HKWM | Chapter 5

Looking at Noah’s body, I involuntarily frowned. There were both recent wounds and old scars, but none of them seemed appropriate for a child to bear.

As Noah stepped into the water to wash off the blood, I tried to hide my discomfort and asked him.

“How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

I couldn’t help but let out a sigh. He looked so young and thin, I thought he was around 10, but he’s actually fifteen. That’s middle school age by modern standards. He looked nothing like the kids I knew at that age.

The fact that such a young kid had been used as a Gladiator Slave was infuriating enough, but knowing that he hadn’t been fed properly only added to my wrath. Feeding and taking care of Noah to make him look his age seemed like the first thing to do.

‘But first, what should I do…’

Although I’d brought the child with me, having no information about the Human World made it difficult to know what to do next. I had some knowledge about humans, but it was outdated and not necessarily applicable anymore.

I couldn’t just take a normal human to the Demon Realm…

While Noah was washing up, I returned to my castle and rummaged through the storage.

The previous Wrath, though often angry, wasn’t extravagant, so there was quite a stash of treasures. I hadn’t checked every treasure room, but there was enough to be usable in the Human World.

I grabbed several small, easily disposable jewels and a hood I found tucked away in a corner, intending it for Noah.

Though magically cleaning his old, stained clothes would be effective, it was better to avoid using magic that might transfer my energy. Humans who are powerful magicians or knights might detect my magical presence.

After gathering what I needed, I found Noah shivering as he stepped out of the water. The bewildered expression on his face suggested he thought I might not return. Sorry, but even as a demon, I’m not heartless enough to leave a kid alone in the middle of a forest.

‘Would I even leave him…?’

It seemed I might need to become a bit crueler, especially compared to those humans who had mistreated this young one. ‘Archdemon at risk of losing his job due to their negligence. Is this acceptable?’ might as well be a headline in the Demon Realm news.

“Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

As a child, I had hoped for a kind of guardian angel to appear in my life, but life didn’t work out so easily, and I had to stand up on my own. That’s why the world seemed so harsh to me, feeling even more bitter.

It could be considered cheap sympathy or self-satisfaction. But what does it matter? Back then, I was just a kid who desperately needed any form of sympathy, and Noah isn’t much different from that kid.

Without further thought, I responded.

“You said you didn’t know how to live without committing sins. Then we need to learn by observing other humans. Let’s go.”

Seeing Noah nod bewilderingly, I quickly put the hood on him and scooped him up in my arms. He struggled briefly but soon quietly wrapped his arms around my neck.

His quiet demeanor was cute, but his lack of resistance was unexpected. Considering what had just happened, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had screamed to be put down or started looking for a weapon.

“Why are you so quiet? Are you scared of me?”

“I’m not scared.”

“Then?”

“It’s just that I can’t oppose your will anyway.”

Even if he was an exceptionally skilled killing machine, it was natural for a young human to be unable to resist a demon. Contrary to my expectation that he’d only be physically adept, he seemed quite sharp.

As he fiddled with the hood and avoided my gaze, I slightly raised the corner of my lips.

“Good, you’re doing well. Now close your eyes. You might get motion sickness.”

After ensuring Noah had closed his eyes, I stepped through space again. The destination was the house where he had lived with his family before being dragged to the gladiator arena.

The place we arrived at was more a pile of boards than a house. It lacked proper windows, and the door without a lock seemed like it would fall off with a strong push. Not to mention the dust…

Ssss-

“Eek, a bug!”

I hate bugs more than horror movies. Startled while inspecting the house, I ended up hiding behind Noah, my adult dignity completely abandoned.

“Why is it so big?!”

Noah glanced back at me in shock, then threw the dagger he had been holding. The bisected corpse of a cockroach thudded to the ground—a horrifying sight that made me shut my eyes and magically clean the inside of the house.
My resolution to minimize magic use was embarrassingly forgotten.

Although cleaner and emptier, the house still lacked any furniture. Noah asked, seeing my reaction to the bugs.

“Do you hate bugs?”

“…I’m not fond of them.”

I answered, maintaining the last bit of adult dignity by not admitting outright hate.

“Noah, rest here for a bit.”

“Where are you going?”

“I need to look around a bit… Sorry, but I don’t really know how other humans live either.”

Before Noah could respond, I used an invisibility spell and stepped outside to survey the estate and get a feel for the general atmosphere.

After confirming there was no one nearby who could detect magic sensitively, I dispelled the magic and adjusted the hood I had shaped with magic to cover my distinctive features. Being noticeable was never good.

After converting the jewels I brought from the castle into money and buying clothes for Noah, I returned home to find him pulling a dagger out of the wall.

“What are you doing?”

“A bug came in… I caught it.”

Frowning, I glanced where the dagger had been, and Noah quickly tossed the halved corpse out the window.
Was he catching them because I said I hated them? It was thoughtful, albeit in the strangest way I had seen.

“I wanted to buy some food too, but it seems there aren’t proper containers for takeaway.”

“……”

Noah just stared up at me, not understanding. I smiled at him reassuringly.

“Put on the clothes. Let’s go eat.”

Dressed in clean new clothes, Noah and I stepped out to get dinner. Adjusting the hood further with magic to make sure his face was well-hidden, Noah asked.

“Is that also magic?”

“Yes.”

“Did you make mine like that?”

“No, yours is real.”

“Why?”

As we walked briskly towards the cleanest, largest restaurant I could find, holding Noah’s hand to prevent us from being separated in the crowd seemed a bit excessive, but necessary. He didn’t pull away or reject it, though he kept fidgeting with his fingers, which was quite adorable.

“Demons have a strong innate energy, so just being around me could transfer some demonic essence. It’s better to use less magic. It’s less hassle than being mistaken for a demon worshipper or contractor.”

“Is that because of me?”

“It’s not really for my benefit, is it?”

As I led a thoughtful child into a decent-looking restaurant and we sat down, the waiter brought the menu. I could understand human languages with magic, but the menu wasn’t very intuitive. The names like ‘December Sea Breeze’ didn’t help in guessing the ingredients or the cooking methods.

“Why are the names like this? December Sea Breeze? Isn’t that just a fancy way of saying it smells fishy?”

It was Noah who stepped in to clarify.

“That means it’s made with ingredients harvested from the sea in December.”

“Oh, is that so? Then what’s ‘Abundant Red Flame’?”

“That’s steak. It means the meat is red and cooked with fire.”

How absurd… Then why is corn soup just called ‘corn soup’? Isn’t that a bit inconsistent? Even with explanations, I couldn’t grasp it, so I ended up relying on Noah to order.

“Let’s eat well today and rest, and we’ll look for a house tomorrow. We’ll stay in an inn for the time being.”

Originally, I had planned for Noah to stay where he had been living until we found a house, but after seeing the place, my mind changed. The house might be shabby, but the brief look I had taken around was enough to feel the unsafe environment intensely. I had underestimated the term ‘slum.’

“Choose a house you like.”

I didn’t intend to deprive him of the opportunity and ability to earn his own living by giving him enough money to last a lifetime, but I wanted to support him until he found some stability in living alone.

The hardest part for me after leaving the orphanage was finding a place to stay, and every time I had to look for a new place after a short-term lease ended, the realization of my unsupported situation made me feel profoundly sorrowful. I didn’t want to see that pitiful sight again, whether from me or from Noah.

A house was a start, and for me, now overflowing with time and money, it was merely a light favor. But Noah responded with a puzzled question.

“A house?”

“Yeah. Learning how other humans live starts after finding a place to live.”

I casually answered but immediately regretted it, realizing Noah might feel uncomfortable suddenly living with someone, especially a demon.

“If it’s uncomfortable, we can arrange two places.”

Traveling between the Demon Realm and the Human World was too inefficient due to the high consumption of magic. Sensing my concern, Noah said.

“I don’t mind living with you, Demon Lord.”

His response seemed reluctant, but not quite. Was he unaware of the situation? It didn’t seem so. He trusted me that much, or perhaps he didn’t feel the dwrath. Why?

As I was about to ask why, the waiter brought our food, cutting off the conversation. Noah’s gaze had already shifted to the food. Of course, considering Noah’s background as a Gladiator Slave, it was evident he hadn’t had regular meals, given his skinny frame.

‘Well, what does the reason matter anyway.’

I quickly concluded and pushed a bowl of soup and a plate of neatly sliced pork in front of Noah.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I’m fine.”

“Don’t you have a favorite food?”

“I don’t need to eat human food, and I don’t particularly want to.”

“What do you eat then?”

“The corrupted souls of humans. That’s my diet.”

Explaining further seemed too complex for young Noah to understand, so I kept it simple. Then I took the fork from Noah, which had a big piece of meat on it.

“Start with the soup. You might get indigestion.”

Noah looked down at his empty hand, clearly disappointed, but I firmly emphasized.

“No. Start with the soup. If you need more, I’ll order as much as you want.”

Noah hesitantly took a spoonful of the soup and put it in his mouth. The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly in enjoyment before returning to neutral.

Watching him eat and finally show a child-like enjoyment made me unwittingly keep my eyes on him as he ate.

After a few spoonfuls of soup, Noah looked up at me again, who hadn’t eaten anything.

“What happens if you don’t eat souls?”

“I get hungry.”

I hadn’t eaten anything in the 120 years I’d been a demon, although I occasionally felt hungry. There hadn’t been any significant change necessitating a meal. However, remembering that Sloth had starved to death not eating souls, it wasn’t something to take lightly.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

At Noah’s question, I chuckled.

“What can you do?”

But the answer that came back wasn’t one I could laugh at.

“I can catch humans that suitable for you to eat.”

“That’s enough. Eat your food. And try to avoid calling me ‘Demon Lord’ in public.”

“Then can you teach me your name?”

“I can tell you, but try not to call me. Even mentioning a demon’s name can transfer some of their energy.”

It’s not like saying it would bring about calamity. Unless there’s a wish to summon, the energy transferred would be minimal, and mentioning it once or twice wouldn’t let anyone notice. But still, I wanted to be cautious, especially with Noah, who would be around me for a while.

“Yes.”

“…Wrath, Las, Sonelon, Ira, Satan. I have many names, but if you need to call me, choose whatever you like.”

At my response, Noah looked surprised and asked.

“…Wrath? Archdemon Wrath?”

“Yes, even Greed called me Wrath in the Underground Space, remember?”

“At that time, the energy was too strong, I was out of it.”

“Well, anyway. Seems you’ve heard of me before.”

It was a foolish thing to say. Nearly every human knew of me.

To humans, demons are objects of disgust and fear, not only for their overwhelming power compared to other races but also for their ability to take souls. Here, souls are precious, something that must be protected for reincarnation.

Moreover, being one of the only seven named Archdemons, I was more than just a figure of fear—I was akin to a calamity. While they might not know the names of the seven Archangels, no one would be unaware of the Archdemons’ names.

Wondering if Noah might start fearing me, his reaction was only slightly surprised and curious.

I handed him the fork after his soup plate was nearly empty. Quietly taking it, he scooped up a big piece of meat and chewed on it, his cheek bulging adorably. I couldn’t resist poking it lightly, and it was soft to the touch.

Noah, rubbing the cheek I had poked, asked.

“So, people call you by those titles, but do you have a real name?”

It was true I didn’t really have a name that was truly mine. Wrath or Satan were more titles associated with my position than my identity. If I died and another Wrath took my place, he would be called the same.

I wondered if the other Archdemons had their own names. After a moment’s thought, I decided Noah might need a unique name to call me by and made one up on the spot.

“‘Jin’. It’s a name only you know. Call me Jin from now on.”

It was derived from my human name, Lee Hyunjin.

“Just me?”

“Yes.”

As Noah pondered this, covered by his hair making his thoughts unreadable, the response he finally gave was endearingly cute.

“My name is Noah.”

I already knew from reading his memories, but it seemed like Noah’s way of introducing himself, so I nodded without hesitation.

“Nice, that’s a beautiful name. Please take care of me, Noah.”

After a while, as Noah mulled over my words, a small voice echoed back.

“Please take care of me, Jin.”