Why did this child speak so harshly?
Was this the harmful effect of war? It seems like the swearing he'd heard before was worse and more harsh than the swearing he'd heard since he was born...
Dan hesitantly backed away with a pale, tired face.
"... Are you okay alone? From the looks of it, you look like you've been left behind and you're vomiting blood…"
"Do I have to tell you twice? Really useless..."
"Ah, okay. I'm really going."
However, curiosity did not die that easily.
How long would a child like that survive in the war?
A small and delicate body, and a sharp attitude that seems to have gone through a lot of hard work. Dan was so anxious about all of this that he only took a few steps before turning around and speaking to the boy who was glaring at him warily.
"Um... is the thing that caused you to vomit blood an injury or a chronic illness?"
"You really, you bastard...!"
"If you have a chronic illness, I recommend hiding it."
"..."
"You're an ordinary soldier, right? In fights between ordinary soldiers, the weakest ones are targeted first."
While on the move, he once watched a battle in a valley from the top of a mountain.
"Whether you swallow the blood or stuff a cloth in your mouth, it would be best to hide it at all costs."
"..."
***
Someone was coming down the stairs of the mansion.
Remember, who was standing in the central hall, looked up and saw Deon with Dan following him. In the atmosphere that seemed to have been sorted out, the old man's unique playful voice flowed leisurely as always.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yes."
"I was just about to teach him some internal affairs, but you're taking out talented people like this. I am also very old, so I don't know where to find a replacement."
Deon chuckled at the playful grumbling of the old man who noticed that Dan was being taken away. It was a dry laugh.
"Now that you've decided to teach him, what have you been teaching him so far?"
"He was only entrusted with processing documents that were superficial and auxiliary, leaving out all the important information. In the beginning, he was entrusted with processing fake documents to determine whether he was a spy or not."
"... Then why on earth did Dan change the filing system...?"
"Isn't it possible to understand how the document system works just by processing fake documents? In that sense, Dan was an excellent candidate for deacon."
"... I'm asking this again, but what is Remember's true identity?"
"I am the butler of the Marquis Hardt."
"..."
Deon, at a loss for words, began to walk again, having stopped for a moment.
Remember passed him and spoke to him behind as he headed toward the door.
"Aren't you taking the Murderous Knights with you?"
"It's easy to get caught in large-scale movements. Besides, they are the ones who will not move quietly even if they die soon..."
"That's right."
"So, I'll just leave..."
"Then what about Lord Lien?"
Was he not taking her with you?
Deon stopped and turned his head to look at Remember.
"She is so upright. She won't fit where I'm trying to go. You know."
Don't ask questions you know the answer to.
Remember, who smiled kindly despite Deon's irritated voice, spoke softly to him, who was just stepping outside.
"I'm glad you recovered well."
"..."
Deon paused for a moment and walked out without even looking back.
Dan, who had stopped for a moment to watch his steps, nodded in farewell to Remember
and hurried after him.
...
"There's a place I'd like you to stop by before we go."
"... You're not asking where we're going."
Deon, who was loosening the reins in the stable, just rolled his eyes and looked at Dan.
The eerie red gaze scanned his expression. Dan smiled calmly in front of him.
"I think I know."
"... So, where would you like to stop by?"
***
The people of a small village in a mountain valley who were just about to pack up their belongings and move were frozen by the unexpected visit of an uninvited guest.
"Was it here?"
"Yes. It's usually a quiet place, but today it's very chaotic. As if... they were about to move."
The man whom the shaman grandmother referred to as 'disaster' and Dan, who she said would be a 'pawn of disaster'.
Dan put his hand on his sword and looked around at the people without any emotion. He spotted the person he was looking for and raised one corner of his mouth. He kept walking and approached the old woman who was trembling with fear and anger.
"Long time no see."
"You, you…!"
"You suddenly remembered me. I came here because I wanted to see my grandmother's face at least once before I put her prophecy into practice."
Dan, who had said that far, burst out laughing.
"So why are you shaking?"
He took a step closer with an eerie expression that didn't contain any emotion, then lowered his head and whispered softly into the grandmother's ear.
"You are the one who made me like this."
She shouldn't have said something like that so carelessly. He went astray like this.
It was not for nothing that shamans were reluctant to talk about the future. Dan smiled as he kindly showed her the consequences of breaking the shaman's unspoken rules.
"I won't kill you. You must live to see me fulfill your prophecy."
"..."
"So, live your whole life in guilt."
He hoped she would live her whole life as if she was suffocating, and at the very last moment, die in a more painful way than anyone else.
His words were like blades. Even though it was not directed at him, Deon felt his heart ache and gently closed his eyes.
He opened his eyes when someone approached him.
"...!"
"... What?"
Deon opened his eyes and snatched the hand that was trying to touch his shoulder, glaring at the other person with full of frustration. He had no intention to kill anyone here since he had received help from them before, otherwise he would have put the knife in their head a long time ago.
Without even trying to free her wrist, Ran looked at Deon.
When Deon, who couldn't wait, was about to get annoyed, she whispered softly in a voice that no one else could hear.
"Watch the snow."
"... Snow?"
What did snow suddenly mean...
There was no way she wouldn't have noticed Deon's questioning expression, but Ran pretended not to notice and tapped the hand holding her wrist to signal for him to let go, then quickly blended into the crowd and hid.
'... Even if you ask me, I won't say more.'
This is what an excellent shaman said. Deon, who remembered her words in the back of his mind, turned his head and looked at Dan.
He was standing three steps away from the trembling grandmother and looking in this direction.
"... Are you done?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
The two people suddenly disappeared, as suddenly as they had suddenly visited.
Ran walked among the people leaving the village at a much faster pace than before, and muttered softly as she watched them riding away.
"Please don't commit too many sins."
This, too, may be just a vain wish.
***
The 0th Corps Commander brought a human!
In the Demon King's city, where all kinds of rumors and news were abuzz due to the war, a rumor that overwhelmed them all spread.
If the person he brought in was a prisoner or a hostage, there wouldn't have been such an uproar. However, since that human seemed to anyone to be the assistant to the Commander of the 0th Corps, the demons had no choice but to go on a rampage in many ways.
'I've never even been able to wash his feet, but a human is doing so?'
'I won't forgive you in the name of Demonism.'
They were jealous.
'How capable is he that Demon himself brought him here?'
'They even say he's a human. Other than Demon, he's the first proper human being who is not an intruder.'
'If possible, I would like to have a conversation with him at least once.'
There were also demons who showed pure curiosity.
'Bringing humans into the Demon King's Castle?'
'Demon is a special case, but other humans are a bit...'
'Demon brought him directly, so wouldn't it be better to kick him out rather than kill him?'
There were also demons who expressed a shocked reaction.
And Deon Hardt, the hot potato of the Demon King who drew all these reactions.
"I heard that your fever has gone down, but are you really feeling better?"
The altar was separated and the two of them were face to face with the Demon King alone.
Deon, who answered by nodding roughly, lowered his head, clenched and unclenched his fist for a moment, and then looked at the Demon King again. It had been a while since the red eyes that lost their vitality and completely hid their emotions faced the Demon King's eyes.
A low voice came out slowly.
"Some time ago, a shaman predicted my future."
"Hmm... It seems like telling me that you will make it come true, right?"
"... Yes."
If he were to be honest, yes.
The Demon King, leaning back comfortably in his chair and crossing his arms, touched the corner of his mouth as if he was interested.
"It's a prophecy."
"..."
"In case you get confused, I would like to add that a prophecy is different from seeing the future."
A prophecy is an absolute thing that cannot be changed no matter what you do.
Looking at the future is a fluid thing that can be changed depending on how much effort you make.
"Prophecy is the future seen and uttered by those who can break the rules of the world. It's that absolute."
"That means that the shaman..."
"She's a person with enough skill to break the rules of the world if she wanted to. It's great for human subjects."
The topic of conversation continued with no meaning or intent. If it had been anyone else, he would have cut off the conversation right away, asked for the main point, or gotten annoyed, but the patient Demon King willingly rolled his eyes and accepted Deon's words.
Deon, whether aware of this or not, lowered his eyes as if thinking for a moment and then slowly asked a question.
"So does that mean you can make prophecies?"
The Demon King was the most representative person who could break the world's rules.
The Demon King raised an eyebrow at the mention of himself and laughed for a moment as if it was funny.
"Of course. Not only me, but all demons can basically make prophecies."
The race that was born from the errors of the world, ignoring the world's intentions, is the demon race.
The fact that they were born from the power of the Demon King was proof that they could break the rules of the world, but how can it be that the birth itself was like this?
Deon furrowed his eyebrows as if he didn't understand.
"But... I've never seen demons make prophecies..."
"They just don't. Looking at a future that can't be changed is meaningless and not fun, right?"
Prophecy became the basis for attempts to change it.
It would be better not to make the prophecy at all than to experience something so unpleasant.
The Demon King smiled happily while looking at Deon.
'We always exchanged only our goals and kept small talk to a minimum, so I wondered what kind of wind was blowing. This isn't as bad as it is, or rather, it's more fun, so I have no complaints.'
Deon, who had been silent for a moment as if he was finally getting to the point, slowly opened his mouth.
"Before... when we caught a hero candidate who had infiltrated the Demon King's Castle, do you remember delaying the reward because I didn't want anything right away?"
"Of course."
"I want to use it now."
"Whatever you want."
The Demon King nodded willingly.
His eyes showed interest that he could not hide, but since he meant no harm to him, Deon spoke without hesitation.
"Please completely destroy the Empire."
"... What?"
The Demon King's eyes opened wide.
Deon paid no heed and continued talking on with momentum like a runaway carriage.
"I've thought about it. Is there any way to get revenge on the Duke and the Emperor?"
What was the Duke's most precious thing?
What did the Emperor consider most important?
"The Empire. The Emperor always said that his burden is the Empire. Toppling the Empire would mean overthrowing the Emperor. I need to investigate the Duke's side more, but he probably also values the Empire."
Because the Duke seemed to be aiming for the Emperor's position.
So, if he completely destroyed the Empire, he would be taking revenge on both of them.
If he succeeded in his goal of destroying the Empire, their lives would easily fall into his hands. If he directly ended that life, revenge became closer to perfection.
"So, I dare ask. Please completely destroy and trample the Empire so that it can never rise again."
"... Haha!"
"..."
"Ahahahaha! Hahahahaha!! I never thought you would use it like this! Very good! I like it!"
In the end, the Demon King couldn't suppress his laughter and burst out loud.
It's truly the best! That's an awesome request! As expected, he chose the right toy!
"You said more investigation was needed on the Duke's side, right? For that purpose, feel free to do as much research as you want! I'll help you!"
"That purpose...?"
He was so excited that he made an uncharacteristic mistake. He smiled and hurriedly added, pretending like nothing had happened.
"You know that request is too big compared to the contribution you made, right?"
"... Yes."
This was not a request worth making just for one hero candidate.
"I will conquer the human world."
Deon Hardt's eyes darkened as he realized what his intention was.
He got down on one knee. He lowered his head and bowed his head.
"... I will follow you with all my heart."
"Good."
Foolish human.
If the Emperor was a hypocrite, then the Demon King would be a hypocrite, too.
The Emperor was the same on the outside and the inside, but the Demon King was different on the outside and the inside.
Compared to the Demon King's sins, the Emperor's sins were nothing more than fireflies in front of the full moon, deceived by the outer shell.
The Demon King smiled, closing his eyes as if to hide his true feelings.
At last. After a long time.
The toy fell into his hands.