Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Reincarnated as the Plum Blossom Sword Guard in the Count's Family
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“Hmm. He said to make sure to collect the demon's corpse.”
Hasent pulled a large burlap sack out from the shadows.
As he stuffed the demon's head into the sack, something quietly stirred near the demon's legs. It was a demon shrunk down to the size of a child's palm. Its body was pitch-black, with two horns on its forehead and a tail sprouting from its rear.
The demon seized the chance while Hasent was busy with the corpse and began sneaking off into the forest.
Kekekeke. This is my real body. I can just make another one of those meat suits.
Thwack!
A flying shoe sole slammed right into the demon, sending it tumbling backward into a tree.
“Guh! H-how?!”
The demon gawked at Hasent in horror. The guy who should have been behind it dealing with the corpse was somehow right in front of it now.
“Parasitic demon Sapin. The Young Master ordered me to capture you.”
Hasent held a glass jar in his hand.
Sapin's real body only had the physical prowess of a small beast, so a simple glass jar would be more than enough to contain it.
“W-what are you gonna do with me?!”
“……”
Hasent didn't answer. He didn't know. He had simply followed Eugene's orders: collect the demonized corpse and capture the demon's true form.
Hasent caught Sapin and shoved it into the jar, sealing it tight. With the shockproof enchantment infused in it, there was no escaping from inside.
“To know the demon's true nature, its name, and even its abilities... As expected of the one chosen by Serion.”
Hasent marveled anew at Eugene's prowess as he prepared to head back.
???
I stared at the glass jar sitting on my desk. Inside it was a pitch-black demon. It had given up on everything, slumping at the bottom of the jar and gazing up at me.
What's that thing called... Homo... Homunculus! Yeah, that's the vibe it gives off.
I'd once seen an illustration online of a tiny person trapped in a jar. Homunculus, I think it was. It was a pretty well-drawn picture, so it stuck with me.
Low-rank demon Sapin.
A demon with parasitism abilities, known in the original story as the parasitic demon.
This demon could parasitize humans and certain other creatures. Even some monsters were fair game.
The conditions for parasitism weren't tough. Just slip into the target without them noticing. But the target had to be unable to sense mana and have weak mental fortitude.
Once it latched onto a human body, it eventually wiped out the host's consciousness and took full control. The human flesh gradually morphed into demonic flesh.
This bastard had been freeloading in a human body for a whopping 200 years. Every now and then, it devoured people or killed them for no reason.
In the original story, Sapin incited the villagers to rebel against the Frukus Count's family. The uprising was crushed easily, of course, and Sapin fled from the protagonist Kyle only to meet its end. The episode itself was boring. It mostly just foreshadowed the demons that would appear later.
I could have just left it alone.
A low-rank demon. And its true body's combat ability was pathetically weak. A kid could probably beat it in a fight.
I had two reasons for capturing it alive.
First, Hasent needed a reminder of my value.
People get numb over time. Even if they're fired up with loyalty at first, doubts creep in eventually.
This incident would make Hasent realize once more that I was chosen by Serion. The demon's name, location, appearance—everything played out exactly as I'd said.
Second, its value.
A low-rank demon, sure, but still a demon.
A live-captured one, at that.
I could sell it to the Mage Tower or a church for a fortune. I didn't know the exact market price, but I figured at least 20 billion ner minimum. If it were mid-rank instead of low, the price would skyrocket tenfold.
The problem is it can talk. Which means it could spill info on Hasent to the outside world.
Hasent had hidden himself meticulously all these years. He'd upheld the assassin's creed of never being discovered for decades. The epitome of his profession.
Hand that over for a measly 20 billion ner? Ridiculous. Bad business.
If only I could control it... But yeah, no chance.
Demons weren't demons for nothing. You didn't make deals with those things.
Too wasteful to just kill it, though.
Only one option left: drain its blood. Blood donation time.
In this world, demons were humanity's enemies and prime magical ingredients brimming with power. Demon blood was top-tier material that fetched a high price from the Mage Tower.
But it's so damn small. There's a daily limit on how much blood I can extract. Maybe 100 million ner a month at best?
Knock knock knock.
“It's Yuria.”
“Come in.”
Yuria opened the door and entered the room. She carried a tray in both hands, holding a teapot, teacup, and some light snacks.
Yuria set the teapot on the table and deftly prepared tea time.
Tea time.
“Master. Do you have something weighing on your mind?”
“Yeah. This demon bastard. To squeeze real value out of it, I need to draw a steady amount of blood every day... but that's not easy.”
The demon was fist-sized at best. No combat ability was a plus, but that size was a nightmare drawback. Extracting blood from something that small required expert skill.
“Shouldn't we interrogate it for information too?”
“True. Even weakened, it's still a demon, so it probably knows about others of its kind.”
“Then leave this demon to me. I'll handle it properly.”
“You, Yuria?”
“Yes. I have confidence.”
I thought for a moment, then nodded. I knew Yuria had learned torture techniques from Gon and Ron, the torture experts. I'd never seen her do it myself, but word was her skills were top-notch.
“I'm counting on you, Yuria.”
“Yes.”
I sipped my black tea while slipping a hand into Yuria's cleavage. Not my intention—pure instinct taking over.
???
“Gaaaaah! You vicious bitch! Stop! Stop it! I'm dying!!”
Sapin screamed from inside its cell. Its body was strapped firmly to an iron plate. Arms and legs immobilized, of course. All it could do was shake its head side to side.
“You didn't meet today's quota.”
Yuria, clad in thick clothes for the task, stated flatly. In her hand was that dreaded syringe.
“You... crazy bitch...!”
Sapin's face twisted in rage.
The quota Yuria mentioned was 100ml per day.
100ml might sound small, but for a fist-sized Sapin, even draining every drop in its body wouldn't hit that mark.
For reference, fresh demon blood went for about 10 million ner per 100ml on average.
“50ml left. Hang in there.”
The syringe needle plunged into Sapin's right arm.
“Uwaaaaaah! You demon of a bitch! Just kill me! Kill me already!”
Sapin bellowed at the top of its lungs.
Its daily routine was hellish enough that death sounded better. Aside from blood draws and torture sessions, it was trapped in a glass jar nonstop. Fed nothing but bitter herb dregs. It had attempted suicide a few times and gotten caught, so now it was bound tight even inside the jar.
“I can't kill you. You're the Master's valuable asset.”
“Fuck! I'll kill that damn brat! I'll kill him, and you too!”
“Your language is too crude. I did tell you to use proper, polite speech.”
Yuria draped a wet cloth over its head.
“Mmph! Mmph! Guh!”
The demon's tiny size made even a wet cloth an effective torture. Yuria removed it before it could drown.
“I'll rip your fucking mom to shreds.”
“My mother has already passed. Do you lack learning ability?”
“I've lived 200 years! You hag! A demon has pride! You think the great Sapin will bow to human scum like you?!”
Yuria extracted the blood with the syringe, then splashed a potion on Sapin's face. Blood would regenerate in its body. Potions had limits, though, capping daily draws at 100ml.
“Eugh! Cough! Ack!”
“I admit it. Twenty days in, and you still haven't spilled a thing. I have to respect that. Demon mental fortitude and pride are impressive.”
“Kek! Got it? No matter how much you torture me... Hey, hag. What's that?”
“A surgical scalpel called a mes.”
“Not that! The jar next to it!”
Yuria picked up the container beside her. It held a black powdery substance.
“Ah. You recognize it. Impure mana.”
“How... do you have that?!”
Impure mana was banned across the continent just for existing. No using it, making it, or possessing it. It could empower demons or turn corpses into undead.
“I made it. Luckily, good materials were close by.”
The good materials? The 32 thieves and 1 merchant locked in the underground dungeon, tortured daily. Impure mana bloomed from human resentment, hatred, jealousy, agony—the foul emotions. Normally it dissipated instantly, so special processing was needed.
“I haven't been idle. I pored over texts, researched demons thoroughly, and learned impure mana outperforms regular potions.”
The texts described the process vaguely to deter replication. So Yuria had spent two weeks trial-and-erroring until she succeeded.
“...You made impure mana? Because of me?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Heh... kehahaha! You know impure mana empowers demons, right? You're messing up!”
“I do. And for a wounded demon, it's just an ultra-effective potion. With it, we could draw 300ml a day.”
“……No way I'd ever wish for Serion on a day like this. Maid, let's deal. I'll give you anything. I'm a demon—I know hidden treasure spots. Tempting, right?”
“What about your demon pride?”
“Fuck that. Not the time! Please. I'll tell you everything you want.”
Yuria shook her head.
“No need. The Master isn't banking on your info anyway. Draining your blood for life is more profitable. 300ml a day is 30 million ner. 900 million a month. 10.8 billion a year. 108 billion in ten years.”
“F-fuck.”
“Today, I'm extracting your organs. If the texts are right, impure mana can regenerate organs, eyes, horns, limbs. Less valuable than blood, but at least 10% extra revenue.”
A demon's most lucrative parts were its horns, then blood. But Sapin's horns were too small to beat blood.
The sharp mes drew closer. Tears welled in Sapin's eyes.
“S-sorry, Lady Yuria. I was insane. My mistake. I'm reflecting. Please, grant me death?”
“You're a golden goose. Don't worry. I won't botch things chasing short-term gains.”
“Uwaaaaaah! You fucking bitch!”