DSB 132

“I drove them away.”

Lebel’s brow furrowed.

So what?

“You hate me too, so get lost. Send me back to where I was.”

“I’m sorry. That’s not possible.”

He knew he wouldn’t listen, but he said it anyway.

Lebel never thought they’d have this conversation, but he sure planned well. What a novel situation.

“You put this on me. Seems you don’t value your life.”

Lebel fiddled with the collar on his neck. If it were an ordinary collar, he could have easily broken free. But no matter how much strength he used, the shackles wouldn’t snap, and he couldn’t use demonic energy either.

So he remained summoned, unable to move.

If it weren’t for that, he wouldn’t have to listen to Norman’s taunts, and he would have killed the human before him.

Even if not the emperor, he was the Crown Prince of the Empire, a man of considerable standing. Moreover, he was the one who had brought Norman in. Yet, he couldn’t move as he wished.

Lebel realized what was around his neck.

The empire certainly has the means to procure such things, it seems.

“I put it on because my life is precious. Rather, I would be grateful if you would recognize that I went to such lengths to meet you, Lord Lebel. It was difficult to obtain.”

Lebel snorted derisively as he watched Biakin complain.

It reminded him of the day he first possessed the human.

‘If such things exist in the Middle Realm, you should have told me beforehand. ’

Just as demons abound in the Middle Realm, so do angels. Demons are idle in the Demon Realm, and angels are equally idle, so they enjoy watching over human lives.

And this is a divine artifact an angel bestowed upon humans.

“You managed to get it.”

“It is the Empire, after all. The North possesses different national power and intelligence capabilities. I hope you like it, considering how far it was transported.”

Lebel chuckled. The angel residing in the Empire isn’t particularly powerful. There’s no angel who would dare oppose him in the first place.

“Is the temple siding with the demons too?”

“More accurately, it’s siding with the imperial family. After all, it’s humans who believe in and worship the gods.”

Is he some young angel incapable of properly controlling humans? Given how vast the empire’s lands are, surely many angels watch over them. Was there no angel like Michael, capable of delivering an oracle?

If he truly wanted to prevent the Empire’s downfall, he should at least advise them to cease hostilities with the North.

Lebel stared up at the sky, thinking of whoever might be watching over this place. Then, seeing the sky, blue and empty, he found himself missing someone.

I already want to see you.

The feeling seemed mutual, as intense waves of emotion from the other side were reaching him.

***

Yutis clenched his fist, his gaze tracing over the lingering traces of Level, who had been dragged away in the end..

“Why… why must I show them my wife…?”

Drip. Drip.

The falling drops of blood seemed to thunder in his mind. His heart, as if plunged into hell, burned hot, and he felt as if something was constricting him, his blood rushing backward.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him. They wanted Lebel, so they wouldn’t harm him. But no one knew what they might do.

Norman was turning living humans into puppets, using them as soldiers, and even doing strange things to the demonic beasts, exploiting them however he pleased.

What if he did that to Lebel? Just as Lebel controlled the demonic beasts, couldn’t a demon brainwash another demon?

The Crown Prince would make a contract with Lebel, and Norman would be able to assist Lebel as he pleased.

This was the Middle Realm, not the Demon Realm. No matter how much power he regained, Yutis hadn’t forgotten he was in a human body.

They must retrieve him before they do anything to Lebel.

As he made up his mind, Yutis sensed something was wrong with his own body. His body was trembling like aspen leaves. His breath was shallow, and his heart was beating unnecessarily fasr.

He couldn’t tell if it was anger or fear. What was certain was that even Yutis couldn’t pinpoint this emotion with certainty.

Normally, when Yutis’ pheromones or demonic energy surged, Lebel would come close, take his hand, or hold him to calm him down. But now, that warm comfort was absent. There was nowhere to reach out, nowhere to lean on.

He had never felt the North was cold, yet now it chilled him to the bone.

Surely he wouldn’t grant them the same things he gave me? I trust him, but they dragged him away by force. Who knows what they’ll demand once they’ve captured him? Especially those who covet him.

What if they hid him away, refusing to show him to anyone? What if they forced a contract upon him? They say a contract with a demon is absolute.

Just imagining it made unbearable murderous intent surge up, threatening to overflow. Yutis’s vision slowly turned red. His reason was wavering, on the verge of snapping.

After the contract, Edmund and Luceris grew closer, as if they had never been awkward with each other. They acted as if appearing at the contractor’s call was natural, even offering help for him.

All sorts of thoughts swirled in his head.

He couldn’t understand why so many things desired his wife. He wanted to tear apart every being coveting him with his bare hands.

[Calm down…. Get a hold of yourself! Human….]

The voice that had struck his brain faded into the distance. All that remained in Yutis’s mind was the image of Lebel being sucked into the summoning circle.

Then, the tent flap fluttered, and Luceris flew in breathlessly.

[Wh-what? What’s going on?! A demon? Another demon appeared… Eek!!]

He had sensed the unusual flow of demonic energy and appeared, yet the one at its center was Yutis. Moreover, he was radiating such powerful demonic energy it made their entire bodies tremble.

Not only was the demonic energy Yutis himself possessed surging, but the Demonic energy Lebel had bestowed upon him in the hope of becoming his strength was also spreading out.

The holy sword Yutis wore at his side, sensing the demonic energy, was also trembling.

[You, you’re here! Stop this guy! If anything happens, he’ll transform right here!]

[Wh-what? What, transform into what?]

[The demonization is happening because of the demonic energy you gave his ancestor!]

Luceris, flustered, stiffened when he met Yutis’s gaze. What caught Yutis’s eye were Luceris’s fluttering wings.

‘If I had those…’

With his two legs, he couldn’t reach the Empire, blocked by a vast mountain range, invisible to him. The Empire was too far north.

With war raging, even crossing the border was impossible.

He felt a physical twisting he hadn’t experienced since his rut. Normally, he would have tried to endure or suppress it, but not now.

Those wings he’d once found terrifying were desperately needed. Just as Yutis’s pupils began to narrow vertically…

Crunch!

[…I told you to snap out of it!]

Yutis looked down at the stinging sensation in his leg. Karon was biting down on his leg with all his might.

“Karon.”

[You plan to go to Lord Lebel looking like that? I’m sure he’ll be delighted.]

Karon wiped his tongue with his front paw, trying to erase the taste of blood lingering on his tongue. He pretended to offer calm advice, but in truth, he was just as devastated as Yutis.

Yutis slowly closed his eyes. The light in his gaze seemed to settle, but the swirling demonic energy still felt threatening.

“If I don’t hurry, the Crown Prince will try to make a contract with him. Once a contract is made, doesn’t the demon become bound to the life of the contractor?”

[Ha, do you think all demons sign contracts just because they’re summoned?]

Karon, being a demon, knew well about summoning circles and contracts.

“But their target is my wife. They’ll sign a contract by any means necessary. They must have a way, which is why they dragged him off forcefully, right?”

That was precisely why Karon felt uneasy. Hearing no word from Lebel, who he’d assumed would return soon even if taken, confirmed something terrible had happened.

Even if Lebel kill them all, it would be too late. It was only Norman and a few humans. They wouldn’t stand a chance against Lebel, who had regained his power.

‘Perhaps the Empire has more holy swords like that.’

The Empire had temples, and the Celestial Realm possessed artifacts to restrain mischievous demons.

No one would dare use it against Lebel, but that wasn’t the case now.

Even with his power restored, it was only sufficient to exist within the Middle Realm. Moreover, history recorded instances where humans had defeated demons. It wouldn’t be strange if there were holy artifacts possessing power akin to a holy sword.

[Even so, Lord Lebel would never contract with them. He already has a contract with you. It explicitly states he will guard the North solely for you. If Lord Lebel faced trouble, that contract would break.]

He couldn’t verify it directly without going to Hestro Castle, but the party who had performed a mating ritual with Lebel stood before him. And his contract with Lebel was unbroken.

[This means there’s no danger to his life. Such a thing wouldn’t happen in the first place.]

“Norman also used magic to control humans. Even he…”

[Who are you comparing him to? Is Lord Lebel human? And he’s not the sort to fall for the magic of some lowly demon.]

Yutis said nothing in response to Karon’s confident tone.

“…Guardian, do you know where Merick is?”

Merick had gathered intelligence on the war and Norman, but he hadn’t gained complete trust yet, so he hadn’t been able to set foot inside the imperial palace.

That meant he was somewhere near where the war was happening.

[Huh?]

“He must know something about this incident.”

[That makes sense. He sent him as a spy to prevent this kind of thing from happening in the first place, yet he hasn’t done a single thing right!]

“My wife said he’d be busy with something he asked him to do.”

[What? If Lord Lebel gave him a task, he should’ve handled it quickly and brought back results! Since things are like this, I suppose I’ll have to send that guy to check if Lord Lebel is safe.]

“Please be discreet.”

[Who do you think you are talking to?]

Just as Karon was about to go out looking for Merick, he saw Yutis heading somewhere and asked.

[Where are you going?]

“I’m going to Father. To retrieve my wife, I’ll need to be at the very front.”