Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Baal was one of the most powerful archdemons. He’s so strong that even among demons, he was considered among the elite. Naturally, the number of talents he possessed was beyond counting.
And yet, his contractor, Isabella, had never once taken full advantage of his vast capabilities.
‘Well, since it’s come to this, might as well go all in!’
With a spark of realization, Isabella’s ruby lips curved into a smooth arc. Seeing that smile, Baal’s expression stiffened.
As if sensing another impending disaster, he asked in a trembling voice, “…Wh-what are you planning this time, milaaady?! At least give me a warning so I can prepare myself mentally, meeheeh!”
He had every reason to be anxious. Ever since she was little, that wicked smile had always preceded some sort of chaos.
Isabella gave Baal’s back a couple of light pats and said cheerfully, “Oh, it’s nothing serious. I just want to borrow your back for a bit.”
“Meeeh?”
“If I go on foot, I’ll probably get caught before I even make it to the back gate.”
While it would take her about thirty minutes to reach her destination on her own, Baal could cover that distance in less than three. Knowing this, borrowing his legs was clearly the most efficient option.
Baal hesitated at the sudden request, but soon gave in and lowered his back obediently.
Then he asked, “That much is fine, but… are you trying to escape, milaaady? Even I can’t outrun Hellhounds. We should distract them first before—”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”
Waving off his concerns, Isabella climbed onto Baal’s back and started fidgeting in a suspicious manner.
Curious, Baal glanced back, and his jaw dropped.
There she was, a fully grown noblewoman, suddenly lifting the hem of her dress and digging around beneath it, her bare legs shamelessly exposed.
Horrified by her unpredictable behavior, Baal shouted, “Good heavens, milady! A proper noblewoman should act with grace. What in the name of the void are you doing, meeehhh?!”
He had raised her with care, trying his best to preserve her dignity as a human before all else, but ever since she’d started mingling exclusively with monsters, she’d grown far too reckless.
Ignoring Baal’s outburst, Isabella calmly pulled something out from a pouch tied deep within her skirt.
“Why… why is that coming out of your dress, meeeh…?”
Upon seeing what she retrieved, Baal’s expression twisted into one of deep discomfort.
It was a large femur bone, a birthday gift from the skeletons. Holding it up proudly, Isabella wiggled the bone and tilted her chin with pride.
“Ahem! You see? Everything has its use if you hang onto it long enough.”
In truth, it had been sheer luck that the bone was there, due to her peculiar habit of stashing random items in her skirt. But she saw no need to elaborate on that point. Just then—
“Ruff! Ruff!”
The pack of Hellhounds caught sight of the bone and immediately went wild. Tails raised high, they stomped the ground, ready to spring forward at any moment.
Isabella bit her lip, her expression turning grave, and infused the bone with a touch of her magic. Then, with all her strength, she hurled it into the air and shouted, “Fetch!”
Whoosh!
Ruff!
Carried by her magic, the bone vanished from sight in an instant. The Hellhounds bolted after it like lunatics, tails wagging furiously as they raced away.
Watching their incredible speed in awe, Isabella turned to Baal and said, “Wow, they’re fast. Alright, let’s move!”
As the dust kicked up by the stampede settled, Baal glanced between the fleeing Hellhounds and the ever-nonchalant Isabella, his mouth twitching with unspoken words.
But after a moment, he shut his mouth tight and stared forward, offering a warning.
“…Better hold on tight to my horns, milady.”
The moment she gripped both horns, Baal kicked off the ground and sped like a bullet toward the back gate. Within mere seconds, what had once seemed like a distant goal was now right in front of them.
‘I should’ve asked him from the start!’
Isabella felt a bit deflated. But just as she let her guard down—
Whoosh!
Thwack!
Two spears suddenly flew out of nowhere, slicing through the air with lethal precision.
Baal instantly leapt back, narrowly dodging them.
Thunk!
Both black spears landed precisely where Baal had stood moments ago. Then a voice rasped out, grating and strange, like it had swallowed sandpaper.
“Turn back if you value your life. This gate is not for just anyone to pass.”
“How dare you, filthy creature…!”
Perhaps irritated by the unseen presence, Baal’s voice dripped with murderous intent. A pitch-black circle spread out beneath his feet, unleashing a powerful gust that sent waves rippling through the air.
“Urgh! B-Baal… sir!”
As if a veil had been lifted, two knights suddenly appeared before the gate, kneeling in pain. But they weren’t ordinary knights.
They were dark knights – skeletons clad in black armor, with blue flames glowing in their eye sockets.
Even with their identities revealed, Baal’s bloodlust didn’t fade. Grass wilted around him, and nearby trees began dragging their roots away to escape. Watching in silence, Isabella finally stepped down from Baal’s back and reached out.
Smack!
She flicked Baal hard on the forehead.
“Snap out of it, Baal! You’re gonna make me wilt too!”
Snapped back to his senses, Baal immediately bowed low in apology.
“Ack! I–I’m terribly sorry, milaaady. I lost myself when they dared threaten you without recognizing who you were!”
“Ugh, still, look what you did to the garden. And you two!”
Isabella glanced down at the grass, now crumbling like desert sand beneath her feet, then turned to the kneeling dark knights.
Their dark aura quivered with fear, perhaps realizing the gravity of their mistake. Feeling a little guilty, she still kept her stern expression.
“I appreciate the sense of duty, but attacking on sight? Do you do that to all monsters passing by?”
The knights hesitated, then bowed their heads even lower.
“…We’ll correct our behavior.”
“Ay, honestly…”
Isabella rubbed her temples. They weren’t wrong, exactly. Crude as they were, their methods were meant to protect weaker monsters from wild ones.
Sighing in resignation, she shook her head.
“Fine. I’ll let it slide this time. But this isn’t even outside the gate, it’s inside! At least check their business before attacking.”
“We will remember that.”
“Good. Now, will you open the gate? I have business in the forest.”
One of the knights hesitated, then asked politely,
“Forgive me, but… why do you wish to enter Hides Mountains at this late hour? It’s dangerous. Please reconsider.”
It was a fair question, but Isabella couldn’t exactly blurt out, ‘I’m running away from home, now open the d**n gate.’
‘Hmm… there’s gotta be a quieter way out of this.’
Nervously twisting her hair, Isabella’s mind raced. Then, something clicked. She quickly rummaged through her skirt and pulled out two black ribbons.
They were a gift from Eve, just before her ‘escape.’ Holding the ribbons, she flashed a knowing smile and whispered to the knights.
“Thing is, I’m in a real hurry. So… how about a trade?”
“A trade…?”
One knight recoiled, wary of her sly smile. Isabella confidently slid the ribbons between her fingers and declared,
“I’m offering you something rare – an audience with Eve!”
“…!”
“Two tickets, no less!”
Silence fell.
It was the kind of offer that should’ve been ridiculous, but she was utterly confident. Eve was revered as a goddess by the monsters of the Skeleton Clan. Of course, Isabella was certain the plan would work.
And she was right.
The knights sprang to their feet, flung the gate open, and their blue flames blazed with excitement.
“The gate is open!”
“Attaboys!”
Grinning in satisfaction, Isabella handed a ribbon to each knight and stepped through the gate with Baal.
“And how many have passed through this gate today?”
The answer came immediately.
“None!”
“Perfect!”
Thumb raised in triumph, she strode confidently toward the Hides Mountains.
Baal, watching her the entire time, could only pinch his brow and think.
‘Where does she even come up with this stuff…?’
His precious mistress, whom he had raised so delicately, was a walking disaster, and Baal seriously feared for the future.
— — —
They hadn’t walked far when a shadowy group emerged from the woods, heading toward the gate. A band of hulking orcs, each with towering bodies and massive upward-pointing tusks.
“Today, sssniff, we hunt human flesh, sssniff!”
“Out of the mountainsss, hiss!”
Waving their weapons in the air, the orcs advanced until they suddenly locked eyes with Isabella. She raised a hand cheerfully and greeted them.
“Oh my! Hello there! Out for a stroll to my house this late at night?”
The orcs froze as if struck by lightning. Their faces went pale. And then, with screams of terror, they turned and ran like their lives depended on it.
“MONSTER! SSSNIIFF!!”
“RUN FOR YOUR LIIIVES!!”
“Hey! Who are you calling a monster?!”
Stunned by the absurdity of being called a monster by actual monsters, Isabella shouted after them. But Baal, watching from behind, simply nodded in quiet agreement.
It made sense. The magic surging through Isabella’s body was so dense and powerful that even an archdemon like Baal paled in comparison. The wild monsters had sensed it, and had fled for their lives.
Oblivious to the cause, Isabella huffed and turned to Baal.
“Hey Baal! I don’t look like a monster, do I?”
Her eyes sparkled with warning.
‘Think carefully before you answer.’
Baal swallowed hard, then mustered every ounce of his dramatic flair.
“W-what a terrible thing to say, meeheeh! How could anyone call such a beautiful young lady a monster?! I shall hunt down those foul creatures and teach them proper manners!”
“…Your voice is shaking more than usual.”
“I-it’s just the outrage, milaaady! My fury burns at their vile words!”
In that moment, the proud dignity of an archdemon was nowhere to be found, only the desperate pleas of a servant trying not to get on his master’s bad side.
“Right? I knew you were my soulmate. But no rampaging, okay? You’ll cause a landslide.”
“Understood, meeehh.”
“Great. Now let’s hurry before my mother finds out.”
Whether Baal’s desperate act had worked or not, Isabella marched onward through the murky crimson mountain path, cheerful as ever.
— — —
They walked for some time, until at last, a stone marker came into view – the barrier that separated Hides Mountains from the territory beyond.
“We’re almost there. Once we cross that, we can reach the village…”
She turned to speak to Baal… and froze.
She had seen something she absolutely should not have seen.
……
T/N: Did Baal turn human? That would be wonderful hahahaha
