Chapter 15: The Human Who Loved a Demon (1)

In the end, I couldn’t tell Benedict the truth.

Sitting across from Benedict, I lied to him without hesitation.

“…And so, Sophia went back home.”

“Home? Where exactly is that?”

“I didn’t hear the details. She just kept telling me over and over again not to push yourself too hard.”

“Home… Yeah, home…”

With a vacant look, Benedict stared into the air for a moment before nodding bitterly.

“You’re right. This place is too dangerous and exhausting for someone who isn’t part of the Order. Sophia is too kind… The longer she stayed, the more it would’ve worn her down.”

“Benedict...”

“Thanks for telling me… even if it’s on her behalf. Now, could you leave? I need some time to sort out my thoughts.”

“…Alright.”

Normally, I would’ve patted him on the shoulder and told him to stay strong, but now wasn’t the time for that.

“Take care, Benedict.”

Leaving behind only those brief words, I closed the door behind me.

And after taking just a few steps—

“Ugh… huuuh….”

I instinctively stopped in my tracks.

But I forced myself to keep walking, pretending I hadn’t heard.

Right now, the best thing I could do for him was to give him time alone.

Still, the fact that I had to lie… left me feeling just as unsettled.

Before the afternoon training session began, I needed to find a quiet place to collect myself.

“Haa…”

At the highest point of Cresnig, the fortress city’s towering spire—

A place where the view was wide open yet quiet.

Perched precariously on the railing, I let out a sigh, making sure no one could hear.

I’d always thought Razen was more of a demon than an actual demon… but Sophia…

[ Sophia didn’t come in today. Do you think something happened? ]

[ There were so many patients waiting just for Sophia… ]

I overheard the infirmary staff talking during lunch.

I didn’t know why that demon did what it did…

But from the sound of it, Sophia had been sincerely giving her all to treat the patients.

Why would she do that?

I couldn’t shake the conversation we had from my mind.

[ Why are you even doing something like this? ]

[ Isn’t it obvious? It’s for His amusement. Watching you struggle and suffer is what He finds entertaining! ]

That phrase—“His amusement”—stuck with me.

Sophia had said she was a servant of the Plague Toad God.

Maybe… we humans and the Order were nothing more than playthings to those so-called gods.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m not… Huh?”

I doubted my own ears.

This was the tallest tower in Cresnig—

Not only was it difficult to climb, but no one in their right mind would even think to come up here.

“Why’d you stop answering? I asked you a question, Kayron.”

“……”

The voice belonged to Avelin.

Leaning against the railing—just one misstep away from falling into the abyss—she looked down at me.

“…Why are you here?”

“I saw you climbing up and thought, ‘What if he’s planning to throw himself off?’ So I followed.”

“What a ridiculous— Look, I may not seem like it, but I’m pretty damn attached to life.”

“Either way.”

Avelin reached into her coat and pulled out a small glass vial.

The problem was… the liquid inside was an ominous, inky black.

Something about it set off my instincts.

“…What’s that?”

“A bribe.”

“…A bribe?”

“Hehe. So you’ll go easy on me during training later…”

“……”

“I’m kidding. It’s actually a magic potion—one that’ll make you want to fight even harder to see tomorrow.”

“…The way you say that makes it sound even more suspicious.”

Seeing my hesitation, Avelin pulled out another glass vial from her coat and, without a moment’s delay, drank from it right in front of me.

“See? It’s nothing strange. So you should drink it too.”

The moment I removed the cork sealing the bottle, an intoxicatingly sweet and rich aroma filled my nose, making me feel lightheaded.

Carefully, I let the liquid trickle into my mouth—its gentle sweetness spread through my body without being overwhelming.

“…What is this? I’ve never tasted a drink this good before.”

“It’s milk mixed with a luxury dessert called chocolate. Put them together, and it’s called chocolate milk.”

“Chocolate… what? I don’t know what that is, but just the name alone makes it sound rare. Milk isn’t exactly cheap either.”

“Yeah. Well, it’s not something I can drink every day either. I only have it when things get really tough—kind of like a small comfort for myself.”

“And you gave something that valuable to me?”

“I told you. It’s a bribe.”

“…You know how I train, right? There’s no such thing as taking it easy with me.”

“And yet, you’ve already drunk more than half of it.”

“Wait, what? Oh crap, I have…! Without even realizing it…!”

The drink Avelin gave me had an almost bewitching taste.

“This isn’t my fault. The drink is just too good.”

“Pfft…”

Avelin burst into laughter at my desperate excuse.

“I’m glad.”

“…About what? I never even considered throwing myself off.”

“No, it’s just… you finally seem like yourself again.”

With an indifferent expression, Avelin tucked the empty vial back into her coat.

“You looked awful at lunch. It worried me. You know how it is—if we start to waver, our subordinates in the Order will waver too.”

“…You’re right.”

I slowly pushed myself up, following Avelin’s lead.

“No matter what happens, we can’t afford to be weak. If we do, this world will be overrun by demons.”

“But don’t push yourself too hard. Here, I’ll make you a promise.”

“A promise?”

“If we survive this wave, I’ll give you another bottle of chocolate milk.”

“Hah… Not a bad deal.”

I had no plans on dying anyway, so it was an easy bargain to take.

Besides, the moment was nearly here.

The last day of the month—the day when the rift between worlds opened, unleashing an onslaught of demons.

We called this catastrophe ‘the wave.’

It was the reason we existed and the disaster we had to stop at all costs.

“Avelin, is there anything you want?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. You offered me something valuable, so I should wager something too.”

“I like that idea. Hmm… but nothing really comes to mind right now.”

“Then tell me later. As long as it’s before the wave comes.”

Of course, Avelin wasn’t going to die in this wave either.

But motivation made people stronger.

Still…

“…What’s wrong, Kayron?”

“It’s nothing. I just… felt like someone was watching.”

“Wow, someone’s full of themselves. Do you really think you’re that good-looking? That’s some serious self-importance.”

“…How the hell did this turn into that kind of conversation? I ‘really’ felt like I was being watched!”

Avelin smirked, teasing me one last time before heading down the tower.

I sighed and followed her.

caws— caws—caws—

In the distance, several black ravens circled high above the residential area of Cresnig, their cries echoing ominously through the sky.

***

“…This is…”

Benedict’s expression hardened.

Driven by a lingering doubt, he retraced his hazy, alcohol-clouded memories and found his way to Sophia’s house.

From the outside, everything appeared normal. But inside, the signs were undeniable—this place had seen a violent struggle.

‘Kayron... What the hell is this…?’

Benedict had been told that Sophia had returned to her hometown. But he couldn’t bring himself to believe it.

And Kayron—he had put real effort into this lie.

Normally, whenever Kayron lied, it was obvious. His deception was always easy to see through. But this time… it had felt raw. Sincere. Almost desperate.

For a moment, Benedict had nearly believed it.

But his love for Sophia, the regret gnawing at him, wouldn’t let him.

And so, he had come here—only to find this.

‘These traces…?’

As a seasoned warrior, Benedict could read the story written in the remnants of the battle.

The slash marks, the deep punctures from a blade, the broken furniture shattered by a blunt weapon…

And then—

The walls, the floor, the very air was scarred with burns—as if something had touched them and melted them away, leaving behind an eerie yellowed stain.

Something had happened here. Something far from ordinary.

And Kayron had tried to hide it.

‘I have to find Kayron. I need to know what the hell happened here.’

Just as Benedict turned to leave—

“…Are you angry?”

“…!?”

A deep, smooth voice slid through the silence like a knife.

Startled, Benedict whipped around—only to find a man standing behind him, having appeared without a sound.

He wore a flowing violet cloak, his presence as still as death itself.

And perched on his shoulder, a black raven stared with gleaming, eerie eyes.

“…You look furious,” the man mused, his voice laced with amusement.

“You are, aren’t you? Furious. Hah… I can see it in your face.”

A slow chuckle escaped him.

Benedict instantly recognized that this man was no ordinary individual.

“…Who are you?”

The man’s lips curled into a smirk.

“I am Aamon.”

Then, as if savoring the words, he added—

“A disciple of the Black Raven God.”

-- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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