DSB 85

“We can move secretly.”

“The Young Master will notice.”

“Then I’ll just use magic. You stay in the room with me and we move at night.”

“…Do you really think the Young Master will allow that?”

Illa smiled. It wasn’t a question. It was certainty. Lebel fell silent and thought.

‘He won’t allow it…? Hm, that seems likely.’

Illa staying by Lebel’s side meant his condition wasn’t good. That meant Yutis wouldn’t leave either. Even just now they barely managed to get Yutis to step away.

“I don’t want to make the Young Master my enemy.”

“Enemy?”

“Do you not realize the Young Master is wary of me?”

Illa chose his words carefully, but since he knew Lebel’s secret, there were many things he understood that Yutis didn’t. And Yutis had sensed that too.

“He dislikes it whenever I call your name.”

“That is not possible.”

Illa smiled.

Maybe because Illa had advised during Lebel’s heat, the way Yutis looked at him is getting more hostile. It was already bad before that. Illa was one of the only two people, along with Yutis, who could call Lebel by name.

‘But you’re calling my wife’s name.’

‘Ah, Lord Lebel told me to call him by name.’

His gaze was full of suspicion made Illa’s flinch. Only then did he realize that aside from Yutis, the only one allowed to call Lebel by name… was himself.

At that moment, Michael sent him a telepathic message: Norman was targeting the demon in the North, so if Illa had the chance, he should kill him. Michael added that if he could take care of the northern demon at the same time, that would be ideal.

“…Lord Michael sent a message. Norman is targeting the demon in the North, so he says it’s best to eliminate him.”

“That man?”

“Yes. He says to join forces, defeat Norman, and also deal with the demon in the North.”

“I only intend to kill Norman.”

[I knew he’d say that. Tell him: If we help kill Norman, then we should also eliminate the northern demon.]

Illa softened Michael’s words before relaying them to Lebel. But Lebel was indifferent.

“That’s fine. I’ll handle it.”

“…May I ask why?”

Illa didn’t understand. They were both demons. But unlike Norman, Lebel didn’t seem intent on killing the demon in the North. If anything, he almost seemed like he wanted to spare him.

“I should be the one asking. Norman wants my body, so I must eliminate him. But the northern demon has never harmed me.”

“Lord Michael said to kill him because it could greatly affect the world’s balance. He’s on another level compared to Norman. The northern demon is the real problem. Isn’t it obvious, considering Norman is trying to target him?”

“No, that one won’t harm me. Michael told me to kill the northern demon because of the rift.”

Illa stared at him, confused. He’d never heard this before.

[He’s only smart at times like this.]

Hearing Michael’s voice, Illa realized Lebel was right.

Lebel continued thinking. Michael telling him to deal with the northern demon. Norman showing unusual interest in the North. And the abundance of demonic energy in the North.

Lebel, who was sensitive to demonic energy, could tell. The demonic energy growing thicker by the day meant something.

The rift was slowly widening.

“This land is full of demonic energy. Demonic beasts are being born here, and they’re getting stronger. Don’t you find it strange?”

“…I know it’s because of the demonic energy. Isn’t it the work of an old demon living in the North?”

“Do you think a single demon could produce this much demonic energy? Could one demon turn an entire region into something as saturated as the Demon Realm?”

“Even Lord Lebel couldn’t?”

Lebel simply stared at Illa.

“There are only a handful among the demons I know who could do that. And they are all in the Demon Realm. Which means the rift is the only possible cause. It’s probably not a crack anymore but a large hole. If so, the balance will break. That’s what Michael fears.”

[Ah, so that’s what it was? No wonder the Celestial God is concerned.]

Unlike Michael, the Demon God didn’t worry about such things. Lebel was the same.

Honestly, he didn’t even understand why Michael is asking him to handle this. The northern demon was likely a creature strengthened by absorbing demonic energy leaking through the rift.

Even then, he would only be considered strong by the Middle Realm standards. If Michael intervened directly, he could probably burn him to ash instantly. So why did Michael keep insisting Lebel handle it? Was it because Michael couldn’t manifest in the Middle Realm?

“Norman may be trying to use that demon. Since his attempt to use a human body to summon a demon failed, he might try to bring me here through the rift.”

“You… Lord Lebel?”

Illa looked confused, he couldn’t understand why Norman wanted to bring Lebel over.

“Ah, I’m the demon Norman wants to summon.”

“…What?”

[Was that so?! And he still failed to recognize Lord Lebel!!]

Karon shrieked in disbelief.

[Why not reveal yourself then? Reveal your identity, gather every demon in the Middle Realm, this is the perfect chance!]

“I don’t want to. They’ll cling to me and annoy me.”

Lebel shook his head, already irritated just imagining it. Yutis hated Norman to the point of wanting to kill him. Lebel couldn’t exactly gather demons around him with Yutis like that.

“…Isn’t it more dangerous if demons cross the rift? If demons enter the Middle Realm with their full power, the world will fall into chaos.”

“Demons could come through. But not demons as strong as me. The rift has to be big enough to let a vessel like mine pass.”

“Then Norman may be planning to forcibly widen the rift.”

“That’s why I said I’d eliminate Norman.”

“Then why not the northern demon…?”

“Do I really need to repeat myself?”

Illa was confused. What was the difference? Both were threats to the North. If anything, the expanding rift was the bigger danger.

“Isn’t it a disaster if demons appear in the human world?”

“He hasn’t harmed me. As long as this place stays safe, that’s enough.”

At that laid-back response, Illa couldn’t argue any further. In his head, he could hear Michael sighing and clicking his tongue.

As if he’d expected this.

Illa had heard about Lebel through Michael. Despite his power, he never sought a high rank nor flaunted his strength. Michael admired that.

It was why Illa treated Lebel kindly even though he was a demon. And everything he’d heard about Lebel in the northern castle, plus what he had personally witnessed, convinced him that Lebel wasn’t cruel to humans.

But he was still a demon.

Cruelty wasn’t only shown through killing or hurting. Illa was suddenly hit by a harsh realization.

The only things precious to Lebel were Yutis, the castle he treasured, and the people of his own territory. The rest of the North meant nothing to him.

“Well, I have a reason.”

Lebel spoke as Illa stood there, lips trembling from shock.

“To close the rift, you have to kill the northern demon, right? But I want to see Yutis fully transformed.”

“…What?”

Illa’s eyes trembled. Then his voice changed—too suddenly.

“You claim to love that human, yet you’ll sit and watch him suffer? Do you not understand this North is ruled by his family? You know perfectly well how many demons want to rampage in the human world. The rift touches closest to the North, this entire region will become a wasteland. Is that what you want?”

“As if anyone could touch this place while I’m here. Norman tried to summon me, remember.”

Illa’s golden eyes glowed with power. But it wasn’t him speaking now. It was Michael.

Lebel met Michael’s gaze calmly.

“If the North is threatened, I’ll help then.”

Michael let out a bitter laugh.

“You’re complacent. Because of that complacency, the people of the North will die. And what about that human’s wishes? What about the pain you’ll force onto his descendants? Do you know how they suffered, being called demons?”

“I don’t like seeing him suffer, but is it really that terrible? I don’t quite understand.”

He genuinely didn’t.

Even if his appearance changed during rut, Yutis was extraordinarily strong. Strong enough to lead a war to victory. Lebel never once thought Yutis was unattractive. His features were distinct, masculine, and popular-looking.

Yet because of demon blood, because he transformed into a monster during rut, no one wanted to marry him.

‘Was he really that hideous?’

Lebel actually regretted never having seen it properly.

“I told him he was beautiful, so isn’t that enough?”

“You… No, leave him aside. I’m talking about his descendants.”

Lebel laughed loudly.

“You think I’d let humans treat my children like that?”

“……”

[W… what?! Y-you intend to pass down your bloodline?!]

Since Yutis was the only heir, any descendants would naturally be Lebel’s blood and human blood combined.