Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

Translator and Editor: Effe and Lili

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Chapter 67

It wasn’t even possible for him to guess that her husband had applied all kinds of magic to her.

Besides, Paimon didn’t even know that Aedis Kallakis was nearby.

Though Paimon was by no means a weak spirit, Aedis Kallkais was a person who was completely outside the standard.

If Aedis decided to hide his presence, he wouldn’t be able to notice him even if Aedis appeared right behind his back.

Moreover, Aedis was hiding himself even more thoroughly than when he was in front of the nobles.

As a result, Paimon’s thoughts started to become a bit twisted, and he came to a conclusion that Aedis never would have wanted.

‘What if one day the Demon King suddenly abandons her? Am, am I supposed to protect her? Ahhhhhh! How do I take care of a human!’

Paimon grabbed his head and screamed silently.

He also stomped his feet away from Maevia.

His actions looked very bizarre to Maevia.

“Paimon, was my wish so burdensome? Enough to take it out on the forest?”

All of a sudden, Maevia’s tone had changed into informal speech.

Paimon, who didn’t know that it was because Maevia thought he was crazy, became emotional.

「“I’m not angry at you. Who did I do all of this for?!”」

“It’s because of me.”

「“That’s right, but…!”」

‘I was going to give you all of the treasures here!’

Paimon couldn’t spit out all of his thoughts and felt conflicted.

Even if he explained why he was trying to do this, and even though he didn’t achieve anything in the end, he didn’t think that Maevia’s mood would improve.

Maevia exhaled and sighed. She thought, ‘Was it only because of that?’

“I’ll pretend that I didn’t make a wish. You don’t have to do it.”

「“…What?”」

“I’m not having money trouble anyway.”

Paimon lost his mind completely and was silent for a few seconds.

‘Isn’t it that the more humans have, the more they want? So why are you saying you want to give up your wish?’

Before long, he could only come to one conclusion.

‘Is it because my ability seems so insignificant…?’

Paimon leaned over and gritted his teeth.

The head of a giant dragon came right in front of Maevia’s nose.

「“I know how to pay you back too, you know? I came here because of the treasure trove!”」

“Huh? A treasure trove?”

Maevia tilted her head.

He didn’t really want her to be scared, but it was a little embarrassing that she had no reaction even when his fangs were so close to her.

「“It’s a rare treasure trove that no one has touched for hundreds of years. With my current strength, I can’t perfectly fulfill your wish right now, so I wanted to try and give that to you first!」

“Well then why did you turn the forest into a sea of fire?”

「“That’s not what I intended to do! Damn it, it’s been a while since I’ve worked so hard! If only I had a contractor, then it would have been possible for me to maintain control no matter what the conditions were or anything…”」

Those last words were nothing more than complaints.

However, Maevia was listening carefully to everything he said, even though she still thought Paimon was crazy.

“So then if you had a contractor, you would be able to control the flames, right?”

「Well yes, but who’s going to sign a contract with me? Humans don’t like me.”」

“What about me?”

「“What are you….”」

Paimon’s bright yellow eyes gazed at Maevia.

She was a human who seemed to embody spring.

By Paimon’s standards, she was young and weak enough for him to snort.

He responded without realizing it.

「“…But once a contract is signed, it can never be destroyed until one of them dies. Are you sure you don’t mind?”」

Maevia laughed as if she had been waiting.

“Let’s do it, the contract.”

「”Really? This easily?”」

Regardless of whether or not Paimon was puzzled, Maevia took a piece of paper out of her arms.

“I wanted to make a contract with you too.”

She gave him the fluttering paper.

“Okay, sign here.”

「“I, I don’t know human letters that well.”」

“It’s okay, it’s not a big deal.”

At first glance, an evil smile appeared on Maevia’s mouth and then disappeared.

However, before Paimon even noticed, Maevia had changed her expression to her one of weeping and crying sadly.

“Don’t you believe in my sincerity? I even jumped into the flames to meet you.”

Paimon’s big eyes shook without help.

His tail, which could wind around a tree in the Eire Forest and pull it and uproot it, stood up like a needle.

He smelled a breathtakingly sweet scent from her.

As he breathed it in, he felt like he was thrown defenselessly into muddy spring heights.

The hot air was distorted by the scent, and it seemed to dance with the flames.

At that moment, Paimon realized that he could never go against her words.

「“Oh, no! I believe! I believe! You can sign it!”」

Paimon lifted his feet, looked at his claws, and hurriedly lowered them down.Instead, he poured his heart and soul into creating a very weak flame.

Soon, a seal made of fire was engraved on the contract that Maevia gave him.

The spirit’s seal was also imprinted on her forehead.

It was a special mark that only humans outside of the standard and spirits could see.

Maevia laughed satisfactorily.

“Now, let’s turn off the fire first. And then can you tell me more about the treasure trove?”

「“Uh, uh…Ye-ye-yeah.”」

“Why are you stuttering?”

「“I just can’t believe it.”」

Paimon couldn’t take his gaze off of Maevia’s forehead.

‘That’s what my mark looks like. Hnng, it’s definitely not pretty.’

Maevia was Paimon’s first contractor.

And he thought she would probably be his last contractor too.

* * *

When Paimon moved with Maevia, the hidden spirits came out of the bush.

To the little spirits, she seemed to be a very strong existence as she had kept the forest from burning.

「“Who is it?’”」

「“It smelled good for some reason.”」

「“It’s the Grand Duchess.’”」

「“Grand Duchess?’”」

The spirits chattered without stopping and ran around on the scorched land.

Sprouts began to bud in the places where the embers were extinguished.

It was happening at a very slow speed, but even the small spirits knew that it was only possible because Paimon hadn’t created the flames with the intention of destroying the forest.

「“Isn’t there another ‘Grand’?!”」

「“The Grand Duke is scary.”」

「”Scared.”」

「“He looks like a human, but he’s a completely different entity.”」

「“Not the Grand Duke! I meant the Grand Duchess!”」

「“Ahhh, I hate the Grand Duke!”」

「“Kahaha! He’s crying!”」

The little spirits gradually raised their voices.

Some spirits were angry, some spirits were crying, and other spirits seemed to be okay.

And there was one spirit that was still in the corner.

Among the small spirits, it was an exceptionally small and weak-looking spirit.

「“…..”」

The spirit returned to its master without making any effort to restore the forest.

* * *

The flames died down smoothly.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to do anything special.

I only acted as the contractor, and Paimon took care of the rest.

When Paimon measured my magic and sighed deeply, I felt like he wouldn’t lean on me no matter what happened in the future.

I followed Paimon to the place where there was a treasure trove.

Now that everyone was gone because of the flames, it was perfect for picking up the forest.

Aedis will take care of that.

When Paimon took one step, I had the discomfort of having to take twenty steps, but other than that, I was satisfied.

Is it because I became a contractor?

He never realized….Doesn’t he know that Aedis put a spell on me?

「“…Anyway, that barrier really hurts. *spit*!”」

Without me even responding, Paimon, who had been talking by himself, pretended to spit.

I moderately focused on his last words only.

“It’s amazing that there’s a magic that blocks the entry of spirits. Doesn’t it belong to the Grand Duke?”

「“It’s not a novelty, it’s more like an outrageous thing. I don’t know who is casting the magic, but if they get caught, I will chew their head. The body will be pickled and the fingers and toes will be made into a necklace… 」

Paimon, who didn’t know the contents of the contract yet, excitedly described the cruelty he’d perform.

“Yes, yes.”

Enjoy that to your heart’s content so that you don’t wake up from your dreams.

Paimon talked and we arrived at the destination while I was thinking differently.

「“Here it is. There is a lot of gold hidden inside this cave.”’」

I only found the hard-to-see cave because Paimon pointed me in the direction with his paws.

“I managed to find it.”

Paimon giggled.

「“I can smell gold and jewels as well as dogs can. That doesn’t mean I’m a real dog though! Do not misunderstand!”」

“Of course. You are my slave…no, a dear friend.”

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