Chapter 150
Leviathan, to reiterate, was far more interested in Lahan than in human souls themselves.
Of course, he didn’t mind possessing human souls. That wasn’t a problem. But Elio’s soul held no particular appeal—neither good nor bad.
Moreover, Elio had been the one actively volunteering to make a contract with Leviathan.
[Such an easily swayed soul… it’s clearly tasteless!]
Leviathan lost even more interest. As a human of power, Elio might have offered a grand “meal,” but even that would only last a day or two. What fun is it to serve a bland banquet day in and day out?
Thus, it was natural that Leviathan chose to help Lahan in the crucial moment.
[Right, Erishi? Your husband is the one worth tasting!]
Erishi, still sitting, glanced down at the pinkish axolotl clinging to her shoulder and let out a weary sigh. Yet her eyes remained fixed in disbelief on Elio’s corpse.
“…He’s really dead?”
[Dead, I tell you. Ah, truly.]
Leviathan opened his mouth wide. Erishi flinched—the black aura that Elio had wielded wriggled out from Leviathan’s mouth.
But Leviathan paid her no mind and began sifting through Elio’s corpse with the aura. The charred body wavered and scattered as ashes, eventually expelling something.
It was a small, black, spherical object. The floating aura carried the sphere straight into Leviathan’s mouth.
And…
[Wah.]
Leviathan swallowed it without hesitation. It was Elio’s soul.
Satisfied, Leviathan smacked his lips, then cheerfully explained to Erishi’s questioning gaze.
[See, Erishi? Lahan and I had a contract long ago.]
All lives claimed by Lahan in Til Neve Cedric belonged to Leviathan.
[So that soul will never be saved by a god and will wander the underworld forever.]
Leviathan narrowed his eyes, chuckling. Erishi, still processing his words, slowly stood and approached Elio… or rather, what remained of him. Stripped of Leviathan’s power, Elio’s body was mere ashes.
It was a pitiful end for someone who had once been emperor of the Poldenbach Empire.
“Erishi.”
Lahan came up and embraced her shoulders. She buried her face in his chest. Both were battered. No tears fell.
“I’m not feeling pity… it’s just…”
“….”
“Thinking that we suffered so much over such a pitiful creature… it’s so hollow…”
“It’s okay, Erishi.”
Lahan held her close.
“It’s all over. Really…”
“I still can’t believe it.”
“You can.”
He gently pushed her face up and smiled.
“I’m alive.”
But the problem was that Lahan’s face was covered in blood. Erishi’s eyes immediately welled up.
“What… my handsome face is all scratched up…”
“Well, by that logic, you’re not exactly flawless either.”
He joked, then suddenly sobered and apologized.
“Sorry. Bringing up your story there… I was foolish.”
The apology was for provoking Erishi with the claim that she wouldn’t grieve Elio, which had caused her injury.
Erishi shook her head, wiping away tears.
“No, it was refreshing. I really wasn’t sad at all.”
“….”
“Truly, not a bit.”
She had expected to feel a little bitter, but she didn’t. Except for not fully believing that everything was truly over, she felt utterly relieved.
Leviathan, perched on Erishi’s shoulder, couldn’t resist showing off.
[All thanks to me! Ahem.]
Lahan silently grabbed Leviathan and tossed him aside. But Leviathan, full of pride, didn’t even hit the ground—he leapt onto a boat next to the pier.
[Now, it’s time for me to hear what you promised!]
“A promise?”
Erishi’s eyes went wide. The axolotl flipped excitedly.
[Lahan promised me something in exchange for helping deceive Elio Poldenbach!]
The axolotl looked ridiculously thrilled.
Erishi frowned. She had just witnessed her husband’s pitiful death after making a deal with a demon. And now he had promised something to that demon?
“Lahan?”
Lahan gave an awkward smile.
“Um, Erishi. Can you promise not to get mad?”
Of course, Erishi was not the type to make such a promise lightly. She glared at him.
“If you don’t tell me immediately, I really will get mad.”
“…I made a deal with Leviathan. In exchange for deceiving Elio…”
“In exchange?”
“I promised to die in front of you.”
Erishi’s jaw dropped in shock. What? Did she just hear that correctly? Lahan explained, still flustered.
“Leviathan… said your despair if I died would be worth the trade…”
Erishi felt dizzy. So her husband intended to eliminate Elio Poldenbach and then immediately die?
Fortunately, Leviathan shouted.
[Hey! Saying it like that makes me sound bad!]
“…Huh?”
[Explain properly! I haven’t even finished my deal with you yet, and I don’t want to be burned in the saint’s sanctuary!]
Leviathan’s frantic shouting clarified the misunderstanding. Erishi finally calmed enough to grasp it. Lahan cleared his throat awkwardly and smiled.
“Erishi. I… I plan to live happily with you and grow old together.”
“….”
“When I die as an old man, you’ll grieve as an old woman too.”
The problem was that Leviathan had discovered the deliciousness of human despair. Seeing a human, loved by gods, plunged into hopelessness was an irresistible flavor.
Leviathan, however, savored his favorite things to the very end.
[What a waste. Can’t just gobble it up.]
Lahan’s promise was to give her sorrow at the end of their lives—a human cannot die simultaneously, so this would ensure a future sorrow for Erishi.
“What… is this?”
Erishi sighed incredulously. It was essentially wordplay, but that’s how demon contracts worked.
Though tears lingered in Lahan’s eyes, he looked at Erishi with a sheepish, guilty voice.
“Actually, I realized… this isn’t just my promise.”
“….”
“When I die, you’ll need to grieve a lot. And for that, you have to…”
“….”
“…love me until I die. But now… it seems maybe you won’t.”
Erishi finally erupted.
“Are you seriously saying this now?!”
She clenched her fists and beat him.
“You’re insane. There’s a limit to scaring people, you know that? Really, I…”
“Sorry, I was wrong. Ow, ow, ow.”
“Wrong? Is that all?!”
The saint’s fists were incredibly powerful. Filled with genuine anger, they hurt even more. Lahan resorted to a cowardly trick, whining.
“Look at my bloodied face… are you going to keep hitting me?”
Of course, Erishi replied:
“I will keep hitting you!!!”
…though her strength gradually waned.
Soon laughter erupted, tears flowed, and countless kisses were exchanged. Embracing, Lahan and Erishi finally enjoyed their long-awaited happiness. Lahan whispered:
“Erishi, I’ll live happily, surrounded by people who love us, and die. So that many who love us will grieve deeply.”
“….”
“So… will you love me until I die?”
Unfortunately, Erishi’s answer was far from straightforward.
“No.”
“….”
“I’ll die first. I’ll go before you, being older.”
Lahan froze.
Erishi… isn’t that a strange order? He’s older, so shouldn’t he go first? Yet she glared and jabbed his chest with her finger.
“You must not die until we’re old, with eighty grandchildren or so. Got it?”
“….”
“So you, Lahan.”
Love me until you die.
Laughter erupted again. Lips met, breath mingled, as expected. The pink axolotl on the boat yawned.
[Human lives are fleeting anyway. Your kissing is too long.]
Of course, Leviathan could wait. Human life was but a blink compared to a demon’s.
Tasting the true delicacy could wait. After all, there was still a soul he had just claimed.
[For now, I’ll just enjoy this one. Sigh.]
The black sphere, clearly in agony, rolled at Leviathan’s feet.
There were things these humans didn’t need to know.
“Ribi! Come here!”
…Even if it was brief, did he have to tolerate that ridiculous nickname?
Leviathan pondered deeply, but time was on his side. And apparently, there was something these humans still didn’t know: Erishi could understand everything Leviathan said with perfect ease.
[Seems I must let you know… Leviathan is a very fine name.]
