The Demon Sovereign (12)

Originally, the Demons were undoubtedly the pioneers of causing turmoil.

A house that has passed down knowledge for three generations is bound to have know-how.

While the Demons, armed with all sorts of living points, had been dumping spies in Londinium and Antrim until now, the humans had been utterly helpless, merely sucking their thumbs.

Previously, Edan had thought that maybe he didn’t know about this because it wasn’t something to be talked about publicly, but now that he had acquired a fair amount of information, he knew for sure.

There were almost no humans operating in Demon lands before the war. Apart from a few lingering near the borders, there were none.

It was not due to any budgetary or moral issues.

It was simply because nine out of ten spies planted among the Demons would be exposed on the same day, and the rest within a week.

“That guy! His blood is red!”

“A human spy has appeared! Kill him!!”

“Operation failed. Operation failed! Our cover has been blown. I seem to have lost my way, so I wish everyone luck……”

The life of a two-eyed outsider in a one-eyed world was miserable.

With lower physical endurance, they were easily injured and exposed, and even if it didn’t go that far, their frail appearance while carrying loads was bound to arouse suspicion.

The Demons could roam the labor sites and survive by doing chores, but humans could not. It was only natural that hiding their horns and wings was more difficult than insisting they didn’t have them.

Moreover, even if a Demon appeared in Londinium, it was mostly a case of citizens reporting to the police and causing a ruckus while they fled.

Unlike the Demons, who would first resort to private sanctions regardless of the police or anything else due to their distinct social characteristics.

This unreasonable hierarchy had persisted for hundreds of years. There was no need to vent frustration over it now.

However, in this very special situation, there was a chance to wriggle in somehow.

“The Demon Sovereign’s defeat is imminent.”

“Even if we cannot win the battle, how long can he last? If he had the capacity, he would have used it before this state.”

“The first three to come are guaranteed a ceasefire! Just pay a small sum, and we won’t touch you any further. This isn’t an opportunity that comes often, so seize it well!”

Edan either sent organization members to negotiate or occasionally went himself to persuade them.

And as they had these candid conversations over tea time, among them were a few promising individuals who not only disliked the Demon Sovereign but were filled with thoughts of stabbing him in the back from the moment they woke up until they fell asleep.

The Demons with inflated egos quickly rationalized it.

‘Lost the war? Me?’

‘No, I never liked the Demon Sovereign from the start. To be honest, isn’t the leader to blame for losing the war?’

‘That’s right, I joined the ranks of the victors from the beginning. This was my plan all along!’

If they just changed their thinking a little, they could join the ranks of the victors – a complete win-win, at least for the Demons who had reached the stage of reality denial.

“Isn’t that just becoming a slave to the humans?”

“A slave? We’re just cooperating for a temporary alignment of interests. Since the Demon Sovereign is our common enemy, isn’t the enemy of my enemy my friend?”

“But somehow, I’m still not keen on it……”

“If you don’t like it, then don’t join. I’ll drive out the Demon Sovereign myself. Just don’t whine later about where your position will be after the war ends.”

“…Hey, I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. It’s a bit disappointing when you distort things like that.”

“Then the negotiations are settled! Right, let’s discuss the specific matters now.”

And those who had come as spies until now had all been subordinates of the Demon Sovereign, so inexperienced amateurs would awkwardly mimic them, making idle remarks like, “Shall we hold a demonstration on the streets?”

To represent the perspective of humanity, which had been the target of countless sabotage attempts, Edan decided to kindly consult them on where the vital points were and which areas should not be targeted.

Like the saying “even a falcon knows where it’s been hit,” the humans who had constantly suffered from spies kept a list of annoying Demon types.

“Ah, that’s not how you do sabotage.”

“Well, from the perspective of being on the receiving end, it sounds a bit off.”

“Shh, do you have any weapon production factories? Blow those up first. They’ll be using machines similar to ours, so if you break this part, the entire factory will shut down. It’ll take them ages to repair too.”

“You know how to spread anti-war posters, right? You don’t? Then what about the ones that have been spread in Londinium until now?”

“Here, I’ll give you a taser that can incapacitate Demons for two hours. Try using it once.”

“There must be an institution like a parliament. Let me introduce you to some time-wasting remarks to make there. While we’re at it, I’ll teach you how to naturally shift the blame as well.”

“I’ll even come up with slogans to overthrow the Demon Sovereign. If you want to sting the most grating truths, this is how you do it……”

There was almost a hitch in the plan when a few diplomatic envoys inexplicably (or not) took their own lives in the middle.

Nevertheless, as soon as the battle began, they could persuade at least the remaining few to proceed as planned.

The Demon Sovereign had recently directly kicked the beehive, and this opportunity could not be wasted.

“But, I’m not sure if it’s really okay to do this. You must have heard about what happened to the others who came here recently.”

“That’s true.”

“I only survived because the Demon Sovereign’s magic didn’t directly affect me, but I don’t know when he might harm me……”

“Isn’t the fact that you’ve come here already a matter of risking your life?”

“Well, that is true.”

“Then the answer is clear. Since you’ve already resigned yourself to death, take our hand. At least we won’t curse you to die like the Demon Sovereign did.”

“Hmm……”

“The very fact that he used such extreme measures is proof that he is in a dire situation. Please make a wise judgment.”

They had no choice left.

Whether they desired power for themselves or found themselves in a situation where they had to trust the human who spoke sweet words with a bright smile rather than the cruel Demon Sovereign.

“Well, you only live once anyway. When else would I get a chance like this?”

“We can’t stay on a sinking ship forever. Let’s make one last defiant struggle!”

“If this goes well, I’ll give each of you a good position. Have you ever seen me lying before, huh?”

As the battle began, disrespectful rumors started spreading in the capital.

Posters of unknown origin began appearing, and factories that had been running smoothly until yesterday began closing down one by one.

There were eyewitness accounts of police officers abandoning their duties and sleeping in the streets. And above all, the command struggled in vain as they quarreled over who was responsible for the war.

While the Demons were falling one by one before the city, a dreadful cloud of chaos was approaching the capital.

---

As a Demon waved his hand in the air, a small light flickered at the end.

Immediately after, a soldier who had been advancing with his lower lip tightly clenched fell face-first onto the damp ground, clutching his head.

“Ugh, uurgh.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Aaaarrgghh!”

“Aaack! Bill has gone mad!”

The soldier who had been crouching suddenly sprang up as if nothing had happened and began firing indiscriminately around him.

While they had initially described it as madness, it was more accurate to say he had been affected by the Demons’ magic.

Mental manipulation was the Demons’ specialty.

Of course, not all of them were mages capable of easily controlling a person with a mere gesture from a distance, and it was even rarer for them to be skilled enough to penetrate the protective headgear and take control.

However, from the moment even one such case was discovered, all surrounding allies effectively became potential enemies.

“W-What should we do?”

“What else? Restrain him, of course!”

-Bang!

“Bill is still holding his gun from before he was brainwashed, so it’s not easy to approach him!”

“Hah……”

Here, a difficult choice was forced upon them.

If restraint was impossible, would they allow him to massacre defenseless allies?

Or would they eliminate him to escape the immediate danger?

“Sergeant, what should we do now?”

“Well, we have to do something. Private Bill, him……”

“…Sergeant?”

“……”

There was no definitive answer. Even if they killed him, someone else would just be brainwashed instead. All they could do was pray that the next one would be easier to restrain.

It wasn’t something they had experienced much during their advance.

The Demons they were currently facing as enemies were somewhat strange. It was understandable if they charged like madmen after taking some drug, considering the situation, but where had those mages been hiding until now before suddenly emerging?

And just as the sergeant was inwardly making up his mind and trying to move his uncooperative lips, at that very moment…

-Ping!

“Ughh……”

The Demon who had been waving his hands as if giving commands and using magic fell lifelessly with a hole in his forehead.

Following the trajectory of the bullet back, Erinye was there.