'Keep a close eye on Daniel. The location doesn't matter, so if he goes in or comes out of somewhere, let me know immediately.'
That would be the moment he found out about her hemoptysis.
There's no way he's sane. Daniel, whom Cruel investigated, was usually rational, befitting his bravery, so it can be said that that was the only moment when his mind wavered.
Even a fool would know that this was an irreplaceable opportunity.
'The only problem is when he finds out.'
If he induced Daniel's actions, he could adjust the timing, but that's not as easy as it sounds, and it was impossible to move carelessly in a situation where the Duke's eyes are on him.
Rather than taking risks and reaching out to the Revolutionary Army, Cruel decided to respond flexibly to the given situation.
'Should I contact them when Deon is in the Empire or when he is away?'
It would be best if he contacted them when Deon was around, but it didn't matter if he didn't.
The main purpose is to engage the Revolutionary Army and the Duke, and the secondary purpose is to prevent the leader of the Revolutionary Army from killing Deon. Those two premises were among the conditions that influenced the latter.
Contrary to his detached attitude, as if heaven was helping him, the call arrived when Deon was at a banquet hall within arm's reach of the Empire.
Cruel looked at his younger brother, who had suffered an accident and his physical condition had deteriorated rapidly, even coughing blood, and then he sighed faintly.
'I'm sorry Deon, but I still have to take it while I have the chance.'
Because his body was a mess, he became more determined.
He would not allow the leader of the Revolutionary Army to directly touch his life.
He forced himself to open his mouth for words that wouldn't come out easily.
"Go tell Deon. Just for today, don't just wander around the streets and go home right away."
Since that child never listened to him after 'that day', he will end up on the street again.
He had to move one step faster than Deon. Cruel put on his robe and quickly moved away.
"That boy... just have a conversation about the festival near that guy and mention Day Street to the east."
"Are you really paying me to do just that...?"
"Yes."
As soon as the news came in, the movements of the leader of the Revolutionary Army were being reported in real time.
Currently, he was wandering Day Street in a dazed state.
He needed to have him and Deon run into each other. In that sense, it was not difficult to induce the child to move.
Cruel's plan was simple.
'The key is to show the hemoptysis of someone who 'looks like he's about to die' to the head of the distraught Revolutionary Army leader, making him look like his mother.'
So it makes him impatient.
'Did he say that the reason he created the Revolutionary Army was to show his weakened mother the ideals she dreamed of before she passed away?'
When he thought about this, it's strange that he didn't become impatient.
However, in order to start a rebellion, Daniel must meet the Duke, who was his biggest helper. The Duke would be against it. The reason the Duke joined hands with the Revolutionary Army was not to support them but to keep them in check.
Perhaps, seeing Daniel half out of his mind, he may let his guard down and try to suppress him by revealing his arrogant personality.
No, he definitely will.
'Because the Duke is arrogant.'
Cruel had been watching him closely for quite some time.
That's why he knew. The Duke's weakness was arrogance.
Arrogance caught one's guard down, so it was likely that the mask he's wearing will crack. There was no way the leader of the Revolutionary Army, who was quick to notice this, would not know this.
'He will definitely find a way to escape from the Duke.'
Since he was a smart person, he would quickly realize that he would not escape unscathed.
After this, it was the responsibility of the leader of the Revolutionary Army. However, after thoroughly researching him and understanding his tendencies, Cruel was able to roughly predict what choice he would make.
So, it was a bold move.
'... And determining 'who' in 'showing the hemoptysis of someone who is about to die' will determine the success of the secondary purpose.'
It would be best if that 'someone' is Deon, but if not, he could send a candidate he had looked at in advance.
As for why he chose Deon... Cruel knew that Daniel was a softer person than he thought.
'Especially if he meets him while he has not yet recovered from the shock of seeing his mother's blood. Even if the opponent is Deon Hardt, he will not be able to survive that day.'
Since he could not prevent the group called the Revolutionary Army from targeting Deon Hardt, he could target its individual leader.
Although he didn't seem like he would live that long, it would be better to keep him from targeting that child at least until then.
In the first place, small things like this can determine a person's life.
'It would be best if the image of the child bleeding would remain deep in his mind and Daniel would not be able to personally take Deon's life from then on. If he hesitates to kill Deon when he encounters him from that day forward, that is enough. The worst would be to let him go safely on the day the panic occurred and then he would try to kill him without any regrets when they encounter each other...'
In the last case, it would be a wasted effort, but when viewed as a whole, there was no harm in trying. None.
Above all, even in the final case where failure is assumed, Deon will eventually return safely.
So he tried it.
"Cough."
"...?!"
After giving money to passers-by several times to encourage the child to walk, the path finally overlapped with the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Cruel did not miss the opportunity he had managed to seize, and, aiming for the moment when the two passed by, gave Deon a moderate shock to his back and pushed him.
Blood came out of Deon's mouth and Daniel, flustered, started to panic and immediately picked up Deon and carried him.
Cruel watched from a distance and turned his back only after they disappeared from sight.
'With this, all the seeds have been sown.'
He was a little worried about his younger brother who vomited blood, but judging by the attitude of the leader of the Revolutionary Army, he'll probably go on a rampage to save his life, so it would be okay. The treatment will be done in secret, and even if he is found out and his colleagues demand that he be killed, the child will eventually come back alive.
As he said again, the leader whose reason had been clouded could not kill Deon today, and his colleagues who were guilty of hiding his mother's hemoptysis will have no choice but to lose to him in the end.
'Let's go back.'
The growth of the seed was not related to the life or death of the person who had sown it, so even if Cruel Hart was dead or absent, it will germinate on its own. So, let's go back now.
'I have to continue my daily life.'
The Duke was still trying to take the child's life.
Now was the time to look at reality again and live.
***
"The last breakwater has collapsed!"
The blinders of disaster have disappeared! The disaster will soon wake up!
An old shaman woman who was looking at the stars in the deep night sky of a small mountain village suddenly shouted. Ignoring her granddaughter's words to calm down a little, the loud shouting finally seemed to wake up the villagers, and lights began to come on in each house one by one.
People came out rubbing their eyes. A look of slight annoyance was directed at the granddaughter Ran, who was attending to her grandmother, as if requiring an explanation.
"We have to move!"
"... What is going on?"
"... Grandma is right this time. We need to move quickly."
It was a very sudden remark in the middle of the night.
However, since she had already saved their lives by moving villages based on the advice of the shaman grandmother once during the Eight Year War, the villagers looked at Ran's expression instead of saying what nonsense that was.
Her face was somewhat pale as she comforted her grandmother and examined the stars in the night sky.
"... Where do we have to go?"
"Esperanes!"
"When should we move?"
"Within a week!"
Should she say she's glad it's not tomorrow?
But still, there was not enough time.
"There is not enough time to move from village to village... Shouldn't we erase traces like we did during the Eight Year War? If you give us a little more time to prepare..."
"No! We must move first before the disaster becomes active!"
"But..."
"No! No!"
"Everyone calm down for a moment."
As expected, it was Ran who calmed down the somewhat overheated atmosphere.
She held her grandmother's hand tightly and looked back at the villagers who looked troubled and anxious."It's definitely sudden.
"Would you mind if it were 10 days plus 3 days?"
"Ran!"
"If it's 10 days..."
She checked them as they nodded and turned her attention to the grumpy-looking grandmother.
"Do not worry too much."
"Ran, but..."
"We still have time before the Disaster is active, so no one will die."
"... Okay, you must have something in mind too..."
As if she was convinced, the grandmother's momentum also decreased. Ran bowed her head to the villagers while supporting the old woman who seemed exhausted from shouting in the middle of the night.
"We were rude late at night. We're going in now, so you guys can go in and rest."
***
It was said that the king of the Shan Kingdom somehow persuaded the monarchs of other small kingdoms to make him their vassal state. Not to be outdone, the Rweche Kingdom also promised material support and protection and placed the Kingdom of Taehon under its command...
'With this, the number of kingdoms in the human world has been reduced to four.'
The Empire, Shan, Rweche, and Esperanes.
The demons, who welcomed fighting among humans, would not be very happy because their forces were united without bloodshed. Perhaps the monarchs of those kingdoms were aiming for that.
"Deacon, the cleaning of all floors has been completed."
"Good job. I'll take a look, so you can go in and rest."
Remember continued his thoughts as he walked down the hallway.
The current Empire was noisy in another sense.
Deon Hardt, an Honorary Marquis and the third hero of the Empire, has gone missing.
Opinions were divided even within the Empire, as it was not easy to be sure whether it was a betrayal or whether someone has put his life in danger.
Because of that, like now...
"Deacon."
"Ah, Sir Lien. What's going on?"
"Deacon... do you really not know our lord's whereabouts?"
"How can this old man know something that even Sir Lien doesn't know?"
There were many people who asked him about Deon Hardt's whereabouts. How could a mere butler managing a mansion know the whereabouts when even a knight who had a master-servant relationship with him didn't know?
Nevertheless, perhaps because of his unique, suspicious atmosphere, Remember remained silent in response to the people who kept asking him questions.
Dan, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke cautiously.
"Since he even disappeared leaving behind the knights... isn't it also intentional?"
"... It seems like he would have abandoned the country, so it's not credible."
Remember, who heard Lien's words, smiled kindly, as if looking at his cute grandchild.
"Do you really think so?"
"..."
As if caught off guard, Lien closed her mouth.
Even though Deon Hardt seemed to hate her and push her away on the outside, she knew that there was an underlying trust and affection that she could not understand.
'Of course, trust seems to be greater than affection.'
She turned her head and looked out the window. Perhaps due to the disappearance of their lord, the group of Murderous Knights, who had recently become depressed, came into sight... She usually didn't like the idea of having accidents, but seeing them drooping like dogs in the rain just now didn't bother her.
'It seems like I've become attached, too.'
... More than that, where was her lord, really?
When she looked at them, she felt like her mood was sinking, so Lien took her eyes off the knights and moved on to other thoughts.