Encounter with the Demon (4)
"Is it really okay for the princess to be alone like this?"
"I'm just a royal in name only, with no real support base or influence. Didn't you hear what the captain of the Royal Guard said to me on his way out? He said he'd report everything straight to the queen consort."
"That doesn't justify the princess being here alone with just me."
"As long as I'm inside the palace walls, no one cares what I do or where I go. Even talk about you seems to be known only to me and my mother within these halls. Who would bother with some worthless prisoner locked away in a cell?"
Hardly anyone in the kingdom knew of Eunhyeon's existence.
The only public information about him was that he was a subordinate of the Black Witch Iliana, and he never flaunted his abilities openly. If it were revealed that he was the witch's lover, the kingdom wouldn't dare treat him this way.
In the end, the only ones in the royal family who knew about Eunhyeon were Consort Helena and her daughter, Princess Yuria.
"Now, tell me. Why did you do it?"
Confirming once more that no one was around, Yuria couldn't hide her frustrated expression as she pressed Eunhyeon.
"If you don't explain what exactly I did, it's hard for me to respond."
"Are you playing dumb? That girl. Why are you protecting her?"
Eunhyeon immediately realized who Yuria was talking about.
She clearly disliked that he had advocated for Erin and made her release a condition.
"So you know about Erin."
"That child is dangerous."
"Why is she dangerous?"
"That girl..."
For a moment, Yuria hesitated, wondering if she should reveal what she knew, but she soon steeled herself and spoke.
"That child inherited the power of a divine beast called a gumiho. It's said she'll awaken later and turn all of Fernin into a sea of flames!"
"......"
This again... No way?
Eunhyeon glanced up at the goddess Verdandi hovering above his head.
The child's thoughts seem correct.
"Are you saying that Erin's story appears in the Fate's Märchen—the tale of foresight—that the princess read?"
"...Yes."
Yuria nodded gravely at Eunhyeon's question.
Fate's Märchen was short for The Märchen that Pioneers Fate, the novel Yuria had read in her previous life on Earth.
Eunhyeon was tired of listing every title from her memories, so he openly used the term foresight.
Tragically, the current Yuria, due to a god's machinations awakening her past-life memories, mistakenly believed this world was from that novel.
But the truth was entirely different from what she knew.
This was a new world where civilization had settled after Earth's destruction, restored by the gods.
The knowledge from Yuria's Fate's Märchen was merely a book-ified version of future events sent back in time—a sort of prophecy in the present context.
According to her, Erin's fate had been set from the start.
As a ridiculous villain.
"Ha..."
It was unbelievable that the frail girl who couldn't even use magic or fight would grow into a villain intent on burning down the capital.
As Eunhyeon let out a hollow laugh, Yuria—who didn't know the reason—frowned.
"You find this funny right now? I agreed to release her because I figured you had some plan, but that girl..."
Yuria explained the original novel's knowledge to Eunhyeon with a frustrated look.
In Fate's Märchen, Erin appeared and awakened the divine beast's power right around this time—coincidentally.
She suddenly showed up at Aiter Academy, where she'd been reported missing, causing a huge stir.
Her father was executed for embezzlement after his diversion of kingdom funds was exposed.
Her brother was known to have fled with the hidden gold coins.
Later, when it was revealed Elvin was a black mage during his escape, he was killed by the Artia captain. Hearing this, Erin—whose only remaining pillar of support had died—felt extreme rage and awakened the divine beast power dormant within her.
Using the beast's unique ability, Energy Drain, Erin attacked nobles, absorbing vast amounts of mana to regain strength bit by bit. She then attempted to burn down all of Fernin, the capital, but Alex and the protagonist's party killed her, ending her revenge thwarted.
Thus, the tale of a single girl's vengeance—after her entire family was driven to death—ended unfulfilled.
"Absurd, right? Her father and brother committed crimes and threatened the nation as a black mage, so they were executed. Yet she burns with revenge against the country and tries to incinerate innocent people too."
"...Was that novel popular?"
"Yes, quite. Tons of ads, and it was always trending online. The author must've made a fortune."
"......"
"W-Why? What's wrong?"
As Eunhyeon narrowed his eyes with a displeased expression, Yuria asked in confusion.
"I wonder where they sold off all the plausibility..."
The story notably omitted Elvin's perspective—Erin's brother.
It skipped tales like Ashton single-handedly exposing Lenion Hersha's corruption, or how part of the divine beast's power entered Erin's body.
It was recorded strictly from the protagonist's view—or the winners'.
From Yuria's standpoint, still mistaking this world for the novel, Erin was a villain trying to raze the capital for "unjust reasons."
This is why the goddess tied Erin's fate to mine.
I knew. But I couldn't interfere directly, so I wove the threads of fate to involve the child. Ultimately, so that the child could save her.
To prevent a pitiful girl whose heart was torn to shreds from destroying herself in despair and turning the kingdom into a sea of flames.
Eunhyeon had already witnessed part of the gumiho's power emerging from Erin's body.
Probably that demon egged her on midway in the novel.
The demon likely planned to frame Erin for its chain of assaults while harvesting more mana from victims.
But contrary to expectations, Erin's shattered mentality awakened the beast's power inside her. As a result, the gumiho—harboring deep hatred for Pernias's founding king—turned the kingdom into flames.
Since the gumiho aimed to exterminate the royal family from the start, if Erin had truly vowed revenge, she might have handed her body over without hesitation.
Eunhyeon figured the novel's events followed this path.
One girl's fate had diverged upon meeting him, straying from the novel—or prophecy's—future. Yet the grand flow of destiny remained unchanged, he realized anew.
"Princess."
"Yes?"
"Let me say this upfront: This world is not the one from the novel you read."
"What do you...?"
Eunhyeon felt fortunate to have heard this just before Erin and Yuria properly crossed paths.
First, he needed to dismantle her misconceptions.
"You must understand this. For your little sister's sake—and the tale of a 'mage's story' where she didn't hesitate to abandon even her own future."
"What am I going to do...?"
Erin couldn't hide her anxiety, her face full of unease.
"You haven't heard anything from him?"
Erin and Alex, freshly out of prison, wandered the capital aimlessly without a destination.
"No... He just said he'd prepared people who could help me...?"
Eunhyeon had only explained it as one way to counter the demon—he gave no specific instructions, directions, or even advice.
"...First, let me apologize to you."
"Pardon?"
"I've heard everything about what my half-brother did to you. Not once, but twice—I'm truly ashamed."
"Ah..."
Caught off-guard by Alex's sudden formal bow, Erin nodded but refused the apology.
"This isn't an apology you need to give me, Alex. It's one that man owes. And I know this has nothing to do with the duke."
Erin had never met Abros, but she knew he felt remorse and had helped her in various ways.
That's why Ashton's solo actions—as family—baffled her even more.
"Elenoa said the same thing happened when she apologized to you. It's true."
Alex straightened with a wry smile.
"Yeah. If it were me, I wouldn't forgive it no matter what."
"......!"
"Who goes there!"
A seductive voice rang out abruptly. Erin jolted in shock, goosebumps rising, while Alex activated his mana to enhance his body and drew his sword.
Scanning around warily yielded nothing. With a hunch, Alex looked skyward.
A voluptuous, alluring figure with flawless white skin—wearing clothes that barely qualified as such, designed purely to entice men. Paired with bat-like wings, the hallmark of a demon.
Alex glared at the succubus licking her lips as she eyed him from above.
"Oh? You're the first to show hostility right away."
"Shut your mouth."
"You're an intriguing man, but my business today is with that girl, not you."
"What?"
Alex finally understood why Eunhyeon gave Erin no orders as the succubus giggled amusedly.
Eunhyeon had known the demon would come to her.
No need to hunt it down frantically.
But how to fight it?
Unlike Eunhyeon, his father, or Riod, Alex had never battled a demon.
Erin hadn't either. What potential did Eunhyeon see in her to entrust the demon hunt?
"Me?"
"Yep. Hey, want to get revenge with me?"
"W-What...?"
"We'll team up and burn this country to the ground!"
"T-That... what...?"
"Stop!"
Sensing danger, Alex swung his sword to halt the succubus, but she was faster.
Flashing a smile, the succubus raised her index finger and touched Erin's forehead.
Hi? Want to study together?
"Ah..."
A memory began replaying in Erin's mind.
The succubus's dream-manipulation ability showed her own fabricated recollections.
Memories of a joyful time with a female and male student.
The boy was someone she knew very well.
Dodging Alex's sword nimbly and creating distance, the succubus continued speaking to Erin.
"My name is Lira Baranov. I was Elvin's friend at Aiter—we spent a lot of time together."
"With... brother..."
Erin stared blankly, lost in the flood of Elvin's smiling faces replaying in her head.
"This is..."
Not good. Alex watched the dazed Erin, unable to shake his unease.
"Come with me. We'll get revenge on this country that made Elvin that way."
"N-No..."
Erin desperately resisted, but the brainwashing in her mind was gradually dominating her.
"Follow me. I'll show you the way."
"The... way?"
"Yes. The way. Just trust and follow me."
"No. I can't."
"Huh...?"
The brainwashing invading Erin's mind shattered.
The succubus's brow twitched at the unexpected turn.
"This... can't be...?"
"The one who shows me the way isn't you."
Hmph.
A woman's scoff echoed in her mind.
And the feelings for the one man she trusted and relied on shattered the brainwashing.
Drawing her rapier from her waist, Erin faced the demon with a resolute expression, recalling the mission Eunhyeon had given her.
"There's only one person who can show me the way."
"......"
The succubus's face twisted.
Was it rage that a mere human broke her unbreakable brainwashing? Or irritation that things weren't going as planned?
Either way—or both—it was clear she hated this situation.
"No need to worry after all."
Alex's relieved expression turned to a smirk as he stood beside Erin, sword aimed at the succubus.
Still, well done. Time for a reward.
"Wh-What...?"
Regardless of her will, blue mana surged from Erin's body, enveloping her.