The demons of the 1st Corps who returned from the ice wall were once again training at the training ground.
However, why?”
They seemed less motivated than before. Their shouts also didn’t sound like the usual ones.
“Ugh…”
The demons, with their shoulders drooping, grumbled as they sat on the bench.
“Why do I feel so unenergetic? Is it because the vice commander isn’t here?”
“Isn’t it strange to get motivated just by the vice commander’s face?”
“Yeah, that’s true…”
As they exchanged pointless words and emptied their water bottles, one of them spoke casually.
“I really miss lady Shekina… ehh?”
He suddenly realized something and shouted.
“Oh! It’s because lady Shekina isn’t here, so that’s why we don’t feel energized.”
“Yeah, now you get it?”
“Wow, unbelievable. Are we really this down just because one homunculus isn’t here?”
“Shekina isn’t just any homunculus. When Shekina was with us, we felt energized.”
“That’s true. It was fun when we’re running together.”
When they trained, Shekina would come and run with them, scold them, or reprimand them.
They didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that Shekina was gone, they realized it.
They felt Shekina’s absence deeply and thought of Shekina, who had left for the capital.
“She was really cute when she was a baby.”
“Crawling around…”
“I can’t believe she’s grown up now!”
Sniff!
Is this how a father feels when his child leaves home?
They felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in their hearts.
“Hey, my heart feels a bit pounding in a weird way right now.”
“Yeah, that’s an arrhythmia¹, right?”
“Why would a demon have arrhythmia, you idiot? Get a grip!”
Leaving the bickering behind, the demon who spoke first held his chest.
“Is this the kind of emotion humans talk about?”
“What kind of emotion?”
“Missing someone… or feels of caring for someone… those kinds of things?”
The other demons tilted their heads at his words.
“Haven’t we always felt that way if it about Shekina?”
“Yeah, that’s true, isn’t it?”
Indeed.
Even now, they were not training and were just sitting around because they missed Shekina.
And they always wanted to protect Shekina and make her happy.
Hmm. Truly the heart of a loving father.
The demons felt their hearts warm up and smiled.
At that moment.
“Huh?”
Something unusual caught their eyes.
“Hey. What’s that?”
They squinted and focused on a point in the distance.
“The elders?”
“Why are they gathered like that?”
There were the 2nd, 4th, and 5th elders.
Normally, the elders would do anything to pull down the one above them, but they were gathered like this? And they gathered as soon as Shekina and Arthur left?
“Something’s strange…”
“Yeah, something smells fishy, right?”
It was definitely strange.
The demons narrowed their eyes.
“Should we follow?”
“Let’s follow.”
They re-affirmed their feelings for Shekina and dashed off.
***
Shekina’s group stayed briefly in a remote northern village on their way to the capital.
They originally planned to rest after leaving the north, but they couldn’t.
Yuriel’s fever wouldn’t go down.
Fearing that Yuriel’s life might be in danger, they had no choice but to stay in the village for a while.
The village, in the middle of a snowstorm, was not in good condition. The population was only a few dozen, and the accommodations were just offering the second floor of houses.
So the twins stepped up without anyone saying anything.
– These people are so pitiful! I’ll go see if there’s anything I can protect!
– I’m on watch.
Merdes, who had taken a liking to protecting humans, was both heartwarming and a bit silly to Shekina, who let them go.
They dashed out through the snowflakes, looking just like a normaly children.
‘They would be good guy if they had been brought up properly.’
Shekina felt a strange bitterness and turned her gaze from the window as Arthur entered the room.
“The weather is cold. If you stay close to the window, you’ll catch a cold. Come here, I’ll wrap you in a blanket.”
“Okay, thank you. But I’m not very cold because Sera is with me.”
Shekina held Sera, who was sleeping in her arms, tightly and looked at Arthur.
“How is Yuriel? Has he gotten any better?”
“The servant is taking care of him, but it doesn’t seem like his fever will go down easily.”
“Hmm. Then what should we do?”
Arthur answered as he saw the worry on Shekina’s face.
“We could leave him behind.”
“No.”
But Shekina replied firmly.
“We have to make use of him. How can we abandon this good opportunity? I have no intention of letting him go.”
Arthur let out a small laugh.
He knew that even if the priest and his servant were of no use, Shekina would have saved them.
Shekina was a kind and compassionate being, not like other homunculus.
But stating that she would ‘use’ them for her sake is likely because she’s worried about how others will perceive her.
This made Arthur feel sad.
He thought that if Shekina had lived among kind humans instead of in the demon king’s castle, she wouldn’t need to hide her true feelings.
Arthur smiled bitterly.
“Alright. Then let’s wait until he wakes up.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Shekina nodded and sipped her cocoa. Arthur wiped some chocolate from Shekina’s cheek and spoke again.
“By the way, Shekina. I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“What did the servant mean earlier?”
Shekina involuntarily rolled her eyes.
– Do you know me?
Arthur must have been referring to those words.
Ah, that idiot. Why did he say that!
Shekina shook her head, pretending to be indifferent.
“I don’t know either.”
“…Really?”
Arthur’s eyes narrowed for a moment.
“If you say so, it must be true. But if that servant starts hanging around you…”
Arthur’s eyes glinted with a sharp, deadly intent. Shekina was startled and shook her head.
“No, there’s nothing like that. It won’t happen.”
“That’s a relief.”
Arthur returned to his usual expression and patted Shekina’s head.
Whew, what a scary guy.
Shekina sipped her cocoa, determined not to get caught.
At that moment, the door burst open and Dehan rushed in, sweating.
“Sir, Yuriel has woken up!”
“Oh?”
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
“He woke up sooner than expected. Let him rest until a proper physician arrives.”
“Ah… but…”
Dehan hesitated at the door.
Why isn’t he leaving? Arthur wondered, when a familiar figure appeared behind him.
“Cough!”
It was Yuriel.
He staggered into the room, barely holding himself up.
“W, wait… I just wanted to thank you first…”
Arthur looked at Shekina, seeking permission, and Shekina nodded. Yuriel dropped to his knees before them.
“Priest!”
“Thank you… If it weren’t you, we would have… really died…”
Shekina looked down at Yuriel, who was kneeling before her, with a calm expression but felt uneasy inside.
‘Why is he doing this?’
He’s a friend of the hero.
Shouldn’t he not be doing this?
Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?
Shekina tried to hide her nervousness and turned her head.
“We’ve already received your thanks. So stand up.”
“But…”
“I get a sore neck if you stay down there. So, stand up.”
“…Alright.”
Yuriel stood up awkwardly and sat on a chair. Shekina sighed in relief and pushed the cocoa towards him, indicating he should have a drink first.
After a brief pause, Shekina felt the atmosphere had settled and carefully spoke.
“More importantly, why were you in such a situation?”
“Pardon?”
“There must be a reason why the northern temple tried to kill you.”
Yuriel’s face turned pale.
The reason they tried to kill us.
He thought about it endlessly.
And he reached a conclusion.
But should he say it? Should he tell the truth to the Daimon family?
Yuriel’s eyes wavered, but only for a moment.
“Well, that’s because…”
His lips slowly opened.
🍓 :
¹ Arrhythmia is a condition in which the heart beats with an irregular or abnormal rhythm. This can mean the heart beats too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or with an irregular pattern (such as atrial fibrillation). Arrhythmias can cause various symptoms, including palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and in severe cases, can lead to more serious health issues like stroke or heart failure. Treatment options vary depending on the type and severity of the arrhythmia and can include medication, lifestyle changes, and sometimes medical procedures or surgery.
