I Saved a Demon, and Now He’s After Me - Chapter 49

“My goodness! We’re alive!”

“Thank you, Miss Hunter! Thank you so much!”

The people who had been captured by the half-human, half-beast demon embraced each other and shed tears of relief.

“Ahem, no need to thank me. I just did what was right. If you’re really that grateful, then perhaps a token of gratitude would be… No, never mind. I was just saying that. Don’t worry about it.”

“Not at all! If there’s anything you need, just say the word! I’ll even bring you the deed to my house!”

“No, well… you don’t need to go that far.”

Eden took the hands of the people expressing their gratitude one by one and comforted them. She paid special attention to the person who mentioned the house deed. Though she spoke this way, the reason she cared so much for the victims wasn’t just because of commission fees or rewards.

Seven years ago, Eden had suffered the same pain as these people. Her beloved family had died at a demon’s hands, and she had also lost the kind-hearted neighbors who used to slip her a piece of chocolate each time she passed by.

Was this what they called the pain of shared suffering? The joy of being rescued, yet the sorrow of having lost someone. Watching people at a loss over these complex emotions made even her chest tighten.

While Johan and Bezel tended to the injured, Eden retrieved the heads of people that had been impaled on tree branches like exhibits. According to the survivors, these were people who had defied the demon holding them captive and had their heads cut off as an example.

“Let’s return to the village. A servant sent by the Viscount’s household is waiting. If you go there, they’ll guide you to a shelter.”

“Oh, yes. We understand.”

At Johan’s words, the people supported one another and walked toward the main gate. They seemed quite moved by the fact they’d survived, even as they walked unsteadily, they frequently turned back to express their thanks to Eden’s group.

Only after confirming everyone had left did Eden finally exit the orchard. Walking at the very end of the long line, she asked the person ahead of her a question.

“The person who escaped said the demon didn’t devour people. Is that true?”

“Yes. Surprisingly, it’s true. I thought we’d surely be devoured by the demon, so wasn’t it fortunate?”

“Do you happen to know why? It didn’t eat anyone, didn’t kill anyone unless they resisted. Its behavior was too strange.”

“That’s true. Hmm…”

The villager made an expression as if lost in thought. He frowned from time to time, as if recalling something dreadful, then suddenly clapped his hands as if remembering.

“Ah! The demon said it would move us somewhere. Something about needing to pledge loyalty to Lord Marbas. Otherwise, we’d all become sacrifices for the next gate and die.”

“Wait. What did you just say?”

“That demon said Lord Marbas…”

“Marbas?”

At the name that struck like an ambush, Eden abruptly stopped walking. The villager who’d been conversing with her also stopped with a bewildered face.

“Miss Hunter? What’s wrong?”

He asked out of concern, but no answer came. He glanced at her face without thinking and gasped. Eden stood there wearing a chilling expression that looked sharp enough to cut.

“That bastard, he served Marbas?”

“F-from what I heard him say, it seems that way… but honestly I don’t really…”

Eden’s expression wasn’t the only terrifying thing. Her voice had also sunk threateningly, as if she was about to kill someone.

“D-did I say something wrong?”

The villager fumbled nervously, watching her reaction. Eden couldn’t even say no, only trembling with clenched fists. She knew the villager was scared, but right now she didn’t have the presence of mind to comfort him.

Marbas was the name of the demon who killed her family and cursed her. That was what the Holy Knights who had come to assess the damage the day after the incident had told her.

‘I should have protected my parents…’

To Eden, who suffered from guilt at not being able to save her loved ones, the Holy Knights said:

“Marbas is among the highest of high-ranking demons. You did your best. It was just a bad opponent.’”

“Not that my luck was bad, but that my opponent was bad… is that what you’re saying?”

Hearing that, Eden made a decision. If the opponent was so bad that her parents had no choice but to suffer, then she would become that bad opponent to Marbas. She would get stronger, find him, and get revenge.

She had been sharpening her blade, dreaming of revenge for seven years. During that time, Eden trained herself harshly and chased demons, collecting information about him.

But the demons were tight-lipped. The moment she brought up the name Marbas, they would freeze as if he were right in front of them and clamp their mouths shut. Even when she tortured them rather than killing them, she barely managed to make them speak. Most answers were, ‘How would we know where such a high-ranking one resides?’

Since many lower-ranking demons had never even seen his face, these days she had even given up asking.

But today, she had finally heard news of him.