The Ruined Ending made by a Baby

 

 

 

 

 

Returning to the castle posed no difficulties.

 

The protective barrier created by the merfolk had vanished, allowing them to use magic for teleportation. Even more helpful was the goodwill of the merfolk themselves.

 

Despite the fact that their saviors were demons, the merfolk expressed their gratitude and pledged their allegiance to Shekina and his group, one by one.

 

Of course, not everyone was compliant.

 

“Kneeling because you were saved once? Ha! Where’s your merfolk pride? Did you throw it into the sea for the crabs to eat? If you’re going to act like this, you might as well wither away and die!”

 

The speaker was a male merfolk with jade-colored hair. His dry, flaking scales made his face look rough as he strode confidently toward the group.

 

“Sure, gratitude is fine, but I can’t trust your kind. How could anyone trust demons in the first place?”

 

“Y-You…!”

 

Dehan tried to step forward, but Shekina stopped him.

 

Shekina looked up at the merfolk with wide, curious eyes.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“…Mer. You can call me Mer.”

 

“Ah, Mer.”

 

Shekina took a step closer to Mer. It was a simple step, one that even a three-year-old child could have taken. And yet, for some reason, Mer felt cold sweat trickling down his spine. Swallowing dryly, he stared nervously at Shekina.

 

“The boss didn’t save you to look good in your eyes. He doesn’t care what you think. But,”

 

“……….”

 

“If you dare call us ‘demon scum’ one more time, I’ll peel off your scales while you’re still alive.”

 

Shekina’s sharp blue eyes gleamed with a chilling intensity that made it hard to believe such words had come from a child. The threat was as real as it was terrifying. Mer froze, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

 

“C-Count! Shekina is saying such strange things…!”

 

From a distance, Yuriel, who had been watching Shekina, called out to Lucart in a panicked voice.

 

“Oh, really?”

 

Lucart, arms crossed and stroking his chin, let a smirk play across his lips.

 

“Growing well, isn’t she?”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

“I was worried she might be too timid, but it seems I didn’t need to be.”

 

Lucart murmured, briefly locking eyes with Shekina. Shekina discreetly gave him a thumbs-up.

 

Good?

 

Good.

 

***

 

Once they returned to the castle, everyone got busy.

 

First, the merfolk needed to be gathered in one place.

 

A detachment of the first legion of demons hurriedly tended to the merfolk.

 

“All right, injured ones over there. Hey! Bring some water! Let’s submerge them completely.”

 

“Won’t they die if you submerge them?”

 

“Die? In water? They’re merfolk.”

 

“Oh, right! Then I’ll just dunk them completely!”

 

Whether this could be called proper care was debatable… but at least they were trying.

 

Leaving the chaos behind, Shekina went off to find someone.

 

“Hey, Calvin.”

 

It was Calvin, who was brushing Sera’s fur diligently. Despite his supposed neat freak tendencies, he seemed oblivious to the stray tufts of fur floating around. Shekina clicked her tongue in disapproval.

 

– Why did you take so long to come back?! I thought you’d forgotten me!

 

Nyaaah! Sera ran toward Shekina, crying loudly.

 

“Sorry, I was just too busy.”

 

– Too busy to think about me, huh?! Leaving me with this lunatic… Do you even remember you’re my master?

 

“No, no. It’s because I’m your master that I couldn’t take you with me. What if you got hurt? That would hurt Shekina’s heart.”

 

– …Is that so?

 

Shekina had indeed forgotten about Sera, but admitting it would only lead to Sera clawing at her. Smiling warmly, she reassured her.

 

“Yeah. I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Calvin, everything’s fine, right?”

 

Shekina petted Sera while glancing at Calvin. Calvin looked slightly bitter, his gaze shifting to Sera, who had abandoned him.

 

“I’ve been taking care of her for days… and yet, in just one moment…”

 

That’s definitely an issue.

 

Clicking her tongue, Shekina tapped Calvin’s shin to snap him out of his sulking.

 

“Now’s not the time for this. You know what’s happening outside, don’t you?”

 

Sniffling, Calvin nodded.

 

“Yes. You brought the merfolk here.”

 

“Right. The elders are probably going to catch wind of it. This wasn’t part of the plan, so I need you to act fast. Now, let me ask you one thing.”

 

After rattling off her thoughts, Shekina grabbed Calvin’s jacket and pulled him closer.

 

“Are you on the elders’ side?”

 

“……….”

 

Calvin’s expression twisted in anger.

 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this angry.”

 

Clenching and unclenching his fists, he ground his teeth.

 

“I serve only the Demon King. No one else can shake my loyalty. The elders? Ha! They can go to the dogs for all I care!”

 

“And Sera?”

 

“That’s a different story entirely!”

 

So, he serves two masters under one roof.

 

Shekina smirked and patted Calvin’s waist lightly.

 

“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. Now, head to the merfolk’s island.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“There’s a magic circle set up by Nord. Use that.”

 

“The northern side of the island has a big tree. Walk forty steps to the right from there, then twenty-three steps into the forest. You’ll find something underfoot. Break it open, and you’ll see a cave. Grab whatever’s inside.”

 

Listening to Shekina, Calvin’s eyes twitched slightly as confusion spread across his face.

 

“…A cave.”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Don’t tell me…”

 

Calvin clenched his fist tightly as he asked,

 

“Are you talking about the Black Spinels?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“What?”

 

Calvin was well aware of Shekina’s search for Black Spinels. As the leader of the intelligence unit, how could he not know?

 

However, he had left the matter alone because he thought Shekina would never find them anyway.

 

Why?

 

Because despite scouring the human realm for countless years, they had found none.

 

It was only natural to conclude that there were no Black Spinels in the human realm.

 

But looking at Shekina now… it really seemed like she had found them. From the way Shekina spoke, Calvin felt a certainty that there really were spinels where he was being sent.

 

This wasn’t speculation—it was conviction.

 

Which only made it harder for Calvin to believe.

 

“There’s something I’ve been curious about for a while.”

 

Looking down at Shekina with a stern expression, Calvin finally voiced his thoughts.

 

“How do you bind relics? How do you find dungeons that contain relics? How do you control monsters? And… how do you know about a Spinel mine that I could never locate, no matter how hard I searched?”

 

Calvin’s list of questions seemed endless.

 

Why did the Demon King initially doubt Shekina?

 

Wasn’t it because Shekina knew far too much for someone of her age and species? Previously, Calvin had dismissed Shekina’s actions as coincidental, but this time was different. The level of detailed information Shekina provided suggested she knew something.

 

“Who exactly are you, Shekina?”

 

Shekina didn’t answer. Or rather, she couldn’t.

 

What could she possibly say?

 

Well, I’m actually a human. But, you see, there’s a backstory. I got reincarnated into a game world, and I was set as the hero’s lover who kept dying… So I got fed up and killed the hero, and voila! Now I’m the Demon King’s child, which is why I know everything…

 

Yeah, no. That explanation wouldn’t work.

 

Scratching the back of her neck awkwardly, Shekina finally spoke.

 

“If I don’t answer, will you doubt me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Okay, then.”

 

“…What?”

 

“Keep doubting me.”

 

Calvin’s mouth opened and closed, unable to process what he had just heard. Did Shekina just ask him to keep doubting?

 

“I mean, I can’t tell you anything, and it’s not like I’ve been doing anything harmful to you guys. So it’s fine if you doubt me. After all, I have nothing to hide.”

 

Can suspicion and innocence even exist in the same sentence? Calvin stared at Shekina, utterly baffled, but Shekina offered no further clarification.

 

“I’m busy. I need to talk to Yuriel now. So go to the mine and bring back everything you can. Don’t get caught.”

 

With that, Shekina left, as abruptly as she had arrived.

 

Left alone, Calvin unconsciously hugged Sera close.

 

“Sera.”

 

Stroking her fur, his one source of solace, he murmured,

 

“Who is she, really?”

 

– My master.

 

“It seems like I take better care of you than your master does.”

 

– Silence.

 

As Sera prepared to deliver a paw swipe, Calvin hugged her tightly and muttered under his breath.

 

“She has secrets she can’t share.”

 

Then, with a glint of curiosity in his eyes, he whispered.

 

“A god, perhaps?”