Dungeon Defense

"No. You merely offered advice, nothing more."

I raised my gaze to look at Brother Zepar. He was shaking his head.

"Do you think I would shift the blame onto an advisor? The one who made the decision is me."

Of course, I utilized Brother Zepar knowing that he wasn't that type of individual.

If it had been Brother Beleth, he would have happily said, 'Well, the one who gave the advice should naturally bear the responsibility', and fled. If anything, he would probably laugh at my failure. This would be troubling for me, hence why I didn't choose him. In this instance, I required Brother Zepar and his somewhat old-fashioned and noble nature.

"Of course not. However, It is my duty to take responsibility—."

"Now, before you talk about responsibility, you should focus on finding a solution. Coming up with a good plan to resolve this matter is the true way to take responsibility."

Brother Zepar cut me off. It was like even his gray beard held a level of stoicness. Instead of responding, I bowed my head even deeper to show respect. I heard Brother Zepar's voice come from above my head.

"The Dantalian I know would not come seeking forgiveness without having one or two solutions at the ready. Have I misjudged you?"

I paused for a moment before raising my head. Once I opened my mouth, I made sure to speak in a clear, confident voice.

"Currently, the Mountain Faction is extremely sensitive. They have neither evidence nor witnesses that confirm Demon Lord Belial's betrayal. They executed him solely for having contact with you. This shows just how seriously the Mountain Faction is taking the situation."

"Hmm."

Brother Zepar's expression darkened.

"Is the entire Mountain Faction on edge, or is Sitri leading the atmosphere?"

"It is not clear yet. However, it is certain that the remaining Mountain Faction Demon Lords have rallied closely around Sitri. The joint handling of Belial was likely meant to……."

"To instill a sense of urgency across the entire faction……."

"Yes, that is most likely their hidden intention."

Brother Zepar let out a low groan.

"I underestimated her. I did not expect Sitri to have this level of political acumen."

"This is probably closer to instinct than political acumen. She is baring her teeth excessively to intimidate those around her because she feels threatened. At her core, she is like a wounded beast. However, timely enough, a leader like Sitri is exactly what the Mountain Faction needs."

"A wounded beast, is it……? How troublesome."

Brother Zepar stroked his beard, lost in deep thought.

Sitri's execution of Belial was done due to my advice, but there was no reason to reveal this truth to Brother Zepar.

"If she were acting on political acumen, then there would be ample room for compromise. However, if it is purely instinctual, then it becomes problematic. Her focus will only lie on the immediate threats……."

"It is fortunate that Sitri trusts me. Normally, after killing Belial, she would have issued an ultimatum to our Plains Faction. At the very least, I am able to serve as a bridge."

"Indeed."

Brother Zepar nodded.

"Dantalian, what exactly does the Mountain Faction want?"

"……They mistakenly believe that certain individuals in the Plains Faction are conspiring to incite discord within their ranks. Their demand is to have these individuals identify themselves and apologize."

Brother Zepar quietly sighed.

"Is one of those certain individuals referring to me?"

"They are specifically suspecting Her Highness Barbatos."

"What?"

I put on a sorrowful expression.

"The whole world knows that Brother Zepar is a close aide to Her Highness Barbatos. If Brother Zepas takes action, Her Highness Barbatos must surely be behind it. That is what they seem to think."

"What a preposterous misunderstanding!"

Finally, some fervor appeared in Brother Zepar's voice. The usually calm and composed Brother Zepar had one particular quirk: he would get worked up whenever Barbatos was involved. His loyalty was as clear as crystal.

Brother Zepar had risen to become the co-leader of the Plains Faction thanks to this loyalty of his. However, strengths often turn into weaknesses when viewed from a different angle.

"In that case, Dantalian, why are they specifying a group?"

"Yes. They most likely determined that securing a direct apology from Her Highness Barbatos would be challenging. Her Highness Barbatos is a spiritual pillar for our Plains Faction. Requesting someone of her stature to bow her head is no easy feat. Therefore, they included the condition of 'certain individuals'."

I spoke in a serious tone.

"They wouldn't dare demand an apology from Barbatos herself, so they are essentially saying, 'Find a suitable scapegoat'. In their minds, they believe they are taking a step back out of respect for our pride."

"What foolishness……."

"Brother, the Mountain Faction is looking for someone to blame."

The atmosphere grew tense.

Brother Zepar now had no choice but to take the situation very seriously.

The only people who could apologize on behalf of Barbatos were either Brother Beleth or Brother Zepar. Since Brother Beleth had no involvement in this incident, it meant that Brother Zepar would have to bow his head.

Or a third option…….

"This is why I offered to take responsibility."

Dantalian, the chief advisor of the Plains Faction and Barbatos' lover.

"Brother, you bear no responsibility for this incident, nor any fault. It was I who advised you. I am the cause. Therefore, I will officially apologize to the Mountain Faction."

"Wait. What about your political standing?"

Brother Zepar frowned.

I shook my head lightly a couple of times.

"That is a secondary issue."

"……."

"Brother, I apologize, but I have already made up my mind. I will go to Barbatos and inform her. I came here first because I felt it was my duty to explain the situation to you."

I stood up.

"Then if you would excuse me."

I turned around without any hesitation. I then made my way toward the door. I had complete faith in my acting. I counted my steps as I walked over the soft red carpet.

One.

Two.

Three—.

"Stop."

I froze in place. Once I turned around, I saw Brother Zepar standing with his hands on his desk. He was staring right at me with a slightly arched back, a heavy aura looming over him. It was almost like gravity around him was distinctly stronger than anywhere else.

"I asked you for a solution, not to take responsibility. I will not tolerate acting on your own."

"This is the best course of action."

"You are the only bridge connecting our Plains Faction and the Mountain Faction. No, you are the conduit that brings the entire demon army together. If you lose the trust of those around you by admitting your fault, who will take over as the conduit?"

I answered without hesitation.

"That can be adequately handled by Marbas."

"Marbas is an excellent mediator. However, he is already the leader of his own faction. He shines in the open, but he is not suitable for secretly coordinating the opinions of each faction in the shadows. Go ahead and try to deny it if you can."

"……."

"Dantalian."

Brother Zepar looked at me with a cold, piercing gaze.

"The Demon Lord Army needs you."

"……."

"Despite Sitri's irrational state, she relied on you. That alone shows how valuable you are. And it is not just Sitri. In dire situations, Barbatos, Gamigin, and Marbas would also trust you to handle negotiations. That is a talent I do not have."

Zepar seemed certain of his own words as he nodded to himself.

"I will take on the role of officially apologizing to the Mountain Faction."

"No, Brother!"

"Do not underestimate me. This is not a decision made out of personal feelings. Objectively, having me step forward minimizes the damage."

Brother Zepar raised the corners of his mouth.

"I am nothing more than a soldier who has spent his entire life on the battlefield. Honestly, ruling the land assigned to me is already a significant burden. Losing any political standing now would do me no harm."

"Hah! Your political standing is not the issue!"

I quickly walked up to Brother Zepar. I am certain that my face was contorted with anger.

"The issue is who made the mistake and who will take responsibility! Brother, you asked me earlier if you seemed like someone who would shift the blame onto the advisor. Now let me ask you in return: do I seem like someone who would shift my responsibility to you?"

"I know why you are acting like this."

Even though I had walked right up to Brother Zepar to shout at him, he did not even flinch.

"You always keep a cool head and make political calculations, but you are unforgiving when it comes to your own mistakes. You blame yourself for Paimon's death, do you not?"

"What……? Paimon has nothing to do with our current conversation!"

"No, you feel responsible for Paimon's death, so you are also blaming yourself for the Mountain Faction's overreaction. You are trying to atone for Paimon by punishing yourself."

For a moment I held my breath.

During that pause, Brother Zepar raised his right hand and patted my shoulder.

"Dantalian, you do not need to atone for anything."

"Do not assume……. That is a baseless speculation. It is simply about taking responsibility for one's mistakes. There is no place for grand notions of atonement."

"Indeed, that may possibly be the case. In that case, it simply means my judgment was flawed."

"Your Excellency!"

Brother Zepar gave a small smile.

"It has been a while since you last called me that."

At that moment, Brother Zepar raised his right hand and struck my neck. It was clearly a blow infused with aura. I let out an undignified gasp and crumpled to my knees. My vision went white like static had filled my brain.

"Don't, be foolish……."

However, I could barely utter a few words as I had to focus on trying to stay conscious.

I could hear the sound of Brother Zepar muttering in the distance.

"Asking me to offer Her Excellency Barbatos' only male lover as a sacrifice? You must be out of your mind. Are you trying to turn me into a dead man walking? You need to be more aware of your position, Brother."

Brother Zepar's voice had a hint of laughter in it.

Soon after, my vision went completely dark. Footsteps receded, and I heard the sound of a door closing. That was the last thing I heard before losing consciousness. Reassured by the fact that I had successfully executed my plan, I allowed myself to pass out…….

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I'm going to keep this short. I was really hoping nothing would happen any time soon, but my dad ended up in the intensive care unit over the weekend. He's been moved a stage down, so he's stabilized a bit, but I'll probably be visiting him a couple of times this week. Meaning, I won't be able to translate during those times. I'll do what I can when I'm home.

I'll see you guys in the next chapter. Hopefully, I'll have good news by then.

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