The Evil Smiling Demon came to see me again the next day.
“I thought you wouldn’t come back.”
“How could I not, when you hold the power over my life and death?”
In response to my mocking remark about sparing his life yesterday, he answered in his own way.
“Please wait a moment. I have something urgent to deal with.”
“Don’t mind me, take your time.”
Though I could have paused my work, I let him wait for the sake of momentum.
As he walked over to the window, the Evil Smiling Demon asked,
“I don’t see that flower from yesterday.”
I answered while stamping a document.“Investigator Seo probably took it out to water it.” 1
I reviewed another document, then stamped it again. And again. And again.
Bored from looking out the window, the Evil Smiling Demon eventually perched himself on my desk.
He watched me work with a look that seemed to say, ‘Since you made me wait, tolerate this level of rudeness’.
“Why make this so complicated? Just kill them all.”
I smiled at him and said,
“You live too easily, Soma-nim.” 2
The Evil Smiling Demon laughed heartily at my words. One must not be fooled by this unguarded demeanor. Those who underestimated Soma ended up dead, while only those who stayed vigilant survived the extreme.
“I’m done.”
As I stamped the last document and looked up, the Evil Smiling Demon spoke unexpectedly.
“If you really become the successor, will you spare me?”
Of course, I couldn’t be fooled by these words either. Did he really come here to beg for his life?
He was enjoying this entire process. Soma wanted to see me crumble eventually, to laugh and mock me at that moment.
I drew a line across the table with a dagger.
“I’ll spare you. But…”
I drew a vertical line slightly to the right of the center. 3
“You need to come this far to survive.”
Soma’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“What is this?”
“The extent of my affection.”
“Oh! Is that so?”
“You need to cross the halfway point to survive. Even if we’re friends, a friend without any affection is no different from a stranger. A friend in name only will die.”
“It’s difficult to survive.”
“You’ll have to cross it somehow.”
“Where do you think I am now?”
I drew a vertical line a little past the starting point.
“That’s all?” 4
“You’re already here.”
The Evil Smiling Demon glanced down at the line, then back at me, then at the line again.
He couldn’t help but be drawn into this relationship.
Not only was he treated harshly, but from me, he could sense a taste of justice and honor that could never be found in the main cult. That would be the spice that excited the Evil Smiling Demon the most.
“Second Young Master, what do you think of the Cult Leader?”
He was probably asking because he suspected I was doing this with my father’s backing. Or perhaps he thought I had received a secret order from him.
“I don’t think much about my father. I just try to feel things as they come. My father is not someone I can understand just by thinking about him. It would only tire me out for no reason.”
Soma laughed, seemingly in agreement with my words.
“If you’re done talking, let’s get up. It’s time for me to eat.”
“You should have your meal. Let’s go.”
I left the office with the Evil Smiling Demon. As we exited the building, he followed me closely.
“Where are you going to eat?”
“Today, I was thinking of eating at Maga Village.”
“Let’s go together.”
Feigning surprise, I asked him,
“Is that alright with you?”
Since he never took off his mask, I had never heard of him dining with anyone.
“It’s fine. I’ll just sit while you eat, Young Master.”
“I wasn’t asking about you, Soma-nim. I meant Maga Village. Is that alright?”
Only then did he realize my joke about not causing any trouble or killing anyone, and he laughed loudly.
On the other side, Seo Daeryong, who was holding a flowerpot to his chest, watched us with concern as we crossed the training ground and headed outside. 5
—
Just before entering Maga Village, the Evil Smiling Demon spoke.
“Did you know? I’ve never been to Maga Village. Whenever I had to go outside, I just passed by. This is my first time walking through here.”
“Isn’t that fortunate for the residents of Maga Village?”
He laughed at my joke.
“Is it alright for me to walk here?”
“If you’re worried about people being frightened and running away, don’t be.”
“Why is that?”
“You’ll see.”
And so, we entered Maga Village. As we walked, people passed by without much concern. Some who recognized me bowed their heads in greeting, but none seemed terrified of the Evil Smiling Demon standing next to me.
“Why isn’t anyone scared of me?”
“That’s because no one thinks you’re the Evil Smiling Demon.”
“They should recognize me by this mask.”
“Look over there.”
I pointed across the street at a vendor. The stall was selling all sorts of items related to the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
“Look, there’s your mask, Soma-nim.”
“!”
The Evil Smiling Demon was startled.
Sure enough, masks used by the Faceless Swordsmen were hanging there. There were white masks, and even some colored and painted ones.
“These things!”
As he raised his hand, ready to obliterate them, I tugged at his sleeve.
“You might need this hand over there.”
Just then, across the street, a child holding his father’s hand was waving enthusiastically at the Evil Smiling Demon, wearing the same mask.
“It doesn’t cost anything, so please wave back.”
When I lightly shook his sleeve, the Evil Smiling Demon reluctantly waved back.
The child, possibly thinking he was the only person the Evil Smiling Demon had ever waved to, passed by us without a care.
“Don’t be too surprised. It’s quite common.”
Next to that vendor, another was selling wooden figurines, including those modeled after the Demonic Buddha and even the Heavenly Demon himself.
Seeing the Heavenly Demon figurine, the Evil Smiling Demon was truly astonished.
“Is this really allowed?”
“Where else would you sell such items if not in a village near the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect? You can’t really sell them in front of the Martial Alliance, can you?”
“Rather, they could sell them in front of the Martial Alliance but not here.”
“My father’s generosity is vast. He permitted them to make and sell these as much as they liked. Since that day, products related to my father and the Demonic Supremes have been flooding the market. You’d think people would be too squeamish to make them, but the power of making money is mighty.”
“This is really amusing.”
Soma ended up laughing heartily. Passersby glanced at him but none thought he was the Evil Smiling Demon and simply moved on.
“Both you and I might seem like the main characters when we step out here, but this world belongs to these people. They may bow their heads in fear when they recognize us, but what’s important to them is their own lives. They need to earn money to eat, meet people, and raise their children. Maga Village is such a place.”
“Interesting. How do you know so much about this, Second Young Master?”
“Since I was young, I used to sneak out of the cult and wander around Maga Village. This place was my world.”
I told him this as an excuse. He wouldn’t believe me if I claimed to have roamed far and wide, but Maga Village seemed plausible.
The Evil Smiling Demon’s gaze returned to the vendors selling masks and Heavenly Demon figurines.
He didn’t hesitate to unleash his demonic aura, the Evil Smiling Demon’s unique skill. The vendors selling goods winced and clutched their chests, seemingly suffocating.
“That vendor will soon put on one of the masks he’s selling and stab the person next to him to death. If they die, it will be because of you, Second Young Master. After all, you’re the one who brought me here.” 6
“Don’t be absurd. You’re the one who followed me saying you wanted to eat. The one who kills is you, Soma-nim. And there’s one thing you must know.”
“And what is that?”
“Committing murder in front of the Underworld Pavilion Lord results in execution. Try switching their lives with yours, if you can.”
As I started walking away, I added,
“You can touch the figurines of my father, but you don’t mess with the livelihoods of those trying to survive.”
I could feel the Evil Smiling Demon withdrawing his aura behind me. He had intended to see my reaction rather than to actually kill anyone.
He found playing with me amusing. The more he relented, the more he anticipated the intense satisfaction of killing me eventually.
We arrived at the Flowing Wind Tavern.
“Here we are, my regular spot.”
“It’s quite shabby. Why here of all places?”
“I come here so often it’s become a bit monotonous, but I like the owner. He’s the only one who’ll truly know you’re the Evil Smiling Demon.”
Jo Chunbae, the owner, came out and greeted me warmly as usual.
“Welcome, Pavilion Lord.”
His gaze turned to the Evil Smiling Demon.
For a moment, Jo Chunbae flinched and showed a fearful expression.
“This person really does know who I am.”
“Because you came with me. He knows the real deal has arrived.”
I smiled at Jo Chunbae and said,
“You’re right about who you’re thinking of. Fortunately, I’m the only one eating, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Yes!”
Despite this, the pressure from the Evil Smiling Demon seemed even greater than from my father. The infamous Evil Smiling Demon was known for killing people without any reason.
“Of all the guests I’ve brought, you seem to be the most feared, even more than my father.”
“The Cult Leader has been here too?”
“Yes.”
“That’s surprising.”
“Everyone has a first time.”
“It seems everyone experiences their first with you, Second Young Master.” 7
I smiled faintly, and he habitually followed suit.
This time, I asked him a question.
“Have you ever eaten at a tavern like this before?”
“I did when I was younger.”
“With whom?”
He didn’t answer.
But I could guess who it was. Before he became the previous Evil Smiling Demon’s disciple, he once said he had eaten in the marketplace with his father. It was a single memory etched like a picture in his mind.
I suddenly imagined that scene—a small child entering a tavern, holding his father’s hand.
Soma claimed he had been steeped in killing since childhood, but was that truly the case? Did that child, entering the tavern, have murder in his eyes? 8
Meanwhile, our meal was served.
Jo Chunbae, perhaps thinking that a single mistake could indeed cost him his life, was extremely cautious, even with his breathing.
His eyes, as he safely placed the food and retreated, seemed to say: ‘Thanks to you, I’ve achieved great success as the owner of this tavern today’.
I conveyed with my eyes: ‘That’s uncertain, Jo Chunbae. Who knows what other positions may be created’.
As I picked up my chopsticks, I politely asked Soma,
“Would you like to eat together?”
“My mask doesn’t have an opening for the mouth. How would I eat?”
“How about lifting the mask slightly and eating from below?”
“That would look undignified, wouldn’t it?”
“Then there’s no way.”
“I’m not hungry, so don’t mind me and just eat.”
“Alright, I’ll eat first then.”
Indeed, I ate alone. The Evil Smiling Demon simply watched me. Some might say it was crazy, but I was accomplishing the difficult task of eating alone in front of the Evil Smiling Demon.
“Isn’t it tiring to keep wearing a mask?”
“It’s probably more tiring for you, Second Young Master.”
“For me?”
“Without a mask, you have to make several different expressions in a day, don’t you?” 9
“Ah, that could be true.”
Starting from that topic, I shared various stories with him.
I shared stories about when the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, the One-Slash Sword Supreme, and the Demonic Buddha had visited this place. I also talked about the weather and how well white masks would sell in front of the Martial Alliance headquarters. He listened silently to my stories.
When I finished my meal and put down my chopsticks, the Evil Smiling Demon spoke unexpectedly.
“Second Young Master, I have a favor to ask.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Could you ask the Cult Leader to lift my restriction?”
I was taken aback. However, when he mentioned a favor, I had anticipated this request. Normally, he would have asked my brother, but now that our fates had changed, he was asking me instead.
“That’s not an easy task.”
“That’s why I’m asking you, Second Young Master. Somehow, I believe you could manage it.”
“If I lift your restriction, what will you do for me?”
“Just name it. What do you want? Do you want my full support?”
My brother had wanted that. But I had a bigger plan in mind.
“No.”
“You don’t want my support?”
“Forced support would only disrupt the unity among my supporters.”
“Then what do you want?”
Looking into his eyes through the mask, I said,
“Just remove your mask when we’re alone.”
“!”
The atmosphere froze instantly.
“Why are you so obsessed with my mask?”
“It’s not the mask I’m obsessed with.”
“Then what is it?”
“If we’re going to be friends, I want us to be genuine friends.”
“!”
After a moment of silence, the Evil Smiling Demon asked coldly,
“Can you handle me without the mask?”
Staring into the raw, primal malice shining through the empty holes of his mask, I calmly asked in return,
“Can you handle me without it?” 10
1 : Save the flower Seo !!!!
2 : He’s living the life of a bomb : In doubt, kill everyone.
3 : So cuuuteee~~~ ^^
4 : And that’s taking into account your past life.
5 : Rather than Jo Hyang, he has a new love, the flowers !!!! XDXDXD
6 : Dude, don’t be like that, leave them alone.
7 : Well that’s what it means to open the hearts of demons, they kept it locked for all their life.
8 : Maybe it was a murder of crows instead ? *insert applause here*
9 : Similar to how people write ‘LOL’ online while having a deadpan face IRL.
10 : *Tense BGM start*
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