I did it! I earned 200 points!
As I raced toward the house where Theo was waiting, I could not contain my joy and bounced up and down as I ran. I had cleared the quest, and there had been no casualties. Only the sacred statue had been destroyed, while everyone remained safe. This was not merely a success, but a tremendous success.
On top of that, I had seen Damian in person, one of the characters I was fond of. Seeing him in real life, he was much smaller, rounder, and cuter than in the game illustration. Rather than the dignified prince I had seen on the screen, he was closer to a little child who made you want to protect him. I had been worried that this small child might get hurt, so I had even told him to be careful not to injure himself. He had been so cute that I had even ended up calling him ‘little boy’… Had I been a little rude to His Highness?
The problem was what came afterward. When Damian asked why I had saved him, I was momentarily at a loss for words. I could not think of what I should say at all, so I returned the question exactly as it was.
‘Why do you think?’
Then Damian thought for a moment and arrived at the optimal answer all by himself.
‘You intend to keep me alive until I am fully grown, then offer my soul to the Demon King when the time comes, don’t you? Because the soul of a mature member of the Imperial Family is highly valuable…!’
No, wait. That makes me sound far too evil. I was once again at a loss for words. But when I thought about it again… it was quite a plausible excuse. I steeled myself and confidently declared ‘Correct,’ saying that he was right.
Damian looked at me with the eyes of someone staring at irredeemable trash. It was a gaze filled with fear. Being looked at that way by one of the characters I loved made a corner of my heart ache.
But what could I do? I had to remain faithful to my performance as a villain. I merely grinned like the suspicious narrow-eyed character I was.
‘I’m sorry, Your Highness, but now I can save Theo….’
Breathing heavily, I arrived in front of the house. Shane lived in a small log cabin situated in an isolated place. Few people passed through the area, and it did not stand out easily. It was quite a suitable place for a demon Legion Commander and spy to live.
I deactivated Disguise, immediately rushed inside, and checked Theo’s condition.
He was alive. He was alive and breathing softly. With that small body, he was struggling to survive somehow, clutching the blanket tightly as he gasped for breath. The sight made my heart drop.
I opened the shop and purchased the potion. I carefully poured the potion into Theo’s mouth as he hovered between life and death. The medicine took effect quickly. His ragged breathing became regular. His convulsing body also settled down.
All the tension in my body released at once. I collapsed into a chair and let out a sigh of relief.
‘Thank goodness…’
Truly, thank goodness.
Once the urgent crisis had passed, practical concerns immediately came rushing in.
What do I do now?
Originally, this role belonged to Rihen. Finding Theo, taking him in, raising him, and restoring him as the Empire’s hero. But Rihen… had been killed by me. To be precise, Shane before my possession had killed him. Either way, the result was the same. In this world now, I was the only person who could take Rihen’s place.
In summary, it meant that I had to designate Theo as my ‘companion’ and invest the points I earned through quests to raise his Stats.
When I thought about it carefully, this was not entirely a bad choice. Of course, it was sad that the sacred statue had been destroyed, but in exchange, I had saved Theo, the hope and hero of the Empire. From the perspective of the entire human faction, it would be far more beneficial for me to gather Infamy Points and use them to strengthen Theo.
‘Good. Then first, let’s register Theo as my companion.’
The moment I thought that, a new system window appeared.
Caution: Only 1 companion may be registered.
Would you like to register ‘Theo’ as your companion?
Yes No
Without hesitation, I pressed ‘Yes’.
‘Theo’ has been registered as your companion.
‘Great. Then shall we take a look at our hero’s condition now?’
Theo’s information window immediately opened.
Theo (27 Years Old)
Abnormal Conditions: Curse of Becoming Younger, Memory Loss, Ability Loss
Current Physical/Mental Age: 12 Years Old
500p + Complete at least 1 Quest → 15 Years Old
1000p + Complete at least 2 Quests → 18 Years Old
1500p + Complete 3 Quests → 20 Years Old
2000p + Complete 4 Quests → 22 Years Old
3000p + Complete 5 Quests → 24 Years Old
4000p + Complete 6 Quests → 27 Years Old
After quickly calculating it in my head, the total Infamy required to restore Theo to twenty-seven years old was 12,000 points. On top of that, I also had to complete at least 21 quests in total. It was not a small number. Moreover, I could not pour all the points into Theo alone. To effectively complete quests that would become increasingly difficult, I also needed to invest points in myself.
I had to raise my own Stats, strengthen my skills, and purchase items. I had to do all of that at the same time.
‘How many more evil deeds do I have to commit….’
The Infamy I would have to accumulate as a demon Legion Commander in order to raise a single hero of the Empire already felt overwhelming.
Cough, cough. A small coughing sound interrupted my thoughts. It was clearly Theo. I hurriedly ran toward the bed. Theo had opened his eyes and was looking at me. His small lips moved weakly.
“Who… are you?”
“I, I am….”
The name Shane rose all the way to the tip of my tongue. I swallowed the word back along with my saliva. I could not give him the name of a demon Legion Commander. Another name slipped out before passing through my brain.
“My name is Rihen.”
For a name that had come out reflexively, it was quite a good choice. It was also the name I had heard most often while playing the game, and the feeling of saying it was familiar.
If I chose Rihen as my alias, there would be no chance of reacting late when someone called that name. There would also be no unfortunate incident where I became confused, ignored someone, and invited unnecessary suspicion. And since it was the same name as a famous Saint, it might help create a good first impression.
“You were collapsed in the snow, so I brought you here. I’m truly glad you woke up like this. I was very worried.”
I continued speaking in a gentle voice.
“What is your name? And how old are you?”
“My name is Theo, and I’m twelve years old. But.”
Theo opened his eyes wide and looked down at the clothes covering his body. He was wearing the large formal uniform that had belonged to the adult Theo. I had only dried the clothes and put them back on him because I thought it would make explaining the situation easier.
“What are these clothes?”
“I don’t know either. You were wearing them from the moment I first found you.”
Theo tilted his head, then searched the inside pocket of the formal uniform. His hand caught hold of a pocket watch. He read the flow of the stars engraved on the watch and froze in place.
“January 25, Imperial Year 677.”
His golden eyes widened.
“Year 677? Not 662? Then… I should be twenty-seven years old.”
His confusion was plainly visible on his face. Theo did not know what to do and began breathing rapidly. I hurriedly brought warm milk from the kitchen.
“Drink this first. It’s all right.”
After helping him wrap both hands around the cup, I carefully spoke.
“I think you may have been cursed.”
“Then do I have to live in this young form for the rest of my life?”
Theo’s voice trembled. I gently patted his back.
“No. If you eat well and sleep well, you will return to normal.”
I kept the promise that I would diligently gather points and restore him to myself.
“Do you remember anything about your family?”
Of course, I already knew the answer. Still, I had to confirm it.
“No. I’m an orphan. My parents were killed by demons when I was nine years old.”
“Ah….”
A short sigh escaped me. Seeing it as a passing line in a game and hearing it directly from his mouth carried a different weight. The fact that demon blood was mixed within me felt especially heavy at that moment.
I carefully made a suggestion.
“If you are all right with it, would you like to live with me? Until the curse is broken, I want to take care of you. I don’t have a family either. It also feels like fate that I saved you like this.”
It was true. I had no family in my original world. This was also the reason why, separate from the confusion I felt about being possessed, I had no desperate desire to return.
Perhaps my friends would look for me. Although I had no family, I had always had many friends around me. However, there had been no one to whom I had truly given my heart.
“Rihen must have been lonely too….”
Theo sipped the milk and thought carefully, then nodded firmly.
“Yes. Let’s live together. Thank you very much. Please take good care of me from now on!”
“I’ll be counting on you too.”
I placed my hand on top of his small head. Soft blond hair slipped between my fingers.
You adorable little brat. Fine, for the time being, I am your temporary guardian. I will raise you properly.
At that moment, the communication orb hidden inside my pocket vibrated faintly with a hum. It was a message from Kairos.
“Then sleep well. Have sweet dreams.”
I pulled the blanket up to Theo’s neck, then quietly stepped into the next room. Just in case, I locked the door firmly before taking out the orb. When I lightly tapped it with my fingertip, its pearl-like surface rippled, and an image formed in the air.
It was Kairos, Commander of the 1st Legion and Shane’s maternal half-brother.
“You made quite a spectacular mess, didn’t you?”
He twisted the corner of his mouth into a smile.
“Surprisingly, you have a talent for agitation. The prince in particular was thoroughly frightened.”
Damian… You were frightened. I tried speaking gently in my own way, but I suppose it had no effect. I’m sorry. I offered an apology in my heart that would never reach him.
Kairos abruptly changed the subject.
“You also understand why it is important to shake the humans and plant fear in them, don’t you?”
I smoothly gave the prepared answer.
“Of course. For the Demon King to awaken, a sufficient number of souls must be offered. If humans are driven physically to the brink of death, or if their mental strength is weakened to the extreme, it becomes possible to extract their souls and offer them. That is why it is important to plant everyday fear in humans and shake their minds.”
The words flowing from my mouth were exactly the explanation I had seen countless times in the game tutorial. Kairos nodded as though satisfied.
I rather liked this ‘soul offering’ setting. If the awakened Demon King was sealed again, the souls that had been offered in the meantime would return to the bodies that had been left as empty shells. In other words, even if someone lost a precious person, winning in the final chapter meant that person could be brought back. Of course, the shell of the body would have to be preserved carefully so it was not damaged.
Even if, as a demon Legion Commander, the day eventually came when I could not avoid offering an innocent soul… as long as I raised Theo properly and had him defeat the Demon King, everything would return to normal.
Naturally, it would be best not to offer any souls in the first place, but situations might arise where it could not be helped.
When I had played as the evil faction, I could earn a minimum of 10p and a maximum of 500p in Infamy Points depending on the value of the soul. If that system also applied in this world, it would be useful whenever I urgently needed points. Of course, that did not mean I had the slightest intention of recklessly offering the souls of innocent citizens.
“Then I will give you your next mission.”
“Yes. Just say the word, Brother.”
I smiled amiably and waited for Kairos’s command.
“Burn down the Temple of Repinal.”
A familiar quest window appeared before me.
<Main Quest>
Arson at the Temple of Repinal
Time Limit: Within 72 Hours
Success: Infamy Points +700p
Failure: Kairos’s Annoyance
I destroyed the sacred statue today, and now you want me to burn down the temple too? Did you develop some kind of personal grudge against the goddess?
Of course, I could not say such a thing out loud. I was still smiling brightly. Only the muscles in my face twitched slightly.
‘700 points…’
The calculator inside my head worked busily.
I would use 500 points on Theo to first grow him to fifteen years old, and invest the remaining 200 points in myself. With my current Stats, my limitations were far too obvious.
The problem was the method. I had to send all the priests outside, then burn only the temple. There could be no casualties. As expected, it seemed that I would have to use a method similar to the one before. A method of inducing fear and making them flee on their own.
‘Then, what should I do….’
The answer came to me surprisingly quickly. Perhaps I had a talent for being a villain? It came to me so easily that I even had such a ridiculous thought.