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Chapter 40: The Whisper of the Devil
Jed had just cut off Yuren’s head. Before it even hit the ground, Ferda shot a magical arrow, blowing it apart.
“Ugh!” Jed instinctively covered his face, worried that some pieces might land in his mouth. He shouted at Ferda, “Why did you blow up the head like that?!”
Ferda calmly wiped the blood from his cheek with his thumb. “We need to be sure.”
“Is it really necessary for a confirmation kill? Just separating the head from the body would’ve been enough!”
“The demon isn’t the problem. It’s better than suddenly having the regent skillfully handle a sword and cut off my head, right?”
“Well, that’s true,” Jed said, looking at Yuren’s body. The clear mark of his attack was still visible—too physical for a battle involving a third-tier magician. To disguise the death as an explosion, Jed decided to damage the cut surface.
“So…” Jed looked at Ferda with amusement. “You only needed two eyes, right?”
“Then why did you bring only two eyes?” Jed replied with a laugh, incredulous. Ferda’s skills were trustworthy, even if he spoke casually.
“By the way, we’re later than expected.”
“It’s been a difficult experience. We tried to avoid being seen, and then we ran into some bad luck…” Jed recalled, a hint of a smile forming despite the situation. “But meeting that guy made things safer and easier.”
“Who did you meet?”
“A man named Karl from the Purge Squad. The regent figured him out.”
As soon as Ferda heard the name, he reflexively gasped. Karl was the man who had the dog collar in Ferda’s hands.
“Thanks to him, things went much smoother. He’s currently posing as a warehouse manager.”
“I see.”
“By the way, how’s your leg?” Jed asked, motioning toward Ferda’s injury. Although the bleeding had slowed, Ferda was still in rough shape. Without waiting for an answer, Jed leaned closer to examine the wound.
“Let’s stop the bleeding first. We need to apply pressure with a bandage or something.”
“I have a handkerchief, so I can manage.”
Ferda carefully wrapped the bandage around his leg but struggled to tie it tightly due to weakness from blood loss.
“Let me do it,” Jed said, unable to watch him struggle. He took the handkerchief and secured it tightly around the injury.
“Let’s just say we did our best to stop the bleeding… People can do anything when they’re on the verge of death, right?”
“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea.”
“So, what’s the plan? Should we carry you out of here? That will cost extra for the added weight.”
Ferda shook his head. “I’d prefer if we stuck to the plan. Do you see that black cover with silver chains over there?” He pointed to a book lying nearby.
“Yes, I see it. Should I grab it?”
“That book probably has the golden silk used to transport the necromancer’s instructions. Wrap it in that book and take it safely to the wagon we came in.”
Jed wrapped the book with the cloth he had brought. His eyes never left Ferda’s leg.
“Are you really okay? Don’t you want me to call for help?”
“You don’t need to worry.”
“No, I’m worried because you’ve lost this much blood.”
“People don’t die from this much.”
Jed scratched his head, pondering. Even though Ferda insisted he was fine, the injury was severe.
“So, did you find the information?”
“Not yet. I heard an explosion and came here to handle that first.”
“Then let’s not waste time and find it quickly.”
“Is that really the priority right now? You’re in danger…”
“But isn’t that the information you wanted to risk your life for?”
Jed had nothing left. His clans had been wiped out, and the only thing he remembered was his sister being taken. Hope was all he had left.
“A contract is a contract. If you do your job well, you get what you want in return.”
Jed looked displeased but felt he had to respond. He stood up and earnestly pleaded with Ferda, “Please don’t die.”
As Jed moved, he ran silently, showing off his skills. Ferda leaned against the wall to catch his breath, mana depleted and dizzy from blood loss.
Yuren’s intrusion into the sealed warehouse had been recorded, and if Ferda didn’t emerge soon, an emergency response would be launched.
“Time-wise… isn’t it about 20 minutes?” Even one minute felt too long in this tense situation. A weakened Ferda was the perfect target for a predator. The ominous energy from the cursed magic book began to creep over him.
“Want to play with me?”
“How about making a deal? I’ll give you the power to break the world.”
“Come to me. I will take you under my wing.”
Voices crawled into Ferda’s mind, shifting from childish tones to grave ones. They might have seemed powerful to others, but Ferda knew better—these were nameless demons offering terrible deals for weak powers.
“Do I really have to listen to these pathetic creatures?” he thought, yawning even in the tense moment.
The voices soon faded—not because of his strong mind, but because something of higher rank approached.
“Here it comes.”
Before long, darkness deepened, and a chilling sensation wrapped around him.
“Damn mortal!”
An old man with blue skin and a long white beard appeared, cloudy white eyes staring at Ferda. It was Marbas, the great demon who had contracted with Yuren.
“Do you know what it means to anger a demon?”
“What does it mean?” Ferda asked calmly.
“You will pay dearly for humiliating Marbas! You will suffer the pain of frozen skin and blood vessels in the deepest part of hell for a million years!”
Marbas tapped his staff on the ground, spreading the frost of hell around.
“I will give you a chance to make amends. Make a deal with me. You can take the place of my new contractor. What do you think?”
Ferda knew why he had come to threaten him. “I refuse.”
“Are you saying you want to bear my grudge?” Marbas shouted. “No one survives after making a great demon angry.”
“Are you really angry?” Ferda said, already aware of his intentions. “You just want a reason to make a deal with that fool and pretend to hold a grudge, don’t you?”
Marbas laughed instead of scolding. “Hehe… You’re not ordinary. Not interested in a deal? I’ll make your price cheap.”
“Of course, I’m not interested.”
“That’s a shame. If a soul as outstanding as yours became mine, I would be delighted. But if you ever find the need for me, you will pay an even greater price.”
Marbas left, indifferent, and the chatter in the air vanished. Something hidden in the darkness stirred and approached.
“The power you displayed was remarkable, Lord Ferda Valdrova.”
A sticky, slimy voice filled the air. Emerging from the shadows was a toad in a suit.
“My name is Morax. How about making a deal? I will grant you power and authority. I will lend you everything to create a great kingdom.”
The toad’s greasy smile widened. “Of course, the price will need to be paid someday.”
Morax, one of the Seven Great Demons, was the demon of contracts and payment—offering powerful but tragic deals.
Ferda smiled, mocking him silently. “I know exactly what you will do. It’s boring, so leave.”
“Hehe… I will retreat for now, but one day, you will call upon the name of Morax. I will wait for that day.”
The toad returned to his realm. Soon after, a sultry voice whispered, “Hello, darling!”
A figure emerged, blonde hair, blue eyes, and an ample chest—Olivia Arken. But it wasn’t truly her. Her lower half was a snake.
“What you showed today was wonderful. I never expected you to land such a hit on Marbas’s contractor.”
“I see.”
“Why look so bored? You’re in front of the empire’s most beautiful woman. Not impressed?”
She twirled her hair, smiling slyly. Her presence could drive men wild, but Ferda felt calm. Compared to Morax and Marbas, Citrin’s power was the least impressive.
“You said you married a dragon, right?”
“Yeah.”
“If you love that dragon, how would you feel about holding two at once?”
Ferda thought for a moment. “Tell me more.”
“Do you know why I can take Olivia Arken’s form? For a demon like me, it’s easy,” Citrin whispered. “Do you want to see… the form of Valdrova?”
Ferda hesitated. “Show me the form of Valdrova.”
Citrin cupped her face. Her blonde hair turned red, two pairs of horns sprouted, eyes golden with slits.
“How do I look? Stunning, isn’t it?”
Ferda’s face showed only disappointment. “That’s not it. My fiancé doesn’t look that sharp. The eyes should be lower.”
Citrin adjusted her face, but Ferda shook his head. “Not it; the eyes gentler. Lips aren’t that full.”
They argued over adjustments until Citrin stood abruptly, eyes filled with disgust.
“You crazy fool.”
“If you want, I can make a deal! Just do everything I want.”
“Get lost! Being involved with a pervert like you will ruin my future!”
Even Citrin vanished, leaving Ferda’s longing for Valdrova more vivid.
“Oh, my king,” Ferda called in his heart. “You love this world, yet it seeks to use you.”
Yuren’s attack had been to provoke Valdrova’s wrath. Ferda already knew who was behind it all.
“I will make sure to hold them accountable.”
He heard footsteps rushing down the stairs—knights and mages responding to an emergency.
“Damn it, Altes! What’s going on here?!”
“Isn’t that… the Regent Valdrova?!”
“Is he still breathing?”
“Yes, he’s alive!”
“Quick, bring the priest! This is urgent!”
“Regent! Can you hear my voice?”
He could hear them clearly. It was finally time to rest, even if only briefly.
