To You, Who Will Die Alone in Paradise Chapter 38

“According to my research so far, that is the case.”

Herma answered in an emotionless voice.

Dandeleon was lost in thought for a moment. In the meantime, Herma brought a wooden tray and placed it on the table. A teapot and two small teacups were neatly arranged on the tray.

Dandeleon waited for Herma to sit across from him before opening his mouth.

“Does His Majesty the King also know about this? That you….”

Dandeleon searched for a different word instead of the expression ‘demonic beast,’ but in the end, no good idea came to mind and his words trailed off.

“…brought that thing into the royal palace.”

“Of course.”

Unexpectedly, Herma answered without hesitation. He smiled at Dandeleon.

“I told him in advance when I came to greet him yesterday. I did not go so far as to say it was a mutated Elf, but I did ask if it was alright to continue my research in the royal palace, as I had captured a demonic beast. His Majesty gladly gave his permission.”

‘There’s no way he did it gladly….’

Demonic beasts were the greatest fear of the continent’s people. Who would welcome a creature that could destroy a kingdom with just a single drop of its blood? The reason the king could not refuse the request was likely because the one asking was an Elf. Not just any Elf, but the leader of Tuella Deum, who had even presented a gift while making the request, so it must have been difficult to refuse.

“I see. If His Majesty gave his permission….”

Dandeleon deliberately let his sentence trail off.

Slowly, Dandeleon was beginning to understand what type of person Herma was. Just from yesterday’s events, he had guessed he was no ordinary person, but after being made to see the demonic beast without warning today and hearing that Herma had received the king’s permission, he became even more certain.

Herma, unexpectedly, was skilled in political maneuvering. He seemed particularly sensitive to power struggles. He induces anxiety by showing something horrific like the corpse of a demonic beast, and then subtly boasts that he is the only one who can control the situation. First, he psychologically intimidates his opponent.

However, Herma does not stop there; he changes his attitude and acts so kindly it becomes bewildering. The opponent might feel a sense of relief, but the moment they are swayed by his emotional shifts, they have already lost the upper hand.

‘I never knew an Elf would do something like this. I thought they just acted all lofty and noble….’

It was surprising, but it was not the first time he had experienced it. Dandeleon was already a seasoned veteran who had been subjected to various forms of contempt from a wide range of people in the royal palace. Dandeleon, a ten-year veteran and expert in contempt, could quickly recall a person similar to Herma. Though a bit more subtle and intense, his methods were essentially similar to the first prince’s.

“I have nothing to say for my part, but is the demonic energy alright? The royal palace will not be contaminated, will it?”

Dandeleon lowered his eyes and feigned a frightened voice.

“Even though humans do not mutate, they still lose their lives if contaminated by demonic energy, after all.”

In this situation, it was best to bow down and go along with what he wanted. With a type like Herma, fighting back would only make things more tiresome.

The first prince had been the same way. In Dandeleon’s early teens, when he was at his most rebellious, the prince had considered him a thorn in his side. It was hard to believe now, but back in those days, the first prince’s bullying was even more severe than Pierre’s.

However, as time passed, Dandeleon’s rebelliousness softened, and he learned his own ways of getting by, and the situation changed. Whenever Dandeleon met him, he would bow and scrape to a servile degree. He also made a point of emphasizing at the end of every sentence that he was a sickly person who would die young.

It was a childish method, but it was effective. As soon as Dandeleon showed that he was submitting to his authority, the first prince became surprisingly magnanimous. After being officially invested as the crown prince, he even came to treat Dandeleon the kindest among all his siblings.

So, let’s just lie low in front of Herma. That way, there will be less trouble later on. Dandeleon steeled his resolve and put on a deliberately worried expression.

“You are concerned about the demonic energy. I understand.”

Herma lifted the teapot with a leisurely attitude. Tea began to fill the teacups, which were much smaller than those typically used in Benoit.

The sound of the tea being poured was clear and bright, but the smell was not so beautiful. Dandeleon tried hard not to grimace as he smelled the tea’s aroma. The tea had a strange smell, like something that would come from dirt or rotting leaves. Do Elves like this kind of scent?

“Your Highness, how much do you know about demonic beasts?”

Dandeleon, who had been distracted by the strange tea aroma, was flustered by the sudden question. He tilted his head and answered.

“I know nothing at all. Today is the first time I have actually seen a demonic beast.”

He had no intention of pretending to know something he did not. Herma nodded.

“Benoit is a peaceful place. It is truly a blessing.”

By that logic, the Elves’ forest, where Yggdrasil stood firm, was the most peaceful and safest place on the continent. But Herma would not have said this without knowing that.

Dandeleon recalled the story Kellewen had told him.

Herma. The leader of Tuella Deum. A demonic beast hunter who had devoted himself to researching demonic beasts with the sole mission of saving the continent from their grasp, and who was probably more knowledgeable about demonic beasts than anyone else on this continent.

“Demonic energy… Demonic energy is a truly terrifying thing. If just a single drop falls on the ground, it spreads like wildfire. In the end, it consumes everything….”

Herma’s low voice paused for a moment. His blue eyes stared at Dandeleon.

“Is it not strange?”

“…What is?”

Dandeleon asked back. This time, he was not feigning ignorance; he was being sincere. The story Herma had just recited was all just general explanation. So what was strange about it?

“Imagine dropping a single drop of ink into a cup. A drop of ink in a small cup can dye the whole thing, but if you drop one drop into a giant lake, it will not make any difference. So how is that possible for demonic energy?”

“Uh… I have never thought about it.”

Dandeleon hunched his shoulders with a troubled expression.

“The answer is simple. It is because demonic energy is like a bacterium.”

The moment he said that, Herma’s eyes glinted with hatred. It was an emotion so intense that one could even feel a killing intent.

Dandeleon flinched. Even knowing that the hatred was not directed at him, he felt intimidated for no reason.

“Just like a bacterium that, once it infiltrates the body, multiplies on its own and encroaches upon the body, they too increase their own mass. It is a terrifying contamination… Once tainted by it, there is no way to be saved. With only one exception.”

Herma waved his finger in the air. Then, an amazing thing happened. The tea in the teacup slowly rose into the air. It danced quietly and gently in time with the movement of Herma’s finger.

Dandeleon watched the scene with astonished eyes. The tea danced in the air for a moment before returning to its original place. Not a single drop of tea had spilled outside the cup. He had thought Herma would be a mage, being an Elf and the leader of Tuella Deum, but he had not known he could handle magical power with such delicacy.

“Magical power. Only magical power can purify demonic energy.”

Herma said this, then tilted his head slightly toward the room where the demonic beast was.

“I periodically use magic to purify that room. That demonic beast will probably not last through the night, and I will incinerate its corpse with my magical power. Not even ash will remain, let alone blood, so please rest assured. I will ensure that no harm whatsoever comes to this beautiful palace.”

Hearing him go this far, it seemed he had taken firm precautions regarding safety issues. It also seemed this was not his first or second time researching demonic beasts, so he would probably handle the disposal well on his own. Dandeleon nodded.

His revulsion toward Herma for researching one who was originally his own kind remained, but he felt that he, living safely in Benoit, was not in a position to say anything about this matter. So Dandeleon decided not to think any more deeply about this issue.

“There is no need to worry about your body, Your Highness. Only the blood of a demonic beast emits demonic energy. There have been no cases of contamination through respiration, so please be at ease.”

“That is a relief….”

In truth, he already knew that much, but Dandeleon reacted as if it was the first time he had heard it, putting on an exaggerated expression of relief. However, his acting must have been a bit poor, because Herma saw Dandeleon and let out a chuckle.

“The uninteresting talk has gone on for too long. Your Highness’s interests must lie elsewhere.”

Finishing his words, Herma suddenly stood up. Dandeleon tensed, but instead of approaching him, Herma disappeared somewhere and then returned. In his hand, he held a small bottle.

“This is the medicine I mentioned yesterday.”

Herma said, placing the bottle on the table. Inside the transparent bottle was a liquid that shone silver.

“Thank you.”

Dandeleon bowed his head in thanks. Herma did not reply. He only looked at him with an observant gaze.

The unpleasant feeling he had momentarily forgotten returned. Dandeleon tried hard to maintain a social smile and reached for the bottle.

But the moment Dandeleon grasped the bottle, Herma’s hand covered his. Dandeleon was surprised and tried to pull his hand away, but when Herma applied force, he could not budge an inch. When he lifted his head, Herma’s face was suddenly right in front of him.

“I trust you have guessed, but I actually have something I want to ask you, Your Highness. The medicine is merely a pretext.”

Herma whispered. His blue eyes scanned Dandeleon’s face thoroughly. Just as they had when they first met yesterday, just as they had in the future Dandeleon had seen.

He felt so disgusted it was nauseating. This level of rudeness was crossing the line. If he could, he wanted to snatch his hand away right now and throw the medicine bottle at Herma’s face. But Herma’s hand holding him down was as heavy and hard as a rock.

‘He keeps manipulating people this way to the very end.’

Wondering how much longer he had to play the part of the obedient prince, Dandeleon asked.

“What are you curious about?”

“What is your relationship with Kellewen?”

It was an incredibly direct question. He knew Herma would bring up Kellewen, but he had not expected him to ask so openly.

Dandeleon did not hide his feelings and let them show on his face. He even included the sadness he felt from the moment he thought of his relationship with Kellewen.

The greatest nourishment for a lie is honesty. For a lie that was as close to the truth as possible, Dandeleon bit his lip and savored the anguish within him.

“…Where is the High Elf right now?”

Before answering, Dandeleon asked what he had been curious about for a while. Herma replied.

“He has gone to a meeting to converse with people from another kingdom.”

Dandeleon lowered his eyes and nodded. A weak voice escaped his lips.

“Please let go of my hand. It hurts.”

“I apologize.”

Not a shred of remorse could be felt in Herma’s apology. Still, it was a relief that he let go of his hand. Dandeleon rubbed his captured hand, inwardly chewing over his resentment. At the same time, he felt pathetic about his situation where he could not even utter a single curse word. Dandeleon glared at Herma and said.

“My relationship with the High Elf, you ask? Shall I be honest?”

“If you would be so kind.”

“I confessed my feelings to the High Elf, and was rejected.”