Demon King (1)
“Why… why did you kill them all?”
“What, now you ask?”
“They believed in you until the very end.”
“Yeah, because they were annoying.”
“Annoying…”
“And you seem to have forgotten, but those NPCs tried to kill you first.”
“……”
“You’re my toy, Adelaide. It’s only natural for the owner to get pissed when some clueless NPC scum tries to scratch up what’s hers, right?”
“……Ha.”
“Quit dawdling and scrounge up some food already.”
Adelaide glanced back suddenly. Only two survivors remained. She took in the sight of the village wiped out overnight, endlessly murmuring apologies in her mind.
But she knew better than anyone that it was all hypocrisy.
The villagers’ curse-filled voices still echoed in her ears like hallucinations. She could feel the sting of the stones they’d thrown at her. Their looks of disgust flickered before her eyes. The sound of their spit tickled her ears.
And every time those memories surfaced, a single emotion writhed in a corner of her chest.
Relief. A vile, ugly relief that they were dead and gone.
‘I… am unfit to be a knight.’
Adelaide bit her lip until it bled. Self-loathing battered her, but her legs instinctively obeyed Ailin’s words.
The instinct to survive. To her, it was a base desire.
A few days passed. The village still had plenty of food left, but we chose to move on. Too much quiet gets on my nerves, after all.
Adelaide followed behind me, laden with our packs. She was huffing hard—clearly struggling. Inevitably, her foot caught on a rock, and she stumbled.
“Hah… haa…! Ugh!”
“Watch where you’re going. If you break any more, I’ll be in trouble.”
“……I don’t need your help.”
“Help? Don’t flatter yourself. If my toy breaks, it’s my loss.”
I crooked a finger, and a shadow propped her right up. Her face flushed red as she glared at me.
“……”
“Got a problem?”
“……No.”
“Then what’re you waiting for? Move.”
“……I’m coming.”
How much farther did we walk? When the two moons hung high overhead, we stopped at a suitable clearing.
“We’ll rest here.”
At my word, Adelaide’s body jerked into motion reflexively. Whether from long-ingrained habits or the conditioning of the past few days, I couldn’t say.
She began gathering dry branches from around us. Without me even ordering her to. But then she froze, her eyes trembling.
“Not gonna light the fire?”
“I’ll… get it going… right away.”
I perched on a nearby rock, propping my chin in my hand. She struck stones together a few times, sparks flying until a campfire blazed to life.
Warmth spread through the air, melting the tension from my body.
“Not bad. Perks of being a knight? You’re always good at camping, I’ve noticed.”
“……”
Time for a reward. I pulled a strip of jerky from the pack and tossed it to her. It landed with a thud on the dirt. Adelaide stared at it blankly.
I frowned at her.
“Eat it already.”
“……”
“I’m not feeding you so you don’t get hungry. So you don’t die. Dealing with a corpse would be a pain.”
“……”
“Sigh. Want me to force it down your throat like last time?”
Like last time. Her face paled at those words, and she snatched up the jerky with trembling hands.
She glanced at me warily, then blew on it gently to dust off the dirt before chomping away.
“Drink some water too.”
Her throat must’ve been parched; she couldn’t refuse. As I stared at her, she averted her eyes.
“Why are you staring like that…?”
“Just… interesting.”
“What’s…?”
“You’re holding up amazingly well. Any other NPC would’ve lost their mind or begged for death by now.”
I rose from the rock and approached her. She flinched immediately—learned fear, no doubt. But I didn’t strike.
Instead, I placed a hand on her head and stroked it gently. Like petting a lapdog.
“Eek…!”
“Stay still. Good girl.”
“Don’t… treat me like an animal.”
“You are one. Eating what your owner gives you, lying where your owner tells you.”
“I’m…!”
“Shh.”
I pressed my index finger to her lips and whispered.
“I didn’t say you could bark.”
“……”
“Yeah, that’s better. Quiet suits you.”
Satisfying.
Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m feeling anymore. They say a woman’s heart is fickle like a reed, but ever since getting stuck in this body, my emotions have been all over the place.
I want her to resist. But I also want her to obey without question. I want her to lash out and try to kill me. But I also want her to fawn and beg for her life.
I flashed a grin, and tremors shot through her into my palm.
Her eyes squeezed shut. She looked so enticing like that; I added in a pleased tone,
“Alright, bedtime? We’ve got a long walk tomorrow. No need for watch—my shadows will handle it.”
“……”
“Don’t even think about running. You know how far my shadows reach.”
I stretched out on the ground and closed my eyes. I could feel her gaze on the back of my neck. Staring at the sword I’d taken from her.
Soon, she silently gripped it and rose—slowly, so slowly.
Then, for reasons I couldn’t fathom, she set it back down.
“Haa…”
She knelt, clasped her hands, and began praying silently.
That’s when sleep started pulling at me. My last memory was Adelaide’s bittersweet smile as she stared blankly into the campfire.
Adelaide and I set off early the next morning.
“So… where was it again?”
“……Istius.”
“Ah, right. Istius.”
“……”
“Finish explaining. I’ve heard it before, but… I’m bored.”
“Istius is a fortress city on the kingdom’s eastern front lines.”
“And?”
“A major hub for commerce and entertainment.”
“Control your face. It’s obvious what you’re thinking. ‘If I get there, I’m saved. I’ll report her…’ Right?”
“……As if.”
“Doesn’t matter. Try it if you want. Could be fun.”
Ailin’s confidence unnerved Adelaide. What gave her such brazen assurance?
They pressed on toward the direction Adelaide had indicated.
“Can’t you walk any faster?”
“……This is my limit.”
“Really?”
A faint shadow brushed her ankle in an instant. An invisible shackle tightened around Adelaide. Even if they reached Istius, could she ever break free?
Adelaide looked up at the sky. A disgustingly blue expanse.
“Too bad. I was gonna punish you if you lied.”
“……”
“Hmm. But don’t get too down.”
“I don’t know… how to play along… anymore.”
Adelaide panted out her response, and Ailin turned back with a smile. Silver hair gleaming in the sunlight, eyes glowing red. A beautiful girl. All the more horrifying for it.
A witch. A devil. If the ancient tales spoke of a Demon King, it would look just like her. Adelaide bowed her head silently and followed.
“Oh, yeah.”
“……”
“What’s your name?”
The question came out of nowhere.
“You know it. Adelaide von Estia.”
“Nah, not that. Got a nickname?”
“……No.”
“Boring. Fine, I’ll make one. Hmm… Puppy?”
“……Adelaide.”
“Okay, okay. Prideful one. Adel it is, then. Full name’s a hassle anyway.”
Adel. To Adelaide, it was the pet name only her late mother had used in childhood.
But she lacked the energy to correct her.
“Do whatever.”
“Then, Adel?”
“……What.”
“Know my name?”
“No.”
“First time saying it myself. Kinda exciting. This body’s name is Ailin. Real name’s different, but whatever.”
“……Ailin.”
“Add ‘Master’.”
“What?”
“Not ‘what.’ Ailin Master. Or just Master.”
“……”
“Ah, that setting? Time for punishment—”
“Ailin… Mas… ter.”
“Eek.”
Ailin shivered in delight, then added with flushed cheeks,
“Better than I thought… Call me that from now on.”
“……”
“Answer me.”
“Yes… Ailin Master.”