Whispers of a Scheming Demon - Chapter 43

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 43: Awkward Reunion (2)

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“You have such a pleasant face! You’re very handsome!”

A cheerful voice broke the silence.

It was Gawain’s voice.

He was looking at Johan with a bright smile.

Johan found it somewhat bewildering.

Just yesterday, a demon had clawed open Gawain’s emotional wounds, and the aftermath had even driven him into a rampage.

Just like that day, when he had lost control and gotten his mother killed.

It was enough to make anyone fall into self-loathing.

Yet Gawain showed no sign of it. If anything, he seemed even brighter than before.

‘...Even at this age, Gawain is still Gawain.’

Even in the original work, he had never revealed his true feelings. He played the part of a thoughtless wastrel, always lowering the guard of his political rivals.

A wandering drifter, a wastrel obsessed with wine and women, the shame of the Artelga royal family, a cursed degenerate...

Every label attached to him was merely a mask Gawain had created.

He kept himself as low as possible while waiting for the right moment. Until he uncovered the hidden truth behind that day, Gawain would never reveal his true self.

It was the same now.

Many people had been harmed by his rampage, but he showed no guilt.

The public would see Gawain as a thoughtless fool, and no politician would consider him worth watching.

Only Johan knew what lay beneath Gawain’s mask.

Still kneeling on one knee, Johan said,

“As the rumors say, Your Highness is handsome as well.”

“Oh, so my name is mentioned even in the south?”

“You are very famous, after all.”

“A wastrel, a scoundrel, the shame of the royal family... What else was there? In any case, they are all infamous names. Ha ha.”

Gawain laughed brightly as he mocked himself.

“You are also the youngest Holy Knight, one blessed by the moon, and the Great Saint’s favored child. There are many honors that cannot be called infamy.”

At Johan’s immediate reply, Gawain’s smile faded.

He looked a little surprised. Johan had given him an unexpected response.

Whenever the prince mocked himself before someone, most people did not know what to do, grew uncomfortable, or excused themselves.

Johan was different. As though he had been waiting for it, he immediately returned Gawain’s words.

Despite being so young, he had social skills as polished as those of an old noble fox.

Gawain spoke.

“That is embarrassing. Compared to my reputation, I am painfully lacking.”

Though he possessed tremendous power, Gawain could not properly control even a tenth of it.

A reputation that had surpassed his strength. In a way, Johan and Gawain were in similar positions.

Demon Johan also possessed strength far weaker than an Apostle’s reputation would suggest.

Johan said,

“If a reputation comes from the one-sided expectations of others, there is no need to live up to it. Please do not disparage yourself.”

Without answering, Gawain stared intently at Johan.

Shaperia, who had been listening, secretly nodded to herself.

Holy Knight Keinak cleared his throat.

“...Your Highness, forgive me for interrupting, but I believe we should be moving now.”

Gawain gestured for Keinak to get going.

“Where is my head? I had no intention of keeping you, but I ended up doing so. My apologies. Sir Keinak, please hurry along. Isn’t this the best time to capture White Horn?”

Then he looked at Johan.

“Sir Johan, I’d like to speak with you a little longer. If you’re not busy, could you keep me company for a while? Of course, you may refuse.”

Johan had no reason to refuse. Gawain was a major figure in the story, and building connections with him would be useful in one way or another.

Johan said,

“I do not mind, but are you not busy, Your Highness?”

“Espada will eventually return to my hand. Right now, I’d like to focus on this new connection.”

“It is an honor to hear you say so.”

Gawain smiled at Johan, then looked toward Keinak.

“It would be all right if I borrow Sir Johan for a while, yes?”

“He was not part of our group to begin with, so please do as Your Highness wishes. We will be on our way.”

At Keinak’s command, the troops turned around in unison.

Shaperia and Johan exchanged brief nods.

The Imp trapped in the iron cage continued staring at Johan.

Its determination to return alive was almost palpable.

Johan snickered.

If it truly did survive, Johan intended to keep his promise.

Though the odds made survival nearly impossible.

“Shall we move somewhere else?”

The villagers were still lying face down on the ground, unable to rise. Gawain did not want to make them any more uncomfortable.

“I shall escort you to a hut.”

It was too shabby a place to invite royalty, but there was nowhere else suitable.

“No. Let us simply take a short walk.”

“As you wish.”

The two walked beyond the village.

Unlike usual, the mountain at midnight was not quiet at all. Nor was there any darkness obscuring their vision.

The Great Saint Church’s search had made the area noisy, and holy light shining from all around illuminated the surroundings.

Instead of the gazes of nocturnal beasts, countless human presences followed Gawain and Johan.

They were all there to guard and monitor the Third Prince.

Gawain muttered quietly,

“They’re already following us. Yuri really is exceptionally good at finding me.”

Gawain’s escort knight, Yuri, was someone Johan knew well.

She was following Gawain from a suitable distance.

“Are we being followed, Your Highness?”

“Rather than followed... Hmm, protection? Surveillance? You could think of it as supervision, I suppose. Nothing will happen, so don’t worry too much.”

It was difficult not to worry. The fact that someone was following him, and that he had not noticed their presence in the slightest, left Johan uncomfortable with his own helplessness.

‘Should I learn from Gaf how to notice when someone is tailing me?’

It seemed like it would be of great use to his future survival.

“More importantly, Sir Johan.”

“Please speak, Your Highness.”

“Just as you knew of me, I have also heard something about you.”

“What have you heard?”

Gawain abruptly stopped.

“Rumors about House Myatro’s illegitimate son.”

“May I hear the details?”

“It is simple. ‘An illegitimate son appeared suddenly, forced out his uncle, and became the heir to the barony. The uncle then took his own life, leaving doubts surrounding his death.’ That would be the summary.”

Johan calmly nodded.

“Regardless of whether that story is true, Your Highness is quite different from the rumors.”

“In what way?”

“I heard that you had no interest in politics or current affairs, yet you know the family history of a baronial house on the frontier. It seems rumors truly cannot be accepted at face value.”

Only a few weeks had passed since Johan’s uncle Kryll took his own life. The rumors had likely begun to spread, but it was still too early for them to have reached the entire kingdom.

They should not have reached the ears of a Third Prince uninterested in politics.

At least, that was what people believed.

The truth was entirely different.

Gawain never overlooked what was said in the world. To uncover the hidden truth behind that day, he gathered vast amounts of information.

Having read the original work, Johan knew this well.

Gawain said,

“Because I have an attendant who chatters without ever letting their mouth rest, I end up hearing all sorts of things even when I don’t wish to.”

A lie. He was likely referring to Yuri, but she actually gathered information under Gawain’s orders.

“Did you call me aside to confirm whether what that attendant said was true?”

Gawain shook his head.

“No. Just as you gave me advice, I wanted to give you one sincere piece of advice as well.”

“May I ask what advice I gave Your Highness?”

They had only exchanged a few words. As far as Johan remembered, nothing grand enough to be called advice had been said.

“That you did not need to live up to the one-sided expectations of others. What you said truly struck me.”

Gawain smiled. His smile held goodwill toward Johan.

‘Is it because of the Great Saint’s Eye?’

If so, it was a very welcome development.

The price Johan had paid to obtain the eye had not been wasted.

Johan said,

“I am glad if I was of even a little help to Your Highness.”

“I received something, so I should repay it. May I offer you some advice as well?”

“I will take it to heart.”

“Do you know who stood behind your uncle, Sir Kryll?”

Count Staviana had stood behind Kryll.

The kingdom’s chancellor and leader of the noble faction. The most influential person in the kingdom had supported Kryll.

“Count Staviana. I heard it directly from my uncle.”

“Then you must know something about the count as well.”

“I have heard that he is a cold-blooded man of power.”

“Cold-blooded is not enough to describe him. The count is a man like a demon. He can seem friendly, yet be merciless. He can appear compassionate, yet be cruel. Some call him sly as a fox, but bold as a tiger. Whatever the case, he is not someone you should make an enemy of.”

There was little hostility toward the count in Gawain’s tone. He was merely stating his thoughts calmly.

‘As expected, he still knows nothing.’

If Gawain knew the hidden truth behind that day, he could not speak so calmly of the count.

The count was the fundamental reason Gawain’s mother had died.

Just as in the original work, Gawain would someday learn the truth. He and the count would become bitter enemies.

Johan intended to hasten that day.

Through the Dream Demon he had already planted.

Johan said,

“...It seems I have unintentionally offended the count.”

The count had wanted Kryll to become Baron. Whatever the reason, the count’s will had been frustrated, and he was not the sort of man to remain idle.

“That is right. In fact, he has already begun to move. I heard that he collected Sir Kryll’s body.”

It was just as Johan expected.

“I have gained valuable information. I should prepare myself.”

At the same time, Gawain’s eyes changed. A faint competitive spirit flickered within them.

“Prepare yourself? Are you perhaps intending to oppose the count?”

Gawain’s expression quickly returned to normal, but Johan could not dismiss the strange feeling he had sensed for an instant.

‘...What was that?’

Gawain had just revealed a certain kind of hostility. It had been so fleeting that Johan even wondered if he had imagined it.

“To call it opposition would be excessive. I only intend to strive so that the justice I believe in, and the Great Saint’s laws, may prevail.”

“...I see. In any case, deal with it wisely. I would like to see you again.”

“I will not forget Your Highness’s goodwill.”

“I will remember our meeting today as well. It was quite enjoyable.”

Gawain began walking again.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. I should find Espada now.”

Johan found it somewhat strange. He could not understand Gawain’s reason for requesting their conversation. Had he merely wanted to build a friendship? If so, the topic had been somewhat sensitive, especially since Count Staviana had come up.

Hiding his unease, Johan lowered his head.

“You will surely find it. Please take care.”

Even as he left, Gawain turned back toward Johan several times.

The farther he moved away from Johan, the louder the cry of Holy Spear Espada became.

It sounded as though it were wailing for him not to leave, begging him to return.

After pondering for a long while, Gawain abruptly stopped.

He called out from a distance.

“Sir Johan! Please excuse me for a moment!”

Gawain spread his hand toward Johan.

“Saint Marziel. Vanguard who pierces malice and carves justice into it, return to the front lines!”

Brilliant white Holy Power burst from his hand.

As though it possessed gravitational force, the mass of light pulled in the space around it.