Whispers of a Scheming Demon - Chapter 71

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 71: The Count's Domain (1)

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Johan left the bedroom and headed straight for the underground study.

There was something he needed to check before going to the Count's house.

When he appeared in the dark study, Raguel broke into a bright smile.

“Johan!”

Zalkarin also raised both arms in welcome.

“Great End! I am relieved to see that you have recovered!”

They could not help worrying about Johan.

What had happened the night before had been deeply shocking.

Mapheltan had suddenly collapsed, and countless changes had appeared in his body right after.

His body swelled and expanded, blood poured from every opening, and Demonic Energy churned around him. It had looked as though something might go terribly wrong.

If they had not heard Ilea’s explanation, the two would surely have made quite a fuss.

Ilea smiled.

“I told you there wouldn’t be anything wrong, didn’t I?”

Raguel let out a relieved sigh.

“That’s a relief. I thought something terrible had happened.”

Johan spoke.

“I’m fine. More importantly, Raguel, there’s something I need to check.”

Raguel deliberately opened his eyes wide.

“I’m fine too. I can see clearly, and I feel strength overflowing through my whole body.”

Johan let out a short laugh.

“Congratulations, but that’s not what I meant.”

Raguel scratched his head awkwardly.

“Haha, then what is it?”

Johan pointed at the round table in the center of the study.

“Activate the Gold Mirror Stone.”

The Gold Mirror Stone was a fragment of the Moon, a mineral that recognized the Myatro bloodline.

Only after the Gold Mirror Stone reacted could the door to the Forbidden Archive open.

Raguel immediately sprang toward the table.

“I’ll open it right away.”

He only assumed Johan had business in the Forbidden Archive as usual.

After making a small cut on his hand, Raguel touched the Gold Mirror Stone.

Nothing happened.

Raguel looked thoroughly flustered.

“W-Why is it...?”

No matter how many times he placed his palm on it, the result did not change.

Ilea spoke.

“It’s a side effect of becoming a High Elf.”

Raguel was no longer a member of House Myatro.

As though he had expected it, Johan nodded.

“It was a good thing we kept Gryan alive.”

Even without Raguel, Johan could use the Baron to open the Forbidden Archive whenever he wished.

Ilea quietly watched Johan before speaking.

“So that decision truly did connect to practical benefit.”

She had thought Johan had spared Baron Gryan because of his attachment to Raguel.

Johan had not denied that at the time, but he had said the decision could also bring practical benefits.

His words had become reality.

If he had killed Gryan that day, using the Forbidden Archive would have become difficult from now on.

Johan playfully lifted the corner of his mouth.

“See? Listen to me, and good fortune will fall into your lap.”

Ilea gave him a soft smile with her eyes.

“I’ll submit to you, so please make me a believer.”

Johan cleared his throat.

“You are persistent. Go bring Gaf.”

Ilea puffed out her cheeks slightly, pretending to sulk.

“You only ever make me work.”

The moment she finished speaking, heavy footsteps echoed through the study.

A familiar voice followed.

“No need. I’m already here.”

It was Gaf.

He descended into the study and stopped before Johan.

Johan spoke.

“Good timing. I needed you. There’s something I need to tell you.”

An inexplicable unease crossed Gaf’s face.

“What is it now?”

“I plan to leave the castle again for a few days. Sorry, but keep looking after the territory.”

Gaf was practically managing the territory’s entire internal administration.

“That’s unlike you. Since when did you start asking like that?”

“There’s one more thing. Starting today, begin training to open your Energy Channels.”

Energy Channels were the paths through which Aura flowed.

Gaf’s expression tightened slightly.

“You know that. My Dantian’s sealed.”

He could no longer wield Aura. A demon in the east had taken his Dantian from him in the past.

Johan spoke.

“I’ll find that Dantian for you.”

Gaf was powerful even now, but when he could use Aura, he had truly been a monster.

He had possessed the strength to face dozens of knights alone. Johan desperately needed a companion with that kind of power.

Johan and Mapheltan were gradually falling into step with the world’s course. The enemies they would have to face were bound to grow stronger. Johan needed to build a force capable of opposing them.

Gaf was someone he could trust as a companion.

They had built a certain degree of trust, and Gaf’s potential was considerable.

Gaf asked with a puzzled expression.

“...How will you find it?”

“There’s a way. You only need to focus on training.”

His Energy Channels needed to be opened in advance to achieve the greatest efficiency once he recovered his Dantian.

Gaf quietly studied Johan’s face.

Johan was expressionless. He did not seem to be making an empty promise. In the first place, he had always kept his word.

He would probably truly bring back the Dantian.

At some point, Gaf had developed a strange trust in Johan.

Gaf let out a small laugh.

“Should I thank you?”

Johan shook his head.

“I’m doing this because I need you. You only need to fulfill your role well.”

Raguel cautiously agreed.

“T-That’s right. You show it through your actions, repaying Johan for all the help he’s given you.”

Gaf’s gaze shifted to Raguel.

He spoke in visible shock.

“Y-Young Master...?”

Raguel’s eyes shone with a pure jade light.

Raguel was no longer blind.

He met Gaf’s gaze with clear eyes.

Raguel spoke awkwardly.

“That’s what happened. It’s all thanks to Johan.”

Johan let out a short laugh.

“Gaf, aren’t you noticing a little too late?”

Gaf could not hide his agitation.

“How in the world...!”

Raguel scratched his head.

“I-If I explain from the beginning...”

Johan cut him off.

“I’ll be going now. You can finish talking among yourselves.”

Then he turned away.

Ilea immediately followed Johan.

Zalkarin ran after them and cried out loudly.

“G-Great End! I shall come with you as well!”

Johan shook his head.

“Stay with Raguel. If you follow us, you won’t survive.”

The Count’s castle was not a place where a mere Lesser Evil Spirit could wander around.

Zalkarin’s shoulders drooped.

“...I shall obey.”

* * *

Johan immediately set off on horseback.

His destination was House Staviana’s direct domain in the center of the kingdom.

It was quite far away.

Even after riding throughout the day, he had not reached even halfway to the Count’s domain.

They would have to devote several days solely to travel.

They would be unable to move once the sun set, making travel far too inefficient.

He could not roam through the central region in demon form.

The central region was different from the south.

Anti-demon monitoring systems were spread throughout the area. There were also countless churches, dioceses, and monasteries.

If he openly flew around, a subjugation force would be chasing him before he knew it.

It was deeply inconvenient.

Though he did not like it, they had no choice but to make camp on a nearby hill.

Sitting on a rock at the foot of a forested slope, Johan spoke.

“I’d like to travel at night starting tomorrow. Is there no way to do that?”

Ilea replied from across from him.

“There’s magic that conceals one’s presence, but it comes with risks. Truly sensitive priests can detect even that.”

Johan did not particularly want to take on risks merely for faster travel.

He clicked his tongue.

“I suppose we have no choice but to move more diligently during the day.”

Ilea wore a mysterious smile.

“You never know. Perhaps Mapheltan has gained an Authority related to that.”

“What do you mean?”

Ilea pointed at the sky.

“See for yourself.”

The sun was completely setting.

Darkness fell over the mountain.

Johan’s figure became covered in black mist.

At the same time, red eyes flashed.

Mapheltan sensed something strange.

“...What is this?”

His body was nowhere to be seen.

Only his red eyes floated in the air.

Ilea spoke.

“I was a little surprised too, yesterday.”

As though he had assimilated with the night, no form existed below his head.

Mapheltan immediately closed his eyes.

When even the red glow vanished, his presence was completely erased.

There was nothing there.

Countless lines of text appeared before Mapheltan’s eyes.

One newly acquired Authority caught his attention.

Nightfall Immersion, the power to sink into the night.

Nightfall Immersion differed from simple invisibility. His very existence sank into darkness.

No one could perceive Mapheltan.

Not even the Witch could find him.

Mapheltan released Nightfall Immersion and spoke.

“You must have had a hard time.”

“Yes. You suddenly vanished, so I had no choice but to wait until morning.”

It was an extremely satisfying Authority. It would be highly useful.

“You worked hard. Nothing else seems to have changed much.”

“Would you like to touch your forehead?”

Mapheltan raised a hand to his forehead.

He had two horns.

In other words, the very rank of his existence had risen.

All his Authorities had likely advanced by one stage.

The efficiency of Word of Authority, in particular, had surely increased greatly.

Mapheltan raised the corner of his mouth.

“Ilea, joining forces with you was the right choice. I’ll repay you somehow.”

Ilea had contributed greatly to this growth.

She smiled with her eyes.

“Then will you accept me as one of your believers?”

Mapheltan rose from his seat.

“Let’s go. There’s no need to delay any longer.”

“You’re a little mean.”

Mapheltan’s figure vanished in an instant.

His voice came from empty air.

“Hurry up before I leave you behind.”

Ilea let out a long sigh.

“I suppose I have to follow. What else can I do?”

She too rose into the night sky.

* * *

Staviana’s direct domain boasted a size and influence comparable to the capital.

A massive river cut through the city, branching into dozens of canals across the entire domain.

Merchant ships from across the continent crowded along those waterways. The wealth amassed through trade and taxes stood as tall as the direct domain’s walls.

Instead of the scent of earth, the air here was filled with iron, spices, and metal.

At night, the lights of hundreds of ships lining the river glittered like constellations. During the day, the endless crowds and carriages made the ground tremble.

Money and power flowed like water here, but the direction of that current was always decided by House Staviana.

The eagle-emblazoned banners fluttering across the city were proof of that.

As she watched that brilliant prosperity, Ilea smiled.

“Johan, you have brought me to quite an interesting place.”

“I knew you would like it.”

They were looking down on the direct domain from a hill opposite it.

Ilea spoke.

“I think the Count and I will get along quite well. I wonder what price the Count had to pay.”

Amid the scent of wealth and power, there was a faint stench.

Among the laughing, chatting crowds, there were figures with blood-tinged smiles.

Unconcealable malice flowed through the canals alongside gold.

The Witch’s eyes could not be deceived.