I Saved a Demon, and Now He’s After Me - Chapter 56

In truth, taking Bezel in had been closer to good fortune than a burden. Bezel was a chunk of gold that had come rolling her way. Not only did he treat her curse, he even frightened demons.

Especially in a situation like this, Bezel was a precious asset worth keeping by her side even at the cost of a fortune.

For the first time in seven years, Eden had found a trace of Marbas. She had known there was a connection between him and the New Era Church since they were the ones who had summoned him, but she had not expected that the connection still continued.

Most demons summoned through a gate would simply devour whoever summoned them and leave without being tied down.

She had naturally assumed Marbas would be the same. She had believed that a highest-ranking demon like him would never associate with humans he so despised.

However, Marbas chose to stay by their side instead of leaving. Judging by today’s events, it seemed he was using them to open gates according to his will.

In any case, even if she had not tracked down his exact whereabouts, she gained a significant lead that he was tied to the New Era Church.

Chasing humans was easier than finding demons. Though it bothered her that the opponent was a master of hide-and-seek who had concealed their identity for over a hundred years… Since the Holy Knights caught part of their trail today, if she investigated from there, catching that bastard would not be as difficult as before.

‘It’s a bit concerning that the Holy Knights won’t move actively… Should I swallow my pride and ask Johan?’

Another thing that weighed on her mind was her own ability. A high-ranking demon was never an easy opponent. No matter how capable she was, she had no confidence in taking on Marbas alone.

Over seven years of work, she had encountered high-ranking demons a few times, but every single one had been a struggle. The first time she faced a high-ranking demon as a Hunter, she had barely survived and fled. That demon had only been taken down after gathering several other Hunters to form a team and two days of fighting.

Her most recent fight with a high-ranking demon was not much different. Even though it had been a demon of ambiguous rank that only barely qualified as high-ranking, Eden had fought fiercely for several days and ended up in a coma for a full week.

In a situation like this, Bezel’s presence would be a great help. Seeing how he had immobilized even a mid-ranking demon this time, it seemed he could at least make Marbas uncomfortable as well, even if not to the same extent.

Thinking of it that way, her connection with this man felt strangely well-timed. How did he appear at just the right time, as if knowing he would be needed?

“I’ve decided.”

“What?”

At Eden’s sudden words, Bezel lifted his face that had been pressed against her hand.

“Your daily wage. I’ll give you half of the commission fee I receive.”

“Daily wage…?”

Bezel asked blankly, then waved his hand as if the thought had never even crossed his mind.

“Please don’t say that. You saving me was already more than enough. You’re giving me a place to sleep and feeding me on top of that, there’s no need to give me money too.”

Well, now. How admirable of him to say.

“Refusing once is enough. Take it when it’s offered. Refuse again and I really might not give it.”

Eden said it like a joke, cutting off his refusal. But Bezel seemed sincere.

“I’m not doing this for money. It’s really fine if you don’t give me any.”

If she could save money, that would be perfect. But she did have something called a conscience, so she could not just readily agree.

“So you’re telling me to make someone work for free?”

“If it burdens you that much, how about… granting me one favor later?”

“What kind of favor are you planning to ask for?”

Eden said this but nodded anyway. How big of a favor could this kind man possibly ask? At most, it would be something like asking for help if something dangerous happened.

The reason she could so easily accept his proposal, even though the word “favor” could be burdensome depending on how you looked at it, was largely because several people had already said similar things to her.

In a grim world where demons could appear at any time, people valued their connections with the temple and Hunters.

Especially in times like these when demons were running rampant, Hunters were hard to call even if you had the money. In truth, there was nothing that could not be done with money, and if something could not be done, it was simply because there was not enough of it. But unless born into nobility, most people inevitably hit financial limits.

Such people would provide Hunters with weapons or information free of charge and entrust their futures to them in return, since exorcist priests were forbidden to accept bribes.

‘Please help me just once when things get truly desperate.’

Eden tended to accept such requests. There was no knowing whether a truly urgent situation would arise; if she could gain something by putting up an uncertain future as collateral, would that not be to her advantage?

This time too, Eden had gained the opportunity to use valuable manpower for free in exchange for a single favor.