HKWM | Chapter 7

“Go to sleep.”d5ea0f0d950cad53

After dinner, I planned to just check on Noah and head back, but he didn’t look like he was planning to sleep anytime soon.2c013d8a726b5157

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“Do I need to put you to bed every day?”7ea927f2d4145d4e

He really needed to get some rest. I glanced out the window, noticing faint noises and a lingering presence—it seemed the mercenaries from earlier hadn’t completely retreated.997d049d1d59abbc

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“Where are you going?”1ce1b9fa558f9f15

His intuition was too sharp… Without showing my concern, I responded.054a6b8ce9b6c81d

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“Nowhere in the middle of the night. Stop the nonsense and go to sleep.”3c1eaf150885f337

Noah’s lips twitched slightly, clearly a sign of his own form of protest, but eventually, I sighed, amused, and gently held his hand, soothingly stroking his chest with the other.ef42534b0e013d93

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“There, okay? Now close your eyes.”e61345129a988519

Finally, he obeyed without cf2286ecc7 a fuss, and soon, 8ade38c0d1 regular breathing indicated he ce8d8f86aa had fallen asleep. Once sure he was 14c3f239d2 asleep, I quietly slipped 1553a97177 outside.29dce0da4829815d

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Even if those thugs were lost in their folly, they wouldn’t dare enter the room, but just in case, to prevent any harm to Noah, I intentionally walked outside the inn to a secluded area, drawing the mercenaries toward me. It seemed they wanted to intimidate me, forgetting I could detect their sloppy attempts at stealth.a21bfcb041895297

Finding ourselves 457963e457 isolated, I a463fa9b66 stopped and b7442e967d turned around. The mercenaries ecdcde8385 revealed themselves, b77dcb5259 flaunting their 9eac691258 weapons, and 05aa7f36c6 one of f48c5a6a2e them, who fef4d5d933 had made 3134fed490 eye contact 763cca2e3d with me 164a0b4035 earlier, was 664b0210b4 visibly trembling a69125799a behind his 7a9fae8c36 comrades.d8e05de67b314c49

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“Look, he knew we were following! I told you we shouldn’t have come…”0a74e4ef35be2cae

“Shut it, you fool! They’re just naive kids, don’t freak out.”bf452372517ee53f

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I watched 1126e538b2 their pathetic fe79f2d75a squabble with f724fb3bf1 a mix 4e8f77fbca of amusement 5dc45bbe5d and disbelief.31889625cc38edf0

I hadn’t yet killed anyone or consumed a soul. These fools were certainly sinful, but nothing compared to the atrocities I’d seen on the day I first met Noah. In this world, killing a person or two didn’t amount to a significant crime, not to mention that knights and mercenaries were inherently expected to harm others.4ef58207369640fb

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As I was contemplating, bc3d3caf16 I sensed someone approaching 579076f517 with light, cautious steps, 71ca084235 staying just out of 4d050dc6cf reach—I assumed it was 22ebb98b2f a wild animal. But to a2f9a8ee7d my surprise, 484dc25a31 it was 3dc5c47858 Noah, not a93ff5eaef a beast, 0d55215cae who walked 2c96c1f411 out from d22aac7feb between the 75fb5e5069 bushes.88db96596f1831c7

“I thought you were sleeping… How did you get here? And what can you possibly help with?”a4de8dc8863846c2

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“Are you planning to kill these people?”ee6d8e61ca8e9c8a

His tone was as casual as if discussing the weather, and I found myself speechless. But Noah didn’t stop there.1dd43fc1e3ad58bf

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“Humans usually die if you hit their neck, heart, or lungs. Skin is tougher than you think, so you need a sharp blade or a lot of force. If the blade hits a bone and gets stuck, twist the wrist slightly to bypass the bone and push deeper.”acdbd46b83ce14ff

“What… Noah.”2b1bc10b495ee3f3

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“Ah, don’t you use a knife?”f6282d72d3c850c6

His offer to 7dc434afcc help was clear, a37760f300 but I was 507b640f64 at a loss 451bd692e7 for words. Never had d63cfbf1c1 I expected 01747c61cf a lecture 7c499cd56c on how e3dc44ef3e to kill df0b7edad1 from a 601d3d128c child.6c9ba5c68ebe948b

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“Shall I do it for you?”d67c8fa554de9a34

He wanted to 9b437279ce repay me, so 0345f50986 if it was f3c951b823 okay, he would 607b6bdb40 do the killing. The proposal, 8716a65f95 following his df3f03d8c3 morbid instructions, d5b7fd7882 left me cd8be5dc77 needing to 827ce5267d catch my a14ecdb4c8 breath.67b95eb5e62393fa

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“Let’s… talk about this tomorrow.”e2952301e15cf333

“Huh?”1fb9906cb6b7e2a8

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“Sleep well, Noah.”e82f1a3f7aba9238

With that, I 98c5749460 covered his eyes 23e27622c0 with my palm 34c4ff9b9d and teleported him cbb2629e2f back to the 40cc04cee2 bed in our 9dfc6ea606 lodging. The mercenaries, who were 8270d26a6b bickering nervously, paused in 358445c30a shock as Noah vanished.a261b3905d067880

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“What the… Was he a wizard?!”bf6a322c61c6e987

“Damn it… A wizard? Why would someone like that be here… Did he just use a scroll?”995f013fa52743d0

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If only they knew 17886d75ea a wizard would have ec5e22f499 been less of a 9507fc7700 threat.825db70419c0c999

I waved my hand, d8038b7f84 and the mercenaries collapsed d0c7ec58e1 without a sound, their 196110677c lives extinguished as simply 083d348d10 as if I had a8cef13334 swatted flies.a7e7c1f7664c248c

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Killing them c984dec3c0 and consuming cf97c124ea their souls ef396b9e98 was as 50e6a64330 easy as 0f31cd31e2 moving my 84f137d5aa body, and 637ff5a266 not as 18cfec6f86 horrific as 59eaf1ea3e I had 263e06ffc9 anticipated. Only then 77a16e225b did I 60c9fb4ec1 fully realize 79feb9d54e that I c9600a8541 was no 6220a56249 longer anything a48e14606b close to 0c6de13bfb human.3750663dc600ca98

The Demon Lord didn’t worry about my lingering human memories. From the moment I was reborn as a demon, and throughout the time I spent alone in the fortress, my humanity had been gradually eroded away.72829889b7aeffd6

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***303991d713622c20

After disposing of the mercenaries’ bodies, I returned to the inn and collapsed on the bed. My thoughts naturally drifted to Noah.353144a93a0d6713

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I had known from the first that he was an exceptional child, but I hadn’t realized his understanding of basic moral concepts was so lacking. Teaching him seemed a daunting task.9862196353674255

Knock, knock—Creak—c3eb05fc14803059

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Lost in thought, 0d18a27298 I was startled b0a7c177d9 by a knock 4c8460c085 and the careful c9d13bb226 opening of the 009497b3ff door as Noah 1eca50aab1 entered without waiting 932d86c13d for a reply, c0394aef0c clearly anxious.05336181a27defdf

“…Jin, did I do something wrong?”3594e0259c4dfec0

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His voice was tinged with insecurity, prompting me to finally address the thoughts I’d been wrestling with.d0e791ad250d8c55

“Come here, Noah.”830313adb320c21c

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He hesitated, then approached.0289861799b1a261

“Do you remember I told you I’d teach you how to live normally?”45fc6196774f9b31

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“Yes.”2a270f91ec715363

“Randomly killing people isn’t normal, at least by human standards. You’ve survived in a kill-or-be-killed environment, but you know that’s not normal, right?”1c1287f360e03a9d

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“Yes.”096e10eda101bc07

“It’s not that you should never use force. Trying to talk to someone who’s immediately threatening you with a knife is foolish. What I mean is, it’s better to resolve things through dialogue whenever possible.”cff44c8f8acf3675

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“Like when you negotiated the price of the house yesterday?”84564f171d94f784

That was unexpected. While I 055821b847 believed in 5d5a82a84b rational spending, 3aa7b59777 that example 412ed28c4b made me 29b0dc575c slightly embarrassed.2f349139d4a29c02

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“Well, yes. Anyway, if dialogue fails, then physical confrontation can follow, and if that’s not enough, weapons may be necessary. Sometimes, a situation only resolves when someone dies. But my point is…”c63964b4317ce5f7

Noah waited quietly for e0b6b32656 me to continue.8e6945fb37ae43f4

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“You should avoid shedding blood whenever possible.”983ce780a7e35f1a

“Okay, I’ll do as you say, Jin.”df1258ef690c6999

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His prompt response was admirable, but I wondered if he truly understood. He hadn’t simply shifted from outright killing to considering more covert methods of violence, had he?694c136acef8845f

“Especially you, you might have to endure more than most.”d909f86fb5818d6e

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“Why?”8f2efb1ce3bdf4b6

“Because you’re going to be stronger than most humans.”299d9ee3be1a7c4a

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He looked ab7020c68d confused, so 469a41b36f I clarified 751df53ecb something I c9bf59e1ce should have d9f37acd38 mentioned earlier.eb1752bb32aa014a

“Do you know why you were made a gladiator slave?”649b442f3478d47d

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“Because I was weak.”f3e287ef7e5a173a

“Partially true. You’re weak now, but soon you’ll be far stronger than most humans. That’s why a child like you could be a gladiator slave. Being strong means having things that others can’t easily take from you.”18e1801815896f8c

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Blood stains on the body wash off with a bath, but sins etched on the soul do not. While Noah’s exterior seemed freshly cleaned, his soul still bore the marks of bloodshed. Yet, with more days ahead of him than behind, his future actions could change everything.88f831cbaf67fcaa

Heaven offers humans opportunities to redeem themselves, never fully withdrawing the path of righteousness unless they’re utterly corrupt. But demons capitalize on human folly, quickly claiming souls to ensure they don’t lose their due.4d025b535488ac10

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Being claimed a245b21897 by a 70f35a1732 demon means c1f46d219c an end c016b5f78d to the 0831b93955 cycle of b0f589df42 rebirth and 138e2df153 a permanent f739518c46 fall from 81a0bcc5bf grace.55c05c59edca6037

However, Noah still had c5496c90e1 a chance to turn 710efa3078 back, and I wanted c10f1d2782 to ensure he lived 377b957ed4 a normal life.100e07fa0f8abd31

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“Being strong doesn’t mean you have the right to commit sins. So, living normally, like others, will require even more patience from you. Remember, enduring is the path to a normal life. If you don’t want to meet another demon like me, choose the hard path. Do you understand?”e45b9dbbef8ab524

“Yes.”9efe5456220ba541

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“Let’s really go to sleep now.”d7e9baf0c125a704

Noah took my 897da47ce1 hand and quietly 232a4147e1 followed me.eebd76069e0801c1

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Yes, the child who had awkwardly fidgeted with his fingers when I first held his hand, had now naturally grasped it. Even if he didn’t understand everything now, continued guidance would change him.e80cf4d9710bce15

I smiled warmly f8ab363c71 and led Noah c63b3b3e58 by the hand.ce585b2d42e6db5d

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***5c364a15664db939

After ordering from the 99da205195 now familiar menu and c6e95d5889 while waiting for our 2e28b5ab86 food, Noah, lost in 82bdd720c9 thought, asked,4c02e6792573b70d

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“Jin, what happened to those mercenaries yesterday?”95b610c1bb5bbcb1

Should I tell him the truth or add a little fiction? After a moment of hesitation, considering Noah wasn’t a child easily frightened or whose innocence would be shattered, I decided to be straightforward.6ff28f835710882c

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“I ate them.”e69f273ad9db557f

The answer ad5b329147 omitted much 1580d2f7a9 context, but a7cbb2f672 smart as c8fdade7a2 he was, 642c4e108b Noah seemed b033c9653c to understand. However, sensing 4efa2507e4 something off 9cd75a153f in my 4d930dd573 expression, he 4e5260ff01 inquired further.1ff977bc950f8904

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“Why? Did they taste bad?”eee32c07cfcadec1

“Taste? I don’t really know. I was very hungry, so I think they tasted alright.”a655035487a9f7b7

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I truly didn’t remember much. It was my first time killing someone and consuming a soul, and the heightened state of my senses at the time obscured my normal perceptions.8ef489e8aa13bafe

“Was it because you hadn’t eaten souls in a while?”8246583385db1759

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“Yeah, that’s right.”d17ceee338f24a5f

“Why didn’t you eat sooner?”ed48bb27434472b5

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Flustered by his barrage of questions, I felt slightly foolish for hesitating to kill as a demon. But knowing Noah wouldn’t spread rumors—and who would believe him if he did?—I decided to be honest.0c149a5138d460e8

“I just didn’t feel like it. You might find it funny, but I don’t like unnecessary killing. I waited as long as I could.”557aa1817a9c9ce4

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Noah nodded profoundly, as 0770480883 if he had come 43315b865d to some realization. Whatever he was 1fe2eb2f2a thinking, he seemed 1ba0c8cbe3 to have resolved c4446db128 some internal questions.1157cc388ce232a2

“Should I help you?”976d9c994161b272

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