Chapter 121
Chapter 121
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: 11. Superior-Subordinate Affection (9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cough cough.
Karin shuddered slightly from the discomfort radiating through her body. It was probably because she'd outright devoured a demon whole—the heavy burden was one thing, but there was also this unpleasant sensation, like she was connected to something divine.
"Take deep breaths. Svetlana was a demon under the Demon God's protection, so traces of that will still linger."
The Shopkeeper held her right hand, Senior Ermina her left, and Big Sis Mina placed a hand on her back as they worked to balance her power.
The lingering resistance from the Demon God and Svetlana's power clashed violently with the goddess's radiance inside her, making her feel utterly nauseous.
Following their instructions, she took deep breaths and manipulated the twisting energy within her, just like she would with her mana.
It was as if the power itself still retained some sense of self, rampaging inside her body in search of a way out.
In the end, Senior Ermina began channeling her power in earnest.
The mana flowed through her veins like a river, but a warm force suddenly surged through her body, forcibly seizing control of it.
The two opposing powers clashed fiercely for a while, but in the end, the goddess's power from this temple overwhelmed and subdued everything else.
At the same time, a gush of blood erupted from her mouth.
After spitting out several clumps of black blood, the queasiness in her stomach eased a bit, and Karin let out a deep sigh before collapsing to the floor.
Only now did she realize her entire body was drenched in sweat, which made her sneeze. The Shopkeeper immediately draped his overcoat over her shoulders.
"Looks like it's sorted out now."
"It's still a bit tough."
"I figured. You'll need a good long stabilization period. That's what happens when you acquire this kind of power after the fact."
Come to think of it, the Shopkeeper had said he received the goddess's power through some kind of contract. Had he felt this same creaky strain from exceeding his body's limits, like she did now?
Her body felt tougher overall, but her joints ached with every movement.
"Well, now that it's cleaned up, this really is a bizarre space. Even my senses can't detect an end to it."
"The scale feels off."
"Yeah. Even when I try to fix coordinates from inside, everything gets jumbled weirdly."
Everyone, Karin included, fell silent for a moment, overwhelmed by the sheer otherworldliness of the space as they scanned their surroundings.
"Ermina, do you sense anything?"
"No."
"I don't feel anything either..."
The two statues that were surely the key to all this stood right there in plain view, yet no clear power emanated from them.
And when she tried to peer beneath the statues, they clearly weren't moving, but she couldn't reach them.
"...A space like this let us catch it, but it feels like we've just added more homework."
"You brought me here, but I still don't know what this place is."
"Can you record it?"
The Shopkeeper rummaged through his bag and activated a recording crystal, but the image warped the moment he tried to capture it.
"They won't let us send proof outside, huh."
"Karin. How's the goddess's power you just acquired?"
"Uh, well..."
Because the assimilation wasn't perfect yet, a somewhat murky golden light flowed out, tracing complex patterns in the air.
Her goal was spatial analysis—a spell to grasp the form and internal structure of a given space.
"...I can see a much wider area than usual now, and I'm more sensitive to demon power. But even so, this space is still beyond me."
"So the performance has definitely improved. Not bad."
"Yeah. Being the goddess's power, it seems especially attuned to monsters and demons."
"Good. Now, I'd like to investigate this space, but it doesn't seem like it'll allow it from inside. Guess we'll have to look for data outside."
The Shopkeeper muttered with a troubled expression.
He was already struggling with labyrinth-related research, and piling on more work would be rough.
"Well, giving us a clear choice and opportunity isn't bad. If not for that weird interference last time."
"Low priority?"
"Yeah. We'll take our time. Judging by the bracelet's state, it'll probably summon us again anyway."
Sure enough, as he said, the bracelet was half-charged again.
Guess we're doing this again. What state would it be in next time? Half hopeful, half worried, Karin closed her eyes, succumbing to exhaustion.
**
"Thorough bunch."
At the strange voice, Karin opened her eyes.
The scenery was her hometown, her private room in the merchant house.
She was there in her casual clothes from home, and so was the demon Svetlana, dressed identically. Karin immediately realized it was a dream.
"Hey, shorty."
"Your ego wasn't completely gone...?"
"It doesn't vanish in one shot like that. It'll fade naturally over time."
"Ah."
So it really was just remnants of her personality.
Karin understood completely.
"No need to be on guard. I can't move even a sliver of the power inside you right now. As expected of Yulius Lebedev. A human man worthy of my recognition."
"The Shopkeeper is impressive."
"More thorough than you know. Yeah. Complicated guy."
"I just think he's a good person."
"If you simplify it to good or bad, then yeah, good."
As they chatted naturally, Karin suddenly tensed up.
"Ah, even without power, I'm not falling for any wordplay!"
"Ah, suit yourself. Most of my mental functions are already severed anyway. No need to worry."
"Even so..."
"Fine, fine. Let's talk about Yulius. He was a unique guy even from my perspective."
Mention of the Shopkeeper sparked her curiosity, so after a brief hesitation, Karin decided to chat a little.
"Haha, I like your honesty. Anyway, Yulius seemed totally disinterested in women, right?"
"Yeah."
Even when she, in her crazed state, stripped naked and wreaked havoc, he only touched her body to relieve her urges, showing no sexual interest whatsoever.
His sexual function was fine, so she still wondered how he'd ended up like that.
"Among demons who deal with humans, everyone keeps tabs on the Lebedev family once kids are born. Historically, they've killed the most demons of any human lineage."
"Ah, I see."
"So I've known about Yulius since he was a kid."
"And?"
"Simple. Yulius Lebedev's attitude toward women has been consistent from the day he first stepped outside his castle walls to now."
"Is he gay?"
"No. From my perspective, overseeing lust, desire, even transcendent love, I can say with certainty he's not. What he has is guilt, distrust, and self-loathing."
The unexpected answer left Karin speechless without realizing it.
"I don't know why the kid turned out that way. But the underlying emotions are clear. Far darker and murkier than what ordinary humans think of him."
"I don't believe it."
"Then you'll never get close to Yulius."
"...I'll handle it myself."
"Suit yourself. But remember: what can truly touch Yulius's heart is words of comfort and healing."
"How can you be so sure?"
"It's all over his face. Probably got some deep trauma from human relationships in early childhood."
Karin had no retort. At the very least, there was an eerie realism to what this demon was saying.
She had no choice but to admit it carried weight.
"What you need to do is simple. Stop acting spoiled yourself, and accept his spoiling. Don't demand; be the one who's demanded of."
"Why give me advice?"
"My power is rooted in love and desire. If you plan to use it, you'll naturally be drawn this way."
"I won't use it."
"Why? It's already tamed—it's no longer demonic."
"It's not demonic?"
"Right. Power itself is neutral."
Karin fell silent.
If that was true, and she could fully make it her own, it might help the Shopkeeper.
As if reading her thoughts, Svetlana's remnant smirked and began to fade away.
"See you later. You'll see me again when you need me."
...And with her disappearance, Karin awoke in reality. She'd been naturally expelled outside, and while unconscious, the Shopkeeper had carried her back to her room.
Despite just waking up, her mind felt strangely clear as she headed to where the Shopkeeper slept. There he was, asleep with a weary, irritated expression he rarely showed.
Could she be a source of strength for the struggling Shopkeeper?
She approached his side and examined his face closely. His brows were furrowed as if exhausted by something, sleeping fitfully with uneven breaths.
Was he having a nightmare? She wanted to know, but he wouldn't tell her. Thinking that, Karin quietly closed the door and returned to her own room.