The Demon's Goals and the Demon's Whisper
Following the small, adorable receptionist with the teasingly charming ponytail, the contractor headed up to the second floor for adventurer registration.
I'm worried. Was this how a pet dog with separation anxiety felt? Though it was only for a little while, I was deeply concerned for my contractor's safety. It was like a lich entrusting the cleansing of their life vessel to a dry cleaner. Still, I had to endure it. Even dogs wait patiently for their owners, so as a demon, I couldn't behave worse than one. To shake off the anxiety, I paced between the reception counter and the main entrance, trying to soothe my troubled mind.
Oh. Labrador retrievers, I finally understand why you chase your tails when anxious. Moving my body really does ease the unease a little.
Unfortunately, it made the other humans anxious instead.
Every time I walked past, the cat beastkin and young elves would let out pathetic noises and flinch. Their reactions were mildly entertaining, but continuing to stimulate them like this wouldn't be good for the children's emotional health, so I quietly retreated to a corner.
—Tap.
“Goodness, sitting for so long really makes your back stiff!”
“Hehe, you too? Ahem. It’s not polite to stay in one spot too long, so let’s step outside and walk a bit.”
“That’s an excellent idea! Nothing’s better for your health than walking!”
““Hahahahaha!””
“....”
The young adventurers—who all looked around twenty-five—left the guild in a group, vigorously rubbing their backs as if they’d all suddenly developed herniated discs. Thanks to them, the area within ten meters of me was completely empty. As a bonus, my heart was left full of wounds.
Well, at least it’s quiet now. That’s nice.
A gentle silence perfect for contemplation. But rather than killing time with idle daydreams, it would be more beneficial to think productively. It was time to design the future.
My ultimate goal is defeating the last boss, but… the information is far too lacking.
The fairy tale my contractor had told me—The Tale of the Dungeon City. If its contents were all true, the last boss’s seal had to be destroyed as quickly as possible before it weakened further. I couldn’t allow this world to be destroyed as well.
However, rushing ahead recklessly would only result in a hole in the back of my head and an immediate retirement. In the early stages when information was scarce, it was crucial to build a solid foundation by accomplishing small goals one by one.
So, where should I begin?
My objective was to confirm the last boss’s existence and eliminate it. In other words, conquering the dungeon. To make that conquest easier, what would I need?
If I treated the dungeon as a new workplace, the answer came easily. Rephrasing it slightly: what does one need upon joining a new company called the Dungeon?
Neat attire to impress the boss? Professional equipment to boost work efficiency?
No.
For a new hire, the most important thing is the location of one’s base.
I needed a base close enough to the workplace (the dungeon) that even if I overslept, I could splash water on my face and still barely clock in on time.
The current base is… hmm.
It pains me to say it to my contractor, but honestly, it’s the worst. The security and hygiene are poor, and it offers no advantages beyond shelter from the rain. Located on the outermost edge, practically touching the outer wall, the distance to the dungeon is considerable. My biological energy isn’t infinite, so I can’t fly back and forth every day.
Therefore, the top priority was relocating the base. A full move.
The problem is that I don’t have the money for it.
The sorrow of a new member of society, felt for the first time in a million years. Even the dungeon city was ultimately a place where people lived. But that was fine. I wasn’t a person—I was a ?demon. I possessed a physical cheat body that wouldn’t tire even after a full week of loading and unloading.
The issue was that the loading and unloading would have to be done in the dangerously unknown place called the dungeon, three-legged-race style with a middle schooler…
So, what should I do? There was no need to overcomplicate it. The solution was extremely simple.
I just had to train the middle schooler. Until she could match my breathing perfectly.
A tactical demon contractor who fluttered a black robe while smashing monsters’ skulls with a rosewood staff and a sidearm pistol. A true hero born from romance, narrative, and bonds—unlike the reinforced humans created through the shortcut of genetic manipulation.
Operation name: Strengthen Yuri!
It was a little cringeworthy, but not bad. Simple is best. I liked it. We would begin tomorrow.
“Ugh…”
“Hmm? Why is the adventurer suddenly shivering, it is the case?”
“It just got a little cold all of a sudden.”
“I will raise the temperature of the cooling artifact, it is the case!”
“Thank you for your kindness. You really are gentle, receptionist.”
“Ahem. Even if you praise me like that, nothing will come of it, it is the case!”
“I see.”
“Hmph! I’ve brought cookies and tea we can enjoy lightly before lunch, it is the case! Let’s eat them together, it is the case!”
“Oh. Thank you, I’ll enjoy them.”
Yuri picked up one of the wide, golden, egg-shaped biscuits and immediately popped it into her mouth. Having eaten nothing since yesterday, she showed no hesitation whatsoever in the series of motions.
—Crunch.
The soft aroma of butter filled her mouth, accompanied by a crisp texture. Sweetness and nuttiness blended in perfect harmony. It was real food—unlike jerky soaked in water or lightly salted baked beans. A proper meal she hadn’t tasted in a long time.
Haap. Overcome by the moving flavor, Yuri shivered and quickly grabbed another, stuffing it into her mouth. She had long since forgotten noble etiquette or appearances. Yuri was simply hungry. Very, very hungry.
It’s so delicious.
—Drip.
“Ah.”
Startled by the tear that suddenly slid down her cheek, Yuri hastily wiped her eyes. She had shown all sorts of undignified sides before, but this was the first time she had cried in front of someone, so she was quite flustered.
“Uh, uh? Adventurer. Are you crying right now, it is the case?”
“…It was so delicious I didn’t realize.”
Even as her face flushed red, Yuri refused to let go of the cookie in her hand. Oh, and in the meantime she shoved two into her mouth at once. The way her hand kept slipping in and out of her robe suggested she was even stashing some in her inner pocket. She was practically a bandit.
Watching her, Regina Gura suddenly saw her own past self overlapping with the new adventurer.
I had times like that too, it is the case.
Back when she had first been summoned to the middle world. The poignant memory of refusing to let go of stolen candy even while being beaten by a human child’s parents. A truly nostalgic recollection.
No matter how faint the expression, Regina Gura sees everything, it is the case! That mouth is full of greed, it is the case!
Whether it was greed or not, it was certainly full of cookies. As if her throat were blocked, she was even pouring hot tea down to force them in. In the process she must have burned her tongue, because tears had welled up in her eyes.
Craving something. That was the very essence of life. And among those cravings, the purest was naturally gluttony.
In other words, appetite. It was no exaggeration to say life was built entirely on appetite. After all, to survive you had to eat something.
But Regina Gura was a demon. She did not open her noble mouth merely for survival. She ate to feel alive. When time flowed and she began to forget she was part of this world, she ate to remember it again!
By devouring lots of delicious things! It wasn’t just because she was hungry! This was the rumination of eternity. A sacred chewing exercise to affirm the meaning of her existence. The act of gluttony was the essential proof of the being known as Regina Gura.
Then, what should be done with the cute, naughty human who stood before this incarnation of gluttony, revealing a faint hunger while her own stomach remained empty?
What else? Feed her, of course! Until her belly burst. Until her organs tore from being overfilled, until her abdominal skin split and hot gastric juices and contents spilled out. Crave it. Long for it! Life is the path of greed. Death is the boiling oil that prevents one from settling in place. If you don’t want your feet to burn, don’t try to settle for reality. Toward your goal! Toward your dream! Run toward the unreachable ideal!
But do not dare look at the end. As long as Regina Gura exists, the yoke of greed will never end.
…Ever.
Burning! I want to taste more, it is the case.
The demon’s eyes, having tasted pure and intense greed after so long, began to blaze. Her stomach rumbled, and Regina Gura’s mouth filled with saliva. Staring at Yuri with the eyes of a squirrel that had found its prey, Regina Gura suddenly shot up from her seat.
—Heave-ho.
She stepped onto the chair with effort and stretched her short arms toward the sky!
—Swish!
Cookies rained down from above!
“Huh?”
Yuri stared with dazed eyes. She couldn’t understand why the receptionist was throwing away precious cookies. Had the excessive workload driven her insane? It was truly a pity.
“More! More! I’ll bring plenty, so eat until your stomach bursts, it is the case! Since they’re guild property anyway, it’s more beneficial the more you eat, it is the case! Eat! And keep eating! Eat endlessly, it is the case! This is the opening of the eternal cookie party that will continue twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year, it is the case!”
“I’ll just accept the thought.”
The eternal cookie festival ended as soon as it began.
“Ueeeh! It’s not satisfying! It’s lacking, it is the case! More! More! You must crave it, it is the case!”
“Receptionist, please calm down.”
Only after Yuri caught the ponytail-flailing Regina Gura, dragged her back to her seat, and calmed her down did the adventurer registration finally begin.
“What is your name, it is the case?”
“It’s Yuri.”
She deliberately omitted her surname. It was no longer something she needed.
“I am Regina Gura, it is the case! I like you, adventurer, so I’m specially telling you, it is the case!”
“It’s an honor. By the way… Regina, are you a demon by any chance?”
“Gasp! How did you know, it is the case? Do you perhaps possess ‘Appraisal,’ it is the case?”
“Appraisal? No, nothing like that. I simply thought it might be because you look so beautiful.”
“Stop the compliments, it is the case! Praising me won’t get you anything, it is the case! Regina Gura is an upright demon, it is the case! However! If you want more cookies, I’ll bring them immediately, it is the case!”
“It’s not a compliment—it’s the truth. And the cookies are plenty.”
Emotionless eyes slowly scanned Regina Gura. A faint smile played on her lips, but her half-lidded, sunken gaze coldly analyzed the other party.
A beautiful child’s appearance, a tiny contract inscription engraved along the iris, sticky waves of magical power that fluctuate with emotion. The attempt to force-feed suggests a demon whose origin is appetite-related. Why would such a being work as a receptionist…?
The information recorded in the research documents of the person she secretly called “Father.” Combining appearance, behavior, thought patterns, instincts, essence, origin, and detailed traits, she could at least infer that the being before her was a demon.
Then what about the demon she had contracted with?
I don’t know.
Even when asked, he avoided answering. Though she had woken early to carefully observe that creepily noble shell, she couldn’t find any demonic characteristics at all. As if he weren’t a demon.
“Then, about your familiar. Um, may I ask the adventurer one question, it is the case?”
“Of course.”
“Good, then.”
—Snap.
When Regina Gura flicked her fingers, a thin membrane of black magic instantly enveloped the room.
Black droplets?
A black surface that rippled like waves every time sound occurred inside or out. Was this what the sky looked like to fish beneath the water on a rainy day?
It’s beautiful.
As expected, demons were fascinating creatures—the more you looked, the more you wanted to dissect them.
“That is merely a sound-devouring barrier, so there’s no need to mind it, it is the case! Then I shall ask my question, it is the case!”
It bothered her greatly, but Yuri quietly swallowed her curiosity and nodded.
“Ask me anything.”
“What exactly is ‘that’ on the first floor right now, it is the case? Is it true that the adventurer really summoned it, it is the case?”
That?
“That… Are you referring to the demon I contracted with?”
“You truly believe that is a demon, it is the case?”
“From your perspective, it doesn’t look like one?”
“To be honest, that is correct, it is the case.”
“I see. Then what do you think ‘that’ is, Regina?”
“From Regina Gura’s view……”
—Lean.
Regina Gura carefully leaned across the desk and whispered quietly into Yuri’s ear, revealing her fear that the thing downstairs might be listening.
An existence even demons fear…
Just as Yuri was about to fall into thought, a lukewarm, sweet breeze brushed her ear.
Whisper, whisper.
The demon’s whisper. A serpent’s tongue that shakes belief. The human exposed to that secret malice…
It tickles.
Yes! It was ticklish! The demon’s whisper was on the same level as a mosquito’s wing flap!
Still, the seed of doubt had been planted.
“That’s quite an interesting opinion. I don’t know what the archive is, but.”
However, there was one problem: the soil was already barren, lacking even the nutrients needed to sprout suspicion.
It doesn’t matter if he isn’t a demon.
He was the only adult who had ever reached out to her, the only one who had knelt to meet her eyes. Still young and lacking, she would simply believe and follow. That was all. Only that.
***
“Starting at dawn tomorrow, we will begin basic physical conditioning and combat training. Keep that in mind. I, known as the Demon of Survival, will definitely turn my contractor into Bastion’s strongest adventurer.”
“…I don’t want to.”
“Oh dear.”
Was she going through puberty?