Chapter 5 - Private Conversation
Chapter 5 - Private Conversation
After the Heavenly Demon departed with Saintess Auriel, the holy knights remained in the cavern.
Not a single one of them spoke.
Only after thirty minutes had passed did their commander finally break the silence.
“We’re leaving.”
The Heavenly Demon’s condition had been clear: they were not to move until thirty minutes after his departure—and under no circumstances were they to pursue him.
“Where to, Commander?”
“Back to headquarters. Reporting this to the Holy See takes priority above all else.”
“But the Saintess—!”
“That’s precisely why we must return with all haste.”
The commander’s tone was stern as he reprimanded his subordinate.
“As much as it pains me, facing that being with our current forces is impossible. Worse, with the Saintess taken hostage, any further provocation on our part would only endanger her further. Our duty now is to request reinforcements as swiftly as possible.”
Placing a hand on his lieutenant’s shoulder, the commander softened his voice.
“Let’s go.”
Once the holy knights had departed, the cavern was left in silence—save for the corpses strewn across the ground.
Or at least, it should have been.
Whoosh—
From the shadows clinging to the stalactites, an amorphous black mass emerged.
At first glance, it resembled mist—or perhaps a slime-like liquid drifting unnaturally through the air.
No one would have guessed that this shifting, formless darkness was Vertus.
One of the Sixty Fallen Angels, the Sky Devil.
Seven hundred years ago, he had descended upon the continent with his legion of demons, staining the heavens with his darkness—a calamity upon mankind.
Though the united armies of every nation on the continent had barely managed to repel him after a week of brutal warfare,
the despair and terror he had instilled in the people remained vividly preserved in historical records to this day.
“Damn it all!”
The first thing he did upon manifesting was attempt to kick the corpse of the useless Hakram Cult leader.
But he couldn’t. He had no legs.
The summoning ritual had only been half-successful. Instead of possessing the vessel prepared for him, Vertus had been dragged into the mortal realm as nothing more than a disembodied spirit.
“What in the… What the hell happened?”
Vertus was baffled.
Nothing had gone wrong during the summoning.
Yet the ritual had failed, leaving him stranded in this incomplete, shapeless state.
If things remained like this, his plans to descend upon the mortal realm once more would end in failure.
What infuriated him even more was the fact that nearly half of his already diminished power had been stolen by the vessel—
the black-haired stranger from another dimension who had been summoned alongside him.
“…Tch.”
Merely recalling that man sent another shudder through Vertus.
For some reason, the stranger radiated an aura similar to that of demons—one so overwhelming that it could rival even a Grand Demon Lord. Perhaps even Vertus himself.
And now, with that man having stolen a portion of his power, it was entirely possible that the incomplete Vertus was no match for him.
Figuring out the chain of events could wait.
The most urgent matter was regaining his strength.
Whether by reclaiming his stolen power from the vessel or corrupting humans to replenish his reserves with tainted mana, he needed to restore his lost strength to complete his descent.
“…I’ll follow the vessel. There might be an opportunity to reclaim my power.”
Vertus resolved to tail the Heavenly Demon and the Saintess.
“Don’t say a word. I’ll handle everything. And obviously, you’re forbidden from emitting that demonic aura—or whatever you call it.”
Before entering Petin Village, the Saintess gave me strict instructions.
If she wanted to take charge, I wasn’t about to complain.
I took a step back and quietly observed as she spoke with the guards, and later, the Village Chief they summoned.
“I see, I see. So you were on a pilgrimage, got lost, and stumbled upon our village. Hmm.”
“Y-yes… It’s embarrassing, but… might we ask for your assistance? We lost most of our supplies to a monster attack…”
What man could refuse when a beautiful silver-haired woman gazed up at him with tearful eyes, pleading for help?
“My, my… What a tragic tale. Of course we’ll help! Though…”
The Village Chief’s eyes flicked toward me. Though he didn’t voice it, his gaze clearly asked, And who is this?
“Ah… him? He’s, um—a prospective convert! Someone who wishes to join the Radain Church. He came from lands across the sea, wanting to experience our faith firsthand, so he joined me on this pilgrimage.”
“I see. Quite the devout one, then. Well, no matter! We can’t turn away those in need—especially not clergy of the Radain Church.”
“Thank you!”
“The sun’s already set, so you’ll stay at my place for now. Though, as you can see, Petin Village isn’t much to speak of… I hope you won’t mind humble accommodations.”
“Not at all. We’re already grateful for your kindness…”
As the conversation concluded, the two of us followed the Village Chief toward his home.
Leaning in close enough that the Chief wouldn’t hear, I whispered to the Saintess.
“For a Saintess, you’re quite the skilled liar.”
“Quiet. Whose fault do you think this is?!”
She glared daggers at me before letting out a long, exasperated sigh.
“Anyway, things are going smoothly, so don’t cause trouble. We’ll stay the night, take what we need, and leave first thing in the morning.”
True to the Chief’s word, the dinner served at his home was modest.
Can’t complain when it’s free, I suppose.
Recalling my mother’s teachings about appreciating food, I forced down the tasteless porridge the Chief’s wife had prepared.
“…”
Meanwhile, the Saintess’s expression as she stared into her bowl was priceless.
She struggled to maintain a polite smile, but the corners of her lips trembled faintly—clearly unimpressed by the unexpected lack of flavor.
Yet despite her distaste, she dutifully finished every last bite under the watchful eyes of the elderly couple, who fretted over whether their guests were satisfied. I couldn’t help but admire her restraint.
After the meal, the Chief offered us a small room on the second floor.
“My apologies. This is the only spare room we have…”
Watching the Saintess’s lips tremble like leaves as she realized she’d have to share the space with me was highly entertaining.
And so, we were left alone in a room furnished with nothing but a single bed and a set of worn-out blankets provided by the Chief’s wife.
“Well then.”
Without hesitation, I claimed the bed first.
“…”
“Why the glare?”
“Shouldn’t common decency dictate offering the bed to the woman first?”
“You called me a demon, didn’t you? Expecting human decency from a demon?”
…Ugh.
This bastard—calling her the Saintess? More like a venomous shrew.
With no other choice, the Saintess spread a blanket on the floor and collapsed onto it with a sigh.
“…”
“…”
And so, we found ourselves lying back-to-back in the same room—an awkward situation, to say the least.
For some reason, I felt strangely restless.
In Heavenly Demon Simulator, I’d slept with countless women—courtesans, maidservants, assassins, even the leader of the martial arts alliance…
Yet lying here now, sharing nothing more than a room with a woman who was technically my enemy, I found it harder to relax than ever.
If that was the case… how must she be feeling?
For Saintess Euria, today had been nothing short of a waking nightmare.
Despite her vehement opposition, the final “holy war” to exterminate the Hakram Cult had proceeded as planned.
And what awaited her there was… a being that seemed to embody despair in human form.
Emerging from the demonic summoning circle was a man who called himself the Heavenly Demon.
With overwhelming power, he subdued both the elite holy knights and the Saintess herself in an instant—then made an offer she couldn’t refuse.
Fine. You be my hostage instead.
The Saintess had no choice.
It was less an offer than a threat.
But even after becoming a hostage to spare the knights, her ordeal continued.
A mysterious dark magic was embedded in her heart, and then…
“…Eek!”
The moment she recalled the sensation of being carried in that man’s arms, an involuntary whimper escaped her lips.
Lord Juten… forgive me…
As one chosen by Juten, she had lived under the Radain Church’s devoted protection.
Romance—even casual physical contact—with men had been unthinkable for her.
And yet, here she was, held by a complete stranger.
The worst man imaginable…
A man suspected to be a demon. One who forced the holy knights to their knees and took her hostage. A despicable wretch who laid hands on her without permission.
She hurled every insult she could think of at him in her mind.
Yet even as she did, a thought unbefitting a Saintess crept into the corners of her consciousness.
Is that Heavenly Demon truly a demon…?
A being summoned from a demonic circle, wielding energy identical to that of demons.
By all accounts, that should have been proof enough.
But after speaking with him—however briefly—the Saintess couldn’t shake her doubts.
…He didn’t seem any different from the others.
Though his manner was arrogant and domineering, even his mocking taunts carried a distinctly human wit.
The undeniable evidence of his demonic nature clashed violently with the humanity she had glimpsed—and the warmth she had felt in his embrace.
The conflict tormented her.
And there was only one way to resolve it.
What better way to bridge the gap between two people than conversation?
“…Are you awake?”
“I’m sleeping.”
“Stop joking.”
“What do you want?”
“…What are you?”
Her heart pounded.
Would he insist again that he was human? Or would he reveal his true nature—confessing to being Vertus, or a demon of similar standing?
Whoosh—
The Heavenly Demon threw off his blanket and sat up, turning to face her.
Under the faint moonlight, their eyes met.
The Saintess flinched.
The Heavenly Demon’s gaze was different now.
Gone was the hostility and intimidation. Instead, his brown eyes held only exhaustion.
“I’m human… just human.”
Once again, he claimed to be human—but this time, his voice was subdued.
“Just an ordinary man… trying to escape this hellish fate.”
