Chapter 52 : Young Master

It has been three days since the lord collapsed. 

Today, we are finally able to meet the young master we’ve heard so much about. 

This opportunity was the result of relentlessly pestering the head butler at every chance we got.

And so, we are now headed to the office to honor this hard-won appointment.

Since the lord’s collapse, nothing particularly unusual has happened to us. 

That’s because we’ve been sticking to our usual daily routines.

We woke up, did our morning prayers, visited the prison (only to be denied entry), prayed again, conducted investigations…

The days were monotonous, almost no different from usual.

Still, there were a few noteworthy moments. 

One in particular was when the townsfolk drew lines on the ground as part of a festival.

At first, I had no idea what they were talking about. 

Out of curiosity, I went to see for myself, and to my surprise, they really were drawing lines on the ground.

A festival where the tradition involves drawing lines on the street… I couldn’t wrap my head around it. 

But hey, culture is diverse, and we should respect it, even if it’s odd.

Anyway, that’s how we spent the past three days.

It might seem like we wasted that time, but we weren’t completely idle.

Just yesterday, we made a decent prediction about where the demons might be.

Of course, it’s still unconfirmed, but I trust my instincts.

And while it may seem trivial, we also learned the name of this so-called young master we’re meeting.

Turns out, none of us had thought to ask for his name until now.

After some digging, we found out that the young master we’ve been looking for is named Aikus Rail.

Which brings us to the present—on our way to meet Aikus Rail.

Lost in these thoughts as we walk, the office door comes into view.

‘Ah, I just remembered something I didn’t prepare for,’ Seeing the office door reminded me of something I resolved to do last night before entering the office.

I recalled my thoughts from the night before.

I had spent a long time—nearly ten minutes in one spot—thinking about what to do if Aikus had indeed been subjected to mind control.

Eventually, I came up with a good solution. Unfortunately, this solution had one major flaw:
It required the use of magic.

That realization filled me with despair. 

Given my current situation, there was no way I could use that method. It was one of those moments where the gap between reality and ideal became painfully clear.

Blocked by the wall of reality, I deliberated again and finally came up with a new plan.

The solution was simple: if I can’t use magic, I’ll find someone who can.

The problem was finding someone who would cast magic on my behalf…

Luckily, Bliss knows basic magic, so that problem could be solved easily enough.

And if Bliss couldn’t use magic?

Well, then we’d be screwed.

But I trust Bliss. She’s capable.

With that, everything was ready. The only thing left to do now was to act.

I whispered to Bliss, careful to keep my voice low enough that the head butler wouldn’t hear.

“Bliss, can you use a soundproofing spell?”

“Yes, I can.”

“What about a binding spell?”

“That too is possible… but why are you suddenly asking this?”

Bliss looked at me with a puzzled expression, whispering back. 

She seemed unaware of my intentions.

“There’s something I need to prepare for. But more importantly, can you promise to follow my lead without any hesitation from now on?”

“Right now? Without hesitation?”

“Yes. No matter what happens, just follow my instructions.”

“Hmm… Is there an important reason I don’t know about?”

I nodded silently at her question. Bliss smiled faintly and nodded back.

“Understood. I’ll follow your lead from now on. Just tell me what you need.”

Her obedient response made me grin.

Having shaped her to my liking since we first met was one of the best decisions I ever made. 

If she were still the same person from back then, I wouldn’t even dream of pulling this off.

Now that all the pieces were in place, it was time to act.

Smiling at the thought of the events to come, I turned to Bliss, who spoke up.

“Ruina, it looks like we’ve arrived.”

Snapping out of my thoughts, I realized we were standing directly in front of the office door.
 

The butler opened the door for us, and we stepped inside.

Once inside, we sat down and began discussing the matter at hand. 

Since we’d requested the meeting, the conversation revolved around us asking questions and Aikus answering them.

As the conversation progressed, Bliss eventually asked a familiar question.

It was about whether Aikus could release Artorius.

And as always, his answer was:

“Hm, that would be impossible.”

Which, of course, led to yet another argument.

Bliss slammed her hands on the table and shouted.

“He’s a Paladin! You can’t just keep him locked up like this!”

“That’s precisely why he must be monitored,” Aikus replied. “If someone with such immense power were to harbor ill intentions, the consequences would be catastrophic.”

“But that doesn’t justify denying even visitation rights!”

“Oh, but it does. Who’s to say you won’t conspire with him?”

“Weren’t you a devout follower of the Faith of Origin? Why are you doing this?” Bliss asked sharply.

“I’m not anymore.”

Bliss narrowed her eyes at his unexpected answer. Her fists trembled in barely contained anger.

“But your father told me you were a faithful believer.”

“Hah. My father? That must’ve been ages ago.”

Aikus chuckled bitterly, a smirk playing on his lips as though he found Bliss laughable.

And what about me?

I simply sat by, observing their heated exchange and waiting for the perfect moment to act.

That moment was fast approaching. 

Bliss’s eyes were practically screaming that she wanted to kill Aikus.

‘Alright, time to get started.’

It was clear that words wouldn’t solve anything. I needed to take action.

I glanced around, checking my surroundings.

What I had to do now was verify whether Aikus was under mind control.

If successful, we’d have a much clearer idea of who was behind all this. 

While I already had my suspicions, it’s always best to confirm.

To take the first step in this plan, I leaned toward Bliss and whispered so softly that Aikus couldn’t hear.

“Bliss, activate a soundproofing spell.”

She turned her head slightly to look at me and whispered back.

“Right now?”

“Yes, I’ll create a distraction. You just need to cast the spell without him noticing.”

Bliss hesitated, seemingly unsure if I was serious.

But as I fixed her with a determined gaze, she eventually nodded.

“Understood. I’ll start the incantation. Just give me a moment.”

[O Divine One…]

Bliss began her incantation in a whisper so faint that even I, sitting beside her, could barely hear.

Satisfied, I shifted my attention back to Aikus and spoke in a slightly louder voice to draw his attention.

“Aikus, I have a question for you, if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead.”

“What do you think of the Church of the End?”

“The Church of the End? I think it’s a wonderful religion. I only regret not discovering it sooner.”

“Is that so…”

As I feigned a look of disappointment, Aikus’s smirk grew wider.

Honestly, it was infuriating. I wanted to punch him so badly.

Just then, Bliss whispered to me.

“The soundproofing spell is in place.”

“Then this time, when I give you the signal, use the binding spell on that person.”

After confirming Bliss nodded, I spoke again to draw attention.

“So, did you disobey the lord and offer money to the Church of the End?”

“How do you know about that…?”

Aikus stared at me in shock, like a child caught hiding a mistake from their parents.

I smiled faintly and continued.

“I heard it directly from one of your followers.”

“Those traitors…!”

“And here’s the most important question…”

Dropping my smile, I looked him straight in the eyes, my tone turning icy.

“Who was the demon you met, Aikus?”

The room fell silent, as if frozen, the moment I finished speaking.

“What… what did you just say?”

“I asked who the demon was. A succubus? Or perhaps an incubus?”

“What nonsense is this? There’s no way I would meet a demon!”

“Tsk, lying won’t work here. I already know everything.”

I cornered Aikus, speaking in a tone that made it seem as though his guilt was an established fact. His expression, as if baffled by the accusation, showed disbelief.

Suddenly, he stood up from his desk, shouting at us.

“This is outrageous! Is this what you came here to say? I spared my precious time for this, and now you come here to accuse me of colluding with criminals, prying into my religious affairs, and even slandering me? I won’t tolerate this any longer!”

Pointing at the door, he barked, “Leave immediately! If you don’t, I’ll call someone to remove you!”

Watching him throw a tantrum like a child, I smirked, an irritatingly mocking smile meant to provoke him further.

“Sorry, but I refuse. There’s still much to discuss, Aikus.”

“Then I’ll personally throw you out!”

His face twisted with fury as he made a move. At that moment, I murmured softly.

“Bliss, now.”

“[Holy Shackles!]”

Bliss’s chant unleashed her magic, and as her words ended, threads of light began to bind Aikus.

“What is this…?!”

He stared at us in alarm, losing his balance and falling. 

His startled scream betrayed his shock.

“Ruina, what do we do now?” Bliss asked, looking anxious, as if realizing she’d gone too far.

It was unexpected—her usually brash nature didn’t seem suited to worry. 

But now, uneasiness crept into her expression.

“Follow me,” I replied calmly. This was just another day for me, so I confidently took the lead.

We walked around the desk to check on Aikus. 

He was lying on the ground, entirely bound by the glowing restraints, desperately calling for his steward.

“Steward!!!”

His cries, so pitiful, resembled someone grieving a lost lover. 

It was almost enough to bring tears to one’s eyes.

“Ah, by the way, this room is soundproofed. No matter how loudly you scream, no one will hear you.”

I slowly approached him, cracking my knuckles with every step. 

Each popping sound echoed, and his face turned paler with every snap. 

Was he really that scared?

“N-no… don’t come any closer!”

Suddenly, he writhed on the ground, attempting to crawl away. 

I couldn’t help but laugh aloud—it was too funny. He looked just like a caterpillar.

Covering my mouth quickly, I glanced around. 

If Bliss caught me laughing at his plight, it could ruin the image I’d carefully built up with her.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice, her gaze fixed entirely on Aikus. 

Relieved, I silently recited the national anthem in my head to keep from laughing again, following him at a steady pace.

Mocking him was trashy behavior, I knew that. I hadn’t always been like this, but it felt natural now. 

After all, I’m a demon. What’s wrong with a demon doing bad things?

Besides, this guy deserved it. 

Four days of making us wait? I had been looking forward to this, grinding my teeth in anticipation. He really crossed the line.

Did my anger show on my face? 

Aikus’s terror seemed to grow as he scrambled away faster.

“N-no, stop!”

His feeble escape didn’t last long. He soon hit the wall, his retreat blocked by an immovable obstacle.

Despair washed over his face as he realized he was cornered. Feeling a bit of pity, I quickened my pace, stopping right in front of him.

I crouched down, meeting his eyes directly.

“Now then, shall we have a chat?”

“W-what are you going to do to me?” His voice trembled, fear evident in his wide eyes.

To ease his panic, I offered a smile.

“Why are you so scared? We’re just going to have an honest, straightforward conversation.”

“Liar!”

Ah, Aikus. At least he knows his situation well. 

That deserves a gold star, but sadly, this isn’t the time for praise.

Instead, I slammed my fist into the wall beside his face.

Bang!

The loud impact echoed in the room, and I stared him down.

“Listen up. If you keep talking back, this conversation might get… unpleasant. So how about cooperating, hmm?”

Perhaps it was the sheer force of my “kabedon,” but Aikus nodded slightly, finally compliant.

Ah, the power of a well-executed wall slam.

Satisfied, I brushed off my hands, stood up, and clapped once.

“Alright then, let’s get started!”

You’re done for, truly.