Chapter 56: The Mountain Demon’s Blessing

Kurrrrrng! Kugugung!

After a few minutes passed, the obstacle was completely cleared.

“Ooooh!”

“T-To think something like this was possible!”

“Are you perhaps a mage?”

The caravan leaders raised both arms high and cheered.

They had been certain they were facing massive losses, yet he resolved it so refreshingly.

How could they not be overjoyed?

At their fervent voices, the mountain demon scratched the back of his head.

He seemed unprepared for such an intense reaction.

—Uh… well, something like that.

He scratched the back of his head and answered awkwardly.

Soon, the caravan leaders returned to their wagons and came back laden with goods.

“This is our caravan’s main product. Please, have a taste.”

“This is Meissen fabric from Count Schultz’s domain. Clothes made from it look incredibly luxurious.”

“It’s nothing much, but try this too. It’s carefully dried jerky.”

—T-Thank you.

The indiscriminate gift assault seemed to leave him quite flustered.

The mountain demon, arms full of items, wore a dazed expression.

Then he blinked and looked at me.

-Why is this working? Humans have never treated me like this before.

“It’s the difference in appearance and behavior. Look at what you’ve done. It’s completely different from before.”

—That’s true.

“Does this prove my point?”

—Hmm…

He honestly couldn’t deny it.

The results were perfect—how could he possibly refute them?

Yet the mountain demon shook his head to the end.

—Not enough. They haven’t bowed their heads to me yet.

“Try offering a blessing. Something like, may luck fill your journey… say it casually.”

—Do I really have to go that far? It feels like it hurts my demonic dignity…

“That’s what makes it more evil. Hiding your true intentions and deceiving humans.”

—Oh! You’re right.

The mountain demon called out to the caravan leaders who were turning to leave.

Then he said exactly what I had told him.

I thought it might come out awkward.

But surprisingly, he had decent acting skills.

He even improvised—that said it all.

It wouldn’t sit right with me to just receive like this. Everyone, come here. I’ll at least give you a blessing.

“Oh! Really?”

—Feel free to bring the porters too.

“Aigoo! You don’t have to go that far.”

The caravan leaders waved their hands vigorously, but their feet were already heading toward the wagons.

Soon, hundreds of people lined up in a long queue.

—May luck and glory fill your journey…

“Thank you, Mage-nim.”

—You might feel a bit drained afterward. That’s because your soul has temporarily connected to the celestial realm.

“Oh! Is that so? That’s amazing!”

—Next.

Countless people voluntarily offered their heads.

After absorbing everyone’s vitality, the mountain demon let out a hollow laugh.

—Heh! Who knew it would be this easy… Toward the end, I barely absorbed any vitality at all.

“You must have exceeded your capacity.”

—So I just pretended to suck it in.

“How was it?”

—Incredible. I have to admit it.

“Good. Then we can pass now, right?”

Of course!

The mountain demon nodded readily.

What was the original reason I’d coaxed this guy, anyway?

It was to make him handle the landslide himself.

With the goal achieved, we needed to move on quickly.

‘No need to get tangled up with a guy like this, right?’

If he were a demigod like Adam, maybe—but a half-demon felt different.

His image made him hard to trust, and he seemed like he’d cause some massive incident.

“Alright, take care.”

I hurried back to the carriage.

As I climbed into the passenger seat and leaned against the cushion, relief surged through me.

We’d be able to pass safely through the Magreta volcanic region.

But then Cordell McNeil called out to me, his brow furrowed.

“Your Highness?”

“What’s wrong?”

“It seems a minor issue has arisen.”

“Huh? Did another landslide happen?”

I poked my head out the window.

But the path was still perfectly cleared.

Cordell lightly shook his head and said,

“No, look to the side.”

“What on earth is—”

I casually turned my gaze—and words failed me.

A black squirrel was sitting on the cushion, staring blankly at me.

Two cute little horns sprouting from its head.

Golden eyes gleaming bewitchingly.

Everything matched the half-demon I’d just seen, except for the fur color.

“You’re the mountain demon, aren’t you?”

—Yeah.

“Why did you get in the carriage?”

—It seemed fun.

“Isn’t this your home? You can just leave like this?”

Nature keeps changing. These volcanoes didn’t even exist hundreds of years ago. Do you think we have something like a hometown?

He had a point, honestly.

Like Adam, this guy must have lived for an immense amount of time.

‘Anyway, I don’t want to take him along. How do I shake him off?’

I racked my brain, but no sharp idea came.

The mountain demon genuinely seemed to like the situation.

Beating him up to drive him away felt a bit much…

He hadn’t caused any harm yet, after all.

‘If I handle him right, he might be useful?’

I’d even taken in that walking disaster from Nermeia’s magic tower.

As long as I could control him, being a half-demon wouldn’t matter much.

“Don’t cause trouble.”

—Make people offer their vitality willingly. Right?

“Yeah. Since we’ll be together from now on, let’s introduce ourselves properly.”

—A name?

“I can’t keep calling you ‘mountain demon.’ I’m Abel Carius. This is Cordell McNeil.”

—I don’t have one.

Ah, I’d forgotten.

I’d named Adam too, hadn’t I?

Then this guy would need the same process.

No need to overthink it.

Impromptu naming always suited best.

“You look like a sugar glider, so let’s call you Shugl. How’s that?”

—Anything’s fine. The sound isn’t bad.

“Good.”

I stared at Shugl and pulled up his information window.

「Information on a transcendent being cannot be viewed.」

「To pierce through the target, you must possess commensurate stature.」

As expected, he was the same as the Emperor or a demigod.

Of course—an entity seriously called a demon wouldn’t be easy to read.

‘It’s fine. What if I can’t see it?’

I’d only persuaded him with words for now, but in an emergency, I could just pull out the communication rod.

If he climbed on my head or crossed the line.

I’d tamed Adam by showing overwhelming power, hadn’t I?

The same method should work on Shugl.

“By the way, what are you good at?”

Why do you ask?

“I need to know where I can use you if I’m taking you along. Otherwise, why would I keep you?”

—I’m just going to follow around.

“No. Go back. Those who don’t work don’t eat. Ever heard that?”

—You’re awfully firm. I can control natural phenomena to some extent.

“Like causing the landslide?”

—Yeah. Though not precisely.

That made sense.

If he could control it perfectly, he wouldn’t have been swept here by his own landslide.

‘Huh? This might actually be pretty useful.’

The moment I heard Shugl’s words, countless ideas flooded my mind.

Just look at Delriat.

If he could suppress the harsh desert sandstorms?

If he could make it rain during the dry season?

People’s lives would become far more prosperous.

“Plenty useful. You’re hired!”

—Oh!

“But you have to use your ability whenever I ask.”

—As long as there’s enough vitality, there’s nothing I can’t do.

“Leave that to me.”

Delriat was overflowing with people, anyway.

Tricking them with a few words wasn’t hard.

I filled the boring journey brainstorming endless ways to use Shugl.

And so, after nearly two months, we returned to Delriat.

Yet the city’s atmosphere, which should have been brimming with vitality, felt strange.

It somehow resembled the state when I’d first arrived.

‘Huh, this feels off.’

They say ominous premonitions always hit the mark.

Delriat had completely reverted to its old state.

The aggressively pushed government projects had halted, causing jobs to plummet.

“That’s why people are sitting around on the streets.”

Most of them listlessly waved at the air in shabby appearances.

Movements to somehow catch a passerby’s eye.

That way, their chances of begging something rose even slightly.

‘I’ll know why once I get to the governor-general’s office.’

I headed straight to the city center.

If ordinary citizens were in that state, officials couldn’t possibly be fine.

The governor-general’s building looked rundown too.

It should have been freshly built and clean.

“This is serious. It really looks exactly like before.”

“Ha!”

Cordell McNeil shook his head as if to say this wasn’t right.

I let out a long sigh and strode into the building.

But then a group appeared and blocked the way.

“Who the hell are you?”

“This isn’t a place just anyone can enter. If you don’t want to die, get lost.”

Judging by their attire, they definitely weren’t ordinary bandits.

But they weren’t regular soldiers either—their uniforms weren’t unified.

Mercenaries or private soldiers of some low-ranking noble, perhaps?

That’s why they didn’t recognize the governor and spouted nonsense like that.

“Step aside. This person is—”

Cordell stepped forward to reveal my identity immediately.

But I quickly raised my arm.

Revealing it so easily would spoil the fun.

“Let’s see how far they go.”

“Ah, yes.”

As Cordell stepped back with an embarrassed expression, the blocking group burst into laughter.

“Pwahahaha! These guys have lost their fear.”

“It’s hilarious how they strut around like they’re something.”

“First, I gotta smash their pretty faces. Seeing handsome guys makes my destructive urges surge.”

Every one of them had vicious, thuggish faces.

Most people would tremble in fear just facing them.

But that didn’t apply to me.

Bluffing with looks was pointless.

Everyone was equal before my communication rod.

“One question. Where is Administrator Hozein Allegan?”

“What old news are you talking about? That guy’s been dealt with long ago.”

“Dealt with?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. We rule this place now.”

Of course, that was 100% bullshit.

No matter how small Delriat was, how could scum like them govern a territory?

All they had going for them were smashed-up faces and big builds.

‘Something must have happened to Hozein.’

If the administrator’s authority was intact, this couldn’t have occurred.

I’d already laid the foundations for the governor-general’s office and government projects.

Funds were plentiful too.

My factories were faithfully paying taxes.

But right then, a thought flashed through my mind.

“Ah! That means there’s plenty to squeeze out.”

I roughly grasped what had happened.

Likely the work of local powers displeased with the governor-general’s policies.

There might even be more than one backer.

Whatever the case, what I needed to do now was clear.

“The moment I draw the hammer of justice, your fate is sealed.”

“What kinda bullshit is that.”

They sneered, but I continued without care.

“So crawl away while I’m being merciful.”

Naturally, none made the wise choice.

Then what else could I do?

‘I’ll clean them up nicely.’

It had been a while since I swapped hearts.

From human to beast.