Whispers of a Scheming Demon - Chapter 73

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B

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◈ Whispers of a Scheming Demon ◈

Chapter 73: The Count's Domain (3)

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“From now on, kill each other. (Z’thar Vek’tor Mhaal)”

The Word of Authority pierced everyone’s minds.

The terrified thugs, who had been scrambling about in confusion, suddenly froze in place.

Their eyes turned bloodshot.

The repeated command circled through their heads.

“Kill one another, kill one another, kill one another, kill one another, kill one another, kill one another, kill one another, kill one another, kill one another.”

They could not possibly resist it.

Someone drew a kitchen knife from their clothes.

“W-Wait!”

The blade pierced a companion’s stomach.

Red blood burst forth.

That was the beginning. They started attacking one another.

Heads were smashed open by clubs, brains scattering everywhere.

They wildly stabbed each other with long skewers.

Blood flowed freely.

Screams echoed through the alley.

It was a night of madness.

The thug leader sitting alone in his chair struggled and shouted.

“What are you doing?! Stop at once! I said stop!”

When he tried to rise, an immense force pressed him back down.

“This is a play for you. Enjoy it to the fullest.”

The thug leader sharply turned his head to look behind him.

His gaze met red eyes.

An utterly vicious being stood right before him.

“A-A demon…”

Fear seeped into his bones. He could barely breathe.

His open mouth would not close.

It was the most horrifying despair he had ever felt in his life.

Mapheltan’s lips stretched into a long smile. The emotion called fear had become an exquisite delicacy.

Mapheltan grabbed the huge man’s face and turned it forward again.

The madness was still unfolding.

Mapheltan spoke in a chilling voice.

“How many screams have you created while sitting here? It is just like before. All you need to do is smile and enjoy it, as you always have.”

His subordinates slashed and stabbed one another.

Blood and flesh were scattered everywhere. Fear and screams rang out without end.

Pleasure began to color Mapheltan’s mind. He wanted to surrender himself to the exhilaration and joy.

As he resisted as usual, a question suddenly came to him.

‘…If the pleasure comes from killing evil people, would it be all right to enjoy it?’

It was a sudden thought.

Was this rationalization? He wanted to give in to his desires, so he was trying to find some justification for it.

No. Even Holy Knights and priests occasionally enjoyed the screams of evil people.

It should not be a problem just because he was a demon.

‘That is right. These are evil men who deserve to be beaten to death. I am simply cleaning up trash and finding satisfaction in it.’

A wild gleam flashed in his eyes.

He was slowly being consumed by pleasure.

A demon would find it difficult to reject that sense of fulfillment.

It was instinct.

The fact that he had resisted until now was the truly abnormal thing.

Mapheltan burst into mad laughter.

Just as he spread both arms to revel in it, a freezing chill was poured over him like cold water.

Everything before his eyes froze blue.

The frenzied thugs became ice statues.

Ilea approached and gently stroked Mapheltan’s arm.

“That is enough.”

She snapped her fingers.

At the same time, every statue shattered with a Crash!

Ice dust scattered through the air.

The cold air slowly cooled Mapheltan’s madness.

He closed his eyes and murmured.

“I made a fool of myself.”

Ilea shook her head.

“Just as Witches obsess over the unknown, demons feel joy in the suffering of others. It is an irresistible instinct. The fact that you have resisted it until now is remarkable.”

Mapheltan swallowed a groan.

“All my efforts until now have turned to nothing today.”

He had certainly surrendered himself to pleasure. If things had gone wrong, something irreversible could have happened.

Ilea spoke.

“No. Everyone makes mistakes. Even renowned Ascetics occasionally stray from the path. What matters is finding the courage to regain your resolve. I’ll help you, so don’t lose heart, Mapheltan.”

He was grateful for her words, but a question arose in his mind.

‘…Is she trying to preserve my humanity?’

From Ilea’s perspective, it would have been better for Mapheltan to become a being without blood or tears.

At least, that was what Mapheltan thought.

Setting aside his confusion, he spoke.

“Thanks. Whatever it was, you helped me avoid a difficult situation.”

“If you’re that grateful, grant me one favor.”

It sounded as though she would demand quite a costly price.

Mapheltan nodded.

“All right. Let’s hear it.”

“When this is over, do nothing for about a week. From what I can see, you need rest.”

She believed Mapheltan’s rampage had stemmed from mental exhaustion.

In truth, she was not entirely wrong.

Johan had not stopped moving until now. He was bound to be deeply exhausted, mentally.

Mapheltan looked puzzled.

“That is the price for this?”

“Yes. You must keep your promise.”

Her expression was extremely firm.

“…All right. Fine.”

“I mean it.”

“Would you like me to make a contract?”

“Will you?”

Mapheltan waved his hand.

“No. I’ll definitely keep it, so don’t worry.”

The two naturally began walking again.

“If you’re confident, make the contract.”

“I don’t want to make a contract over something so trivial. It’d be a waste of Demonic Energy.”

“You were the one who suggested it first.”

“That was…”

Their voices gradually faded away.

The thug leader sitting alone in his chair cautiously turned around.

The demon and the girl were already a long way off.

The thug let out a rough breath.

“I-I lived!”

Overwhelming relief filled him.

All his subordinates were dead, but he had survived once again.

He had always been lucky.

God was helping him.

A broad smile spread across his lips.

Just as he was about to burst into laughter, the departing girl abruptly stopped.

The thug swallowed hard.

The girl slowly looked back.

Their eyes met.

The girl smiled brightly and pointed somewhere.

The thug looked up at the sky.

A long ice spike was falling.

“W-Wait…”

He could not finish speaking.

The sharp icicle drove into his mouth.

Fresh blood surged forth before immediately freezing.

The thug died with his eyes open.

* * *

The Shadow Realm surrounded the city in a subterranean spiral.

The farther one walked, the deeper underground and closer to the city center they went.

By design, the deepest part of the Shadow Realm connected to the lord’s castle at the center of the city.

That abyss was Mapheltan’s final destination.

They had not reached it yet.

They had only just passed through the entrance.

At some point, the alley ended.

At the end of the path stood a massive iron gate.

A man who appeared to be the gatekeeper spoke.

“I haven’t seen you before.”

He sat on an old wooden chair, puffing on a long pipe. Smoke gathered and dispersed in his untrimmed mustache. There was no life in his languid eyes.

He seemed strangely detached from the world.

Ilea spoke.

“It’s my first time here.”

“Where is your entry pass?”

“I don’t have one.”

“Then you can’t enter, Miss Mage.”

Ilea tilted her head.

“How did you know what I am?”

She wore a mask and hood she had prepared. Even her voice had been altered.

Yet the gatekeeper had figured out both Ilea’s gender and the fact that she used magic.

He spoke.

“People dressed like you who come and go through the Shadow Realm are usually Mages. And your gender is obvious at a glance.”

Ilea’s hood was loose enough to hide her body’s contours completely.

There was no evidence anywhere that she was a woman.

“You have quite a sharp eye.”

“I appreciate the compliment, but would you return now?”

“That is difficult. I have business in the Shadow Realm.”

“Find an entry pass and come back.”

The man waved his hand.

Despite his languid appearance, his attitude was strangely firm.

He did not seem likely to open the gate.

Ilea muttered as if talking to herself.

“…What should we do?”

The gatekeeper looked puzzled.

“Are you asking me? Are you asking how to obtain an entry pass?”

Ilea shook her head.

“No. Please wait a moment.”

She was asking Mapheltan a question.

The demon hidden in the darkness, Mapheltan, had completely concealed his presence using the Authority of Nightfall Immersion.

He clicked his tongue as he looked at the gatekeeper.

‘…The Sword Demon, Hakain.’

Of all seven gatekeepers of the Shadow Realm, the most troublesome one was standing before them.

Hakain was among the Kingdom’s strongest.

He was not a monster like Gawain or Azbal, but Hakain also possessed martial strength beyond human limits.

If Mapheltan fought him now, the surrounding area would be reduced to ruins.

Mapheltan did not want such a disturbance.

‘What bad luck.’

Of all places, they had entered his territory. It was deeply irritating.

Should they search for another entrance? Just as he considered it, an unfamiliar voice called out.

“It has been a while, Hakain!”

A hooded man approached, waving one hand.

He was riding some kind of four-legged beast.

Hakain frowned and muttered.

“You still have vile tastes.”

A closer look showed that he was riding on a human back.

The naked woman beneath him stared blankly at the ground.

Her entire body was covered in wounds, as though she had suffered something terrible.

“Giddyup! Giddyup!”

The hooded man whipped the woman’s buttocks as he hurried closer.

Then he said to Hakain.

“Were those things outside your work, Hakain?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The thugs. They were massacred. Every last one.”

“I know nothing about it.”

The hooded man turned toward Ilea.

“Then was it this one?”

Hakain also looked at Ilea.

Ilea opened her mouth.

“Is that a problem?”

The hooded man spoke.

“Not at all. More importantly, your work was a bit amateurish, was it not? There was not a single usable corpse. Next time, do not make more wounds than necessary. Take it as advice from a senior.”

For some Mages, corpses were valuable materials.

Hakain spoke.

“Do not meddle unnecessarily. Get inside already.”

The hooded man took out a small wooden tag from his clothes.

“Yes, yes. I will.”

The moment Ilea saw the entry pass, she softly clapped her hands.

She looked at Hakain and spoke.

“An entry pass is all that is needed, correct?”

“Well, yes, but…”

At the same time, freezing cold swept through the area.

The hooded man froze solid in place.

He had no chance to resist.