WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

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◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 2: The Demon's Sword and Shield

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"Shut that mouth right now!"

The usually composed village chief suddenly shouted.

"What are you all doing?! Hurry!"

The old man forced himself upright and even waved his cane. He looked desperate and anxious.

Confusion spread across the farmers' faces.

"Village Chief?"

"W-Why are you suddenly acting like this?"

It was rare to see the village chief so shaken.

"That bastard has bewitched you! Can't you see?!"

Even under his shouted reprimand, the people merely hesitated.

"Have you all lost your minds together?! Do I need to contact the church before you come to your senses?!"

If the Church of the Great Saint learned what had happened in the village, it would surely dispatch an Anti-Demon Order. Heretic Inquisitors would likely be among them. The village would not emerge unscathed from their investigation.

The villagers knew that reality well.

"But..."

Wasn't the temptation simply too alluring to reject? The demon claimed it could tell them where their missing children were. What parent could resist? If it had offered wealth and glory instead, they would have cut it off already.

One farmer lowered their head. Someone else swallowed a groan while picturing their daughter's face.

Gaf was no different. The hand gripping Johan trembled.

The demon looked at the village chief with an easy expression.

"You're saying things you don't mean. You can never report me. So, farmers, pay my price and hear the answers you seek."

The village chief's expression twisted. His already wrinkled skin creased even deeper. He lunged forward at once.

"If you can't do it, then I'll do it myself...!"

He drew a dagger from his clothes and thrust it at Johan. Just before it could reach its target, a sturdy man wrapped his arms around the village chief from behind.

"V-Village Chief! Please calm down first!"

The old man struggled in the man's grasp.

"You insolent fool! Let go of me! That three-inch tongue needs to be cut out!"

"Are you trying to kill him?!"

"If I must!"

Johan snickered.

"Village Chief, didn't you say it yourself? That killing me would be a problem."

The village chief shouted, his face flushed red.

"Gaf! How long are you going to let that filthy tongue keep talking?! Great Saint Marziel is watching! Aren't you afraid?!"

Johan shrugged.

"As if Marziel, torn to shreds, is watching."

To insult the Great Saint was utter blasphemy. Everyone mimed washing out their ears.

Unbothered, Johan looked at Gaf.

"It seems the village chief has no intention of speaking with me."

Then Johan smiled.

"Gaf, what about you? Will you tear open my mouth as the village chief commands, or will you make a deal with me and find your daughter?"

Johan also exchanged looks with the farmers.

"The longer you put off your decision, the longer your children will suffer. Remember that."

A moment later, agonizing pain seized Johan.

Gaf had gripped Johan's scruff with brutal force. If Johan had been an ordinary newborn, the spine would have snapped. Johan was different. Johan only furrowed a brow rather than showing any great pain.

A demon's body was far tougher than a human's.

Of course, pain was another matter.

Johan glared at Gaf. Dark crimson eyes gleamed chillingly.

"...What are you doing?"

"How can I trust a damn demon?"

Despite Gaf's harsh words and actions, his voice had softened somewhat. He appeared conflicted.

Johan smiled inwardly.

He had to drive it home.

"The collateral for this deal is each of our lives. What deal could be more transparent than that?"

Still restrained by the sturdy man, the village chief shouted.

"Gaf! Don't be deceived! It's the demon's whisper!"

Johan did not even glance at the old man. He simply stared into Gaf's eyes.

"You call me a demon, but that isn't entirely correct. You know it, don't you? Red blood runs through my veins too."

Strictly speaking, Johan was a Half-Demon. A damned half-breed. A mongrel who could belong to neither side.

Johan softened his expression slightly.

"It means I have human emotions too."

Gaf gave a hollow laugh.

"Human emotions? Bullshit. I've seen countless creatures carrying Demonic Energy. Every one of them was driven by malice. Even cultists who took it on later are like that, so what about someone like you, born with black blood?"

After a brief pause, Gaf looked at Johan's horn.

"You say human blood is mixed into you too? Look at yourself. You're far closer to a demon than a human. That red blood has already rotted away. You're nothing but a filthy hybrid."

Johan looked down at his body.

Red tattoos were etched across black skin. The smoke draped around his body like rags was Demonic Energy. It was darker than pitch-black.

Anyone would see a demon.

Why had he possessed a body like this of all things? Johan felt sad, yet gave a faint laugh.

"Well, you're not wrong."

Johan added casually.

"So, Gaf, are you saying you can't bring yourself to make a deal with a filthy hybrid?"

Gaf ground his teeth. He did not want to surrender to the poisonous whisper, but it was difficult to steady his resolve. Was the missing Ilea truly alive? He wanted an answer somehow. After all, his daughter was the only thing left that held any value for him.

And the demon had said that Ilea was still breathing.

Gaf could not help but waver.

Gaf muttered.

"...If I torture you."

Perhaps the truth could be dragged out.

But would the creature endure without dying? That was uncertain. No matter how much tougher a demon's body was than a human's, this hybrid was still only an infant.

It would not be strange if Johan died suddenly.

Johan met Gaf's eyes directly.

"You won't get anything from me."

After thinking deeply, Gaf swallowed a sigh.

"...Fine."

His wavering pupils slowly found focus.

"But if even a shred of what you say is a lie."

All at once, Gaf's face twisted like that of an evil spirit. He spoke as though coughing blood.

"I'll tear you apart and kill you."

For the sake of his daughter, Gaf had sold his convictions to a demon.

Rage, despair, killing intent, shame, self-contempt, and every other negative emotion struck Johan.

Any human faced with such hostility would naturally feel sickened.

Johan was different.

A faint excitement began to consume him. It was a kind of pleasure. A sense of fulfillment born from instinct. Gaf's suffering brought Johan delight.

'...Don't tell me.'

Because Johan was a demon. Demons were monsters that fed on human suffering.

As proof, the smoke surrounding Johan fluttered more violently. The Demonic Energy had become more sinister. It mingled with the moonlight filtering through the granary bars, scattering an eerie glow.

His red eyes flashed far more viciously.

The farmers stepped back in alarm.

Their fear was becoming another source of nourishment.

Johan's expression changed from moment to moment. He giggled, then grimaced, then filled with joy, then despair... In an instant, dozens of crazed glints flashed across his face.

To humans, it was horribly grotesque.

Johan bit down hard on his tongue. Without hurting himself, it felt as though he would lose his reason.

Fortunately, the pain pulled Johan from the swamp of malice.

Johan came to and looked around. Fear filled everyone's eyes. No one could speak.

In the uneasy silence, Johan sank into thought for a moment.

Don't harm others. Even if you aren't some paragon from a morality textbook, at least live with basic decency. That had been Johan's creed, yet now he was a demon.

A monster that lived off tears.

Nausea rose in Johan's throat.

"...Fuck."

The low voice sank into the silence. No response came. Only tense breathing continued intermittently.

How much time had passed?

Gaf's voice broke the stillness.

"Demon, I've given you my answer."

There was no answer to be found through further thought. It would be unfair to die while doing nothing but lamenting his fate. Johan had to survive first.

Johan pushed aside those thoughts and spoke.

"...A wise choice."

The village chief erupted.

"Gaf! You bastard! Are you trying to destroy this village?!"

A village that made a deal with a demon became a target for extermination by the Church of the Great Saint.

Gaf replied calmly.

"I will make the contract alone, then leave this village with the demon."

Gaf meant to bear the entire burden alone. The other farmers who had lost children gave awkward coughs. They avoided Gaf's gaze.

"Y-You think such nonsense will work?!"

"It will. I'm an outsider."

After saying that, Gaf looked at Johan.

"What do I have to do?"

A contract with a demon. A transaction that exchanged a price with souls as collateral. Every demon in the novel could make contracts and possess bodies. It was like breathing for humans. Some kind of instinct.

The method of making a contract was engraved in Johan's mind as well.

The demon crooked an index finger.

"Come closer."

Gaf frowned and leaned in.

Johan spoke.

"I will tell you where your daughter is. You will protect me. The collateral is the soul. Do you agree?"

If Gaf agreed, he would have to protect Johan at the risk of his life. If Johan died, Gaf's soul would fall into hell.

Gaf closed both eyes. After taking a deep breath, he opened them again. Resolve filled his gaze.

"I agree."

Johan's lips stretched into a long smile.

At the same time, the Demonic Energy surrounding him began to surge. The smoke throbbed like a heart, then spewed out strands of black haze.

Malice began filling the granary.

Everyone froze rigid.

The village chief cried out.

"Stop! No!"

Johan extended a short arm toward Gaf.

"Accept it."

The Demonic Energy dancing through the air rushed toward Gaf all at once. The mercenary looked deeply startled, but did not resist.

He simply breathed in the Demonic Energy.

"It isn't harmful to your body."

However, should Gaf fail to uphold the promise, the Demonic Energy would crush the contractor's heart.

Gaf grimaced. Having swallowed all the violently churning Demonic Energy, it would have been strange not to feel ill.

"...Is it over?"

The malice had dispersed, leaving only a faint aftertaste.

Johan nodded.

"I'll keep my promise first."

After saying so, Johan slowly swept his gaze over the people.

Many parents here were in situations similar to Gaf's. All of them waited for Johan to speak.

Johan's gaze stopped in one place.

It rested on the village chief.

The old man had quieted down. Still, his breathing was extremely uneven. He looked anxious.

Johan slowly opened his mouth.

"Village Chief."

With the leisurely smile of a victor, Johan said,

"Where did you hand over the missing children?"

The old man's complexion turned pale.

The farmers muttered in confusion.

"W-What do you mean...?"

"Village Chief?"

Johan continued.

"This is your chance to confess with your own mouth."

At the same time, the village chief violently shook off the sturdy man.

"Y-You wicked demon bastard!"

Clutching the dagger, the old man charged forward.

Sadly, the old man's full strength could not reach Johan.

A large hand blocked the attack.

It was Gaf. Holding Johan in one hand, he gripped the old man's face with the other.

Distrust of the village chief flickered in Gaf's eyes.

"...What confession are you talking about?"

Johan was satisfied. He had gained a dependable ally.

Gaf, captain of the Kandea Mercenary Company, had betrayed the Great Saint and become a contractor of a demon.

From now on, Gaf would be the demon's sword and shield.

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