47
Chapter 47
"The Lord is coming-."
"My glorious Lord is coming-."
"The horns of blessing welcome the Lord and echo far and wide-."
"The day the Lord's Blessings descend upon the earth, strand by strand-."
"On that day, my Lord walks the path of love-."
A woman sang softly in a beautiful tone. A Hymn. A sacred song praising the Heavenly Father, the Heavenly Gods, and the Saints. When such a piece met a lovely voice, the sparrows listening couldn't help but chirp with excitement.
Generally, hymns are characterized by being sung loudly and at a high pitch. This is to demonstrate how immense the faith and belief of those who trust in the Lord truly are.
However, the woman's song was infinitely calm, unlike a typical hymn. It was as if she felt it was a sin to even dare sing a hymn. She murmured the song weakly.
In the yard, where warm sunlight shone down instead of the Lord's Blessings.
A peaceful scene that didn't fit the Demon Beast Forest, a place always filled with violence and wild duels.
In the middle of the yard stood a gentle rocking chair. A woman sat upon it, singing.
The woman had brown hair tied back in a ponytail. A Greatsword rested upon her lap. Holding a handkerchief in her hand, she carefully wiped the blade.
Her posture was like a masterpiece painted by a famous artist. It was as if she were praising the beauty and warmth of nature.
One could feel a sense of awe seeing someone so refined while handling a monstrosity like a greatsword.
"The Lord is coming... to save all creation...."
The woman's voice faded. The hymn was coming to an end.
Because of this, two outsiders watching from a great distance frowned.
"Whine... it sounded so good...."
"Hehe, Aru. Can you sing even worse than that?"
"Singing? Woof woof! Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof woof! Like this?"
"Hey, you punk! Stop barking! What if that woman hears you!"
One was a suspicious-looking tall figure wearing a white mask, a white suit, and a magician's hat.
"Woof... you're the one who told me to bark...."
"I told you to sing, when did I tell you to bark? Is that singing? This brat is blaspheming a sacred song right now."
"Chomp-,"
"Ack! Hey! That hurts, I said it hurts!"
"Young Demon, mean. Really mean."
The other was an adult wolf beastman with ears resembling a wolf's mane protruding from her head and a fluffy tail behind her legs.
It was a peculiar combination. A demon dressed in an outfit rarely seen anywhere and a wolf beastman wearing dolphin pants. It was entirely different from typical demons who treated beastmen like slaves.
"Ugh... this wolf brat."
"What, woof, what."
"Sigh... are you going through puberty? Why have you become such a rebel?"
"Woof woof. That's not something to hear from a young demon."
"He's here, he's here. Finally, the moment has come."
The two disparate beings continued their banter, seeming quite close. While bickering was the main part of their conversation, neither was truly angry.
"No, but Aru, why do you keep calling me a young demon? I'm 109 years old now, 109. I'm a full-grown adult."
"Woof woof. I'm already used to it."
"Just call me Captain. You used to call me Captain all the time, why have you been so slack lately?"
"Woof! When did I ever!"
"Sigh, what can I even say to a wolf going through puberty. Hmm... but do wolves actually go through puberty?"
"Grrr...! I'm not going through puberty! Woof woof woof!"
"Look at this overly sensitive boss."
"Grrrrrr-!"
"Whoa, hey. Calm down. This is all a joke, a joke. You know that, right Aru? If you get angry here, you're the one being truly sensitive."
"Whimper...."
Although their bickering had almost turned into a fight several times.
They had not actually fought once yet. At least, not 'yet'.
Realizing she couldn't beat the demon with words, the wolf beastman shifted her gaze back to the woman.
The woman was still deeply absorbed in scrubbing her sword.
The wolf beastman opened her lips.
"Are you going to 'hunt' that human this time? Woof woof?"
The 109-year-old masked demon, Oscar Lucifer, replied in a voice that sounded somewhat excited.
"No, this time I'm going to 'embrace' her."
*****
A hundred years have passed since I regressed from the guillotine in the square and entered the Demon Beast Forest to meet Aru.
It is now the Imperial Year 314. There are about 400 years left until I enter Eden Academy, as the Saint mentioned.
If I were to list what I've done in the meantime... it wasn't much. I simply built up strength by hunting fairly strong monsters to absorb their energy or consuming nourishing foods like Horus's Egg.
Thanks to that, I've accumulated a significant amount of demonic energy. It's a drop in the bucket compared to my prime in my previous life, but I'm likely ten times stronger now than I was in the 'Imperial Year 314' of my past life.
Consequently, the communication range with the Saint through the rosary has expanded greatly.
Rub rub-.
[Ah! Pfft, puh-hehe...! P-please stop...!]
"Hehe, I don't want to. Why should I stop?"
[Right now, Joker is engaging in a most improper act of seeking pleasure by tormenting others, so you must stop immediately...!]
"What are you talking about! You're enjoying it too, Saint! Otherwise, there's no reason for you to be laughing like that!"
[T-this is merely an unavoidable physiological response....]
Rub-.
[Ahahaha! Ah! P-please stop!]
In this way, I became able to synchronize the Saint's full bodily sensations with the rosary. Right now, I'm using that to maliciously tickle her. Hehe.
The Saint was surprisingly ticklish. I often take advantage of that to play pranks on her just like this.
Of course, this is strictly a joke. I never cross the line to things she truly begs me not to do. Though, I've never actually heard her say those words.
The Saint spends her days in an incredibly tedious manner. This tickling is merely a consideration to blow away her boredom. The Saint knows this, which is why she doesn't flatly refuse.
[Ugh... just scratch my stomach a bit. It was far too ticklish. And don't tickle strange places like my armpits.]
Rub rub-.
"Here?"
[Haaa... yes, thank you. That's enough now.]
"Hehe, are you fully awake now?"
[Thanks to you, Joker. Thank you for your act of kindness.]
"It was nothing."
[The smaller the gesture, the more valuable it is.]
As I scratched the middle of the rosary with my fingernail, the Saint's voice sounded much more relaxed.
But do you even feel itchiness in a soul state? I'm curious, but if the Saint says it's itchy, it must be. She's not the type to lie.
"Woof woof woof! I'm done!"
Aru said, pushing herself up from her sweat-soaked body. Aru's body, which had been slender and devoid of muscle when we first met, had become firm and full of lean muscle.
This was because I trained her to the limit every single day.
"Oh! Aru! Good job! Really well done!"
"Grrr, aren't you going to give me meat? Lately, you only give me praise and no meat. Woof."
"Hunt it yourself, punk. And didn't I tell you not to talk to me when I'm communicating with the Saint?"
"Whine... mean, you've changed. Though you were always mean."
"What do you care. Go run another lap. Then I'll give you some bread."
"Woof? Bread? What about meat? Why bread?"
"It's been forever since we ran out of meat, why are you still talking about it? If you're unhappy, go find some yourself."
"Whine... whiiine...."
Even though Aru had just finished one hundred sit-ups, I pushed the training intensity even harder. The reason is simple: Aru is currently going through her third growth spurt.
Wolf beastmen must be trained rigorously during their growth periods. Although Aru is already close to being an adult wolf beastman, her body will become significantly stronger once she successfully completes this third growth spurt. While becoming stronger is certainly cause for celebration, a comical situation might arise where she cannot control her own strength.
To prevent such a future, I must keep her working her body so she becomes accustomed to her overflowing power. That is why I push Aru.
As Aru vanished from sight to run another lap, I turned my attention back to the rosary. This was to spend the remaining time talking to the Saint.
[Has the Wolf King departed?]
"Yeah, she's gone. You can speak now."
[Yes. You mentioned a few days ago that you were going to meet someone. I can still vividly hear how excited you were, saying it was the first time you'd see a 'human' in person since your regression.]
"You remembered all of that."
[After my communication with you ends, my daily routine is to rewind and review the contents of that day's conversation.]
"Tsk, who told you to put yourself through such hardship? All because of someone like me."
[Please do not say such things. You are the most noble person in the world, Joker.]
"Hehe, the Saint must be the only person who would praise a piece of filth like me."
That's right, I did say something about this.
It was just a passing remark I had made.
"You know this, right? The Demon Beast Forest is where the dimensions of the Demon Realm and the Continent overlap."
[Yes. That is why one of the Five Kings resides in the oceans of the Continent.]
"Right. Because of that, humans occasionally visit the forest... very rarely. Just because it's possible to enter doesn't mean anyone would actually want to. Even demons avoid this bizarre forest."
[But, which human are you planning to meet?]
"You've heard the name, right? Holy Knight Beatrice. You know her?"
[...]
Across the rosary, I heard the Saint catch her breath.
The Saint seems to know her too. Beatrice Constantino, the strongest Holy Knight of her time.
Four years ago, in the Imperial Year 310, the Holy Church, which had always boasted the largest scale on the Continent, faced a sudden crisis.
It was an invasion by the Nation of War, one of the Seven Nations—a country that serves the Olympian gods and reveres war as a sacred act.
The Empire, the Military Nation, and the Nation of War. These three nations possess military power that rivals no other in the history of the Continent, but the world often ranks the Nation of War as the top military power. Of course, the Military Nation didn't exist yet at that time.
There is a saying that the Empire is the best in numbers and the Military Nation in technology, but the Nation of War is overwhelming in the quality of its soldiers. The Nation of War is a mad country that drags all men into the army at age seven and uses them as pure combat soldiers until they are sixty.
Naturally, the Nation of War lags behind in civilization and other fields.
This insane nation, believing that only 'battle' is glory, ignores such useless things and pours all its national strength into military power.
Such a nation waged war against the Holy Church. Even for the Holy Nation, which possessed the Holy Knights Corps and White Knights, it was not enough to stop the battle-crazed Nation of War. Eventually, within a few months, the Holy Emperor's Palace was cornered, and the thousands of years of the Church's history were on the verge of collapse.
Then, during the final 'Battle of the Holy Emperor's Palace' sparked by the full mobilization of the Nation of War's forces.
The tide of war turned.
The Leader of the 1st Knights Corps, Beatrice Constantino.
A powerful Holy Knight who, wielding a massive Bastard Sword, single-handedly flipped the entire tide of the war.
Thanks to the comet-like appearance of this knight, the Church escaped crisis, but Beatrice herself was not welcomed by the Holy Nation.
This was because the immense power Beatrice displayed while sweeping through the enemy lines was not holy power, but demonic power. It was proof that Beatrice had contracted with a devil for some reason.
Ultimately, Beatrice, who had been referred to the Inquisition and sentenced to be burned at the stake, escaped the Church under the cover of night. In the process, she murdered the Pope of that era. That is likely why the Saint's breath is trembling.
[Beatrice was in the Demon Beast Forest? I haven't heard of such a thing....]
"I'm sure you haven't. According to the records, the last mentioned trace of Holy Knight Beatrice was her disappearance after escaping the Church around this time. That's where my knowledge ends too."
[What? Then how do you know that Beatrice has come to the forest...?]
"I can feel it. The layout of the forest has changed."
The Demon Beast Forest is a forest of fixed survival of the fittest. Four of the Five Kings dominate the north, south, east, and west, while mid-tier powerhouses like me live by claiming their own territories.
However, a few years ago, the layout of the southern region began to change. You could say the balance of power collapsed.
While no specific force was being openly eradicated, beasts that were considered strong were leaving the south and migrating to other parts of the forest. This is the phenomenon that occurs when an irresistible powerhouse enters the south.
And at this point in time, the only person likely to enter the forest is Beatrice, the Holy Knight exiled for contracting with a devil.
"Oh, and I already went with Aru to check. It was definitely Beatrice. She was scrubbing a Bastard Sword. She's even built a house and settled in."
[I see... but what do you intend to do with her? Will you hunt her and absorb her energy as you've done before?]
"No? Who's dying today? How could I beat a human who fought a whole country in my current state? At least another hundred years must pass."
[What? Then for what purpose do you wish to meet her?]
"I have to put into practice what the Saint taught me. There's no meaning in knowing something without practicing it."
[...What?]
"Embrace."
A brief silence lingered between the Saint and me. The Saint muttered in a grumpy voice.
[Ms. Beatrice... she is a woman, right...?]
"Of course. Her name is Beatrice; she couldn't possibly be a man."
[Another woman... it's okay... there are only four hundred years left... yes, yes....]
"...?"
The Saint muttered things I didn't understand. I checked the time and prepared to turn off the communication magic.
The bright yellow sunset was sinking beyond the horizon. As the sky turned a pale blue, I called out to Aru in a loud voice.
[Are you going to make contact today?]
"I have to. I can't let a big fish like Beatrice slip away."
[There's no guarantee that she will be on your side, Joker.]
"Trust me! If she says no, I'll just make her say yes!"
The Saint seemed somewhat uneasy about Beatrice, whom I hadn't even met yet. It's understandable. She's a Holy Knight who killed the Pope and contracted with a devil. Naturally, the Saint would feel a sense of repulsion.
[Sigh... could you just stay quietly with Aru?]
"Hmm, are you jealous right now?"
[It's not entirely without reason, but I'm just worried. A Holy Knight who contracted with a devil is far too dangerous.]
"You seem to have forgotten, but I was once a demon who commanded devils."
[That is not the case now. You've never even met Ms. Beatrice, yet you're rushing to meet her. No matter how I think about it, it seems too reckless.]
"I've always been reckless. Finding miracles within that chaos is what I do."
The twenty minutes of communication time were almost up. I prepared to cut the magic. The Saint urgently held onto me and whispered.
[Sigh... alright. Since it's what you want, Joker, I won't stop you.]
"Thanks for understanding."
[Instead, please keep one thing in mind.]
"What?"
[First is safety, second is safety, and third is safety. I love you.]
"Hehe, alright, I got it. I love you too."
Click-.
The communication ended. Looking at the darkening sky, I began to smear dirt all over my body. Meanwhile, Aru returned.
"Woof! What are you doing?"
"Here, you do it too, quickly."
"Woof woof? I asked what you're doing!"
"Can't you tell by looking? I'm covering myself in dirt! Do it too, Aru! This is an order!"
"Woof... strange demon...."
Aru grumbled slightly but faithfully carried out my command. Covered in dust, both Aru and I looked like complete messes.
Riiiip-.
"Wo-woof? Now what are you doing?"
"I'm tearing my clothes! Good grief, why is this wolf so clueless! Tear yours a bit too! Make it look like we're castaways who've been rolling around in the wilderness! This is also an order!"
"Woof... what a hassle...."
Rip, riiiip-.
With that, wearing dusty rags and torn clothes, Aru and I became perfect castaways. I grabbed Aru's wrist and headed toward the house I had scouted during the day.
After walking through the brush for about ten minutes, a cabin glowing alone in the dark depths of the forest came into view. To intentionally make my breathing heavy, I held Aru's wrist and sprinted toward the cabin.
Thump thump thump thump-!
Tsk, perhaps because Aru and I have grown too much, our lung capacity is too good. In other words, our breathing is too steady. How frustrating.
Since it's come to this, there's no other way. I'll just rely on acting. Between Aru's acting skills, which improved while assassinating powerhouses, and my own as a former professional actor, we should easily deceive some stiff Holy Knight.
"Now, Aru. From now on, pretend you're exhausted. Don't talk too much. Just follow my lead. Got it?"
"Woof."
"Shh, it's starting. Quiet."
I stood before the small wooden cabin. This was the cabin I had monitored during the day. Inside was the Holy Knight who contracted with a devil.
"Ahem, ahem."
After clearing my throat, I urgently knocked on the door. The wooden door rattled violently.
Bang bang bang-!
A moment later, the door opened with a creak. The fragrant scent of pie wafted from inside, tickling the tip of my nose.
"Who is it?"
A woman stood behind the half-open door. She had fluttering brown hair in a ponytail and was wearing neat loungewear. Her appearance didn't fit the bulky, rigid image of a Holy Knight.
Despite the urgent knocking, the woman didn't seem particularly surprised. Neither curiosity, bewilderment, nor anything else could be felt from her expressionless face. It was as if she had no interest in the world, no matter who visited.
Facing that grey expression, I gasped for air and shouted.
"Oh! Fair lady, as beautiful as a descending moonlit fairy! I am Oscar, a castaway who lost his way in the Demon Beast Forest along with my precious friends! Please, grant us pitiful souls a warm shelter for the night!"