"You can just sit here in front of this desk and talk."
As soon as he saw it, he realized why the Demon King had gone to such lengths to prepare the place.
This may be to show that the demon realm is kind to humans who have betrayed and turned away from the human world. That's why they placed the three moons outside the window in the background as evidence of him being in the demon realm and indirectly showed their treatment of humans by giving him a luxurious room.
The weapon he will wield in his upcoming speech was also related to this, so it was clear that there was a significant benefit... Why was he so bitter?
Deon slowly touched the corner of his mouth.
"It begins..."
"If you place your hand on this magic stone, three seconds later, a white light as big as your fist will appear in front of your eyes. Just look at it and speak. If you want to end it, just raise your hand. Simple, right? For reference, this magic stone was made together by Lirinel and I. I haven't actually used it, but it will work well."
"You said, you've've never actually used it. Didn't you try it once last time?"
"Back then, I just used my magic right away. It takes a lot of magical power."
"... I understand for now. Let's get started right away."
I sat in front of the desk.
Deon, who was left alone after the Demon King quietly left the place as if telling him to speak in peace, slowly closed and opened his eyes with the magic stone in front of him.
'....'
His eyes were lowered, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking in the quiet silence. However, even for a moment, Deon raised his gaze as if he had nothing to worry about and reached out for the magic stone.
A white light appeared a little away from his face.
'Okay... Let's leave our name in history.'
It's time to become the worst human being ever.
***
A huge screen appeared across the human world, which was tense due to war.
There was little confusion, as they already experienced it once and had become accustomed to it. People quietly focused on the screen as they saw a familiar face that was briefly visible.
As if to prove that it was the demon world, a man in black clothes with white hair and red eyes was staring straight ahead with three moons outside the window in the background.
"... Deon Hardt."
Even if one hadn't seen him in person, his external features were widely known. Someone muttered his name.
This was the first time he showed his face since he turned to the Demon Kig's side, so it naturally attracted attention.
The man on the screen calmly opened his mouth, perhaps knowing that the entire human race was looking at him with hostile eyes.
"The Empire is selfish."
It was a sudden and blatant remark that made even those who were not interested raise their heads and doubt their ears.
"The current Emperor of the Empire must be viewed as selfish. When I heard about the human world's alliance, I did not understand why humanity had united around the Empire. No, actually, I still don't understand."
The man on the screen tilted his head innocently, as if he truly couldn't understand.
"Are you guys incapable of learning?"
It was truly an action and statement that made people upset. The gazes that were just filled with curiosity turned into anger and stuck to the screen. Even those who were working and listening stopped what they were doing and raised their heads.
As a result, their attention would be fixed on the screen until the speech ends.
'What are you trying to say that you'll attract so much attention?'
The Emperor sat in front of the desk in his office, leaning back in his chair and quietly staring at the screen. The screen was kindly displayed in this room as if it wanted everyone to see it.
"The Emperor of the Empire started the Eight Year War as soon as he ascended the throne. Countless countries were cruelly trampled under his feet without even knowing why. And it seemed like it was finally over, but only two years later, war broke out again."
... Ah.
He reached out his hand and pulled the string.
"... Call the shaman. Tell them to prepare for intervention."
It's a projection again. The Demon King already tried it.
Of course, he understood that there was nothing more effective than infighting.
Deon Hardt on the screen continued speaking without any sign of hesitation.
"The end of the Eight Year War was not a truce, but an end to the war. It's only been two years since they declared the end of the war, but they've changed their word and started another war! Thanks to this, the Emperor's intentions were clearly revealed at this time."
To conquer the continent.
"It's so blatant that no one wouldn't know. But it was so funny to me to see them rally around him. Isn't this like a fish asking a cat to protect it or a sheep forming an alliance with a wolf?"
Deon Hardt thought.
He was not that smart. When he was young, Cruel... his older brother praised him for being smart, but that only goes to show affection and consideration for family. He knew that his smarts were just above average and that he had no talent for speaking.
H had been confined to the house for most of his life and had been on the battlefield all his life, so where would he have had time to have a coherent and in-depth conversation with someone?
'It would have been better if only my voice had been transmitted rather than the screen... or if someone else had stood here.'
A weak thought reared its head.
However, this position would not have much effect if it were not him, and the screen was also inevitable to attract attention. It was difficult to be sure who the other person was based on the voice alone, and it also reduced attention, and it will be more difficult to find loopholes in the speech if you focus on both the screen and the content than if you focus on just the voice.'
Let's be confident.'
In any case, this was not a discussion but a one-sided incitement.
Rather than using logic as a weapon to persuade the other side, he used emotions as a weapon to sway the other side.
There was no need to say anything long. He jumped in suddenly, shook the mind, and then he pulled back just as quickly. As for the attitude, raise your head confidently and manage your facial expression as if there is nothing wrong with what you say.
"... Is the shaman still not here?"
"I am sorry, but the shaman says it is difficult to interfere with his own capabilities. The barrier is higher than last time..."
"..."
The Emperor quietly frowned.
"My goal is the Empire. If you stick to the Empire, there are two results. Either you are trampled by the Demon King's army advancing to attack the Empire, or you are eaten by the Empire that safely blocked the demon realm and pretended to be friendly."
A single voice rang out in a world immersed in silence.
"Ultimately, it means that there is nothing good about being attached to the Empire."
That mouth needed to be shut.
But how?
'... There's no way.'
The Emperor lowered his eyes in resignation. He was just thinking about how to respond to a situation that would make him a bit tired in the future, when the screen floating in the air shook and turned black.
Was it over? At a moment that seemed a bit sudden, the screen brightened and a man appeared.
Not Deon Hardt. A man with an ordinary appearance, either a boy or a young man, was standing in the background of an unknown back alley.
"In the end, it's just a statement from a traitor who sided with the Demon King."
The world was shaken by the appearance of a completely new impression, as if deducing the man's identity.
Deon Hardt, who had lost control of the screen, raised an eyebrow and focused on the man in the scree. He was sure he'd seen this face somewhere before.
'... Oh, yeah. On the day of the war of words between the Demon King and the Emperor, he was being educated using that as a textbook.'
Ed hurriedly brought a new magic stone. Deon stared at it on the desk, but instead of reaching for it, he turned his gaze to the screen.
Even though he was young, he had a sturdy expression on his face, as if he had quite strong beliefs.
Paul, the new leader of the Revolutionary Army, who had to move behind the scenes until the coup, stood in front of everyone for the first time to protect the human world.
"You are also speaking for the purpose of internal strife in the human world. What makes you different from the Demon King?"
As soon as Deon Hardt appeared on the screen, Paul quickly gave an order.
It would be good if the Emperor came forward and refuted it, but in case he couldn't, he had called in a competent shaman belonging to the Revolutionary Army in advance.
The fact that the shaman was a shaman with a history of curses and evil spirits for the purpose of killing the Emperor was an obstacle to persuasion.
"... Why do I have to use magic for the Emperor or something like that?"
"Because the human world has to be alive to have a revolution. Thank you for your cooperation."
It's a good thing that he succeeded in persuading him in the end.
Iram quietly comforted the shaman and watched Paul standing on one side. He was using his mouth to change the minds of those who were swayed by the propaganda.
And as if he wasn't going to sit still and watch, Deon Hardt's screen appeared next to Paul's screen.
"How am I different from the Demon King? I am a 'human'. Aren't you curious as to why I, a human, decided to turn my back on the human world and stand in the demon world?"
He paused for a moment and grinned.
The smile disappeared from his face in an instant. What took the empty space was none other than extreme hatred.
A voice filled with as much murderousness as the expression burst out like a growl.
"Because there was no better place to kill the Emperor!"
The Emperor was, by nature, a man with many enemies.
So it was nothing new, but this time it was different. The Emperor was strongly engraved in everyone's minds. And there was a thought that occurred to him subconsciously.
He said that his purpose was to kill the Emperor. So, will this problem be solved if only the Emperor is killed?
"Why did I mention the Emperor until now? My grudge is limited to the Emperor. If it's difficult, you can just give up the Emperor's head."
Deon raised the corners of his mouth again with an effort.
The Duke, who was the bigger culprit, was intentionally not mentioned. In order to induce not only a division in the alliance but also a division within the Empire, the aristocratic faction must become stronger. That's why he aimed everything at the Emperor and shouted, even to the point of killing the Duke.
Since he said the Emperor was the cause, they, as seasoned politicians, would excitedly push the Emperor with the weapons they had acquired for so long. However, Paul would not simply let the atmosphere be taken over. He made a big decision today and interfered with the screen. Since he couldn't lose without even getting his due, he opened his mouth again.
"That's funny. I know that even if we do that, the advance of the Demon King's army will not stop."
"Why do you think that? Didn't you hear what I said earlier?"
"That's 'your' story and purpose, not the story of 'the Demon King's army'."
"..."
"Your intentions are obvious. After destroying the Empire according to your purpose, you would have retreated and tried to make a joke like, 'I said my goal was the Emperor, but I never said the Demon World's goal was the Emperor.' The Demon King's army the could swallow up the human world, which would become easy prey. Isn't that right?"
The Empire was the strongest barrier between the human world and the demon realm.
If the barrier collapsed, would the demon world just ignore it?
No. They'd swallow it up as if they'd been waiting for it.
"Having already watched the war of words between the Demon King and the Emperor, we learned of the demons' desire for the sun and realized their purpose. Did you think that we would fall for such a clever play of the tongue? There are degrees of looking at people foolishly. How ridiculous are you looking at us?"
"..."
"And if you wanted to kill the Emperor in the first place, wouldn't you have joined the Revolutionary Army? Isn't it still the same human camp there? From the moment you went to the demon world, you were already wrong."
Deon silently suppressed the laughter that was about to escape.
His goal was the Emperor. It seems like he was unconsciously trying to save his last conscience.
'It's funny. Since when did I have a conscience?'
He gave up being human during the Eight Year War, and now he was trying to take care of his conscience?
The red eyes darkened. Deon Hardt grinned at the other person on the other side of the screen. Instead of responding to the criticism pouring in about the Revolutionary Army, he gave an answer to his previous remarks.
"What if the demon world promises not to touch anything outside of the Empire?"