Whispers of a Scheming Demon - Chapter 41

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 41: Lesser Evil Spirit

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The Great Saint's Eye earned the favor of humans, but drew the hatred of demons.

That Holy Relic had been implanted in Johan's left eye.

Any demon who faced Johan could not help but be consumed by hatred.

Like the boy before him, they would be gripped by blind hostility.

“...I shall remove it cleanly. Please wait just a moment.”

The boy reached out a hand toward Johan's left eye.

The instant it touched him, a dull impact rang out.

Thwack!

Johan drove his foot into the boy's face.

“Kh, urgh!”

The boy fell backward and slammed his back against the floor.

Johan sprang to his feet.

He was about to shout and gather the villagers.

“O Great End! Please wait a moment!”

The demon immediately corrected their posture and prostrated themself again.

‘...What is this thing?’

Johan was confused in many ways, but he forced himself to think quickly.

Judging from the circumstances, the boy before him was possessed by a demon. That demon called Johan the Great End and spoke with extreme deference. They were acting submissively because they knew Johan's identity.

They had shown aggression, but Johan knew it was because of the Great Saint's Eye.

After thinking for a moment, Johan spoke.

“What are you?”

For now, he intended to act like an arrogant Apostle, just as he had with Kaiaje. At least until he understood the situation and the demon's purpose.

“This vile creature has no name. I was merely born by taking form from the wishes of the itinerant slash-and-burn farmers here.”

That meant they were a lowest-tier Lesser Evil Spirit.

Lesser Evil Spirits were naturally born from human emotions such as resentment, desire, and wishes. Most disappeared without enduring even their time as Imps.

They were lowly beings from birth.

“So you're an insignificant Lesser Evil Spirit. Did you approach me hoping for a few scraps?”

“S-scraps? That is too harsh. I did save you, after all...”

“It is misleading to say you saved me, but you must have carried me to this village. That boy could not have done it alone.”

“That is correct. I used all my Demonic Energy to pull you here.”

“How insignificant must you be to use all your strength merely to carry me? I am very curious about your true form.”

After the continued insults, the boy wore a wronged expression and slightly raised his head. The moment his eyes met Johan's, he immediately slammed his forehead into the floor.

The demon was deliberately avoiding Johan's gaze to escape the hatred boiling inside them.

The demon spoke.

“This vile creature is still only an Imp, but I shall join your great evil deeds and become an inferno that burns heaven and earth.”

“I roughly understand why you approached me.”

“...I wish to serve the Great End. Please grant this vile creature a name.”

Lesser Evil Spirits were usually obsessed with names. A title granted by a high-ranking demon, or an alias earned through evil deeds, made them into unique beings.

For Lesser Evil Spirits born lowly and destined to vanish in vain, nothing was more valuable than establishing their own identity.

Johan spoke.

“You keep calling me the Great End. Why?”

“At dawn yesterday, I happened to see your true form. I was beside you when you suddenly changed into a human as well. It was a truly flawless disguise technique.”

The demon glanced at Johan before lowering their head again.

“Even now, your disguise is perfect!”

“You're a funny one.”

As expected, the demon had already seen Johan in his demon form. They seemed ignorant of Johan's true nature, judging by their talk of disguise technique, but one thing was clear. They regarded human Johan and demon Johan as the same being.

“If you keep me by your side, you will have many reasons to laugh!”

“I need a capable subordinate, not a clown.”

“O-one day, I shall become Narak's inferno...”

Johan snickered and cut them off.

“Enough. Stop talking nonsense and answer my question properly. Why do you think I am the Great End?”

Merely seeing demon Johan was not enough evidence to link Johan with the Apostle of the End.

“I heard a rumor that the thirteenth Apostle of the End had been born. A few days before that, a young demon with a white horn humiliated Apostle Beris. Until then, it was difficult to find any connection between the two. But yesterday changed everything. A supreme being of the lower realm manifested in this land and had an audience with someone. You, the one with the white horn, were there. Considering every circumstance, you are the thirteenth Apostle of the End.”

The “supreme being of the lower realm” they spoke of was Kaiaje, the Scribe of the Ominous Book.

Johan silently considered their words.

Silence passed for a while.

The demon spoke again.

“Please accept this vile creature. I will contribute to your evil deeds.”

Johan looked down at them expressionlessly.

“I find you quite interesting. You are only a Lesser Evil Spirit, yet you can think and possess decent initiative.”

The demon had reasoned that Johan was an Apostle of the End. They had not stopped at judgment, either. They had acted to obtain what they wanted.

Among the foolish Lesser Evil Spirits that appeared in the original work, they were a fairly promising specimen. In fact, Lesser Evil Spirits who showed promise like this one later grew into Archdemons. At least, that was what the original work established.

The boy's body flinched at the sudden praise. They were pleased.

Johan continued.

“But that is all. I feel nothing beyond interest. What could a Lesser Evil Spirit like you do for me? I would be fortunate if you did not become baggage.”

“I do not dare ask for a Contract of Subordination! Please only give me a chance! I will serve at your side and prove my worth!”

Johan fell into thought for a moment.

If he accepted the demon, his motive would be purely interest. Since possessing this body, Johan had never once made a decision based on something as trivial as interest.

Only practicality and efficiency dictated his choices.

The Lesser Evil Spirit before him did not meet those standards.

In truth, there was little point in considering it. Johan did not even know whether demon Johan was alive, so he could not decide what to do with the Lesser Evil Spirit.

If demon Johan was dead, then Johan could not accept them even if he wanted to.

Johan spoke.

“I do not yet know your worth. Let me ask you one final question.”

“A-anything. Please ask whatever you wish.”

“What condition is my true body in?”

“What exactly do you mean by condition...?”

“As you know, I suffered a mortal wound. It would not be strange if I vanished at any moment. For the time being, I must focus entirely on recovery, but I have not yet seen my wounds with my own eyes, so I could not make an accurate diagnosis. But you are different, are you not? Tell me what you saw.”

The demon searched their memories before speaking.

“A massive spear was lodged in your shoulder. Holy Power continuously flowed from the spear, but it could not burn your great body. This was because of your endlessly regenerating flesh and Demonic Energy that devoured the Holy Power. I sensed immense vitality within you. A divine weapon could never bring an end to the Great End.”

Johan found that strange. His body did not possess that much regenerative power. Even in the original work, the power to restore one's body was classified as an Authority. If he possessed such an ability, Johan himself would not be unaware of it.

Then yesterday's events suddenly passed through his mind.

‘...Could it be?’

When Johan absorbed the Ominous Book into his body, red letters had appeared before his eyes.

It was the exact same phenomenon as when he evolved by offering Betra as a Sacrificial Offering.

The awakening of a new Authority. He had not been able to confirm it properly because of the urgency of the situation, but one of the awakened Authorities must surely be related to regeneration.

‘So my efforts were worthwhile in their own way.’

He had gained more than just the title of Apostle. He had acquired real power.

Taken simply, it was a situation he could be satisfied with.

In this world, power was life.

Yet Johan was not simply happy.

Too many things still bothered him.

If everything the Lesser Evil Spirit said was true, demon Johan was alive. Then why was Johan still in human form even at night?

It would make more sense for him to have turned into a demon and borne the consequences of that.

Whether to leave witnesses alive or not. He had escaped that choice this time, but a similar dilemma could arise at any moment.

What choice should he make then? Johan still had no answer.

A suffocating sense of frustration washed over him.

Noticing Johan's mood, the Lesser Evil Spirit shut their mouth tightly.

A brief silence followed.

The loud sound of hooves shattered it.

A sudden commotion erupted outside.

“Everyone, come outside!”

“Gather in the center. Not a single person is to be absent!”

The Lesser Evil Spirit began trembling in fear. Urgency filled their expression.

“I think it is the Great Saint Church!”

Johan nodded.

“It is time they came. They are later than I expected.”

This village was inside the Holy Power Sealing Formation. Naturally, it lay within the Great Saint Church's search range.

With the net closing in like this, an ordinary demon was already as good as dead.

But Johan remained calm.

The Lesser Evil Spirit spoke in alarm.

“A-aren't you going to hide?”

“There is no need.”

Their eyes suddenly lit up.

“Is this where your great evil deeds begin?! Will you kill every one of those detestable bastards and usher in the beginning of the End?!”

“You really are noisy. Stop talking nonsense and worry about saving yourself. For the record, I have no intention of helping you.”

“T-that cannot be...!”

They looked deeply hurt.

Johan spoke.

“Their arrival was only natural. If you did not expect it, then that is unfortunate. Your life ends here.”

Unless they had prepared countermeasures in advance, a mere Lesser Evil Spirit could not survive the current situation.

The demon immediately began feeling around the floor of the hut.

“Even a foolish creature like me has prepared an escape route.”

They dug through a pile of straw and found a small wooden board.

Johan watched with an interested expression.

“I will come see you again soon. Please take care of yourself.”

The demon pushed the board aside. A tiny dog hole appeared.

It was only slightly larger than an adult man's fist.

Johan found it strange.

No matter how small the boy's body was, it was not small enough to fit through that hole.

Even a newborn would not be able to pass through it.

His question was quickly answered.

Something tiny sprang out from the boy's body.

It was a very small Imp.

Its oval body bore eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Neither its neck nor its head was visible. Its limbs, which extended from its body, were relatively long.

The dark red fur covering its body looked like tiny embers.

Like a demon born from the wishes of itinerant slash-and-burn farmers, it bore the nature of fire.

Johan burst out laughing.

“You look far more insignificant than I expected.”

“O-one day, I shall become Narak's inferno...”

“Still, you are thorough. In that form, you can pass through the hole.”

The Lesser Evil Spirit would be able to leave the village through the dog hole.

They had certainly found a way to survive.

The situation outside remained tense, but Johan only found it interesting.

“Everyone, get out here!”

“Those who refuse to obey will be executed in the name of the Grand Holy Knight Order!”

The Imp waddled over and stood before the hole.