Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

On the other hand, Regen looked around while sitting at the dinner table, waiting for Maevia to come.

“Father, what if the food gets cold before Her Grace returns?”

“Eve is not coming soon.”

Aedis cut the steak and told Regen a second time.

When he learned that Maevia’s presence had disappeared outside the castle, he ordered the head chef to bring only his and Regen’s portions of food.

Regen had clearly heard it too.

However, Regen could hardly shake off his disappointment.

“I can wait a little longer……”

Regen muttered with a sullen face.

He didn’t want the mealtime to go on like this without Maevia.

The moment Regen exhaled a sigh, Shaula came in with her sword.

“Let’s fight!”

“Shaula……?”

Regen’s eyes widened.

Aedis, not caring whether or not Shaula made a fuss, cut the steak and put it in front of Regen.

The steak pieces were cut into equal sizes.

Shaula wrinkled her nose and provoked Aedis, who boasted of his perfect cutting skills.

“Master, let’s fight, shall we?”

Reluctantly, Aedis’s gaze shifted.

He looked displeased at Shaula’s greatsword, which had been coated with his magical powers.

“It’s the magic that I gave to my wife. It was not to be handed over to someone else.”

Even if he hadn’t overheard the conversation between Maevia and Shaula, he could have guessed how this happened.

Shaula was a terribly simple beast.

Her nature was really close to an unspeakable taboo.

So people feared her and thought it best to avoid her, but in fact, she certainly had the same qualities as him.

Although her size was small, it was a problem.

Knowing such a fact, Aedis was a bit surprised by Shaula, who listened to Maevia’s request so well.

Because he knew how dirty she was and how she would not listen, as a boss who had put Shaula in the position of Knight Commander.

She basically ignored beings weaker than herself, but she didn’t really listen to the words of the strong.

Even if he tells her to stay still, she kills them, and if he tells her to be patient, she kills them. If he tells her to kill them, she kills them, regardless of whether they are enemies or allies.

It was no great surprise that Maevia had asked to have Shaula as her escort knight.

Those words were said because beasts follow Maevia so well that they thought she would listen as well.

If it had been someone else’s request, Shaula would have disregarded it even if they had paid a much higher price.

Even if the opponent was Aedis, it was the same.

So strangely, he never thought she would have listened to Eve very well.

Aedis acknowledged the hard work, but he did not give up the thought of being grumpy.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t questioned you for leaving Eve on the side of the road.”

“Eh?”

Shaula’s hand, who was wielding a threatening sword, suddenly twisted.

Aedis had a bright face.

“Shall we talk a little bit about that?”

Shaula unknowingly took a step back from him.

Even if she insisted that it was something she didn’t even remember, it was obvious that it wouldn’t work.

“M-master? I asked to fight, I didn’t mean for you to make me lose unilaterally.”

“You dare make Eve go to such an unsanitary bar?”

Aedis’s expression was still gentle, but Shaula felt goosebumps all over her body.

Even if he had a villainous face and a gentle expression, he was just a villain after all.

Even Regen’s face was full of shock as he ate Aedis’s sliced steak with a fork.

“Did you leave Her Grace by the roadside?!”

“Uh, um, I’ll have to come back later……”

Shaula rarely managed to grasp the atmosphere, but before she could run away, the door to the dining room closed on its own.

Just as the thought of ‘X’ was passing through Shaula’s head, Aedis said with a face like a demon king who surpassed a villain.

“I just want to let it go, but it must have been Eve’s request, so I have to complete it to the end. You can disappoint me, but don’t disappoint Eve.”

“……”

Proposal? No, it was just an order.

***

Haa.

As I sighed, the dragon spirit flinched.

[“M-master.”]

The hoarse voice was a little creepy.

“I won’t leave you, so just call me by my name.”

[“Sniffle, Eve……”]

He said that he’ll torture Gilbert and chew off his fingers, now he cries like this because he is afraid of being thrown away.

Anyway, even though Paimon lived for over 500 years, it was clear that his mental age was much younger than mine.

I waved the golden key.

“I will ask one more thing. Is it okay to leave with Paimon alone and not me?”

[Ugh.]

“……”

[“Eve?!”]

I was just asking, but Paimon jumped.

The golden key flickered just twice as if it really didn’t like it because someone saw it as something that contained Aedis’s magical power.

It meant that it was possible.

Paimon reacted even more radically.

[“I hate that! How can you leave me here and go alone!”]

It was a tearful tribute.

When I got here, I remembered that only the tip of the golden key had changed color slightly.

Even now, most of the keys were golden.

“You seem to still have enough magical power, but why can’t the two of us move together?”

The key was silent.

I reminded myself again that the magic contained in the key belonged to Aedis. Aedis hates Paimon.

Perhaps Aedis’s magical powers equally disliked Paimon.

“Are you sure you don’t like Paimon? But, can’t you just look at me and think that it’s cute too? Huh? Please, Aedis’s magic.”

[“E-eve? Are you crazy?”]

You, be quiet.

“I’ll cheer for you. I can kiss you? Huh?”

I hardily coaxed the key while ignoring Paimon whose pupils were shaking.

After a few minutes passed, the key turned into a strange state that seemed to be slightly hot and even red.

The key wriggled wildly out of my hand, leaving a huge gap in my palm.

“Can I go out with Paimon?”

The key flickered as if to answer.

As if I had used a large amount of magic this time, I retrieved the key that was limping in the air and beckoned to Paimon.

“Let’s go.”

[“It’s because it’s the Demon King’s, so it’s so unlucky! Sorry! Don’t close the door when you’re leaving!”]

Paimon apologized to the trembling key and followed me out of the crevice in a hurry.

So, we arrived at the top of a certain mountain, and the sun had already set.

Hungry, hungry. Should I have dinner and go out?

[“I’m out! My pride is crumpled, but I’m out anyway!”]

I patted Paimon, who breathed in the fresh air to his heart’s content. In my mind, I’ve been trying to figure out where Gilbert should go.

If there was Kalen in the capital, there were a few guys who followed Gilbert similarly in the North.

“But Paimon, how can I burn Gilbert’s aura?”

[“Huh? Simple. All you have to do is show me the dog’s aura from a distance.”]

“Then I will provoke Gilbert—”

Suddenly, Paimon went into a rage.

[“Eve, are you crazy?!”]

“Yes?”

[“No way! If you want to do that, you shouldn’t do anything!”]

Why are you suddenly threatening me?

I tried to refute Paimon, who tried to act as a guardian all of a sudden, but he didn’t even give me a chance to explain.

[“From start to finish, I’ll take care of it, so you just watch from behind! And the humans who contracted with the spirits originally don’t come forward when they fight, right? What do you really know?!”]

We were noy very strict contract partners. Some humans who made a contract with spirits might step out.

For once, I took a step back.

“Okay. I’ll just take a look.”

However, Paimon didn’t flinch when this happened.

“I swear.”

[“……You swear?”]

Paimon snorted.

[“Of course. A weak human like you needs strict attention and protection.”]

Said the spirit, who had been weeping, begging me not to throw it away until recently.

“But what if you are in danger? Can I help you then? In fact, if I take some kind of medicine, I get stronger for a while……”

Paimon laughed without even listening to my words.

[“Pfft! Who helps whom? Are you being funny now? And what else? Do you think taking some medicine makes you stronger for a while? Pffftttt!”

……As expected, I should have come out alone.

Even as my expression faded away, Paimon continued to laugh and roll over the mountain.

The sight of the dragon, who has now reached 15 meters in height, rolling down trees was a sight to behold.

“Paimon, I’m cold.”

Finally, after hearing one sentence, Paimon came to his senses.

[Kukuk…… Did you take any medicine today? Oh deary dear, what to do? So, what should I do with this body? I feel great! I’ll give you a special ride on my back!”]

I grinded my teeth and stretched out my hand towards Paimon.

However, it was difficult for me to start riding on Paimon’s back.

“……”

Watching me slip and slide without being able to hold the scales, Paimon laughed as his stomach exploded.

[Puhahaha! Cough! Ohok! I’m dying of laughter! How can you help me when you can’t even get on my back, Eve? Kihihihi!]

Tears welled up in the big dragon’s eyes.

……Should I just put him back in the cave?

The key, more than half of which was black, flashed as if reading my thoughts.