'They are an abandoned group. It is a force that you cannot take responsibility for, and a force that cannot be saved. Since the person who made such decisions and gave orders is none other than myself, responsibility for everything that happens thereafter also falls on me.'
Everything from the deaths of soldiers to the psychological stress that the general experiences as a result.
'This means that it is not an area where a mere general can get in the middle.'
It was enough to collapse under responsibility.
Lien, who had no way of knowing that the Emperor was thinking of someone who was no longer here, silently lowered her gaze. The words she couldn't get out because she didn't dare to talk back to the Emperor lingered in her mouth.
'Yes, Your Majesty.'
Blaming someone for resentment and hatred was quite far from what she thought of as a knight.
Avoiding responsibility was unbecoming of a knight. Could she confidently say that they were people who deserved to die, even though they were abandoned?
The king, blinded by anger, would kill the abandoned troops.
Lien Reiner would be the only one to return. The Empire would try to use this as an excuse to offset its sins. As a result, the alliance was maintained through their deaths.
Lien closed her eyes tightly.
'It would be better if I didn't know.'
The Emperor said nothing. He just told her to go.
It was her brain, which had been exposed to and educated a lot as a noble, that grasped the situation.
'Because they were discarded because they didn't cause any harm, but because the political situation is turning so that they benefit only if they die.'
Was it truly appropriate for a knight to turn a blind eye to those who are sure to die?
The answer came quickly.
Lien said, still holding out her wrist.
"If you will allow me the sword, I will offer up my wrist right before your eyes."
She had to live. She would save them, take responsibility, and return them to the Empire.
"... That's it. To give the Empire some excuse."
The King of Rweche, who looked a little surprised, soon wiped his face.
Thanks to her, his head cooled down. No matter how angry he was and how little the troops came to support, it was absolutely unacceptable to touch those who came in the name of 'support'.
He waved his hand looking extremely tired.
"Go back and tell them. The alliance is broken. If you have a conscience, there is nothing else to say about this choice."
"..."
"... I apologize for taking out my anger on you in an awkward way. In return, I will assure you that Rweche will never side with the demon world, so please do your best. I will watch over you."
***
What he thought would take several months was resolved faster than expected.
It was difficult to meet the shaman in the first place, but Dan generously used unexpected connections and funds from the guild to find them and lured them away with a clever use of his tongue.
Dan, who had just met the last shaman and signed a contract for the distribution of amulet paper, quietly prayed as he cleaned up the place.
"Is there a talisman that suppresses the abilities of demons?"
After all the conversation, Deon Hardt gave him a mission as if. Who knew that would be the trickiest part?
He asked the same question to all the shamans he had met so far, but they only shook their heads and could not come up with a clear enough answer. So Dan asked the question this time again without any expectations.
"By ability... do you mean magic?"
The same question as the previous shamans came back.
Accordingly, Dan also shrugged his shoulders and gave an answer.
"Well. If it had been magic, I think the client would have clearly said 'magic.'"
"Then I guess you're talking about an amulet that limits all of the demons' abilities, including their physical abilities."
He slowly nodded his head in approval.
As usual, he waited for the next words, 'I don't know', but the old man in front of him, who was said to be a former imperial shaman, again exclaimed as if he was surprised.
"If it is the amulet I think of... I don't know who your client is, but I would like to ask how you know about the amulet."
"... Do you know anything?"
"There was an amulet given to the warrior and his companions who go on a long journey to slay the Demon King."
"..."
As expected, his career as an imperial shaman did not seem to be going anywhere. Dan quietly adjusted his posture and sat down.
"There are many warrior companions who are not 'heroes' with fragments, so we needed an alternative for them."
"... Are you saying the alternative was an amulet?
Suppressing the abilities of demons?"
"That's right. In fact, it is useless in the human world, so it is only used by heroes and companions, and is almost obsolete. How does the client know about it?"
That was because his master has a history of being a companion of a hero.
That's why he told him to get an amulet that suppresses 'abilities' rather than 'magic'. He swallowed his inner admiration and opened his mouth.
"It may be that the hero or his comrades were alive and that the rumor had spread."
"That can't be possible... That amulet was given to them without their knowledge. It's hidden in the shoulder strap."
"...?"
Then how did his master know about the talisman?
Doubts were rising, but now there was a person in front of him.
Dan skillfully controlled his expression and spoke.
"You said it is useless in the human world... may I ask why?"
"That's because the amulet imposes 'restrictions upon entering the human world through the border' to demons within a 3 meter radius. In the human world, the restrictions have already been imposed, so it is useless."
"... It's definitely only useful for heroes and companions."
If it weren't for them, no one would be crazy and go to the demon world to deal with demons.
But the shaman slowly shook his head.
"In fact, it is useless for heroes and heroes with fragments. Especially for a hero, it's just a piece of paper."
"... It's different from before, why..."
"All the restrictions of the demons are lifted when dealing with the power of the hero. In other words, it is only useful to those among your colleagues who are not 'heroes'. However, because the person may feel left out or discriminated against, we hide it and have them wear it on the shoulder strap."
It was quite an interesting story.
After enjoying the feeling of a grandson listening to old stories from his grandfather, Dan went back to organizing information as a subordinate carrying out the duties of the owner of the merchant and the person he served.
'There would be no demand for this amulet even if it were distributed. The current war was too difficult just to stop the Demon King's Army from advancing toward the capital of the Empire, let alone advancing to the Demon World.'
If the situation changes, it may be worth thinking about again. Let's just take the bundle of amulets master ordered us to get.
"Can I have a bunch of those amulets? Of course, I will give you a reasonable price."
"... That amulet is so difficult that it takes several shamans to make just one piece. A bundle is impossible."
"Hm."
Was it that much? A bunch of them... Did Master know this and still ordered it?
But the mission could not be failed just for that reason. Dan lowered his eyebrows slightly.
"How could it not be possible? I can connect you with other shamans if you wish."
"If I'm not doing it alone... how long can I make it for you?"
"One week?"
"...."
"... Ten days?"
"... Luckily, I have some that I made a while ago... I will try to fill it up somehow within two weeks, so please give me that much time."
Dan cleared his throat and awkwardly averted his gaze, feeling as if the voice muttering with liberation was prickling his conscience for no reason.
"Then please take care of me."
Two weeks was an awkward period to travel to and from the demon world. Let's just stay here and explore the human world to our heart's content.
Although he often visited the human world for various reasons, there was no way that a person who had lived in the human world all this time would be satisfied with that much.
'There was also a village that I wanted to set fire to.'
Dan, who seemed to have an excuse, came out and walked leisurely. Despite the cold weather, warm sunlight welcomed him.
***
"Thank you."
["I was paid to do this, so I am grateful. Still, I hope there will never be a request like this again. I couldn't do it twice."
"Haha."
"... I guess it's useless to say more. Please take this."
"Isn't this... candy? Why..."
Dan, who returned to the Demon King's Castle with a bundle of amulets and candy in his clothes' pocket, knocked on the door of the room where Deon was staying several times and then tilted his head.
'There's no answer. Is he sleeping?'
With his tacit permission, I opened the door without hesitation, as he had many records of entering without asking for permission. An empty room welcomed him.
'.... Where has he gone?'
Deon wasn't in the room.
Dan, who was looking around the room and thinking about places he could go, inadvertently looked outside the window and flinched. A dumbfounded voice suddenly came out.
"... What is that?"
In the public training hall, the Murderous Knights looked distressed. The person standing in front of them was none other than Deon Hardt.
Ed was out of sight, fidgeting and snooping near him. Dan leaned his elbows on the window frame and looked down in a more comfortable position.
"What if an accident happens no matter how long it has been since you've been accepted? If you wanted to die that much, you should have told me sooner. I would have let you go without suffering."
"Great... Captain, let's talk first...!"
"The name of this dagger is Talk."
"No, calm down first..."
"The name of this dagger is Calm."
"Do you have so little faith in us? Please listen to us..."
"Faith? That is the name of this dagger. How did you know?"
"Why so many daggers! What on earth are the rest of your names?"
"It's a secret until you mention it."
"That means you're going to bring it up every time we talk!"
"You're so cocky."
Seeing that they were here, it seems that the Demon King had accepted them. It was understandable that the Demon King accepted them, seeing as it had always been a gloomy atmosphere, but seeing liveliness even here a long way away, it was roughly equivalent to a psychological therapy animal.
However.
"More than that, boss! What's wrong with that way of speaking? I can't get used to it!"
"You're right. It's really like Stigma... no, it's like Marquis Primero! Scary!"
"If you were really scared, you wouldn't have been flapping your lips so freely in front of me."
"Hey, look at this! He's scary!"
What was this dirty feeling?
'He's never looked like that in front of me.'
Still, he played the role of the closest person in the demon world.
Feeling a bit groggy, he wondered how long it had been since he had been distracted by the vitality he felt from Deon, and by chance he raised his head and made eye contact with him.
And at the same time, Dan, who saw the life draining from his face, suppressed the corner of his mouth that was about to rise and slightly lowered his head.
'Since our eyes met, I guess I should go down and report the mission.'
He turned around and opened the door.