“Nine times out of ten, the Ghost Demon attached to you is connected to the Noble House of Kiren.”
The Ghost Demons used as scouts by the Demon Army come in various types, but they all share one crucial trait.
That is, they possess a certain level of intelligence.
For a Ghost Demon to be attached to children moving to exact revenge against the nobles who destroyed their family?
Just this alone was enough evidence for me to be certain that it was tied to the Noble House of Kiren.
A greedy noble who would go as far as framing another family to climb higher would never waste energy caring about trivial matters in the Slums.
Yet, the scandalous incident before the regression had erupted in the Slums, and it was clear the malice was aimed at Murfin and Elena.
No human faction was watching over these siblings—so who could have informed Baron Kilen of their whereabouts and plans?
The answer was obvious.
“Well… until now, we’ve never detected any movements searching for you in the Slums. At best, the only one has been this guy standing right in front of you.”
At Toruman’s words, Murfin and Elena let out low groans.
“Still, it’s hard to believe some lunatic who instantly tries to clear suspicion by swinging a sword is someone we should trust.”
“Yeah, who’s asking you to trust him willingly?”
“……”
“I’ve done what I could. I caught the demon, gave you a chance, even tried to help with your revenge. Honestly, I think I’m pretty good-hearted. Don’t you agree?”
Murfin and Toruman shot each other a sharp glance.
Ignoring them, Elena, having recovered from the pain, asked.
“You said we’re needed, right?”
“Right.”
“Tell us your exact purpose. What do you want to use us for?”
Exact purpose, huh.
What would be the right answer to this question?
I already mentioned that we need to defeat the Demon King and bring peace to the world—so I doubted they were asking just to hear that again.
After a moment of thought, I spoke slowly.
“First, I want to help you come back out into the light.”
At that, Murfin and Elena’s eyes widened.
Their reaction was understandable.
Here in the Kingdom of Lumin, they were still rebels and traitors.
If their identities were discovered, they would face immediate execution.
“And after you come out into the light, you’ll join my ranks and receive proper training fitting of subordinates.”
“……Join your ranks?”
“Exactly.”
Toruman interrupted with a question.
“Were you a noble of the Royal Family?”
“No, I’m not even of commoner status.”
I twitched my mouth as I answered.
“But I am affiliated with the Royal Family, and I only take orders from the King.”
“……!”
Murfin and Elena, perhaps because they were once noble-born, seemed to grasp the meaning behind my words and showed surprised expressions.
“……Who exactly are you?”
“I’m the Hero, the one who came to help you, your future superior, and someone fighting for world peace.”
“……”
I said all I could.
I reached out my hand to them.
“If someone else said this, you’d probably ask, ‘Will you take my hand?’”
“……”
“But I’m not that person. Take it. This is your last chance.”
Elena swallowed and asked.
“And if we don’t?”
“Do you know what it means that a Ghost Demon has attached itself to you?”
It might sound sudden.
But it’s not sudden at all.
“A Ghost Demon is essentially a monster directly under the Demon King’s command, used as a scout.”
Demons infiltrate human society, study people, cause civil wars, and incite betrayal.
They lure humans with sweet words, intoxicating them with power and pleasure before leading them to ruin, ultimately devouring their souls.
In other words, demons who approach humans to make contracts have a clear purpose: to devour those humans eventually.
But what about the Ghost Demon we caught this time?
It shared information with Baron Kilen, actively worked to bring down a noble family, and was solely dedicated to endlessly satisfying the desires of its contractor.
If some of those desires had been fulfilled, it should have already devoured its contractee.
Yet, Baron Kilen was still alive.
A demon not carrying out its meal is proof that its purpose lies elsewhere.
“I don’t know what that purpose is, but one thing’s certain: the Demon King’s scout has been watching you. This means the Demon King is interested in you. It also means there’s a chance he might want to recruit you.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Of course, the Demon King won’t come to you directly with an offer. The problem is that you might end up becoming the Demon King’s minions on your own, or, feeling disgust for humanity, you might throw yourself into the Demon Army. The Demon King just nudges you in that direction.”
Murfin frowned.
“Isn’t that a bit of a stretch…?”
“Would you still say that after your sister was killed by Baron Kilen?”
“……”
His sharp retort silenced Murfin.
He clearly lacked confidence in himself.
I expected him to push back at least twice more, but his mental fortitude was weaker than I thought.
‘Or maybe it was already fragile to begin with.’
Anyway, mental strength can be rebuilt.
Exercise is the best way to clear distracting thoughts, so if they join me, I’ll keep them busy enough to stop thinking about other things.
“If you refuse to take my hand, I have no intention of letting you live here. I’ve been explaining the reasons up to now, so if your intelligence isn’t as lacking as I thought, you should understand.”
That was a matter for later.
For now, what mattered was whether these siblings would take my hand or not.
I directed my outstretched hand toward Elena and said.
“So take it. No more words.”
“……Haah. So there was never really a choice.”
Elena’s soft hand, like marshmallow, grasped mine, but the force within her grip was strong.
“Well done.”
It felt like a cat whining to let go, so I shook her hand up and down and released it.
“Hey, Cat Brother won’t take your hand?”
Murfin stretched out his hand with a reluctant expression.
“……Why the sudden nickname?”
“Since you’re my subordinates now, you deserve a codename. You two are the Cat Siblings from now on. From now on, you’ll answer my questions with a meow.”
The siblings responded with the exact same expression.
“Are you crazy?”
“Lost your mind?”
“I’m joking.”
The mood lightened as I intended.
Seizing the opportunity, I let go of Murfin’s hand and said.
“Cancel all the plans you made. Baron Kilen probably already has all the information, so they’re useless now, and worse, they’re ticking time bombs threatening your lives.”
Toruman quietly licked his lips.
“……Quite an investment went into preparations. It’s a shame.”
“How much was spent?”
“About 100 gold coins.”
“That’s a lot.”
Knowing what kind of plans these siblings had, I understood the amount well enough.
“You had to create the pretense of proposing a business to Baron Kilen and prepare accordingly.”
The plan began with Toruman, called the Capital Slums King, inviting Baron Kilen out under the guise of a business proposal.
Then the Redburn Siblings would set off bombs planted beneath the meeting hall—boom, boom, boom!
A magnificent fireworks and fire festival was set to unfold in the heart of the Slums.
But the plan would inevitably fail.
Baron Kilen already knew about it.
“Hmm, no, wait. Scrap that cancellation for now.”
I thought for a moment and came up with a brilliant idea, attempting to retract the message.
“Cat Siblings. I have good news for you.”
Murfin and Elena looked puzzled.
They didn’t seem to care much about the codename Cat Siblings after all.
‘So the problem was the “meow.”’
I twitched my mouth and said.
“I think we can legally take down Baron Kilen. Listen up.”
That day, I spent about three hours detailing the plan to take down Baron Kilen.
“Heh heh heh, this will be a very easy task.”
Baron Heiler Kiren rubbed his hands together with a sly grin.
Inside the moving carriage, a short man wearing a hood sharpened his sword and said,
“Don’t let your guard down. Remember, the person we’re dealing with is the former Hero.”
At the man’s words, Baron Kiren swept his bangs aside and snorted.
“Who doesn’t know that? Toruman was quite famous even in my territory.”
“Then you understand that his fist might smash your face.”
“Heh heh, that’s unlikely. You’re here.”
Baron Kiren stroked his waxed mustache, which shone with luster.
“That skill that wiped out more than half my mercenaries? Even if he’s the former Hero, handling a has-been should be easy for you, right?”
“I wouldn’t say he’s a has-been, but he’s skilled. Still, I’ll win.”
“Ha ha ha! It’s your confidence that earns my trust.”
Baron Kiren drank tea with an elegant posture.
Even inside the shaking carriage, there wasn’t a trace of disorder, showing his noble pride.
“Besides, this will be an opportunity to settle an old grudge. Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.”
“……You still have what I gave you, right?”
“Of course. It’s essential for our plan, so naturally, I’m keeping it safe.”
The man nodded.
“They planted many Magic Scrolls underground in the conference hall. I’ll tamper with the mana circuits to trigger explosions and handle Toruman simultaneously.”
“In the meantime, I’ll capture those two and throw them into the Order of the Royal Knights for terrorism charges. After that…”
“The Royal Family will take care of the rest.”
“Perfect!”
Baron Kiren’s position rose as the one who resolved the Capital incident.
Rising position is extremely important to nobles.
It determines who holds the advantage in legitimacy.
Legitimacy may mean nothing to some, but to nobles, it’s like precious fertilizer worth more than gold.
“It’s been ten years since I eliminated the rival family. Finally, my time to shine.”
Baron Kiren’s face beamed with ecstasy.
The man, watching this despicable scene, averted his gaze toward the changing scenery as if to ignore the filth.
“Apologies, Baron Heiler. I should have informed you sooner, but it seems we won’t make it on time, so I came out to greet you.”
Toruman bowed as soon as we entered the Capital, standing at the city gates.
Baron Kiren struggled to hide his surprised expression and asked,
“The meeting place changed? What do you mean?”
“We received intelligence that terrorists had infiltrated the originally planned venue. With help from the Order of the Royal Knights, the place was raided, and the perpetrators were caught. However, since it seems the terrorists’ target was you, Baron Kiren, it’s too risky to hold the meeting there. So, I’ve moved it to my own House.”
“I-is that so?”
Baron Kiren began sweating nervously.
‘What’s going on? Why the sudden change?’
He knew the Redburn Siblings and Toruman were in cahoots.
Despite that, he chose to walk into the trap because he was confident.
If someone from the Demon Army was helping, Toruman wouldn’t be a problem.
But…
‘If they’re terrorists, it must be those siblings. Could they really have been captured by the Order of the Royal Knights?’
If so, why did Toruman report them to the Royal Knights?
‘No, no. That’s not important now.’
The Redburn Siblings are wanted by the Royal Knights.
If their terrorist status has been handed over, the only fate left for them is execution.
‘Then the end must be…’
Toruman Wibeller.
What is this man’s true purpose for appearing before me?
Baron Kiren calmed his trembling heart and asked,
“Very well. Lead the way.”
“Please follow me, coachman.”
The carriage doors shut, and Baron Kiren asked the man polishing his sword,
“The plan’s a bit messed up, isn’t it?”
“I heard the Redburn Siblings were taken by the Royal Knights?”
“I think it’s a trap. Toruman was working with them, planning and coordinating. Unless there’s internal strife, he wouldn’t suddenly hand them over.”
“……Internal strife, huh.”
Baron Kiren smirked slyly.
“I’ll poke around a little.”
“Do as you please.”
The man leaned back in his seat with a nonchalant look.
Soon, the carriage arrived at a large House in the Slums’ center.
Baron Kiren got out and asked Toruman, who was about to guide him,
“Are you all right?”
“What do you mean?”
“The meeting place. I heard you spent quite a bit of your own money on it.”
“Haha, you heard about that? How embarrassing.”
Toruman cleared his throat.
“Honestly, it’s disappointing. We planned a grand party there, but I suppose it was the will of the gods.”
“Hmm? You a believer?”
“Hahaha, in a sense, I’m one of the devout.”
“Hmm.”
Baron Kiren smiled but ground his teeth quietly.
‘Tch, no openings.’
No foothold to dig into.
Before long, Baron Kiren entered Toruman’s House.
Seeing Baron Kiren sit on a luxurious sofa, Toruman asked,
“May I offer you some tea, Baron?”
“No tea. I’m busy and need to move quickly. Let’s get straight to the point.”
“Ah, the business proposal. Yes, I should mention that.”
Toruman wore a meaningful expression and spoke softly.
“First, I should tell you the name of the business I prepared.”
“Name? The Marble Stone Project is already grand enough, did you prepare something else?”
“Haha, just listen. We put a lot of effort into this.”
Toruman smiled at me.
“The business is called, ‘Rabbit in a Corner.’”
Pffft!
“……What?”
At that moment, Baron Kiren’s whole body sank through the sofa, pierced by a sword.
Suppressing the rising pain, he turned his head stiffly in shock.
The man who had been caressing his sword in the carriage moments before removed his hood and said,
“Don’t move. This is a holy sword, so you won’t die, but it hurts like hell.”
A small boy, barely twenty, pressed his hand down on Baron Kiren’s shoulder.
“Not bad, huh? You joined the Demon Army and even framed innocent people, so feeling pain is only natural. What do you think?”