Whispers of a Scheming Demon - Chapter 16

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 16: Johan Myatro (1)

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“Bring me more.”

His pronunciation was unclear and his voice childish. The baby's first words were terribly clumsy, but clear enough to convey his meaning.

Ilea spoke with a mischievous look.

“What was that? I couldn't hear you.”

“Pour it all in.”

“You should say ‘yum-yum’ like a baby.”

Johan frowned and grabbed the glass vial in Ilea's hand. He meant to snatch it away.

He did not have enough strength. With hands as small as fern sprouts, he could not resist even a young girl.

As his displeasure showed on his pale face, Ilea smiled with satisfaction.

“Just kidding. Come on, open wide.”

The vial's contents trickled into Johan's mouth.

The baby began to grow hot as though he were on fire. The sap was circulating through his entire body.

Ilea let out a small gasp.

Johan was growing in her arms before her very eyes.

Hair spread over his face, his limbs lengthened, and his upper body swelled. The cloth clothes the baby had worn could no longer contain his growing body and tore apart.

Ilea dropped heavily onto the bed. She could no longer bear his weight.

The baby was gone. A boy now lay in the girl's arms.

Unlike Gaf, who had frozen in horror, Ilea beamed.

“You should cover yourself.”

Johan's lower body was completely exposed.

“Put me down.”

“Use this.”

Ilea handed him her cloak.

Johan stood on the floor, covered his naked body, and examined his grown form.

He was roughly Ilea's height, and his hair fell to his knees. It was as long as if he had gone eight to ten years without a haircut.

He appeared to be around ten years old.

In an instant, he had gained several years of growth.

“Is that all the sap?”

“Yes, I collected all of it. Its effect is rather weak for an elixir condensed over hundreds of years.”

By Ilea's estimate, Johan should have grown to at least twenty years old. Yet he was only a boy.

“It is because only the stump of the World Tree remains.”

The larger the tree, the denser its sap would be. But more than ninety percent of the World Tree had been cut away in the aftermath of the Great War.

Its sap could only have lost effectiveness.

“I actually prefer it this way.”

“What do you mean?”

“It feels like I have a friend now.”

Johan scoffed.

“You don't mean that. A witch could never understand friendship.”

“You say that as though you understand it, Johan. Even though you're a demon.”

“Look at me now. Red blood flows through me. I cannot help but empathize with human emotions.”

“Then should I learn friendship from Johan?”

“It is pointless. More importantly, you aren't surprised at all. Did you know I was Johan?”

Ilea looked toward the woman who had recently given birth.

“At first, it was only a feeling. But the moment I opened the door, I was certain. Johan's scent was far too strong on her.”

Since she had given birth not long ago, traces of Demonic Energy clung to the woman.

“We need to be careful for a while.”

“Don't worry too much. Unless they're high-ranking clergy from the royal capital, they won't notice.”

Ilea did not know it, but before long, a group of pilgrims with great Holy Power would visit the territory.

That was how it happened in the original work.

They needed to prepare for them.

“There is no harm in being cautious.”

“Of course. You are absolutely right.”

Gaf, who had been listening to their conversation, let out a hollow laugh.

“...This is absurd.”

He could not understand any of this. Even setting aside the baby who had suddenly grown, Ilea and Johan seemed as comfortable with each other as old friends.

“What is all this?”

“I am sorry, Father.”

“I do not want an apology!”

At his resentment-filled shout, Ilea's smile disappeared, and she lowered her head.

“I wanted to hide my identity from you more than anyone else, Father, but I ultimately failed. As I told you, I am a witch. I am someone who cannot coexist with humans. I can only apologize for being such a daughter.”

Gaf shouted with an expression of utter disbelief.

“A witch? What are you talking about?”

It had already been fifty years since Rahel, the last witch, had perished.

“Witches always prepare alternatives. At the same time they foresaw their extinction, they prepared me as a countermeasure. Perhaps even being found and raised by Father was part of their plan.”

A memory from more than ten years ago flashed through Gaf's mind.

After losing everything, he had wandered alone until he encountered an ice palace in the desert. An ice palace rising above scorching sand. As though possessed by a mirage, Gaf began to run.

He pursued it day and night, but he could never reach it.

Exhausted from dehydration and fatigue, he finally collapsed.

As he was burning to death beneath the hellish sun, grains of wet sand cooled his body.

Water was flowing from somewhere. The ice palace was melting.

The man who had wandered in search of death desperately lapped up the water, despite his former resolve.

He had long since lost every pillar that supported his life, yet his attachment to living remained.

What was he struggling so desperately for? No answer came, no matter how often he asked himself.

It was then, as he laughed bitterly at himself, that he saw a small cradle.

The only ice structure that had not melted. Inside, a baby as white as snow slept peacefully.

Was this a joke from God? God had taken away his pregnant wife, only to place new life in his arms.

Even amid his confusion, Gaf's hand moved toward the baby.

The baby laughed brightly and touched his beard, and Gaf felt an overwhelming emotion rise within him.

Perhaps this was salvation. That day, for the first time in his life, he drew the holy five-pointed star.

A tear fell from Gaf's eye as he recalled the past.

He could not bear to believe that everything he had thought was a miracle had been someone's plan.

Without a word, he turned away. Step by step, he began to leave the inn room.

Johan looked at Ilea.

“You aren't going to stop him?”

“He needs time to think.”

“He might leave forever.”

“That would be for the best. A witch is nothing but a seed of misfortune to humans.”

A shadow fell over Ilea's face. She looked lonely.

Johan had grown up an orphan, so he could not fully understand the feelings between father and daughter. Still, he felt a faint bitterness.

For no reason, his heart felt uneasy.

“A seed of misfortune. That is not entirely wrong. But you are somewhat different, are you not? Depending on what you do, you could get along with Gaf.”

“Are you worried about Father and me? Perhaps it's because you're a Half-Demon, but you are rather human.”

“I simply do not want to watch a melodrama.”

“I will try, so don't worry too much. Johan has another task to focus on.”

“What task?”

“Your survival. What could be more important than that?”

“You are stating the obvious. I already have a plan.”

“Please share it with me as well. We are in the same boat.”

Johan rose from the bed and looked over his grown body. A teenage human boy. He was a little young, but it posed no problem for carrying out his plan.

He spoke without expression.

“I will swallow House Myatro whole with this body.”

Ilea, who had been deep in thought, gave a gentle smile.

“Johan Myatro. It is a surname that suits your name rather well.”

* * *

Twilight settled beyond the window.

No matter how beautiful the sunset was, a blind person could not see it.

Raguel could only guess the time.

Gaf would arrive soon. He usually came before sunset to bring Johan.

Not lately. For the past three weeks, Gaf had not shown his face at all.

Johan had not visited for nearly a month.

Raguel curled up like a shrimp.

‘He said he would read to me, but he did not even finish Kazan's biography, and I have not gotten my eyes back yet...’

Why had Johan made a promise if this was how it would end? Had he been used and discarded? Perhaps Johan had intended to deceive him from the start.

Negative thoughts followed one after another.

‘I was foolish to trust a demon.’

He had been swayed by a sweet voice, only to be thrown away like an old shoe.

There were more humans like that than he could count. He was merely one more fool who had been betrayed.

He had brought this upon himself, so he could not complain or make excuses.

His hurt feelings toward Johan had grown greater than his guilt toward God. How could he dare call himself a victim?

Even while hating Johan, he worried that something might have happened to him. He had no right even to speak of atonement.

This was suffering he had to endure alone.

He would be trapped in darkness again and pay for his sins.

Raguel began to sob. His cries grew louder, filling the room.

After he had wept for a long time, the door suddenly flew open.

He jerked upright.

“Johan?!”

“You little bastard! Beating you to death would not be enough!”

It was not Gaf's voice. It was a terrible roar that made Raguel shrink back the instant he heard it.

“F-Father...?”

“Who is your father? I told you not to call me that!”

A flowerpot flew through the air and struck Raguel's head.

The blind boy instinctively curled his entire body up.

The memory of losing an eye to the candleholder the Baron had thrown suddenly came back to him.

“I-I am sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me! I will never call you Father again!”

The Baron climbed atop Raguel with a crazed expression. The stench of alcohol poured from his body.

“If you were the sort of person who understood words, you would not have been born after eating your own mother! You beast! Answer me! Answer me!”

The large man began striking the boy like mad.

“Where is Ilea? I know that the mercenary and Ilea were constantly coming and going from this room! What were all of you plotting together? Don't tell me you hid Ilea away!”

“P-Please spare me! I don't know anything!”

“Don't give me that bullshit! Bring her here at once! Do you take the Watcher of Narak for a joke!”

The merciless violence continued. It had been quite a while since Raguel had last been beaten. The Baron, who had spent his days lying weakly in bed, was unusually vigorous today.

Smack! Smack!

Raguel screamed. The pain was unbearable. His body and mind were both rotting away.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness from the pain, a shout burst into the room.

“Stop! Are you trying to kill him?!”

It was Gaf. He rushed over in an instant and pulled the Baron away from Raguel.

The Baron's face turned bright red.

“How dare a lowly mercenary!”

Slap!

A sharp sound rang out. The Baron had struck Gaf across the face.

The stone-like impact of the blow made the Baron's expression twist in confusion.

“W-What...?”

His pitiful strength could not even turn Gaf's head.

Gaf shouted without showing any reaction.

“Are you trying to kill your own son? What kind of parent does that?”

“This is none of your concern! Get out at once!”

“If Raguel is gone, how do you plan to stop your younger brother? Are you willing to hand over the position of heir?”

The Baron's younger brother was claiming to be the heir of House Myatro. Kryll Myatro. He even possessed an army three hundred strong.

Just as the Baron was about to scream something in fury, another voice interrupted.

“A blind person cannot succeed the noble house anyway.”

Gaf and the Baron turned at once. Johan, in his human form, was entering the room. Ilea was with him.

When the Baron saw her, his eyes widened.

“I-Ilea!”

Ignoring the Baron's reaction, Johan added,

“And not every parent in this world is like you, Gaf.”

The Baron's gaze moved to Johan.

“Who are you? What are you doing with Ilea? Reveal yourself!”

“You do not recognize me? That is disappointing.”

Johan curled his lips and approached the Baron.

Outside the window, the sun was slowly setting.

“Look carefully. We have known each other for quite some time.”

The Baron's face turned red, then pale.

The boy before him was far too insolent. His face possessed an air of nobility, but his clothes were shabby, and his hair was as tangled as a beggar's.

He must have been the child of some vagabond. Someone who did not even dare meet a noble's eyes.

“You still do not know? You are no different from a blind man with open eyes.”

“You insolent bastard! Where do you think you are?!”

The Baron raised his arm. He would beat the boy to death and teach him his place.

Just as he was about to strike, the sun vanished.

Twilight sank into darkness, leaving not even a trace behind. The room was dyed in pitch-black darkness.

The Baron began to step back.

“This is our first time truly meeting. It is a pleasure.”

The Baron's pupils widened.

Red light reflected in his dilated eyes.

Those red eyes were far too familiar. The gaze that had ruled his dreams had appeared in reality and stared directly at him.

“Y-You...”