The Evil Spirit of Destruction (1)
The Evil Spirit of Destruction. Long ago, it had appeared in the world, rampaged through its contractor's body, destroying everything in its path until it was subdued and vanished. Even now, it was the infamous culprit that made people shudder at the mere mention of evil spirits.
The damage back then was too catastrophic to describe fully—property losses from the destruction of buildings, villages, and even cities amounted to thousands of gold coins, with tens of thousands displaced. Worst of all was the loss of life. Excluding the displaced, the kill count directly and indirectly caused by the Evil Spirit of Destruction numbered in the thousands, including deaths from collapsing structures and those slain by the spirit itself.
So when word spread that such a spirit had reappeared, it was no wonder Ahajaka Eldark and Jerónimo VIII's faces hardened. Seong Hyun-jin didn't know the exact details, but he could tell from their grim demeanor that this was serious, so he quietly held his tongue.
Breaking the silence, Ahajaka spoke first, his expression grave. "Are you saying Abraham was killed by the Evil Spirit of Destruction, evil spirit?"
"Yeah, that's right, Lizard King."
Seong Hyun-jin blinked in shock at the nickname, glancing between Astaroth and Ahajaka, but the Dragon Emperor showed no real reaction. There was no anger or displeasure crossing his face, but Hyun-jin still apologized on her behalf right away.
"Astaroth, what the hell? Father-in-law, I'm sorry. She gets like this sometimes..."
"It's fine. Evil spirits hating dragonkin is par for the course."
Ahajaka brushed it off like it was nothing. "Isn't that how it always is with those who can't survive without latching onto someone?"
His sharp retort caught Seong Hyun-jin off guard, and he shot Astaroth a worried look—she might blow up and go off on her own tangent. But his concern was unfounded; Astaroth just chuckled lightly.
"Pfft, at least this king's not a stiff. He's fun."
"Then one more question. The Evil Spirit of Destruction was definitely destroyed after that incident. How could it reappear?"
Astaroth tilted her head as if it were a stupid question. "Destroyed? You don't even know spirits are eternal? Even if it vanishes, as long as the elemental source exists in the world, it'll manifest again someday. That's what a spirit is. Dragonkin don't know that?"
"Of course we do. What I wanted to confirm was whether it's in the same state as before... So it's not the exact same spirit."
"Oh, you mean has it fully regained its power? Yeah, in that sense, no. It wouldn't be identical to back then. If it were..."
Astaroth let out a snicker, her red eyes gleaming. "This stuffy dump would've been wiped out already."
Everyone present knew she wasn't joking. Ahajaka and Jerónimo VIII, who knew the spirit's past atrocities, felt it keenly—and so did Seong Hyun-jin, who had witnessed Astaroth's own formidable power.
If it's the same class of evil spirit, it'd be just as dangerous as Astaroth once it regains its strength...
Seong Hyun-jin felt a strange thrill at the thought of potentially facing such a thing, even knowing it wouldn't be a good situation.
Jerónimo VIII turned to Astaroth. "...Does the Evil Spirit of Destruction obey its contractor well?"
"How should I know? That's up to it."
Astaroth glanced at Seong Hyun-jin as she spoke. "If it likes its master like I do mine, it'll obey... or maybe it's already taken over its host's body."
That reminded Seong Hyun-jin of his fight with Abraham, when his body had moved on its own without his conscious control. He asked, "...You could do that anytime too?"
"I have no intention of doing that, Master."
Astaroth reassured him. "Unless you ask me to first, I won't touch your body. Promise."
"...I believe you."
"Hehe, thanks for trusting me."
Ahajaka listened quietly, thinking to himself, Still just as dangerous.
Seong Hyun-jin claimed he could control it, but this wasn't true control—it was the evil spirit choosing to restrain itself. The unusual part was how exceptionally well Astaroth obeyed her contractor, even calling him "Master." As she'd just admitted, she had no desire to defy or betray him. It was bizarre for an evil spirit to act this way, but as long as her attitude held, their contract benefited Seong Hyun-jin immensely.
I don't get why she likes him so much, but...
If handled right, it meant wielding power surpassing even an archspirit. Ahajaka mused that if such a man protected his daughter by her side, Serena could live without worry...
"...Hah."
To think he'd stoop to such thoughts. Ahajaka spat a curse at the growing gap between his reluctant heart and the reality of accepting Seong Hyun-jin as a son-in-law.
"Damn it."
"?"
Seong Hyun-jin stared in confusion at Ahajaka suddenly muttering a refined curse while looking right at him. The Dragon Emperor rubbed his face and returned to the matter at hand, addressing Jerónimo VIII.
"Holy Emperor, any facilities destroyed in Nastrod Prison since last night?"
"None. We'd have heard immediately if there were."
"It's still inside, then."
Ahajaka nodded. "We need to hunt it down now, Seong Hyun-jin."
"Huh?"
"Don't play dumb. Evil spirits are best sniffed out by other evil spirits."
He pointed at Seong Hyun-jin and Astaroth. "You two will inspect every guard, every staff member, and every prisoner in Nastrod Prison."
#
Meanwhile, as Jerónimo VIII and Ahajaka suddenly departed with only Seong Hyun-jin, Yeonhui remained at the scene, standing watch with the surviving guards.
"Saintess, let me get you something to drink."
"Oh, no need. Thank you for the thought."
"Standing this long must be tiring. Hey, grab a chair."
"Got it!"
"Ah, really, I'm fine..."
As devout citizens of the Holy Nation—and ones willing to work in this stifling place—they showed immense respect to Yeonhui, the next Holy Emperor candidate and saintess. She knew their gestures came from the heart, not mere formality, so she didn't refuse them all. It was genuinely touching.
But for some reason, even knowing their care was sincere, it left her unsatisfied. Grateful, yes—but unwelcome somehow. If someone overheard these thoughts, they might call her ungrateful...
I wish it was from my junior...
Now, nothing satisfied her unless it came from Seong Hyun-jin. If he brought her water or a chair like these guards... she'd revel in those small acts. That's how obsessed Yeonhui had become with him.
She was just holding back, repenting her past mistakes driven by unchecked emotions, vowing never to err again. Homesickness played a role too—Seong Hyun-jin hailed from her longed-for homeland. But her feelings had long surpassed mere fondness.
He'd readily accepted a Palstar Hero's wager for her sake, succeeded, and given her the life she dreamed of. How could that not dazzle? At first, it was just a crush. She'd planned to confess leisurely, persist if rejected.
But that day after midterms... seeing Serena confess to him crystallized it. The thought of Serena Eldark monopolizing him made her blood boil. Imagining their future together turned her stomach; she wanted to tear it apart.
That's when she knew: she loved him deeply. Of course, her actions born of that love had only hurt him, so Yeonhui endured, trying not to be a burden.
...When will he come back?
For now, with him absent, she could only yearn, painting happy fantasies in her mind.
Snapping from her reverie, Yeonhui realized she'd been grinning foolishly before the faithful—hardly saintly poise.
"...Huh?"
Regaining her senses, she froze in shock. The devout guards who'd been fussing over her—the warden included—lay sprawled on the floor. Every one headless, blood pooling from severed necks.
"..."
Yeonhui stood speechless, struggling to comprehend. No matter how lost in fantasy, she hadn't blacked out—she should've heard something. So many heads flying off? Screams, impacts—impossible to miss.
Yet she heard nothing.
"Because it destroyed the sound waves before they reached you."
Before she could process that, a grating male voice whispered in her ear, and a brutish hand lunged into view—aiming straight for her nape.
"Possessing the saintess's body should be quite the thrill."