I Became the Master of the Devil

Regrettable? What did he mean by feeling regretful about only having one bullet left? What would he have done if he had another?

 

“Anyway, the monster is dead. Why does one bullet—”

 

“…Ah.”

 

Just then, Redian suddenly shook off my hand and let out a short groan.

 

“What’s wrong?” Startled, I reflexively grabbed Redian’s hand. As I gently peeled off his glove. “What the? Isn’t this the injury from before? Hasn’t it healed yet?”

 

The red wound on Redian’s palm was still there.

 

“It’s gotten worse. Why is that?”

 

No, it seemed much worse than before.

 

“It was almost healed. It’s just that I’ve been holding the Astra all day lately.”

 

“Oh gosh.” Seeing the open flesh, I grimaced involuntarily. “How’s your back?”

 

“…Just okay.”

 

“You didn’t use the ointment I gave, did you?”

 

In this situation, who is telling whom to be careful? Thinking about him training with this hand made me upset. Moreover, holding an Astra, a magical weapon, would inherently require a lot of strength.

 

“Aeron, stay and watch Vallentin’s training until the end.” I turned and spoke to Aeron.

 

“Ah, yes. I understand.” Aeron, looking startled, nodded.

 

“Well done today, Vallentin.”

 

“…”

 

I then gave a smile to Vallentin, who was standing crookedly. I was worried he might have lost his motivation after missing the final critical hit during the training.

 

“Ah, and your hand is not suited for that Astra.”

 

Indeed, Vallentin’s hands were thin and straight, seeming more suited for a sleeker gun barrel.

 

“I’ll go to the armory and pick out one for you, so use that from now on.”

 

“…Yes,” Vallentin replied shortly, seemingly dissatisfied but perhaps feeling that I was paying attention to him.

 

“Redian, your training ground is the 10th circle, right?” Then, I spoke to Redian. “Go ahead. I’ll bring the ointment and join you there.”

 

“Yes, Master.”

 

*  *  *

Siani left first. An indescribable, chilling silence descended as the training ground’s door closed.

 

“Redian, you really…”

 

Vallentin let out a laugh of disbelief. He seemed to wonder if Redian in front of Siani was the same monster he had known.

 

“The princess doesn’t know, does she? Your real face. Well, that’s why she fearlessly clings around.”

 

If Siani saw Redian’s true nature, she wouldn’t even be able to handle it. All this was possible because she didn’t know, and Redian was hiding it perfectly. But,

 

“If you’re useless, you should at least be observant,” Redian muttered as he pulled his gloves back on. “Like an idiot, firing off bullets.” His voice was languid yet calm, not loud enough to be heard outside the door.

 

“If only the last bullet had been in my hand…” Redian, pushing the fallen Astra with his foot, added, “I would have killed you first.”

 

Sharp tension seemed to crackle between Redian and Vallentin. The freezing air left Aeron and the trainer breathless.

 

“The more I think about it, the more regrettable it is.”

 

Redian gave a low laugh and turned to walk away. It was the smile of a winner.

 

*  *  *

…It’s strange, really. I gazed quietly at Redian’s hand.

 

“I use this ointment myself all the time,” I murmured as I carefully applied the ointment to the red, raw wound. “Everyone else heals quickly with it, but it’s strange that only you don’t.”

 

“…”

 

“Even I already customized gloves for you.”

 

Only after I finished applying the ointment did I notice the training ground. I placed the Astra I had brought for Vallentin on top of the armory and slowly scanned the training ground.

 

“Your skill is truly remarkable.”

 

Indeed, it’s the 10th circle.

 

“Seeing that you’re in the 10th circle training ground and all.”

 

“Why did you pick Vallentin?” But then, Redian asked me.  “I’m curious about the criteria you used to select the other Norma.”

 

“Ah. Criteria?”

 

The criteria for selection. Redian seemed to expect some grand reason, but it wasn’t like that. I can’t exactly say, ‘You and they are the only survivors in this novel’s ending.’

 

“I have my own criteria.”

 

“…”

 

Redian’s eyes narrowed skeptically. Now, I could tell just by looking at him. He had an unconvinced look on his face.

 

“If possible, get along well with other Norma.”

 

“…Get along?”

 

Redian laughed hollowly at my words as if he couldn’t believe his own ears.

 

Getting along with the Norma. Even though I had said it, it felt slightly embarrassing.

 

“You have to trust me, Redian. All of those Norma will be going out with you in this monster hunting competition…”

 

Ah, my mouth is itching to spill out. If only I could tell him now that one of them would be his strategist, another would become the king of the neighboring kingdom, and the last one is a magician! That’s why you need to get along with them now because they’ll all be helpful to you in the future!

 

Phew.  But it’s still not the time.

 

“In a way, it’s all for you, not me.”

 

“You picked them because they are useful to you, didn’t you?”

 

“That kind of hurts.”

 

I locked eyes with Redian, gazing intently into his blue eyes. Everything I’m doing now will eventually empower Redian when he becomes the emperor.

 

“Just know that it’s for your future 10 years from now. The day will come when you realize what I’ve prepared for you.”

 

“…”

 

Everything I said must sound absurd to Redian, but I couldn’t help it. Spoilers are bad, after all.

 

“You’ll regret it if you don’t thank me 10 years from now.”

 

“…Why would I regret it?” Redian, who had been quietly listening, asked. “After all, you will still be by my side then.”

 

“…” I was speechless for a moment.

 

Redian couldn’t imagine what he would be like in the future. But there was one thing he seemed certain of.

 

“Sometimes, when I see you.” Redian looked at me with an inscrutable gaze. “You talk as if you’re going to disappear tomorrow, you know?”

 

Disappear tomorrow. It wasn’t wrong. My ultimate goal of this life was a comfortable death at the end of my lifespan. Even if I twisted the original story to survive, I didn’t know how long I could live. If the original Siani Felicite’s lifespan was only twenty-five years, then I should have died by then. Honestly, I hoped that day would come sooner. I just wanted to escape this tiresome cycle of life.

 

“I promised to get you out of the underground castle. I need to keep that promise.”

 

“Then,” Redian spoke without a moment’s pause. “Why don’t you come out with me, Princess?”

 

Come out together? What does he mean?

 

I had to reconsider Redian’s words, which were strangely out of focus.

 

Why should I? I plan to send you off to the imperial palace and then escape to a resort island. Of the hundreds of scenarios I planned, the only ending for all was that.

 

“You want to live together with me?” I blurted out in disbelief and burst into laughter. “You should lead a normal life once you leave here. Well, live the life given to you. Get married, have children.”

 

“With whom?”

 

But the colder Redian’s expression became. I was blessing his future, yet he seemed distinctly displeased.

 

“Why don’t you like it? Eternal happiness with a loved one, not killing or destroying… Huh?”

 

Recalling the original story, I couldn’t continue. After all, it was a bleak novel pretending to be a romance. Now, it’s time to turn it into a romance without the bleakness. That’s why I’m going through all this trouble!

 

“I don’t really need that,” Redian said indifferently, unlike my desperation. He seemed utterly uninterested in such matters.

 

Hmm, come to think of it… Even though I remember the entire original story, I didn’t know what Redian liked or wanted.

 

Vallentin found joy in mixing medicinal ingredients, and Francis had a talent for studying. And for them, becoming kings or gaining other powers through the underground castle was their ultimate goal.

 

But Redian… If his goal of the original story was to escape this underground castle and destroy the Felicite family… What did Redian, who achieved all this and became the emperor, live for?

 

“What do you like? Tell me what you want or desire.”

 

“Well, I didn’t have anything like that before…”

 

Redian paused, then briefly smiled. I was curious about what words would come from those slightly upturned red lips.

 

“I have it now.”

 

“Really? Tell me.”

 

Just say it. I’ll do everything for you. I looked at him with that expression. But Redian just tilted his head slightly.

 

“It’s better you don’t know now.”

 

Then Redian, clutching his Astra, slowly loaded a bullet.

 

“Someday.”

 

“…!”

 

Bang—! The sharp sound of a gunshot reverberated in the air in an instant. Suddenly…

 

“The day will come when you’ll know, Master.”

 

The Astra that was meant to be given to Vallentin was shattered into pieces. 

 

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