Calamity – 禍 (4)

---

Humans are the Demon’s primary prey. Not because they particularly hate humans, but for the extremely rational and logical reason that they are easy to hunt.

Elves are too powerful individually to hunt, and the Aein are violent. Su-ryongin live in the sea, making them difficult to approach, and minority races, including Dwarves, are hard to meet and mostly live in hiding, making them difficult to find.

‘Compared to that, humans…’

Truly, in the eyes of a Demon, humans and goblins look the same. Weak and pathetic, yet incredibly numerous. Spreading demonic energy and watching them scurry away is an amusing game. Combined with their inherent desires, humans are the perfect subjects for experimenting with those desires.

‘But the hero who defeated the Demon King was human.’

Even for Demons with a subconscious reverence for the strong, humans are the most suitable beings.

Unfortunately for humans, Demons ‘like’ humans the most.

‘…Is this fully the North now?’

Looking out the window, I saw trees with countless sharp leaves. Speculating about Plüton’s identity, time had already flown by like this. I’ve gotten used to the fraudulent energy that erodes my body, becoming familiar with it now.

However, Shuriel seemed constantly bothered, frequently furrowing his brow. He would try to manage his expression following Pawin’s advice, only to let his lips droop again in rising annoyance.

This happened three or four times.

Shuriel narrowed his eyes at the occasional wooden buildings and said,

“Is that Cherenel over there? Buildings are starting to appear.”

The buildings Shuriel pointed out were huts. Huts that seemed to fit the name of the North, sparsely placed along the road.

Pawin shook her head and said,

“…Those are shelters for those who couldn’t adapt to the fraudulent energy and collapsed. Lord Cherenel’s territory is about an hour away… I think we’ll arrive.”

“It’s almost here then.”

She said that walking alone in the North isn’t a good idea.

The fraudulent energy clings to the body, consuming stamina twice as fast as usual, or so she said. There are many places to rest and avoid monsters besides here.

“It’s unique. In many ways.”

I blurted out my honest impressions.

Compared to the South and East, and even the South I’d heard about, it was a very different place. It didn’t feel like an Empire. It’s only classified as an Empire because humans, the same species, live there, but it felt like an individual country.

Pawin nodded in agreement with my impressions and said,

“…That’s right. The North has less influence from the Imperial Palace. Beyond the North… there are many desolate places, including the Shiren Gorge where we need to go.”

I understood. There was no reason to needlessly provoke the North, which served as a breakwater. The North itself has many dangerous monsters, not to mention the wastelands beyond. If they provoked it and the Northerners migrated, the West and East would have to bear the burden.

“…You’ll feel it when you arrive at Cherenel.”

Cherenel, the first stop on the way to Shiren Gorge.

There are only five families in the North, compared to its vast land. Cherenel, despite being a Baron, managed a considerably large territory.

There was a shortage of nobles willing to manage the barren and difficult land, and even fewer nobles had the troops to defeat the swarming monsters.

Therefore, the families of the North had to be one or two levels higher in rank than ordinary nobles. Shuriel had even mentioned that Northern nobles are quite troublesome opponents due to their unique nature.

In other words, even though I’m a Baron, I can’t treat them carelessly.

I nodded and quietly closed my eyes.

---

“…From here, we have to walk.”

We got off the carriage and chose to walk as we approached Cherenel.

We pulled down our scarves and hoods, hiding our presence as much as possible.

It’s not that they outright reject outsiders, but they don’t exactly welcome them either. Especially if the other party is a noble visiting with the goal of providing aid.

Well… I think it’s because of my unique horns that draw attention, but that doesn’t mean the fundamental reason disappears.

“Ha. Unbelievable. I came to clean up their mess, and what is this?”

Shuriel scoffed after hearing Pawin’s warning.

A noble’s visit always brings anxiety, but this was excessive. It’s an official order from the Holy Empire, and they should have heard the news, yet this is the treatment they receive.

“…It’s my fault.”

Then, Pawin said in a gloomy voice.

“…Their wariness stems from distrust. The distrust towards the Proxy who fails to eradicate Plüton and only leaves behind damage each time.”

The environment is already difficult to live in. Plüton’s rampage has pushed anxiety to the extreme.

Like how one bad word is remembered more than a hundred good ones, one person’s lament spreads in all directions, creating contagious resentment. The echoes of sighs reverberating over death are very toxic and difficult to cure.

Pawin didn’t know the cure. The best she could do was to take all the resentment upon herself.

She.

That was enough for her.

“You…”

Shuriel’s face turned red for a moment, and he struggled to suppress something that had risen up to his neck. He glared at her for a moment in that state. Pawin simply closed her eyes and continued walking silently.

A few seconds later.

Pawin narrowed her eyes and said,

“…Once we pass that point, we’ll be at Cherenel. We have preliminary identification and a scroll with the Baron’s seal, so we can pass without inspection.”

Following her gaze, I saw two guards standing watch.

After walking a few more steps, one of the alert guards noticed us hiding our presence and drew his sword.

“Remove your hoods and identify yourselves!”

Indeed, the way they treat suspicious individuals is somewhat violent, befitting the North.

Shuriel’s eyebrows twitched, but Pawin, who had already visited several times, skillfully took out the scroll.

“…I am Hanil, who visited before. I came by order of the Baron-nim.”

“Hanil? Ah, the woman who came before.”

The guard put away his sword with a welcoming voice.

“Hanil?”

“…It’s a disguise.”

She whispered quietly, only loud enough for Shuriel and me to hear, and then took out a tea leaf pouch and handed it to the guard.

“…You’re working hard. Here, a small gift.”

“Ooh, Dreil tea leaves? They don’t grow in the North…”

“…I obtained them while traveling to various places by order of the Baron-nim.”

“Thank you. You’re helping me out again. Are the two behind you your companions?”

“…Yes.”

Shuriel’s horns were somehow covered. Using disguise magic was a headache because it absorbed Mana, but it worked because it was broken due to the fraudulent energy. It periodically dispels, so I have to keep casting it.

“…It’s difficult to remove the hoods here. I ask for your understanding.”

“Well… that’s fine. Just don’t cause trouble and behave yourselves.”

“…Of course.”

The guard, pleased to receive the tea leaves, gave a look to his fellow guard.

“May there be peace under the light.”

The shout burst out simultaneously.

Pawin slightly bowed her head and headed through the open gate.

---

The streets of Cherenel felt familiar.

Pahelun.

The streets of the city that suffered a sudden monster invasion due to the Labyrinth outbreak.

Cherenel was quiet, and the faces of the few people were stiff. However, the crucial difference from Pahelun was that the residents of Cherenel had become accustomed to it. They wore indifferent expressions, having adapted to the heavily descending fraudulent energy and the cold, dangerous situation.

It was similar to a country feeling peace amidst a truce.

They were somewhat familiar faces.

Also, the situation on the streets didn’t seem too serious. After hearing Angheln’s additional explanation, Plüton targets back alleys or weak, remote villages. As the attempts to subjugate him continue, he becomes more cunning and tends to avoid places that would attract attention.

Pawin said, straightening her posture.

“…The most recently confirmed route is Shiren Gorge. It’s unusual and different from usual, so we assume there’s a residence there.”

Considering that the previous ‘scorching’ occurred in the city center, it was certainly strange. Shiren Gorge is a deadly place called the ‘Mouth of Death’. A perilous place visited only by a small number of people to collect magic power stones.

It was a difficult place for humans, Plüton’s target, to enter and exit.

“…I’ve done some investigation on my own, but the terrain is rough, making further investigation impossible.”

“What did you find?”

“…Nothing. The existence of a residence is also just speculation.”

It’s a wasted effort.

Pawin and Shuriel shook their heads with dissatisfied expressions.

I reapplied the disguise magic to Shuriel’s head and said,

“We’re not going to the gorge right away, are we? There’s no need to be so gloomy. It’ll work out somehow. We have time.”

“You’re unusually confident today. Do you have a plan?”

“It’s just that seeing you like that reminds me of how I used to be, and it makes me feel bad. Okay?”

Pawin smiled faintly at my words, and Shuriel licked his dry lips and turned his head away. I made a sulky face, looking at Shuriel, who was still not honest.

Pawin chuckled and said,

“…Shuriel. Your partner is right. It’s getting late, and we need to find accommodation. If you’re hungry, I’ll look for a restaurant.”

The topic changes. I smiled brightly and eagerly took the bait.

“Eavesdropping at taverns is more common than you think, right?”

“What on earth-“

“I know it well. Going to a tavern is the right thing to do in this situation. Who knows? We might hear important information.”

It was half a joke, but it seemed better than standing here blankly. At this rate, we’d find accommodation, have a simple meal, and then leave without saying much.

Is it because of my habit of seeking stimulation?

I won’t tolerate such boring things.

Even if I have a special relationship with Shuriel, the reason I catch Demons is… well. I’m sorry to Shuriel and the humans, but it’s to have some fun with Shuriel.

Being with Shuriel puts me in a ‘satisfied state’ 24 hours a day. Whether it’s sexual desire, self-destructive desire, or whatever. That’s why I’m so afraid of being abandoned.

Who knows? Maybe Shuriel, who has been holding back, will rape me, or maybe something else will happen.

Pawin, unaware of my inner thoughts, said with a strangely benevolent smile,

“…I know a restaurant, so let’s go there.”

*

Most restaurants in the North were in the form of taverns.

Because the most popular drinks were tea, beer, and warm milk, in that order.

As you can see, they tend to prefer warming the insides or heating the body. However, tea has as many types of leaves as there are tastes of drinkers, making it difficult to supply.

Northerners chose alcohol as a substitute.

“No alcohol for me. I’ll just have milk.”

Shuriel waved his hand, saying that alcohol during a mission was out of the question. Pawin recommended tea, but he said he was tired of it from drinking it so much on the way.

I chuckled at his unexpectedly wholesome appearance and said,

“I can drink milk anytime…”

―Annyeonghaseyo~ Customer-nim~

In this good situation, a languid voice like Pawin’s was heard.

“I’ll take your order~ What would you like~?”

It was the tavern girl.

While Pawin’s words were a bit late but disciplined, the tavern girl’s words were drawn out and sleepy.

Her hair was the same red as mine. I wondered if she could even walk with such heavy hair-it was so long. Roughly, it would reach her calves. Overall, she was a slender beauty.