Chapter 332

Episode 332 If only I could (18)

‘Get out. ‘Do you think I don’t know that you are trying to attract innocent people?’

The boy momentarily covered his ears and lowered his head at the voice he heard. “Hey?” The two people, who had kept their distance to keep their promise to the boy, expressed their doubts, but it was not a situation to worry about right now. The boy gritted his teeth and closed his eyes tightly.

‘I will never believe a word you say.’

I realized this through the work of the Heretic Questioner. No matter how sweet the devil says or how plausible he may say it, you should never follow it. That every word of it must be reconsidered and done in reverse before being believed.

Growling.

Is it because it’s been a while since I’ve had proper food in front of me? My stomach, which was not hungry, growled like a starving animal.

Rattling.

However, instead of satisfying the hunger inside him, the boy threw away the food and got up. “Hey?” The boy’s sudden behavior prompted two people to call him again. The boy didn’t answer.

“Wait, where are you going—”

“...I have to go. right now.”

I don’t know exactly why the devil tells me not to leave. However, it seemed obvious to the boy’s shallow thinking that staying here would not lead to anything good.

This is especially true considering that the cabin is not far from where the incident occurred.

Whether or not traces are found, this place will be within the search radius due to distance. In other words, if you remain here for a long time, you will definitely be caught by the chase team. It goes without saying that if a priest is among the search party, they will be detected more easily.

“But...”

“I’m sorry. But I have to go.”

There are two reasons why I chose to remain here for a while, even though I knew that erasing traces would only be a waste of time.

One is that if not now, we don’t know when we will be able to learn these skills. The second is that no matter how fast the pursuit party is, it will not arrive within a day or two. Those were them.

“...If anyone asks about me, please tell me without hiding anything. Then you won’t suffer much harm.”

Confidence in the second fact has reasonable grounds.

Since everyone in the group is dead, it will inevitably take at least two days for the disappearance to be known, and the search party will only leave the city after the disappearance is noticed.

Also, a chase team to find the culprits will be formed only after the search party’s investigation is over and it is certain that they have been murdered.

Considering that there will be some confusion as the hunter erases the traces, you will have a little more time.

This was the reason why the boy invested about half a day even though he was in a hurry.

“Oh my...”

But not for three days. Not really until three days.

The boy was determined to leave quickly because the devil told him to hold on. They should never have to face disaster in exchange for their kindness. It was a determination that bordered on compulsion.

[Oh baby. If I go out now, the priests will catch me?]

‘...I don’t believe you!’

[You can swear. If you run away now, you will run into the priests.]

‘Who believes in a mere oath? And whether I go out or stay and encounter the priests, if I end up facing them, I will choose not to cause them any harm.’

The boy gritted his teeth and the devil, reading his thoughts, sighed.

[I swear. If you go out, there’s a very high chance you’ll run into priests. Also, if you don’t leave this cabin for three days, I will use magic to block your demonic energy so that the priests won’t find you.] ‘

So how can I believe that?’

[In my own name.]

‘...Even if I did, I wouldn’t believe it. .’

[ah. It’s really annoying to convince a kid who doesn’t know anything. Annoying...]

The devil sighed more heavily and begged me to trust him just this once. The boy did not want to accept it, but the devil made the request repeatedly and noisily, so he ended up spitting out one word.

‘trash.’

[Kid.]

‘Trash.’

[Hey.]

‘You idiot.’

[...Oh really. I didn’t want to write this.]

In response to the boy’s resistance, the devil eventually used his hidden trick. A burning pain swept through the boy’s entire body. Slurp. My body collapsed as I hurried out of the cabin.

“Hey!”

Those who were looking at the boy with concern from behind hurriedly ran out. They reached out to help him, but the boy was in so much pain that he couldn’t even refuse. Cold sweat began to flow like rain.

[Take your pick. Are you going to be like this for three days and accept an offer that won’t hurt you?]

‘...You’re worse than a rabbit.’

The boy uttered a swear word that was commonly used in bars, but the devil didn’t seem to be affected much. [Do you know what it means?] The boy didn’t want to say anything, so he just kept his mouth shut.

“Let’s go inside...”

Meanwhile, the old couple led him inside. Although there was no accumulation of dust, the room had a subtle chill. It looked like it hadn’t been used in a very long time.

“There is an herb that can be used as a fever reducer. “I’ll bring it.”

“please.”

They laid him down on the creaky bed and carefully covered him with the mattress they had brought. As if that didn’t put my mind at ease, I closed the window tightly. I don’t think I’ve tried inserting a cloth to prevent air from leaking once or twice.

“...You can’t go out if you do.”

The boy grabbed the sleeve of the hunter who was trying to lift him.

“You must never leave the house...”

“What...”

They naturally had no idea what was being said to them. But instead of convincing them, the boy spit out the words the devil had whispered.

“Ratel.”

A thick white liquid dripped from the center of the boy’s palm. It was as if the pain had become material and was being pulled out of my body. The intense pain that was weighing down my entire body disappeared, and a person’s worth of mucus appeared.

“You...”

However, the hunter’s eyes widened due to the thick magic he felt in the process. The boy was also taken aback because there was no word that the magic energy would come out this clearly.

[I think about it every time, but manipulating the ratel is such a hassle.]

But the dish was already overturned and the water was spilled. The white slime soon transformed into an animal that looked similar to a badger.

“This is this...”

“What’s going on!”

The badger ran out of the house in an instant. The person who was cleaning up the basement came up quickly and was checking the situation. Even then, he became silent in front of the scene where the hunter gave up supporting the boy and fell a few steps.

‘It was never said like this. My identity will be revealed to them...!’

[You didn’t suffer any harm from them.]

‘...You fraudster!’

The boy was so embarrassed and angry that he couldn’t even utter an explanation. No, in his case, it might be closer to not being able to open it because he was shameless and couldn’t find anything to say.

The boy’s body trembled as his gaze changed in an instant.

[■■■ ■■■■... That’s it. At this rate, even he won’t be able to see it.]

Even at this moment, the devil was spouting out spells and casting a spell. I felt several layers of demonic energy and magic covering the entire cabin. The expressions of the hunter and her husband became even more stern.

[You damn bat... You’re so quick to notice.]

And when all the magic was over, the devil passed through the small cracks in the barrier like slime and returned to the boy’s body. The boy found it even more humiliating and despairing.

“...This is why you are being chased.”

“Baukiss.”

“The reason you were chased... was because of this.”

“...Calm down.”

“you...!”

A variety of emotions flashed through the hunter’s eyes, and the boy just watched them all. I should have run away too. I wasn’t accepting the devil’s offer. Irreversible regret dripped down.

“...I won’t do anything. I won’t cause you any trouble. “Please just let me wait for three days...no, just until they leave.”

ah. It was better when they caught me. The boy cried as if laughing at the reversed position. They said they would help and that they would help no matter what the situation. The sadness that I couldn’t express was leaking out without being able to express it in words.

“I will never allow you to be harmed. “Please, please...”

the boy desperately begged and pleaded. In the process, wounds were carved into my heart one by one. I didn’t know what caused the injury. It just hurt and hurt again.

“...Get out within a day.”

But it’s something that has to be endured.

Instead of feeling disappointed at the reversal of attitude, the boy simply expressed gratitude. The hunter closed the door of the room and left, as if he didn’t want to see anything more. Her husband didn’t say anything, but his indifference was an expression of agreement.

The boy was left in the cool room. The pain had gone away, but strangely, this moment was even more painful.

* * *

“But I wasn’t kicked out right away. I tried to suffice with that. The search around the cabin would be over in a day, so I thought that would be fine.”

But that wasn’t the case. I should have left right away.

* * *

I was curled up in the corner of the room, clutching my hungry stomach. An hour, two hours, maybe four hours. I didn’t know how much time had passed. The closed window didn’t even let in the moonlight.

Squeak.

However, the visit was held at a time when it must have been late. Even though I opened it as carefully as I could, I couldn’t help but feel the creaking because it was an old door. The boy’s body twitched.

“....”

There is no particular sound to be heard one after another. what? The boy raised his head. There was no light source, so there was nothing to see. The presence felt was the same.

“...?”

Was the sound of the door opening just because of my mood? No, that can’t be possible. The boy slowly got up, leaving the room quiet except for the initial noise. Bruises. The boy’s feet took a step towards the doorway.

Phew!

“...!”

The blade was stuck in the boy’s shoulder just in time. Yes, it was a blade. The boy realized who his attacker was.

“You said you would help.”

At that moment, a crushing emotion raised its head.

“You said you helped me...”

I felt like my heart was breaking somewhere.