“…Going there isn’t difficult, but are you sure you’re okay with it?”
At that moment, as I turned my back on the Demon Tribe, a suddenly meaningful whisper reached my ears.
In an instant, a chill ran through my body.
Of course, my steps stopped, and I felt as if the surrounding air had become heavy.
It was as if the gloomy aura unique to the Demon Tribe was creeping up my back.
“…….”
I tried to avoid turning back.
It was clear that the voice was hinting at something.
However, for some reason, it felt too unsettling to keep moving forward like this.
“What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”
In the end, I slowly turned my head and met the gaze of the Demon Tribe once again.
The Demon Tribe stood there, still and unmoving.
“If I were you, I would have knocked off the head of that Demon Tribe standing here without a moment’s hesitation. After all, it’s certain that they are the enemy.”
I furrowed my brow involuntarily at the provocative words that came from the Demon Tribe.
His tone was calm, but there was surely a plan to test me hidden within it.
“Why are you just letting me go?”
“I don’t want to increase the number of enemies by hurting anyone. At least, not until the children grow up a bit.”
In response to the Demon Tribe’s question, I answered calmly as well.
The Demon Tribe slowly tilted his head as if puzzled.
“I understand that you care for the children more than anyone. But I’m not sure if that’s truly worth anything.”
“Hah, are you trying to act cold now?”
“No. I don’t want to appear cold; I’m genuinely worried about you.”
“Why are you worried about me? Did you perhaps feel some compassion just because we’re both from the Demon Tribe?”
“Of course. Moreover, you possess an immensely powerful strength that is second to none. I hold you in high regard.”
“…I’m sorry, but I hold you in very low regard. Hearing such words doesn’t really make me happy.”
As the conversation dragged on, the Demon Tribe’s expression turned increasingly interesting, and his lips curled in an unsettling way.
“That’s fine. As I mentioned, I am in charge of the Demon King’s eyes, so whether my evaluation of you is high or low doesn’t really matter to me.”
“…….”
“The reason I’m saying this all of a sudden is not for anything else. It’s simply because it’s such a waste for your abilities to rot away in a place like this.”
“At first, you disregarded me as a vampire…. And now?”
“Yes, I understand. It’s true most of the Demon Tribe holds a negative view of the vampire race. But you are different.”
The light atmosphere from before had completely vanished, and the Demon Tribe was now leading the conversation with a serious demeanor.
At this point, I could roughly guess why he was going on and on about this.
“I definitely want you to join our Demon King’s army.”
The statement about having approached us by chance was certainly a lie.
He had approached us with a clear purpose, and it seemed he had created this situation to persuade me under the guise of a natural conversation.
“I don’t want to.”
However, as my existence itself was a bundle of contradictions, I didn’t have a strong liking for the Demon Tribe either.
No wonder, I was merely a façade of a Demon Tribe member.
“…You really are refusing outright.”
“A Demon Tribe member who visited before also said something similar. If I had even the slightest intention, I would have switched sides back then.”
There was a hint of disappointment in his voice, yet he still conveyed a deep interest.
It was as if he wanted to learn more about me through this conversation.
“Well, it can’t be helped. I can’t force you to come with us─.”
Almost as soon as I thought that, for some reason, the flow of the conversation began to twist in a strange way, and an unsettling energy began to swirl around us.
The Demon Tribe still wore a calm smile, showing no particularly suspicious behavior.
Yet, the disappointment and sadness inherent in his voice made me feel increasingly uneasy.
Since I was starting to feel bored continuing the conversation, I had no choice but to awkwardly ignore that feeling and turn my head away.
Then─.
“It seems you see something in those children, but at the end of the day, humans are humans. No matter how high they fly, they cannot escape their inherent limitations.”
Once again, the Demon Tribe’s suspicious voice echoed from behind me.
His subtle provocation showed no signs of stopping.
“I don’t know why a Demon like you is raising human children to prepare them to fight against us, but those children surely won’t even cross the threshold of the Demon Tribe’s land.”
“…….”
The Demon Tribe kept stopping my steps, and now he was even making my head spin with confusion.
How in the world did he know I had secretly been preparing to resist the Demon Tribe?
In an instant, a shiver ran down my spine, but still, I maintained a stoic expression, pretending as if nothing was wrong.
“Do the children I care for really seem that insignificant to you?”
“Yes. I look down on those children greatly. Even if they grow up over time, my thoughts on them will never change.”
“I see. If you really look down on the children like that, I have nothing much to say.”
“That’s only natural. How could mere humans stand against the Demon Tribe?”
“Given that, it seems quite a number of Demons have fallen to humans.”
“That’s because those fools were lacking and got eliminated. They couldn’t keep up with the flow of the times.”
The Demon Tribe immediately reacted to my offhand remark, raising his voice in excitement.
His words clearly revealed a ruthless mindset that only the strong should survive.
“With that kind of mindset, doesn’t that imply you’re also a Demon who has not kept up with the flow of the times?”
“No. If one lacks strength, they must at least be smart. They should know how to make the most of their bestowed abilities.”
“…….”
Moreover, the Demon Tribe’s extremely self-centered attitude only made me feel increasingly uncomfortable.
His face was brimming with arrogance and pride, and his words reflected a conviction that he was right.
“Why do you look like that? Is there a problem?”
“…Well, I don’t intend to quibble over personal beliefs. If that’s what you think, so be it.”
“Thank you for understanding. It seems we awakened beings have a way of understanding each other….”
Before the words of the Demon Tribe could conclude, I casually began to walk again.
There was no need to listen to the Demon Tribe anymore.
It was all useless talk, an attempt to spread his inferior beliefs onto me.
I can’t help but wonder how these kinds of beings have managed to maintain their power all this time in the Demon King’s army.
“I thought we finally had something in common but are you just going to leave like that?”
The Demon Tribe’s voice came quietly from behind me, almost as if he were mumbling.
This time, I didn’t stop walking.
I simply moved forward in silence.
“I find you disappointing in many ways. I never expected you to be so powerless….”
Nevertheless, the Demon Tribe continued to throw mocking words at me until the very end.
“You’re not a Demon Tribe member who should be rotting in such a dismal place.”
“…….”
“What you’re doing now is utterly meaningless and useless. It will have no impact on the future.”
“…….”
“In the end, it’s just wasting time. No matter how hard they try…”
Once I had pulled away a certain distance from the Demon Tribe, I paused for a moment and took a deep breath.
“Exactly ten years.”
“…?”
“Exactly ten years from now, an exceptional wind will blow that will refute your words head-on.”
The words I quietly threw over my shoulder drew no response from the Demon Tribe.
However, within that long silence, his expression must have changed.
The strong will and conviction reflected in my voice would have spurred him on.
“When that time comes, I and the Demon King’s army will have nothing to do with each other anymore.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It means that I am not what the Demon Tribe needs to be wary of.”
“Ha… I told you clearly before… humans will eventually hit a limit no matter how hard they try….”
“They will surpass it.”
I boldly threw out that single phrase while slowly pushing my hair back and removing the veil I had been wearing.
“I’ll make sure they do.”
With that declaration, I chose not to speak another word with the Demon Tribe and calmly walked into the dark shrubbery.
Though the Demon Tribe currently disregarded my existence openly, in exactly ten years, I would become a formidable presence that no one could easily ignore.
Those chosen to be the Messiah, those children, would likely become stronger than I am….
After all, the future is something no one can predict.
