Chapter 192: Sitri (8)
Chapter 192: Sitri (8)
To Han Shin, Sitri was already his woman, his female.
He decided to be honest with his emotions and adopt a more selfish perspective.
It was an undeniable fact that Sitri had committed evil deeds as a demon serving the Evil God... but it didn't truly resonate with him. Since he hadn't personally witnessed her murdering anyone, the psychological impact was different.
Han Shin had only met Sitri a day ago. He didn't know everything about her, and he was only just beginning to learn her story as she confessed it to him. Because of this, he didn't view her in a particularly negative light.
‘Let’s not overthink this anymore.’
As he listened to Sitri speak, Han Shin reached a conclusion and steeled his heart.
‘Even from a pragmatic standpoint, it’s better to have Sitri’s help.’
Han Shin believed Sitri’s claim that she was the strongest among Asmodeus’s demons and had been in a position of leadership. He saw immense value in her. With her detailed knowledge of the other demons, the current situation in Nippur, and their future plans, she would undoubtedly be a massive asset.
Until now, Han Shin’s group had successfully thwarted the demons' attempts and prevented major damage. However, he could feel their efforts becoming increasingly bold and their offensives growing more intense. Furthermore, Han Shin took the emergence of Demonic Humans quite seriously.
‘Now that Demonic Humans have appeared, it will be difficult to eliminate them all.’
He didn't believe that human greed for artifacts would be easily extinguished. Han Shin considered the demons' plan to corrupt humans through artifacts to be terrifyingly effective. Even with the current operations to root out Demonic Humans, he didn't expect the purge to be perfect. He surmised that some Demonic Humans would inevitably survive and continue their schemes.
This was one of the reasons he had come to Shanghai to investigate as soon as he heard about the anomalies.
But there was one major hurdle. Even if he accepted Sitri, he didn't know how Grace, Laysia, and Kang Yujin would feel about it. Han Shin believed they would eventually accept his decision if he pushed for it unilaterally, but...
‘It’s not right to just force it on them.’
He knew how much the three of them cared for him, and he didn't want to treat them that way. Han Shin carefully shared these thoughts with Sitri.
When he told her that he intended to accept her but needed to inform his other women and hear their opinions, Sitri was overcome with joy. To her, the fact that Han Shin believed her words without much hesitation and treated her the same even after she revealed her identity was incredible. Now that he had expressed his intent to accept her, the biggest obstacle had been cleared. She was blissfully happy.
Unable to hide her delight, Sitri spoke to Han Shin, just in case.
“I’m fine with whatever you decide, Han Shin-nim. As long as you let me stay by your side and help you, I’ll do anything.”
Seeing her enthusiasm, Han Shin decided not to waste any time. He headed to the adjacent room to introduce Sitri to Kang Yujin, Grace, and Laysia.
“Then let’s go right now.”
“Yes!”
Sitri answered with resolve. This was a hurdle she had to clear eventually if she wanted to be with Han Shin.
Han Shin led Sitri straight to the next room where the three women were waiting. Since he had told them earlier that he had some business to attend to, they had all returned to the hotel room after looking for him. Although Han Shin had told them not to worry and to wait for him, they weren't entirely at ease. They were sitting around a table, waiting anxiously.
When the sound of the door opening reached their ears, all three of their expressions brightened simultaneously. They knew it had to be Han Shin.
Vying to be the first, the three of them stood up and rushed toward the door to greet him.
“Shin-a, what happened—”
Kang Yujin started to speak happily, but her voice trailed off. She had spotted the woman with plum-colored hair standing behind Han Shin.
Until now, Han Shin had never shown interest in or brought back women other than themselves—especially not a stranger. Having suddenly returned to the room with an unknown woman in Shanghai, where they had just arrived yesterday, left her bewildered.
“Yeah. Sorry I couldn't call you. Things just turned out this way.”
“Right... Well, as long as you're back safe, Shin. But... who is the person behind you—?”
Before Kang Yujin could finish her sentence, Grace and Laysia suddenly lunged forward toward Han Shin.
Both Grace and Laysia had met Sitri before. They were the ones who had clashed with demons multiple times while defending Nippur and Bürg. At first, they had been uncertain because Sitri’s skin wasn't pale but had a healthy, rosy glow, giving her a completely different aura.
However, no matter how they looked at her, her features and attire matched Sitri—the strongest of Asmodeus’s demons they had faced on the battlefield. They couldn't understand how she was here, let alone appearing alongside Han Shin.
The two moved in unison. Though they hadn't exchanged a word, their only thought was to protect Han Shin. Quickly pulling weapons from their subspace, they prepared to attack Sitri to save him.
“Han Shin-nim! It’s dangerous!”
“Wait! Both of you, stop!”
However, they couldn't follow through with their attack. Han Shin actively stepped in to block their path, shielding Sitri and commanding them to stop.
Grace and Laysia were stunned. The person Han Shin was protecting was a truly dangerous demon.
“Han Shin-nim! The woman behind you is a demon!”
Grace warned him in a grave tone, adjusting her grip on her sword. She took a stance, ready to spring forward at any moment in case Han Shin was ambushed.
“Yeah, I know.”
“What?”
Han Shin’s expression was devoid of any sense of crisis, even as he admitted he knew Sitri was a demon. Behind him, Sitri had her hands raised, showing she had no intention of fighting.
Kang Yujin, unable to grasp what was happening, prepared her psychokinesis to attack Sitri just in case, following the lead of Grace and Laysia. To her, Han Shin’s safety was always the top priority.
Han Shin had anticipated that Grace and Laysia might recognize Sitri, given how powerful a demon she was. That was why he had stepped in to block them without much panic, trying to calm them down.
“I know you’re both shocked. For now, let’s go inside and listen to what I have to say, okay?”
“...Yes, I understand.”
“Alright.”
Sitri showed no will to fight, and Han Shin didn't appear to be under any sort of mental control; he was his usual self. Believing there must be a reason for Han Shin’s behavior, the two decided to follow his lead. Moreover, they were curious about how Sitri, who should have been trapped in Nippur by the Dimensional Barrier, was here on Earth.
‘Phew... thank goodness.’
Han Shin breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, glad that a major conflict had been avoided for the moment. The immediate crisis had passed; now, he and Sitri had to explain everything to the three women.
Meanwhile, Sitri was also surprised. Grace was a human female knight who had left quite an impression on her back in Nippur... and Laysia was a follower of Tiamat who had defended Bürg, someone she had clashed with several times.
At that time, Grace hadn't yet become a follower of Tiamat, but Sitri clearly remembered Laysia as a follower of Tiamat who was slightly stronger than herself. Laysia already knew from dungeon records that demons were on Earth, and Sitri was aware of this fact as well. However, she hadn't expected to encounter them right away alongside Han Shin.
She knew Han Shin was special enough to provide her with holy power, but seeing him treated as their superior made her curious about his true identity all over again. Until just a moment ago, she had only told him her own story and hadn't heard his.
She would only get those answers once her place by Han Shin’s side was secured. To achieve that, she had to somehow get permission from these three women to stay with him.
Kang Yujin’s gaze had turned cold upon learning Sitri was a demon... and in the case of Grace and Laysia, they were practically radiating murderous intent. They were only suppressing it because of Han Shin; both were ready to kill Sitri at a moment's notice, and Sitri was currently in no position to resist them.