would catch up quickly. She needed the cooperation of these 0th Legion members.

Concealing her impatience, she gave a casual shrug.

“Common sense dictates that allies should be allowed through, right? Sir Deon said it would be a hindrance, but surely the 2nd Corps, not just any rabble, wouldn’t be a hindrance.”

……

“Right now, Sir Deon is fighting against countless Heroes all by himself.”

“…He’s not alone.”

“Sure, he might have taken regular soldiers with him, but they’re only there for the Primiero Knights, ordinary humans, not Heroes. Ultimately, Sir Deon is facing all the Heroes alone.”

Of course, the information I’m telling you is intelligence I gathered myself.

The words of the 2nd Corps Commander, responsible for intelligence gathering, were unlikely to be wrong. At her additional comment, the 0th Legion members’ eyes flickered with uncertainty.

“…But it’s Sir Deon’s order.”

“…This is infuriating. Do you even understand what’s best for Sir Deon? Do you have to let things become irreversible before you regret it and finally feel satisfied?”

At her sharp, irritated tone, the soldiers flinched.

Develania relaxed her expression slightly and whispered in a softer voice. Her tone was soothing, like comforting a child, yet the words were sharp.

“If you’re worried about getting scolded, don’t be. Sir Deon doesn’t care about you. He’ll forget all about this once it’s over.”

In any case, whether it’s humans or demons who might be scolded, they’d all be dead anyway, so no one would be around to do the scolding. She swallowed the rest of her thought with a sneer and stared intently at the soldiers, demanding a response.

……

Deon Hart had no interest in the 0th Legion members. His sole focus was the Lofty Knights. Though they must have known this, hearing it spoken aloud stung, and the 0th Legion members lowered their gazes.

But only for a moment. Quickly regaining their composure, the soldiers raised their eyes to meet hers. Their gazes, surprisingly resolute, dared to meet the legion commander’s stare.

“We are simply following orders.”

Even if Sir Deon has no interest in us. Even if he forgets this order later.

Still, we must carry out our assigned duty. The 0th Legion follows Deon Hart, not Develania. Therefore, Deon Hart’s orders take precedence over her words.

“…Sir Deon is certainly blessed with loyal subordinates.”

It was almost comical that he was oblivious to the loyalty he inspired.

Reading the unwavering resolve in their eyes, Develania let out a hollow laugh.

“Why do you even follow Sir Deon so blindly? He’s a human who doesn’t even give you a second thought.”

……

“Well… fine. Looks like you’re planning to stop me even if it means fighting. Can’t be helped.”

As she seemed to relent, the tense 0th Legion members relaxed slightly. Seizing the opportunity, Develania flicked her fingers.

“Then die.”

Razor-sharp threads lashed out, aimed at their throats.

Clang! Sparks flew in the air.

“…Damn.”

Already arrived?

The transparent barrier that had blocked the attack dissolved like mist. Realizing they had narrowly escaped death, the 0th Legion members, though still shocked, adopted combat stances. Develania glanced at them dismissively, then turned away without a trace of regret, as if she’d never intended to kill them. Her gaze settled on the 11th Corps, along with the 3rd and 4th Corps, who had just arrived.

Raising her gaze slightly further, she locked eyes with Lirinel.

“A little later would have been ideal. Too bad.”

“What was that just now…? What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? Unless you’re blind.”

“Develania…”

Her name was called out, a low seething voice that sounded both sorrowful and furious.

Lirinel, her expression clouded with unreadable emotion, soon hardened her face into a rigid mask and glared at Develania.

“They are Sir Deon’s subordinates. I won’t let you harm them.”

Her resolute gaze swept towards Idelia nearby.

“You as well.”

“How cute, a warning.”

Idelia, who had been observing the situation with keen interest, curved her eyes into a bright smile. With a flourish, she unfurled her fan, concealing her lower face.

“But will you be alright on your own?”

Looks like more are on their way.

The ground trembled, and demons rushed in from one side. Soon after, demons began swarming in from other directions.

Idelia frowned slightly, recognizing the 8th Corps and the 12th Corps leading each group.

“One group is from Sanguo, and the other from the Empire. Who’s friend and who’s foe…”

The ambiguity of friend or foe seemed to apply to them as well. The demons who reached this point, upon seeing those from other cities, paused, and a strange standoff ensued.

Sillua, Commander of the 7th Corps, who had arrived chasing the 1st Corps that was pursuing the 10th and 12th Corps, quickly assessed the situation and tilted her head in confusion.

“What’s going on? Did another fight break out over there? Who’s on whose side?”

“…Indeed. Who is on whose side?”

Shall we figure that out right here, now that everyone’s gathered?

Let’s start with the first to speak, the Commander of the 7th Corps. She pointed at Sillua with the tip of her folded fan.

“Let’s start with you. Sillua, whose side are you on? Lord Demon King? Deon Hart? Or… are you with those who consider both of them enemies?”

“Of course, Lord Demon King, isn’t it obvious? Even if we consider Sir Deon’s side, what’s with that last option?”

“Because there’s someone here who belongs to that last group.”

……

Every demon present clearly saw Idelia turn her gaze towards the 2nd Corps Commander, Develania. It was an obvious gesture, impossible to miss.

The legion commanders quickly grasped the situation.

‘So, the situation is divided into Sir Deon’s faction, Lord Demon King’s faction, and a third faction. The 7th Corps is with Lord Demon King, and the 2nd Corps is the third faction.’

And from Idelia’s words, referring to Sir Deon as ‘Deon Hart’, those who considered the 4th Corps also aligned with Lord Demon King began to mentally categorize friend from foe.

Despite the overwhelming attention focused on her, the somewhat unfamiliar ‘third faction’, Develania simply smirked.

“Do we really need to figure out who’s on whose side? We know who our allies are, so fighting as we are is actually advantageous.”

“No, Develania, you’ll have to cooperate. I know which legions form the ‘third faction’. If I call out just the third faction here, wouldn’t they naturally become the top priority target for elimination?”

If there are definite enemies mixed amongst those whose allegiance is unclear, it’s only logical to target them first.

“…How can you be so sure you know who the third faction is? Misidentifying them could lead to serious trouble.”

Idelia gave a confident smile.

“Well then, shall I spell it out? Honestly, I think everyone here already knows. The 8th Corps and the 10th and 12th Corps, who rushed here just like you, are all in cahoots, right?”

……

“It’s obvious you gathered here because of some prearranged agreement.”

Her gaze control was good when she claimed to know our allies, but she’d already given away too many clues.

“…Perhaps.”

Now they were the common enemy. Despite the precarious situation, Develania remained composed and gave a knowing smile.

“There might be more than just the legions you named.”

“…Urgh!”

Her casual remark sowed seeds of suspicion, and she lunged at Idelia, giving her no chance to respond.

Leaping into the air to evade the snake-like threads that darted towards her, Idelia scattered hidden projectiles from her fan, thinking rapidly.

‘Lord Demon King’s faction, Deon Hart’s faction, and the third faction are all perfect enemies, with no possibility of alliance.’

From Lord Demon King’s perspective, both are traitors. Considering Deon Hart’s recent actions, for his followers, all demons are likely enemies. And the third faction, whose initial goal was to eliminate both the Demon King and the Hero, goes without saying.

In other words, a perfect three-way standoff.

‘Identifying allies is the priority now.’

She racked her brain to pinpoint her allies.

First, the 3rd Corps is definitely with Lord Demon King, so our allies are the 3rd and 7th Corps. Including my 4th Corps, that makes the 3rd, 4th, and 7th Corps.

Disregarding those whose allegiances are roughly clear, the most ambiguous ones are…

“…Belitan, Trober!”

She called out to the Commanders of the 6th and 9th Corps, who still looked bewildered.

“Whose side are you on?!”

“Lord Demon King, obviously. Isn’t that the normal choice?”

“Trober, and you?”

“Me too, of course…”

Trober, who was about to follow Belitan’s lead and say Lord Demon King as if it were obvious, hesitated.

Of all times, now, the contract he had completely forgotten about was asserting its presence.

……

“Trober?”

“I’m…”

“[Actually, I took the liberty of summoning Sir Trober because I wanted to claim the reward from our bet back then.]”

“[What is it you want? If it’s a request to get you out of somewhere…]”

“[Please become an ally of Deon Hart.]”

The conversation he’d had with Dan in the past flashed through his mind.

Trober vividly remembered his answer from back then.

“[…Alright! I will definitely become an ally of Sir Deon!]”

The contract pulsed, demanding fulfillment of its promise. The reckless promise made in the past had become a shackle, threatening to drain the magic that formed his very being. He clutched at his heart, feeling it tremble.

…Damn it! Trober gritted his teeth.

“…Sir Deon’s side.”