“Hills!!”
Hills was sitting in a tree.
He was not in the form of the crown prince, but in his original form. Arundel was more familiar with this form.
“Arundel, nice to see you again in a place like this.”
Hills answered with a grin.
He came down very lightly from a tree over 2 meters high. Then he approached Baphura and said,
“Tell me. What business do you have with my contractor?”
Hills was much smaller than Baphura, but his intimidation was incomparable to Baphura’s.
“Ah… no, I just…I thought she didn’t have a contractor…”
“You didn’t see the mark?”
Hills said, curling the end of his lips slightly. He was smiling, but it was quite threatening.
“That… that is…”
Baphura was flustered, rolling his eyes here and there.
“Speak clearly.”
Hills’ eyes flashed red. And Baphura knelt down with a thud!
Seeing a purple barrier over Baphura’s body, it seemed that Hills had forced him to kneel.
Baphura was almost on the verge of crying.
“That’s enough, stop it.”
Arundel, who couldn’t stand it anymore, stepped forward. Then Hills’ pupils returned to purple.
“Do I not need to scold you anymore?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t matter. I came here to meet you in the first place.”
At Arundel’s words, Hills’ expression brightened.
“Really?! Arundel came all this way to see me?”
Seeing Hills’ eyes sparkling, Arundel’s resolve to scold him when they met weakened.
Of course, she had also received help.
“…Yes.”
Arundel took a breath and answered.
“Why?!”
Hills came close quickly.
Seeing Hills’ face filled with anticipation made Arundel feel a bit burdened.
If the prince’s body was a pretty boy image with fair skin, a handsome face, and a height that was neither tall nor short, this guy’s original form felt much more masculine.
His height and physique were generally similar to Zion’s, but if Zion was a more captivating cold beauty style, Hills was a playful and cunning handsome man.
“You… stay away for now.”
At Arundel’s restraint, Hills nodded and stepped back a step. But Hills’ mouth couldn’t hold back.
“What’s going on? Tell me quickly!”
“…Remove this mark right away.”
At Arundel’s firm words, Hills’ eyes drooped as if disappointed.
“Why…?”
“What why. This thing is useless.”
“…Who messed with Arundel?”
Hills’ pupils turned red again. His questioning expression was fierce.
“Just that guy for starters.”
Arundel casually pointed to Baphura, who was kneeling.
Then Hills loosened his wrist and approached Baphura.
“So you were the problem.”
“Heeek!! I’m sorry!! I thought that woman was lying!!”
Baphura, who couldn’t move because of Hills’ magic, covered his face with his arm and apologized in a cowardly manner.
Seeing this, Arundel grabbed Hills’ arm.
“I don’t have time, you know? Quickly remove this mark.”
Arundel was angry when she thought about the moments when she was worried and anxious because of this mark, but she didn’t have time to be angry now.
She had to return to her lodgings before the sun rose.
“…I can’t do it right away.”
Hills avoided Arundel’s eyes and said.
“…What?”
“I told you! A mark is not something you can put on and remove at will!”
At Arundel’s fierce expression, Hills raised his voice as if he was wronged.
‘When I return to the heavenly realm and regain my strength… I won’t let you off.’
Arundel set a new goal in her heart. But right now, she didn’t have time to fight with this guy.
Arundel swallowed her anger and spoke softly again.
“So how can I remove it?”
“It takes some time. You have to peel it off little by little.”
“How long.”
“About a week…?”
Hills scratched his head and spoke with an uncertain expression. Arundel suppressed her anger and asked again.
“Any other way?”
“There is, but I don’t recommend it.”
“Why?”
“Because it hurts enough to kill.”
Hills said firmly. With that, Arundel turned around.
“Then there’s no point in talking to you here.”
“Wait, wait!”
“What.”
“Did you really leave the palace because of the mark?”
Hills asked with a slightly serious expression.
It was quite a reasonable doubt for him.
As Hills asked, the reason she left the palace was to remove the parasite. The mark was next.
However, she didn’t want to explain this situation in detail. She didn’t have time for that.
She really had to go back to the inn now.
“You don’t need to know.”
Arundel turned her body again to return to his lodgings. But Hills blocked Arundel’s way.
“I need to know.”
“…Why?”
At Arundel’s expressionless question, Hills stiffened for a moment,
Then he answered with a smile.
“You never know, right? I might be of help.”
Hills’ baseless confidence made Arundel’s eyebrows twitch, but she didn’t easily deny it.
‘Hmm… this guy, even though he’s thoughtless…’
He is strong, after all.
In fact, there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t encounter a strong demon in the future, and she didn’t know how strong the famous magician, the old man, was.
It seemed like Bianca had prepared something, but it was a bit uneasy to rely on her alone.
Arundel pondered and came to a conclusion.
“Alright, let’s go together.”
“Great!”
Hills, who was happy, looked at Arundel and asked.
“But where are we going?”
“To the Magic Tower.”
“Why the Magic Tower?”
Arundel, who was wondering how to answer Hills’ unexpected question, opened her mouth.
“Because I’m going to die soon.”
“What?!”
Hills grabbed Arundel’s shoulders with surprised eyes.
“So this mission is over now!”
…?
Why does this guy seem strangely happy? Both his tone and nuance…
Arundel narrowed her eyes and glared at Hills.
“Do you like it when I die?”
“Um… It’s not that I like it when Arundel dies, but that I like it when the mission ends.”
“What’s good about the mission ending? Do you really want me to become an archangel?”
“You’ll be separated from that guy.”
Hills answered with a playful smile. However, Arundel frowned, not understanding at all.
That guy…? He can’t be talking about Zion.
“Right, Zion. That bastard.”
As if reading her thoughts, Hills affirmed.
“I hate that guy so much. Just seeing him with Arundel makes me sick.”
Hills’ eyelashes trembled as he squinted his eyes. The energy around him was fluctuating, as if he was really angry.
‘Why is this demon so obsessed with me.’
Arundel couldn’t understand Hills at all.
Hills was more obsessed with her than expected.
As Baphura had said, the rumor that a top-tier demon was chasing an angel had spread throughout the demon realm.
Arundel had a moment of fundamental curiosity, but that was for later.
There was something else important now.
“So, are you going to help me or not?”
Hills seemed to ponder, stroking his chin. Then he looked at Arundel and opened his mouth with a playful face.
“I hate that guy, but…”
“…”
“Do you need me?”
Hills’ demanding gaze stared persistently at Arundel.
Arundel, too, met his gaze and answered as if to respond to him.
“Yeah, I need you.”
Only then did Hills smile brightly.
“Great! If you need me, I have to step up.”
…We’ll see about that later.
Arundel gritted her teeth inwardly at Hills’ demanding attitude, but she didn’t show it.
“Um… then can I go…?”
Baphura, who had been forgotten, asked cautiously. Hills looked at Arundel as if asking for his opinion.
“Yeah, you can go…no.”
Arundel, who seemed uninterested, waving her hand, paused.
“Huh?”
“I have something to ask you.”
“If I know anything, I’ll tell you!”
Baphura, who was still kneeling, answered in an active posture.
“Do you know about heartworms?”
Arundel had heard it for the first time, but magic or alchemy that is used only to harm people is usually classified as black magic.
Then, the demons were likely to know. She might have been able to find a solution in case she couldn’t meet the old man.
“Heartworms…? I think I’ve heard of it… Ah!”
“Do you know?”
“Yes! You mean the worm that eats the heart?”
“That’s right!”
Fortunately, it seemed Baphura knew something.
“I don’t know much either…What are you curious about?”
“What’s the solution if there’s a heartworm in the body?”
“Well, probably an antidote? But the method of making an antidote is so complex and difficult that there are few people who can make it.”
At Baphura’s explanation, Arundel despaired.
Then, she had to find the old man. He was a famous magician and alchemist.
He could make an antidote. No, he must.
“And…”
Baphura hesitated and opened his mouth.
“There’s one more way…”
“What is it?”
At the unexpected other solution, Arundel asked urgently.
“Inject the energy of a strong person to kill the heartworm.”
“Inject energy?”
“Yes, but it’s almost impossible. The risk is also considerable.”
“Why is it dangerous?”
“Injecting energy only into the heart requires tremendous control. If the energy deviates slightly and jumps to another place, both the receiver and the giver have a high probability of danger.”
Disappointment rose in Arundel’s eyes, which had been momentarily hopeful. Then Baphura added a confirmation shot.
“And it’s hard to find someone with that level of energy in the first place…”
If you’re going to do that, don’t say it! You’re making people expect for nothing!
Arundel complained inwardly in disappointment.
Then Hills, who had been listening next to her, spoke as if he was doing a light errand.
“Then what about me? Is it something that can’t be done with my power?”
Hills…!
Arundel looked at Hills with moved eyes.
It was clear that whether it was the giver or the receiver, it could be dangerous, but Hills stepped forward as if he didn’t care at all.
But soon disappointing words followed.
“An inhuman existence like a demon won’t work. Especially, if the energy of the demon realm is injected, most humans can’t stand it. Especially if it’s a weak woman like her.”
Baphura pointed at Arundel and said.
‘Yeah… Let’s find the old man.’
She had to get the antidote, whether she tortured or persuaded him.
“I have to go back now.”
Now she really had to go. The tip of the sun was rising over the eastern mountains.
“Then can I go?!”
“Yeah, you worked hard, Baphura.”
At Arundel’s answer, Hills released the magic he had cast on Baphura.
“Thank you!!”
“Yeah. Don’t go around bothering people for nothing. Go back to the demon realm.”
“Yes! I will live kindly!”
Baphura, who had been bowing his head repeatedly, disappeared in an instant, as if he might be caught.
“Shall we go too?”
By the way, how should she explain this guy Hills to Bianca.
‘I don’t know. I’ll think about it on the way.’
Arundel moved her steps to the inn as if to let it be.
