I know the fear of unconsciousness. Just today, didn't I offend the Fairy King by speaking without filter in front of him? Fortunately, he let it pass without incident, but the Emperor probably wouldn't.
So, I was tightening my heart and liver again to control the size of my heart and liver so that I would not speak out even inadvertently. I was so surprised when things suddenly turned out like this.
Oh, of course, I had no intention of changing my itinerary to return to the Empire.
'First of all... I made a big deal here...'
I brought in medicine given by the palace doctor and threw it everywhere to strengthen the monsters... I suddenly became a smuggler of illegal drugs, so the answer was to get out as soon as possible. The Demon Lord himself said he would just let it go, but looking at the moment of bloodshed when he stopped the fight between Idelia and Lirinel a little while ago, it would be helpful to extend my lifespan by leaving the place immediately and returning after some time.
'Let's go to the Empire.'
As soon as possible.
As I was once again making up my mind, the Demon King's voice continued.
"Still, what Idelia said is not entirely wrong. It would be much better to prepare than not to prepare at all. When the war begins, the 7th and 9th Corps alone will not be enough, so I wonder if it would be okay to withdraw operational troops in advance... Let's see..."
***
Deon Hardt returned.
The Emperor did not ask Deon Hardt, who returned sooner than expected, whether he had 'made up his mind'.
He just included the content of looking into his eyes and reflecting on the other person in the conversation. And as soon as he realized that Deon's role had not changed yet, he turned his attention to the other information he had brought him.
'... Yes, spies during war are also quite useful.'
The problem was that the spy was neither on his side nor on the other party's side, and was a person who may change at any moment... but it's still okay. He could wait.
Perhaps the Demon King was waiting for is patience to wear out and put strong pressure on Deon Hardt.
'Waiting for Deon Hardt to escape to the Demon World.'
If this were to be expressed in Southern terms, could it be likened to opening one's mouth under a persimmon tree?[1]
It wasn't even funny. The Emperor's patience was not short enough for the Demon King to look down upon.
"So... is that all?"
"This is the only answer to Your Majesty's inquiry."
He knew the missions of each Corps Commander thanks to asking Deon Hardt about them.
Therefore, the Emperor was not very satisfied with the information he had just received.
"... Ha, the preparations for the war with this Empire were so-so."
Not with the quality of the information, but with the content of the information itself.
The 6th and 12th Corps, which dealt with demons, carried out their duties as is. The 5th Corps, which patrolled the entire demon realm, waited at the Demon King's Castle. Even the 10th and 8th Corps, which guarded major cities in the demon realm, did not change their missions... Ultimately, they were used in war. This meant that in addition to the existing 1, 3, 7, and 9 Corps, there was up to five additional Corps to prepare for unexpected situations.
The 2nd and 4th Corps are also used in war, but they only moved in relation to intelligence and rarely engaged in combat, so they were excluded. Excluding the 11th Legion, since it was one of the few enemies in history that went into battle...
'There are a total of 12 Corps... no, 13, but there are only five being used...'
Wasn't this just looking down on the Empire?
What was the point of doing this when it was not enough to immediately bring in all the Corps except the minimum troops and have them stand by?
The Emperor pressed and released the back of his gloved left hand and frowned in annoyance.
"There are degrees of looking at something funny."
"..."
"... Anyway, good job. You're going to be busy from now on, so it's best to go back and get some rest."
Deon, who had been quietly listening to the words that flowed naturally and could not be ignored, flinched and shook his shoulders, then slowly raised his head. The inexplicable red eyes that reminded him of someone else's green eyes rudely looked straight into his golden eyes.
"... Am I joining the war too?"
"Yes."
Even if he did not put pressure on himself, the psychological pressure would be considerable if he went back and forth between the two sides in the war. If he did that, there will be a day soon when he will be able to come down from that awful single line.
It was a tightrope walk that was initially carried out under the generosity of the two monarchs. If he wanted to, he could have grabbed him by the collar and dragged him down right away, but the Emperor didn't do that.
A talented person who did not have sincerity was just a bomb that would surely explode one day.
"..."
"...?"
He gave a confirmation, but no answer came back. The Emperor, who slowly rolled his eyes and quietly observed the extremely expressionless expression without any emotion, muttered faintly as if he realized something.
"So... I guess this is your first time participating in war since the Eight Year War?"
In the meantime, he only experienced a few minor battles and did not participate in the war. Even during the recent war of conquest, Deon Hardt was in the demon realm.
"Right... I've always wanted to tell you something."
It was such an obvious statement that he almost overlooked it this time, but thanks to that attitude, it came to mind.
Should he say he's glad he remembered it now?
Something he must say to Deon Hardt before sending him off to war.
The Emperor took a big step forward and closed the distance between thm. Deon looked in surprise at the person who had intruded into his range, but the Emperor didn't care and just stretched out his hands and lightly touched both of his shoulders.
"You do better than anyone else when the battle starts, so I don't have to worry about your physical health, but I think you should medicate the other side in advance."
So, let me tell him this in advance.
The slow voice fell with weight.
"If someone swings a sword and kills someone, you blame the person who wielded it, not the sword."
It was really funny. This person, who had taken advantage of that point and continued to walk a tightrope, had not even thought about this.
Was it because this mindset was hardened at a young age?
Thoughts engraved in childhood often remained in the unconscious and influenced even adulthood, so it was not completely incomprehensible.
If that's really the case.
"You are my sword. Isn't that right?"
"... That's right."
As the owner of the sword, he should personally break it.
He didn't know how much impact these words would have, but he knew it was better than not saying anything at all.
"Does a sword feel guilty?"
The Emperor, who did not want the sword called Deon Hardt to be damaged, willingly opened his mouth.
He was really foolish. He told him not to blame himself for falling into someone else's hands because he was a sword, but he actually felt guilty when he killed someone with the sword.
As if the words were completely unexpected, the red pupils widened in anger. The Emperor watched without missing a beat and quietly spoke.
"Everyone who participates in war is the sword of the commander. All the bad karma they accumulate by killing people belongs to the person who created the platform to wield them and belongs to the commander who wielded them. The commander must also have a superior who influenced him, so ultimately, if you follow the relationship that forms this triangle, there is a 'monarch' at the top."
"..."
"Do you understand? This means that generals like you are without sin when it comes to fighting a war. Killing someone? What should you do since I ordered you to kill him? Guilt? That should be entirely mine, so why does the sword try to feel guilty? This is an excess of authority, arrogance, and disrespect for the monarch."
All the sins committed on the battlefield were the Emperor's responsibility. So, it would be right for the cost of doing so to also be the Emperor's share.
But how dare something like a sword try to steal its share o the burden?
"I assure you. All the blood and resentment that existed in the Eight Year War, that existed in the recent war, and that will arise in the upcoming war with the demon realm are mine. So do not remember the faces of the dead and do not listen to their stories, whether it's an enemy or an ally. Memories are a burden."
"..."
Looking into the red eyes that were looking at him, the Emperor slowly raised the corners of his mouth, which was rare.
"You just have to do as I instruct."
***
I returned to the Empire. Before leaving, I called Hien and Ed and asked them a question about the strange plant I had in my bag last time, and then I thought Ed were going to kill him, so I had a hard time...!
'Will Ed grab Hien by the collar and kill him? I only asked...'
Anyway, it was resolved safely...
'Did the plant cause any problem?'
'Hmm... Should I say so...'
'I'm sorry. I will pay for this sin by cutting off Hien's head.'
'No... Why cut off Hien's head...'
'Oh, I will sacrifice my head too.'
'There is no need...!'
Safely...
'The plant, didn't it help you...?'
'It was useful in the end...'
'Then next time...!'
'No, that's a bit...'
It was resolved safely...?
Well, I told them I would be in trouble if I was caught carrying a strange plant around the human world, and I got a promise not to do it again, so I guess it could be said that it was resolved safely.
Anyway, due to the trauma from the monster last time, this time I returned safely to the mansion empty-handed and without any camouflage baggage. Let's put aside the fact that I coughed up blood as soon as I arrived.
'It's a war against the demon world, not any other country.'
It seems like heaven wants to plunge my life to the bottom.
Damn it, now not only the battlefield but also the two camps that were fiercely hostile to each other come and go. It's a bonus that both sides had to worry about what their superiors think.
So, I took stomach medicine instead of snacks and was prepared to go through a lot of trouble as I was busy going from place to place... Should I say that it was as expected or that my prediction was wrong?
It got very busy. In so many different ways.
"Marquis, your hand has stopped."
"Ah."
I moved the pen that had stopped and scribbled my signature on the document. The Marquis's troops were called out... Of course, permission is given... No, the murderers... No, the Lofty Knights wr going out... Oh, they're going quite far. I'm happy to give permission. They're difficult for a normal commander to control, so I ask that someone who can lead them come along...
I guess I can just send Lien. Somehow, it seems like she wants me to, but I just chalk it up to my mood... nope!
I stopped my pen and raised my head. I made eye contact with Dan, who was looking this way as if he was about to point something out again.
"... But aren't we at war?"
"Yes, that's right."
"But why am I not busy?"
"Aren't you busy right now?"
"No... I didn't say I wasn't busy in this way..."
Do I go to war less often than you thought? I was called in a lot in the beginning, but just looking at the current situation, I was leisurely processing documents... Of course, the location was not the Marquis' residence, but the military hut.
"Marquis, I have a mountain of documents to be processed."
"... Why are you here?"
"At the request of the guard and butler, I'm monitoring the processing of the Marquis' documents... no, supervising... no... Hmm, I'm here to help."
"It's late, you bastard. Go away."
"Ah, the story about 'the Marquis not being busy' that you mentioned a little while ago."
It's obvious that you're talking back to me. Who did you learn from?
If I were to change the subject, it would be me who developed my own tolerance by being bullied by Remember a lot. I still couldn't defeat Remember, but I'm not at the point where I could fall for this guy who was lower in status than me and less talkative than Remember.
"It seems that His Majesty does not want to send the Marquis to the battlefield. I heard a rumor that you are busier than usual for some reason..."
"So, why do you want me send you to the battlefield? It's not bad, but it feels uncomfortable. Rather, don't change your mind and go quickly..."
"Now that I think about it, I recently heard a rumor that the fighting styles of the Commander of the 0th Corps of the demon world and the third hero of the Empire, Deon Hardt, are similar."
"Loss... what?"
Ah, I ended up skipping it.
He learned very well from Remember. Damn it.
[1] An East Asian expression that means "waiting for the result without putting in the effort." Probably a derivative of the Chinese expression "守株待兔" (shǒu zhū dài tù), which translates to "guarding a tree stump while waiting for a rabbit."