HKWM | Chapter 51

Even without having been briefed on the situation, Kyle realized immediately upon seeing the knight that his actions had been discovered. But he didn’t run away. More accurately, he couldn’t. No matter how much he struggled, he knew all too well that escaping from a knight, without any proper training, was futile.

The knight, facing no resistance from Kyle, easily apprehended him and locked him up in the dungeon right away.

‘How did they find out? I thought the Count was often away preparing for the succession ceremony.’

Indeed, the Count had been frequently away, preparing for the demon summoning that would take place during the ceremony.

This gave Kyle a bit more freedom to act, but what he failed to consider was that the Count had eyes everywhere in the mansion—quite literally. The Count, who trusted no one and worshipped demons, used demonic powers to surveil the mansion personally.

Naturally, Kyle’s attempts to smuggle out a sacrifice had been discovered well before he could enact them.

Given his young age and cunning, the Count had just observed him, planning to adopt him or take him as a servant if he caused no trouble. However, trying to sneak out a sacrifice was interfering with the meticulously planned summoning ritual, prompting the Count to lock Kyle in the dungeon immediately.

Locked up, Kyle tried his best to behave to not further provoke the Count’s wrath, while coiling up in a corner and calmly assessing the situation. The Count watched him silently from beyond the bars with eyes granted by the demon.

Originally intended to be used just for the summoning circle, the Count, considering his moderate quality, decided Kyle would be suitable as a tribute to the demon.

“Keep him well until the ceremony. Demons prefer beautiful things,” the Count ordered, whether referring to the soul or the shell, and left the dungeon without further ado.

—

This succession ceremony was conducted with exceptional grandeur, thanks to the current heir’s unmatched talent. The success of the demonic contract was almost guaranteed, and the real question was which demon would be contracted.

The Viscount had declared his intent to contract with Wrath, an Archdemon—a first among the family heads, hence the meticulous preparations.

During the contract, not only the contractor’s quality but also offering a tribute that could satisfy the whimsical demon was crucial. It was as if the contractor was demonstrating their ability to provide equally fine and superior souls in the future.

Thus, the Count had used anyone with a suitable soul as a tribute, regardless of whether they were his own children or wives. Kyle was among them.

After the sorcerers of the Count’s family completed the summoning circle, knights empowered it by slitting the sacrifices’ throats and stabbing their hearts, aiming to draw as much blood as possible. Then it was Mysire’s turn. Kyle did not look away, watching till the end.

The reason was unclear—was it regret for almost having succeeded in his plan, or pity for not being able to save his younger ‘brother’ properly?

Thump—

As Mysire’s body collapsed in terror, the summoning circle, now fully powered, activated with a low hum.

While everyone was distracted by the circle, Kyle, having hidden a blade in his shoe sole, cut the magically reinforced ropes binding him. The blade, though a defective artifact from a past payment, was sufficient to sever mana.

Now free but still pretending to be bound, Kyle cautiously scouted for an exit but found himself turning towards the summoning circle involuntarily, sensing a terribly sinister energy leaking from it.

‘What the hell did these maniacs summon…’

He knew they had attempted to summon Wrath, but even without fully manifesting, the sheer scale and destructive essence of that evil were overwhelming.

Desperately thinking of escape, Kyle felt the air change and his body begin to convulse uncontrollably as if a stone weighed down his lungs, and his teeth chattered as though thrown into a blizzard. This was no mere cold.

Death was approaching.

Escape was futile.

The demon that had emerged would mercilessly consume everything. Only then did Kyle truly realize the grim fate awaiting him as his soul was about to be taken by the demon.

‘What happens after my soul is taken?’

Having never experienced death, how could he know what eternal oblivion was? But it was clear he was about to face an even more horrific end than the other sacrifices, who had merely served as mediums to open the summoning circle with their life force and blood.

‘Or perhaps, the demon will consume the souls of those sacrifices as well.’

As he braced himself against his instinctual fear by recalling every distant memory he could, choosing the few joyful and peaceful days—regrettably, they were few, given his life had started in an orphanage and shifted to the back alleys.

But then, something unexpected happened.

“Little ones, I do not make contracts with humans. Do not bother me again.”

The summoned Archdemon rejected the contract and even hinted at leaving without a slaughter.

Why it showed such capricious mercy was unimportant. This was nothing short of a miraculous last chance. Yet, the foolish Viscount was desperately trying to secure a contract.

No longer afraid of the Viscount in the presence of the much more fearsome and cruel Wrath, Kyle thought, ‘Even if the Viscount is scary, Wrath, who could decide to annihilate us all on a whim, is worse.’ Thus, he hesitantly took out the knife again, not daring to meet Wrath’s eyes.

“Child, stabbing yourself with that knife will only hurt you.”

It was Wrath who stopped Kyle. He quickly put the knife away, although confusion did not fade quickly.

‘The voice… it was kind.’

No, that couldn’t be. Unless his ears were deceived by fear, since when was a demon kind?

However, the perplexed feeling did not last long as the Viscount and his son, as if insane, tried to control Wrath with their arrogant words and actions, upsetting him.

As expected, Wrath did not forgive their presumptuousness, and a voice as chilling as the north wind settled over the silence.

“Congratulations, little one. You have no future.”

That was the final sentence.

Stunned, Kyle looked up as a loud burst sound seemed to tear through the air. The Viscount, his son, and all their knights and sorcerers lay dead, horribly mangled.

Taking in the brutal scene, Kyle flinched and quickly looked down again, fearing he might end up the same.

Ah, ah, ah! Ahh!

Suddenly, countless voices screamed as if being tortured, echoing around him. Maintaining his composure became impossible as Kyle’s heart pounded and sweat drenched his clothes, instinctively knowing the most terrible end for a human lay at the source of those sounds.

The dreadful screams abruptly stopped.

Their turn, those still alive and meant to be tributes, was undoubtedly next.

Unable to control his trembling body, Kyle hoped only for less pain as he held his breath, but oddly, no change came for a long while.

‘…Am I already dead and just a soul?’

Muttering nonsense to himself, Kyle tentatively lifted his head. Someone was standing where the summoning circle had been, and their eyes met.

It was the first time he had directly faced such immense evil.

Yet, what should have been a dramatic moment was eerily calm. Contrary to expectations, his eyes did not burn up facing such colossal sin, nor did his lungs burst from the malevolent magic.

Moreover, contrary to his infamous appearance, the Archdemon named Wrath seemed more like a spirit descended among men. Even an unusual crack at the corner of one eye didn’t make him seem grotesque; it only emphasized his unreal existence.

As Kyle stared, mesmerized by those blood-red eyes full of ominous magic, he suddenly prostrated himself as if bowing.While others, destined to be tributes like him, trembled like prey caught in a trap, they also seemed just as perplexed as he was.

Feeling Wrath’s gaze still on him, Kyle crawled a bit closer without lifting his head.

“Great one, what, what should I do?”

It was a desperate plea for survival. Watching Kyle struggle to force a smile, Jin asked softly.

“Family?”

“…Pardon?”

“No family?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Get up.”

Kyle hesitated but stood up.

Even as he watched Jin approach, he didn’t run. Not out of a desire not to provoke any action, but because, unlike with the Viscount, he didn’t feel threatened by Jin. He knew how ridiculous it sounded even as he thought it.