Chapter 97: The Boy’s Ambition and a Demon Lord’s Dilemma

“Uncle, are you a knight?”

As he walked, his hood drawn, Wade was suddenly stopped by a small child.

The word “uncle” made Wade instinctively frown, but out of politeness, he answered the little boy’s question.

“Hmm… how did you know?”

“Big Brother Zelin told me!”

Wade instinctively glanced in the direction the boy pointed, meeting Zelin’s slightly embarrassed gaze.

Being a knight was hardly a secret. He had even worn the knights’ casual uniform to the church meeting today. Any child who had seen members of the knight order would likely recognize the insignia on his clothes.

What truly bothered him, however…

‘Why was he an “uncle” while Zelin was “Big Brother”?’

‘Did he look that old?’

“And you, Big Sister, what do you do?”

“Ah, um…”

“Hah.”

Seeing the child turn his gaze to Lamia, that single word “Big Sister” struck Wade right in the heart. ‘What? Did everyone around him look younger? Why was he the only “uncle”?’

Zelin was one thing; he genuinely was younger. But Lamia—Lamia was old enough to be called an ancient ancestor! “Big Sister,” indeed!

“My profession is… wife?”

After a few seconds of thought, Lamia uttered the words with a slight hesitation, causing both Wade and the little boy to freeze in surprise.

‘…?’

“Your profession is… wife?”

The little boy’s expression was as if he had suddenly stumbled upon the strange world of adults.

‘…Could Big Sister be someone who specializes in being other people’s wives—’

“—No one else!”

Hearing the boy’s words, Wade quickly used his loud voice to stop him.

“There’s no one else, she’s just *my* wife!”

Wade’s expression was a mix of awkwardness and shame. Uttering such a delicate statement made him feel rather shy.

His hands pressed firmly onto Lamia’s shoulders, as if he were declaring his ownership to a child.

Lamia, however, chuckled at the sudden pressure Wade exerted on her shoulders. She placed her own hand over his, as if to tell him not to be so tense, not to scare the child.

‘Yes, Lamia was always like this. Facing small creatures, she always possessed an instinctive, “Earth Mother” kind of care, though normally such emotions were hidden beneath her black armor.’

“Hah… you little rascal, why are you asking all this?”

Seeing Lamia’s easygoing manner, Wade had no choice but to relax. He sighed, casting a glance at the boy.

“Because Big Brother Zelin said he’s a useless adult! So I was curious, are there adults even stronger than him? He plays with us, makes us cookies, and brings us toys and flowers—why would that be a useless adult? He said something about… idleness? I don’t think that’s the word.”

Wade paused, listening to the child’s words.

He could almost picture it: after the children, admiring Zelin’s actions, would exclaim things like, “When I grow up, I want to be an adult like you!” Zelin would then respond, somewhat ashamed, claiming he was a “useless, idle adult.”

Zelin would probably even bring up Wade, telling the children, “An adult like the uncle next to me, a cool knight, *that’s* a useful adult.”

‘Being called an uncle was definitely that guy’s fault.’

‘Zelin wasn’t exactly useless, but idle, that was true.’

Wade instinctively muttered a complaint, but Lamia gently patted his hand again, urging him not to speak so directly.

Wade grumbled inwardly. ‘She had only been in human society for a few days. She hadn’t figured out emotional complexities, but she was already starting to grasp social etiquette. Still, it wasn’t a problem. As the “wish-granting machine for everyone” in the Demon Lord’s castle, Lamia must have countless stories involving social graces. Perhaps she would even manage interpersonal relationships on her own.’

‘Her time with the knight order also seemed to prove this point. She had effortlessly left a deep impression on the knights—what a sly one.’

Even as he thought about how cunning Lamia’s schemes were, his hand remained on her, holding her tightly.

“What about you then? What do you want to become?”

Lamia looked at the child, asking with genuine curiosity.

Among demons, such a question was rarely posed. The most common questions they asked young demons were “Do you want to survive?” or “Do you want to become stronger?”

They had no precise concept of the future. Most demons, upon birth, possessed only the instinct to seek power, devoid of detailed thought.

By the time they developed normal cognition, their infancy had already passed, leaving them without what humans called “childhood memories.” Their childhood was simply a period where instinct replaced thought.

Thus, facing a human child, she grew curious about the choices humans would make.

“Me?” The boy listened, then took a deep breath. “I want to become an exorcist! A hero! A superhero who can protect everyone!”

As the boy spoke, he even had a prop to match—a wooden stick tucked behind his waist, crudely shaped into a sword, though it wasn’t quite standard.

“A hero? Being a hero is very difficult.”

Hearing those words, Wade chuckled. Perhaps the casual conversation had relaxed him, or perhaps it was Lamia sitting so placidly beside him.

Wade, who had been leaning behind Lamia, simply reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, his chin instinctively resting on her shoulder.

It wasn’t until he had unconsciously made the gesture that he realized how utterly intimate it was. He could even hear Lamia’s breathing.

But since the action was already done, he had no choice but to brazenly maintain it.

“I want to be a super cool hero! Just like the White Knight! Defeat demons! *Whoosh whoosh whoosh!* Protect humans! And then make Big Brother Zelin my sidekick! That way, he won’t be a useless adult anymore!”

The boy, caught up in his excitement, gestured wildly as he spoke.

The word “hero” alone was enough for Wade to tease him about, but now hearing the more “specifically named” term “White Knight” made Wade raise an eyebrow.

It had to be said, the White Knight certainly was a “hero” of some renown. Of course, children would have heard his stories, though they were likely the fairy-tale versions found in children’s books.

He no longer bothered to hide such small gestures in front of Lamia. She already knew his identity as the White Knight, so there was no need to conceal it, as long as he avoided any overly exaggerated movements.

‘Hmm? Become the White Knight?’

Although Lamia hadn’t noticed Wade’s expression, she had clearly and truly heard the wish the child expressed.

‘Become the White Knight, defeat demons.’

In her mind, she repeated the child’s most innocent wish.

Theoretically, this should be a brave and beautiful wish.

But Lamia’s heart suddenly trembled.

‘Among humans, even a child so small, must think from such a young age… of attacking me?’

Hearing this, Wade immediately shivered.

“Ah—you mean, defeat bad guys and save good guys, right?”

Wade quickly tightened his embrace on Lamia, subtly guiding the conversation’s direction.

“Yes!” The boy readily agreed, proudly raising his self-carved wooden sword. “Those bad guys who bully my good friends! I’ll defeat them all! I’ll protect my friends!”

Lamia listened, paused briefly, then opened her mouth to ask:

“Bad… humans?”

‘From a human perspective, are there also bad humans? Shouldn’t they all stand on a unified front?’

“Of course! Like those bad kids who steal bread, and those bad adults who make fun of us for not having mommies and daddies! They’re all bad guys! Hmph… But you two are definitely good people, you must be Big Brother Zelin’s friends, right? When I grow up, I’ll protect you!”

“…Good people? Me…?”

The sudden “good person certification” left Lamia momentarily bewildered. She blinked.

“Of course! Big Sister, you’re so pretty, you must be a good person—though Big Brother Zelin told me that for adults, there are other ways to tell good people from bad. I don’t know about that. But you came to see us, and Big Sister even played the guitar for us just now, so you’re definitely good people!”

Hearing the child’s words, Lamia’s heart felt surprisingly complex.

‘Good person? Me?’

‘If even I am a good person—then, for humans, are there truly any bad people left?’

‘Shouldn’t I be… the most evil Demon Lord to humans? And someone like me, is—a good person?’

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