Chapter 179: Amaranth Monastery (3)

At the end of the prison corridor, Eddie and Evan made eye contact. Gazing into Evan’s blue eyes, Eddie recalled their encounter in the cabin.

Rushing over after an urgent call that his mother had taken a turn for the worse, Eddie found his mother looking much healthier and Evan there. Evan was waiting by the head of the bed, smiling like a country doctor. Standing at the doorway, panting, Eddie had no idea why this man was here.

“Hello?”

Evan was a mysterious figure to Eddie.

He wasn’t a parishioner or a priest, yet he possessed superhuman strength and had openly criticized Andre’s teachings. Andre’s image back then, torturing a child while shouting about repentance, had given Eddie much to think about too.

Evan spoke to Eddie, who was too breathless to get angry or ask questions.

“Everyone says things like that. That they’ll change the world with their righteous ideals. That they’ll fix this flawed world.”

Eddie wiped the sweat trickling down his forehead. His oblivious younger brother stared blankly, taking a bite out of a cookie. Evan was stroking Eddie’s brother’s head with one hand, while his mother lay with a cool compress on her forehead, her face serene.

Eddie said,

“What do you want?”

“The ones who talk like that are usually the ones with the dirtiest secrets. You know that, right? You saw it before.”

Evan was reminding him of the child tortured under false accusations of theft. Eddie knew Andre’s teachings were wrong. He was still working as a soldier for the Amaranth Monastery. It was the only way he could support his sick mother.

Evan spoke to Eddie, who could only frown silently.

“Eddie. Can you help me?”

Eddie looked straight at Evan. Evan was clearly a good person. But then again, Andre, the head of the Amaranth Monastery, had seemed like a good person at first too. Before he started torturing people in the church’s basement and spewing his self-righteousness, Andre wasn’t a bad guy. Everyone reveals their true nature only after gaining power. There was no reason Evan would be any different.

“What are you trying to do?”

Eddie shot back, his gaze sharp. Evan replied to Eddie’s question,

“Love and justice.”

“I don’t believe in that stuff.”

Eddie said firmly. Andre was a man close to love and justice. The Andre he first met was certainly that kind of person.

But time had changed everything. It had clouded eyes that once shone with integrity and twisted his purpose for prayer. He wanted people brainwashed by suffering, not genuine repentance. How many times had he seen torture devices activated, lightning flashing?

Evan’s talk of love and justice might just be another turn of the torture wheel for someone else.

Love and justice are bullshit. They are temptations from the devil, never to be believed.

That’s what Eddie thought.

But Eddie’s voice trembled slightly, his eyes scanning the inside of the cabin. His gaze fell upon his mother, who looked peaceful. He saw the snacks Evan had brought for his brother. He saw the food filling his cabin and enough money to find another job right away.

Evan shook the coin purse on the desk and tapped the food box beside it. His brother scampered over and nudged the box. The unbalanced box wobbled, and Eddie instinctively reached out to steady it.

Just before his hand could touch the box, Evan pushed it upward first. Eddie’s ears turned bright red, and he avoided Evan’s gaze. Evan said with a laugh,

The sound of tapping the box could be heard.

“You don’t believe in love and justice? This? Really?”

Eddie was angered by the playful tone but had no retort.

Evan saw through the essence of evil. That once someone compromises with evil, they can dedicate themselves to it using love and justice as an excuse. All they need is an excuse and self-consolation that they are on the side of justice.

“…..What do I need to do?”

Eddie blinked again. In the dark corridor, Evan waited for Eddie to lead the way. Eddie took a deep breath and moved his feet. Everyone believes their actions are right. Eddie decided Evan, who saved a boy with no connections, was a better person than Andre, who captured people to turn them all into lunatics.

Eddie decided to think that way.

It wasn’t because of the money that flew into his house, the food to feed his mother, or the snacks for his brother that he caved. He was merely helping someone who was slightly better. Thinking that, Eddie stepped forward.

“That succubus demon is locked up underground. She’s bound by powerful suppression tools, and five of our strongest soldiers are guarding her in shifts. Even you would have a hard time taking down all those soldiers. They say those guys are experts at dealing with demons.”

Evan tried not to laugh at Eddie’s words. After all, there might really be strong soldiers waiting, just as he said. Thus, Evan and Eddie passed through a thick door and reached a secret chamber.

Evan took the torch from Eddie and said,

“From now on, you need to get out of here, no matter what excuse you use. Got it? As quietly as possible. Without raising any suspicion.”

Eddie nodded. Evan patted Eddie on the back, then headed towards the darkest stairs. The old floor was covered in mud and moss, emitting a damp smell.

Every day, the only faces they saw were identical helmets and torches; no one came looking for them, and the prisoners remained silent. A soldier in thick armor sharpened his axe while staring at the ceiling, and in the break room, other soldiers were playing cards, yawning, and chatting idly.

“Kgh… Ugh…!”

The succubus Kelly writhed, bound by chains. The magic symbols etched into the chains drained her power, sending her mana deeper into the basement. Kelly narrowed her eyes and spoke to the soldiers.

“Lady Milia…! She won’t let this stand…!”

“Hah!”

The soldier scoffed at Kelly’s threat. The soldiers playing cards exchanged glances and started chuckling. Kelly said,

“What’s so funny? If, if Lady Milia comes, you guys are nothing…!”

“Stupid bitch. The moment you were caught, that slut abandoned you.”

Kelly glared and twisted her body. As she mustered her strength, the chains naturally drew more power from her. Kelly endured the dizziness, struggling desperately to attack them.

“Don’t insult Lady Milia! Don’t call her that filthy name!”

She was enraged that Milia had been insulted, and the soldiers reveled in the fact that the helpless creature was still feisty.

“Hahahaha! Stupid bitch! This isn’t insulting that fucking whore! It’s pointing out your incompetence!”

Kelly gritted her teeth. She wanted to kill this soldier right now, but her body wouldn’t obey. Every time she forced her mana up, it drained away like juice being sucked out of a straw.

The soldier, his flat nose and thick lips quivering, mocked Kelly. Kelly turned her head away, unable to face the man’s hideous face. The soldier shook his helmet and said,

“If you were really useful, wouldn’t they have come to save you the moment you were caught? Huh! The fact that they’ve left you alone this long! Proves how useless you are!”

“No…! No!”

Kelly cried, shaking her head frantically. She believed in Milia. She was certain Milia wouldn’t abandon her for something like this. Milia had guided her since she was a very young demon.

There was no way she would abandon her over one mistake.

“It’s not true…!”

“Admit it. No one is coming to save you! You’re just going to be a sacrifice for our Lord Ahhtila, your mana sucked dry!”

“No!”

“Hahahahahaha!”

“Hahahahahaha!”

“N-no, it’s not true…!”

Even her firm denial was a source of mockery for the soldiers. The soldiers, boasting thick muscles and hideous appearances, saw Kelly start to whimper. With her strength constantly draining, cut off from outside news, and subjected to constant ridicule, even the toughest demon’s spirit would crumble. The fear that Milia might have truly abandoned her gnawed at her.

Kelly tried hard to hold back her tears. She took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and shook her head rapidly. One of the soldiers bent down, facing Kelly’s face.

“What? Crying?”

“What, the succubus is crying?”

“Hey, hey! Look at this! She’s actually crying! Just as expected from a succubus! Overflowing with fluids, top and bottom!”

“Hahahahahaha!”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Bound as she was, there was no way to endure their insults. Giving in to rage would destroy her body, and staying still meant slowly wasting away. Milia wasn’t coming to save her, and the laughter echoed. In this desperate situation, Kelly blamed herself for her reckless actions and tried desperately to swallow her tears.

The laughing soldiers slapped each other on the back and looked at each other. A blue light flashed above the soldier standing with his back to the stairs, and an axe flew.

Kwajik!

The soldier, his head split in half, groped the air as he walked forward before collapsing heavily onto the floor.

“L-Lady Milia!”

Kelly shouted with a wide grin, and the soldiers stiffened, drawing their weapons. Evan gave a V-sign and said to Kelly,

“Hello.”

“…Ah.”

A flash of disappointment and a sigh crossed Kelly’s face.

“Hey, fuck, I came to save you. That’s pretty harsh.”

Evan felt wounded.