Witch – Chapter 112 – The Witch and the Black Knight (23)

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“Huh, huhhhh—how!? Let go! Let go right now!?!”

The cursed doll spewed dark energy in an attempt to break free from my grasp, but compared to Edel’s demonic power, it was pathetically weak.

“You really are weak.”

“If I’d just had enough time and materials, I could’ve—!!”

Any semblance of horror, mystery, or suspense that one might expect from a cursed doll was completely lost as it flailed helplessly in my grip.

And then there was that line—something straight out of a mad scientist’s rant.

Was this thing always like this?

First Edel, and now this. Two of the Four Heavenly Kings were turning out completely different from what I’d expected. The cognitive dissonance was almost too much.

What kind of battle is the Demon King even fighting alone?

The Demon Realm felt terrifying in a whole different way now.

“Why aren’t the others coming!?”

It seemed like the doll was trying to summon the rest of its forces scattered across each floor, but… with Edel blocking the passageway, there was no way they could get through.

“What difference would a bunch of small fries make anyway?”

“Eeeek…! I can’t let it end like this! I have to fulfill the Demon King’s wish!”

It wasn’t like I was going to kill it, but the way it desperately thrashed around, scattering dark energy like its life depended on it… was almost endearing. Or maybe it just stoked my sadistic side. Perhaps the theory about the doll being the Demon King’s favorite wasn’t so far-fetched after all.

I considered playing with it a little longer—it had been a while since I’d gotten my hands on something this satisfying to torment—but in the end, I activated a magic circle to bind it.

Just like with Edel, thick and thin chains coiled around the doll’s body before dozens of magic circles layered curses upon it.

“D-do you even know who I am!? I’m one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings!”

I was about to seal it away properly, but the doll’s voice kept going without pause.

Oh, I know.

As the Cursed Doll of the Four Heavenly Kings, you’ve swept entire nations away with endless waves of puppets, regardless of time or weather.

The worst of the Four Heavenly Kings, turning every strong opponent into another puppet and endlessly expanding your forces over time. But that’s the future you. Not the current you, right?

“If you lay a hand on me, the Demon King will have you executed on the spot! Do you know how much he dotes on me!? Even if you escape him, the other Heavenly Kings will hunt you down! Do you have any idea how strong our Black Knight is!?”

Just a moment ago, this thing was talking about turning me into a doll and making me fight the Black Knight. Now it was using Edel as a shield to try and weasel its way out. It was… kind of pitiful, honestly.

In a way, though, it was almost human—using your coworkers when convenient, throwing them under the bus when necessary…

“Oh? Just how strong is the Black Knight?”

As I carved the binding rules into the doll’s core, I grew curious about how others perceived Edel and paused the sealing process for a moment.

When it came to teaching pure love, understanding how others saw him might be useful.

Maybe there were secrets even Edel hadn’t told me… It’d be fun to find out.

“If you knew, you’d be begging for your life right now! First of all, he’s ridiculously strong! Not as strong as the Demon King, but… he can slice mountains in half with a single swing of his sword! Someone like you wouldn’t last a single hit! All he’s good at is brute force! And the way he eats—ugh, even the Demon King muttered once that he’d never share a meal with him again! Plus, he ignores anyone weaker than him! He’s the worst! Just like you!”

I’d expected to hear something cool, but… the doll was just rambling in panic, spewing whatever came to mind. Was this supposed to be a threat or just trash-talking?

And then it had the nerve to insult me at the end?

I couldn’t just seal it away like this. That wouldn’t sit right with me.

“Aren’t you a Heavenly King too? Then doesn’t that mean the Black Knight’s weak? Just like you.”

I deliberately whispered slowly into the doll’s ear, and it trembled violently, as if trying to break free and punch me.

This thing’s reactions are way too satisfying.

“I—I’m…! The weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings! The Black Knight will definitely avenge me!!”

It actually admitted its own weakness. I almost felt proud.

“Then let’s test that. Whether he’ll avenge you or not.”

“Huh?”

“Edel, could you come down for a second?”

Sorry, doll, but Edel’s on my side.

The price for messing with me is steep. Might as well collect Edel’s share while I’m at it.

I infused my voice with mana, directing it toward the entrance. Soon, heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber.

“You’re not done yet?”

Edel appeared, arms crossed, his usual indifferent expression on his face as he leaned against the shattered doorframe and let out a bored yawn.

“There was another intruder? I thought there was only one…”

I expected the doll to freak out the moment it saw him, but—strangely—it didn’t recognize Edel.

Wait, was it because he wasn’t in his armor?

Shouldn’t Heavenly Kings recognize each other just by their aura?

“Edel. Could you put your armor on?”

“Hmm… If you insist.”

Edel channeled demonic energy into the armor piece on his chest, and in an instant, the full set of obsidian-black plate armor materialized around him.

Starting from the chest, then arms, legs, and finally—the helmet. From within the darkened visor, a pair of crimson eyes glowed ominously.

If he shouted “Henshin!”, this’d be straight out of a tokusatsu¹ show. I was so mesmerized I almost forgot what I was doing.

Meanwhile, the doll, now seeing Edel in full armor, began shaking excitedly.

Hope flickered across its otherwise expressionless face. With the Black Knight here, it must’ve thought someone like me was nothing to worry about. It even puffed up with pride.

“Black Knight! You came to save me!”

“No. I have no interest in the weak.”

“Eeeek! Help me!!”

Ignoring its pleas, Edel dismissed his armor and walked over to me.

“Estelle. Was there a reason you called me?”

His voice, deeper and softer than when addressing the doll, sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.

“Well, this thing here says you’re going to avenge it. And oh, the things it said about you…”

“W-W-Wait!? Don’t say it!?!”

The doll thrashed harder than before, practically begging me not to snitch.

Since when do dolls have this many emotions…?

Now I understood why the Demon King liked it.

“Revenge is the act of the weak. And I have no interest in the words of the weak.”

“Ehehe. You hear that?”

I sidled up next to Edel and smirked at the doll.

“Wh-what’s going on? Don’t tell me… you betrayed us!? After the Demon King spared you! How could you!?”

Its voice echoed furiously through the chamber.

I could see why it was so mad. The Black Knight it had bragged about was standing right there, casually chatting with the enemy.

“Betrayal? Betrayal implies I owe loyalty. Becoming stronger only benefits the Demon King’s army. I am learning pure love from Estelle. And growing stronger because of it.”

Sorry, doll. But the Black Knight you knew is long gone.

The gluttonous, brutish Black Knight is now just a ghost of the past. What can you do?

For some reason, I felt a wicked sense of satisfaction, like I’d stolen another woman’s man. I couldn’t stop laughing.

This is bad. I’m supposed to be all about pure love.

Well, it’s not like I actually stole him, so a little bit of this feeling is fine, right?

“S-save me!!”

Resuming the sealing process, the doll let out another ugly scream.

“Who said anything about killing you? You’re just taking a hundred-year nap. Oh, and by the way—Edel eats properly now. And as for him only being good at brute force? Just wait until you see how well he learns.”

I refuted every single insult the doll had thrown at Edel before flicking my finger to complete the seal.

The magic circle flashed pink, and the doll vanished. Only a faintly glowing circle on the floor remained, signaling the end of the sealing.

It’s not going to break out and grab my ankle like Edel did, right?

I cautiously tapped the circle. No movement. Good.

Edel was definitely a special case.

Like the doll said, he was the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings.

If he grew even stronger through pure love… someone like me might not stand a chance.

I stretched, loosening my stiff muscles. Being bound earlier must’ve left me a little sore.

Two Heavenly Kings left.

At this rate, I might finish sealing all of them today.

“Estelle.”

“Hm?”

“There’s something on your face.”

As soon as Edel spoke, he reached out and brushed off a speck of dirt from my cheek. The unfamiliar touch startled me for a second, but when I looked at his fingertips, I realized it was residue from when I’d pretended to get hit by the doll’s attack earlier.

“Oh, uh… thanks.”

I could’ve done that myself.

Still, I thanked him for going out of his way.

“Not done yet.”

“Huh?”

But Edel’s hands didn’t stop there.

Starting from the top of my head, then my ears, collarbone, shoulders, hands, even the hem of my dress—his touch slowly trailed downward, and my face grew hotter with each movement.

His hands, rough and calloused from battle, were unexpectedly delicate as they picked off every speck of dirt. I didn’t… hate it.

The tension I hadn’t felt while fighting the cursed doll now surged through me, every nerve in my body hyper-aware of Edel’s touch.

When his fingers traced my hip line, I squeezed my eyes shut.

What’s… going on? Why is he suddenly like this?

He even knelt to brush off dirt from my shoes before finally standing back up.

W-wait, that’s it?

“There’s one spot left… but you can handle that yourself.”

Edel glanced indifferently at one particular part of my body before turning away. My eyes followed his gaze—

A tiny speck of debris nestled between my breasts.

“I-I can do it myself, you know!?”

I released a pulse of mana, blowing away the remaining dirt.

…Wait, why am I even thinking about this!?

Absolutely NO touching there!

Without thinking, I crossed my arms defensively over my chest, trying to steady my breathing.

“A-anyway, where are the other Heavenly Kings? Is it south this time?”

Desperate to change the awkward atmosphere, I quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. It was frustrating how I was the only one acting flustered while Edel remained completely unbothered.

“Don’t know.”

“Huh?”

Déjà vu?

This conversation felt eerily familiar.

“The others are being cautious. No additional traces of demonic energy.”

So much for sealing all the Heavenly Kings today.

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell you the moment I sense them.”

“Oh, okay. That’s… good, but…”

If he could locate them like today, Josie’s journey would stay safe. Still, the anticlimactic feeling weighed on me.

“More importantly, since we’re in the north, I’d like to build a snowman together. Sion and Aria made one too. This must also be related to pure love, right?”

Edel pulled out a fairy tale book he’d brought from home, flipping to a page where Sion and Aria were building a snowman together, his eyes shining with excitement.

“If possible, I’d like to make one even bigger than theirs.”

“Ha… Fine. Let’s make a snowman. The biggest one in the world.”