Chapter 82

BOOM BOOM BOOM .

The earth heaved and the bricks overturned under a barrage of wild magic.

Not only the gang members nearby but also the townspeople who had rushed out to see the commotion were swept away, screaming.

“What are you doing!”

“Stop it!”

“You’ll kill us too!”

Aaaah!

Cries and shouts filled every corner, but the mage heard none of it.

His ears rang. His bloodshot eyes saw only one man.

Where is he.

Where is that bastard!

Then, from behind, a quiet voice spoke.

“You’re worse than Nati.”

Thud.

His head spun violently.

By the time his brain caught up with what had happened, he realized the man who had vanished from sight was now behind him, striking him hard on the head.

But understanding it was useless.

Thud.

“Haa.”

When the mage collapsed, Demius turned his neck lightly to loosen it.

It had been a while since he’d fought a mage. Not a bad experience.

Of course, he had sparred several times with his ill-tempered younger sibling, but now he realized that Natalianne had never truly fought him with her full power.

If she had, the entire Grand Duke’s castle would have been in ruins.

“Haa.”

Still, the thought brought a sigh.

Whether it was a good thing that his sister had reason, or a tragedy that this was her version of restraint, he couldn’t tell.

Swoosh.

Demius looked around, unwilling to dwell on his family any longer.

After all the chaos, his mind felt oddly clear.

Step.

As he walked forward, several thugs flinched and scrambled back.

They were ones who had either fainted and woken up or tried to flee earlier but failed.

Approaching them with a blank expression, Demius recalled Asellion’s words.

‘Demi, you must never take out your anger on people.’

But brother.

Anyone who lays a hand on Melissa cannot be called a person.

Still, he did intend to let three of them live.

He needed information about Smile of the Spirits and how they’d obtained it.

‘As expected of Lili.’

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

To think she had stumbled upon users of the illegal drug and uncovered a lead that could solve the estate’s greatest problem.

Truly, his fortune.

The gentle curve of his eyes cooled into steel.

“First things first.”

The shadow above the trembling thug grew still.

When he looked up, a man stood over him, his face half in light and half in shadow.

The expression was indifferent, like one looking down at a pebble.

The color drained from the thug’s face.

Demius gazed down at the pale figures and spoke.

“Pay for your sins.”

Slash.

“Aaaah!”

“S-spare me!”

The screams echoed for a while, then silence fell.

Those who witnessed it trembled uncontrollably.

The ones who hadn’t yet fainted sat frozen, the ground beneath them spreading with the foul stench of yellow liquid.

When Demius’s gaze finally met theirs, one man blurted out instinctively.

“S-spare me.”

“Do not worry.”

Demius smiled faintly.

Those three.

The two who had taken the drug, and the unconscious mage.

They would live.

But he would not let them feel guilt toward the ones who had already died.

He would make them think death would have been far kinder.

Crack. Crack.

“Aaagh!”

Before they could even grasp what was happening, pain tore through their bodies.

Their arms and legs twisted uselessly, like puppets with their strings cut.

There would be no running away now.

Demius sheathed his sword and tore a piece of clothing from one of the bodies on the ground.

He stuffed the fabric into the mouths of those screaming in agony.

“Haa.”

Dusting his hands, he smiled faintly.

Now they couldn’t even bite their tongues to end their lives.

Then he remembered something Natalianne once said.

‘If Smile of the Spirits is overused, the user may fall into a coma.’

“I see.”

Demius tilted his head and smiled faintly.

There was a simple solution to that problem.

Just make sure they stayed in pain so they wouldn’t lose consciousness.

The Eisenhart estate had plenty of people skilled in such work.

Including himself.

He hadn’t done it in over a year, but he had learned quite a bit in the Village at the Edge.

Melissa’s parents had possessed remarkable knowledge and technique in that field.

Recalling what he had learned from them, Demius smiled lightly.

Then suddenly, he remembered something important.

“Right.”

Shing.

He drew his sword again.

W-what is he going to do now.

The thugs, unable to scream or faint, stared in horror as the blade rose high into the air.

When it finally came down, they squeezed their eyes shut.

Slash.

…One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

More time passed, yet no new pain came.

One of them peeked open an eye and gasped silently.

He saw blood spurting from Demius’s thigh.

He’s insane.

He cut his own leg?

With the dull side of his blade?

“Miss Meli!”

A shout echoed from the far end of the alley.

Melissa was running toward them, accompanied by a group of soldiers who looked like guards.

“I was worried since you didn’t come back for so long…?”

Her eyes widened as soon as she saw him.

“You’re hurt!”

Shock and worry filled her gaze.

Seeing that expression, Demius smiled softly.

He deliberately shifted his weight onto his injured leg and limped toward her.

“There were too many of them, cough.”

“You’re even coughing!”

You damned lunatic.

The surviving thugs shuddered with fury at his pitiful act.

That monster. That demon.

The man who had mercilessly slaughtered them was now pretending to be fragile.

“Cough, cough.”

And why was he coughing when his leg was the one injured?

The thugs wanted to stab their own eyes rather than watch him fake weakness, but with their tendons cut, even that was impossible.

While the surviving men were being loaded onto the guards’ wagons, Demius leaned slightly toward Melissa.

“Just for a moment…”

He bent down deeply and rested his head on her shoulder.

“May I lean on you?”

“Um, I think…”

Melissa looked worried and offered gently.

“Would you like to go straight to the carriage instead? It’s big enough for you to lie down comfortably.”

“I’m fine.”

Demius straightened immediately.

“Thanks to you, I feel better already. I’ve regained my strength.”

Still, Melissa’s worried expression didn’t fade.

Her face told him there was something else on her mind.

“What’s wrong?”

Fiddling with her fingers, Melissa hesitated before answering.

“That child from earlier still hasn’t woken up.”

“Send her to the nearest clinic.”

“Um…”

Their eyes met, and Demius’s brow twitched slightly.

A bad feeling prickled at him.

Melissa looked at him carefully.

“Would it be alright if I took her to the estate?”

“…!”

Demius’s eyes flickered uneasily.

No.

He couldn’t allow another rival for Melissa’s affection to appear.

He opened his mouth immediately.

“That’s not—”

“She must have been starving.”

Melissa’s shoulders slumped as her voice trembled.

“She took an empty purse, and I wondered why, but then she fainted after running just a few steps. I didn’t realize it was that serious…”

Guilt shadowed her face.

“She fainted because of me, so I want to take responsibility.”

Ah.

Demius fought to hide his discomfort.

“Then just feed her and send her aw—”

His tongue moved smoothly as his eyes met Melissa’s.

“—no, we’ll keep her until she’s fully recovered.”

“Really?”

Melissa’s face brightened.

Demius smiled as well and nodded.

“Once she’s fed and rested, she’ll recover quickly. Proper treatment includes nourishment, after all.”

“As expected of you, Meli!”

Haha.

Inside, Demius cried a little.