WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
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◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈
Chapter 171: Play (5)
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Mapheltan, having parted ways with Azbal, circled halfway around the reed field and headed for the gate on the opposite side.
He moved more urgently than ever.
The sun would rise soon.
Mapheltan would turn human, and he could not let anyone see him changing.
Fortunately, no one was in the reed field outside the castle.
Only a few scarecrows made from corpses stood planted there.
Mapheltan landed on the ground in relief.
At that moment, the sun began to rise.
Dawn slowly brightened the land.
Mapheltan’s form dissolved.
Before long, he had become Johan.
Johan let out a relieved breath amid the tall reeds.
‘That was close. I nearly got myself into trouble fooling around.’
Meeting Azbal had not been part of the plan.
Their conversation had taken too much time.
Had he delayed any longer, something truly troublesome would have happened.
Johan clicked his tongue.
“I should reflect on this.”
He had met someone he liked and lost his head for a while.
They had traded pointless jokes.
It had been an urgent situation, yet he had failed to stay alert.
He could not make that mistake again.
Just as Johan made that resolve, a familiar lovely voice spoke.
“Since you say you’ll reflect, I’ll forgive you this once.”
Ilea appeared between the tall reeds with a smile.
Her silver hair fluttered slowly with the reeds.
Johan cleared his throat.
“I’m far past our appointed time. I’m sorry.”
According to their original plan, Johan and Ilea were supposed to finish their respective tasks and meet here again before sunrise.
But it was already morning.
Johan had been delayed by fooling around.
Ilea gave him a playful smile with her eyes.
“Only with words?”
“What, should I bow my head too?”
Ilea shook her head and held out her hand.
“No. Hold my hand, and I’ll let you off cleanly.”
Johan frowned slightly.
“There will be many eyes on us.”
“There’s only the two of us here.”
“The castle…”
Ilea cut him off.
“Just until we enter the castle. Do you not want to?”
There was a surprising seriousness in her gaze.
Johan stared at her for a moment, then sighed.
“Fine. All right.”
Johan took her hand.
Ilea beamed, then suddenly lowered her head.
The tips of her pale ears had turned a little red.
Johan snickered.
“Your acting has improved. You truly are a Witch.”
Ilea glanced at Johan, then gave an awkward smile.
“R-right? Haha.”
Her tone and expression were unlike her.
Johan felt a strange sense of dissonance.
‘What is this?’
He looked into Ilea’s eyes.
Her blue pupils trembled faintly.
“Ilea, you…”
“L-let’s go. I’ll summarize what I discussed with Wolfgang as we walk.”
She strode through the tall reeds.
Pulled along by their joined hands, Johan followed after her.
The two walked slowly through the reed field.
A gentle breeze brushed past their hair.
Winter was passing, and spring was coming.
* * *
A banquet was in full swing inside the castle.
Thousands of people ate, drank, and made a ruckus.
The pirates’ storehouses held enough supplies to feed them until they burst.
There were also plenty of valuable ingredients looted from across the strait.
Food was not the problem. Space was.
Usman Castle was fairly large, but so many people had gathered that every corner of it was crowded.
There were not even separate areas based on rank or status.
Soldiers and commanders alike mingled freely as they enjoyed the banquet.
Johan found the situation somewhat uncomfortable.
There were too many listening ears nearby to discuss anything important.
In the first-floor dining hall of Usman Castle, the Count of Staviana sat at the head of the table and spoke.
“First, congratulations. Things have turned out well for you in many ways.”
Thanks to Shaperia, House Myatro had claimed sole credit for subjugating Beris.
The play involving Ilea had greatly raised Johan’s fame and authority.
Johan had received a far greater reward than he had planned for.
He glanced around before answering.
“I suppose you could say that.”
He could not speak in any greater detail.
There were too many eyes and ears nearby.
Noticing Johan’s discomfort, the Count said calmly,
“Do not worry. They neither see nor hear. I guarantee it.”
Ten knights surrounded the Count and Johan.
They had been raised from birth to serve the head of House Staviana, hounds loyal only to the Count.
In the original story, they were explicitly called the Eagles’ Hounds.
The Hounds possessed no individual self.
They were little different from machines that moved for their master.
Johan knew that much as well.
“…I see.”
Of course, caution was a separate matter.
Variables could arise at any time, and Johan did not want to face any more unexpected incidents.
The Count nodded slowly.
“You will need certainty. That is the kind of person you are.”
“You need not go to such lengths.”
The Count shook his head.
Then he said to one of the Hounds,
“To revive Yeriyan, I dealt with the Cult of the Evil God and raised a demon in my home’s basement. What do you think of someone like me?”
The Hound answered at once.
“We do not judge! We merely repay our lord’s grace!”
The other Hounds shouted in unison.
“We merely repay our lord’s grace!”
The Count looked at Johan.
“They are objects. You may think of them as soundproof walls for private conversations.”
According to the original story, the Hounds truly had no selves.
Through extreme training, they had completely erased themselves.
What kind of suffering had they endured?
The original story had never described their training in detail.
Johan suddenly grew curious.
“Cromwell, what did you do to them?”
He decided to speak informally as usual.
Since the Count was so certain of the Hounds’ loyalty, Johan could lower his suspicions to some degree.
Johan had a fair amount of respect for the Count’s ability and caution.
The Count smiled faintly.
“A story about the Hounds? Do you truly wish to hear it? It will be rather unpleasant.”
Johan considered it briefly before speaking.
“Never mind. Let’s leave it alone. That sort of vague human malice can make me sick sometimes.”
The Count raised his glass to his lips.
“Sometimes, I find myself thinking that you have aspects closer to human than demon.”
Johan rested his chin on the table.
“…Well, I suppose it is fortunate that I am still that way.”
Even as he drank, the Count did not take his eyes off Johan.
He set down his glass and murmured,
“You are an interesting being in many ways.”
“I’ll take that as praise.”
“Praise? It is not entirely wrong. Hasn’t that strange nature of yours captivated both a noble Holy Knight and a wicked Witch?”
The Holy Knight meant Shaperia, while the Witch meant Ilea.
“As for the Holy Knight, I honestly do not know myself. My relationship with Shaperia is practically walking on thin ice.”
The Count nodded slowly.
“Perhaps Shaperia was also the reason you staged that peculiar play.”
Johan had used Ilea’s transformation magic to create a confrontation between Mapheltan and Johan.
The greatest reason for the play had been to establish the Watcher’s authority before the Subjugation Force, but he had also intended to show Shaperia Johan’s piety.
The Count had clearly seen through that intention.
Johan shrugged.
“I cannot deny it. So, Count, what is it you wish to say?”
The Count’s expression grew calm and grave.
He spoke slowly.
“It is simple. One day, Shaperia will inevitably discover your identity.”
A deeply uncomfortable subject had arisen.
Johan clicked his tongue.
“If you are about to give me some worthless advice, stop. I will handle it myself.”
In truth, he still had no concrete solution to the problem of Shaperia.
Simply hiding his identity would only ever be a temporary measure.
As the Count said, Shaperia would soon uncover the truth.
Johan was not yet prepared for that.
The Count spoke.
“I am sorry, but I cannot help concerning myself with it. I am already in the same boat as you. We share the same danger. Shaperia is the greatest obstacle to our voyage. I cannot easily avoid this matter.”
The Count’s words were sound.
Johan knew that well.
With cold eyes, Johan said,
“…Count, let me ask you one thing. Are you suggesting we eliminate Shaperia?”
The Count quietly looked into Johan’s eyes.
Their gazes tangled in the air.
A brief silence passed.
The Count spoke.
“It seems impossible. I will seek another method.”
They had had a similar conversation before.
As then, the Count was the first to yield now.
He had clearly backed down, but Johan was overcome by an unpleasant feeling.
‘…Hm.’
In a cold voice, he said,
“If you act on your own, I will kill you. Remember that. I am the captain.”
No change in emotion could be seen on the Count’s face.
Expressionless, he replied,
“I will remember. Do not worry.”
Johan clicked his tongue.
Just as he was about to say something else, a familiar voice called out.
“My lord! Are you here?”
It was Shaperia’s voice, though it sounded a little different from usual.
She sounded excited.
The Count gestured to a Hound.
The massive figure blocking Johan’s view stepped aside.
Shaperia approached Johan with a bright smile.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her expression had gone soft.
She held a glass of liquor in her hand.
Johan snickered.
“You are drunk. It’s unlike you to lose your composure.”
Shaperia hiccuped in slight alarm.
She immediately dropped to one knee.
“I-I apologize. I could not refuse the drinks offered to me, and I kept drinking…”
Until recently, Shaperia had been in an excellent mood.
She had clearly confirmed Johan’s piety today, and the entire Subjugation Force had praised him.
Many of her worries had vanished, and some of her tension had eased.
It was unbecoming of a knight.
A knight had to remain calm in every situation to protect their lord.
Getting drunk was unacceptable.
She could not even dispel the intoxication with Aura.
Her Dantian now released Holy Flame rather than Aura.
Unfortunately, unlike Aura, Holy Flame did not possess the ability to detoxify.
Shaperia’s thoughts were filled with regret.
She lowered her head in dejection.
Johan waved a hand.
“I rather like it. This side of you is quite cute.”
Shaperia’s cheeks grew far redder.
They looked ready to burst.
“M-my lord, you should not say such things…”
Johan rose from his seat.
“Your reaction is amusing too.”
As if trying to hide her expression, Shaperia lowered her head deeply.
“…Please do not tease me. I came because there is something I wish to tell you.”
Johan looked at the Count.
“Your Excellency, it seems my knight has something to say. May I take my leave?”
The Count answered flatly.
“Go. We can discuss the rest later.”
Johan turned and began walking away.
Shaperia followed behind him.
Left alone, the Count quietly sat there, turning his glass in his hand.
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