episode_0039

Past life.

Imprisoned in Tartarus at the Tower of Babel.

The seven days and nights I spent with the saint in that fiery hell-like foggy place were quite enjoyable.

Aside from that, it was inevitable that it would be boring. It was truly terrible to be tied up in a boring prison with nothing to do, nothing to see, nothing to do.

At that time, I had a conversation with a saint about boredom.

“Isn’t the saint boring or anything like that? Always sitting quietly and smiling.”

“Haha.”

At that time, the saint gave an answer that was truly her own.

“I learned that the secret to enjoying life is to enjoy the joy of hard work.”

“Ingo? joy? What kind of mental masochist are you?”

“Is that possible? You can think of it as a kind of mental training. It is to practice the virtue of waiting and not to give in to evil temptations when they come.”

“The virtue of waiting? Are you saying you like being boring? Then why don’t you live your whole life waiting?”

“Isn’t it a beautiful virtue not only to wait, but also to calmly face any hardships? I think so.”

“Giggles, life is busy with playing, so what are you doing raising something like that?”

He is a true human being.

He is a person who has reached a spiritual level.

That’s why I was touched.

“And, you never know, right?”

“What.”

“One day, I will face the arduous ordeal of having to wait patiently for a very long time.”

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about when you’re going to fall down soon, saint?”

“There is nothing that can be guaranteed in the dizzying world of human affairs.”

“Giggles, the majestic Demon King Nauri says he will kill us, but that is the confirmed future.”

If I think about it, back then, when I heard the saint’s words, I dismissed them as just nonsense she said all the time.

“… Still.”

“Hmm?”

“Still, I.”

Looking back now.

“When such a situation arises, I hope Joker will not forget me.”

“What are you saying?”

“I won’t forget either. No matter how much time passes, I will never forget Joker. Seven blessed days and nights we spent together in this dark Tartarus.”

“Puhahaha! Did your food spoil today? Why are you suddenly talking nonsense?”

“Haha. It means that the virtue of patience is so noble and important.”

“Giggle.”

It seems that what the saint said to me at that time was not just a lie.

Isn’t this consistent with my current situation? Funny. Does the saint have the insight to foresee the future?

Anyway, anyway, so.

Before, I couldn’t understand the ‘aesthetics of waiting’, but now I understand.

I’ve been waiting for Aru to give in for hours now, but I’m just having fun.

“Kkiiing… .”

Our wolf king, Aru, doesn’t seem to like it that much.

Aru still hasn’t touched the meat. In other words, it means that you have been starving for several hours. There’s no way I would have fed something to the product that was about to be sold at the auction house, so I may have starved for longer than I thought.

I am relaxed. This is because victory is a definite wait.

If he continues to starve like this, Aru will eventually die. But Aru must not die. Because she is the king.

Aru has a destiny to somehow survive and lead the wolves. Aru is a prisoner born with the destiny of a king.

“Hmm?”

“Grrr… ! Grrrr… !”

“Aren’t you tired? Your physical strength is really good?”

“Kkiing… Grrrr… !”

“You’re so weak you can’t even bark anymore? It’s good because it’s not noisy.”

Oh, you can’t do that.

Although I spoke leisurely, it is not good to hurt Aru’s neck.

Why can’t I just hit my head and not hurt my neck? Because it is difficult to regenerate the neck.

I have to quickly feed Aru some meat. But it will take quite some time to eat voluntarily… Ah, a good idea occurred to me.

“Wow, I’m sleepy. I need to take a nap.”

“Grrr… ?”

“You can stay calm, right? Can’t I wake you up? Then are you going to get scolded again?”

As he held up the magic wand and flicked it gracefully, Aru trembled greatly.

“I couldn’t sleep at all and I’m so sleepy. I need to put on some snow… .”

I sat down against a nearby tree, muttering to myself in a voice that Aru could understand. My two eyelids closed as if showing off.

Whether you are a human, a demon, or a beast, it is the same for everyone to be lenient on themselves if they do not have eyes to see. Conscience in the heart is also shrinking.

Now, no one is watching Aru. In other words, no one will see whether Aru eats meat or not.

Of course, there are only Aru and I here, so if the meat disappears, it means that Aru has eaten it, but the temptation of the sweet gravy in front of him will be too much for Aru, who has wolf blood.

She does not have a spirit that has reached the level of a saint like a saint.

“Cool… .”

“Ur… le? I’m really sleeping… ?”

“Cool cool… .”

“Kkii… hungry… .”

I am very excited to see what will unfold after taking a nap.

*****

The fresh scent of grass in the gloomy bush tickles the tip of my nose.

The hot sunlight passes through the air and stings me.

This is Masurin.

I have just woken up from a nap.

As soon as I came to consciousness, I immediately turned my head. Toward the prison cage where Aru was imprisoned.

“Oh!”

“Well, what are you looking at! Wow!”

In Aru’s prison, which was in my sight, I couldn’t find anything like a prison where blood was flowing even after washing my eyes.

It means that it worked out as I intended.

“You finally ate! good job! Aru!”

“Grrr… ! Don’t talk nonsense! I didn’t eat anything!”

“Really? You said you didn’t eat anything?”

“Kung!”

This little bastard’s son learned how to misbehave from a young age.

“Really? Then what is that bright red thing on the corner of Aru’s mouth?”

“Grrr… ? Put it in your mouth… ?”

I smiled slyly and pointed at Aru’s mouth. Aru wiped the corner of his mouth with a puzzled expression, then became startled.

“Kkkk! Kkkk!”

“Puhahahaha! Aru, was the meat that delicious? So much so that you forget to clean your mouth?”

“Ah, ah, no! Grrr! I didn’t eat it!”

Aru hastily tries to cover his face with his two small hands. Aru, whose face turned red uncontrollably, strongly denied it, like a thief shaking his feet.

Even a child knows that a strong negative is actually a positive.

“Aru, was it delicious?”

“Ugh… .”

“You asked me if it was delicious, Aru. Should I answer?”

Whilick-!

“… !”

He picked up the magic wand he had used to beat Aru before going to bed and twirled it lightly.

“Ma, it was delicious! Wow! I answered! Don’t hit me!”

As soon as Aru saw the magic wand, Aru’s pupils shook as if there had been an earthquake. It’s also my magic tool. One effect is great.

“Oh! Good answer! Since I followed the orders well, I guess I should give him a reward again, right?”

“Keng? Award?”

“If you don’t follow orders, you will be punished! If you follow orders well, you will receive a reward! I told you earlier!”

“I heard! I remember! Kkkk!”

“Yes, yes, our Aru is very smart.”

Another piece of meat was taken out of the bag and put into the cage. Aru glanced at the meat from the corner of his eye.

“What, you’re not going to eat it?”

“Grrr… .”

“Then there’s nothing we can do! I’ll clean it up!”

“Keng? Kkkk! Kkkk!”

When I suddenly touched the meat, Aru barked furiously.

I smile softly and speak out.

“What, don’t clean it up? You’re not going to eat it, right?”

“Kkkk! You left it alone earlier! Why take it!”

“Because it was just a special service? If you’re not going to eat it, you should clean it up. Wolf’s habits will get worse.”

“Kkiing… ! Are you really going to take it?”

“Then should I take it as a fake? Choose, say you want to eat it right away, and I’ll give it back to you. If you don’t eat it now, you won’t be able to eat this meat in the future.”

Aru’s dusty face shrunk as if in panic. Although it is a short moment, Aru is deeply concerned.

Should I take care of my pride as a noble king like this, or should I take care of the delicious meat?

“Kkiing, kyung, kking… .”

Finally, Aru crawls on all fours inside the prison, making soft noises. The sight of a human-shaped beast twirling around the cage was quite comical.

“Aru, are you throwing a tantrum now?”

“Kkiing… Squeak, squeak… !”

“No. Don’t watch it. Go back.”

“Kkiiing… .”

Aru’s head lowered. The finely curled ears represent Aru’s feelings.

“It’s simple. Now, right in front of my eyes, tell me that you will eat it without leaving anything behind. Then I’ll give it to you.”

“Kkiing… .”

It’s difficult to cross the line once. But once you get over it, it’s easy to get over it two or three times. Aru has already crossed the line once.

There is a conscience in the heart of every living thing. When I opened my eyes, Aru made a choice to betray his pride due to the fact that no one could see him. If you’ve already done it once, there’s no reason you can’t do it again.

Since I am watching with my eyes open, it may be a little more humiliating than before.

The hunger that had been starved for quite a long time would not have been satisfied with just one piece of meat.

“Don’t you tell me? Shall I take it? I definitely gave Aru a chance, but did he choose it?”

“Gi, wait! Wow!”

“Wait? I don’t like it?”

“Well, I’ll eat it! Kkkk! You can eat it!”

In the end, Maaru gives in to the temptation of meat. This made us one step closer to each other.

“Kkiing… Bad demons… I’ll kill you… I will kill you someday… .”

… The word intimacy is subjective, so by my standards, it’s true that we have become intimate.

“Very well thought out! Now, eat it now! If you don’t eat it, I’ll take it back!”

“Kkkk! Don’t take it! Well, I’ll eat it!”

Wolves are naturally possessive of their prey. When I took aim at that point and tried to touch the meat again, Aru immediately ran up and put the meat in his mouth.

Next, Aru’s meal time.

“Right now… .”

A piece of meat disappears into Aru’s mouth in an instant. It’s like looking at a black hole. To that extent, Aru is frantically chewing, tearing, and swallowing meat.

“Aru, is it delicious?”

“Grrr… !”

“If I say it’s not delicious, you won’t give it to me in the future?”

“Ma, it’s delicious! Wow! It’s delicious!”

“Hahaha! It makes me happy to hear that the meat I prepared with so much effort is delicious!”

I gently extended my hand to Aru, who was engrossed in his meal. When Aru saw the shadow of a hand cast over his head, he growled for a moment and then quietly asked for the meat, probably because he was afraid of having it taken away.

Ssyuk-.

Aru’s hair was as soft as a cloud, perhaps because of his fluffy fur. As I slowly stroked it, I felt great pleasure from hitting such a pretty head mercilessly with the magic wand.

Giggling, I look forward to the time when I won’t hear anything again.

“Kkiing… Sigh… .”

“Aru, why are you doing this again?”

“Don’t touch your hair… .”

“Huh? Why?”

“That’s something only my mom and dad did… .”

Aha, so you’re saying it feels good to be stroked?

Perhaps because he was recalling memories from his childhood, Aru pursed his lips with a slightly relaxed face.

“Don’t tarnish the memories with mom and dad… ! Grrrr… !”

… Ah, was that the reason?

“What should I do!”

“Keng… ?”

“Aru has no choice! If I, the leader, want to do it, I will do it!”

“Kkiing… Wow… .”

What an interesting beast, the wolf.

It has a taming taste. It’s a lot of fun to make fun of.

Now, what should I order next? … hmm?

Are you already here?

Rustling-.

At the artificial sound of the bushes, Aru and I immediately turned our heads. A premonition of a difficult future comes over me.

“I finally found it. That damn guy.”

“Does the King Wolf communicate with demons these days? You stay still when I pat your head?”

“They say that both dogs and wolves have the same origin. It’s all the same when you see a demon and taunt it.”

“Didn’t you get beaten to death by Cerberus three years ago? Is it okay for a guy like that to make disparaging remarks?”

“… Damn, I have nothing to say. How to beat a guy with three heads.”

Two sturdy men who had been hidden by a tree came out confidently. The fact that they showed up after just watching means that they were confident that they would fight and win.

This is truly an arrogant confidence. You have to know how long and short it is.

“I didn’t even know that nice gentlemen were following me. Since when did you follow me?”

“Ever since you messed up at the auction house. I cast a tracking spell.”

“That’s right, I actually knew that. But you came earlier than expected?”

Other demons are probably still on the way.

They are not the only enemies I have to deal with. Several demons are tracking me… Anyway, it doesn’t matter if it’s Lilith. Unless Lilith is much more powerful than me at the moment, she wouldn’t be a big threat to me with the saint’s rosary.

Oh, and I shouldn’t run into that mustachioed man who sat next to me at the auction house either. My energy was not normal.

“The bird that rises early catches the food.”

“Don’t you know that those who wake up early get eaten first?”

“… Are you telling us to feed you now?”

“Why did you get stabbed? It feels so good! It’s accurate!”

“This is absurd. What can a person who is just a corpse believe in?”

Sereung-.

One of the two demon men held a sword. Without saying a word, I put my hands in my pockets and fiddled with my secret weapon, which was a couple of sticks.

A saint’s rosary that only I can handle in the vast demon world.

“Hey, do we really have to fight? Can’t you say it in words?”

“You confidently provoked me, and now you’re trying to get away with it?”

“You’re worried. We don’t have to fight, right?”

“Think about it if you leave this king and go away quietly.”

While spitting out those words, the man laughed wickedly.

It’s a foolish trick. I’m their only witness, and there’s no way they’ll let me live.

“Grrr… !”

Aru looks at the unfamiliar men and growls. It’s a sound that makes the cold atmosphere even more frozen.

“It looks like you are trying to refuse. Well, nothing changes.”

Should I reveal here that I am the third son of the Northern Duke? No, there is no one here anyway, so if those two demons kill me, no one can point to them as suspects.

Likewise, even if I kill those two, no one will know it’s me.

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump-.

The sound of drums coming from somewhere heightens the tension. This drum sound, which exists only in my mind, always serves to elevate and excite me. Like Paplov’s dog responding to the sound of a bell. Or like Lua flinching from a magic wand. Hot blood rushes to my head.

Heart pounding, pounding – my heart is beating violently. I held the angled cross tightly.

At the same time, the two demons who were exchanging unknown signals with their hands kicked the ground towards me.

*****

delicious.

It’s soft.

Give me more.

Give me more.

it hurts.

Upset.

Cold smell.

The smell of iron that my father said I had to watch out for.

scared.

When I smelled that smell, my dad disappeared.

Dad didn’t come back.

The young demon steps forward.

With your back to me.

Dad was like that too.

Dad is dead.

Then, will the young demons die too?

… no.

Even though I’m young, I know everything.

A young demon cannot die.

A young demon is protecting me.

An evil demon is protecting me.

The evil demon must not die.

I am the king, the king of wolves.

You shouldn’t die.