My Demons

Chapter 149

My Villains Episode 149

38. Golden Mire (6)

The woman in question was sitting in a chair. She was firmly bound by ropes and looked around with wary eyes.

“…lyarec. A bunch of piglets? This girl?” Utequais, sitting on the bed, frowned at the woman. Then he shook his head as if something was unbelievable.

“It’s hard to believe.”

I let out a bitter smile and shrugged my shoulders.

“Whether you believe it or not, that’s just how it is.”

“How can a beast become human? Such a thing doesn’t exist.”

“It exists right here. And strictly speaking, it’s not that a beast became human, but that a human had transformed into a beast. Now she’s just reclaimed her original form.” The woman tied to the chair looked to be around twenty years old, with a youthful face.

The sense of strangeness was Phoenix’s perception. She was an unfamiliar race in the Milanol Kingdom.

The rest was Kim Seung-soo’s impression.

Her large eyes without double eyelids and delicate features were reminiscent of a Northeast Asian woman, making her seem quite familiar. On the other hand, her non-typical appearance made her feel strange.

…Well, it’s somehow like if you’re both Korean, a colleague at work feels different from an idol you see on screen. When you actually meet, you think, ‘Wow, are they really Korean?’ That’s exactly how it was now.

Finally, the face I saw in the game came to mind, adding to the sense of familiarity.

Due to these mixed impressions, the woman’s appearance was extremely enigmatic to me.

I briefly described the circumstances of our first encounter.

“When I first saw her, she was a wild boar walking on two legs. Gradually her fur started falling off, and she transformed into a human.”

“Transformation?”

“Yeah. It seemed like some kind of magic was involved.”

“It’s not magic.”

Ellen, with arms crossed, firmly objected.

“If it were magic, I would have sensed it. If it were a spell, Zhanabas the Druid would have detected it.”

“If it’s neither a spell nor magic?”

“It was probably a technique from the Yeonggeummun.”

“…Yeonggeummun?”

When I made a stupid expression at the unexpected term, he frowned as if I were pathetic.

“Yes, Yeonggeummun. Luke, that crazy old man, don’t you remember?”

“Of course I remember.”

Yeonggeummun was a group that claimed one must practice to be liberated from the suffering of life, obsession with life, and fear of death.

Luke, who called himself a seeker of Yeonggeummun, was simply a psychopath. A psychopath who claimed that becoming undead was the path to salvation.

I had heard that not all Yeonggeummun followers were like Luke. In normal cases, they would quietly wander and live a monastic life.

But that wasn’t my concern, and in my perception, Yeonggeummun was just a group of crazy psychopaths.

“…So, was the curse of transformation from Yeonggeummun?”

“They push themselves into all kinds of hardships. They use sorcery to self-torture, believing they can overcome life’s pain by aging themselves. It’s completely crazy.”

“And?”

“Transforming into livestock like pigs or cows is also one of those hardships. So I’ve heard that among Yeonggeummun’s sorcery techniques, there’s a curse that transforms others into beasts.”

The curse of transformation.

A spell occasionally used by powerful named characters, not a skill possessed by player necromancers. After all, player necromancers’ style was to use vast evil energy to rot, melt, poison, and kill opponents. They wouldn’t use naive spells like the transformation curse.

Utequais, who had been silently scratching his chin, suddenly raised a question.

“Found this piglet in the Seiben region. It’s already been two months. It’s strange that the spell is only unraveling now.”

“…If the sorcerer is truly powerful, this curse could last not just two months, but even dozens of years.”

Ellen examined the woman tied to the chair with a sharp gaze.

“Moreover, that woman’s magical power is negligible. Her spell resistance is probably low, so it’s natural that she couldn’t shake off the curse.”

Grasping the meaning between the lines, I slightly furrowed my brow.

“…What if her magical power was strong?”

“She would have broken the curse. With even minimal resistance, no matter how powerful the curse, one could break it within a month.”

“…Ha.”

I let out a hollow laugh and pressed my forehead.

‘Magical power’ is a stat related to the total volume of skill resources like blood energy or magic, recovery, and efficiency. Additionally, for every point over 10 in magical power, you gain 1% of ‘spell resistance’.

So, with my magical power of 20, I get 10% resistance, and Ellen with 34 gets 24% resistance.

But looking at the fourth character sheet that emerged about two weeks ago…

Name: Unnamed

Level: 23

Class: Swordsman

Abilities: Remaining Bonus – 0

Strength — 15(20)

Agility — 38(92)

Health – 14(18)

Magical Power — 10(10)

Skills:

Assault 5pt, Stealth 5pt, Poison 2pt, Escape 1pt, Small= 3pt, Violation 1pt, Swallow 1pt, Morning 3pt, Quick 1pt

…Yeah. Exactly 10 magical power.

Naturally, spell resistance would be 0.

This exquisite fate is breathtaking and nose-blocking. On the other hand, my suspicion that the woman sitting there is the owner of the fourth sheet is even more solidified.

I suddenly looked at the woman.

Wearing a thin cloth dress and bound by thick ropes, she maintained a calm demeanor throughout.

…Ha, how annoying.

Lump turning into a human.

No, Lump was human all along!

“Whew.”

As I let out a slight sigh, the woman’s atmosphere changed. She stiffened her shoulders and feet, rolling her eyes, looking somehow restless.

To reassure her, I slightly smiled and spoke.

“Anyway, it seems you accidentally drank the release potion during that commotion the night before yesterday. Thanks to that, the curse was lifted.”

“…Hmm. A strange occurrence.”

Utequais, shaking his head, raised another question.

“Why are we talking among ourselves? We could just ask this girl directly.”

“…Ah, well.”

Instead of explaining with words, I decided to show directly.

I approached the woman and lowered my body to meet her eyes.

“Are you uncomfortable? Are there any sore spots?”

“Uh.”

The woman made a high-pitched sound and lowered her eyes. I asked again in a soft tone.

“It’s almost morning. Is there anything you want to eat?”

“…I, I don’t know, you.”

The woman stuttered and continued.

“I, xibu dalu language not know…”

Ellen let out a snort at her awkward Milanol language.

“Can’t understand the language but accidentally found and drank the release potion?”

“Little bit understand. Not know well.”

“Ha, unbelievable.”

Under Ellen’s piercing gaze, the woman’s shoulders shrank.

Utequais, with arms crossed, asked me.

“I understand the strange part about the piglet becoming human. So what’s the problem?”

“…I raised Lump in my room.”

“Right. And?”

“Ellen and I have had quite a few secretive conversations.”

“Secretive conversations! Hmm-”

As Utequais smiled with interest, I frowned.

“What are you laughing at? It’s not like that.”

“Not like that! Hmm-”

“This crazy guy.”

Utequais chuckled for a moment, then nodded.

“Now I understand. You’re worried that this girl might have overheard secrets when she was a piglet.”

“Yeah, that’s it. As you can see, she can’t speak Milanol language but…”

As I trailed off, Utequais finished the sentence for me.

“Our witch doesn’t believe that?”

“That’s right.”

“But this girl saved your life. It’s wrong to treat her like this.”

Ellen interjected into our conversation. She was still glaring at the woman.

“I’m enduring it because of that.”

“If you hadn’t?”

“She would have been thrown into the underground prison or handed over to the church.”

“Being imprisoned without doing anything wrong is incorrect.”

Utequais’s words were firmly countered by Ellen.

“That woman is a foreigner from beyond the sea. She followed our group while being a pig,”

“It’s not that she followed, I picked her up…”

Ellen continued, ignoring my words.

“We don’t know her identity, and she’s even learning martial arts. In a situation where she might have overheard dozens of Phoenix and my critical secrets, is throwing her in prison wrong?”

Utequais nodded without hesitation.

“That’s right. She only saved Phoenix’s life and hasn’t committed any wrongs. There’s no reason to punish her. No reason to keep her tied up.”

“Didn’t you hear? She learned martial arts from the East. She’s a woman with dangerous abilities capable of crossing the wooden fence bare-handed. Just because she hasn’t done anything wrong yet, what makes you think we should let her go?”

“If having dangerous abilities is a crime, then you, me, Phoenix – we’re all criminals.”

“That’s different, you idiot. Phoenix is a knight, and I am…”

Ellen’s words trailed off. Perhaps she recalled her own situation of being pursued under false charges.

“I understand your vigilance.”

“But this is wrong. Questioning someone without fault will make them commit a crime. A bad wheel will start rolling.”

When Ellen closed her mouth tightly, Utequais stood up and brushed himself off. From guarding the sickbed for two days straight, he seemed to move without any issues.

“…Where are you going?”

“To Boonie. I heard he was seriously injured.”

“Ah.”

The dying appearance of the Amias gang came to mind. Utequais would surely console them.

“Make the right choice, Phoenix.”

“What?”

Instead of answering, Utequais rummaged through his backpack. As he pulled out some honey liquor, I couldn’t help but mock him.

“You’re going to drink alcohol after saying all those grand things? Leaving the choice to us?”

“Wrong. I’m giving you time.”

“Time?”

“You tied up the girl. You need time to reverse that choice.”

Utequais also packed some food along with the liquor.

“If you don’t choose after this time passes, I’ll do it.”

“Do what?”

“The right choice.”

I frowned at the nuance in his words.

“Ha. Are you going to beat me up?”

“Why not. If a friend goes down the wrong path, you have to drag them back.”

I looked up at Utequais’s eyes and let out a slight laugh.

“Try it.”

“Looking forward to it.”

He smiled back and left the room.

After a moment of silence, I approached Ellen. Just as I was about to speak, she beat me to it.

“Phoenix.”

“Hm?”

“Hug me.”

“Eh? Suddenly?”

“No excuses, quickly.”

At Ellen’s cute whining, I spread my arms while sitting in the chair.

“Here.”

Despite my playful smile that could have provoked annoyance, she silently approached and hugged my chest.

I was sitting, and because she was standing, her lime fragrance was stronger than usual. Each time I patted her small back, her soft breath brushed my collarbone.

“…Do I look ugly?”

“Ugly? What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Just… This and that.”

“Not at all. If you looked ugly looking like me, that would be a skill.”

“…You’re saying strange things again…”

She muttered like that and buried her head deeper. I stroked her golden hair and whispered softly.

“I understand your worries.”

“Do you still have nightmares sometimes?”

“…Huh?”

“About what happened in the cave back then.”

“A cave?”

“A cave below the sewer. Suffering because of Luke.”

“Oh, um…”

Ellen was wearing a shirt. Through the thin and soft fabric, the heartbeat was clear.

“Don’t worry too much. Such a thing won’t happen.”

“…Okay.”

I quietly patted Ellen’s back.

Phoenix took Ellen to Master Caslight’s laboratory and then returned to the room.

The woman with exotic features was still tied to the chair. Her expression remained calm like before, but she seemed restless whenever the tall knight looked down at her.

Tak.

Phoenix put down a tray with food and approached her.

“Is this the first time we’re properly looking at each other?”

Phoenix pulled up a chair next to her and smiled.

“You must be hungry. Shall we eat first?”

Though his tone was kind, the woman’s body was stiff. Because of the man who had made her swim in the lake of happiness for the past two months, he was now emanating a completely unfamiliar atmosphere.

“Open your mouth.”

Her chin trembled slightly, but she tried to look calm and opened her mouth.

Looking at her small, full lips, Phoenix smiled and picked up the stew bowl.

“You understand this?”

Before she could react, a wooden spoon blocked her mouth.

The man moved his hands quietly and diligently. He tore bread, fed her diluted beer, wiped her mouth, and cut ham.

Meticulous but mechanical movements. The cold and formal smile reminiscent of a cold-blooded animal was an additional touch.

The woman swallowed the food and her saliva together. Because she missed the playful yet affectionate touch.

“You’re done eating.”

After finishing the series of tasks, Phoenix wiped his hands and cleared the table. The woman’s wavering eyes followed his footsteps.

“I was a bit busy yesterday. Meeting with Dionea and the vassals. Oh, Dionea is the Baroness’s name.” The man sat facing her, adjusting the belt with black scales.

“Steward, training commander, herald, butler, and even a Mage… What a lot of vassals in such a small territory, really.”

Phoenix, wrapping the sword belt around the scabbard, leaned back and crossed his legs.

“I’ll probably be called again a little later. We’re supposed to have a meeting around lunchtime.”

A long sword was placed askew on his thigh.

Phoenix asked, “What’s your name?”

“…Uh, none, sir.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. How can a person have no name?”

“None, sir. My name, Wuming. Meaning no name.”

“Wuming? Hmm.”

Phoenix nodded silently and smiled slightly.

“Your name isn’t great. Should I just call you Mung for a while?”

“Uh…”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“No, I like it.”

“It’s a pig’s name. Still okay?”

The woman quickly nodded.

Phoenix quietly looked at her and opened his mouth.

“Did you hear our conversation earlier?”

“…Not really. Xibu dalu language,”

“If you can understand this much, you must have caught the atmosphere, right?”

“Uh, I don’t know the words…”

As she mumbled like that, Phoenix, who had only been smiling with his mouth, coldly spat out,

“Can’t you just tell me obediently? Should I pull out a few fingernails and then talk?”

His eyes were twice as cold as his voice.

Unable to adapt to this drastic change, the woman called Mung tightly closed her mouth. It seemed she might collapse at any moment, but she ultimately endured.

The woman, dedicated to the gods as an infant by poor parents, possessed mental strength beyond imagination. It was the result of innate talent enhanced by environment and training.

She regained her composure through several deep breaths. Her resolve hardened so she wouldn’t break under threats or torture.

Phoenix let out a deep sigh. Seeing her eyes flickering without emotion, he sensed that things would not be easy.

He quietly tapped the scabbard. Considering whether to draw his short sword or pull out Hrunting. Then a thought crossed his mind.

Phoenix pulled his chair close to the woman.

“Mung.”

A tender voice. Sudden, but quite familiar to her.

“Mung-”

His lips turned pale white. His upper teeth pressed down hard on his lower lip.

Phoenix narrowed his brow and playfully tapped the tip of her nose.

“Won’t you answer?”

Her eyelids blinked rapidly. Her vision blurred due to the sudden moisture.

“Hm? Won’t you answer?”

“….I will.”

“What?”

“I will, answer.”

The man laughed at her clumsy response.

“You’re speaking well. Keep doing this. I don’t want to torment you unnecessarily. Okay?”

“Yes, yes. Keep doing this…”

The woman couldn’t continue speaking and closed her mouth. As she squeezed her eyes shut, seemingly holding back tears, Phoenix made a strange expression.

“…Hey, what’s wrong. Are you okay?”

The woman remained silent and shook for a while.

Then, barely opening her mouth,

“My, my apologies, I, I…”

She trailed off, shedding tears.

Phoenix, who had been quietly watching this scene, let out a deep sigh and drew his short sword.

“…Shit, I’m going crazy.”