I Planned a Su*cide Mission and Got Kicked Out of the Party

---

The No Member Fortress was completed without any significant interference. The Sage of the Magic Tower sent a warning that the Demon King’s Army was gathering legions to strike this fortress directly, but after having recently failed a major offensive and losing even the Lich Lord, it was not easy for the Demon King’s Army to mobilize forces to attack the Hero’s party.

While the Demon King’s massive army numbers three million by the waterways, their organization and structure were not as excellent as those of the Empire. The Demon King’s legions, spread across an area two to three times the size of the entire Empire, often acted like localized militias, sitting in their respective regions, making it occasionally unclear who held command authority among the demon generals.

Unless there was a powerful offensive from the Hero’s party defending the area, even the Demon King would hesitate to issue unconditional southward attacks against such legions.

For Walter, this fact was both a relief and a disappointment at the same time.

If the Demon King had recklessly thrown in all the orcs, goblins, and skeletons without careful coordination, it was highly likely that the Demon King’s army would have collapsed from within by now. The Demon King, who quickly seized power after the coup 100 years ago, had brought the strongest political rival, the Dragon Lord, to his knees in just a week.

Since the Dragon Lord surrendered unconditionally to the Demon King, no demon race capable of threatening his position existed afterward. Even Walter, who had been attempting to incite discord within the Demon King’s Army to weaken the enemy forces, concluded that such a scheme was utterly impossible.

“So, how long are we going to be stationed here?”

I approached Walter, who was staring blankly at the north from the walls of Rose Castle. Walter removed the glasses from his face and turned to Rose.

“At least we need to stay here until the first attack comes. The Demon King’s No Member siege order should have been issued. If I were the enemy commander, I would corner us here and observe the situation for at least a few years, but the Demon King can’t afford to dilly-dally once an absolute order is given.”

“But what if the Demon King ordered a prolonged campaign? Recently, the Demon King’s Army has been reluctant to attack when my flag is raised over the castle. Moreover, both flags are present here.”

Walter turned his head to look at the two flags fluttering from the fortress.

His flag, featuring a gold circle on a white background, and Rose’s flag, depicting an iron shield on a red background. Any demon who saw those flags would likely think twice before approaching recklessly. Even if the Demon King himself were to appear, the simultaneous presence of those two flags on the battlefield would surely be intimidating.

“If only Eramenia’s green flag were here…”

Rose commented. Walter cocked his head slightly.

“It’s better for me to keep a distance from Princess Margaret for at least a few days. That way, it won’t raise the Demon King’s suspicion.”

“The Demon King’s suspicion? What kind of suspicion are you talking about?”

“Suspicions that the battle at Harriet’s Territory was just a ruse orchestrated between me and her. I’m not entirely sure it was perfect, but we’ve created the illusion that there’s discord between us. If Margaret rejoined our group too quickly, it would raise the Demon King’s suspicion.”

“Hmm, so that’s why Margaret went to support 박정재 alone. I wonder if she won?”

“I think she did. At least, from what I’ve heard, it seems not much has been mentioned in the Magic Tower, so it doesn’t look like anything major happened.”

Harriet’s Territory crushing the enemy’s naval forces is a good thing. Even the Demon King would experience great losses after having three legions annihilated and losing three hundred ships. Although the Demon King controls the seas of the continent due to the Kraken’s presence, the possibility of the Demon King’s Army attempting another naval assault after losing all their ships is practically nonexistent.

“Even from afar, she’s doing her part.”

“She should do that much if she’s to be called a Grand Mage. Well, I believed from the start.”

Walter spoke confidently, and Rose chuckled, recalling how anxious he had been before.

“By the way, Eramenia’s legion has already been incorporated into the Empire and effectively given Margaret her free time, right? She should obviously be holed up in that territory; what do you think?”

“Let her enjoy herself a little. They’re still in a stage where they can’t be sure of each other’s feelings.”

“There’s a university student wedged between them, after all.”

“Jenis Harker has graduated from university, but given her age, she’s practically still in her university years. She has also gotten entangled with quite the powerful individuals.”

“True. It’s a combination of heavyweights that wouldn’t lose to us no matter how you pair them.”

Rose playfully poked Walter’s shoulder and stuck out her tongue. Walter stretched his neck from side to side while leaning against the castle wall.

“Rose, remember when we first met?”

“Oh, sorry. I don’t really like talking about those days.”

Rose suddenly turned serious. With a mischievous smile, Walter gently caressed Rose’s cheek with his bare hand.

“Why? I quite like it. That young princess…”

Besides the two of them, no one was around the castle walls. Walter gazed at Rose with an expression that suggested he could hardly contain his affection and gently brushed his lips against hers.

“How did you grow up to be so admirable?”

“How about you? You keep acting more like a child, huh?”

Rose made a pouty face as if she had been hit. Walter leaned closer and lightly bit the tip of her tongue with his own.

“Acting like a child means loving this kind of play, right?”

“Hey, this isn’t a game for kids.”

“Then, do you prefer games that adults would play?”

At Walter’s words, Rose silently grabbed him by the nape and pulled him toward herself. While they passionately mixed their tongues and exchanged saliva, Walter closed his eyes, reminiscing about the day he first met Rose Caprice.

It was seven years ago, when Walter, barely in his early twenties, was suddenly appointed as a Hero.

“Hero, Walter. H. Hellhound meets Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess.”

At that time, Rose was merely a young princess in her late teens. She was exceptional, brimmed with dignity, and possessed a fearsome power.

Even though she was a year away from adulthood, she already held the right to speak at the Imperial Assembly, and neither the serpents of the palace nor the council could ignore or manipulate her. In fact, Rose looked down on the nobles who had merely a track record without substance. To the truly talented and noble Crown Princess, those members of the assembly who merely boasted slightly superior bloodlines appeared to be no different from ants at her feet.

However, from the moment Walter first laid eyes on Rose, he thought she was stunningly beautiful. The thorns rising from that beauty, unrefined and untamed, sparked his desire for a challenge.

The Crown Princess was beautiful. But at the same time, she was also terribly young. Back when he himself was merely a young man, Walter was filled with confidence, pledging to defeat any other youth who possessed equal talent.

“It’s nice to meet you, Hero. I’m Rose Caprice, the Emperor’s daughter and his legitimate heir.”

Rose cheerfully greeted Walter. The two shared a light exchange and, with that, sat down opposite one another and engaged in a long conversation about the current political situation and future policies.

As Walter conversed with Rose, he became more convinced that his thoughts were right. Her insight was sharp, and she had confidence in the duties she had to undertake.

Her sense of justice was impeccable. If the best path were in front of her, she would follow it without hesitation. The only word Walter could think of to describe her was:

“Your Highness is truly a hero.”

Walter said. Rose shrugged her shoulders.

“I often hear such things. In difficult times, some are born as heroes; you and I both.”

“No, Your Highness, you and I are different. The Holy Sword and the legacy of my family suggest that I might have been born with a hero’s fate, but I did not inherit a fate like yours.”

“Care to explain?”

“Your Highness can make the decision to sacrifice even a hundred thousand citizens without a second thought for righteous deeds. However, I could never make such a decision so casually. That is the difference between you and me.”

Rose frowned at Walter’s words, but after a moment of contemplation, she did not argue against him. Instead, Rose opened her mouth and asked Walter:

“Are you trying to praise me, or are you trying to insult me?”

“That depends on Your Highness’s interpretation.”

“Then I will take your words as an insult.”

At Rose’s words, a flush crept onto Walter’s face. Rose was taken aback. It was the first time she had seen someone smile so brightly after hearing something that felt like a threat.

“If my words sounded like an insult, Your Highness still has hope. Your Highness, you are undoubtedly a hero, but I seek something above and beyond that. Something a simple hero cannot achieve.”

“To become that, do I need to be able to let go of a hundred thousand citizens?”

“Even a single citizen must be something one can let go of, Your Highness.”

“But how can one command an army and fight with such a mindset?”

“Not letting go doesn’t mean not losing. It’s about maintaining the mindset even after a loss. That’s what I decided when I was chosen as the Hero.”

Rose slowly mulled over Walter’s words with a serious expression.

“How can you have that mindset? I’ve never seen anyone speak like this in front of me.”

“You won’t understand it just by hearing it.”

Walter suddenly stood up and extended his hand toward Rose. Rose looked at Walter and his hand, questioning what that meant.

“Take my hand, Your Highness. I think I’m the only one who can show you how much this world is worth loving.”

Rose chuckled, looking at Walter’s face. He was handsome. However, beyond mere looks, something significant was embedded in his face. Even if the shape was slightly distorted or if it couldn’t be called beautiful from an objective standpoint, the expression filled with certainty and conviction was beautiful. The look of a person who is confident in their path captivates others.

Rose lightly took Walter’s hand and nodded.

“Then do it. I too am someone who has an interest in learning what I do not know.”

And then the reminiscing ended. Rose pulled away from Walter, who had just used his mouth. Slowly opening her once-closed eyes, she saw the face of the flushed Crown Princess framed in the red light of the iron walls reflected in Walter’s eyes.

“What… were you thinking?”

Rose asked. Walter gently kissed Rose on the forehead and whispered.

“I was just thinking about how that childish princess grew so adorably and admirably.”

“That’s because of you, you.”

Rose poked Walter’s chest with her finger. Her face bore a shy yet joyful smile.

“Make sure to take proper responsibility, Hero?”

“As you Command, Your Highness.”

Walter exaggeratedly bowed his head in response. The two, facing each other, broke into joyous laughter.

This was the calm before the storm of the No Member and the Demon King’s Army crashed down.