Starting My New Life as a Demon Kid

Chapter 46. A Welcome Reunion (2)

Ilea couldn’t take her eyes off Yohan.

To be exact, she was staring at the air above his head.

It was as if she had been utterly entranced by something.

“Ilea?”

A hint of puzzlement passed across Yohan’s face.

“Yohan, what is that?”

“That...?”

“The crack above your head.”

Yohan looked up into the air.

There was nothing there.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Ilea’s gaze shifted to the red-furred Imp.

“And you?”

“There’s nothing there! You’re just seeing things!”

Ilea slowly nodded her head.

“Seems it’s visible only to me.”

There was definitely a distorted crack hanging in the air.

A crumpled, crushed space. As if some unknown force had torn the very dimension apart.

Lost in thought, Yohan muttered under his breath.

“...No way.”

Could the aftermath of the anomaly still remain?

If that were true, perhaps Ilea’s eyes could see the remnants.

“Yohan, what on earth have you been through?”

The sun hadn’t even risen yet, and Yohan was already in human form.

A strange crack hung above his head, and his young body looked completely exhausted.

Everything surrounding Yohan was abnormal.

“Let’s move first. I feel like this will be a long story, and it’s a bit uncomfortable here.”

More than anything, he wanted to escape the barrier as soon as possible.

The longer they lingered, the more variables and risks would appear.

“Then shall we head to the nearest village first? In your current state, making it all the way to the domain would be too much.”

His frail and weary body couldn’t endure a forced march of several hundred kilometers.

That fact only made Yohan feel his own weakness even more keenly.

‘Can’t afford to neglect the human side, either.’

He planned to draw up a training regimen the moment he returned to the domain.

He would need Gaf’s help.

Resolving himself inwardly, Yohan said,

“You’re right. Let’s find a suitable place to stay for the night.”

Then he started walking.

The anxiety he had felt while moving alone had long since faded.

As long as he traveled with Ilea, he would be safe from most threats.

Her timing had been perfect.

Hiding his gratitude, Yohan quickened his pace.

“Just a moment, Yohan. There’s something I need to take care of.”

Ilea turned her gaze to the Imp. Her palm opened flat toward him.

The air around them grew cold and heavy.

The Imp remembered this horrific chill all too well. It screamed in terror.

“W-What are you doing all of a sudden?!”

“You learned the identity of the Apostle. I can’t let you live…”

Yohan’s voice suddenly cut in.

“He’s coming with us.”

The chill in the air instantly dissipated.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I gave my word. I have to keep it.”

The Imp’s terrified face suddenly twisted into a triumphant grin.

“This glorious being has overcome a great trial! Witch, no matter how peculiar you are, you must not look down on me any longer! I am the right hand of the End!”

Ilea glanced sideways at Yohan.

He was smirking faintly.

“I get the picture.”

Ilea nodded in understanding.

“As expected of a Witch! Quick to grasp the situation! Show me proper respect from now on!”

“A toy, so to speak. Something for Yohan to pass the time with.”

Yohan didn’t bother answering. He just shrugged once.

The Imp’s already bright red face turned shades of crimson and blue.

“T-Toy?! You dare call the Fire of the Abyss—!”

Ilea snapped her index finger lightly. A sharp chill swept around them.

“It’s a bit noisy. May I just seal its mouth?”

“Do as you like.”

As Yohan nodded, the Imp’s mouth began to freeze over.

Not a single word could escape now.

Only muffled groans echoed, “Mm-mm!”

“It’s peaceful. I like it.”

The mountain once again fell into silence.

Aside from the occasional chirping of mountain birds, all other sounds had faded.

“Sleep-inducing, even.”

Yohan’s tension fully melted away. Fatigue washed over him.

“Shall I carry you? You could get some rest.”

Ilea gave him a teasing, playful smile.

“I’d rather collapse on the ground.”

“No need to be embarrassed. We’re close, remember? We even share a heart.”

“Why don’t you seal your mouth, too?”

“That’s just cruel. I’m hurt.”

Ilea pouted dramatically.

Clearly an act.

“Good. I’ll finally have some quiet for a while.”

“You’ll have a harder time than me, you know? We’ll be walking for at least five hours.”

Even the nearest village was quite far.

“It’s that far?”

“Yes, so brace yourself. I won’t say a word from now on.”

Feigning a sulk, Ilea walked ahead.

Silence fell for a while—but not for long.

Before they knew it, they were talking again, as naturally as breathing.

As they shared stories of what they had experienced the past day or so, they soon reached the edge of the Sacred Seal.

***

The barrier that enclosed an area dozens of kilometers wide absolutely denied any demonic entry.

If Yohan had still been a demon, he would have lost consciousness the moment he touched the barrier and been caught by the Order’s surveillance network.

But he was human.

He passed through the barrier without paying any price.

The same applied to Ilea.

A hastily-made seal like this couldn’t distinguish between witch and human.

The problem was the Imp. As one of the lowest-class demons, a mere Low Demon, he had no means of crossing the barrier on his own.

With a helpless expression, the Imp stared across the barrier.

Yohan and Ilea had already crossed through.

A golden ripple stood between them, and their fates diverged.

“O Great End…!”

The Imp looked to Yohan with desperate longing.

But there was nothing Yohan could do for him.

“Unfortunate.”

“You’re abandoning me!”

Yohan glanced at Ilea. The Witch must have a way, but she avoided his gaze, pretending not to notice.

‘Guess it can’t be helped.’

He didn’t want to rely on Ilea’s help for such a trivial matter. It wasn’t pride—it was just that if he casually incurred debts, one day he might be handed a bill he couldn’t afford.

In the original story, the Witch always collected her dues.

Yohan had to minimize the interest.

He shrugged.

“There’s no way right now. I’ll tell you where I’m staying, so once this place clears up, come find me.”

Eventually, the Sacred Seal would be lifted. The Imp could act then.

Slumping, the Imp spoke in a downcast voice.

“I shall uphold the great mission. When the time comes, please grant me a name.”

Yohan let out a short laugh and turned away. Just as he was about to start walking, Ilea sighed.

“You’re already such a hassle.”

She flicked her finger lightly. A small gap opened in the barrier.

Yohan looked at her with a blank face.

“I thought you’d want to leave him behind?”

“I do. No reason to lug dead weight around.”

“Then why?”

“Even if he’s dead weight, he’s still your toy. Everyone needs a little amusement. Since that Imp offers some entertainment, a bit of effort is worth it.”

“…A toy, huh.”

Yohan chuckled dryly at her blunt phrasing.

‘She’s not wrong.’

The only reason he had taken in the Imp was pure curiosity.

“Yes, a toy. More and more interesting ones will gather around you soon, Yohan. You can discard this one when better ones come.”

Yohan had become an Apostle. Surely many demons would seek him out for various reasons.

And Ilea viewed all of them as toys.

“Truly a Witch’s perspective.”

“Is that so? I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Yohan looked over at the Imp.

Just as expected, the Imp showed immense hostility toward Ilea.

Its skinny limbs trembled as it glared at her.

Of course, it couldn’t act on that hatred.

The power gap was too vast.

With a voice full of rage, the Imp shouted,

“…O Great End, I shall prove it. That I am no pathetic jester, that I am worthy to stand as the right hand of the End! I will become the Fire of the Abyss and show that Witch the truth!”

Ilea smiled leisurely.

“Nice resolution. I’ll cheer for you—but don’t expect too much.”

The Imp silently swallowed its resentment and determination as it glared.

Yohan spoke.

“Enough. Let’s go. I want to reach the village before noon.”

“If we hurry now, we can make it. I have a place in mind.”

“Hopefully we can find horses there too.”

“There’ll be horses, of course. Maybe even a way to turn this entire situation around.”

A way to turn things around? Yohan couldn’t guess what Ilea was thinking.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll explain once we arrive.”

With that, she began walking ahead again, clearly unwilling to speak further.

Yohan didn’t press her. He followed.

The Imp trailed behind them.

***

Hwitton Village was the largest granary region in the southwest under the Count of Barego.

Thanks to its overwhelming yields, the place was prosperous even in winter. Its population exceeded two thousand.

In terms of size alone, it was closer to a small city.

Even the Baron of the Miyatro Family, who held a vast domain, didn’t possess a village of this scale.

To Yohan, it was simply regrettable. If only Grian and his ancestors had been a little more competent, the Miyatro Family could have easily had such financial footing.

The Miyatro lands were that fertile.

Looking at the entrance to Hwitton Village, Yohan spoke.

“We’ll have no trouble finding horses here.”

“Not just that. This place is teeming with life.”

“Stating the obvious, are we?”

“Doesn’t this place remind you of something?”

Yohan frowned.

“You’ve been vague for a while now. Just get to the point.”

Earlier, Ilea had said there was a way to reverse the current crisis here.

She must be building up to that.

“I’ve reviewed Yohan’s situation. There are many side issues, but in the end, it all comes down to one thing. The Holy Spear lodged in Yohan. That’s the root of everything.”

She was right. He had fallen into the canyon because of the Holy Spear, lost his demonic body due to the wound, and been left with suspicion from Gawain, who came to retrieve it.

The Holy Spear was the problem.

“So, what’s your conclusion?”

Yohan’s face was cold.

“You’ve probably realized it. If we deal with the Holy Spear properly, we can turn this entire crisis into a lucky opportunity.”

Without answering, Yohan looked at his ring finger.

There was the accursed Ring of Kazan, corrupted.

Ilea nodded.

“Exactly. If we corrupt the Holy Spear into a Cursed Scripture, most of the problems disappear.”

The Holy Spear Espada left incurable wounds on demonic bodies. Once corrupted, the Cursed Espada would take on the opposite trait—it would no longer eat away at ‘demon’ Yohan.

Instead, it would hunger for the human body.

Since it would lose its ability to burn Miasma, the wounds inflicted on ‘demon’ Yohan would naturally disappear. And Yohan would gain a Grade-4 Cursed Scripture.

He chuckled bitterly as he looked toward the village.

“In other words, all of them are living sacrifices?”

“Exactly. It takes about two thousand lives to corrupt a Grade-4 Holy Relic.”

Creating a Cursed Scripture required living souls.

The moment the Grade-4 Holy Relic Espada was corrupted, the lives of around two thousand people would be extinguished.

The village would be completely destroyed.

“Considering all the circumstances, there’s no reason not to do it.”

“Shall I draw the Heretic Array? Like last time.”

Listening to their conversation, the Imp’s eyes gleamed.

“Here begins the Great Sin of the End!”