Chapter 40
Confusion
In the thick darkness, Johan stood frozen in a daze. Countless thoughts filled his mind.
‘What am I supposed to do...?’
The sun had set, and Johan would soon transform into a demon.
Countless people would witness his transformation.
Johan couldn’t leave a single one of them alive. For his own survival, he would have to kill innocent people.
Nausea surged within him.
He couldn’t bring himself to stain his hands with their blood.
He had experienced death at his hands several times since possessing this body, both directly and indirectly, but this time he simply couldn’t steel himself.
The people before him were innocent. They were persecuted and powerless, and they had even shown him kindness.
The moment he slaughtered them, Johan’s humanity would disappear forever.
He would spend the rest of his life as a cruel demon.
Johan clutched his head with both hands.
“...Fuck.”
If he didn’t want to abandon his humanity, he had to let the witnesses live.
Someday, Johan would likely pay for that choice with his life.
Could he bear the consequences?
Honestly, he wasn’t confident. He couldn’t bring himself to massacre all the slash-and-burn farmers before him, nor could he bring himself to leave witnesses behind and walk away.
Trapped in a horrific dilemma, he floundered without reaching a decision.
His head felt as though it might burst.
While he remained unable to do one thing or the other, someone cautiously approached him.
“A-Are you all right, sir?”
It was the old man who had cared for Johan.
Johan spun toward him with a terrified expression.
The realization that he might have to kill this man made Johan tremble in fear.
“Has this lowly one perhaps offended you in some way...?”
Though puzzled by Johan’s behavior, the old man bowed his head.
It was a survival instinct born from experience—a way of dealing with nobles.
Rather than provoking their capricious tempers by trying to discover the reason for their displeasure, it was usually better to lower one’s head as he was doing now.
The old man’s behavior left Johan somewhat bewildered.
He could sense no fear or terror coming from him.
It was the same when he looked around.
Every gaze directed at Johan contained only wariness and confusion. There was no fear or revulsion toward a demon.
It was strange.
The sun had set, which meant he should have transformed into a demon. From the farmers’ perspective, they had suddenly encountered one.
At the very least, he should have heard screams.
Yet there was no commotion whatsoever.
‘What is going on...?’
Johan immediately examined his palms.
They weren’t black.
All he saw were pale skin and small fingers.
When he touched his face, he felt only smooth skin.
There was no armor-like carapace.
This was not his demonic body.
A shock like a blow from a hammer spread throughout him.
Johan stood there blankly for quite some time.
***
As soon as Johan regained his composure, he returned to the hut.
‘...I didn’t transform into a demon.’
The sun had set, yet he was still human.
Not once had this happened since he possessed this body.
What could be the reason?
Only one hypothesis immediately came to mind.
‘Did my demonic body die?’
Perhaps it had perished after being impaled by the Holy Spear Espada.
It was entirely possible.
The Holy Spear Espada left demons with eternal wounds, and its pure divinity continuously burned the target’s flesh.
That dreadful holy relic had remained embedded in Johan’s body until the very end.
No matter how resilient a demon was, it would be difficult to avoid a fatal injury. It wouldn’t be strange if his demonic body had died.
As his thoughts reached that point, a faint hope and a trace of concern crossed his mind.
‘Could I continue living as a human from now on?’
The hope that he might no longer need to pretend to be evil and his concerns about the future descended upon him simultaneously.
The fact that he might no longer have to play the role of a demon was certainly satisfying.
The problem was what he would do from this point onward.
When even his immediate survival was uncertain, could he prepare for the coming apocalypse in the body of a young human?
Johan was skeptical.
Of course, it might not be entirely impossible, but the tower he had built until now would undoubtedly collapse.
He would have to remake every plan from the beginning.
And his problems did not end there.
His relationship with Ilea was also at risk.
The witch was clearly interested in Johan because he was a “demon.” Now that the “demon” Johan was gone, he couldn’t rule out the possibility that her favorable attitude would change drastically.
Depending on the circumstances, he might even have to endure Ilea’s hostility.
That would be an enormous burden.
Their contract was another problem.
According to its terms, Ilea was obligated to protect Johan.
The party with whom she had formed the contract was Johan in his “demon” state. If the “demon” Johan had died, she might have been forced to pay the price for failing to fulfill the contract.
In other words, Ilea might already be dead.
Of course, this hypothesis was only valid if the “human” Johan and the “demon” Johan were treated as separate beings.
If they were considered the same entity, Ilea wouldn’t die even if the demon Johan perished.
That was because the human Johan was still very much alive.
Johan swallowed a groan.
Nothing was certain.
He didn’t even know whether his demonic body was truly dead.
‘Should I search for Ilea first?’
If she really was dead...
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Johan’s expression twisted.
A strange pressure weighed upon his chest. Imagining Ilea’s death made him feel unpleasant.
Was it because he regretted losing the ability to use the witch’s power, or had he developed some attachment to her?
Johan himself couldn’t tell.
He released a long sigh.
‘For now, I should get moving.’
Sitting here and worrying all day wouldn’t give him any answers.
He needed more information and evidence to resolve the problems before him.
Johan immediately called for the old man.
“May I speak with your grandson?”
“Of course, but may I ask why...?”
“He rescued me, so I would like to reward him. I also have a few questions.”
“If that is all, I shall summon him at once. However, my grandson is still young and uneducated, so he may inadvertently offend you. Please forgive him with your boundless generosity, sir.”
The old man even bowed deeply as he addressed Johan.
Even accounting for how one was supposed to behave before a noble, his conduct seemed excessive.
Come to think of it, he had been like this from the beginning.
The old man’s eyes were filled with goodwill toward Johan despite their having only just met.
It didn’t take Johan long to realize why.
‘The Great Saint’s Eye.’
The effect of the transplanted holy relic inspired tremendous affection in any human who met his gaze.
It was an extremely useful power.
Another person’s goodwill could sometimes be worth its weight in gold, and Johan could take advantage of it without expending much effort.
Of course, it would earn him the hatred of demons, but that was a tolerable penalty considering the relic’s benefits.
Concealing his satisfaction, Johan said,
“Don’t worry and bring him here. I am not someone who concerns himself with formalities.”
The old man responded with a warm smile.
“Then please wait a moment. I shall bring him at once.”
Shortly after the old man left, a small, grimy boy approached the hut’s entrance.
Even though it was his own home, he couldn’t bring himself to enter.
He merely lingered outside, watching Johan’s expression.
Johan spoke to him.
“This is your home, so why are you standing out there? Come in and make yourself comfortable.”
Only then did the boy slowly approach Johan.
“E-Excuse me.”
The moment he entered the hut, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
He didn’t even meet Johan’s gaze.
It seemed as though he was deliberately avoiding his eyes.
Johan found his behavior strange, but he didn’t press him for an explanation.
“First, I should thank you. I appreciate you looking after me. If not for you, I might have fallen victim to a wild beast or a bandit. I will reward you handsomely for what you’ve done.”
The boy said nothing and merely bowed his head even lower.
His body trembled intermittently.
Johan continued.
“You seem uncomfortable here, so I will get straight to the point. I have a few questions for you.”
“I-I will answer honestly.”
“What is your name?”
“My name is Raon.”
“Very well, Raon. Was there anything unusual about the riverbank where you found me?”
“Something unusual...?”
“The corpse of a strange creature, an enormous spear, a mirror as large as a person—anything at all. Did you see any objects or phenomena you wouldn’t normally encounter?”
In order, he was referring to the corpse of the “demon” Johan, the Holy Spear Espada, and the original copy of Chapter Thirteen of the Calamity Book.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t find anything like that. That bag was the only thing beside you, sir.”
The boy pointed toward a corner of the room.
Johan’s backpack sat there.
“I-I didn’t open it.”
“There isn’t much inside, but you did well. You are a very honest child.”
“No, sir. I’m only sorry that I couldn’t be of any help.”
Johan shook his head.
“You’ve already done more than enough. I have just one final question. Can you read a map?”
“My uncle is a hunter, and he taught me a little.”
“Excellent.”
With that, Johan took a large map from his backpack.
“Can you point out where you found me?”
The boy carefully examined the map.
A moment later, he pointed at a location with his index finger.
“It was near here.”
Johan clicked his tongue.
‘I’m still inside the sacred containment formation.’
After Gawain struck him and sent him falling into the river, he must have washed ashore before traveling very far.
In other words, this settlement was within the Church’s search area.
They could descend upon the village at any moment.
“Then where is the village?”
The boy dragged his index finger across the map and indicated another location.
“Here.”
Johan furrowed his brow.
“Are you certain?”
“I am.”
The settlement was at least fifteen kilometers from the riverbank where Johan had been found.
“You carried me all this way on your back?”
The boy before him was remarkably small.
He appeared to be around Johan’s age, yet his body was considerably smaller.
There was no way this frail boy could have carried Johan for fifteen kilometers, especially within only a few hours.
“Answer me. Did you truly bring me here yourself?”
“Y-Yes.”
The boy kept his head lowered and answered in a trembling voice.
“Alone?”
“That is...”
Johan stared silently at him before speaking.
“Raise your head.”
The boy straightened his upper body, but he continued avoiding Johan’s gaze.
“Look into my eyes.”
The boy couldn’t bring himself to face Johan. He anxiously glanced around before lowering his eyes again.
Puzzled, Johan immediately grasped the boy’s chin and tilted his head upward.
Only then did their gazes meet.
Johan opened his mouth.
“Did you truly carry me here alone?”
The instant the question ended, the boy’s expression contorted violently.
An unfamiliar voice escaped his lips.
“Ah... Ah! I don’t want to look into your eyes. They make me want to challenge you and tear you apart!”
The voice flowing from his mouth did not belong to the boy.
Unlike before, it was a deeply unpleasant, monstrous screech.
Startled, Johan released the boy’s chin.
At the same time, the boy’s eyes lost their color. Like spreading ink, pitch-black darkness covered their whites.
“O Great End! Please allow this wicked creature to gouge out your eyes!”
His hand slowly reached toward Johan.
He was aiming for the Great Saint’s Eye.