CH 32

(Haron’s POV)

[Tsk! What a pathetic bastard.]

Even with the Mahone stone’s head-breaking voice, I was still in a daze as if I did not hear a thing.

“…I’m sorry.”

Lucia left that one word behind. I didn’t dare to hold on to her because she still looked extremely pale.

[What are you going to do now, you pathetic bastard? Are you really going to give up being a Warrior? Then, what about the devil?]

Warrior.

It was an honor that I was willing to abandon at any time. It was something that I didn’t wish to have in the first place.

Someone else who was hungry for honor could have it instead.

The Mahone stone grumbled angrily, as if he had managed to read my thoughts.

[I came to you because of your desire to kill the devil!]

“…”

[If you give up now, a newly appointed person will replace you and become the next Warrior instead. Then, I will make sure to give him enough strength to kill the devil.]

If that happens, I will kill that person.

If he also attacks Lucia with that ridiculous and explosive power…

I still remember that chilling sensation of stabbing her with my own hands. Luckily, I was able to solve it peacefully. However, I attacked because I felt greed for the first time in my life.

But that choice was the one that put her at risk.

‘I won’t let that happen again.’

Haron approached with staggering footsteps and picked up the Mahone stone that was lying around.

He held it in his hand so tightly that his hand started bleeding. Then the Mahone stone was sucked up inside Haron’s palm as it began to be absorbed inside of him.

[Yes, you and I will establish a good contract. We might be able to help each other, no?]

The growling voice of the Mahone stone started to fade to a place that he couldn’t reach, deep within his mind.

If she continued to defend her position as the devil, then the hero who would oppose her should only be me.

It seemed that my purpose will only be the Warrior, who will always oppose and wield my sword against her.

Haron’s purple eyes dimmed even more.

He felt exhausted after days of having no sleep and no food.

[My name is Richelios. I will share my power with you when you need it. In return, you have to give me-]

“Warrior.”

At this improper timing, his bedroom door suddenly opened and a face that he didn’t want to see suddenly entered the room.

“Warrior, how the hell did this happen?!”

The Lord hurriedly approached Haron, as if he had lost all his manners and began to argue in a very loud and obnoxious voice.

“How did the soldiers who came with you to attack the devil suddenly teleport back to the capital? Furthermore, your failure to subdue the devil was such a shameful act.”

“…Noisy.”

“Are you working … What?”

In response to Haron’s calm reaction, the lord wrinkled his forehead. But Haron muttered again in a very nonchalant voice.

“I said that you’re being quite noisy. My head started to ache because of you, so do me a favor and shut up.”

“Wh-what did you just say to me…?! You’re being incredibly discourteous, Warrior-.”

Pak…

The lord, who was in the middle of a fit, collapsed on the spot.

Because it happened so quickly, the Lord’s face was the same as the expression he had when he first came in due to his dissatisfaction.

“I have already told you to not be too noisy. Since you made me say it three times, I had no choice but to kill you.”

Haron looked calm for someone who just killed a person.

Oh, this was easy.

He laughed quietly. He felt like his head was getting clearer, which felt nice because his mind had felt foggy for quite some time.

Blood dripped down from Haron’s white face. His eyes folded beautifully into a half-moon shape as if he was incredibly satisfied.

“…Lucia, someday I’ll.”

The words he softly murmured were buried in his quiet laughter and then disappeared into thin air.

~*~

(3RD person POV)

“Devil, please try this! It’s really, really delicious!”

“Yes. Thank you, Tina.”

“I saw flowers in the garden before. If it’s alright with you, would you like to take a walk with me in the garden later in the evening?”

“Of course, that’s fine.”

“Oh, if you’re not feeling well yet, don’t overdo it. Please don’t force yourself because of me…”

“Of course not.”

Lucia smiled briefly and put down the teacup.

“I’m not overdoing it. It’s okay.”

“…”

“I’m okay, Tina.”

Lucia stroked Tina’s hair lightly. She was told that she was okay twice in a row, but Tina still didn’t believe her words.

“I think I’ll have a look around in the basement for a while. I have something I need to check.”

“Yeah…”

“I’ll see you later tonight.”

Leaving those words behind, Lucia left the room. Even her back seemed to sag a little more than usual.

Tina, who looked at Lucia until she left the room completely, let out a small sigh.

[What’s with that sigh? It’s going to affect the atmosphere of the castle.]

Derakal, who had been wandering around the room, suddenly approached Tina.

But of course, rather than approaching Tina directly, it was an action aimed at the cookies on the table.

“Huh, what an ignorant dog who only knows how to eat and play all day, who has no way of knowing how serious the situation is.”

[You think I’m having fun? I just came back from hunting, would you like me to show my prey to you?]

“Agh! You’re not going to bring another beast that’s been completely torn apart, are you? If that’s the case, then go away!”

Tina sighed and stepped back from the table. Thanks to this, Derakal was able to easily snatch a cookie without any trouble.

“Ha, seriously… A dog would really reveal itself through a cookie!”

[Strictly speaking, we’re a cat family.]

Of course, he is a monster before he is an animal.

Tina clenched her fist from anger at the sight of Derakal giggling. But soon, she gave up and sighed.

[What’s wrong, Princess? Did the Devil not play with you today? Or are you mad at the Devil?]

“I’d rather be angry.”

Tina rubbed her chin against her arms on the table.

At first glance, Lucia looked like she always did. Drinking tea, listening to her stories everyday, stroking her hair while smiling…

But Tina, who’d been by her side for so many years by now, knew very well that Lucia’s condition would never be the same again.

“I think I’m depressed, or maybe I’m upset. Or maybe I’m just a little tired… I really don’t know.”

[Okay….? Well, you always looked the same to me.]

“…Ha, I just don’t talk about it because if I do, I might explode from the frustration.”

Tina, sighed again while pondering for a bit with her mouth wide open.

‘Is it because of the Warrior?’

Frankly speaking, if everything was the same, then it meant that Lucia still had the Warrior wrapped around her fingers.

Tina was so infuriated when she heard the news that Lucia went to see him as soon as she woke up because he was the main reason why she was hurt in the first place.

But Tina wasn’t angry with Lucia.

Because ever since she came back, she’s been acting like a person with a screw loose.

“I’m sure something happened out there. I guess she just doesn’t wanna talk about it.”

[Just leave her alone, if she’s forcing herself to act like everything’s okay, then doesn’t that mean she doesn’t want you to worry about her?]

“…Is that so?”

Finally, Tina agreed with Derakal’s words for the first time.

She didn’t like how the Devil was kind to everyone, but it was also because of that kindness that she was able to live a pretty good life now.

“Yeah, I can’t be affected by this now.””

Tina jumped up from her seat.

She just made a decision that it was now her goal to make Lucia happy tonight, while looking at the flowers in the garden.

She promised herself this while clenching her two small fists.

~*~

(Lucia’s POV)

[Where are you going, Fake?]

“The underground storage area.”

Sagna asked while sitting on my shoulder as if it was natural for him to do so, which I didn’t mind at all.

With a lamp in one hand, I stepped onto the stairs going down towards the basement.

Underground dungeons, warehouses, vaults, secret laboratories, etc. This basement was full of dark and stale rooms.

The main reason why I went underground most of the time was because of the safe located down there, where I would take money out for expenses. But today will be different, I thought, as I walked down further inside.

“Last time when I was fighting Haron, I felt something different.”

[Ah, right. I felt it too. The energy of the Mahone stone that exploded like a bomb at the end?]

“Yeah, it was so powerful that I couldn’t handle it at all.”

My fingers still trembled at the energy I felt at that time.

The Warrior was able to knock me down in a single blow because of the enormous power that flowed out of that Mahone stone.

I wonder what kind of monster it was, for it to be able to generate so much power, even in the state of a spirit form without a body. Additionally, how did Haron manage to find that Mahone stone?

To find out, I came down here in the basement where all of the Mahone stones were stored.

At the end of the large warehouse in the basement, there lay a small secretly hidden door.

Shortly after I transmigrated here, it was a place that I found while wandering around the devil’s Castle.

“Did you know that there’s a lot of unusual Mahone stones in this room?”

[I knew about them. But I’ve never been here. Only the devil used to enter this place alone all the time. She didn’t let me enter, even though I was considered to be her most trusted servant.]

“Well, that probably just means that you were not as close to her as you think you were… Ouch, ouch! It hurts. Okay, okay, I was wrong, so please stop pecking me.”

Anyway, this crow, who only knew how to flap his wings, was still quite a good companion. I thought while I roughly patted him with my hands in order to calm this cute little demon.

Sagna tried to flutter violently, protesting further, but then he calmed down as he became conscious of the fact that I had just woken up from a coma.

[…Agh. Come on in. I’m also curious because it’s a place that I’m also visiting for the first time.]

“Okay.”

The door to the secret warehouse, which had been tightly closed, opened automatically with a rustling sound when my hand touched it.

I cautiously stepped inside, step by step.