Whispers of a Scheming Demon - Chapter 119

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 119: Roderic

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At the gates of the Myatro baronial residence, two horses stood waiting.

Knight Mamon mounted a massive warhorse and spoke.

“Please hurry. His Majesty is waiting.”

Fake Johan, Verdan, hesitated briefly before the other horse, then spoke.

“Sir Mamon, I believe I must return to the residence first.”

He had to buy time somehow.

It was Mapheltan’s order.

Delay as long as possible.

Mamon’s expression soured.

“What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”

Johan spoke calmly.

“I forgot something. I cannot go before His Majesty empty-handed.”

“Please do not concern yourself with such matters. This audience was unplanned, so His Majesty will understand.”

Johan shook his head.

“It is a matter of propriety. As a Council noble, I do not wish to offend His Majesty.”

The Johan before Mamon was a fake.

With shameless acting, he was making a fool of Mamon.

Mamon knew that well, which made it all the more irritating.

“...Save your manners for later. Meeting His Majesty is the most urgent matter now.”

Johan spoke firmly.

“I apologize, but I must refuse. Please grant me just a little time. I will return quickly.”

Mamon wanted to shout at him.

He nearly yelled that he knew his true identity and that Verdan should stop acting.

But Mamon could not bring himself to act.

The timing was not right.

He had to go to the royal palace and expose fake Johan’s true nature before everyone.

Only then could he deal a serious blow to the Watcher of Narak.

Suppressing his irritation, Mamon said, “Then be quick.”

“I am grateful for your consideration.”

Johan headed back toward the residence.

To Mamon, that retreating figure looked utterly detestable.

“Whew.”

Mamon looked up at the night sky, hoping to ease some of his displeasure.

His mood did not improve in the slightest.

Even after quite some time had passed, Johan did not appear.

As the night deepened, Mamon’s nerves grew tighter and tighter.

* * *

“I apologize. I was selecting a tribute, so I was delayed.”

Only after a long while did Johan emerge from the residence again.

He held a small treasure chest in his hands.

Forcing down his anger, Mamon said, “...We depart at once. We are already very late.”

“Of course. I have no intention of making His Majesty wait any longer.”

Johan placed a foot in the stirrup and was slowly climbing into the saddle.

Mamon frowned.

“You say you have no intention of making him wait, yet...”

“Ah, forgive me. Just a moment.”

Johan suddenly stepped back onto the ground.

Mamon’s face twisted at once.

“Why are you doing this instead of mounting at once?!”

Mamon raised his voice. It was becoming difficult to maintain courtesy.

Johan replied with an impassive expression.

“I apologize, Sir Mamon. My stomach suddenly hurts terribly.”

Mamon’s face twisted like that of an Evil Spirit.

He wanted to draw his sword immediately.

“Surely you are not saying you intend to return to the residence again?”

“It will only take a moment. I ask for your understanding.”

Verdan was toying with him.

A lowborn wretch, a parasite that lived in the shadows, was humiliating a noble knight.

Mamon would not have been satisfied even if he had cut Verdan down on the spot.

Rage rose within him, but he barely managed to hold on to his reason.

He dismounted and approached Johan.

In a low, threatening voice, he said, “It seems you are deliberately stalling for time. Let me confirm one thing.”

Not a trace of expression changed on Johan’s face.

“Stalling for time? What in the world do you...”

Before Johan could finish, silver ripples spread from Mamon’s body.

It was the Aura permitted only to knights of House Leonar.

Wrapped in Aura, Mamon spoke.

“Do you remember me, Verdan?”

Johan’s eyes wavered for an instant.

A few days earlier, Verdan had clearly encountered that silver Aura.

The man who had given Verdan the job was the owner of that silver Aura.

The masked knight who had claimed to be from House Leonar. That person had been Mamon.

Johan was greatly flustered, but managed to control his expression.

“...What is the meaning of this discourtesy?”

Mamon gave a hollow laugh.

“What an incredible Authority. Or is the Watcher of Narak simply that remarkable?”

The Mimic Authority copied most of its target’s personality as well.

Since Verdan was imitating Johan, Verdan could retain some composure even in a shocking situation.

Just as he was doing now, he could keep his expression under control.

But Verdan was still Verdan.

No matter how well Verdan played the magnanimous person, the traces of a petty person could not be completely concealed.

That brief agitation had shown through.

Knight Mamon did not miss that moment.

He had seen Johan’s wavering eyes.

Johan spoke calmly.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Mamon grabbed both of Johan’s shoulders and muttered, “Now I am completely certain. The one before me is not the Watcher of Narak.”

With matters now clear, Mamon had no reason to remain courteous.

He lifted Johan and placed him on the warhorse.

Johan spoke in a voice like someone swallowing a blade.

“...Stop this at once. I will lodge a formal protest over what happened today.”

Mamon gave no reply and mounted behind Johan.

“Hyah!”

The two headed straight for the royal palace.

* * *

Arterium, the Royal Capital, was called the city that never sleeps.

It was as bright at night as it was during the day.

Lights filled every street, and crowds could be found everywhere.

For a demon, the Royal Capital was truly not an easy city to operate in.

It was little different for a Witch.

Ilea watched the ground below from high above the Royal Capital, concealing her presence.

“...An opportunity isn’t coming as easily as I expected.”

Her gaze was fixed on a warhorse racing down the street.

Two people rode upon it.

Johan and a knight. Verdan and Mamon.

Ilea had to attack them.

It was difficult to find the right moment.

There were too many eyes watching.

Just as she was struggling, a chilling voice spread through the air.

“I’ll lend you a hand.”

Mapheltan appeared from the darkness.

With a worried expression, Ilea said, “It’ll be dangerous. Will you be all right?”

“Do not worry. I’ll only draw some attention.”

The next instant, Mapheltan vanished.

His presence rose from the ground.

Thick darkness covered the streets.

People screamed.

The Demonic Energy suddenly released into the area was throwing everyone into a panic.

The attack on the Royal Capital remained vivid in their memories.

That hell might repeat itself.

The uproar quickly spread.

Even amid the chaos, the warhorse continued forward without delay.

Ilea smiled.

“That should be enough.”

The crowds filling the streets scattered in every direction.

No one remained around the galloping warhorse.

Ilea flew straight toward the ground.

A cluster of blue light fell like a shooting star.

The warhorse was startled and reared onto its hind legs.

Mamon seized the reins and struggled to control the horse.

“Easy, easy!”

Thrown by the sudden jolt, Johan fell from the horse.

Ilea said to him, “Hide yourself for a moment.”

After calming the horse, Mamon drew his sword from the saddle.

“Who are you?! Reveal yourself!”

Ilea smiled gently.

“From now on, I’m Johan. You may accompany me to the palace.”

The space surrounding Ilea suddenly rippled.

Her appearance changed in an instant.

She had become Johan.

Mamon stared in shock.

“A, a Mage!”

Fake Johan, Ilea, snapped her fingers.

A small equation appeared above Mamon’s head.

Short-Term Memory Erasure Magic. It was a spell formula that erased a moment of memory, the same one Ilea had once used on Shaperia.

Mamon’s eyes clouded over.

Johan promptly climbed onto the warhorse.

Then Ilea dispelled the magic.

Mamon regained his senses.

Looking somewhat dazed, he looked around.

His head throbbed.

Johan spoke.

“Why did you suddenly stop?”

Mamon did not know the reason.

He froze for a moment, then took hold of the reins again.

“Hyah!”

With an odd feeling lingering, Mamon headed toward the royal palace once more.

* * *

In the Great Hall of the royal palace, King Roderic Artelga leaned back in the seat of honor and looked down at the ministers.

Many people had gathered, yet the Great Hall was silent as a grave.

No one spoke.

The king’s oppressive presence was immense.

Roderic’s bearing was vastly different from before.

The naive and clumsy king was nowhere to be found.

Like a true sovereign, Roderic regarded everyone with bored contempt.

This change had not yet become known to the public.

Only the royalist nobles had witnessed the king’s strange behavior.

Every minister gathered here was a royalist noble.

Amid the silence, a palace guard announced, “The Watcher of Narak, Baron Johan von Myatro, enters the palace!”

The massive doors of the Great Hall slowly opened.

Dressed in formal attire, Johan stepped inside across the red carpet.

He knelt on one knee before the king’s seat.

“Johan von Myatro greets the great King.”

Roderic looked at Johan with bored eyes, then shifted his gaze toward Knight Mamon.

Mamon gave the king a hand signal.

Johan was a fake.

That was what he was saying.

The king’s lips twisted.

Roderic slowly spoke to Johan.

“Though still young, you earned my recognition for your worth and became the head of a house, a pillar supporting this Kingdom. Why, then, did you forget your duty?”

The king was criticizing Johan for failing to seek an audience.

Johan spoke calmly.

“I heard of Your Majesty’s illness and judged that an audience would be difficult. My thoughts were shallow and foolish. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me in your generous mercy.”

The king lifted the corner of his mouth in a sly smile.

“Very well. I will say no more on that matter. No, there is no need for me to speak with the likes of you at all.”

The moment the king finished speaking, murmurs arose throughout the Great Hall.

Even a king should not speak to the head of a Council house in such a manner.

Roderic had gone beyond rudeness into outright insult.

One minister spoke.

“...Your Majesty, please calm yourself. The Watcher of Narak is still young and may simply be unaware of proper conduct. Surely he had no intention of insulting Your Majesty.”

The king shook his head.

“That person is not the Watcher of Narak. Furthermore, the Watcher of Narak is insulting me somewhere even now.”

“Your Majesty, what could that possibly mean...”

The king abruptly cut off the minister.

“I will show you proof.”

Roderic gestured.

Mamon strode toward Johan and spoke.

“Verdan, reveal your true form.”

Mamon seized Johan by the hair.

Then he roughly pulled at the skin of Johan’s face.

Nothing happened.

Only Johan’s skin turned red.