Although it was hard to see because it was dark, his eyes had grown more mature than before, indicating that his mood had subsided.
He hurriedly turned around.
"Where does this passage lead?"
"... There is a place inside the mansion and a place that leads to a dark place somewhere in this territory."
"It's diverse."
"Because it is to escape in preparation for an emergency. It would be difficult to follow a single path."
"Master, where do you plan to go?"
As the darkness became familiar to his eyes, little by little, a path began to appear. Dan looked up and followed the hand holding his sleeve. Deon stopped for a moment at a crossroads and was lost in thought, touching the corners of his mouth as if reminiscing. Eventually, he found the answer and began to lead him in one direction.
"The mansion. There's someone I want to see."
A scarecrow collateral family head established by greedy vassals.
He didn't understand how the person who he thought would have run away first ended up staying here. Didn't he already run away from the mansion once he saw him even if he was slightly scared? That's probably why he was staying at this villa.
He ran away once, so would it be difficult to run away twice?
Was he betrayed or did he remain voluntarily? Either way, he wanted to see his face and know the exact reason.
"He's someone I have to kill anyway."
"That's true, but... are you planning to go together like this? It must be dangerous."
"You will protect me."
"Yes?"
"Aren't you good at using a sword now?"
Dan looked down at him walking ahead of him with slightly surprised eyes. White hair, easily visible even in the dark, came into view.
'It is true that I have become skilled with a sword, but...'
What should he say to this confident statement to a subject who did not trust him?
It was somehow funny, but he didn't laugh. Instead, he spoke slowly after a short silence.
"I hate Master."
"I know."
"I feel quite resentful and a little bit hateful."
"I know that, too."
"Are you willing to entrust your life to me over such a topic? I know you don't trust me."
He was wondering what he was going to say.
Deon chuckled.
"I don't trust you? If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have been alone with you in the first place."
"..."
"I know you won't just watch me die."
Deon was confident that Dan would not kill him. He was confident that he would go beyond not killing, and would try to protect him.
"I will definitely be at the center of the future you think of, so how can you stand by my death?"
"..."
"I am the tool and 'goal' itself that will help you achieve your goal. yes?"
The prophecy of being a harbinger of disaster and the promise to follow the prophecy. And the 'disaster' Deon Hardt.
When Dan came this way, he was already on a path of no return. All that was left is to move forward, so how could he let Deon Hardt, his light and guidepost, die?
"..."
Dan tried to say something, but Deon was faster.
His fingertips touched a hard wall. At the dead end they arrived at, Deon placed his index finger on his lips and made a short sound.
"Shh, it's here."
"..."
Dan closed his mouth and Deon groped the ceiling. Finding the exit wasn't difficult.
If he remembered correctly, this place was connected to the secret space behind the bookshelf in the office. A place for busy householders who have to work even when they come to their villa.
Now all he had to do was push this up...
'... It's heavier than I thought.'
Who the hell designed it? If this continued, he wouldn't be able to go outside and they would be trapped and die.
Swallowing his frustration, Deon tapped the platform and pointed to the exit. Dan was quick to notice and immediately came forward and pushed it up.He was even more annoyed at the fact that it was lifted so easily, but it was just a fluke.
"Fuck."
... Damn it.
He raised his eyes fiercely and looked back at Dan. He shrugged, grabs the air with both hands and pretended to lift it.
"Shall I lift it for you?"
They really need to catch the person who designed this. Oh, is he already deceased?
He clung to the exit with great force to go up, but only his arms were shaking and his body could not go up at all. In the end, Deon, who had been groaning for a while, hung on and jabbed fiercely at Dan.
"Push it up."
"Yes, yes."
As they talked about trust, the awkward atmosphere eased long ago. Dan smiled and approached him.
Deon's eyes narrowed at that unfortunate sight.
"No, lie down."
"Yes?"
"Be my stepping stone."
"..."
A moment later, Deon, who looked strangely happy, and Dan, who had a shoe print in the middle of his back, stood side by side. Deon, who had carefully re-covered the exit they had left, checked the bookshelf that was blocking his view and smiled slightly.
"We've come to the right place."
Where was the patriarch? He thought he was in either the office or the bedroom, so he went to the office first.
If you click here and push this bookshelf that is blocking your view, it will spin open. Just as he was about to go outside without thinking, he heard a voice from beyond the bookshelf.
"We can't waste our troops here. You, go out and protect this mansion!"
"But basic escort..."
"Where I am now is the safest place in this territory, right? Get out, get out!"
As expected, the strategy was changed to protecting the mansion instead of protecting the castle walls. The residents of the territory must have been evacuated according to the Emperor's orders.
Of course, if it were the Demon King's Army, they would not have blocked the castle wall and would not need to fight a battle to drag out the worthless humans trapped in their mansion, so there was a high probability that they would just pass by...
'Still, it would be safer to run away, so why are you being stupid by staying behind?'
It would have been better to have at least one guard by his side, but he chose to ignore everything and remain alone.
... Anyway, there's probably no better opportunity than now.
Deon gave Dan a signal with his eyes and pressed down on one part of the bookshelf and pushed it. As soon as the bookshelf started spinning open, Dan ran out without a sound and pointed the sword he had pulled out at the guy's neck.
"...!"
"If you scream, I will kill you. Even if someone comes in here, I will kill them. If you want to live, you'd better behave wisely."
Even the threat was neat.
The guy's mouth opened as if he was about to scream, but then quickly closed. Deon turned the bookshelf back to its original state and leisurely went around the desk from behind the guy's back and stood facing him.
The guy's eyes widened when he recognized Deon.
"You...!"
"Shhh, can't you listen? Lower your voice."
"How did you get here...! No, just my life... please just my life..."
"Well."
He dragged over a nearby chair and sat down in front of his desk. Deon, who had put aside his usual tense attitude in the demon realm, sat with his arms crossed in a much more relaxed and crooked manner, tilted his head to one side and said.
"It's just my personal curiosity."
"..."
"Why didn't you run away? If you look at the fact that you are only focusing on guarding the mansion, it looks like you don't have enough troops and the territory seems to be empty."
"..."
"Answer."
As if urging him on, Dan thrusted his sword further. When the blade slightly dug into his neck and blood began to slowly seep out, an urgent response came back as if he felt threatened.
"I lost the family's seal."
"..."
"... I lost it."
It was not specifically because of that that Deon stayed silent. Well, it's good for him if he stayed calm.
It was fortunate that he didn't have any other ulterior motives... but he's just really stupid.
"Just because of that one thing? You could just hide away for now and come back later."
"It may be nothing to you, but to me it's everything...!"
"Your voice."
"... This is the only place I have left. If I don't have that, I won't even be treated as the head of the family in name."
That seal was more important than life, so he stayed here.
Deon touched the corner of his mouth for a moment.
"... Then the vassals don't know about this situation."
"I sent them first, saying I would follow them later so I wouldn't be caught. It was an urgent situation, so they didn't ask why and ran away as if they had been waiting."
"Hmm... okay."
There were troops left here, but far from being threatening, they were at a cute level that could barely protect a mansion.
A military unit so insignificant that it wouldn't make you feel itchy even if you just ignore it and pass by.
And the patriarch in front of him was a worthless bastard who was not worth killing. Deon stood up and grinned.
"I'll spare you."
"!"
He didn't feel the need to touch it.
If the Empire fell anyway, the family seal he desperately sought would be useless, and above all, it was commendable that he did not run away even though there was a reason. Deon spoke, rolling his eyes at the guy who was looking up at him blankly.
"Anyway, we're not going to stay here, we're just going to pass by. So don't use unnecessary measures, just shut up and be quiet."
He would have to deal with the stigma of being highly suspected of being the head of a family who was alive and well in a territory where demons passed by.
He turned around coldly.
"Now close your eyes for one minute."
"...?"
"If you open your eyes before then, I will kill you."
"!"
He checked the guy who was so shocked that he closed his eyes and looked at Dan.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
There is no way that the head of the household, a scarecrow who had not learned anything properly, would know the movements of the two who intentionally killed their presence. Therefore, the patriarch, who had been steadily counting and closing his eyes, suddenly stopped as a question crossed his mind.
'Did Deon Hardt... look like that originally?'
***
"As expected of you, Deon...! You opened the gate yourself!"
"He went out as if for a walk, opened the gate, and came back!"
"That's amazing!"
"But, Dan? Human, why do you have footprints on your back?"
"..."
"Everyone, let's leave. We're not going to stay here, so don't wander around and follow me closely. Those who leave will be considered deserters."
***
The King of the Shanguk sent a message. This was nothing surprising.
"What on earth are you thinking!"
It was about time he found out. No, it was impossible not to know.
Even though the high-pitched voice echoed throughout the room, the Emperor lazily lowered his golden eyes without any sign of agitation.
"I have something to tell you, so I'm glad you contacted me first."
An overly calm attitude. The person on the other end of the communication stone became silent, as if he sensed that something was unusual. The Emperor spoke, gently rubbing the back of his left hand, which had been healing for some time, with his fingertips.
A peaceful voice came out as if the spring sunlight had melted and seeped in.
"Eduardo Desert notifies the termination of the alliance with Shanguk."
"...!"
"From this moment on, as long as I live."
"..."
"Don't worry about the Empire's actions."
Don't snoop around for nothing and don't help the empire.
This was the end of the connection between the Empire where Eduardo Desert was Emperor and the country of Shanguk.
"What does that mean... No, just a moment..."
He's smart, so he probably figured out what it meant.
Even if he wasn't sure, he probably knew it instinctively.
But he had no intention of listening to whatever it is. To what extent he noticed and felt it was beyond his interest. The Emperor slowly raised his hand and placed it on the communication stone.
"Then I'm busy with work, so I'll just stop contacting you for now."
"Wait...!"
Pop. The communication was cut off mercilessly. The Emperor, who had been leaning loosely on the backrest for a moment, slowly stood up.
Being busy was not a lie. A meeting wasn't even called, but nobles were flocking in and shouting that they wanted to see the Emperor.
'I told them to wait at the conference hall, so I'll be there.'
What else should he say to push them and persuade them?
Just thinking about it made him feel tired, wrapping around his ankles and pressing down on his head.
Although it would be natural for him to bow his head due to the vivid feeling of weight, the Emperor raised his head proudly without hesitation and walked towards the conference hall where the nobles were waiting.