The Price of Thievery
"Let's set the deadline at two months."
"Two months?"
"Yes. Isn't that plenty of time to learn cooking from Rita?"
At Bayul's question, Death and Amon both turned their heads toward Bar. The unspoken question hung in the air: Would that be enough for you?
"…Could you give me a little more time?"
Bar pleaded, unable to meet their eyes. For a moment, his brutish face looked so pitiful that Bayul's heart wavered despite himself. The sight of that one missing arm gnawed at him, too.
"Then would three months do?"
"Why not just say 'until he's fully learned how to cook'? That seems better to me."
"Leaving it that vague will only breed confusion later. Who's to say three months won't stretch to six, and six months to a year?"
"Why are you being so strict about this? You weren't like this before, were you?"
As far as Death knew, Bayul was not that kind of person. He'd thought the boy gentle, kind, and mild-mannered more than once — but today he'd turned out to be a completely different animal. Had his personality changed at some point?
"That was before I knew what you really were. I'll admit you've behaved yourselves so far, and I owe the three of you plenty. But to be perfectly honest, I have no desire to get close to demons."
"Isn't the god of war we follow a demon, though?"
"That's a separate matter. The ones actually affecting my daily life are the people standing in this room."
"I'm well aware that certain demons have played rather excessive pranks in the human realm. Perhaps that's where your prejudice comes from. But as you can see, neither the Commander nor we have the slightest intention of doing anything to this world. So wouldn't you be willing to look the other way, just a little?"
Amon asked again, with utmost courtesy.
Seen at moments like this, he was every inch a well-bred gentleman. Who on earth could look at him and think demon?
What am I even doing right now?
Bayul found himself marveling at the absurdity of the situation all over again. A deal with demons — he was genuinely curious what his friends would say if they ever found out. Especially Eli, who recoiled at the mere mention of demons. Simply imagining his reaction was horrifying enough.
"If you ever judge, young master Bayul, that we've overstepped our bounds — how about a clause voiding the pact automatically? I don't imagine it will come to that, but if such a day ever does arrive, we shall withdraw without protest."
Amon offered the concession, stepping back a single pace.
"…Can you promise me that?"
"I keep every word that leaves my mouth. The same goes for what my subordinates say."
Death gave a nod. Bayul had no idea whether a demon's promise could truly be trusted, but for now there was no other way. The only path to untangling this knotted mess was for Rita to teach Bar how to cook as quickly as possible.
I'll have to put some pressure on Rita, then.
"Very well. Then the deadline stands until Bar has properly learned cooking from Rita. Let's move on to the next condition."
"There's more?"
"Please don't reveal yourselves anywhere. In other words, keep pretending to be human, exactly as you have been."
"If that's all, don't worry. This arrangement suits me fine."
"You will also continue with the cleaning. The household has very high expectations of you."
"Amon can handle that on his own."
"Yes. Leave it to me, and I'll see to it thoroughly."
In truth, a bit of cleaning like that could be finished in the blink of an eye. But then someone was bound to find it strange, so he was deliberately taking it slow, keeping his work beneath notice.
"One final point. Once Rita has finished teaching Bar everything, you must vanish quietly and completely. If you break any of the terms along the way, today's deal is voided automatically, and you return home at once. Any objections?"
"No, none. But a question just came to me out of nowhere."
Death, still seated, planted both arms on his knees and leaned abruptly toward Bayul.
"Aren't you the least bit scared of me?"
"……?"
"Arguing point by point even after learning what I am — that's not normal, you know."
"…Is that a complaint?"
"Not exactly… I just find it fascinating."
It was something he had never once experienced in the Demon Realm, so perhaps 'strange' was the right word for the feeling. And the fact that a mere human was the one acting this way made it all the more novel.
"Commander, I suspect that would be your affinity at work."
"Hm? Affinity?"
At Amon's words, not only Death but Bayul perked up his ears as well.
"Indeed. No being in all our history has ever shown an affinity with the Commander this high. And you, young master, are the first human the Commander has ever taken a liking to."
"That much is true."
"My assessment is that your affinity and his fondness combined to produce the situation we see before us."
"Oho. So that's how it is."
Death's eyes glinted with amusement as they rested on Bayul. This was the very being who normally bristled at any hint of insubordination, yet strangely, Bayul felt no discomfort at all. It simply astonished him that an emotion like fondness could create a situation like this.
It was all the more striking because he had never once in his life held fondness for another being.
Because of affinity, he says?
Bayul was just as surprised. The other party was a demon. When he'd first heard Death's true identity from Spinel, the truth was he'd been so stunned he couldn't even bring himself to believe it.
And yet, compared to that, he'd never really felt afraid. The other's outrageous demands were outrageous, granted — but all he had resolved was that it would be wise to keep his distance since they were demons. Nothing resembling actual fear had ever surfaced.
Am I sensing a closeness with him without even realizing it?
Listening to Amon's explanation, it did seem to fit, more or less.
"Whew! So my arm is safe, right?"
Bar, who had been squirming in terror of losing his remaining arm, heaved a sigh of relief, breaking into a bright smile that sat oddly with his fearsome face.
"Keep your head straight and pay attention. How long we get to stay here depends on your hands from now on."
"Yes, boss! I'll work my hardest!"
Somewhere along the way, 'boss' had replaced 'Commander' as his word of choice. Bar straightened into a rigid military stance, steeling himself with grim resolve.
"Then our deal is settled. Now, shall we hear what's on that side's mind?"
Death changed the subject, looking past Bayul — directly at Spinel, to be precise.
"Before that, there's something I'd like to ask."
"Lots of questions about me, I take it?"
"It's not that. Earlier, I couldn't help noticing you spoke as though you already knew Spinel would grow. How did you know that?"
He had distinctly said, 'How funny that the fire spirit who appeared last is the first to evolve.' Even Bayul, her own Spirit User, hadn't been able to guess that the spirits would change — so how had Death known the instant he laid eyes on her?
"Isn't that just obvious?"
"Obvious?"
"Those little ones are lower spirits at a glance. You do know how the spirit hierarchy works, don't you?"
"Lower, intermediate, superior — and above those, the Spirit King. That's what I've heard."
"Right. But the Spirit Realm was destroyed, and only now, after thousands of years, have lower spirits begun to appear."
"So?"
"So what do you mean, 'so'? You have to raise them. The power of the Four Great Spirit Kings inside your body — you don't think it's sitting in there for nothing, do you?"
"…The Four Great— what power did you say?"
"And here I thought you already knew."
As Bayul stammered out the question, a memory he'd somehow let slip suddenly flickered through his mind — Spinel's words, spoken what felt like a lifetime ago.
'They are the Spirit Kings of ages past.'
'Yes, my King. Their power has been passed down to you, King.'
The blaze had thrown everything into chaos and the conversation had never gone anywhere. Afterward, with Death's identity revealed and the ensuing wrangling (?) over the deal, there hadn't been a single spare moment to talk.
Spinel had said all of this was the design of the Spirit Kings of ages past. That by their design, the spirits would continue to grow. That Bayul himself was the inheritor, the one through whom the power of those ancient kings had flowed.
Until now, he had simply assumed himself to be a rare case — a Spirit User uniquely attuned to all four of the great elements.
But suddenly he was the inheritor of the Four Great Spirit Kings' power? He had no idea how to even begin parsing that. It left him baffled, and tangled in knots.
Why me, of all people?
He could guess that his mother was involved somehow, but to have all four Spirit Kings of the ancient era abruptly folded into the picture felt like his brain was overloading.
"Hey. You okay?"
Death's hand waved back and forth in front of Bayul's somewhat vacant face.
"Looks like that really rattled you. How are you more shocked by this than by finding out what I am?"
Death clicked his tongue, as if that fact itself were the most absurd part of all.
"…Spinel."
―Yes, my King.
"What was it you were trying to tell me earlier? You said it might be confusing, but asked me to hear you out to the end, didn't you? I'll listen now."
―But in front of them…
Spinel had not yet lowered her guard around the Death siblings. The scattered fragments of demon lore buried in her memory all said the same thing: keep away from them, without exception.
"Death, would you mind giving us the room?"
"Is that really necessary at this point?"
"Spinel wishes it."
"If I stayed, I could explain things in far more detail, you know?"
"That's my call to make. I can always ask later, if it comes to that."
"You don't budge an inch, do you."
Death smirked and rose to his feet.
"Let's go. Might as well get some sleep."
The deal had been clinched without a hitch, so it wasn't as though he'd walked away empty-handed. He was curious about the spirits' story too, but learning it a little later would change nothing.
"See you tomorrow."
With Death in the lead, Bar and Amon bowed with immaculate courtesy and filed out of the room.
"All clear now?"
―Tempesta, could you block the sound?
―Easy enough.
At Spinel's request, Tempesta obediently did as he was asked. Whatever she was about to say, the fact that she was taking such care with secrecy made the tension creep over Bayul belatedly.
―My King.
"Yes. Go ahead."
―There is a most grave purpose behind the power of the Spirit Kings of ages past having been passed to you.
"And what is it?"
―The Spirit Realm perished long ago. Even searching my memories now, I cannot tell the reason why. I have not yet recovered every shard of what I once knew. But this much I can say: you, King, bear the duty of restoring the fallen Spirit Realm.
"…A duty to restore it?"
―Yes. And that is why the power of the ancient Spirit Kings has been inherited by you.