Chapter 6
Beelzebub was a great demon who had led demon legions in Hell for over a thousand years. True to his nature as the Demon of Gluttony, he consumed everything that existed in the world.
Soil and iron, water and fire, humans and demons, their life force and malice alike. Whether seen or unseen, he absorbed it all, using it as nourishment.
Of all these, what Beelzebub enjoyed most were human life force and demonic malice. Their bodies were decent nutrition too, but couldn’t compare to their energy.
Beelzebub had clear preferences when it came to human or demon shells. Perhaps because of this, eating old and ugly things made his stomach churn and made him feel nauseous. He’d rather eat stones or wood, things that wouldn’t fill his stomach but wouldn’t make him feel disgusted either.
On the other hand, life force or malice, though unseen, never betrayed his expectations and always provided the finest nourishment.
Human life force, in particular, was something else entirely. Their hearts held a mysterious power that could create miracles that defied the laws of the world, or conversely, could produce catastrophes that would consume not just themselves but everyone around them.
Next came curses. The desire for someone to experience a disaster or misfortune. There was no sweeter, more beautiful malice than this. The stronger the person who cast the curse, the deeper the grudge of the cursed, the greater its value.
Right before him was the perfect prey, one who possessed both life force and a curse. Beelzebub’s mouth watered as he stared at Eden.
“Look, I understand I might look like someone you want to keep staring at, but could you please focus on the investigation?”
Eden, avoiding the man’s intense gaze, raised her hand to shield her face. Despite hearing these words, the man didn’t seem embarrassed and continued to stare to the point that the back of her hand tingled.
“Haha. You’re the one who saved this person, aren’t you, Miss Hunter? He must keep staring because he relies on you.”
The Holy Knight sitting across from them spoke playfully.
“Saved? What do you mean, I didn’t do anything.”
“You kicked the priest who was holding the dagger and sent him flying with a single blow. I was so surprised. We couldn’t even get close, worried the hostage might get hurt… Miss Hunter, you seem braver than any of us knights.”
Eden fought to keep her mouth from breaking into a wide grin at the ongoing praise.
“Ahem. I’m busy, so please finish the investigation quickly.”
Despite her embarrassed and blunt response, the Holy Knight chuckled knowingly and handed her the form.
“All you need to do is fill out this section. Write down your personal details, and below, please describe what you saw and heard today.”
“Got it.”
Eden picked up the pen beside her and began writing on the form without hesitation. Meanwhile, the man beside her just sat still, staring blankly at her.
“Um… sir, do you perhaps not know how to write?”
The Holy Knight who had been watching him asked carefully. Although it was a rude question, it had to be asked to verify his identity.
Most of those who were captured by the heretics and used as sacrifices were slaves. If you had the money, you could buy them and not worry about the aftermath.
His face was so striking and his body showed no rough signs of a harsh life, so the Holy Knight wondered if he might be a kidnapped noble’s child. But seeing him not write on the form, it made him wonder if he was an illiterate slave after all.
“I can write.”
But the man immediately grabbed the pen as soon as the Holy Knight finished asking. He quickly scanned the paper and wrote the letter B in the name field at the top.
Unlike how he wrote the first letter without hesitation, he paused before writing the next one. As if in deep thought, he rested his chin on his hand and slowly moved the pen.
‘Bezel.’
Next were his age and address. To the Holy Knight’s surprise, the man wrote a four-digit number in the age field. At first, the Holy Knight thought it might be his year of birth, but the arrangement of the numbers didn’t make any sense.
“Excuse me, Sir Bezel?”
When the Holy Knight asked again, Bezel seemed to snap back to reality and quickly crossed out the number. He glared at the paper with a frown, then suddenly made a choked expression and covered his face with his hands.
“I’m sorry. Actually, I don’t remember anything.”
“…What?”
“Other than my name, there’s really nothing…. I think something’s wrong with my head.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize and rushed you too much. Please, take your time to think it over.”
The flustered Holy Knight quickly pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him. It wasn’t unusual that the shock had caused him to lose some of his memories after barely surviving a near-death experience. Even among the Holy Knights, many suffered memory loss after getting injured while handling cases. He wasn’t a doctor so he didn’t know well, but it seemed to be one of those stress-related illnesses.
“This often happens among victims, so don’t panic too much…. Sometimes memories gradually return if you calm down, so please try to relax.”
The Holy Knight gently consoled him as he wiped away his tears with the handkerchief. Bezel’s distorted expression softened as if comforted by the warm words.
“By the way, this is quite the problem. If you can’t remember anything, you can’t call for a guardian, and without an address, we can’t take you home…”
The Holy Knight stared at the empty form, then glanced at Eden as if expecting something. Eden, who had been grumbling while filling out the form, felt his gaze and looked up.
“…What is it?”
“Miss Hunter, since you’ve already saved this person, do you not have the thought of doing a little more good deed?”
“No, I don’t.”
Eden responded quickly even before the Holy Knight finished speaking. The suggestion of a good deed meant that she was expected to let the man stay for free. She had earned money through her hard work as a Hunter, and while she did have a spare room, she had no intention of giving it away for free.
“Please don’t be like that. Help us out a little. God is always watching over us. By doing a good deed, surely good things will come back to you.”
“B******t. How is hoping for something in return considered a good deed? It’s a calculated action.”
Eden crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, and then made a small circle with her thumb and forefinger.
“If there’s payment, maybe…”
That was when it happened. Bezel, who had been sitting quietly and staring at them like a child waiting for a decision, finally spoke up.
“Um, Miss Eden?”
How he knew her name, she wasn’t sure. He must have secretly peeked at the form.
“Yes, what is it?”
Eden answered indifferently, and Bezel, as if he had been waiting, said,
“About that payment. Instead of money…would my body work?”
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