Whispers of a Scheming Demon - Chapter 12

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 12: The Demon and the Witch (3)

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“A condition?”

“Yes. A condition.”

“We each give the other what they want. It’s nothing more than a fair exchange, so what else is there to add?”

The contract they were about to make favored neither side. It was, quite literally, an equal exchange. Yet she wanted a condition. Johan found that difficult to understand.

“It’s simple. I want to change what’s being traded. That’s my condition.”

“You’ll accept something else instead of the Key to Narak?”

“That’s right.”

“What do you want?”

Ilea smiled sweetly.

“Please release my father’s soul.”

Johan frowned without answering.

“Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t an unreasonable demand like before. I merely wish to amend a clause.”

Earlier, Ilea had said that if Johan wanted to make a deal with her, he needed to show sincerity. Releasing Gaf’s soul had been her demand.

It would have been an impossible demand to accept.

But this time was different. Instead of the Key to Narak, she wanted her father’s freedom.

“Is that possible?”

Johan tapped the round table with his index finger. After a moment of thought, he spoke.

“No.”

Ilea formed an odd smile.

“It seems you’re afraid of me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being cautious.”

The moment Gaf’s soul was released, the leash controlling Ilea would disappear as well.

What would a free witch do?

She might torture Johan to learn the location of the Forbidden Archive. She might even force him to serve beneath her.

He had prepared ways to deal with that, but they would come at a heavy cost.

He would have to open the jewel casket he had brought from the Forbidden Archive.

Great Witch Rahel’s Casket. Once opened, it could bind Ilea. Of course, his relationship with her would be ruined beyond repair. They would become irreconcilable enemies.

It wasn’t a wise choice.

“I understand. Your life is at stake, after all.”

“You know that, yet you keep making unreasonable demands.”

“It can’t be helped. This is extremely important to me too.”

Johan frowned irritably.

“I have no intention of letting Gaf go, even if this deal falls through.”

“Your resolve is firm. Fine. Let’s find a compromise.”

Ilea pretended to think, then lightly clapped her hands.

“What if I take my father’s place?”

“What do you mean?”

“Under the contract, Father has no choice but to protect you. I’ll take over that obligation.”

At the unexpected proposal, Johan’s lips curled with interest.

“You’ll protect me?”

“Yes. I’ll become your demon contractor.”

“I don’t mind.”

No, it was better this way. The girl before him was one of the powerful figures destined to reach the pinnacle of the world. She would protect him, and he could place the shackle called a contract around her neck.

Johan had no reason to refuse her offer.

“One thing troubles me. I don’t understand why you’d go this far.”

“As a daughter, Father should come first. You may call it the hypocrisy of an unfilial child.”

She had come to the lord’s castle of her own accord while pretending to have been kidnapped. She had driven a father who lived only for his daughter into despair.

Ultimately, Gaf had made his contract with the demon because of Ilea.

Did the witch feel guilty about that?

It was difficult to grasp her true intentions.

“That’s not very witchlike behavior.”

“You seem to know witches quite well.”

“They’re a breed that pursues practical gain above all else. I see none of that in you now.”

“You never know. Perhaps this will lead to practical gain as well.”

She paused before adding,

“Now answer me, Johan. Will you accept my proposal?”

Johan fell silent in thought.

‘Something feels off.’

What was she hiding behind that innocent smile? Having read the original work, he couldn’t easily let down his guard.

“Fine.”

Still, this was an opportunity. It felt unsettling, but he couldn’t turn away a windfall that had fallen into his lap.

Johan boldly decided to take the dangerous shortcut.

“I’ll terminate my contract with Gaf.”

Ilea’s lips curved in satisfaction.

“From now on, I’m Johan’s protector.”

“Come closer.”

Johan crooked his finger, and Ilea rose from her seat and moved close to him.

Blue eyes and eyes glowing red stared into one another. Both gazes searched for the other’s hidden thoughts, but outwardly they remained calm and composed.

“I’ll terminate my contract with Gaf. From now on, you’ll protect me and provide the mana and sacrifices needed for the Corruptive Formation. Your soul will be the collateral. Do you agree?”

“Before that, let’s make one thing clear. When will my father’s soul be released?”

Terminating the contract required mutual consent. He would need to meet Gaf and settle it directly.

“One week will be enough.”

“Fine. Let’s make the contract.”

At the same time, black smoke rose from Johan’s body. The haze swayed through the air before seeping into Ilea’s lungs.

An unfamiliar sensation settled in both their chests.

If either failed to fulfill their promise, the demonic energy lodged in their hearts would claim their lives.

“We’re in the same boat now.”

Ilea extended her hand.

“So it seems.”

Johan took her pale hand.

“When can I see Betra on the Corruptive Formation? The sooner, the better.”

Activating the Corruptive Formation was directly tied to Johan’s growth. If he could, he would have told her to get to work immediately.

“I’ll bring her within a day.”

That was an answer he liked.

Looking pleased, Johan said,

“Then I’ll have the Key to Narak ready by tomorrow.”

“You’ll give it to me for free?”

Confusion passed over Ilea’s face.

Instead of the Key to Narak, she had chosen the release of Gaf’s soul. She had become Johan’s protector during the contract, but that was merely a prerequisite for changing what was being traded.

The Key to Narak, the original item of exchange, had been removed from the contract.

“Nothing in this world is free. The Key to Narak is payment for a new deal.”

“You seem to want quite a lot from me. So what must I give you this time?”

“We’ll discuss that tomorrow. For now, Betra comes first.”

“Understood. Then I’ll be going for today.”

Ilea stepped back and smiled gently.

“I’ve found a good business partner. Let’s get along from now on.”

“Well, let’s do that.”

Johan looked indifferent.

“I’ll be seeing you often as well, young master. Please take care of me.”

Raguel flinched before replying.

“Y-Yes. I was rude before. Please forgive me.”

A few days ago, when he had insulted Ilea by calling her a witch, her response had been extremely cold.

Her freezing voice remained lodged in Raguel’s mind like a thorn.

“Don’t worry about it. I haven’t taken it to heart.”

“E-Even so...”

Johan clicked his tongue.

“A man shouldn’t cower like that. That’s enough, so stand tall.”

Then he looked at Ilea.

“You should go now.”

“Understood. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She gave a slight bow and turned away.

The floating flames vanished one by one.

The study was swallowed by darkness once more.

Her light footsteps gradually faded away.

Just as Johan was about to resume reading Kazan’s biography, Raguel spoke.

“...Um, Johan.”

“What?”

“I-I should say this first. I’m not saying this because I’m worried about you. If something happens to you, I won’t get my eyes back. So...”

“Stop dragging it out and speak.”

Raguel cleared his throat.

“It’s about you and Ilea. It seems things have been settled well, but I think differently. Don’t let your guard down too much.”

Having lived his whole life reading others’ moods, Raguel was good at sensing people’s feelings and the atmosphere around him.

That ability had just sent him a warning. He had sensed some hidden intention in Ilea’s calm voice.

“You think the witch is plotting something?”

“N-Not exactly...”

“Well, your guess probably isn’t wrong.”

Ilea was putting up her own life as collateral for Gaf? Any reader of the original work could only scoff at that.

She must have another aim.

Several hypotheses came to Johan’s mind, but he set them all aside. It was still too early to settle on anything.

For now, he intended only to remain wary.

“I’m glad you seem to know. Until you fulfill the promise you made to me, you need to stay safe.”

Johan let out a short laugh.

“Stop worrying about pointless things and keep quiet. This is where it starts getting interesting.”

Johan began reading Kazan’s biography once more.

The demon’s recitation settled over the pitch-black study.

* * *

On the spiral staircase connecting the study to the first floor, the Old Crone Spirit’s eerie laughter echoed.

“Master, it truly is a splendid scheme. That foolish imp has fallen perfectly into the trap. He’ll never escape.”

The creature continued babbling, even whistling.

“So all that remains is to visit Gaf and tell him not to terminate his contract with the imp.”

Ilea spoke expressionlessly.

“Why do you think that?”

“Why, isn’t the contract between you and the imp for ‘the release of Gaf’s soul’? Therefore, if Gaf refuses to terminate the contract, the imp will naturally lose his life as the price for breaking the agreement. Ha ha!”

Ilea let out a quiet sigh.

“Perhaps your brain has shrunk from old age. Or perhaps you were foolish from the beginning.”

“M-Master, have I misunderstood something?”

“Everything, from beginning to end. I have no plans to kill Johan, and even if I did, I wouldn’t use such an irrational method. If Johan dies because of my scheme, what happens to Father and me?”

“W-Well...”

“According to the contract, I’ll pay the price for failing to ‘protect’ Johan. Are you telling me to kill myself?”

No matter how Johan died, Ilea would have to bear responsibility. The two of them were now bound by fate.

The Old Crone Spirit spoke as though it truly could not understand.

“Then you’ve placed shackles on your own feet. Why did you do such a thing? Surely you didn’t mean it when you said this was for Gaf?”

The Ilea the spirit had known was not someone swayed by affection or filial devotion. Only gain and efficiency moved her.

Yet she seemed a little different now.

“For Father’s sake. I wish I were allowed that sort of sentimentality too.”

“Emotion is nothing but a weakness for a witch. You know that better than anyone, so why...”

Ilea’s expression grew calm.

“The Mother of All Evil. Johan seems suitable as a candidate for the vessel.”

The Old Crone Spirit let out a shriek of shock.

“T-The Mother of All Evil! How could a newly born imp possibly be one?”

“Did Johan look ordinary to you?”

A child who appeared to be less than a month old had a pure white horn. Despite his age, he was bold and intelligent. And that was not all. He knew the location of the Forbidden Archive and Ilea’s purpose with perfect accuracy.

Anyone could see that he was a strange existence.

“I-I admit he is efficient, but...”

“Efficient? You would judge him with nothing more than such a word. Your brain is a problem, but your eye for talent is even worse.”

The dispirited Old Crone Spirit spoke in a shrinking voice.

“Then will you protect him until he grows and becomes a vessel?”

“I’ll watch him. If he continues to meet my expectations, I’ll gladly remain his protector forever.”

“He may disappoint you, Master.”

“Then I’ll have to exploit the loophole in ‘protection.’ There’s no such thing as a perfect contract.”

With a smile, Ilea added,

“Of course, for now, it’s my turn to meet his expectations.”

She intended to fulfill Johan’s demands perfectly.

A sacrifice for the Corruptive Formation. She would capture the prostitute Betra and place her upon the altar.