Chapter 46: Naete

Wabutu Hirde, who had been standing atop his belly, lightly leapt backward and landed on the ground once more.

-What’s stopping us? Once the hatching happens, the three of us together still wouldn’t be able to defeat Lord Granviphra. Besides, there’s no guarantee our subordinates will keep following our orders in front of the newly hatched Granviphra. Wouldn’t it be wiser to just run away while we can?

-Do you think I’ve never considered that? Even if we leave, where could we possibly go? Is there anywhere other than here that could satisfy this hunger of mine?

-And if there is?

At Wabutu Hirde’s confident words, Elde Toquas’s enormous eyes wavered for a moment. Wabutu Hirde didn’t miss this reaction and continued speaking.

-You remember how, during the last Great War, I traveled to many regions on the Demon King’s Army’s orders, right? There’s a hidden place among the southern mountain ranges—not too far from here. It’s smaller than this place, but there’s plenty to eat.

-Oh? So you gained more than just those red stones on your back by following those guys around. Impressive.

Though the comment was rude and mocking, Wabutu Hirde seemed strangely unconcerned.

-If you’re considering it, decide quickly. We’ll have to move fast if we want to get out of the forest’s influence in time. Once we’re clear of the forest, even Lord Granviphra probably won’t bother chasing us.

Elde Toquas rolled his eyes in silence. He couldn’t compare to Granviphra, but he too had been born and had lived for ages in this Forest of Evil. His kin were spread throughout the woods, and everything he liked—places, food—was here.

Moreover, if he left now, he could never return. No matter how much danger loomed, it wasn’t a decision to make lightly.

-…Why are you telling me this? If you wanted to escape, you could have just left alone.

His voice betrayed his hesitation.

“After all, we’ve known each other for a long time. We were never close, but consider this my last act of kindness as I leave the forest forever.”

Elde Toquas quietly closed his eyes. A heavy, fleeting silence fell between them. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, as if he had made up his mind.

-Very well. I’ll gladly accept your favor.

***

“Are you sure you don’t need more rest?”

Ropena’s voice carried a hint of guilt as she asked.

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Anak answered with a smile, but couldn’t entirely hide the fatigue on her face. She knew it, and so did the others—Eril and Granviphra, who remained quietly silent.

A few hours ago, Anak had tried to get some sleep. She’d known she wouldn’t be able to rest for long, but the attempt had turned out rougher than she expected.

Though they kept some distance, Eril would flinch at even Ropena’s smallest movements. Even if the conscious link was severed, a Summoned Beast and a Summoner this close were bound to affect each other’s emotions.

On top of that, even Granviphra, who had been relatively quiet, suddenly changed his attitude and started talking to Ropena, which soon devolved into a string of short arguments and jabs.

They tried to keep their voices—or in Granviphra’s case, his mental waves—down as much as possible. If Anak had been a bit more easygoing, or if the surroundings weren’t so unfamiliar, maybe she would have ignored it. But with her sensitive nature and recent experiences, she simply couldn’t.

Still, as she’d already anticipated, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. In the end, she was grateful to have managed even four hours of sleep.

“Starting a little early isn’t so bad. The sooner we begin, the less time it will take.”

Anak slowly walked over to Eril. She would have liked to put a portable barrier on Granviphra first, but that could have affected the timing—or even the success—of the hatching, so she had to give up on that idea.

“Then, I’ll head out with Eril first. We’ll find a suitable spot and move you there once we do.”

-Understood. Thank you again for your help.

Anak nodded lightly. Though she had been swept up in this unexpectedly, it was only for two days. As long as she found a good location, holding out against monsters for two days—not even the regular Demon King’s Army—was nothing to worry about.

The only wild card was that this was the Forest of Evil, but since her task was defense or hiding, not fighting, she felt no fear or anxiety.

“All right. If possible, please try not to bite each other’s heads off while we’re gone.”

With those words, Anak reached out and grabbed Eril’s wing. In an instant, they vanished. From now on, Anak and Eril would be moving quickly to find a spot suitable for hiding and defense. The ones left behind were Granviphra and Ropena.

-What a shame. I didn’t mean to disturb her rest.

“That’s all you’re sorry for? This whole thing had nothing to do with Anak in the first place.”

-As I said, if he hadn’t brought the Phoenix, I would have spent the time until hatching in peace.

“Hmph. If you were going to get caught by that firebird, it’s a miracle you lasted this long.”

In truth, Eril had found the cave with his Incarnation by pure chance. The prey she’d been toying with had fled into this ravine, and as she chased after it, her keen senses detected Granviphra’s strange presence.

She headed for the cave where Granviphra was hiding. The Incarnation guarding the entrance did its duty. Granviphra, close to hatching, was weakened, and the Incarnation, for all its power, was little more than a beast in intellect.

A fierce battle ensued. The unfamiliar Phoenix had already put the forest’s denizens on edge, and the aftershocks of the fight spread quickly. The battle raged for a long time, but in the end, Eril won. She followed Granviphra’s lingering presence into the cave, and that led to the current situation.

-But I must say, I’m quite surprised. In all my years, I’ve never seen a High Demon fall in love with a human.

“……”

Since Granviphra’s arrival, this was the first time she hadn’t retorted to his words. She averted her gaze, forcing herself to look indifferent.

-You must be quite young. Older demons tend to grow numb to such feelings. Judging by your aura, you haven’t even lived a hundred—no, not even two hundred years. How long has it been since your Coming-of-Age Rite?

She tried to answer, but her voice was too small for Granviphra to hear.

-Pardon? Could you repeat that?

“…About fifteen years.”

She barely managed to force out the words, as if overcoming her embarrassment. Granviphra was so taken aback by the answer that he fell silent for a moment.

-Fifteen years? Remarkable. You’re practically a child.

“Don’t call me a child! I went through the Coming-of-Age Rite—I’m a full-fledged demon!”

Most demons are created by High Demons rather than born from the union of two demons. Natural births are extremely rare.

This is partly because demons, with their long lifespans and spirit-like forms, have little interest in reproduction. It’s also due to social and cultural reasons.

Demons created by High Demons are almost always weaker than their creator and rarely surpass them. But those born from two demons are often as strong as, or even stronger than, their parents.

If too many powerful High Demons were born in a society with strict hierarchies and long lifespans, it could cause chaos throughout the Demon World. Demons know this instinctively, so natural births are rare and creation is common.

Furthermore, most created demons are fully grown from the moment they’re born, while those born naturally spend a long time in infancy. During that period, they appear and behave like human children of five to ten years old.

Though it varies from demon to demon, on average, this stage lasts about fifty years. During that time, they build up magic power and, after undergoing the Coming-of-Age Rite at the Majye Central Assembly or the Naete Goddess’s Temple, they finally become adults.

The Coming-of-Age Rite isn’t just symbolic—it’s a literal transformation, body and mind, into adulthood under the Blessing of Naete. Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, demons change from child to adult in just half a day.

Few demons have the patience for such a long childhood. This, too, is one reason natural birth and child-rearing are avoided to maintain order in the Demon World.

And yet, Ropena had just said it had only been fifteen years since her Coming-of-Age Rite. Compared to Granviphra, and even most other demons, she was still incredibly young.

“So, you’ve only been an adult for fifteen years? And if the war started just under ten years ago, you were appointed as Commander of the Flame Legion when you’d barely become an adult? You’re far more impressive than I thought.”

Granviphra was genuinely impressed.

Of course, a demon’s power is fully realized the moment they complete the Coming-of-Age Rite. Time doesn’t significantly increase that strength. But that’s only raw power; skill and mastery take time to develop.

Many demons throughout history have overcome gaps in strength through skill and technique. For Ropena to rise above so many competitors and become Commander of the Flame Legion in less than ten years as an adult meant her power truly surpassed that of many older, more experienced High Demons.

“Of course.”

Her voice and expression overflowed with pride.

-But then, why is he still keeping you locked up?

At that, her expression hardened.

-I can see his feelings for you in his eyes. He must know how you feel about him, too.

She could tell his question wasn’t just idle curiosity. Her expression sharpened, and a faint flame flared up around her.

“What are you scheming?”

-…It’s nothing. When you’ve lived a long time, you just feel like meddling sometimes.

There was a peculiar bitterness in his tone.

-Hopeless love is a foolish thing to pursue.

“What would a snake like you know…!”

For a moment, her flames turned black.

-Calm yourself. I’m not saying you should give up, or that it’s impossible. In fact, I almost want to cheer for you.

Ropena’s flames slowly returned to red, then faded.

-But from what I see, he has no intention of letting you go. Why is that?

“…He’s just scared.”

-Of you?

“Of things changing.”

Ropena understood Anak’s heart perfectly.

“That guy, he’s greedier than he looks. If he can’t have something completely, or if he thinks he’ll lose it in the end, he’d rather not have it at all.”

-So he’s chosen to keep you locked away forever, afraid of losing you?

She smiled as if the question was foolish.

“No, he could never do that. He’s just putting it off. And that’s why he keeps worrying and suffering.”

She looked so terribly sad as she said this.

-Are you really all right with that?

“I have all the time in the world.”

Of course, it wasn’t as though she’d simply endured being trapped in the barrier all this time. After her last attempt, she knew it was possible. If she tried a few more times, slowly, it might not be impossible at all.

-So you were thinking that, after all.

Granviphra’s tone remained unchanged.

“?

-It’s common. The longer-lived the being—demon, elf, or anyone else—the more easily they fall into that delusion.

And yet, beneath those words, an unshakable heaviness and sorrow came through.

“What do you mean? What delusion?”

-You’re not wrong. For those like us, with long lives, it’s the natural choice. For those without, perhaps it’s even noble.

His words carried not only a deep sadness, but also a bitter, directionless mockery.