HKWM | Chapter 48

The fact that they had already arrived here, given that I hadn’t responded to the first summoning circle and they had detected the demonic energy it released, meant they must have already been close by.

‘What on earth is Pride up to that has these creatures scouring the Human World?’

Whatever it was, it wasn’t my concern. My priority was to avoid the pursuit of the paladins, so I decided to carry Noah and leave the place without using magic. However, a sudden idea stopped me in my tracks.

It occurred to me that this could actually be a chance to prove Noah’s innocence. Moreover, if I played my cards right, I might be able to entrust him to a very trustworthy place.

My acting skills were questionable, but the arrival of the group seemed to negate the need for worry.

“You are…!”

“A demon! Arm yourselves!”

As they recognized the presence of a demon and gathered their holy energy, I figured even a sloppy deception would likely work on them.

I stepped away from Noah and smiled, baring my teeth.

“Oh, what do we have here? A flock of the Feathered One’s minions has swarmed in.”

“How dare—!”

“‘How dare’?”

As I wiped the smile off my face and summoned my demonic energy, they inhaled sharply, raising their holy power. They seemed to struggle even to breathe against my aura.
They hadn’t figured out exactly who I was but seemed convinced I was a formidable demon as their vigilance intensified.

“Kids, you might think to act all low and despicable, but why bare your teeth? Wouldn’t you rather preserve your pathetic lives to serve the Feathered One’s intentions?”

“…What do you want?”

I casually pointed to the charred remains of the summoning circle.

“I was summoned here. Came all this way because of the summoning circle, only to find it infested with vermin which I had to exterminate.”

Considering the divine power I felt, none of these knights seemed high-ranking enough to recognize my true identity, so I could behave however I pleased.

One could guess by appearances to some extent, and since they knew how to use magic, altering appearances was easy and hence not a reliable indicator.

“But I plan to take that little one because he smells delicious.”

“Could it be…!”

The knights started to stir, realizing Noah was a survivor of this massacre. Their eyes now blazed with resolve, clearly determined to protect Noah from me. Good, everything was proceeding smoothly.

“But he’s not yet corrupted, and it doesn’t look like he’ll give up his soul willingly. I plan to slowly corrupt him and then devour him completely.”

“This is outrageous…!”

“Now, will you step aside? I’m quite busy and have plans to put a lot of effort into this.”

As I spoke, they exchanged glances and then took a stance as if ready to engage in battle. Whether it was out of a will to not flee from evil as paladins, or to protect Noah from being violated by a demon, they were prepared to fight even if it meant dying here.

If it were any other demon, I might have mocked their foolhardiness, but I was actually grateful they reacted exactly as expected.

“You want to fight? You’ll all die.”

“We do not flee from evil!”

I feigned interest and curled the corners of my eyes.

“Interesting. How about a more entertaining proposition? If you answer my question honestly, I’ll let both the kid and all of you leave alive.”

“…What’s your scheme?”

“I’m genuinely curious about something. Besides, even if you leave here alive, taking the kid back from me would be boringly easy.”

Their gazes concentrated on one knight, likely the one with the authority to decide.

“…We’ll listen to the question and decide.”

I expected them to outright refuse, citing a refusal to negotiate with evil. Luckily, they seemed flexible enough to prefer taking Noah alive rather than dying together.

Agreeing to listen to the question implied that they might refuse to answer if it was too sensitive, so my inquiry needed to be insightful yet indirect enough to gauge their reactions. I thought for a moment and then asked.

“Is your scouring of the area related to the Archdemon ‘Pride’?”

While other, seemingly lower-ranking knights blinked in confusion, the authoritative knight twitched, betraying his discomfort. Not all information seemed to be shared among them, but that reaction pretty much confirmed my guess.

What on earth is Pride concocting that even got the heavyweights like archangels involved? Although this question-answer session was merely a ruse, I nodded as if satisfied.

“Well, I got the answer I needed. You may go.”

“…Are you truly letting us go?”

“Why? Should I just tear you all to pieces? I told you, taking the kid back would be easy. Just consider it a brief diversion.”

The knights were visibly outraged at my casual mention of ruining a human life as if it were a mere game.

“Then hide well. Until next time.”

I stopped my musings and, with an easy smile as if I had read their intentions, tore through space to return to the demonic castle.

The last thing I saw was the paladins approaching the collapsed Noah, a sight that reassured yet saddened me; it felt like confirmation that guarding Noah was no longer my responsibility.

“…No, it’s a relief.”

Having hinted that I would continue to pursue Noah, the knights would likely take him to the Holy Empire for protection. Even if they didn’t take him to the Holy Empire, they would certainly guard him well, so now I really didn’t need to worry about his safety.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t end up causing another perilous scene by offering his blood to worshippers thinking it might summon me again.

If he was with the Holy Empire, among humans, he was in the most trustworthy hands. In human fantasy novels, the church often symbolizes corruption or dark schemes, but not here.

If everyone else turned to evil and betrayed the celestial beings, the paladins and priests would be the last to stand.

Those who follow celestial beings and angels consider it taboo as much to serve evil as it is to harm and exploit humans. In fact, it was the angels’ job to punish corrupt clergy.

Given the human inability to harbor multiple energies simultaneously, some knights and priests couldn’t handle holy power because they had already awakened to mana and aura.

However, violating this taboo would make them targets of celestial retribution, ensuring that no one dared to commit such folly.

If Pride was indeed up to something in the Human World as I suspected, and the archangels would be busy here for a while, I was comforted knowing Noah could be in trustworthy human company in my absence.

Even though one of my concerns had been resolved, a melancholic feeling lingered, prompting me to fling open the windows I had long kept shut.

“Maybe it’s time for a card game.”

It had been about one year and three months since I had returned to the demonic realm, and I finally left the castle.

As decided by rock-paper-scissors, today’s game was “Catch the Thief,” Lust’s choice. Without eyes, nose, or mouth, his face was perfect for poker, which he frustratingly preferred.

“Can’t you just show your face when we play?”

“No.”

I had seen his features spontaneously appear during a conversation once, so it was clear he was obscuring his face on purpose. Demons truly were an incomprehensible breed.

As Gluttony carefully eyed the back of Lust’s card to choose his draw, Lust asked.

“So, Patiencia, that troublesome one, is really in the Human World because of Pride?”

“Yeah, the knights are causing havoc everywhere. What are they looking for?”

“Who knows? Why bother?”

As I had mentioned before, demons can’t use their full power in the Human World without forcibly tearing open a portal—a process that requires immense power and time, often intercepted by angels before it can even complete, usually escalating to a celestial war.

From the angels’ perspective, there was no need to actively stop Pride. Demons couldn’t seize the Human World anyway.

Many demons, handicapped as they were, had been decapitated while making a ruckus in the Human World, though just as many had been cut down by knights before they could even attempt anything significant.

Not that being an Archdemon would have made much difference.

“Is there no way for a demon to unleash their full power in the Human World other than by tearing open a portal?”

“Other than that?”

“Yes.”

With his turn passed and some time to think, Gluttony answered after a moment.

“Well, even if the Celestials made many arrangements for humanity, there are bound to be loopholes. But it would be tricky and cumbersome. Is it really worth the effort to seize the Human World?”

Even if Pride did manage to take over the Human World, the Celestials and angels would continually intervene, inevitably leading to war.

“Pride isn’t like you; he’s not a warmonger.”

“I’m not the previous Wrath.”

“Regardless.”

As Lust pointed out, if Pride wasn’t driven by a lust for battle and bloodshed, the potential gains hardly seemed worth the immense risk.

“Just because I’m not a warmonger doesn’t mean the current Pride couldn’t be.”

“From what we’ve seen of his actions so far, that seems unlikely. And why go to such lengths to fight? Just invade the Celestial Realm directly.”

“That’s true…”

After picking my card and pondering for a moment, Lust added.

“Besides, demons targeting the Human World is plainly a form of entertainment. Envying and coveting what they can’t have, even crossing lines, it’s all just a game to them. Like what we’re doing right now.”

The most precious thing to a demon is a human soul, not only a powerful elixir for strengthening but also a duty for an Archdemon. However, seeking to take human souls in unauthorized ways is a kind of sport for them.

The actions of demons who had targeted the Human World were merely part of this game, not truly aimed at conquering it. While some eccentrics might have been serious, most didn’t believe they could snatch humanity from the Celestials.

“So Pride targeting the Human World is either an extension of this game…”

I chose Gluttony’s card as I anticipated the continuation of his thought.

“…or he’s really up to some insane scheme, risking his life on it.”

Whatever Pride was up to, I hoped it wouldn’t affect Noah… Hiding my unease, I carefully selected Gluttony’s card. It was a joker.

“Ah, damn it—”

“Three losses in a row is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“Did you guys rig this?”

“Even if we did, noticing it would be your skill.”

“Ah…”

I irritably laid down the joker. Today, the joker cards seemed ominously significant.