29
Chapter 29
Every living being harbors a base desire within their heart.
Like a man staring blankly at a beautiful woman, wondering in a corner of his mind how he could share a messy night with her.
Like a wealthy man feeling a sense of psychological superiority while looking down on a beggar. Or the beggar looking up at the rich man, wondering how to make that money his own.
It is something too shameful to admit openly to others, but it is not wrong. After all, whether human, demon, elf, or magical beast, innate desires exist in everyone. Why else would our Lord have instilled desire when creating life? There is a deep purpose behind it.
However, as beings form societies, they learn to suppress these desires. They bury their sticky, hidden longings deep inside and wear masks derived from their true selves.
I strip away those masks. More accurately, I gently coax out the base desires that adorn their core. Greed for those who crave greed, lust for those who crave lust, and pleasure for those who crave pleasure.
Most desires are not easily fulfilled, but I am a magician. A villain of illusion who makes the impossible possible through miracles.
Those who become aware of their desires are drenched in them, unable to escape. I love that sight. It is a kind of trade: they provide me with amusement, and I provide them with pleasure.
That is why I long for anarchy. Society, which obstructs natural savagery, may be efficient and moral, but it is an eyesore.
I once saw a single being without a filthy desire. Even the 'Hero,' one of the few truly good souls I've encountered, chose corruption in the end; she was an unforgettable, intense woman.
Saint Maria.
The most base desire she harbored throughout her life was simply this: just to lock lips with me once. It wasn't base; it was quite cute.
Since I am a living being, I too have desires. I play for fun. I play by staining the world in evil, and though it is always insufficient and a part of me remains unfulfilled, I play hide-and-seek, searching for something to make me complete.
"Whew... it's been a while since I've had this much fun. I feel so refreshed."
I played again today. I finished a long-overdue revenge. The 'Waltz with the Cross' I mastered at the end was so thrilling my heart is still pounding. It feels as if dopamine has filled every corner of my brain.
The Saint's Rosary, having completed its purification, returned to its original state. I think it will be quite useful whenever I encounter evil things in the future.
Retavis's corpse has completely vanished. Even the clothes he wore were burned away by the light of holiness.
"Now... only Leonard is left."
I dealt with Leonard by pushing him off Endros' Cliff. I enjoyed the main game, so I have no lingering regrets. My only concern is how to avoid the eyes of the Demon Realm Police, though I don't actually intend to avoid them.
In truth, I've prepared for everything. I'm just tired from finishing the show. A creeping lethargy keeps tempting me to sleep.
But I must not yield to something as trivial as the urge to sleep. A great magician always cleans up after himself. How could a veteran of veterans like me fail at the cleanup?
Slide—.
I took off the mask I was wearing. Then, finding the spot where Leonard had fallen, I lightly tossed it over the cliff.
A white, stiff surface curled concavely, slicing through the darkness as it fell. The scream of the mask was the sound of the wind, filled with speed rather than desperation.
Whoosh— Thud.
I heard the sound of the mask's scream ending. I wonder, with a sense of anticipation, if the mask I threw landed right next to Leonard.
I tucked the pocket knife into my left pocket and the cross into my right. Straightening my back, I stood up and looked around.
The night air is cool and quiet. This sheer cliff, said to have been created by a massive breath from Dragon King Endros in the past, contains nothing but a few rocks. Above the cliff, the brush is thick.
On such a cliff, I painted. I splashed some red paint and carved black scorch marks here and there. I'm very satisfied. Across past and future, likely no one else would ever do such a thing.
While taking a cold shower later, I'll ask, 'Who am I?' and add a new item to the answer. 'The demon who marked his territory on Endros' Cliff.' Heh... now that's the way.
I turned around and began heading back to where I belonged. My sanctuary, the Northern Grand Duke's Residence. I also need to settle things with Adela and my aunt.
The full moon is truly bright.
My shadow, cast by the moonlight, stretches long.
I am clearly wearing white clothes, yet my shadow is pitch black. The moon reveals that no matter how I shroud myself in a white shell, my shabby essence remains unchanged.
What an arrogant moon.
I am now an Apostle of God; how dare a mere moon define me.
*****
Slam-!
The door opens.
And you walk in.
"Surprise! My dear Noonim and Aunt! How have you both been?"
Enter the nephew and younger sibling, drenched in blood.
"......! Mmph! Mmph!"
Seeing the Housemaster boldly stride into the room, the Aunt was startled. However, she could only panic without letting out a single scream. This was because her mouth was still sealed tight with a gag, and she was trapped inside the wardrobe.
Adela was in the middle of the room. There, she stared blankly into the air like a hypnotized cat. She didn't even look at me.
The illusion magic I set up was working successfully. The effect of grinding almost all of Horus's Egg into it was certainly there.
"Mmph! Mmph...!"
The Aunt made a fuss, rattling beside me. I approached her first. She was startled once by the blood on my clothes, and twice by the scent emanating from that blood.
"Haha, looking at you, it seems you haven't been doing so well. I should have looked after you more carefully, I'm sorry."
"...."
"I'll let you out first, so just listen to me. I don't actually want to kill you too, Aunt."
I said *too*. The meaning of these words was clear.
"Ugh...."
As she scanned me slowly, fear clouded her eyes. Between the sight and the scent, she must have guessed roughly what I had been up to.
Still, she had to look for a way to survive. Since the basic instinct of any living being is 'survival.' The Aunt gave a single nod. It was a sign of submission.
Sliiiide- Thud.
I removed the gag and untied her bonds. Of course, no matter how free she was, she couldn't do a thing as long as I was standing there.
She had already been overpowered by me once. All a psychologically defeated person can do is cower. Moreover, since I appeared taller due to the Magician's Hat, the terrified Aunt didn't even think about leaving the wardrobe despite being free.
"Come out for now. I'll escort you like a gentleman."
"...!"
"Why so horrified? Where else would you find a demon as kind as I? You don't believe such a precious opportunity will come again, do you?"
Facing her, I placed my left hand behind my back, palm down, and extended my right hand. The Aunt hesitated, then stepped out of the wardrobe without taking my hand.
It's a bit disappointing that my kindness was rejected, but it can't be helped. The moment kindness is forced, it becomes a threat. I do love threats, but for now, I am Gentleman Joker.
"Our Senorita doesn't seem to know much about manners. Hehe."
"Ah, that, ugh...."
"Then, shall I be mannerly and get straight to the point? It would be rude to waste any more of your precious time, Aunt."
I am nine years old. Good children must have manners. That is the social norm.
The Aunt clutched her other arm with one hand. She didn't look as though her arm was numb from being tied for so long. She was likely trying to calm her racing heart. I should help her with that.
"First, as you've likely guessed, both Leonard and Retavis are dead! I just killed them myself! Your darling son, that is!"
"...!"
If you blow up a shaking heart, it calms down on its own. Why? Because if it doesn't settle, the mind collapses. Since all living beings have an instinct to crave life, they will climb back up on their own once pushed into a corner.
Perhaps because she heard it directly, the shock was greater than I expected. Her unfocused eyes spun wildly.
Flump-.
As if the strength had left her legs, the Aunt collapsed helplessly onto the floor. Soon after, thick tears began to fall from her lost eyes.
As a step-child, I shouldn't make the Aunt suffer too much. I knelt down in front of her. It's best to strike a slightly swaggering pose, resting both elbows on my knees.
"Are you sad?"
"Hng... ugh... Le, Leonard...."
"What's so sad about it?"
"My, my son... to think Leonard is dead...."
"Aha, so it hurts your heart that your son passed away? You're just so overwhelmed with grief that you can't calm down? The face of your dead son is flickering before your blurred vision, is that it?"
Nodding incessantly, the Aunt wept sorrowfully. Not a trace of false emotion could be felt.
The Aunt was genuinely heartbroken. The true reason for that, however, requires careful thought to uncover. Though I knew it the moment I saw her.
"I thought you were grieving because your investment destination died! Our Aunt is such a sentimental person, isn't she?"
"What...?"
"Wait, that's strange. Since when did demons have things like sentiment? Aren't those soft emotions only for things like humans or elves?"
"...!"
"Hahaha, your acting was great. But that was all. You should have focused more on the motive than the performance. There's no reason for you to be sad, so no matter how well you act, what's the point?"
At my words hitting the mark, the Aunt looked up in surprise. Her damp face, stained with tears, met mine.
"Don't say such things...! My Leonard is dead... how could you...."
Within her blood-red eyes, there was a boy with the corners of his mouth stretched wide toward his earlobes.
"Oh, that's right. Your sobbing was genuine, wasn't it? The excuse that it's because your son passed away is just a hollow lie. My mistake."
"H-how could you say such a thing...!"
"Demons are born evil. Maternal love exists for the sake of reproduction, but it completely vanishes the moment a baby passes their fifth year. Leonard was already ten, so there's no way your maternal love remained."
A demon is a being that mixes the filthiness of humans and the corruption of devils in equal parts. There is no room for trivial emotions like love.
Then what about Adela, who loves me and her family? Adela is a fool. And fools naturally find everything in the world beautiful.
"Discard the veil of your heart. Open your real eyes. Then, a new world will be revealed."
"What are you talking about now...."
"Face your true intentions. Gaze into the base abyss at the bottom of your soul. Then, the abyss will gaze back at you."
"True intentions...?"
"Yes, true intentions. Your real inner thoughts, wrapped in emotions like love or maternal instinct. Aren't you curious? Oh, if you're confused, shall I give you a hint?"
I mix honorifics and casual speech because that is how the distinction between high and low is blurred. There shall be light in chaos. There shall be enlightenment in the midst of confusion.
"Once the fluid becomes an adult and a successor is chosen, the successor demon eliminates the other two demons out of caution. It's only natural. There's no guarantee they won't stay behind and stab you in the back. Now, here is a question. When sibling demons are purged, what happens to the demons associated with them?"
"That is...."
"The answer is, they all die together! For the same reason! Why keep alive the associated demons—in other words, those who could become risk factors!"
"Ummm...."
"Since that's the culture of most families in the Demon Realm, a tacit trend has emerged. When retainers within a house compete for succession, they choose the most competitive candidate and give them full support! To survive! You were no different! You say you supported your son because you loved him? Stop talking Cerberus bullshit! You helped Leonard because you didn't want to die! Why? Because if Leonard were pushed out of the succession, you would be a dead woman too!"
A ripple spreads. A ripple that hurts someone's heart. Admitting one's own filthy inner thoughts is a very difficult thing.
It's because of conscience. The conscience that Saint Maria once drew out and stimulated in Western Grand Duke Lilith Clanaein in a previous life.
Everyone has a dirty side to their heart. But this thing called conscience makes them feel ashamed and prevents them from admitting it. That's why I shatter the conscience. Because true feelings and one's original nature are hidden by conscience.
"You must have been aware. The fact that it was wrapped in a false name means you perceived it originally. You simply covered it up and forgot. You wept sorrowfully because the tower you had painstakingly invested in collapsed, and your lifeline was severed. Hehe."
"...."
"Now you understand clearly, right? The difference between those two? You mustn't confuse this. It may seem trivial at first glance, but the motive alone creates a clear distinction."
At my blunt words awakening the truth, the Aunt fell silent. A silence that allows a troubled heart to settle and provides time to chew over the words I whispered.
After a long silence, the Aunt finally spoke.
"Just..."
"Hmm?"
"What is it that you want from me...?"
The Aunt finally asked the question I had been waiting for.
"What do I want from you?"
"Yes, what on earth could you possibly want from me to say such cruel things...."
"Nothing, really. I just purely wanted you to realize your true intentions."
"What......?"
"I'm serious! I'm not the kind of demon who goes around making elaborate plans, am I? Haha. Well, then we're done here. Shall we go?"
Click—.
Saying that, I walked toward the door and gripped the handle. I had set a trap to ensure the Aunt would follow, or more accurately, to pressure her psychologically.
"...Wait."
Bingo.
Got her.
Thud-!
A sound similar to before, but different, echoed through the room. I turned my head with a bright smile.
"Yes?"
And there she was, the Aunt, kneeling before me.
"P-please, spare me."
"Eh? Spare you? Why would I ever kill you, Aunt?"
"Everything you said is true. My grief was only because I feared for my own safety. It wasn't because I cared for Leonard."
"Didn't I already mention that earlier?"
"I-I don't want to die like this! I'll help you! I mean I'll become your second guardian! Oscar, you know it too! That even if you don't kill me, I'll end up dead anyway...!"
"Ah, hehehehehe."
Goodness, I can't stop laughing. Not that I have any intention of hiding it.
"You aren't on the best terms with my mother, so will you be alright?"
"Of course! A-as long as I can stay alive...! I will be completely loyal to you!"
"And you expect me to trust the loyalty of someone who already betrayed her own child?"
"Th-that is...!"
"Ahahaha, forget it. Instead of loyalty, I'll trust your filthiness. Your clever filthiness, which throws away maternal love and sentiment to calculate only profit and loss, is what gives me confidence. I'm a gambler who only bets when I'm certain."
"Fi-filthiness...."
Either way, both Leonard and Retavis are dead. I am the only successor. The only way for the Aunt to survive is through me.
I am a single gust of wind blowing toward a kite with a severed string. The sole savior reaching out to a pitiful demon. A truly exemplary and desirable Apostle of the Lord.
I reached out my hand once more. A gesture with a different meaning than before looked toward the Aunt.
"Now, take my hand. As a commemoration of our new partnership, we should have a handshake."
The Aunt swallowed hard, then reached out and grasped my hand.
"Well then. I look forward to working with you, Senorita."