I know he’s not talking about insects. There’s no way a Grand Mage like Jeffrey would be fighting winged insects with magic.
So, in the end, isn’t this a fuck buddy proposal?
Keeping me by his side and doing it whenever he’s bored—isn’t that what this is?
Isn’t that just being a concubine?
Why, since last time, why does Jeffrey keep coveting my body like this? Could it be that Jeffrey’s secret sexual inclination that wasn’t revealed in the original work is that he likes curly-haired punks with half-covered faces or something?
My head was completely overloaded, so I just stared as Jeffrey’s face drew closer. When his violet eyes finally filled with me and flashed—
“Th, ugh… wa, wait!”
A sound that was neither scream nor moan tore through my throat and burst out.
That was the moment.
Bang!
The inn door burst open, and something flew like lightning and struck Jeffrey.
“Ugh!”
Whack—!
With a rough collision sound, the table tilted and teacups shattered with a crash. I stared at the being before my eyes with widened eyes.
Familiar dark red fur, and short horns rising above its forehead.
It was that demon beast from before.
The one I’d picked up dying and barely saved by feeding it broth. Completely different from that frail breath back then, now it was baring its sharp teeth and fiercely biting Jeffrey’s shoulder.
“Grrrr—!”
Jeffrey’s eyes instantly froze. Those peaceful violet eyes shone cold as a blade. Then, without any warning, ice suddenly shot up from his palm.
Chantless magic that I’d only seen in the novel. It was probably a technique possible because his main attribute was ice.
At the coldly descending air, every hair on my body stood on end. Right at that moment, a massive chunk of ice took shape and extended toward the demon beast.
The demon beast immediately dodged as if bouncing its body away and kept him in check.
Bang—! Crash!
The table shattered to pieces, and furniture collapsed. The inn instantly became a scene of chaos.
Oh my god, my furniture, my household goods! Clutching my head, a scream burst out. No, that’s not the problem!
“Wait! I know that demon beast!”
At my desperate cry, Jeffrey’s violet eyes immediately pierced through me. As the murderously honed momentum stabbed into my skin like needles, my throat went bone dry.
I already knew he was a dangerous person. But what I was feeling now was a sensation beyond that.
Before the momentum that even blocked breathing, I just froze in place, staring at him with widened eyes.
Did he read my flustered state? Jeffrey slowly raised his hand and swept it over his face.
As his large hand swept down his face, the sharp momentum from before faded. However, my body was already stiffly frozen.
Was that earlier thing the killing intent described in the novel?
Rattle— I just rolled my eyes to look at his hand. A massive chunk of ice was still summoned in his grip. The blue light had a sharp edge like a blade.
“You said you know this demon beast?”
Jeffrey’s voice as he spat out those words sank low, so after hesitating, I carefully affirmed.
“It was collapsed injured in front of the inn. So, I just treated it.”
“That means you’ve had contact with a demon beast.”
“…”
I know. That it’s a serious crime.
My lips trembled, and I rolled my tongue tip, but no words came out.
Jeffrey let out a short sigh, then immediately transformed the ice in his hand into a long spear. Cold light flashed and a murderous aura spread.
“I’ll treat it as an act born from ignorance, and we’ll address the crime later.”
As soon as the words ended, he gripped the spear and aimed it at the demon beast in one breath. Just as he was about to swing it down from midair and drive it in, Jeffrey wrinkled his nose and muttered,
“I thought demonic energy was swirling around. Looks like it was playing at being a guard dog.”
“…!”
Guard dog?
And what soon came to mind were the bloodstains scattered in front of the inn for several days. And the gukbap bowls that were cleanly emptied every morning.
I’d suspected.
I’d heard stories about saving a dying beast and it repaying the favor. Of course, since it wasn’t just a beast but a demon beast, I’d dismissed it as nothing much.
But wasn’t what Jeffrey just said proof of that?
That that demon beast had truly been protecting this inn.
My heart pounded heavily. In the end, I jumped up and blocked Jeffrey’s path.
“Don’t do it.”
“…”
For a moment, Jeffrey’s violet eyes deeply pierced through me.
His breathing was quiet, but in those eyes floated undisguisable ennui and ridicule. Then he looked at me with a gaze like looking down at an immature fool who couldn’t let go of something worthless. It was a rare, blatant gaze unlike his usual kindly crafted eyes.
“Are you feeling compassion?”
He muttered lowly and twisted the corners of his mouth very subtly.
“Demon beasts are inherently evil beings. Do you think it stayed by your side all this time to protect you? Demon beasts aren’t such simple creatures. Breaking down boundaries, making prey domesticate themselves, then preying on them at their most vulnerable moment—that is their instinct. The communion you believe in is just a fantasy you’d see in fairy tales.”
His violet eyes shone calmly. However, what reflected in them was subtle mockery. As if I was an immature fool drunk on heroism and fallen into a futile fantasy.
…Right, it’s common, isn’t it? In apocalypse stories, the owner who hugs their zombified pet dog until the end. A scene where viewers curse them as stupid.
Is that what I look like right now?
My breathing grew ragged, and my face flushed red. But without backing down, I fumbled and spat out words.
“That’s not what I mean… this is on the Boundary.”
Jeffrey’s eyes narrowed very subtly. My breath caught and I trembled, but I continued speaking to the end.
“Demon beasts and humans. The place that divided those two worlds is precisely this Boundary. And this is an inn built on the Boundary. So… it’s not strange for a demon beast to be here.”
Of course I know.
If a demon beast came down to a residential area, it would have crossed the Boundary Line, and it wouldn’t be strange to be killed. Conversely, if a human entered the demon beasts’ forest, they too would have to be prepared for death.
But this is literally on the Boundary.
A place where those two can coexist.
Jeffrey, who’d been staring holes through me for a moment, slowly lowered his eyes.
As if he’d finished thinking, the massive ice spear he’d been gripping slowly disappeared. The cold energy that had frozen the surroundings also soon scattered into the air.
“…Even if you accept demon beasts as customers.”
“You can’t say anything to me. Because this is on the Boundary.”
At those words, Jeffrey let out a short laugh.
“Fine. If we’re just looking at logic, it’s not wrong.”
…Did it work?
As I carefully watched him, Jeffrey slowly bent at the waist. Soon he roughly grabbed the demon beast’s scruff and lifted it as is.
Grrrr—!
“…!”
As I flinched and looked at him, Jeffrey smiled distantly. Unlike the smile placed on his lips, his violet eyes were cold as if harboring killing intent.
“However, logic doesn’t always guarantee survival.”
“…”
“This demon beast clearly harmed me. Isn’t that right?”
Correct.
It clearly bit Jeffrey’s shoulder. As I nodded, Jeffrey’s gaze deepened strangely. He scanned my completely stiffened self and muttered lowly,
“However, if I kill this demon beast right here, it would be difficult to gain your favor.”
Favor? Why does this man need my favor? As I hesitated, not knowing the reason, Jeffrey soon presented a proposal.
“Let’s do this. Whatever the reason, I want your goodwill. However, I can’t just release a demon beast that attacked me. So I’ll give you a choice. I’ll seal this demon beast’s abilities and disguise its appearance to look like an ordinary animal.”
Seal abilities? Disguise appearance?
Because they were unfamiliar words I was hearing for the first time, they didn’t readily organize in my head.
The words he was spitting out were clearly a dangerous and strange proposal. At the same time, because it also sounded like goodwill, I smacked my lips sourly.
“Why… are you going that far?”
Jeffrey caught his breath briefly, then smiled lightly.
“I told you, didn’t I? That I need your goodwill.”
So, why exactly?
I could refuse. However, if that happened, the demon beast would die right before my eyes. That fact strangely pricked my heart.
I couldn’t tell if my conscience ached, or if it was because the emotion contained in the eyes looking at me was unfamiliar. However, what was certain was that it was too late to turn away.
Damn it. This is why they say not to carelessly pick up creatures with black fur.
“Sealing the demon beast’s abilities—how does that work?”
“It’s simple.”
As if thinking my question was acceptance, Jeffrey’s eyes curved quite pleasantly.
“I’ll suppress its abilities by putting on a collar-type sealing artifact, and simultaneously make it recognize you as its owner. From that moment on, as long as it’s on this Boundary, all of the demon beast’s magic will be sealed.”
“Then, if you take it off?”
“It can’t remove it on its own. Since it’s already recognized its owner, the sealing artifact won’t come off without the owner’s will. Of course, if it’s an individual with extremely high intelligence, it might be different. But if it were such an existence, it wouldn’t have dared to show itself on this Boundary in the first place. This entire area has adventurers coming and going so often you’d trip over them.”
Jeffrey trailed off, then placed—thud—the demon beast in my arms.
