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Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
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◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈
Chapter 22: Krill Myatro
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“Give up your claim to the barony. That is how you'll survive.”
The remark was so audacious it bordered on brazen, and Kryll froze stiff.
Silence filled the room.
In the uncomfortable stillness, only their gazes met.
Kryll spoke first.
“Would you say that again? I think I misheard you.”
“You cannot have the territory, Uncle. Let go of your greed.”
Kryll burst into laughter. Clutching his stomach as though he could not contain himself, he laughed for a long while.
Johan watched him expressionlessly.
Only after quite some time did Kryll finally calm down.
He wiped away his tears.
“Ah, forgive me. It was rude of me to laugh in front of someone. Still, I believe you were the one who acted discourteously first, Nephew. What do you think?”
“I merely told you the truth. If you want House Myatro, Uncle, you will die.”
Kryll spoke casually.
“You invited me here to kill me?”
Johan shook his head.
“That would be impossible while you are with the Great Saint Church. I never intended to harm you within this territory in the first place. I have no desire to make enemies of every noble in the kingdom.”
“Unlike your father, you have a good head on your shoulders. How old are you this year?”
“Twelve.”
A small exclamation escaped Kryll.
“When I was your age, I was busy lifting maidservants' skirts. I had no interest in family matters or succession. You're different. You're a strange one.”
“When you grow up in the slums, there are things you learn sooner than others. You must move first if you do not want to be robbed. I cannot sit around and lose what is rightfully mine.”
Kryll nodded.
“Your surroundings made you an adult. That will make this easier. Once you see this, you will understand that you have lost.”
He took a document from his breast pocket and placed it on the table.
“Before you even took a step, I had already reached my destination.”
Johan read the document.
Its contents were simple.
It recognized Kryll as the rightful heir of House Myatro.
“Do you see the eagle-shaped seal at the bottom?”
“The crest of House Staviana.”
Count Staviana was the kingdom's chancellor and leader of the noble faction. In other words, Staviana was the kingdom's most powerful figure. Such a powerful figure supported Kryll.
“You know your affairs well. Now accept the result.”
No one could defy Count Staviana's will.
To the kingdom's most powerful figure, a frontier baron was merely a chess piece that could be replaced at any time.
They even possessed the justification for the right of succession.
Gryan, expelled from noble society for his uncouth behavior, his disabled son, and a bastard child who had appeared from nowhere. By anyone's judgment, Kryll was the rightful heir.
In the original work, Kryll eventually took the barony.
Johan intended to twist that development.
“You are the rightful heir by everyone's admission, Uncle.”
“You are a reasonable boy.”
“That is true while you are alive. Once you are dead, it will mean nothing.”
Kryll let out a dry laugh.
“This is your only chance to kill me, and as you admitted yourself, no one can harm me within this territory.”
“I know.”
“Then are you suggesting we go to war?”
Johan shook his head.
“As long as House Staviana supports you, I have no chance of winning.”
“I have no idea what you are trying to say.”
“I cannot tell you the details, but I can say one thing with certainty.”
With a cold expression, Johan added,
“The moment you leave Myatro territory and arrive at your base, Uncle, you will be a corpse.”
“I will die in my own camp?”
“Yes.”
Kryll burst into laughter.
“Ha ha! It seems my nephew is a Mage! Or perhaps you have planted an assassin in my army!”
Even as Kryll laughed, Johan remained calm.
“I do not want to kill you, Uncle. Please do not ignore my warning.”
He meant it.
Johan rather liked Kryll as a person.
As the Watcher of Narak, Kryll never abandoned his duty until the end.
When the main story began midway through the original work and darkness swept across the continent, Kryll became a faint point of light in the world.
Until the very end, he fulfilled the duty he had chosen and met his end.
He was a man more suited to be the Watcher of Narak than anyone else.
In character alone.
His ability was another matter.
He was merely an ordinary person.
No matter how desperately an ordinary human struggled, they could not stop the destruction that would befall this world.
A noble but incompetent watcher. That was the readers' cold assessment of Kryll.
The burden of being the Watcher of Narak was simply too heavy for an ordinary person to bear.
‘Would I be any different?’
This position came with immense duty and responsibility.
Depending on who sat in it, the future of the world might change.
Could someone who sought the territory only to survive bear that weight?
He was not confident.
He acted like a cool-headed schemer, but Johan's core was nothing more than a weak human being.
But.
‘There is no choice.’
If he could not stop the destruction, Johan would not survive either.
Unless he changed the original work's course, a cruel fate would devour both demons and humans.
He had to rewrite the ending.
The Watcher of Narak would become its foundation.
Kryll spoke.
“...So you truly intend to become my enemy.”
“Neither of us is willing to yield, so it cannot be helped.”
“There will be bloodshed. Innocent people of this land will die.”
“No. You will be the only one to bleed, Uncle.”
Kryll nodded.
“I understand your intentions. I will remember your warning as well. May I offer you one piece of advice?”
“Of course.”
Kryll spoke with a grave expression.
“You are clever, but still young. You do not know how to hide your potential. You have made me wary of what you may become. So run. When we meet again, we will be enemies, and I will show you no mercy.”
Johan smiled faintly.
“That is what I hoped for. I will not feel sympathy for you either, Uncle.”
Kryll grinned.
“I look forward to it. Let us fight without regrets.”
“Understood.”
Johan bowed his head.
“Then I will take my leave.”
As he was about to leave the room, Kryll spoke.
“I heard it from my older brother. You were the one who summoned me. Is this all you wished to discuss?”
“I wanted to meet you once, Uncle. You came a long way, and I can only apologize that the reason was so trivial.”
In truth, Johan had another purpose.
He could not tell Kryll.
He did not want to make him needlessly wary.
“No, this was beneficial for me as well. I have learned about my enemy. You may go now, but could you call my older brother? It has been a while, so I would like to catch up with him.”
Johan nodded and left the room.
Left alone, Kryll looked at the ceiling and muttered,
“They said he was my older brother's illegitimate son, but he has nothing in common with him.”
* * *
Johan headed straight to his room.
He had been given a bedroom with a fine view on the top floor of the lord's castle, but he had never once admired the night view from there.
He turned into a demon at sunset.
If anyone saw him in that state, all his plans would be ruined.
Despite the comfortable bedroom, Johan had no choice but to spend every night in the damp basement.
These days, the pilgrimage group was staying in the castle as well, so he had to remain hidden at all times.
Today was no exception.
He intended to stop by his room briefly before going down to the study.
But the plan changed slightly.
“What brings you here at this hour, Gaf?”
Gaf was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for Johan.
“Ilea.”
He abruptly rose to his feet.
“I need to get my daughter out. You must have a way.”
Ilea was imprisoned in the underground dungeon. Soon, she would be taken to the Inquisition for questioning. It would be difficult for her to survive.
Gaf must have been going mad with anxiety.
“Your daughter will be released soon. Calm down.”
Johan's certainty had always become reality.
Ilea's safety, her identity, and even the future to come. His predictions had never been wrong.
Having experienced it several times, Gaf unknowingly let out a sigh of relief.
He had found comfort in the words of a demon.
Self-loathing and fear rose within him.
Had he truly been bewitched by the Half-Demon before him?
Gaf covered his face with both hands.
“This is painful to watch. Stop moping and listen carefully.”
Clicking his tongue, Johan added,
“As you know, Ilea is a Witch. She must hide her identity for the rest of her life. However, a very small number of humans can see through your daughter's true nature.”
Gaf swallowed dryly.
“...Are you saying that girl realized what Ilea is?”
He was referring to Shaperia.
“More precisely, she detected the Crone Spirit. For your information, the Crone Spirit is a demon Ilea commands.”
His daughter was raising a demon. It was shocking, but Gaf did not show it.
The events of the past few weeks had hardened his emotions.
Gaf spoke.
“You said Ilea would be released soon. But how? Now that the Great Saint Church has found a demon, the interrogation will certainly proceed.”
“That demon is gone.”
“What do you mean...?”
“Ilea killed the Crone Spirit.”
Just as in the original work, Ilea sacrificed the Crone Spirit.
By abandoning the demon she had raised, she escaped Shaperia's notice.
When Shaperia met Ilea in the dungeon, there was no demon inside Ilea's body.
Thus, the incident ended as a misunderstanding caused by Shaperia's mistake.
It was the same as the original work.
“Though it was not the development I wanted.”
Johan wanted Ilea to keep the Crone Spirit alive a little longer.
He needed her to be taken to the Inquisition.
It was only regrettable that Ilea's firm refusal had made that impossible.
“In any case, your daughter will soon be released.”
Gaf collapsed onto the bed. Johan's declaration had eased his mind somewhat.
“It is too soon to relax.”
“Why now?”
“As I said, Shaperia detects demons. She is like deadly poison to Ilea and me. As long as that bitch lives, your daughter cannot be safe.”
In the original work, the person who always hindered Ilea was Shaperia.
The two were each other's nemeses and bitter enemies.
“I guarantee that this will keep happening.”
“...What are you trying to say?”
Johan's lips curled upward.
“Let us kill that bitch. Before she has the chance to grow.”
Shaperia would surpass humanity and reach the realm of angels.
Later, she would become too strong to handle.
If he truly intended to kill her, this was his only chance.
Gaf let out a dry laugh.
“She looks only four or five years older than Ilea at most. You want me to kill a child young enough to be my daughter?”
Johan nodded.
“Since you have a Witch for a daughter, you cannot choose humanity. If you wish to remain Ilea's father, cast aside that pathetic hypocrisy. How long will you stand aside and pretend to be noble? If you wish to live as a Witch's father, you must be prepared to stain your hands with blood and defile your own soul.”
Gaf bit his lip.
He fully understood Johan's words.
An indecisive attitude put everyone in danger.
Gaf had experienced that countless times on the battlefield, so he knew better than anyone how pathetic his own conduct was.
He could not remain torn between the two forever.
“Choose. At this crossroads between your daughter and your humanity, which path will you take?”
When Gaf hesitated to answer, Johan sighed.
“I will ask again. Will you help me kill Shaperia, or will you leave this territory as things stand?”
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