“I thought I could finally receive education with Shekina.”
Pardes muttered with a noticeably regretful expression.
“Ugh! Who is sir Lyat taking Sekina with?”
Responding to his words, Merdes, in disarray, shouted while randomly tousling her messy hair.
Both had gloomy faces.
Who gave Shekina her name?
Who took Shekina, who hadn’t been entered, to the test site?
It was these two: Pardes, Merdes.
Originally, demons didn’t interfere with each other and led separate lives. However, the reason they personally reached out to Shekina was one and only.
Because they liked Shekina.
Of course, this liking was not the love humans talk about.
Pardes liked Shekina and wanted to research with her, while Merdes liked Shekina and wanted to spar with her. Just that level of curiosity and liking.
But since they were twins who had never felt such emotions toward others, Shekina was more desperate.
“Hoo, she have become cuter since I last saw her.”
Merdes leaned back on the chair, tapping his feet on the ground.
“Being cute is fine. More importantly, how much smarter she have become matters. I wanted to take her to the lab once, but…”
Pardes clicked his tongue and clenched the pen.
Pardes aspiring to be an alchemist and Merdes aspiring to be an inspector.
They were twin homunculus created from the same materials, but distinctly different like the two sides of a coin.
However, it’s not a question of who is superior.
Pardes was the brain, and Merdes was the fighter.
So, they weren’t particularly close. Just the kind of relationship where they exchanged necessary conversations.
Except for their faces, no one would think of them as twin siblings.
“Can’t I go outside the castle too? I’m curious!”
Merdes rolled his feet again and spoke. Pardes lowered her head.
“Can you? Sit. You need sir Lyat. permission. okay.”
“But other demons go out.”
“We’re not demons…”
Pardes’ firm response faded.
We are not demons.
But that doesn’t mean we are human.
They’re just created humans, just a homunculus.
So, we are learning human behavioral patterns and struggling to gain the power of demons.
But… Is this the right path for us, the third existence? Do we have to keep living like this?
Pardes, who had been contemplating, clicked his tongue and pushed up the round glasses he had been wearing.
“Anyway, it’s not possible now. So, don’t entertain such thoughts and focus on your education.”
“Yes, I know. I understand.”
Merdes mumbled, but still obediently held the pen.
Someone was watching them from behind.
It was Nisha.
‘Is Pardes also harboring doubts?’
Nisha observed Pardes, who wore a slightly somber expression, and pursed his lips.
He harbored deep hatred toward demons and wanted to shatter the identity of the third kind, homunculus. So, he was always on the lookout for homunculus who shared his sentiments.
‘He doesn’t seem completely foolish.’
Showing talent in alchemy is no empty talk. Someone with that level of intellect would think more deeply.
‘But not the guy next to him.’
He’s a real idiot who will cause trouble with his recklessness.
‘Except for him…’
Among the remaining homunculus, are there any who share similar sentiments with him?
‘…There might be.’
Shekina Daimon.
Uttering that name, Nisha bit her lower lip slightly.
Shekina had shown prowess since infancy—in artifact-bound abilities and even summoning spells.
Hence, she was a dangerous existence. The seal of the Demon King could be released before she had the strength to escape.
However, since then, Shekina hadn’t properly demonstrated summoning spells. Only revealing a basic summoning skill, barely passing the exams.
‘When I saw her before, she definitely didn’t have that much power.’
Did she understand Nisha’s words?
Was Shekina also harboring similar thoughts?
‘If so…’
Could she enhance her power?
It was precisely at that moment when Nisha’s eyes sparkled.
“What’s this? Why is there only this?”
A familiar voice echoed. Even in the short speech, the distinct slyness and misfortune could be felt. Nisha could easily identify the owner of the voice.
Frey Daimon.
A kid who has the support of fifth elder.
Despite having no abilities, he’s just stupid and arrogant.
Nisha despised that type.
Nisha sighed and turned her head towards the window.
“Hey! Are you ignoring me? I’m asking why there’s only you guys!”
Approaching with heavy steps, Frey shouted loudly.
“Where did that brat go? Did she run away? Am I too scary for her?”
Just like Nisha, the twins, pretending to be unaware of Frey’s arrival, shrugged nonchalantly.
“Brat?”
“There’s probably no homunculus younger than you, except Shekina.”
Having barely heard the response, Frey cheered.
“Yeah! Her! I couldn’t attend the training for two days because of her! She took advantage of my carelessness and attacked me! Unfair and nasty!”
Merdes’s black pupils flickered.
“So what? What are you going to do?”
“What do you mean ‘so what’? Obviously, I need to hit her! I was careless then, but not now! So, bring her quickly! Where is she?”
Ignoring Frey, who was jumping around and shouting, Merdes looked at Pardes. Pardes also looked at him, and their gaze met in the empty space.
“Ah! It would have been amusing if you had seen it too. I wished her a happy birthday and flipped over the cheap cake I brought. It was dirty and stinky, just suited for her.”
Hmm.
Without anyone saying who would go first, they all stood up.
“Brother.”
“Yeah, my lil bro.”
A sly smile curved on Merdes’s lips.
“Shall we loosen up a bit after a while?”
“It’s been a while since I heard something pleasant.”
They turned their heads slowly towards Frey, who had been laughing wickedly. In that moment, Frey could sense that something had gone wrong.
“Uh, um… Hey! Wait, just a moment!”
Sigh.
Nisha yawned, propped her arm against her side, and lay down.
I wonder what Shekina is doing by now.
“Ah! Stop hitting me! Please!”
When she comes back, Frey probably won’t be around.
***
“Fyuuh.”
After accepting the quest and forming a temporary alliance with Lyat, I explored the residential area, plaza, and commercial district together.
After several hours of surveying the territory, I could come to one conclusion.
‘It’s a disaster.’
It’s not just a regular disaster—it’s a colossal mess.
The demonic flowers that bloomed in the residential area?
I vividly realized they were nobles.
Now, the plaza.
There was no water in the fountain at the center of the plaza.
Instead, it was filled with a dark and viscous liquid. I didn’t know what it was, but it seemed like something I shouldn’t touch, so I stepped back…
– Hm. It’s poison.
Why would there be poison in a fountain?
It’s a delicacy often seen in the demon realm; I didn’t expect to find it here.
Well then, why is that delicacy in the human realm?
I almost collapsed, clutching my throat, but it wasn’t the end here.
Naturally, there were many shops in the commercial district.
Since it was cold, there were no street vendors, but I could still see plenty of items behind the glass windows. Yeah, those items were the issue.
Most of the displayed dolls were grotesque, and the few humanoid dolls that seemed tolerable had bright red eyeballs moving in all directions and joints in their limbs twisted grotesquely. Who would buy such dolls? Are they insane?
– That display cabinet can be used as a companion demon. Among demons, it’s the only one without aggressive tendencies.
That’s a mimic… pretending to be a box and then devouring anyone passing by… Why does it have no aggression… No, and why are they selling that kind of thing in a human store…
The grim reality made everything in front of me turn dark.
‘The priests only had suspicions?’
Their intuition is out of this world. It wasn’t suspicion; it had to be certainty.
‘If they see it like this, I’m sure it’s one hundred percent will be exposed.’
In that case, quests and whatever else don’t matter.
After quickly organizing my thoughts, I grabbed Lyat’s sleeve.
“Sir Lyat. Do the people living here have no idea about the existence of demons?”
“Yeah. They’re blissfully ignorant.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really.”
“Who said that?”
“Hmm?”
Seizing the opportunity in the narrowed gap of Lyat’s eyes, I quickly continued speaking.
“Who said anyone fell for the deception?”
“Well, the demons…”
Lyat couldn’t finish his sentence. Him, too, had realized the issue.
no wonder they got caught :/