DSB 32

When he stepped out of the temple, he felt that the village had become noisy. The temple stood on a hill, so he could faintly see the dust storm and the demonic beast that had invaded the village in the distance.

Lebel rode with the priest toward the source of the commotion. The closer they got, the more he heard things breaking and people screaming.

There was only one demonic beast in the village, but its size was enormous, and its strength was overwhelming.

Shati tried to stop it by pouncing on it, but the beast shook its body violently and threw Shati off. When Yutis approached and swung his sword, the beast blocked it with its fangs.

Even so, it seemed to be getting tired, because its wounds increased as the fight continued.

“You see? I told you there’s no need to worry. He’s incredible.”

The priest looked at Yutis with admiration. The people of the domain felt reassured at Yutis’s presence and cheered for him.

They had no doubt that Yutis would defeat the beast. Lebel also relaxed his body as he watched the beast that couldn’t match Yutis.

‘Hm? Was I too nervous without realizing it?’

Lebel realized something unexpected.

It seemed he had grown attached to that man. That must be why he came running. Or maybe he worried because it would be troublesome if the man died.

Humans didn’t heal quickly when injured. Just like that man screaming in pain after being wounded by the beast.

“I should treat the injured villagers. Young Madam, please wait here.”

The priest went to the wounded villagers and released holy energy. As Lebel watched, he heard Yutis’s groan and quickly turned his head.

“Ugh!”

“Young Master…!”

The beast’s huge forepaw hit Yutis’s back. Lebel saw that Yutis was bending down, he was protecting something.

“Ah, t-there’s a child…!”

There was a reason Yutis hadn’t dodged the beast’s attack. In front of him was a small child trapped under debris, trembling.

The child couldn’t move from fear and the weight of the fallen structure. The child looked familiar.

It was the one to whom Lebel had given a strand of hair enchanted with protection magic.

“Shati!”

When Yutis shouted, Shati ran in, grabbed the child’s collar with its mouth, and threw the child toward the crowd. The people caught the flying child.

The priest hurried to check the child, and fortunately, he wasn’t seriously hurt.

The protection spell must have activated when the debris fell.

So the child wasn’t the problem now. If Lebel had to set a priority, it wasn’t the child but Yutis.

Lebel clicked his tongue.

He should have forced the protective spell on Yutis earlier, even if he refused it. If he had, he might not have been wounded in that fight.

Once Yutis gave the beast his back, he couldn’t shake it off. Shati bit into the beast’s neck, but the creature knew that Yutis was the greatest threat, so it refused to let go.

“W-what do we do…”

“What about reinforcements?!”

“The castle’s already been notified! They’ll come soon, but…”

The people only stomped their feet in place. No one could intervene in that battle.

Lebel suddenly felt angry. Instead of worrying aloud, they should move.

He should have known from the start when Yutis acted so pointlessly kind. A man who sacrifices himself for others doesn’t live long.

Lebel brushed his fingers over the dagger inside his robe. With this human’s strength, even if he threw it, it wouldn’t wound the beast.

Then there was only one way.

Lebel quietly released demonic energy. Everyone was focused on Yutis, so no one noticed his action.

He wrapped the dagger with demonic energy and swung his arm to throw it.

With a dull sound, the dagger pierced the beast’s eye.

“Graaaah!”

While the beast howled in pain, Yutis slipped out from under it. But his back was already scratched by the beast’s claws and soaked with blood. His breathing was rough.

‘I don’t like this.’

The dagger left Lebel’s hand. He wanted to help more, but his arm was trembling.

His body hadn’t yet adapted to demonic energy, and forcing power had taken its toll. No, to be exact, his body couldn’t endure it.

He had used the dagger instead of a spell because chanting might have drawn attention, but the backlash was severe.

Yutis’s condition wasn’t good. Lebel measured how much demonic energy he had left. He still had enough strength to attempt a few spells.

For Yutis’s sake, he decided he should drive the beast out of the village by force.

[Leave.]

But the beast, maddened by hunger, didn’t obey Lebel’s command.

To the beast’s eyes, Lebel looked so weak that it could swallow him in one bite.

Lebel didn’t avoid the beast’s fierce killing intent when their eyes met.

Then the beast lunged toward him.

Yutis saw the beast rush not toward himself but in another direction, and he was confused for a moment, then realized its target was Lebel and shouted in shock.

“Lebel!”

Lebel saw the beast jump toward him, but he didn’t think of it as dangerous. What caught his attention was the name that came from Yutis’s mouth.

He realized Yutis had never called him by name. He had always called him Wife. Lebel had thought nothing of it and even preferred that title over his own name.

“Is that what matters right now?”

It would strain his body, but since he had already done so, adding a bit more wouldn’t be a problem.

He just had to use more demonic energy, enough that the vessel wouldn’t shatter. As long as he didn’t use so much that it killed him.

At that moment, Yutis pulled Lebel into his arms and swung his sword. Right in front of Lebel’s eyes, the beast’s fangs clashed with his blade.

Lebel’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect Yutis to move so quickly with that wound.

Normally, he would have deflected it, but now Lebel was in his arms, and the wound on his back was deep. Yutis’s blood stained Lebel’s clothes.

The hot red blood on his hand felt unpleasant.

“Ah…!”

“Yutis.”

“I’m fine….”

With that wound? The metallic scent of blood stung Lebel’s nose. He fixed his gaze on the beast’s menacing eyes.

[Get out.]

The beast’s ears twitched. Lebel sent another mental command.

[I said get out. What nerve makes you rampage in my front yard?]

Yutis didn’t miss the moment when the beast faltered. He knocked the beast back with his sword and then swung again to slice through its neck.

“Ha… haah…”

After a brief silence, the villagers loudly cheered. But it didn’t last long before Yutis collapsed.

Lebel tried to support him in surprise, but Yutis’s weight was too much for him to bear.

When Lebel staggered, Yutis realized he couldn’t hold himself up and fell to his knees in front of him.

People called Yutis’s name with worried voices, and the priest rushed over to pour holy energy into him.

“Young Master, are you all right?”

“…This is nothing. More importantly, my wife, please don’t do that again.”

“What?”

Lebel’s eyes opened wide.

“You could’ve been hurt…! How could you come toward me when the beast was right there?”

Lebel laughed in disbelief.

He must be talking about when Lebel had stepped away from the crowd to throw his dagger and moved closer to the beast.

He should be worrying about his own body. Who does he think kept things from getting worse?

“Y-young Master, calm yourself…”

“How can I calm down! I’m fine, but Madam could have been… ugh!”

“Don’t move! The wound will deepen!”

The priest seemed to be using all his strength into the healing, but it wasn’t working well.

He didn’t like being yelled at, but since he was weak enough to die under the beast’s paw, he decided to overlook it.

“Calm down. You’re agitated, so the holy power isn’t taking effect.”

As Yutis’s emotions fluctuated, the demonic energy stirred. Because the demonic energy in his body had expanded, the holy energy couldn’t flow properly.

Demonic energy and holy energy were opposite forces. Neither was superior, but being opposites, they interfered with each other and never helped one another.

That was why the power that would heal a human wound didn’t work well on Yutis.

The priest continued pouring in large amounts of holy energy to heal him, and at the same time, the demonic energy gradually weakened.

Having demonic energy didn’t mean a wound would heal automatically, so it was better to treat him with holy power. But losing too much demonic energy could also be dangerous.

His body had originally contained demonic energy after all.

“The wound…”

The priest couldn’t hide his troubled look. The wound was healing too slowly.

“It’s nothing.”

The wound on his back must have hurt, and with the demonic energy retreating, he likely had no strength left to stay conscious, but he neither fainted nor groaned. Lebel thought he was a fool.

“Yutis, don’t be lenient with your own wounds. You’ll die sooner that way. Don’t die for the weak. Think of the other lives you must protect.”

Yutis looked up at Lebel blankly.

“…I don’t know who you mean by the weak, but protecting you is my duty. If the domain falls to the beast, you’ll be in danger too.”

“…So stubborn.”

“Am I?”

How strange. His chest felt hot and it also stung.

He wasn’t weak, and there were few times when anyone had ever protected him. Being threatened by a beast? Ridiculous. Besides, if he thought about it, even that beast had been driven off because of his own effort.

Even so, he should have moved faster, so that Yutis wouldn’t have been hurt.

Lebel examined Yutis’s condition.