[CHAPTER 55]
“So you’re returning right away? To the human realm?”
“No. The Demon King has given me an assignment.”
“An assignment?”
The aide made a puzzled expression.
What kind of task could someone who was just born possibly give, especially one involving the human realm?
“Is there any demon who, within the past ten years or so, created a half-breed child with a human woman?”
“Pardon? A human half-breed? Well…”
The aide trailed off briefly.
He seemed to be watching Illay’s reaction.
“As you know, there are far too many.”
“…I thought so.”
At the aide’s expression, which seemed to say it was an obvious question, Illay let out a deep sigh.
In truth, when Jerena had given the order, Illay already knew this would not be an easy task to carry out.
The reason was obvious.
Because there are too many.
Perhaps because demons are a race that fundamentally despises humans, quite a few of them have the trashy hobby of wanting to witness human despair.
Among those demons, there are even some who can easily endure their own instinctive disgust.
The most popular method of driving someone into despair was to make a human woman fall in love, then abandon her mercilessly.
Especially at the moment she needed help the most.
When no one but the demon himself remained by her side.
Human women who fell for a demon’s whispers felt far greater despair when they were abandoned while pregnant than when they were simply discarded.
The guilt of carrying a demon’s child, the pointing fingers and stares of others, and the moment even those they trusted turned away pushed their despair to its peak.
The demons who caused all this were often shunned as trash even among demons, but most of them did not care at all.
Because of this, the demon realm was always divided over the issue of human-demon half-breeds.
Some argued that the children were innocent and should be accepted as members of the demon realm.
Others insisted it was absurd to accept those who were clearly half human into the demon realm.
Moreover, every time the Demon King changed, the treatment of half-breeds shifted completely, making it nearly impossible for them to settle properly in the demon realm.
At least this time, the Demon King… Jerena had a relatively favorable view of half-breeds, and policies to accept them were slowly being put into place.
But when Lady Jerena went missing, everything came to a halt.
If the policies had been properly established, they would at least have a list of demons who created half-breeds by now.
Without that, they would have to start by combing through records of demons who had gone to the human realm for long-term amusement over the past decade.
“…Haa.”
It felt as though a mountain of work was piling up right in front of him.
To capture that demon and bring him before Jerena within a short time, as ordered, would require a grueling forced march.
“Illay-nim? Why are you suddenly looking at me like that? You look like you’re about to make me work overtime today…”
“You’re exactly right.”
“…You’re joking, right? I couldn’t even go home yesterday.”
“Tell them you won’t be going home today either.”
“Ah, no…”
“Yes.”
The adjutant’s tearful voice echoed through Illay’s office.
* * *
“…Pardon?”
“Why are you spacing out like that?”
I snapped back to my senses at the sight of Jahar Knox’s face shoved right in front of me.
Perhaps worried because I had been absent-minded the entire way back to the estate, Jahar Knox and Ratia insisted we all eat the snacks they bought at the night market together and barged into my room.
And so, before I knew it, Ratia, Jahar Knox, and I were seated around the tea table, picking at the snacks piled high between us.
“Jerena, if you keep spacing out like that, Ratia’s going to eat your share too.”
“…!”
“No!”
“Then maybe say that after you put down the cookie you’re holding.”
At Jahar Knox’s scoffing remark, Ratia flinched and quietly set down what she had been holding.
At the same time, several cookies that had fit neatly in her small palm returned to the plate in front of me.
“…You eat them, Ratia.”
“Really?”
Since I had no appetite anyway, I quietly slid the plate toward Ratia.
Jahar Knox, who had been watching my listless movements, opened his mouth.
“You must be really shaken.”
“That’s not it.”
I denied it lightly, but he clearly did not believe me.
Shrugging his shoulders, Jahar Knox spoke again.
“Sure it’s not. Oh, right. Let me see that necklace you bought earlier.”
“This one?”
Though puzzled by the sudden request, I obediently unclasped the glass-bead necklace around my neck and handed it to him.
It did not shine quite as brilliantly as it had under the dazzling lights of the night market, but the violet glass bead still glimmered beautifully.
“Do I look that stingy? What would I even use a glass bead like this for?”
Grumbling, Jahar Knox closed his hand tightly around the bead.
The tiny glass bead was so small in his palm that it disappeared completely from view.
And a moment later…
Woom—
With a low resonant hum, light bloomed from Jahar Knox’s hand holding the necklace.
It was a warm, gentle green glow.
After some time passed, Jahar Knox opened his hand again as the light faded.
The glass-bead necklace resting neatly in his palm was once again a luminous violet, just like before, but…
“…You made a mana stone? Out of a mere glass bead?”
A faint green light had seeped into its interior.
Jahar Knox’s mana had permeated it.
“Why? Is that not allowed?”
“…”
It is basic knowledge that mages infuse gems with their own mana to use them as mana stones.
While mana can be infused into any object, mages insist on using gems for a reason.
It is not because they are extravagant, but because gems are durable and can hold mana well.
If a mana stone shatters from impact before the mage retrieves the infused mana, all the mana inside dissipates completely.
That is why even the poorest mage uses a gem as the material for a mana stone.
“Here, put it back on.”
“…Really?”
Even though Jahar Knox held the necklace out to me, I hesitated to take it.
I knew better than anyone how uncomfortable it was to lose mana.
If even stone is avoided because it breaks easily from impact, then glass beads, of all things…
It would surely shatter at the slightest shock.
I had heard that losing mana was more agonizing than death for a mage.
I’m not that extreme since I’m a demon, but still.
Seeing me grow increasingly restless, Jahar Knox chuckled softly and stood up, still holding the necklace.
“You worry too much.”
“Jahar.”
“My mana pool isn’t so small that I’d regret losing what went into a glass bead like this.”
Even so…
Ignoring my call, he stepped behind me.
I felt his hand move forward, and soon the leather cord of the necklace settled around my neck.
Jahar Knox had put it on me himself.
“What if I toss and turn in my sleep and break it?”
“Then it can’t be helped. Just wear it properly anyway.”
“…What kind of magic did you put in it?”
At this point, I could not help but be curious.
What kind of spell was worth using so much mana that he did not mind infusing it into a mere glass bead, yet still insisted I wear it constantly.
“Tiyu.”
“…Huh?”
The question had been directed at Jahar Knox, but the answer came from Ratia.
With her mouth stuffed full of cookies, she chewed noisily as she answered me.
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed with a loud gulp.
“Healing.”
“Healing? That’s what’s in here?”
“Right? It feels like he copied my ability.”
“Sharp as always.”
“Why are you copying my ability? I’m telling!”
“Go ahead. To who?”
He copied Ratia’s ability? Then… the Flame of Healing?
Between the two of them bickering as usual after dropping such a shocking revelation, I covered my mouth in disbelief.
The Flame of Healing required an insane amount of mana, like a bottomless tank.
For someone who was not a spirit to try using a spirit’s ability was madness to begin with.
Even if it were a degraded version with reduced performance, it would still consume an enormous amount of mana.
“You didn’t just cast a simple healing spell, you actually copied the Flame of Healing?”
“Yeah. It works better.”
“If I mess up and break this…”
“I said it’s fine.”
There was no way it was fine.
If he really copied the Flame of Healing, it was obvious that even an ordinary mage would have to pour in all their mana to match that amount.
“Just carry it with you. I have a bad feeling. You’re the weakest among us.”
“That’s right. If he’s giving it to you, just take it!”
With Ratia chiming in after Jahar Knox’s insistence, I had no choice but to give in.
It really was too much pressure… but I could not deny being the weakest.
How did I end up like this?
I nodded reluctantly.
Just you wait until I get my mana back.
I thought that firmly, hoping I would never have to use this necklace until the day my mana returned.
