The Blind Boy and the Demon
The Blind Boy and the Demon
“Have you seen Illea yet?”
The soft candlelight cast the imp’s shadow on the wall.
With limbs too long for its small torso, a tiny head, and horns no bigger than a pinky, the shadow almost looked like a fairy at a glance.
But in reality, it was nothing like that.
Gaf, taking his eyes off the silhouette, looked at Johan’s true form.
A grotesque creature covered in red tattoos. A small demon lay reclining on the bed.
Gaf shook his head.
“I only met the baron. Illea was nowhere to be seen.”
“Don’t worry too much. She’s fine.”
Earlier that day, Gaf had visited the baron’s castle. His plan was to map out the structure, and in that, he had succeeded.
His second goal, however, had failed.
He hadn’t been able to confirm Illea’s condition.
A heavy look crossed his face.
“The baron was exactly as the rumors say, a textbook scumbag. What kind of person is he?”
Surely, this demon would know.
Johan spoke in a flat tone.
“A pedophile, sadist, everything you see on the surface.”
Gaf bit his lip.
“And you say not to worry?”
Johan let out a short laugh.
“Illea is beyond him. Seems you don’t know your daughter very well.”
To say she was worse than that twisted noble was an insult like no other.
Gaf scowled.
“What nonsense is that?”
“Well, it’s not exactly the right way to put it.”
Illea was too innocent to be called cruel, yet too cunning to be called pure. Even Johan couldn’t pin down what she truly was.
But one thing was certain.
“Whatever she may be, she has the baron wrapped around her finger. You can relate to that, can’t you?”
“Me? On what grounds are you saying that?”
Johan quietly studied him, paused for a moment, then spoke.
“In all the years you spent with your daughter, did you never once witness any of her… peculiarities?”
Gaf frowned, confused.
“Peculiarities? Speak clearly.”
“Think hard. Surely at least one should come to mind.”
Johan was genuinely curious. Had Gaf really never noticed Illea’s uniqueness? The original novel never answered this, as Inmarok rarely depicted characters’ inner thoughts in detail.
“Come on, dig into your memory.”
The demon before him was strangely insistent.
“I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”
Johan clicked his tongue.
“You’re either unbelievably dense, blinded by affection, or…”
Or Illea had hidden her true self perfectly.
“Either way, you’re dull and frustrating. When you see her again, you’d better hope you don’t end up getting hurt.”
Gaf didn’t want to take the bait.
“Stop with the nonsense and get to the point. I plan to stay at the castle starting tomorrow.”
Johan glanced around.
“Tomorrow? Then where are we now?”
“An inn.”
Although daytime Johan had the same cognitive abilities as at night, he was still a baby and couldn’t fight off sleep.
As soon as they entered the castle, drowsiness overwhelmed him, and when he next opened his eyes, he was here.
“So you managed to get a room at the castle. Why didn’t you stay today?”
“You turn into a demon every night. If I took you, your true nature could be exposed.”
A baby demon living in the baron’s castle. It was a recipe for disaster for both humans and demons alike.
Johan chuckled.
“You’re actually using your brain for once.”
Ignoring the sarcasm, Gaf continued.
“You and your mother will stay hidden at the inn. I’ll come once a day to check in. I need to stay close to Illea.”
“Planning to guard her like a shadow knight?”
“That’s the plan, for now.”
Johan shrugged.
“Do as you like.”
Gaf looked at him suspiciously.
“That’s it?”
He had expected a torrent of insults—‘Is that your plan? How pathetic…’—but surprisingly, the demon accepted it without argument.
“That’s it.”
To Johan, it didn’t matter. The baron wouldn’t be able to lay a hand on Illea anyway, which meant Gaf wouldn’t have to take any action.
All Gaf needed to do was stand by like a prop.
“But let me make one thing clear. Don’t say anything unnecessary to the baron. Don’t demand Illea as payment or reveal that you’re her father. It’s pointless.”
The baron would grow increasingly obsessed with Illea. There was no way that twisted man would give her up just for a mercenary’s fee.
“Got it?”
He needed a clear answer. As long as Gaf didn’t pull any stunts, Johan’s plan would proceed smoothly.
“…I know.”
The reluctant tone was clear.
Johan frowned.
“Don’t tell me you were actually considering it.”
“I thought about it, but dropped it immediately.”
Even Gaf realized that a straightforward approach wasn’t a good idea.
“Well, thank goodness. I nearly had to bash your head in.”
Gaf let out a short laugh.
“How would you do that, when you can’t even walk on your own?”
Johan smirked mischievously.
“Oh, really?”
Gaf scanned him up and down.
The demon was still small and fragile. He might have grown a bit, but he was only about as tall as a man’s shin.
Gaf snorted.
“Don’t make me laugh.”
“You shouldn’t make assumptions.”
Johan stared at him with a sly grin and added,
“Anyway, fine. Do your job. But there’s one more task you need to add to your routine.”
A glint of suspicion crossed Gaf’s eyes.
“What is it?”
“From tomorrow, take me to the castle just before sunset. Then, bring me back here at sunrise.”
To Gaf, it sounded like the demon intended to roam the castle in his true form.
“What nonsense is this?”
“More precisely, take me to the baron’s son’s room. Just place me under his bed.”
The baron’s only son, Raguel Miyatro. Gaf had heard about him.
A blind boy with a lame leg. He could easily guess what the demon was planning.
“Just so you know, I’m not joining in on your schemes.”
“Oh? Fine. I don’t really need your help anyway.”
How could an imp who couldn’t even crawl manage to get into the castle? It was impossible.
“You’re bluffing because you’re desperate, aren’t you?”
Johan’s lips curled into a long smile.
“Bluffing? Why don’t you see for yourself?”
With that, Johan flipped himself over onto his stomach, planting his hands on the bed and bracing himself. It looked like he was about to do a push-up.
“I’ve been feeding off your emotions so much, I’m changing day by day.”
His upper body began to rise. Small things attached to his shoulder blades flapped slightly, but they were far too tiny to lift his body.
He was standing up with nothing but arm strength.
Shock spread across Gaf’s face.
“W-what….”
And when Johan finally stood on both legs, Gaf could not hide his astonishment.
“You…!”
“Look at this. This is what happens when you use me as your emotional garbage bin.”
Demons were creatures that fed on human emotions. The hostility and anxiety Gaf had towards Johan accelerated his growth.
“In a few days, I’ll be able to walk properly.”
For now, standing was all he could manage. He was still shaky and would have fallen immediately if the mother hadn’t caught him.
The standing demon flashed a sinister smile.
“I could go on my own, but it would be risky. A villager or a soldier might spot me.”
And according to the contract, Gaf would die too.
Gaf bit his lip. Was this wicked plan really going to happen? He had to stop it somehow. He may have made a deal with the demon for his daughter’s sake, but he couldn’t allow others to be sacrificed.
If he could just strip the demon of his freedom… As he reached that thought, the demon spoke.
“Don’t act recklessly. The contract states you must ‘protect’ me. If you use physical force on me, I’ll consider it a breach.”
Then he added,
“You know what ‘protect’ means, right?”
“Imprisonment for your own protection.”
“That’s an interesting take.”
The demon chuckled.
“Try it, if you want. Let’s see if that clever little loophole of yours will work. Just know that the demonic energy clutching your heart will sense your true intentions instantly.”
Johan leaned back against the headboard.
“You get one chance. Fail, and it’s farewell to your daughter. I’ll pass on your regards to her.”
The demon calmly offered himself.
“Go on, do as you wish.”
***
[Scene Break]
Raguel Miyatro was trapped in pitch-black darkness. No matter how much he opened his eyelids, the suffocating darkness never disappeared.
His clouded pupils could no longer take in light.
He would never see again.
A boy born with only one good eye, and a few weeks ago, he lost even that.
It was a result of abuse from his father, the baron.
He was unlucky. Trying to dodge a thrown candlestick, he had ducked at the wrong moment, becoming completely blind.
His only hobby, reading, was now forever out of reach.
Raguel sniffled. No one came to comfort him. No one was by his side.
Only a cold maid occasionally visited to bring him meals.
That should have been the case.
Moments ago, someone had entered his room.
Though he couldn’t see, he heard the sound.
Rustle, rustle.
A man pacing near him left behind a single sentence before leaving.
“…I’m sorry. Someday, I will pay for this in hell.”
No matter how much he asked who it was, there was no answer.
The door closed again.
Once more, the lonely, desolate time passed.
Hope should be the pillar that holds up life, but in this dark prison, not even a sliver could be found.
The boy whispered,
“…Great Saint, Marziel, please grant me even a faint glimmer of dawn.”
His hollow voice was drowned in silence.
Normally, that would have been the end.
“Stop praying.”
But today was different.
The boy bolted upright.
“W-who’s there?!”
He had sat up so quickly that the bandages around his eyes slipped off.
“Shh.”
Something cold touched his lips.
“It’s late at night. Everyone is asleep.”
The cold presence traced up from his philtrum to his cheek.
“But you alone are awake.”
Then, it began to touch around his injured eyes.
“What are you looking for, trapped in darkness?”
The low voice continued.
“Prayers that will never be answered.”
“W-who are you?!”
“I am the demon who came because I couldn’t stand hearing your prayers.”
The boy swallowed hard.
“…A d-demon.”
“Yes, a creature that feeds on darkness. Your despair led me here.”
With a trembling voice, the boy shouted,
“G-go away! In the name of the Great Saint…!”
The gentle voice cut him off.
“Child, don’t rely on illusions. Marziel isn’t close enough to hear your prayers.”
At that moment, a thick smoke entered the boy’s lungs.
“And yet, the dawn you have searched for is right before you.”
In the blind boy’s vision, two red dots flickered.
“Take my hand. I will swallow your darkness.”
The boy shook his head violently. No matter how much he tried to look away in the darkness, the red eyes followed him.
“What do you want from me?!”
“Become my legs.”
Then it added,
“I will be your eyes. Let us go down to the forbidden archive together, and you can read all the books you love.”
The Miyatro Baron’s Forbidden Archive. It contained the holy relics and magic tomes recovered by the Watchers of the Abyss from the Valley of Death.
Johan needed them.
Demons evolved by corrupting holy relics. Blasphemy. Just thinking about it made his mouth water.
The demon lightly took the boy’s small, frail hand.
“Child, take my hand. You will find a reason to live.”
It was a sweet, honeyed voice.