Chapter 97: Let’s All Protect Hansol Orphanage! (End)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 97: Let’s All Protect Hansol Orphanage! (End)
The fight between the War Demon and the Professor was entirely one-sided.
Faced with a brilliant, torrential flood of golden mana, the War Demon did nothing but dodge with the lightest movements possible, never once launching a counterattack.
Logically speaking, it was a scene that made no sense.
No matter how injured or exhausted he might be, the War Demon was an S-rank villain. Unless he had sustained a truly fatal wound, he wasn’t an opponent the Professor—whose true form was currently sealed—could overwhelm so easily. Yet, I was the only one certain that the fight would unfold exactly this way.
“Ah, you little brat! I don’t fight children, so get lost…!”
“Haha, you really have a talent for getting on people’s nerves. Who are you calling a brat? You’re dead meat, so get ready!”
The members of Arcadia never bully children. And that guy, the War Demon, is particularly extreme about it.
It didn’t matter how old Professor Park A-ram actually was. As long as she had the face of a cute little child at first glance, the important thing was that he would be helpless against her.
Of course, such a reckless tactic wouldn’t work on other members, but the War Demon was a simple man. Even if he realized what was happening, he would likely just take a one-sided beating before running away.
Well, then.
It looked like I could leave that side to the Professor.
The villains were nearly wiped out thanks to the trolling of the War Demon and that black mage bastard. The few who were injured and trying to flee were being handled well by the guards.
So, there was only one thing left.
I turned my head and locked eyes(?) with a dark red hand that was watching the battle between the War Demon and the Professor with interest from a short distance away.
The moment our eyes met, the thing began to act as if it were struggling to tear through space and emerge, as if it hadn’t been idling just a second ago.
Look at this bastard acting like he’s trying to come out when he has no intention of doing so.
Since it was an entity summoned by the black mage using his own life, the corpses of the dead villains, and the remaining mana of the Dragon Vein centered around the Touch of the Devil, it was likely a somewhat famous demon. Paradoxically, however, that was exactly why it wouldn’t move.
As is the case in any novel, unless a contract is written perfectly, demons always grant wishes in a twisted manner.
If the mage had asked it to kill us all, that might have been different. But in his desperation, he had likely made a vague request, like asking it to stop the War Demon or to do something about the situation.
Or perhaps he hadn’t even managed to make a wish at all.
The hand, which had been pretending to tear through space with a look of frustrated resentment, went back to spectating the fight as soon as I looked away.
…Is this guy crazy?
Among demon-related artifacts, the Touch of the Devil is considered high-tier, excluding top-tier ones like the Lemegeton or Solomon’s Ring.
However, due to the nature of the artifact—where any demon interested in a contract can lend their power—it was impossible to guess its true identity since the specific demon wasn’t fixed.
“Hey, it looks like the Professor is going to wrap things up with that big guy. Do we have to catch that thing now?”
“Hmm, no. From the looks of it, it seems like it can’t come out because of some issue. Let’s watch the situation for a bit.”
As if it had heard our conversation, the thing began to put on a soul-stirring performance again.
If the black mage knew his soul had gone to such a con artist, wouldn’t he crawl back from the dead out of sheer indignation? Of course, he was a villain, so I didn’t feel any sympathy for him.
Ha-ni was watching the hand with a worried expression, but if it were going to come out, it would have done so long ago.
Now, all we had to do was wait. Just as I thought that—
[The Touch of the Devil expresses favor toward you.]
An alert sounded.
“…Huh?”
“What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
“Ah, no. It’s nothing, really.”
[The Touch of the Devil proposes that, if it’s now, it will allow you to form a secret contract with it.]
…Suddenly? Why?
* * *
Beyond the passage opened by the Touch of the Devil, a certain demon watched the mortal world from the heights of Hell.
Originally, she wouldn’t have shown even a flicker of interest in a contract made with such low-level sacrifices. The reason she had responded to the contract in place of her subordinate was, from the very beginning, that boy.
To make him let his guard down, she had acted as if she were nothing special. To make him feel a sense of familiarity, she had slowly worked on him by pretending to be interested in spectating the fight.
That boy was a perfect contractor in many ways.
The vast total volume of his soul, which could be felt even through a contract created by another, and the scent of that soul—so clean and sweet that it was unimaginable for a human—were all to her liking.
Every demon has their own preferences and tastes, but she, at least, enjoyed taking a clean, beautiful soul and corrupting it.
However, his greatest charm was not something so trivial.
If not for that, he would have merely seemed like a decent toy. What ultimately completed him and surprised her so much was none other than the trace engraved upon his vast soul.
[One who has begun to understand death.]
Understand death? A mere human? How? Just what method did he use?
Did he conduct research by sacrificing others? Or did he have an experience where he was pushed to the brink of death?
No, if he had such an experience, there was no way his soul could be that clean.
If he were an evil person who sacrificed others without a second thought, he should already possess a corrupted soul. If he frequently had experiences where he was pushed to the brink of death, his soul should already be in a tattered or dying state.
Yet his soul was more than just healthy; it was overflowing with vitality. It refused to allow any filth to approach, as if it wouldn’t permit even a speck of impurity.
Could those called the Saints of the Myriad Worlds possess such a soul?
No, to call it a merely clean soul, the fragrance it gave off was far too alluring.
Should she call it a soul that was like a pure virgin, yet also like a seductive creature that knew its own charm?
How could a clean and upright soul give off such a sweet scent?
She craved it.
She wanted to keep it all to herself and slowly defile it by his side.
A desire welled up within her to test how long he could remain haughty while maintaining that nobility. How would it feel to teach that soul the sweet taste of corruption? The mere imagination of it made her feel good.
However, those with such souls tended to avoid demons, so she would first have to appeal to her harmlessness.
Anyone watching might mock her for doing such a thing for a mere human, but he was already no longer just a simple human.
Demons with similar tastes would surely understand her.
But that was exactly why she had to form an exclusive contract right now—if possible, a contract with his soul as the price.
Before other demons could find him, before they could set their eyes on him.
So that she could taste and enjoy him all by herself, slowly.
For that purpose, pretending to be a low-ranking demon was a small price to pay.
* * *
…This is a total win, isn’t it?
When a high-grade artifact suddenly wags its tail and asks to make a contract first, what reason is there to refuse?
It’s a bit concerning that it’s a demon-related artifact, but I can just manage that as I use it.
I happened to be in need of an artifact to deal with enemies that physical attacks barely work on.
I’m a bit worried about which demon is currently governing this artifact, but there’s no reason to reject becoming stronger…
[The Will of the Saint revolts!]
Oh, it’s been a while since I heard from this one.
[You are doing well. I understand that walking the path of righteousness can be exhausting at times, and I understand that you might desire power when faced with a great wall. Righteousness can sometimes feel like mere pain, and it may seem meaningless.]
‘What the, you could talk normally all along?’
[That is not what is important right now. What matters is that you listened to the voice of a demon. They do not, by nature, grant the wishes of humans. What you truly desire only has meaning if you grasp it yourself.]
Hmm, those are some good words, but I’m not really feeling it.
I mean, if there’s a quick and easy path, why take the long way around?
It might be dangerous for others to use demon artifacts, but I was confident I could use it properly.
[Silence! It is not a matter of such confidence…]
‘Ah, shut it.’
I have nothing to say to someone who has no basic manners and just screams inside someone else’s head.
[You are the successor who inherited the Will of the Saint. Until now, even if you were strange, I did not stop you because you walked the right path, but this is crossing the line…! If you listen to that demon now, I will reconsider your worthiness!]
Oh, that’s a bit scary.
…But come to think of it, while it would be a problem if Resurrection disappeared, I don’t really need the Will of the Saint that much anymore.
[…!?]
No, really. You’re just a ring that gives buffs to good people.
Considering that better artifacts appear as the power creep progresses toward the later stages, there was actually no reason to be so obsessed with it.
A ring that gives random buffs to good people VS a dagger that can infinitely handle demonic power under certain conditions…?
I mean, who could resist that? Lol.
The Will of the Saint started saying some rather strange things, like “I can’t believe you, you philandering scoundrel! If I knew it would be like this, I wouldn’t have given you buffs…!” “I’ve been discarded now that I’ve been squeezed dry…!” and “I was the first, the most devoted…!” but my resolve was firm.
Performance is what matters for an artifact. If you’ve got a problem with it, come back when you’ve ranked up.
[That is why I told you to join me.]
[The Will of the Saint claims it didn’t know its master was such a worldly person.]
Well, the artifacts started bickering in my head, but the content wasn’t very important.
[The Touch of the Devil smiles, saying it seems you have made up your mind.]
[This is a betrayal…!!!!]
Before my eyes, the giant hand twisted and began to disappear back beyond the dimension as if in resentment.
Oh, the performance is solid. No one would suspect a thing.
And as if the sight from a moment ago were a lie, the Touch of the Devil vanished beyond the dimension, leaving nothing behind.
Well, then. I’ll just have to pretend that the dagger that suddenly appeared on my waist—as if it had a teleportation function—was something I scavenged during the battle with the villains.
[The Will of the Saint revolts.]
[The Touch of the Devil sneers.]
They seem to be getting along well.
* * *
Park A-ram eventually came to a conclusion while pursuing the fleeing War Demon.
She didn’t know what means he had used, but his traces had suddenly vanished completely, as if he had teleported without using mana.
“Tsk, I lost him.”
The giant demon hand looked like it would be fine as long as she didn’t provoke it, so she thought she only needed to catch that brute. She hadn’t expected to lose an opponent who was even injured.
“Then again, I think I saw him on the S-rank villain list.”
She was reminded once again that her current body was weak and different from her true self, but there was no point in wishing for what she didn’t have.
— Take his hand.
Suddenly, the voice of the man with the Ghost Mask, who had promised to find the Philosopher’s Stone, came to mind, but she couldn’t be sure if he was telling the truth or not.
Placing her hopes in him would only lead to greater disappointment.
No, this wasn’t the time for such thoughts. More importantly, she had to return because there was work to be done.
When she arrived at the scene, the transport of the surviving villains was in full swing.
As she searched among the working guards, she soon spotted familiar faces.
“Are Cadets Kang So-hyun and Kang Han-hee both alright?”
The two cadets.
She was a bit surprised by Kang Han-hee, but she had expected So-hyun to be there.
After all, the reason she was able to arrive here in time was thanks to his contact.
She had placed a barrier around the orphanage, but it wasn’t at a level that could withstand an attack from a villain of that caliber. If she had arrived late after the barrier was breached, everything would have been over.
Because she had received word from the guard team he had deployed, she was able to arrive here without being too late.
Honestly, she was grateful.
She truly felt like bowing her head in thanks right now.
Losing someone precious was a pain that she, despite having lived for a long time, still couldn’t get used to.
However, while expressing her gratitude, there was something she absolutely had to confirm for the sake of the children’s safety.
“First of all, thank you to both cadets. I have a bit of a connection with this orphanage. Especially if Kang So-hyun hadn’t taken action in advance, it would have been a disaster. Our stubborn Director has a bit of pride, so she doesn’t show those things to me.”
Still, greetings come first.
She mustn’t get the order wrong.
Since she was the one who had received a favor.
In truth, she didn’t really want to perform this confirmation.
If it were a confirmation she had to do purely for her own sake, she would have just ignored it.
But as long as it was a possibility that could make this place dangerous, she couldn’t leave it unconfirmed.
“But you see. How did you know?”
Something even she didn’t know. A true reason that even the Director probably didn’t know.
“About the Dragon Vein. Even I, an A-rank hero, didn’t know, and the Director probably didn’t either. But the villains caught wind of it somehow, and our Kang So-hyun knew what even they didn’t know exactly. How did you know that?”
That was it.
He already knew why the villains were targeting this place and what was truly hidden here, and he had informed her, even if only by text.
She didn’t want to doubt him, but wasn’t it a situation that warranted suspicion?
Even if it wasn’t him, weren’t there rampant rumors that his father, Kang Hyun-woo, didn’t care who he traded with?
Upon receiving the question, Kang So-hyun opened his mouth with a troubled, worried expression.
“I don’t know how the villains found out, but we actually found out because of an anonymous tip.”
“…Pardon? An anonymous tip?”
“Yes. Well, I can’t really call it a tip. I received it as a letter. Anyway, the letter contained all the information: the scale of the villains, the location of their base, and the fact that there was a Dragon Vein here. There was also a note telling us not to harm the orphanage or misuse the information.”
He scanned his surroundings with a very cautious attitude.
“Actually, at the end of the letter, it said that once everything was over, I should tell the Professor the truth and be sure to deliver this message.”
“…Yes?”
“On the promised day, I will be waiting at the park where we met before.”
In an instant, his image formed in her mind.
“It said, ‘I hope this date invitation is to your liking.’”
“Aha.”
The moment she heard those words, she could grasp the general situation.
“Seeing as the invitation has become quite plausible, it seems he’s learned how to invite someone on a date, not just an after-party.”
It was an invitation that she truly liked quite a bit.