Chapter 1 | The Assassin Negotiates
So far, Mina and I had only traded jabs. This was where the real negotiation began.
I checked the wine to see if anything dangerous had been mixed into it. It would be safest to refrain from drinking it entirely, but my relationship with the snake demon was still amicable. I needed to at least pretend I trusted her.
There didn’t seem to be any toxins. I signaled as much to Tarte and Dia with my eyes, and I took the first sip.
Kurtonyu red wine sure is good. Fine products like this were likely why Mina took a liking to human culture in the first place.
“Heh-heh, I’ve tried my fair share of human alcohol, and this is the most delicious,” Mina commented.
“I agree,” I responded. I swished the wine in my mouth. It had been preserved perfectly, retaining the striking taste of Kurtonyu.
After another sip, I eyed Mina. She smiled suggestively and waited for me to speak. It seemed I needed to get the ball rolling.
“I’ll get right to the point. Do you intend to maintain our alliance?” I asked bluntly.
“Oh dear, where is this coming from?” Mina responded.
“Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about the earth dragon. You surely noticed that it had been working to annihilate that town for some time. Yet you didn’t contact me. I don’t think it’s a stretch to conclude that you wish to dissolve our agreement.”
I wasn’t going to let her evade the topic. I came here for the truth, no matter the consequences to our relationship.
“I elected not to tell you on purpose. I need a Fruit of Life. That little demon was powerful, but possessed a lethal weakness. Stealing the Fruit of Life after he produced it would’ve been simple. I didn’t want you to get in the way.”
“You hoped to take the Fruit of Life after the earth dragon demon created it.”
“Precisely.”
“…That doesn’t make sense. If you need a Fruit of Life, why form a partnership with me? Your information allowed us to kill the lion demon before he could create what you need.”
Mina paused to take a sip from her wine, then answered. “Frankly, I underestimated you. I didn’t think you’d actually succeed when I gave you intel on the lion. At best, I thought you’d hold my irritating rivals back for a while. But now you’ve defeated four of us. Your latest opponent was the only demon left I believed I could successfully steal a Fruit of Life from. That’s why I refrained from telling you.”
“That makes sense.”
“But I still failed. I never imagined you’d make it in time without my assistance. I’m also surprised you went head-to-head with that demon and won. You are truly strong, and, above all, you have a very discerning eye. You’re the first human ever to notice that the earth dragon was nothing more than armor that weakling wore for protection.”
A detail in Mina’s words caught my interest. It was actually something I had been wondering about.
“The ‘first,’ you say. That means the earth dragon has fought humans before. Going back centuries, I presume. And I’m guessing that’s true of the other demons, too. Are you all being repeatedly resurrected?”
I’d been studying all surviving literature on demons, and one thing repeatedly struck me as odd. No matter the era, the demons were always described like the ones of today, excluding some minor differences, despite the hero of each era slaying the demons.
How could the same demons keep appearing if the hero always killed them? Were the demons of the present and those of the past the same individuals? I’d been trying to work out that question for a while.
“We are resurrected. That word gives a slightly incorrect impression, though. After all, we don’t die.”
“You can die if your heart is shattered,” I said. That was what Demonkiller was for, killing immortals.
“Having our hearts shattered renders us unable to remain in this world, but that is all. With time, we can manifest again.”
Perhaps the process was similar to my own reincarnation. When humans were reborn, their souls were cleansed and bleached in the world after death. Then, they returned as new people. In my case, I skipped the cleansing and bleaching step and retained the memories of my previous life. It wouldn’t have been astonishing to learn a similar thing happened with demons.
“That’s very interesting. So you demons have been repeating the same process for centuries. You seem remarkably unprepared for the hero. Shouldn’t you have formulated strategies by now? You’ve failed again and again, yet it still appears like you’re relying on brute force. Surely demons are capable of learning.”
In all of Alvan’s recorded history, there was no mention of any great downfall of humanity. Thus, the demons and Demon King had to have lost every time. Why hadn’t they concocted a plan against the hero by now?
“Since you know this much already, I may as well give you an important piece of information. We have never once failed. We have always achieved our goal, going back thousands of years. That is why the world still endures.”
That sounded backward. Everyone knew that the demons and the Demon King sought to destroy the world, and the hero wanted to protect it. Mina’s claim contradicted that.
“You’re not going to explain in more detail, are you?” I questioned.
“Of course not. We’re allies, not friends. I told you that as an apology for not informing you about the last demon. If you want more, I’ll need compensation.”
She was clearly suggesting I seek out the answer on my own. I wouldn’t get the complete picture by looking into demons alone. I needed to meet with the hero.
“…Am I right in assuming you’re willing to maintain our bargain?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s right. Only four demons remain, including me. However, the other three are special. I can’t do anything about them myself, so I’d be delighted if you took care of them.”
“Do you expect me to trust what you say?”
“As I said before, I only withheld information to better my chances at getting a Fruit of Life. Do you see what I am getting at? If I get a Fruit of Life, we can return to the relationship we established… So may I please have that Fruit of Life you’re hiding? If you don’t give it to me, I’ll have to dirty my hands and make one of my own. The other three remaining demons are too strong for me to steal from, so I’ll have no other choice.”
Mina’s snake eyes moved to the Leather Crane Bag hanging from my hip. Playing dumb wasn’t an option. I was also certain she could create a Fruit of Life if she so desired. This woman had the Alvanian Kingdom practically dancing on the palm of her hand. Her political influence was enough to keep me away while she slaughtered innocents in some town beyond my reach.
That gave me only one choice.
“I accept your terms, if we do this the other way around. Continue to give me intel on demons. When you’re the last one left, I’ll give the fruit to you.”
That would keep Mina in check and allow us to maintain our alliance. Anger flashed across the snake demon’s face for a moment, and then it swiftly returned to her usual beguiling expression.
“You’re a very cautious man.”
“I’m giving you a penalty. You reneged on our agreement, so you should be the one saddled with disadvantageous terms, not me.”
“I hope you don’t forget your lives are at stake in this negotiation. This is my nest, and you’re exhausted from your previous fight.”
Mina was correct on both accounts. There were hundreds of powerful monsters in this mansion. I’d also used all of my Fahr Stones and lost my cannons in the battle against the earth dragon. My mana and stamina had returned, thanks to Rapid Recovery, but we would stand little chance in a battle here.
“And I would think you know better. I knew full well we’d be imperiled the moment we stepped foot in your base. Do you really think me careless enough to come here without a plan in case things went wrong? I not gambling our lives. Want to try me?”
I locked eyes with Mina. We both excelled at reading the intentions of others. That was how we were able to come to an understanding.
“You win. I accept your terms. I’ll offer you more information about my fellow demons, and I’ll support you with my political influence as well. If you’re uncomfortable with me eating humans, I’ll refrain from that, too. In exchange, you’ll give me the Fruit of Life when I’m the last demon remaining, as you promised.”
“We have a deal. All right, we’re done here. Tarte, Dia, let’s return home.”
“Y-yes, my lord,” replied Tarte.
“Yeah, I don’t wanna spend more time here than we have to,” said Dia.
I stood, and they followed suit. They both wore stiff expressions; the strange mood in this room must have made them nervous.
“…I have two final warnings for you, Sir Lugh. First, I recommend you don’t carry the Fruit of Life around for very long. It’s fodder for the Demon King, and too much for a human to handle. You’re not a monster like the hero, don’t forget that. You’re merely a stronger person. Second, you need to decide what it is you want to protect. Is it the world, this country, or your adorable little lovers? You’ll make the wrong decision if you’re not careful. This ritual is reaching its climax, and you’ll have to make a decision soon. It’s already been perverted by the presence of a lowly human. Even I don’t know what is going to happen.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. What do you want in exchange?”
“That was just a gift to my favorite boy. If you really want to thank me, how about you do so in bed?”
“I’m going to have to decline. Sorry, but you’re not my type.”
“Oh, how cold. Though I have to admit, I like that side of you.”
Nothing was surprising about Mina’s first warning; I figured the Fruit of Life was dangerous. And from what I’d learned so far, I could guess why she chose this time to ask me what I wanted to protect.
There was no way I would ever waver in regard to that question. I’d been reborn with the aim to live as a person, not a tool. My purpose in life as Lugh Tuatha Dé was to live happily with the people I loved. That was all.
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