Chapter 18: Abducting the Saintess (4)
“I succeeded, but it looks like you failed, Demon King?”
Alicia, who had spent quite a while toying with Is, left him passed out on the floor and sauntered over to the table where Silvia and I sat.
It wasn't just any failure—I'd been utterly dismantled by a seven-year-old girl. If I'd known it would come to this, I should've read more books.
“Yeah. I had no idea Silvia was this sharp.”
Feeling awkward, I ruffled her hair under the pretense of patting her head.
Silvia, who had been wearing a complicated expression as if sorry for rejecting my offer, finally relaxed her face. She wasn't smiling as brightly as before, but that was good enough for now.
“Anyway, success means his mind's back in order, right?”
“Less restoring his mind and more... I threw in a little curveball? After all, what he did to us was pretty outrageous.”
“Curveball?”
“What are human emotions, anyway? Joy, sorrow—it's all in how you perceive it.”
I fully agreed with Alicia. There's that saying happiness is an illusion. You don't smile because you're happy; you become happy because you smile. As long as it's not something unbearable, emotions can shift based on how you take it.
“Simple, really. Fear is just dread, right?”
“Sure.”
“I just swapped that dread for pleasure.”
“......What?”
“De-Demon King?”
As I double-took, I clamped my hands over Silvia's ears. Something told me whatever Alicia was about to say next was not for kids.
“You crushed that guy's friends' balls with your foot, right? That's what sparked the fear. Yeah?”
“Well, yeah. I'm not denying that was the trigger.”
“I did something similar—gently pressed on his with my foot. Added some hot wax and a good whipping, too. Not in reality, mind you. In a dream.”
Alicia had been acting ditzy a lot since hanging out with Lai, but I couldn't forget she was a succubus. No, I hadn't forgotten she was a succubus. I'd just momentarily overlooked what succubi specialized in.
“Put simply, I flipped his phobia into masochism, erasing the terror from the whole ordeal. Now, when he recalls what happened yesterday, he won't lose his mind—he'll get soaking wet and...”
“S-Stop. No need for more details. So his mind's fixed, right?”
“He'll be normal for daily life. Might get labeled a perv at night thanks to his new tastes, though. Wanna see?”
“No. I'm good.”
Calling it a taste for submission was polite—it was straight-up masochism. Not my thing, and with Silvia here, watching that would've been wrong. I politely declined.
“Saintess? He'll wake up in about an hour. Good as new. No need to worry.”
“Thank you. This was my job, but I was too inept to handle it.”
Alicia looked flustered at the sight of the saintess—a demon race member—bowing so deeply her waist nearly touched the ground. But she soon smiled, not displeased.
“Saintess.”
“Yes?”
“Stop thinking only of others. When it counts, follow your heart.”
She poked Silvia's chest with a finger.
“Here. Do what this tells you. Human lives are short enough—do you really wanna be dragged by a fate you don't want?”
With that, Alicia vanished through the window just as she'd appeared.
“I'll head out too. Might cause trouble if I stick around.”
“Demon King, will we not see each other anymore?”
“Who knows...? Even if you don't come with me, we're friends, so we'll meet. You're not ditching me just 'cause I'm the Demon King, right?”
“Thanks for saying that. You asked for the world's sake, but I was selfish. I'm sorry.”
Telling her it was fine wouldn't convince her right away. Accepting her apology was the way to lighten her heart for now.
“It's okay.”
I patted her head once more and left the audience chamber.
Demon King asked for the world's sake.
Silvia's parting words echoed. I couldn't help a smirk.
Silvia. Truth is, I don't give a damn what happens to this world. I'm just acting to prevent its end because that's my ticket home. If—just if—destroying this world was the way back, I'd gladly do it.
“Haha.”
I laughed at myself, amused at thinking like a world-ending Demon King. At the same time, I felt relieved. Saving one girl, Silvia, to save the world was way easier than taking on the whole continent to end it.
“What a chuunibyou way to think.”
Shaking my head, I headed to the inn. One more shot at convincing Silvia. If that failed, I'd have to use Lai. If even Lai failed, then...
Silvia hopped the temple wall again today. She'd gotten a huge scolding from the Pope yesterday, so she had to be careful—but seeing Is healed had Marquis Extrang overjoyed, donating a fortune to the temple. The Pope, in high spirits, threw a massive feast, retreating to his room with a few nuns.
“Security'll be lax tonight.”
That was Silvia's read.
She slipped over the wall, melting into the shadows. Then—
“Ah! Forgot my bag!”
She noticed the backpack—big as her whole body—that she usually wore was missing. As she reached to climb back—
Thud, thud.
“Party, my ass. Why're we on guard duty?”
“Wanna party? Shoulda been born a pretty nun instead of a burly guy. Idiot.”
“Ugh, those nuns? With their... spears...”
“Shh. Mouth off and you'll wake up headless tomorrow.”
The guards' voices carried.
One day should be fine.
Not even a full day—and nothing had ever happened before—so Silvia gave up retrieving her bag and headed to the slums' back alleys. No sick left after weeks of her daily healing, but it was comfy there, her natural pick.
“Uncle Jax!”
“Ah... Saintess. You're here again.”
“Huh? Uncle? You okay?”
“Pardon? Oh, no, ma'am. The wife's nagging got on my nerves—must show on my face. Come on in. Saintess.”
His stiff expression puzzled her, but she bought the wife-fight excuse. People can't always be happy. Even Silvia had been buzzing to meet Cluster earlier, only to sink into gloom after turning him down.
Cluster... She desperately wanted to go with him. A doll's life, doing nothing. Like a bird in a cage—eat when fed, use divine power on command. Drained by the Pope's money schemes.
She yearned to follow the one who smiled at her, stroked her warmly, treated her like the seven-year-old she was.
Don't wanna be dragged by a fate you don't want?
The succubus sister's words resurfaced, but she shook her head. No take-backs on her decision. Plus, leaving meant abandoning folks like Jax here.
They didn't baby her, but their honest treatment felt like true allies. She often thought that.
“Uncle Jax. Where we headed?”
Lost in thoughts on his face, Silvia finally noticed the unfamiliar fence—this wasn't the usual clearing path.
“New guy showed up—stomach pains. Shoulda warned you, sorry ma'am.”
“No, no! Patient's gotta stay put. I'll go to them. Don't apologize.”
“Saintess... you're too kind, ma'am.”
“Ehehe. Nah. It's all thanks to the goddess who gave me this power.”
“No ma'am. Thanks to you, no one's sick, and we can earn now.”
“Earn? I never helped with money.”
She tilted her head, but Jax said nothing. Probably meant healthy enough for work, she figured.
“Remember the first time you snuck out, Saintess?”
“Yeah? You were gonna scold me.”
“Told you a kid like you wandering late could mean big trouble?”
“Of course I remem—"
They turned the corner—
BOOM!
“Silvia. Come with me. You don't get a choice.”