Chapter 17 - Yohan Miyatro (2)

Darkness deeper than night filled the room. Acrid demonic energy and surging malice held sway within.

In that darkness, impenetrable even to moonlight, only a pair of red eyes made their presence known. A Demon's gaze. A baleful light that plunged humans into terror. Its ominous gleam paralyzed the Baron's reason.

"A D-Demon. It's a Demon. Why is a Demon... A dream. This is a dream!"

Yohan's lips stretched into a broad smile.

"No. This is real."

A black hand shot out and clamped around the face of the Baron, who sat collapsed on the floor.

"Take a good look. Feel it."

Yohan bent down until their faces were close, their gazes meeting at point-blank range.

"Well? Are you still confused?"

His grip on the Baron's cheeks tightened considerably. The plump face bulged under the pressure, ready to burst. Flesh squeezed up between Yohan's fingers. The ever-tightening grip inflicted excruciating pain.

"M-mmmph! Mmph!"

Like his groaning body, the Baron's soul began to convulse. Only the wielder of Soul Slaying could see it.

Weakened by extreme stress and gnawed away by Nightmare Spirit, that soul would be easy for Yohan to wrench out and tear apart. The moment he did, the Baron would become a puppet. His first objective in seizing the domain would be complete.

Yohan activated his power at once. His will spread through the demonic energy like blood coursing through veins.

The demonic energy billowing through the air stiffened all at once. The solidified strands of smoke gleamed like sharp scythes, searching for a soul to harvest.

Gaf and the Baron shuddered at the grotesque sight. Blind Raguel had no idea what was happening, while Ilea gave an impressed murmur.

Yohan flicked his index finger as he regarded the tattered soul.

"Ripe for the harvest."

At the same instant, the condensed demonic energy split into four tendrils. They effortlessly bound the Baron as he tried to flee and hoisted him into the air. With the victim's limbs bound in demonic energy, it looked like a scaffold for drawing and quartering.

The Baron could not even scream. Black smoke plugged his mouth. All Yohan had to do now was twitch his hand, and the Baron's personality would be obliterated.

"Raguel."

With only the final step remaining, Yohan looked at him.

"Y-Yohan...?"

A tangle of emotions crossed the boy's face: anguish over his relationship with his father, joy at seeing Yohan, confusion about what was happening.

"I'm about to extract your father's soul and leave him an empty husk. For him, it will be no different from death."

"What are you saying? Why would you do that to my father...?"

"To take over the baronial house."

Flustered, Raguel gave an awkward laugh.

"D-don't joke about that."

"I'm serious. But I'd like to hear what you think. How would you feel if your father died right before you? Could you go on living as you do now?"

It was all too sudden for Raguel to grasp.

"Answer me."

Yohan reached his sinister hand toward the Baron, who thrashed and squealed like a pig.

At a loss for what to do, Raguel was forced to face reality by his father's screams. After a long silence, he spoke with unexpected composure.

"... People call me a monster. As if eating my mother to be born wasn't enough, they say I'm one-eyed and lame, too. If I cause my father's death as well, I won't be able to live as a human being anymore."

It was none other than Raguel who had secured Yohan's place in the castle. Lured by the promise of having his sight restored, he had brought a Demon inside.

The moment the Baron died, Raguel could no longer evade responsibility. An unfilial wretch who had killed both his parents. He would never be able to live an ordinary life.

The boy clutched his head in anguish.

"If you're going to kill my father, please kill me too. I don't want to live."

Yohan shrugged.

"I can't do that. I haven't even given you back your sight yet."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the restraints binding the Baron vanished. His hulking body dropped to the floor, and he let out a pained groan.

Ilea tilted her head.

"Yohan?"

"I was hoping to test my new power. What a pity."

"You're not going to finish this? It will come back to haunt you."

"It can't be helped. I'll have to leave a few loose ends."

"... May I ask why?"

"I haven't fulfilled my promise to the boy. I can't have him dying on me."

"Not that transparent excuse."

Her expression turned cold as she added,

"Could it be affection?"

"Would that be a problem?"

Yohan's expression had grown equally cold.

Their gazes clashed. An uncomfortable tension hung between them.

Ilea broke the tension with a curious smile.

"You really are unusual in so many ways."

"I suppose it might seem that way."

"What will you do now?"

"I've thought of an amusing alternative."

Yohan approached the Baron.

"Grian von Miyatro."

Steeped in terror, the Baron could only tremble, unable to answer.

"Worship me."

Demon worship. He was demanding the ultimate taboo.

"Accept, and you'll at least keep your miserable life. What will it be?"

The Baron's eyes darted wildly.

A Demon worshipper could never betray their master. The moment the contract was sealed, they became the Demon's slave.

"I'll give you five seconds to decide. If you don't answer, I'll harvest your soul immediately."

Yohan began counting the seconds. As time passed, the Baron's breathing grew more labored. His desperate attachment to life swallowed up the last faint vestiges of pride and duty.

There was no Watcher of the Abyss here. Only a beggar pleading for his life.

"I-I'll worship you! No! I will worship you, my lord!"

Misgivings flitted across Ilea's face.

"Yohan, this decision will become a heavy shackle."

A contract of worship left evidence: it branded the very thing that had driven a person to worship a Demon.

In the Baron's case, it was his heart. Having chosen to worship a Demon to stay alive, he would live with Yohan's emblem stamped upon his chest.

The moment someone discovered that brand, the Baron was doomed. He would mount the scaffold after brutal torture.

His master, Yohan, would hardly be safe either. The contract would prevent the Baron from divulging information about his master, but there would inevitably be a trail. The Inquisition might turn the entire south upside down to find what lay at its end.

Yohan was taking an enormous risk.

"Is it worth that much?"

"Well, that depends on how you look at it. With a little luck, I may gain something practical, too."

What would come of leaving this seed of trouble intact? For now, Ilea could imagine only bad outcomes. She sighed softly.

"Please be careful, whatever you do. Your life isn't yours alone."

"Don't worry. You won't suffer for this."

Yohan directed his demonic energy at the Baron.

"Grian. From this moment on, you will worship me. I demand unconditional obedience and blind faith. Do you accept?"

The Baron swallowed hard. Refusal was not an option. He bowed his head.

Yohan's lips stretched into a broad smile. A moment later, all the demonic energy wrapped around the Baron.

The violent backlash shredded his clothes. Pale skin showed through his tattered tunic. A brand marked the left side of his chest: a hideous, malevolent figure screaming with a scythe in hand. It was Yohan's emblem.

The Baron stared blankly at his chest. He really had become a Demon worshipper. He would spend the rest of his life in fear of the Church. A pitiful fate for a Watcher of the Abyss.

Yohan spoke indifferently.

"A ten-year-old boy will come to the castle tomorrow morning. His name is Yohan Miyatro. He is your master and the heir to the baronial house. Give him a grand welcome."

The Baron did not seem to understand.

"Ilea will tell you the rest."

With that, Yohan turned his gaze.

"Raguel."

The boy flinched.

"From now on, call me your big brother."

* * *

The lord's usually gloomy castle was unusually lively today.

"I nearly jumped out of my skin. Who knew the Baron had another son?"

"Tell me about it. I screamed when I heard at dawn."

The Baron's illegitimate son was visiting the castle today. Everyone inside was preparing to welcome him.

A maid setting the table spoke.

"He's a bastard, they say?"

"Apparently. Poor young master Raguel."

"No. Even without a half brother, the young master could never have been the heir, could he?"

Raguel's disabilities were too severe for him to inherit the title.

"The Baron's younger brother would have taken the domain instead. Though he can't now."

"Was his name Kril? Anyway, he's been left with nothing to show for all his chasing."

"That's his problem. We just need to get on the new young master's good side."

"I wonder. Lord Kril has an army, doesn't he? If he decides to invade, the Baron won't stand a chance."

"Surely it won't come to war."

"You never know. Nobles are the sort who wouldn't bat an eye at hundreds dying over a mere patch of land."

And the Miyatro domain was quite large. There really might be bloodshed. A shadow of gloom crossed the faces of all the maids in the dining hall.

"At it again, chattering instead of doing your work."

The voice came without warning.

"Our guest will be here soon."

It was the Baron's knight, a blond man in his thirties. His sharp eyes swept over the maids.

"This is why you shouldn't let women gather in one place. Too much gossip for anything to get done."

He shook his head and turned to Gaf.

"Wouldn't you agree?"

Gaf did not reply. He had too much on his mind to pay much attention to the knight's words.

"Answer if you heard me."

"I'm dull company. Don't bother talking to me."

"Not a friendly bone in your body. Honestly, there's not one man in this castle worth spending time with."

"Try the bastard arriving today. He'll at least play along with your jokes."

"True enough. Lowborn as he is, he won't have any airs. Having lived as a beggar, he'll be used to coarse jokes, too."

The knight snickered and added,

"His mother's a serf, I hear? I'll have to needle him a little. It's such fun watching them bristle. We have a bastard in our family, too, so I know the pleasure well."

Gaf spoke gravely.

"Just don't cross the line. You may find yourself in serious trouble."

Displeasure crossed the knight's face.

"You seem to be the one treading on the line."

Gaf was a commoner, and the knight was a noble. An insurmountable wall stood between them.

Things might have been a little different had the knight known the name Gaf had made for himself, but at present, even his claim to have belonged to the Kandeya Mercenary Company was uncertain. All he had was a single Kandeya mercenary badge. A scrap of wood of unknown origin could hardly bridge the gap in their stations.

Gaf spoke calmly.

"I was only offering advice. I apologize if I offended you."

"I'll let it pass this once. More importantly, have you met the bastard? You spoke as if you knew him well."

A calculating, cunning Demon. That was all Gaf knew about Yohan. Until now, at least.

Ever since overhearing Yohan and Raguel's conversation the previous night, Gaf had felt an inexplicable sense that something did not fit. They seemed close. Their relationship did not look like that of master and servant. At the very least, Raguel was opening his heart to Yohan.

Yohan's actions had been strange as well. Why had he spared the Baron? He could simply have made him a puppet and swallowed up the domain. Perhaps he had some other scheme, but on the surface, it seemed like consideration for Raguel.

Gaf chewed his lip.

'Am I falling for his scheme?'

Perhaps he meant to lower Gaf's guard with a show of kindness. Gaf would not let himself be swayed.

The knight looked puzzled.

"I asked whether you knew him. Did that offend you so much?"

Returning to the present, Gaf softened his expression.

"No. My mind wandered for a moment. I wouldn't say I know him well... I've met him a few times."

"Well, that's rather hurtful. It seems the Baron trusts you more than me, after six years at his side."

The knight had never dreamed that the Baron had an illegitimate son.

"I only happened to find out recently myself."

"Even so, it's too much. He's giving me grounds to feel betrayed. Ha ha!"

Gaf furrowed his brow.

"What do you—"

Before he could finish, a maid rushed over and shouted,

"He's arrived! Everyone, please gather in the hall!"

The maids stopped their work and left the dining hall. The knight and Gaf headed straight for the hall as well.

Most of the castle's inhabitants had gathered in the corridor leading to the main entrance, facing one another in two parallel lines. The Baron stood in the middle at the far end, paler than usual.

He prayed that the doors would not open, but his wish was flagrantly ignored. The main doors swung wide.

A black-haired boy entered with an escort of around ten soldiers. Perhaps it was his neatly trimmed hair and immaculate clothing, but to Gaf, Yohan looked like a different person. The grubby beggar was nowhere to be seen. A refined young gentleman had taken his place.

The servants bowed their heads to the new heir. Yohan walked between them, his expression blank.

The closer he came, the more the Baron shifted uncomfortably.

"A-ahem."

At last, father and son stood face-to-face. One corner of Yohan's mouth curled into a grin.

"A pleasure to see you, Father."

The Baron could not meet Yohan's eyes. Ilea had told him everything, and he knew full well that Yohan was his master.

"I-I bid you wel—"

"There's no need to be formal."

Beads of cold sweat trickled down the Baron's skin as he watched Yohan for his reaction.

"Y-yes. Welcome, my boy."