Ambush (3)
Ambush (3)
Krill, having lost his ego, slowly mounted his horse. In accordance with Johan’s orders, he would now head straight for his base.
The moment he returned, he would kill himself.
The moment Krill’s subordinates witnessed that scene, the Baron’s family would be freed from all responsibility, and Johan would inevitably become the sole heir in both name and reality.
The plan was almost a success.
As Krill grew distant, Gaf spoke to Johan.
“All went according to your plan. Are you satisfied?”
Johan showed no reaction. There was not even a hint of joy. His expression remained sunken like an abyss.
Gaf, looking puzzled, said,
“I thought you’d at least dance around or something?”
“Stop with the nonsense and help clean up the corpses first.”
The limp corpses lay sprawled across the ground. They needed to be cleared before anyone could see them. Not even the smallest piece of evidence could remain.
Johan began gathering the corpses in one place.
Most of the dead had their eyes wide open.
‘This is a terrible thing.’
Each time he met their gaze, nausea rose from within. It was quite painful, but Johan showed no sign of it and simply closed the eyes of the dead soldiers.
Watching him, Gaf muttered quietly.
“……I just can’t understand.”
At times, Johan’s actions confused Gaf.
He had kept the Baron alive for Raguel’s sake, sent the young ladies back to their homes, and now, after everything, he was displaying something close to pity for dead soldiers.
A human-like demon. It was an utterly foreign existence.
Gaf mumbled as he looked at Johan’s back.
“Is this what they call a half-demon?”
Johan, while moving the corpses, brushed off his hands.
“Don’t just stand there dazed. Once it’s done, light it up.”
About ten corpses had formed a small mound.
They had to burn everything.
Gaf set fire to the wooden frame containing the corpses.
Flames quickly spread. The corpses began to burn fiercely.
By the time the rising smoke touched the sky, the surroundings slowly began to brighten.
The sun was rising.
Johan’s demonic form dispersed like smoke. In the place where the demon disappeared, a small boy remained.
His black eyes blankly stared at the ashes.
Gaf spoke.
“There’s something I’m curious about.”
“Ask.”
“Do you, perhaps, feel guilt?”
“Would it be strange if I did?”
“A little.”
Johan let out a short laugh.
“Well, I am a demon, after all.”
Gaf shook his head.
“To be precise, you’re a half-demon.”
Johan looked at Gaf with a surprised expression.
“They say all those with black blood are the same, don’t they?”
“I haven’t changed my mind about that. Even a handful of black blood is enough to soak a human in evil.”
Johan shrugged.
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
“So, what wicked deed are you preparing next?”
The first objective, killing Krill, was complete.
It was time to move on.
“I need to take care of Shaferia and steal the corpse fragment of the Great Saint. The priority is Shaferia.”
Shaferia was the greatest variable in this world and would become a troublesome enemy in the future.
She had to be dealt with somehow before she could sprout.
The corpse fragment being transported by the Pilgrimage Group was a holy relic Johan desperately needed, but even if not now, there were other ways to obtain it.
That was why he set his priorities.
Gaf spoke.
“It sounds like you’re saying we’ll ambush the Pilgrimage Group?”
“Correct.”
Gaf’s expression twisted.
“It’s an indescribably reckless act. There are only two of us, and they have nearly a hundred soldiers. That’s not all, there are Holy Knights within the Pilgrimage Group. They’re monsters who transcend human limits. The moment we face a Holy Knight, we’re dead.”
In the novel Demon’s Hour, Holy Knights were truly overwhelmingly powerful beings. The holy power they emitted burned demons down to their souls, leaving not even ashes behind.
Their physical combat capabilities were unmatched.
Wherever a Holy Sword passed, the corpses of demons piled up like mountains, and rivers of black blood flowed.
As Johan and Gaf were now, they could never defeat them.
Johan loosened his bag as he spoke.
“I only fight battles I can win.”
His bag was filled with objects whose purposes were hard to discern.
A pitch-black jar covered in grotesque talismans, a green solid lump close to liquid, a luxurious box adorned with jewels, and countless other miscellaneous holy relics and grim objects overflowed.
“What is all this?”
“Our weapons and our army. If used well, we can achieve our goal against the Pilgrimage Group and still survive.”
Johan’s eyes were filled with certainty.
Gaf was familiar with this look of Johan.
That confidence. Whatever Johan declared, it always became reality.
Gaf nodded as if giving up.
“I hope your confidence has a basis. Always remember, your life is not yours alone.”
The moment Johan died, Illea would die as well.
Gaf intended to help Johan no matter what to protect Illea.
“Don’t worry. Let’s move. I’ll explain the details of the plan as we go.”
As Johan mounted his horse, his expression stiffened slightly. On the face once filled with certainty, a faint trace of unease flickered.
Gaf did not notice this subtle change.
Johan fell into thought.
‘Depending on the situation, I may have to give up the Great Saint’s corpse fragment.’
It was due to Illea’s absence.
Even if she did not come, as long as the plan proceeded, there would be no problem, but the moment a variable appeared, it would be difficult for Johan alone to control it.
If there was even a hint that something was off, he would have to pull out.
Above all else, the most important value was life.
‘Maybe I should have dragged her here by force.’
Johan shook his head.
A coercive attitude would only worsen his relationship with the witch.
Threats might work once or twice, but there was no guarantee they would continue to work.
This time, he would not borrow her hand.
Johan swallowed his resolve once more and drove the horse forward.
For now, he had to catch up with the Pilgrimage Group.
***
At dawn in late autumn, a fairly large military camp stood in the desolate plains where the harvest had ended.
Inside, surrounded by long fences, nearly 300 troops were densely gathered, while outside, patrolling sentries were everywhere.
All of them wore expressions of boredom.
For several months, nothing had happened. The dull days continued to pass.
The tightly held discipline had now slackened.
They needed a battlefield. Mercenaries were a breed that could not live without blood and money.
“My body itches like crazy.”
“Yeah. If I’d known it would be like this, we should’ve gone east. I heard it’s still lively there.”
“Would’ve already earned a few pays by now.”
“Damn it. What did the commander think we’d gain from dragging us to this southern backwater?”
“Just wait a bit longer. Sir Krill will be arriving soon. He’ll probably bring some news.”
“Just as long as it’s not bullshit ‘it was settled with negotiations’……”
Before the mercenary could finish his words, someone shouted.
“Sir Krill has arrived!”
The soldiers on night watch rushed toward the main gate.
All of them tilted their heads in puzzlement.
“Why is he coming alone?”
“Yeah. Where are the escorts?”
A single horse was crossing the desolate plain, entering through the main gate.
A sentry quickly saluted.
“On duty, nothing to report!”
The rider gave no reply. He merely stared straight ahead with empty eyes.
“Sir Krill?”
“What happened to the soldiers who went with him……,”
Krill moved forward as if possessed by something.
He looked tired. Just about everyone thought that, when Krill dismounted from his horse.
At the center of the camp, he suddenly drew his sword.
Was he about to start an attack?
A few soldiers cheered.
At that moment, Krill slit his own throat with the sword.
His body fell limp like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Everyone doubted their eyes.
A strange silence fell over the camp.
***
“Move the queen to d3.”
“Yes, young master.”
Illea moved the queen on the chessboard to the coordinate Raguel had called out.
“Then I’ll place the knight at e4.”
“Ah! Wait a second!”
“Yes, checkmate.”
Raguel drooped his shoulders.
Illea smiled gently as she spoke.
“It was a disadvantageous game from the start. You have to memorize all the piece placements, young master.”
Blind, Raguel could not see the chessboard. He had no choice but to rely on his memory to play the game.
“Even if I could see, I think I’d still lose to you, Illea.”
“You never know. The outcome might change if it were a fair match. Honestly, your skill exceeded my expectations.”
For a blind person, he was quite skilled. His short-term memory must have been exceptionally good.
Raguel waved his hand.
“Don’t flatter me. A match is a match, so ask me anything. I’ll answer.”
Raguel had proposed a bet with Illea.
The loser would have to answer any question.
But there was nothing Illea particularly wanted to know from Raguel.
She had just been accompanying him.
Illea spoke.
“Hmm……, how about this? Since there was a handicap for you, let’s consider the match a draw. Instead, we’ll each get to ask the other one question. How about it?”
“C-Can we really do that?”
“Of course. Now, young master first. What were you so curious about?”
Raguel hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“I want to know how you became close with Johan. From what I heard, um……”
“‘Witches eat demons’?”
“Y-Yeah, that.”
Illea let out a small laugh.
“Don’t worry. I don’t eat Johan.”
“Y-You two did seem close.”
Illea, with a thoughtful expression, spoke.
“Hmm, rather than that, Johan had my father’s life as collateral. He used our bond to completely entrap us.”
She was calmly speaking of a wretched past.
Raguel broke into a cold sweat.
“……I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.”
“It’s alright. Johan did well as a demon should, and I’m quite satisfied with how he handles things.”
Raguel could not understand their way of life at all.
He quickly changed the subject.
“Now, it’s your turn. Ask me anything, I’ll answer.”
Illea thought for a moment before speaking.
“Then, how did you become close with Johan, young master? No matter how I look at it, you two don’t seem to match.”
A shadow passed over Raguel’s face. It was guilt.
“I made a contract with Johan out of greed. He said he’d return my sight.”
“You mean your vision?”
“Yes.”
Illea tilted her head. As far as she knew, there were almost no ways to restore a lost body part.
Not even the highest-grade holy water could achieve that.
Unless one transplanted the body part of a Saint……. At that moment, a conversation with Johan flashed through Illea’s mind.
—I want the corpse fragment of the Great Saint. Open the container holding the corpse for me. With your magic, it should be possible.
Deep in thought, Illea let out a sudden laugh.
“What an incorrigible demon.”
“Eh?”
Raguel could not follow the sudden change in atmosphere.
Illea stood up.
“Let’s continue the chess game later. Next time, under equal conditions.”