There was no twist.
The moment the blades clashed, the demons knew.
'She's no match for Deon.'
The courage to stand alone and block the front door was commendable, but that's about it. Seeing the boring and obvious results, they lost interest in the human knight as if they had never been interested before.
'... The first battle must have been a light exploration battle.'
Lien looked in disbelief at her sword, which had bounced wide, and then her expression hardened.
In an instant, she readjusted her posture and the sword sharply pierced his heart. Even though the gap was exposed because she had not yet established her posture properly, Deon easily struck it away and swung his dagger, distorting his face.
Although Deon Hardt was clearly dominant, the expressions on their faces were so contrasting that anyone would think the situation was completely opposite.
'Shit.'
Was being a hero this unpleasant? Deon gritted his teeth.
It felt like trampling on all the hard work a person has put in over a long period of time. Especially for Lien Reiner, this sword would mean her whole life.
He realized it in just one sum. It's easy, but it's too easy.
'This isn't fair.'
They say life is inherently unfair, but this was too much.
How should he express this crappy situation and feeling? Even if he didn't do his best, he would feel like an incorrigible piece of trash that insulted her. Fate fucked him like this again.
"Now... what are you thinking?"
Lien, who noticed that the sword was mixed with distracting thoughts, asked fiercely. Deon stopped moving for a moment instead of answering.
There was a lull for a while.
"Nothing."
A more violent movement than before continued.
For her, not doing his best would be an even greater insult.
So there was no need to hesitate.
'In this situation, doing the right thing to be considerate is just self-satisfaction.'
Knowing that his clumsy consideration could bring shame to her, Deon rushed in with all his might...
The situation ended in an instant.
The upright knight suddenly broke.
"Lastly... Is there anything you want to say?"
"Please don't leave any more regrets here."
"..."
"You've already had enough."
Until the end, her words and eyes showed no regrets. With this memory still in his mind, Deon looked around at the demons without paying attention to the body.
"Wait here."
"Yes?"
"It's always been like this, so why are you surprised?"
"But this is the Capitol and the Imperial Palace. It's different from a mansion in a manor..."
"It's no different."
Deon shrugged.
"It seems like it's empty, and even if there's an ambush, it's unlikely they'll be able to kill me right now, so there's no need to worry."
"..."
"Wait here."
"... Yes."
***
What made an emperor?
Eduardo Desert thought about it when he had just won the title of 'Emperor' after the Eight Year War.
The virtues of a monarch were usually learned when one was a prince, and other people would not have even thought about them, but ironically, Eduardo, who was the Ninth Prince without a peerage, did not learn anything that he needed to learn as a prospective monarch, so he was able to think more seriously about this topic.
Was the Emperor simply a being who reigns? No.
The father of the people of the Empire? No. He didn't want to discuss such trivial things.
The Emperor...
Wearing a golden crown and sitting alone on a splendid throne in an empty throne room, Eduardo rested his chin and quietly lowered his eyes as if lost in thought.
Nemeseus, who was sitting quietly on one side, softly called out to him.
"His Majesty, Deon Hardt is said to be confronting Lien Reiner at the main gate."
"..."
"You really have to go now so that she doesn't waste the time she earned. The Royal Guard is waiting outside the door..."
"... Nemeseus."
Edoardo glanced at the Crown Prince and Princess who were looking at him restlessly nearby and handed Nemeseus a folded piece of paper.
"Your Majesty, is this...?"
"It's a map showing the secret passages of the Imperial Palace."
"Yes? Why is this...!"
"Take the Crown Prince and Princess and take refuge."
"Uncle!!"
Resistance came from the Crown Prince and Princess. But before they could say anything, Eduardo firmly silenced them.
"I think this is enough for your stubbornness to be accepted."
"It's not stubbornness!"
"Stubborn."
The most important successors were holding out here.
He lightly scolded them and looked back at Nemeseus.
Unlike the rushed situation, a languid and relaxed voice flowed out quietly, as if they were having a normal conversation.
"Ever since it was revealed that Deon Hardt was the Commander of the 0th Corps, there has been a question everyone has been asking a lot. I think you've always been curious, even though you didn't ask directly."
Even though he didn't mention it directly, everyone in the room noticed what he was saying. It was a question that not only the nobles of the Empire but also commoners and people from other countries expressed curiosity about.
'Did the Emperor know that Deon Hardt was the Commander of the 0th Corps?'
"You probably expected it, but yes. I knew it. I knew it almost from the beginning."
"...!"
Nemeseus' pupils widened. On one side, the Crown Prince hurriedly tried to call him, but Eduardo continued speaking as if he had cut him off.
"I feel like I am deprived of the title of Emperor. However, the Crown Prince and Princess do not know this fact."
"..."
No, they knew. How could they not have known when the handover was completed in a timely manner?
However, the Crown Prince quickly kept his mouth shut. The Emperor's stern voice continued.
"So it's an order."
Since he had not studied kingship, Eduardo learned about what it meant to be the 'Emperor' through first-hand experience. Therefore, there was no logical explanation for this topic.
But he knew this:
"The Empire of the past will remain here."
As for himself... Eduardo Desert had never been Emperor for a single moment.
What would happen if he were to fit into the universally known image of an Emperor? He always made important decisions as 'Eduardo', not as 'Emperor'.
But it might be different for his niece and nephew.
Eduardo Desert slowly spoke back, looking back at the children who were as bright as their older brother.
"You must protect the Present Empire and the Future Empire."
Now was the time to step down.
It was a natural process, nothing sad or strange. One must know when to back off, and for Eduardo, that was now.
The hallucinations had reached their limit, and the Demon King's Army had arrived and were just around the corner. Moreover, the culprit of this situation was Eduardo himself, so it would be right for him to disappear at this point instead of running away and trying to survive.
What would happen next if, after holding on and holding on for no reason, he went crazy and was dragged down by someone else's hands, or, as the Emperor, died at the hands of that Demon King's Army? It was right to do this even considering the psychological shock of the two heirs who were not mentally prepared.
The two royals stiffened at the clear statement about handing over the throne.
Nemeseus chewed his lips and slowly got down on one knee.
"... I'll be back as soon as possible."
"Well. I am confident that you will have enough time to evacuate, but I have no intention of waiting for you to return."
Don't come back.
The Prince and Princess trembled as if they had finally come to their senses at the soft voice. A strong backlash erupted.
"Wait a moment, general! Are you really planning to leave His Majesty behind?"
"... It's an order, so I must follow it."
"Uncle! Did you intend to do this from the beginning?"
"How could you do this!"
Their voices, which were constantly getting louder, were interrupted by a clear knocking sound.
"I am telling you this at the risk of being rude because one hour is not enough. I think you should leave right away."
"You've arrived at the right time, gentlemen! Let's try to convince His Majesty. Well, you said you would stay here!"
"Yes? What is that...?! Your Majesty!"
Even the gaze of the Royal Guard was focused on this side.
Even without much fuss, the goal remained the same. Eduardo frowned for a moment. He felt warm heat at his fingertips.
"I'm disappointed. I thought you would understand me."
"What do you mean! Originally, His Majesty should have taken refuge first..."
"Wrong."
He looked up. He made eye contact with Prime Minister Ardal, who was waiting outside the door to go with him, saying that he could not go first as all the royal family members remained here.
He must have heard their conversation, but Eduardo smiled softly, his eyes calm and without any surprise, as if he had accepted this.
Yes, he thought so.
"I am the one who must remain here until the end."
"...?"
"Did the officers forget the greeting they gave me?"
They give a common greeting, give their name, and say, 'greeting the Current Empire.'
But what did that have to do with anything? Eduardo, whose patience eventually wore out under the questioning eyes of those who raised his voice, raised his voice.
"You really don't know what that means! Or, in the eyes of the officers, I seemed like a simpleton who couldn't even take responsibility for his own words!"
Even in his customary greetings after becoming Emperor, Eduardo always said that the Emperor is the Empire.
Did they think it was just a thoughtless statement made out of power?
"That's funny! I clearly said that the Emperor was the Empire. Do you think it would be possible for the Empire to escape?"
"...!"
"Empires do not run away. I must not run away. Do you really think they will follow a country that abandoned its people?"
The Emperor must remain here for the sake of the Crown Prince who will succeed him.
The Imperial citizens of the Capitol were evacuated, but the surrounding residents could not be evacuated as they were not on the route of the Demon King's army. In such a situation, only the royal family ran away to the safest fortress? No one will believe in the royal bloodline.
Public sentiment was the foundation of Imperial authority, so even if the crown prince who properly took over the throne took over, he would most likely not be able to exercise Imperial authority as strong as before.
"I have no intention of becoming the master of a country without people. I have no intention of going down in history as an incompetent monarch who abandoned his people and ran away. It is terrible to even think about being remembered as the last Emperor of a ruined country or being completely forgotten and disappearing into the back of history without even leaving a trace of my name! That's why I say I will stay here!"
His golden eyes sparkled like those of a wild beast. Those who could not overcome the mischievous gaze quickly lowered their heads.
In the sudden silence, Edoardo leaned his forehead on his fist with a soft sigh.
... He got feverish and got overly excited.
"... If you understand, then go now."
There was no time, and everyone will understand by now, so it would be better to send them away quickly.
The Prime Minister, who was watching the situation, strode in and welcomed the two royal family members. Even so, the Prince and Princess, who had no ability to defeat the bold prime minister in a situation where their minds were shaken, went outside with their faces distorted, and the royal guards, including Nemeseus, followed as if they were guarding them.
At the end, the Prime Minister and the Emperor's eyes met as if passing by, but no one said a word and naturally looked away.
'...'
Eduardo, who was left alone, took off his crown, put it down, and stood up.
... He could have run away first. He would be able to escape by sacrificing the lives of others. There were countless ways to live even a second longer if he was just a little selfish.
'But that won't work.'
The fact that no one will trust the bloodline of the royal family was consistent with the fact that the foundation of the Empire was being shaken.
The life of Eduardo Desert and the well-being of the Empire. The scales were tipped in an obvious direction.
Therefore, it was not about making sacrifices. It was a decision made through cold calculation for a purpose. If he could protect the foundation of the Empire with this one life, which he would throw away anyway, then it was his business. This was his selfishness.
He remembered the words he had been repeating over and over again like a habit.
'The burden is the Empire.'
... No.
"I am the Empire."
What the Empire lives by is what he lives by.
As long as the Empire was safe, Emperor Eduardo Desert will be recorded at the top of the Imperial genealogy records and will live for a long time.