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

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The Emperor and the Kingdom of Eramenia both approved Jenis’s operation. Now, what was practically needed for this operation to be activated was just the signature of the hero, Jeongjae. Frankly speaking, it was absurd for Jeongjae to oppose an issue that both Rose and Margaret had unanimously agreed upon. Yet, even so, Jeongjae was hesitating, pen in hand, until the very last moment.

“You seem troubled.”

Margaret approached and said. Jeongjae shivered as he turned to look at her.

“Well, of course I’m troubled.”

“I think I can guess why. But… this operation is intricate. Didn’t you decide to trust that child? Either way, she will inevitably try to start the Overlord’s beheading for her revenge. If you’ve read it, you’ll know… it’s a magnum opus written by him, having devoted his very soul to it. The plan to pressure the Demon King from various directions through the killing of the Kraken and moving the Magic Tower had been in motion for a long time.”

“I know that.”

Jeongjae had directly aided Jenis in killing the Kraken. He had suspected that when she sought to strengthen alliances for Eramenia, there was likely a purpose beyond merely sailing the HMS Victory.

“I just have this feeling. This operation could either be the best in the history of warfare or the worst blunder. The predicted outcomes are too extreme. Of course, I know that she probably set the operation in motion without my approval. If the Emperor has approved it, then it’s done.”

Jeongjae was uncomfortable with the thought that Jenis had swayed Rose, whose heart he had been unable to reach despite his efforts to persuade her. It wasn’t jealousy over friendship. Even if they had once had a duel, there had yet to be any persuasion achieved between him and Rose. Now, it was puzzling to think about what Jenis could have possibly said to them in their delicate game of nerves that continued up to this very moment.

What kind of deal had been struck? What conditions were set? It seemed likely that Jenis had made a proposal that Rose could not refuse. Jenis had hinted at various times that she had political reforms in mind to secretly weaken the imperial authority and enhance the influence of the nobility. However, as time went on, Jenis worked like a machine churning out operations, focusing more on personal desires than on political ideals. Jeongjae succinctly summarized his complicated feelings.

“She’s the leader. Whether she wants to or not, she’s the head of a massive force; essentially, she’s the boss of a virtually independent warlord or political group.”

“The alliance is divided into three factions, and one of those factions is clearly hers.”

Margaret did not bother to mention that Jeongjae was nearly the only mediator among the three. Although he wasn’t actively engaged, it was evident how unstable the three pillars were tied together; without someone maintaining the balance, actual conflict could erupt at any moment.

Jeongjae felt the weight of that role. Margaret had strategically bound the three lords with the bonds of sisterhood she created, using her age to firmly establish the hierarchy of herself, Rose, and Jenis in that order, thereby creating a precarious balance that could shatter at any time. Jeongjae was well aware of how deeply Margaret pondered this triangular structure.

“But lately, she hasn’t been acting like a leader. Walter Hellhound was a leader. In fact, he was the master of the Empire. No one can be Walter now. Rose lacks capability, and you… you’re not even of our race. Yet, Jenis is kicking away the chance to become the Chancellor of the Empire. Rather than gradually incorporating people into her fold, it seems she believes that gathering a solid group of personal soldiers to wage war will achieve her goals faster. There’s fundamentally something wrong with this. Eating like this, you’re bound to end up nauseous.”

“If there’s a lot of food left, I might share the same concern.”

Margaret nodded.

“But it’s just one meal. This seems simpler, but in reality, it’s a far more complicated issue. She’s devouring everything at a speed that could easily cause indigestion. If there are many plates laid out in front of her, she’s bound to feel sick. But if there’s just one plate left, and once that plate is cleared, it’ll all be over…”

Margaret brought her trembling hand to her waist. Jeongjae realized that her current demeanor was tied to a lack of confidence stemming from her trauma.

“I feel a desire to challenge her.”

Margaret’s expression fell. Though her tone was not drastically different than usual, for some reason, today, Jeongjae didn’t find Margaret’s words as graceful. It might have been his foul mood that colored everything he heard as distorted, but for some reason, he felt that the Grand Mage’s high regard for Jenis was more about her lack of trust in herself, shifting the burden onto others.

The Grand Mage slammed a fist on the table and stood up abruptly.

“This isn’t a headquarters; it’s a mental asylum!”

Jeongjae shouted, his voice brimming with suppressed indignation. Margaret stepped back, startled, before nodding in agreement as she understood his words.

“Since some time ago, every time the commanders’ meeting is held, only the ill have flooded in.”

“The Emperor, having been made a widow even before her marriage and still dealing with postpartum effects, is in a situation where she has no choice but to take over the family. But amusingly enough, she’s the most normal among us! The magical genius who suffered from paranoia since school has turned into a vengeful being, constantly doing things that seem off! And no matter how you look at it, it seems she’s also suffering from heartache over a broken relationship. Who caused that heartache? I know! It was me! But is that my fault?”

“Then is that my fault?”

Margaret wore a befuddled expression. Jeongjae shook his head.

“I don’t know! Where’s the point in attributing blame on such issues!”

“Then let’s simplify it: it’s your fault. Who told the honors student with no friends to take care of only herself? Honestly, I’ve been pretty tormented over this too…”

“Stop babbling nonsense and be quiet! I’ve suffered the most, so I’m the one!”

Margaret closed her mouth at Jeongjae’s command. Jeongjae’s face flushed with rage, as though he still hadn’t calmed down.

“The fairy lord in front of me has become a trembling patient struggling to wield a weapon after one defeat! You remember, don’t you? I was also there! I got really hurt too! I don’t want to nag about this, but really—”

“Does anyone shake because they want to? I’ve just recently received a prescription for medicine from the Magic Tower to try and fix it!”

“Don’t go bringing back strange prescriptions from there! There are only madmen in that tower! What will you do if something goes wrong?”

Jeongjae shouted in genuine horror. He had never really been on friendly terms with the Magic Tower, but his relationship with the mages doing pharmaceutical research was particularly poor. There was no single reason that could explain it. It was just… the mages conducting drug research were all fundamentally strange. Margaret shrugged.

“I smelled something weird after getting the prescription, so I threw it away immediately.”

“Good job. You almost caused a huge problem.”

“Don’t scold me while shouting! Does that make you look good?”

“Were you saying you liked me because I looked good?”

“If you say something too truthful, I won’t have anything left to say.”

Jeongjae was momentarily stumped by Margaret’s unfiltered honesty, as a strange silence fell between them. Jeongjae slumped down into a chair, looking completely drained.

“And me? You know well enough how far gone I am. About two years ago, I even submitted a request to stop the war. I was insane. Yeah, I must be the craziest one here.”

“Glad you figured it out. I thought you didn’t know until now.”

“I’m aware of it…”

Even though he was aware, it felt even more dangerous that he couldn’t control himself. Various reasons compelled him to stay grounded, including Margaret and Walter’s powerful last wishes.

Walter had practically died wanting to save Jeongjae. No matter what happened, Jeongjae never wanted to betray Walter Hellhound again.

“I seriously feel like I’m going to go insane, Margaret. I already am somewhat insane, but I don’t know how this is truly going to resolve. Just look at these people. Is this really a headquarters gathering all the nobles and princesses from each country? They look like escaped patients from some isolation ward, wielding only weapons, you know?”

At Jeongjae’s words, Margaret burst into laughter. Jeongjae looked at her as if she had gone mad, but the fairy lord couldn’t stop laughing even while aware of Jeongjae’s inquisitive gaze.

Seeing Margaret clutch her stomach in laughter, Jeongjae let out a resigned chuckle.

“What’s so funny?”

“Because it’s accurate, it’s funny, it’s accurate!”

“The more accurate something is, the bleaker the situation becomes…”

“It’s war, Mages. This is a war.”

Margaret’s voice dropped slightly. Jeongjae realized her tone had turned serious and adjusted his posture. He responded in kind, stripping out the anger and playfulness from his voice.

“What do you mean by that?”

“In times like these, the one maintaining their sanity is considered the mad one. And the Demon King is maintaining his sanity and commanding more clearly than anyone else. The reason seems obvious, doesn’t it?”

“It’s because she’s become too crazy to lose her mind a second time.”

“Exactly, that’s it.”

Margaret clapped her hands. Jeongjae tilted his head.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Have you ever roamed among the insane while remaining sane?”

Jeongjae sighed and nodded.

“Long ago. I had to for a bit.”

“What was it like?”

“It was terrifying, obviously. They’d approach without making sense, and if I responded wrongly, they looked like they’d attack…”

“You could instill that same kind of fear back in them.”

A snicker escaped Jeongjae’s nose involuntarily. It was such an unbelievable thought that it came from Margaret. The Demon King was so composed and clear-headed that the half-crazed ones would end up terrifying the Demon King instead.

It sounded like nonsense no matter how you sliced it, but for some reason, as it came from a High Elf, it piqued his interest strangely.

“So, since the insane are coming from all directions, the Demon King must be scared enough to shrink back in fear?”

“I think so. What do you think?”

“Okay, I get it. I understand.”

Jeongjae picked up the pen and left his signature on Jenis’s operational plan. Finally, all four signatures had come together: operational planner Jenis Harker, commander of the Eramenia army Margaret, Emperor Rose Caprice, and the hero Park Jeongjae.

With the commanders of each faction signing, this operation was officially approved without going through the Imperial Assembly. Jeongjae wore a half-skeptical expression, but it was already like spilled water.

“Now that we’re doing this, I hope there’s no leak. This operation is one where security is life.”

Jeongjae left a brief comment, feeling a twinge of discomfort as he voiced it aloud. Suddenly, he wondered how well Jenis was handling counterintelligence against the enemy. This document barely mentioned anything related to that.