Starting My New Life as a Demon Kid

Chapter 11. The Demon and the Witch (2)

The library remained dim. The flames blooming in the darkness did not fully illuminate the interior. The underground was too vast, and the light only created more shadows.

Each time the flames flickered, the shadows swayed. Beneath the rippling shades, crimson glows gleamed.

They were the eyes of a demon. Buried in the shadows of the bookshelves, they cast a sinister gaze.

Normally, one would be seized with fear, but the visitor remained calm. Rather, she murmured with interest.

“……A single horn.”

She was looking above the red eyes.

A horn shining white. A symbol of the demon’s threat. It was too grand for an imp.

In her mind, the old hag cackled.

“What a windfall. Isn’t that a mangryang? How could such a demon be born in this land…….”

“Indeed, it is quite curious.”

“Leave it to me. Rather than enslaving it, devouring it would be far more efficient.”

It was true. The more threatening the bloodline, the slower the growth.

The souls and emotions required for a mangryang imp to grow into an adult would not be fulfilled even if an entire city were annihilated.

The higher the peak, the greater the investment required.

The old hag spirit was different.

The moment she devoured the imp, she would exhibit immediate growth.

If she wanted immediate gain, it would be right to abandon the imp.

“……Hmm.”

Ilea quietly stared at Yohan.

The demon frowned as if displeased with that gaze.

“What are you weighing? I told you to come and sit.”

At that moment, black smoke rose from Ilea’s skin. It was miasma reaching out toward the air. Flickering ominously, it began to gather into a single point.

Yohan leaned back, observing the miasma as if to admire it.

He was comparing it with the descriptions in the original.

That current separating from the witch’s body would soon form the shape of a demon.

It was probably the old hag spirit. He wondered how terrifying it would look. He was very curious.

It was because of how it was depicted in the original. In the story, some humans had heart attacks the moment they saw it. If it was of that appearance, as someone who liked horror, Yohan could not help but look forward to it.

‘Let’s see.’

The condensed miasma began to take on a certain shape.

A grotesque figure wearing a black hood. It was too far to see the face.

As Yohan narrowed his eyes, a sharp scream echoed, nearly tearing his eardrums.

The creature shot its body forward. In an instant, it was facing Yohan.

Empty eye sockets oozed thick pus. Over the dark gray skin, earthworms crawled, replacing the wrinkles. The sebum encrusting its cheeks glistened grotesquely.

Its open mouth revealed a tongue coated with a thick white coating. The horrific stench numbed the sense of smell.

Pressed so close to the old hag spirit, Yohan felt not fear but a rising disgust.

“Utterly repulsive.”

Meanwhile, Raguel was trembling violently. It seemed he was frightened by the smell and sound alone. Had he seen that face, he might have gone into cardiac arrest and died.

Yohan let out a small laugh and spoke.

“You’re better off living blind.”

The imp was busy with something else. It would need education. The old hag spirit muttered ominously.

“Master, please give your command. One word is enough.”

Saying so, it licked Yohan’s horn with its filthy tongue.

Yohan scowled and spoke.

“You will die the most miserable death.”

The old hag cackled.

“Will I really? My master has no time to raise you.”

Yohan brought his thumb and index finger together like tongs. Then he grabbed the edge of the creature’s hood and pulled it to the side. It was filthy to touch, but he had no choice.

Only then did the monstrous figure vanish from view, replaced by Ilea.

Yohan spoke.

“A slave who assumes her master’s intentions. A failure in education, is it not?”

The girl who had walked forward slowly stopped in front of the round table.

Yohan let out an inward exclamation. Her doll-like face was exactly as described. It was a bit ambiguous to call a girl around ten years old beautiful, but she was undoubtedly of a complete beauty.

She smiled calmly and spoke.

“I aimed for a free relationship, but I’m inexperienced since it’s the first time. I’ll do better next time.”

Yohan let out a small laugh.

“The demon to be enslaved by you is fortunate indeed.”

“Would you like to enter?”

The old hag spirit snapped her gaze at Ilea.

“W-What are you saying!”

“Be quiet.”

“But…….”

“If you open your mouth now, you’ll be punished.”

Her voice was soft, but the old hag spirit flinched in fear.

Ilea let out a small sigh and pulled out a handkerchief from her bosom.

“If you don’t mind, may I wipe that off for you?”

Sticky mucus was smeared on Yohan’s white horn. It was the old hag spirit’s saliva.

“If you intend to recruit me, don’t bother. I won’t come under you.”

Ilea shook her head.

“It’s not about that. I’m simply cleaning up the dog’s filth as its master.”

She brought the handkerchief to Yohan’s horn.

She began wiping it clean gently.

Yohan watched Ilea closely. There was no emotion in the sunken gaze of the witch.

A mage or witch would normally covet a demon’s horn, but she showed no greed.

She was as composed as described in the original.

“All done. Now it’s clean.”

The girl smiled as if satisfied. To Yohan, she did not look simply pretty.

‘A snake.’

Yohan spoke.

“A wasted effort.”

“As I said, I had no ulterior motive.”

She paused for a moment before adding.

“But I don’t understand. If you don’t wish to be enslaved, why did you call me here?”

“To open a deal.”

“Just as you tempted my father and the young master?”

“It was an equal contract.”

Ilea smiled faintly.

“Deals with demons always end in ruin.”

“Their lives had already fallen into the abyss. A worse hell would not have been easy to imagine.”

A parent who had lost a child and a boy trapped in darkness. Their lives were already destroyed.

Ilea let out a performative sigh.

“Then you saved them from misery. How grateful I am. You saved my father.”

Yohan shrugged.

“Indeed. You should kneel and thank me.”

“You took his soul as collateral, didn’t you? If you release him, I might do that.”

“Are you talking about Gaf’s soul?”

Ilea nodded as she spoke.

“I don’t know the details of the contract, but surely the collateral would be his soul.”

Yohan asked, puzzled.

“Why do you care about that?”

Ilea’s expression darkened slightly.

“What do you mean?”

Normally, a child would of course worry about a parent. But Ilea was different. In the original, she let Gaf, who came to save her, die.

Yohan spoke.

“Does Gaf’s life even matter to you? You aren’t related by blood in the first place.”

Ilea silently stared at Yohan. She was still smiling, but it had turned subtly cold. The air around them chilled as well.

Raguel tugged lightly at Yohan’s elbow and spoke.

“Y-Yohan, that’s too rude……”

Ilea opened her mouth.

“I would like to hear your reasons for saying that.”

Because he had read it in the original.

“There are none.”

“……Is that so?”

“If you were displeased, I apologize.”

An uncomfortable silence passed.

Ilea smiled softly again.

“You said you wanted to make a deal.”

“That is why I called you.”

“Release my father’s soul.”

“Is that your condition?”

Ilea shook her head.

“No. His release will be your courtesy toward me.”

Yohan let out a hollow laugh. Ilea also smiled.

“If you wish to trade, accept it.”

Yohan had never imagined that Ilea would care about Gaf’s life. Rather, he thought it was a gain. He had gained another leash to control her.

Yohan spoke.

“Impossible.”

Gaf was his minimum lifeline. An imp was too weak to stand alone.

“That’s unfortunate.”

Ilea let out a sigh as if truly disappointed. A shadow passed over her face, but it soon vanished.

She stepped closer, drawing a faint arc as she spoke.

“Then, is there even one reason I should let you live?”

The air froze.

Raguel hiccupped. The old hag spirit began to cackle.

Yohan spoke with a blank expression.

“There are too many to list one by one.”

“Name one.”

“The moment you kill me, Gaf will fall into hell.”

To think he would use Gaf as a card in negotiations with Ilea.

“So the price of the deal was protection.”

“Precisely.”

“You’re a thorough demon. Unlike this one, you’re quite competent.”

The old hag spirit swallowed a groan.

Yohan opened his mouth.

“So, what will you do? You can’t kill me, and you can’t enslave me.”

“Oddly enough, you’re right. It’s a bit suffocating.”

It must have been a new experience for Ilea.

“Take the benefit. If you trade with me, you’ll get what you want most.”

“And what is that?”

Yohan’s lips curled.

“The Key to the Abyss.”

Ilea’s expression did not change at all.

But she must have been taken aback.

Just looking at the old hag spirit’s face made it clear. The low demon twitched at the word “key.”

Yohan spoke.

“That must be why you came walking into the lord’s castle on your own. The Valley of Death. Don’t you want to visit it?”

The moment he finished speaking, blue light flashed from Ilea’s body. It was mana. She tilted her head.

“It’s not mental manipulation…… What is this?”

The demon had not read her memories or mind.

Had he simply deduced it? Perhaps so.

Yohan spoke.

“I cannot answer. Let’s not waste energy and simply exchange what we want.”

Ilea fell silent for a moment before opening her mouth.

“If you have it, show me proof.”

Yohan pointed toward a dark corner of the library.

A floating flame flew over in that direction.

A heretic array drawn in black blood. Atop the wicked formation lay a holy relic. The Ring of Kazan.

“I brought it from the Forbidden Archive. That should answer you.”

Ilea let out a small sound of admiration.

“……You truly are competent.”

“So, do you feel like trading now?”

“Before that, let me ask one last thing.”

She dropped her smile, speaking seriously for once.

“Won’t you join me?”

Yohan frowned.

“Persistent.”

Ilea nodded as if giving up.

“It can’t be helped.”

She then sat down in the chair.

“So, what do I need to give you?”

“Mana and a sacrifice. Those two are enough.”

Ilea looked at the heretic array and nodded in understanding.

“Mana is covered, and the sacrifice……”

She trailed off, her gaze shifting to Raguel.

“Is it the young master?”

Raguel flinched.

“Y-Yohan……!”

“So your name is Yohan, Mr. Demon.”

It did not suit a demon at all.

Yohan spoke.

“It would be nice to use this one who constantly chatters, but that’s impossible. I need another human.”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“Your mother.”

Ilea’s expression twisted slightly.

“……Betra?”

“Yes.”

“That could be a bit dangerous.”

Though Betra was a toothless tiger, she was still one of the castle’s managers. If she disappeared, it could cause trouble.

“Wouldn’t it be better to use one of the young noble girls?”

No one would notice if one of them disappeared.

Yohan shook his head.

“I want Betra.”

Did he have a reason? Ilea could not know.

“……I understand for now.”

“So you will trade?”

Ilea let out a hollow laugh.

“You’ve forced me.”

Yohan’s lips curled long.

“Bring Betra alive and place her on the heretic array.”

“But, there is one condition.”