There is an ancient legend passed down in the temple.
In the beginning, the gods cherished and loved humans so much that they decided to protect them, thus making the central continent habitable only for humans.
However, the gods’ power did not extend to otherworldly beings, so they warned humans to be wary of them. These beings are known as the demons.
Demons occasionally crossed over to the human world, massacring and toying with humans. For this reason, demons were the enemies and evil of all humans.
Fortunately, it took immense power for demons to cross between worlds, so demons lived in the demon world and humans in the human world.
However,
‘A demons?’
Dehan’s jaw trembled.
It was the Pope who first suspected the Daimon Margrave’s family.
The Pope and the temple sensed an impure aura from the north and kept a close watch on the Daimon Margrave’s family. Following that order, Yuriel and Dehan monitored the Margrave’s family.
At that time, Dehan was convinced that the members of the Margrave’s family were demons or something close to demons.
But since when did that change?
When they saved him?
When they gathered the forsaken lives blessed by the gods?
The suspicion that had once been tightly bundled up like a snowball melted away with a single act of kindness. At some point, Dehan started to think of them as ‘kinder people than he had thought’ instead of ‘demons.’
Therefore, the current situation was all the more shocking.
‘They were really… demons.’
Dehan slid down the wall and buried his face in his hands.
He recalled the time two years ago when his village was destroyed.
The adults who had cared for the orphaned him, the friends he had grown close to, and the brothers and sisters who had generously taken care of him.
He vividly remembered the moment when everyone was killed.
The demons had no purpose.
They didn’t even pillage the village for supplies; they just killed.
The adults, the brothers and sisters, his friends.
Dehan was the only one left alive on the bloody land where everyone else had died.
He didn’t know why he survived.
He didn’t have time to ponder the reason.
He only survived with the instinct to live somehow.
To such a Dehan, the priest said,
– They are demons.
– Only demons would commit such atrocious acts.
From then on, Dehan despised demons.
He resolved to become a holy knight after becoming a priest.
To annihilate all demons.
But…
‘What should I do?’
The clear enemy he had to kill was right before his eyes.
But as mentioned earlier, the suspicion that had melted away like a snowball didn’t bring him murderous intent.
Furthermore, Shekina…
Dehan tightly shut his eyes.
This isn’t right.
No, he didn’t know what the right thing was, but he couldn’t just suffer in agony alone…
Dehan suddenly stood up.
‘Yuriel.’
He decided to find Yuriel and seek answers.
Just as Dehan made up his mind and was about to enter the dormitory.
“Where are you going?”
A familiar voice.
It was Arthur.
Dehan swallowed hard as he slowly turned his head toward the voice.
Unlike the past, when he thought of it as a gentle and kind voice, now it felt excessively sharp and chilling.
Was it because he knew they were demons?
Dehan clenched his hidden hand tightly behind his back.
“Your face is pale. What if you collapse?”
Arthur approached the trembling Dehan with a smile and grabbed his shoulder.
“Shall we have a little chat?”
***
Lucart gave a wry smile toward Shekina, who was looking up at him with bright eyes.
When he first saw Shekina, she was like a frightened lamb. Unable to withstand his demonic aura, she collapsed on the spot.
But now it was different.
Although Lucart was restraining his demonic aura more than when he last met Shekina, it should still be overwhelming. Yet Shekina stood firmly on her two feet, looking up at him as if nothing was wrong.
‘Interesting.’
What made this homunculus different, showing such a fresh and unusual appearance?
And what made this homunculus different that…
‘Does it have a different heart from ours?’
Lucart didn’t particularly mind the selfish attitude of demons. He had lived with such an attitude himself.
However, now that he was on the human continent, closely observing humans, Lucart couldn’t shake the feeling that demons were missing something.
Humans help each other for no reason. Sometimes they open their granaries without any reason or give charity for no reason.
Of course, humans also kill or start wars for no reason, but the underlying degree of selfishness is different from that of demons.
Demons, even during war, would laugh and move forward if someone beside them died.
Lucart thought that was why there were so many casualties in the Celestial Demon War.
Hence, he thought some change was necessary before they had to confront Lucifer again.
‘For that…’
Lucart glanced at Shekina.
‘This homunculus might be needed.’
Demons were gradually changing, centered around Shekina.
Lucart slowly opened his mouth.
“If you want to sacrifice your life to save others, then do so.”
Shekina’s plan was to open the passage to the realm world and use the Black Spinel to carry out the demonic energy. Distributing this energy to the demons would give them immense power.
They would feel like wandering aimlessly in the desert without a drop of water.
However, there was something to consider for this plan: Shekina’s safety.
For some reason, the monsters tried to capture Shekina. If they caught her and dragged her to the demon realm, she would never return here. She would probably die.
Lucart, who didn’t care much about the death of a homunculus before, now thought differently.
He had to change.
Lucart looked down at Shekina and spoke clearly.
“I will prevent your death.”
“………..”
Shekina shivered and rolled her eyes while rubbing the goosebumps on her arm.
What’s this? Did he eat something wrong?
The once ice-cold demon king saying such words.
“Why suddenly?”
Shekina raised her head, still doubtful.
“Are you planning to use me?”
Lucart laughed dryly.
“I’m saying this because you seem useful.”
Then he spoke casually, but Shekina was startled. It was because she finally received recognition for her ‘usefulness’!
Until now, Shekina only had vague guesses and no confidence. She just vaguely thought, ‘He won’t kill me because he needs me, right?’
But now he outright said she was useful!
‘I don’t have to worry about dying now!’
Shekina laughed gleefully, wrinkling her nose.
“Does that mean you like me?”
Then she circled around Lucart.
“Does that mean you find me cute? Pretty? Does it arouse your protective instincts?”
“……….”
“Does it mean you will cherish me immensely?”
Hearing these words for the first time in his life, Lucart momentarily felt dizzy.
