The Heavenly Demon Is Just Stuck In My Head

Chapter 347 : I'm Back

"Hwioo..."

I sighed and looked up.

A dizzying cliff looked down on me majestically.

I smirked and said.

"Without that damn mist, you're nothing special either."

I had reached the pinnacle of the Pyohengbi, to the point where I could summon a mad wind.

And I could now use the Black Immortal Steps freely.

Before, to stay in the air, I had to constantly kick off the shallow discs made of night sky and move around restlessly.

But now, it was possible to stay still in the air.

For me.

No matter how high the cliff was, coming down was not difficult.

However.

"Oweck...! Weck...!"

"My heart... my heart..."

It seemed to have been a rather impressive journey for my companions.

Linda was retching on one side, and Shushuruta was lying on her back, staring blankly at the sky with her hand on her chest.

"How was it? Did your heart pound? It wasn't a bad start to a full-fledged journey, was it?"

Shushuruta jumped up and rushed at me.

"Pound! My heart almost stopped!"

I lightly dodged Shushuruta's attack and said.

"What's with all this fuss? Aren't you being too sensitive?"

"Beyond just falling off a cliff, what kind of crazy thought does one have to have to run down a cliff!"

Thump.

I blocked Shushuruta's kick and then, grabbing her leg, lifted her up over my head.

"Unyak!"

"Calm down. Are you hurt anywhere? You're not, right?"

Shushuruta, hanging upside down, glared at me.

"I said my heart almost stopped."

"It didn't stop."

I looked at Shushuruta's lush hair that had fallen down and briefly thought it would be good to use as a broom.

But if I really used it as a substitute for a broom, my shoulders wouldn't be left intact.

I threw her into the air and said.

"Stop whining and let's go. We have a long way to go."

Shushuruta, who had spun around in the air, landed lightly.

I also went to the retching Linda, patted her back, and pressed the acupoint behind her ear to relieve her dizziness.

"Are you okay now?"

"U-uh..."

Linda stared at me with teary eyes.

"Devil."

"What."

"Carry me."

"Don't you have legs?"

"I have no strength."

Linda slightly raised her body, then trembled and collapsed.

She had said falling was fun.

But now that she had run down the cliff, she was scared.

She's a lot of work.

"...Tsk. What a nuisance."

I put Linda on my shoulders and gave her a piggyback ride.

Linda, as if she had never been teary, let out a 'waa-' of admiration and was delighted.

"Hehehe."

"You like it?"

"Yeah!"

Shushuruta was glancing at us, so I spoke to her.

"What. Does it bring back old memories? Do you want a piggyback ride too?"

Shushuruta snorted.

"Hmph! Do you think I'm a child like her?"

"Well, do as you please."

Chirp, chirp.

The clear sound of birds could be heard.

Sunlight crumbled through the lush leaves.

"Hmm~"

I hummed as I walked along the forest path.

Linda, for some reason, was giggling while fiddling with my hair, and Shushuruta's steps were also light, as if she were slightly excited.

How long did we walk like that?

"Oh."

I found the house where the Hans family had lived.

I had been in a hurry, being chased by Viola, so I didn't know, but it seemed I had jumped off not far from where I had fallen before.

A small wooden house.

And the small stream flowing in front of it.

"...This place is still the same."

Shushuruta asked.

"Whose house is this? I don't feel any presence."

"It's the house where Uncle Hans's family lived."

"Ah, then?"

"Yes. This is where I first met Ophosis's dagger."

"Ah...!"

Come to think of it, I think that was when.

When I had fully boarded this enigmatic stream of fate.

After that, I naturally explained as I followed my own footsteps.

"Ah, as for this place. This is where I beat down the terrifying forest keeper, the ferocious Gustav."

"Ooong!"

Linda was impressed.

"Do you know who that is?"

"No! I don't!"

"Then why."

"Just because!"

"...Alright."

"Hehehe."

Soon, we arrived at the village.

I walked through the village with them.

I could feel people sending wary glances at the sudden appearance of outsiders, but I didn't care.

If I had come alone, the guards might have rushed out with spears and swords.

But perhaps because Shushuruta and Linda were with me.

It didn't feel like they were being that wary.

"Hmm."

And, the atmosphere was quite different from when I had come before.

I remember the overall gloomy atmosphere of the village.

It was somehow gloomy, and their eyes had a sad light.

And when they saw the lord's soldiers and knights, they would slowly move away with frightened faces.

But now, there was no sign of that.

As I was tilting my head at the changed atmosphere of the village, a middle-aged man approached and spoke to me cautiously.

"Are you a knight, sir?"

He seemed to have guessed so from the sword at my waist.

"That's right."

"What brings you to such a remote village..."

"I'm just on a trip down memory lane. I'm a passing traveler, so you don't need to worry."

"Have you been here before?"

"I stopped by for a moment."

I looked around the village and said.

"The atmosphere has changed quite a bit from then. Has a new lord come?"

The middle-aged man nodded his head.

"Yes. This was originally the territory ruled by Baron Barankia, but the master changed after the baron was brutally murdered by the Red-Eyed Devil."

"Oho."

"At that time, the screams didn't stop all night, and the castle was stained with blood. It was terrifying."

I ignored Shushuruta's gaze, which was staring at me blankly, and said.

"Does the new baron not torment the people of the territory?"

"Not at all. He is a benevolent person."

I nodded my head.

"I see."

"We are only grateful to the Red Eyed Devil—no, the Devil Knight. Thanks to him, people like us can live a better life."

The man, after saying it, was startled and said.

"I'm telling a knight all sorts of things. Please pretend you didn't hear it. It's probably because it's been a long time since we've had a visitor in the village..."

Perhaps because it could be heard as a statement condoning the murder of a nobleman.

He was sweating profusely.

"It's alright. It's all in the past, isn't it?"

"Thank you for your understanding."

The man was relieved.

"By any chance, if you are planning to stay, shall I inform the lord?"

I shook my head.

"There's no need for that. I was really just passing by. You don't need to worry."

After bidding farewell to the man, I walked away.

Shushuruta poked my side.

"What were you going to do if he was tormenting them? Were you going to kill the baron again?"

"No, well. I was just going to give him a lecture and leave."

Shushuruta snorted.

"With your personality, you'd just give a lecture."

I walked towards the lord's castle.

Since there were almost no magical beasts here, the castle walls were somewhat lower than in Maia.

I secretly climbed up the castle wall with my lightness technique and looked inside.

I saw a maid hanging laundry in the front yard.

Suddenly, our eyes met.

"...Huh?"

The maid's mouth fell open.

Then, a soldier patrolling the top of the castle wall belatedly discovered me and shouted.

"Who are you!"

I smiled brightly at the maid who was staring at me blankly, and then used the Black Immortal Steps to leave the castle.

"What...!"

The soldier's voice, full of astonishment, faded away behind me.

***

After leaving the Barankia territory refreshed, I headed east.

Before long, I could see a castle wall in the distance.

I stopped my lightness technique and muttered.

"What was the name of the village?"

Thump.

Shushuruta landed next to me and answered.

"It's Akenaten."

"Ah, right."

I walked towards the castle gate, recalling old memories.

I had presented the silver badge I used in Maia, but was rejected at the gate and had to follow the kid through a dog hole.

"It brings back old memories."

Shushuruta muttered in a nostalgic voice.

A faint smile was on her lips.

Come to think of it, this was where I first met Shushuruta.

She was teasing the mercenaries who had come to catch her in a dark forest where the sunlight didn't reach.

Thinking about it now, it was truly pathetic.

Did she have nothing better to do?

"..."

"What are you looking at?"

I strode towards the castle gate.

"Halt. Present your identification."

A guard stopped me.

Sreung!

I drew my sword without hesitation.

"What!"

The flustered guards immediately raised their spears and surrounded me.

"This crazy bastard, where do you think you are!"

"Drop your weapon!"

"Right now!"

Linda, who had been on my back until then, whispered in my ear.

"Devil, should I kill them?"

"Hey. Kill what? Are you going to say scary things?"

"Hmph."

The guards shouted.

"I said drop your weapon!"

"I'll count to three!"

I said to the guards who were making a fuss over me drawing a broken sword.

"You told me to present my identification, so I did. What's all the fuss?"

"...Identification?"

"Yes. Look closely."

I held out the broken silver sword, and the captain of the guards, who had confirmed the crest embedded in the hilt, his eyes widened.

"A-a royal knight...!"

"Wh-what...?!"

The faces of the surrounding guards were filled with astonishment.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure! It's the crest of the Blake Royal Family! It's definitely a sword bestowed by the king himself!"

"...!"

"Why is a royal knight in a remote village like this?!"

I obediently held out the sword and said.

"Look closely. You have to be sure of everything."

Then the guards flinched back as if it were poison.

"N-no, sir! We have confirmed it!"

"...Really?"

I put the sword back in its scabbard and said.

"Then what are you doing?"

"Y-yes?"

"Not opening the way."

"Hut!"

Immediately, the guards quickly lined up on both sides of the road and saluted.

"We apologize for our rudeness!"

"You may enter!"

"Welcome to Akenaten!"

"Loyalty!!"

"Yeah."

I walked proudly through the open castle gate.

Before, I had crawled through a dog hole, covered in dirt.

It was truly a strange thing.

"Ah, by the way, don't report to the lord."

The guards lined up on both sides swallowed hard.

"B-by any chance, are you here for an inspection?"

"Not really."

The royal knights were the king's direct knights.

They were, by all accounts, the strongest knights in the kingdom.

I remember the benefits the Black Crown Prince had listed when he had urged me to become his knight.

Among them, was it that wherever I went, the nobles would be eager to treat me?

"I hate noisy things. I came quietly, and I'll leave quietly. Understand?"

"Of course!"

"Good, carry on."

"Yes, sir!"

"Loyalty!"

I don't want to waste precious time having a meal with nobles on a pleasant trip.

I passed through the castle gate and walked the streets.

"Hmm. Where was the mercenary guild?"

"This way. Follow me."

Shushuruta, a native of Akenaten, confidently took the lead.

In front of the mercenary guild we arrived at.

I grinned, kicked open the door, and entered.

Kwang!

"Come here!"

Then, all eyes turned to me.

Curses could be heard from here and there.

And then, one guy came out as a representative and blocked my path.

"A face I haven't seen before..."

The guy was grinning as he spoke, but the moment he saw my eyes, his expression hardened.

"Uh, uh uh uh uh..."

His jaw trembled, and his face turned pale.

I heard voices of confusion from here and there.

"What's wrong with that Dogon guy all of a sudden?"

"He looks like he's seen a ghost."

Whether they did or not.

Dogon trembled like a leaf in the wind, and then, as if his legs had given out, he collapsed.

"Ah, aaaaaah...!"

"Huh? What's really wrong with that guy?"

"Did he eat something bad?"

In that state, Dogon frantically pushed the floor and retreated.

"D-devil!"

"What?"

"It's the Red Eyed Devil!! The Devil is back!!!"

"...!"

"Th-the Red Eyed Devil?"

"No way!!"

Indeed, my infamy that had once swept through the Blake Kingdom had not gone anywhere.

The guys stared at me with wide eyes.

In the center of it all, I grinned and opened my mouth.

"It's me."

Since everyone is welcoming me like this, it wouldn't be right to disappoint them.

"I'm back.”

(End of Chapter)