39
Chapter 39
Previous Life.
Back when I was imprisoned in Tartarus within the Babel Tower.
Spending seven days and nights with the Saint in that place, thick with mist as hot as the Inferno, was actually quite a pleasant time.
Regardless, the boredom was unavoidable. Being tied up in a dull prison with nothing to play with, see, or do was truly horrific.
At that time, I spoke with the Saint about boredom.
"Don't you get bored, Saint? You're always just sitting there primly with a smile."
"Haha."
Back then, the Saint gave a response that was very typical of her.
"I was taught that savoring the joy of endurance is the secret to enjoying life."
"Endurance? Joy? What, are you some kind of mental masochist?"
"How could that be? You may view it as a form of mental discipline. I practice the virtue of waiting so that I do not falter when evil temptations arrive."
"The virtue of waiting? You're saying it's good to be bored? Then why don't you just spend your whole life waiting?"
"It is not just about waiting; is it not a beautiful virtue to calmly let any hardship flow past? That is how I feel."
"Hehe, life is too short to waste on developing things like that."
She's a true human.
A human who has reached a higher mental plane.
That's why I was moved.
"And, who knows?"
"What?"
"That one day, I might face a grueling trial where I must endure and simply wait for a very long time."
"You're about to kick the bucket, so what nonsense are you spouting, Saint?"
"Nothing can be guaranteed in the chaotic affairs of mankind."
"Hehe, the august Demon King said he'll kill us, so that's a confirmed future."
Looking back, when I heard those words then, I dismissed them as the usual nonsense she babbled.
"...Still."
"Hmm?"
"Still, I..."
Looking back now.
"When such a situation truly arrives, I hope that you will not forget me, Joker."
"What are you talking about?"
"I will not forget you either. No matter how many years pass, I will never forget you, Joker. Nor the blessed seven days and nights we spent together in this bleak Tartarus."
"Bwahaha! Was today's meal service spoiled? Why are you suddenly talking about clouds!"
"Haha. I simply mean that the virtue of patience is that sublime and significant."
"Hehe."
It seems the words the Saint left for me back then weren't just empty lies.
Doesn't it align perfectly with my current situation? Funny enough. Does the Saint have some kind of foresight to see the future?
Anyway, regardless, so.
Before, I couldn't understand this 'aesthetic of waiting' at all, but now I do.
I've been waiting for Aru's submission for several hours already, and I'm simply enjoying myself.
"Whimper...."
Our Wolf King, Lady Aru, does not seem to feel the same way.
Aru still hasn't touched the meat. In other words, she's been starving for hours. Since they likely wouldn't feed a product that's about to be sold at the Auction House, she might have been starving even longer than I thought.
I am relaxed. This is a wait where victory is guaranteed.
If she continues to starve like this, Aru will eventually die. But Aru must not die. Because she is the King.
Aru has a destiny to somehow cling to life and lead the wolves. Aru is the Beastman born with the fate of a king.
"Hmm?"
"Grrr...! Grrrrr...!"
"Aren't you tired, Aru? Your stamina is incredible."
"Whine... Grrr...!"
"You don't even have the strength to bark anymore? I like that it's quiet."
Oh, she shouldn't do that.
I spoke leisurely, but it's not good to damage Aru's throat.
Why should her throat be protected when I hit her head? Because the throat is hard to regenerate.
I should feed Aru some meat soon. But it'll take quite a while for her to eat voluntarily... Ah, I just had a great idea.
"Aw, I'm sleepy. I should take a nap."
"Grrr...?"
"Aru can stay quiet, right? You can't wake me up, okay? Or you'll be scolded again."
As I gave a graceful flick of the Magic Wand, Aru shivered violently.
"I haven't slept at all, so I'm exhausted. I should shut my eyes for a bit...."
Mumbling loud enough for Aru to hear, I leaned back against a nearby tree. My eyelids closed pointedly.
Whether it's humans, demons, or beastmen, everyone becomes more lenient with themselves when no one is watching. Their internal conscience shrinks.
Now, there was no one left to watch Aru. In other words, no one would see whether Aru ate the meat or not.
Of course, since only Aru and I were here, the disappearance of the meat would immediately mean Aru ate it. However, the temptation of the sweet juices would be overwhelming for Aru, who carries the blood of a wolf.
She isn't a spiritual master like the Saint, after all.
"Zzz...."
"Grrr...r? Is he really sleeping...?"
"Zzz zzz...."
"Whimper... I'm hungry...."
I'm quite looking forward to seeing what the scene will look like after a quick nap.
*****
The fresh scent of grass from the eerie thicket tickles the tip of my nose.
The hot sunlight pierces through the air and stings my skin.
This place is the Demon Beast Forest.
I've just woken up from my nap.
As soon as I regained consciousness, I immediately turned my head toward the cage where Aru was confined.
"Oh!"
"Wha—What are you looking at! Bark!"
In the cage within my sight, there was no trace of the blood-streaked mess that had been there before.
It means everything went according to plan.
"You finally ate it! Good girl, Aru!"
"Grrr...! Cut the crap! I didn't eat anything!"
"Really? You didn't eat a thing?"
"Bark!"
This little brat has already learned how to lie.
"Is that so? Then what is that bright red stuff smeared around your mouth?"
"Grrr...? On my mouth...?"
I pointed to her mouth with a sly smile. Aru wiped her mouth with a bewildered look, only to be startled.
"Bark bark! Bark bark bark bark!"
"Bwahaha! Aru, was the meat that delicious? So much so that you forgot to clean your mouth?"
"N-No! Grrr! I didn't eat it!"
Aru hurriedly tried to cover her face with her two small hands. Her face turning red on its own, she denied it vehemently, even as her guilt betrayed her.
Even a child knows that a strong denial is usually an admission of truth.
"Aru, was it delicious?"
"Ugh...."
"I'm asking if it was delicious, Aru. You have to answer, right?"
Swish-!
"...!"
I picked up the Magic Wand I had used to beat Aru before sleeping and gave it a light spin.
"I-It was delicious! Bark! I answered! Don't hit me!"
Aru's pupils shook like an earthquake the moment she saw the Magic Wand. As expected of my magical tool. Its effectiveness is top-notch.
"Oh! Good answer! Since you followed orders well, I should give you a reward this time, right?"
"Bark? A reward?"
"You get punished for disobeying, and you get a reward for obeying! I told you earlier!"
"I heard you! I remember! Bark bark!"
"Yes, yes. Our Aru is so smart."
I pulled another piece of meat from the bag and placed it inside the cage. Aru glanced at the meat out of the corner of her eye.
"What, you're not going to eat it?"
"Grrr...."
"Then it can't be helped! I'll take it away!"
"Bark? Bark bark bark! Bark bark bark bark bark!"
The moment I reached for the meat, Aru began to bark furiously.
I let out a soft laugh.
"What, you don't want me to take it? But you said you wouldn't eat it?"
"Bark bark! You just left it there before! Why take it now!"
"Because that was a special service. If you aren't going to eat it, it's only right that I take it back. I can't let a wolf develop bad habits."
"Whimper...! A-Are you really taking it?"
"Or should I just pretend to take it? Choose: if you say you'll eat it right now, I'll give it back. If not, you'll never get to eat this piece of meat."
Aru's dusty face shriveled up as if she were having a panic attack. Though it was only for a brief moment, Aru was deep in thought.
She had to decide whether to preserve her pride as a noble king or secure the delicious meat.
"Whimper, whine, whimper...."
Eventually, making fragile sounds, Aru began crawling around the cage on all fours. The sight of a beastman in human form circling the cage was quite comical.
"Aru, are you throwing a tantrum right now?"
"Whimper... whine, whimper...!"
"No. I'm not cutting you any slack. Go back."
"Whimper...."
Aru's head slumped low. Her neatly folded ears spoke volumes about her current mood.
"It's simple. Tell me right now, in front of me, that you'll eat it all without leaving a bit. Then I'll give it to you."
"Whimper...."
Crossing a line for the first time is hard. But once you've done it, crossing it a second or third time is easy. Aru had already crossed that line once.
Every living creature has a conscience. When I closed my eyes, Aru chose to betray her pride because she believed no one was watching. Since she'd already done it once, there was no reason she couldn't do it again.
Though it might be a bit more humiliating since I was watching her with open eyes.
A hunger that had lasted for quite some time wouldn't be satisfied by a single piece of meat.
"Not going to say it? I'm taking it. I clearly gave Aru a chance, but this was your choice, right?"
"W-Wait! Bark!"
"Wait? I don't think so."
"I'll eat it! Bark bark! I'll just eat it!"
In the end, Aru succumbed to the temptation of the meat. With this, we became one step closer.
"Whimper... evil demon... I'll kill you... I'll kill you someday...."
...Since 'closeness' is subjective, by my standards, we've definitely become closer.
"Very good choice! Now, eat up! If you don't, I'll take it back!"
"Bark bark! Don't take it! I-I'll eat it!"
Wolves are naturally possessive of their food. Anticipating this, I reached for the meat again, and Aru immediately lunged forward and snatched it with her mouth.
Then began Aru's mealtime.
"Munch munch...."
The piece of meat disappeared into Aru's mouth in an instant. It was like watching a black hole. That's how frantically Aru chewed, tore, and swallowed the meat.
"Aru, is it delicious?"
"Grrr...!"
"If you say it's not, I won't give you any more."
"I-It's delicious! Bark! It's delicious!"
"Hahaha! I'm glad you find the meat I carefully prepared delicious!"
While Aru was focused on her meal, I slowly reached out my hand. Seeing the shadow of the hand looming over her head, Aru growled for a moment, but perhaps fearing the meat would be taken, she quietly keep eating.
Stroke-.
Aru's head felt soft as a cloud, likely because of her fluffy fur. As I slowly stroked it, I felt a great sense of pleasure knowing I had ruthlessly hit this pretty head with the Magic Wand.
Hehe, I can't wait for the next time she doesn't listen.
"Whimper... whine...."
"Aru, what's wrong now?"
"Stop... touching my head...."
"Hmm? Why?"
"Only... my mom and dad, did that...."
Aha, so that means it feels good to be petted?
Perhaps reminded of a childhood memory, Aru's lips flickered with a slightly softened expression.
"Don't... taint the memories of my parents...! Grrr...!"
...Ah, so that was the reason.
"So what!"
"Bark...?"
"Aru doesn't have a choice! Since I'm the Captain, I'll do it if I want to!"
"Whimper... whimper...."
What a truly interesting beast, the wolf is.
Taming her is satisfying. Teasing her is also quite fun.
Now, what should I order her to do next... Hmm?
They're here already?
Rustle-.
At the sound of artificial brush, both Aru's and my heads snapped around. A feeling foretelling a difficult future washed over me.
"Finally found him. That damn brat."
"Does the Wolf King socialize with demons these days? She's staying still while her head is being petted."
"Dogs and wolves share the same origin, as they say. Wagging their tails for a demon is all the same."
"Didn't you get beaten to a pulp by Cerberus three years ago? How can someone like you talk so down to others?"
"...Damn, I've got nothing to say to that. How is anyone supposed to beat a guy with three heads?"
Two sturdy men, who had been hiding behind the trees, stepped boldly out. The fact that they finally revealed themselves meant they were confident they could win.
What an arrogant level of confidence. You never know the outcome until you've actually fought.
"I didn't even realize such fine gentlemen were following me. Since when have you been tailing me?"
"Since you caused that scene at the Auction House. I cast Tracking Magic on you."
"I see. I actually knew. But you arrived sooner than I expected."
The other demons should still be on their way.
These two aren't the only enemies I have to face. There are several other demons tracking me... regardless, as long as it isn't Lilith, I'll be fine. As long as it's not Lilith, who is far more powerful than I am now, they aren't a great threat to me since I have the Saint's Rosary.
Oh, and I must avoid that mustachioed man who sat next to me at the Auction House. His aura was no joke.
"The early bird catches the worm."
"And you don't know that the early worm gets eaten first?"
"...Are you calling us worms?"
"Why, does it hit home? Your intuition is great! Because it's exactly right!"
"Absurd. Just a brat who's barely a juvenile, and yet he's so confident."
Sring-.
One of the two demon men gripped his sword. Without a word, I put my hand in my pocket and fiddled with my secret weapon, which had a couple of sticks attached to it.
The Saint's Rosary, which only I can wield in the vast Demon Realm.
"Now, now, do we really have to fight? Can't we just talk this out?"
"You provoke us with such confidence, and now you're trying to chicken out?"
"I'm just looking out for you. We don't necessarily need to fight, do we?"
"If you leave the Wolf King and get lost quietly, I might consider it."
As he spoke, the man laughed sneeringly.
It's a cheap trick. I'm the only witness to their presence; there's no way they'd let me live.
"Grrrrr...!"
Aru growled as she looked at the strange men. The sound made the already cold atmosphere freeze even further.
"I guess you're refusing. Well, nothing changes anyway."
Should I reveal here that I'm the third son of the Northern Duke Family? No, there's no one around anyway, so if these two demons kill me, no one can point to them as suspects.
Similarly, if I kill those two, no one will know it was me.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom-.
The sound of drums emanating from somewhere increases the tension. This drumming, which exists only in my heart, always serves to hype me up and excite me. Like Pavlov's dog reacting to a bell. Or like Rua flinching at the Magic Wand. Hot blood rushes to my head.
Thump, thump—my heart beats violently. I gripped the angular cross tightly.
Simultaneously, the two demons, who had exchanged an unknown signal with their hands, lunged toward me.
*****
Delicious.
Soft.
Give me more.
More.
It hurts.
It feels bad.
A cold scent.
The scent of iron that Daddy said to be careful of.
I'm scared.
After smelling that, Daddy disappeared.
Daddy didn't come back.
The young demon steps forward.
With his back to me.
Daddy was like that too.
Daddy died.
Then, will the young demon die too?
...No.
Even though I'm young, I know.
The young demon must not die.
The young demon is protecting me.
The wicked demon is protecting me.
The wicked demon must not die.
I am the King, the King of Wolves.
I must not die.