MTM 42

“Ah! I did it again without realizing it. Whenever I see something pretty, I keep wanting to tempt it… But maybe it doesn’t work because you’re a monster.”

Walter clicked his tongue regretfully and smiled. When Harto met his eyes again, they had turned gray once more.

‘What was that just now? Did he say he tried to tempt me…?’

It sounded like he meant to tempt him, and Harto was confused. Walter chuckled at his naive reaction.

“You’re so naive for a monster. Well, that’s probably why you hang out with Zedd.”

“That sounds like you’re trying to pick a fight.”

When Zed responded with a dumbfounded expression, Walter closed his eyes and waved his hand.

“Why would I fight you and risk my life? It’s a joke, a joke.”

Walter brushed his silver hair back with a mischievous expression. Harto was momentarily stunned by the sight of his hair, like tangles of thread, reflecting in the soft moonlight, and the aura of Walter’s presence, which belied his mercenary status.

Allen also keeps saying that he’s pretty, but Harto thought that’s something that should only be applied to people like Walter.

“Walter is similar to you.”

“To me?”

At that moment, Zed spoke, cutting into Harto’s thought.

“Yes. Half of Walter’s blood comes from demons.”

Demons…?

When Zed said that word, Harto immediately thought of dragons. In this world, the beings called demons had only ever been dragons.

The setting that dragons were demons was somewhat unusual, but that doesn’t mean it deviates too much from the fantasy developments people are familiar with.

Dragons had far greater intelligence and much longer lives than monsters. Unlike monsters, they could change into human form, and their power varied depending on kind and individual. For that reason, it was natural that people regarded dragons as near-divine beings.

In the war between humans and the demon king long ago, countless dragons were slaughtered, and only a few remained alive now. Each dragon’s nature differed by species, but most were violent or unsociable, so it was extremely rare to encounter one directly.

Demons and monsters were quite distant. Their natures and ways of existing were so different that they could almost be considered different races. But demons and monsters were the only ones who could resonate with each other. In other words, they could share emotions, and an awakened dragon could even command monsters.

That was a special ability unique to demons, one that even spirits could not imitate.

“Harto, this is your first time seeing a half-demon, right?”

Walter smiled as if he had guessed what Harto was thinking while watching him stare at him, lost in thought.

Maybe it was because half of his blood was demonic. Now that Harto knew, he felt more cautious than before.

“Hm…”

Walter tilted his head slightly at Harto’s rea ction. It’s common for demons and monsters to feel more familiarity than hostility toward one another.

“I heard a bit from Leon… but Harto really does seem unusual. I can barely feel any mana, and he’s weaker than a low residual type…”

“Walter.”

Before Walter could even utter a single word, Zed stopped him.

“I didn’t mean…”

Walter looked a little wronged. Even if Harto was weaker than a low residual monster, being able to transform into such a lovely human form made it hard to simply call him a monster.

‘People should let others finish talking.’

He felt a bit annoyed, but it wasn’t the right moment to argue, so he said nothing.

“All right. That’s enough about me. We don’t have much time, so let’s get to the point.”

Walter smiled, calm like moonlight, and turned to Zed.

“Before that, there’s something I need to tell you, Zed.”

“What is it?”

“It seems… we have a spy inside our mercenary group.”

Walter’s single line made even the night air freeze.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“Ha! Haa!”

The moon was completely hidden behind the clouds, and the pitch-black sky covered the mountain. Someone was breathing roughly while running. The man, soaked in sweat from head to toe, his eyes filled with fear as if something was chasing him.

“Huuh… my legs…”

When he reached the start of an uphill slope, his legs gave out and he stumbled, placing his hand on a nearby tree. He wiped the sweat dripping down like tears with the back of his hand, lowering his head and barely catching his breath.

Whoosh!

“…!”

At that moment, an arrow slicing through the wind from somewhere, struck the tree he was leaning against. Had he not lowered his head, it would have hit him.

“That way!”

A shrill shout ripped through the darkness like thunder. The man climbed the mountain slope on trembling legs. But his exhausted steps were slow. The sound of footsteps chasing him came closer. The man, finding nowhere to run, grabbed the tree in front of him and began to climb.

“Ugh! Ha…!”

Crack. Branches snapped several times, and his hands slipped, but he clenched his teeth and climbed closer the top of the tree. He held his breath, clinging to the trunk.

A moment later, torches appeared beneath the forest. Six torches came right under the tree where the man hid, then wandered around, lost.

“Damn it, that rat! He was here! Where did he go?!”

“This way! I think he went this way!”

“This way? Hey! Move!”

As the order was issued, the group went to the opposite side.

“……”

After a while, the moon, previously hidden behind clouds, came into view. The man clinging to the tree was now visible in the moonlight. His face was pale white, and on his clothes was a badge shaped like a black dagger. That badge marked him as a member of the Night Rage mercenary group.

The man sensed that the pursuers had left the area completely, and he let out the breath he had been holding.

Flap.

At that moment, wings beat from the top of the tree. Startled, he lifted his head. A large crow sat on a branch, staring at him as if it had been there all along.

“A crow…?”

…Thud!

With the sound of wind, a dagger flew from somewhere and pierced the man’s chest.

“What…?”

The man looked at his own chest in disbelief,

“Caw–.”

The crow flapped its wings and landed on the dagger’s handle. It looked into the man’s eyes, which were wide with shock and fear.

[Wha… what should I do. I… I need to go to Belnok… to Belnok…]

The man’s voice echoed above the crow’s head. The crow’s eyes were bright red, and it pecked the man’s eyes mercilessly with its beak. His scream of agony echoed throughout the mountain.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“Ah!”

Harto almost tripped over a stone as he stepped out of the thicket. Zed caught his waist and prevented him from falling.

“Be careful.”

“Yes… sorry.”

Harto apologized in embarrassment, then stepped out of the thicket. The cool night breeze was pleasant, but he couldn’t say anything. He only turned silently to look at Zed.

Zed seemed to be lost in thought. He had been that way ever since Walter told him about the spy inside the mercenary group.

‘A spy…?’

The unexpected word left Zed speechless. Walter, however, had told him not to overreact and spoke in a calm voice.

‘There are many suspicious signs. I can’t explain everything here… but it’s certain.’

Walter said he couldn’t identify who the spy was. It could be someone who had already entered Belnok, or it could be someone already dead.

‘But if the spy’s alive, the mercenary group gathering together this is dangerous.’

That was why no other members besides Walter and Leon were present here.

Walter had already told the members who reached Belnok about the spy’s existence, and he let each person decide whether to join despite knowing that fact.

And he gave Zed the same choice.