HKWM | Chapter 8

“I swear, your offers to help are giving me neurosis. What now?”

“If you don’t like unnecessary killing, I’ll gather some humans suitable for Jin to eat. I could even kill them for you. Wouldn’t that make things easier for Jin?”

I covered my face with both hands again, feeling conflicted. I had explained it before… Clearly, we still had a long way to go.

“Don’t worry. I’m not so feeble that I need help from a kid like you. If I wanted, I could blow up this whole domain right now.”

“I know that. You’re an Archdemon. But I don’t mind doing things that Jin hates….”

“Noah, what did I tell you earlier?”

“But… this would mean someone has to die?”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant don’t bloody your hands for no reason. I’m a demon, so it doesn’t matter if I kill a few humans. But you’re not like that. Don’t commit sins for things that aren’t necessary for you. You shouldn’t even have preferences when it comes to committing sins, but if you did, you should dislike it. That’s what’s normal.”

“…Okay.”

I roughly understood why Noah had made such a suggestion. He probably saw the favors I had shown him as transactions. Demons were naturally like that.

Perhaps for Noah, who had never received a favor without strings attached, this situation was even more confusing.

“…Noah, a young and weak being, should be protected by grown-ups. That’s absolutely normal. You’ve just been in abnormal situations, and now you’re finally getting back to how things should be.”

I quietly watched the child’s face, half-hidden by his hair. Initially, I thought it was just unkempt, but seeing Noah compulsively check to make sure his face was covered, I realized it wasn’t by accident.

He had a reason for not wanting to show his face, but I didn’t press it, assuming it wasn’t for a good reason.

“So, all you need to do is quietly accept the favors I give you. If you must repay them, save it for the children you meet when you’re an adult.”

“But I want to repay Jin, not someone else.”

“I’m the adult here with the most to give among all the humans.”

Of course, I knew what Noah was trying to say. All the adults he had met so far had either ignored him or used him, but finally, someone had helped him, whether human or demon, what did it matter?

Still, I hoped young Noah wouldn’t get disillusioned with humans too soon. He wasn’t meant to live with me but with other humans.

How could he go on living with them if he started to hate and despise them? That might be even more horrific than anything he had experienced so far.

I lightly touched the top of his head, messing up his hair so his face wouldn’t show.

“Noah, don’t be mistaken. Demons are much worse than humans, and I’m no exception.”

He looked unconvinced, but just as he was about to retort, a server kindly brought over our food, ending the conversation. I deftly avoided answering his difficult question by pushing plates towards him.

The house preparations finished quicker than expected thanks to a decent tip. With all the furniture moved in and cleaned up, the place looked even more respectable than when we first visited. Noah seemed quite pleased as he looked around the house and then glanced up at me.

“…But isn’t this house expensive?”

“More expensive than the skewers you’re eating.”

Noah quietly looked down at the skewer he was holding, trying to gauge the cost of the house. Whether I laughed or not, he remained serious.

“Kid, no matter how expensive the house is, it’s nothing to worry about for me.”

“Jin, I’m not a kid anymore.”

“Okay, not a kid, maybe a little one then.”

“…I’m not little either.”

The broker who introduced us to the shop had all the furniture installed and even set up essential items, so all that was left to buy was Noah’s clothing. Just in case something was missing, I inspected every corner of the large house, suddenly overwhelmed by the thought of having to clean this vast space without magic.

‘Well, I can’t let Noah stay in a house filled with magical residue…’

Although I had lived as a demon for 120 years, I still remembered how to keep house from my human days, so it shouldn’t be too hard. I nodded vigorously, ready to show off my domestic skills honed over ten years of living alone.

However, my boasted skills were nowhere to be found. Breaking dishes while washing them was the norm, and the places I cleaned still had dust on them.

Watching me struggle, Noah finally intervened after I mistakenly added salt instead of sugar while cooking.

“I’ll do it.”

“No, I can handle it…”

“It’s Jin who’s the kid, not me.”

Noah must have meant it as a joke, but I felt dizzy, as if I had been struck on the head.

‘Am I… really this incompetent?’

Perhaps I had idealized my memories of being human too much? Was I always this flawed? I was beginning to doubt myself when Noah’s phrases ‘Shall I do it?’ ‘I’ll handle it.’ stuck.

Even now, after breaking more dishes during washing, I was chased out to the living room by Noah. I tried to insist on finishing up, but there were no more dishes left, forcing me to retreat.

Sitting gloomily on the sofa, I waited for Noah when I suddenly sensed a crude magical energy. It felt impure, even more so than any beast I had encountered in the Demon Realm. It seemed like a monster.

Just to be sure, I went outside. As I waited in the yard, the crude magic gradually approached. Not wanting to see blood, I slightly unleashed my own magic to scare it away.

Screaming, the monster collapsed to the ground before I could even act, and did not move again. I hadn’t even started, so the situation was more baffling than anything. It seemed the capabilities of this body were beyond my expectations.

Hearing the noise, Noah came out and looked at me hesitantly.

“What happened?”

“A monster showed up.”

“Is it dead?”

It was, but…

The creature was such that an Archdemon could kill it just by breathing, a fact I found unfortunate and didn’t really want to know.

“Yeah, it is…”

I had to dispose of the body, so I walked towards where the magic was strongest. The monster lay a bit off the backyard path, and seeing its corpse, my face contorted involuntarily.

It appeared to be a spider originally, but it had far too many legs and its eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out.

“Wow… why does it look like that? It’s so gross…!”

I recoiled, and for the first time, Noah’s lips curled into a smile. I thought I was seeing things, but he was definitely laughing.

“Are there no creatures like that in the Demon Realm?”

“Huh?”

“I thought maybe only pretty ones like Jin existed there.”

Amused by Noah’s naive imagination, I burst out laughing.

Actually, it’s a logical assumption. Demons, being entities that feed on corrupted souls and even covet uncorrupted ones, enjoy luring and corrupting healthy humans. In that sense, my face, which Noah mistook for an angel’s at first sight, is perhaps the most demonic of all.

“No, there are uglier things than that. Ever seen a moving plant? Like a beast, it has teeth and makes a sticky sound when it opens and closes its mouth. Greed looked weird too, remember? The Demon Realm is a terrifying place.”

Feeling emotional as I spoke, Noah asked with a laugh in his voice,

“Should I clean it up then?”

“No, let it be. I’ll handle it.”

Housework was one thing, but I couldn’t let Noah handle this. I promptly burned the monster’s corpse with magic. Strangely, even the burning smell was foul, so I covered my nose with my hand and quickly grabbed Noah’s hand when it was all done.

“Ugh, that smell… Let’s go.”

We hurried away from the spot, and behind me, I heard a small laugh. Turning around, I saw the usually emotionless child laughing out loud for the first time. Seeing his refreshing laughter and curled lips made my own lips twitch involuntarily.

“…That’s a betrayal, you know. After all I’ve done for you, how can you laugh when I’m in trouble?”

Despite feeling proud and happy, I couldn’t help but grumble a bit.

Noah, knowing it was just a jest, simply laughed it off while gripping my hand even tighter.