Chapter 22: Lifted Veil

“You bastard!”

At first, I thought Ben had caused some trouble.

He’s usually meticulous about my ‘health’ and has a berserker side, so it seemed plausible. However, the words that followed cast doubt on my assumption.

“Miles! I told you never to do that disgusting shit again!”

Huh? Did Ben know this guy’s name?

Come to think of it, the voice sounds quite different.

It’s unlikely his voice suddenly changed…

I glanced back.

‘…Ben’s right here?’

He was still huffing with anger, but he was standing obediently behind me. It was definitely Ben.

That meant the one grabbing that drug addict ‘Miles’ by the collar was someone else entirely.

Thump! Thump!

Wow, they must know each other, but he’s showing no mercy.

‘He even threw him?!’

The man who had been shaking the drug addict by the collar like crazy finally let go and took a breath before turning his head sharply towards us.

His face was twisted like a demon’s. I felt a twinge of sympathy for the drug addict curled up in the corner, but it was fleeting.

He immediately softened his expression and spoke cautiously, his face full of apology.

“My friend has committed a great offense. I apologize on his behalf.”

“Oh, no… it’s alright.”

“No, this was almost a disaster. Drugs, after being taught a lesson, I thought he wouldn’t do it again. I’m sorry. I should offer some kind of compensation…”

I was genuinely fine.

I just wanted to go back and relax, counting the gold coins I earned today.

So, I was planning to refuse whatever he offered and leave, but…

“Ah, you said you like alcohol, right? Coincidentally, there’s a tavern on the second floor here. Let me buy you some drinks there.”

“…!”

“You can drink as much as you want.”

Halt.

All movement stopped. I couldn’t help it. This was instinct.

“A…as much as I want?”

“Yeah, as much as you want.”

“…….”

This was irresistible.

“Lord Demon…?”

Ben called out to me cautiously, sensing something ominous.

Hah, I barely managed to regain my senses then.

No. Ed told me not to. I have to resist.

I have to resist for Ben, who follows me so diligently. I must resist. I mustn’t be tempted by such demonic whispers…

“This is a sincere apology, so don’t feel burdened. If you really do, you could tell me your secret to earning so many coins.”

“I don’t have a secret.”

“Ah, asking for your secrets on our first meeting is too much, isn’t it?”

No. It’s not because it’s our first meeting, it’s because I genuinely don’t have one.

“Then let’s start by getting to know each other.”

His voice held a playful tone that made him seem even more approachable.

Watching his eyes crinkle with amusement, I thought.

This guy’s a pro.

It was obvious at a glance that he was skilled at drawing people in.

A normal person would naturally feel favorable towards him, but it won’t work on me, who knows everything!

‘…Or so I thought.’

I snapped back to reality to find myself on the second floor with his arm around my shoulder.

I got played! How?!

To get played even though I knew it was coming, what kind of idiot am I?

A wave of self-loathing washed over me. I wanted to tear my hair out, but since my hair is precious, I clenched and unclenched my fists instead.

“What are you thinking about?”

“……Nothing.”

No. Thinking about it, it makes sense. It’s been quite a while since I had a drink.

Especially for someone like me who loves alcohol, it was tempting enough to fall for.

So, to prevent myself from falling for this trick again, I should probably have a drink now…

“Lord Demon….”

“Ugh.”

I was blinded by the thought of alcohol and had forgotten about the looming obstacle.

Looking at Ben with his pleading expression, beads of cold sweat trickled down my back.

If he had been loud and forceful, I wouldn’t have felt even a twinge of guilt, but seeing him look at me with such gentle eyes pricked my conscience.

It was even scarier.

So, I carefully gauged his mood and cautiously attempted a compromise, worried about upsetting him too much.

“I’ll have just one drink.”

“…….”

“I won’t get drunk.”

“It’s not really something you can control…”

“That’s right! As long as I don’t get drunk, it’s fine, right? How about you have a drink too, pal?”

“……I’ll pass.”

A heavy sigh landed on the table.

I flinched inwardly, though I didn’t show it.

So, it’s still a no-go. Judging by Ben’s reaction, he seems even more upset.

Nothing gained, and my favor has decreased. This is the worst.

A sigh escaped my lips. Perhaps he heard it, because Ben flinched and stared at me.

“…….”

“…….”

His gaze seemed to ask why he was sighing when I was the one who should be sighing.

Feeling inexplicably suffocated, I subconsciously took a deep breath. Then, he spoke slowly, his voice slightly trembling.

“Just… one drink.”

“Huh?”

“As much as you might regret it, it would be best to save any more for another time. I apologize.”

It took me a moment to understand his words.

The guy who seemed like he would never allow it was giving me permission. Did I hear correctly? Or was my ear hearing what it wanted to hear?

After confirming the truth of his words in my head several times, I mentally cheered, barely managing to hide my excitement as I replied.

“Okay.”

Finally!

Humming a tune inwardly, I sat down at the table.

Just as I was about to look at the menu, the guy who had been looking back and forth between Ben and me with amusement raised his hand to call for service.

“One of everything on the menu.”

Damn, I love this guy.

When I questioned if it wasn’t too much, he said he planned to give the leftovers to his friends.

Where in the world would you find another angel like this?

The drinks arrived quickly.

Ignoring Ben’s worried gaze, I excitedly scanned the bottles. Then, a wave of melancholy washed over me.

‘Out of all these, I can only taste one.’

And it’s not even a whole bottle, just one glass.

I could choose the extreme option of mixing them, but then it would be difficult to appreciate the unique flavor of each drink.

I couldn’t possibly end my long-awaited drink like that, so with a tearful heart, I picked one up, then another.

He seemed to find my hesitation frustrating.

“Um… if you’re having trouble choosing, can I make a recommendation?”

“Yes?”

“If you like a bittersweet taste, this one. If you like a clean finish, this one. If you like something sweet, this one. If you like a smooth texture, this one. And…”

The explanations went on and on.

‘Wow… this guy…’

Impressive!

He must really like alcohol too.

Feeling a sense of camaraderie, I listened to his lengthy explanations with a happy expression, not interrupting him.

Ben beside me seemed to be making a disgusted face, but who cares?

For me right now, this choice was like the choice of a lifetime. Given this precious opportunity, I couldn’t bring myself to choose carelessly just because of his gaze.

After much deliberation, I finally chose one, and the glass was placed in my hand. The liquid shimmering inside was so beautiful.

Knowing I didn’t know when I could drink again, I took a sip with tears in my eyes. Then, the guy sharing the table with me suddenly spoke.

“Is it a bit noisy?”

“Hmm?”

“There are a lot of rough guys here, so they start fighting when they drink.”

“……Ah.”

People were punching each other in one corner.

But isn’t fighting a normal occurrence in bars? I tilted my head in confusion and turned my gaze back to him. He winked and pointed somewhere with his finger.

There, two people were grappling with each other, showing their murderous intent without reservation.

“Wanna bet on who will win? Oh, and you too, buddy.”

“I’m okay.”

“Come on, don’t be a spoilsport.”

He grinned mischievously and casually put his arm around Ben’s shoulder.

Only then did I realize his intention.

The half-empty glass was refilled with alcohol.

By putting his arm around Ben’s shoulder, he narrowed his field of vision and refilled my drink.

It might be an insult to demons, but I couldn’t help but think.

‘How can there be such an angelic demon in the world?’

As soon as I emptied my glass, it was refilled.

Drink, refill, drink, refill.

How many times did we repeat this?

──My memory cut off.

***

His laughter was silly, but his red eyes were sharp.

His expression was relaxed, but his movements were sharper than ever.

Dangerous.

Instinct screamed warnings. The fear that gripped his entire body seemed to freeze him, rendering him unable to even twitch a finger.

Ben barely regained his senses when he had drunk three full bottles and was halfway through a fourth.

Like frozen time shattering, he barely came to his senses and looked down.

He seemed to be trembling. His hands under the table were still shaking intermittently.

‘I couldn’t stop him.’

When he seemed drunk for the first time, he could have stopped him, yet he just watched him down three and a half bottles.

Because that was when his instincts were screaming the loudest danger.

Clearly, it was the moment he seemed the most harmless, so why?

However, Ben, who had been through many battles alongside the Demon King, knew that trusting his gut rather than his eyes was more helpful in prolonging his life.

That’s why he couldn’t say anything even while watching his patient pour another drink.

“Ha, ahahahaha….”

Because he kept drinking only alcohol without any snacks, his once sharp red eyes were now a bit hazy.

He rubbed his face on the table, giggling. Because of that, one of the bottles lined up next to him toppled over.

‘…It seems like more empty bottles have appeared?’

Sure enough, four bottles were lined up.

Including the one that fell and was rolling on the table, there were a total of five.

He emptied more bottles in the blink of an eye. Isn’t this too fast?

The tense feeling that had been standing on end eased slightly. It meant the most dangerous moment had passed.

Nevertheless, Ben didn’t let his guard down. It had only eased, not completely disappeared.

His senses, still focused on the person in front of him, were now signaling a different kind of tension.

Sure enough.

“Enemyy?”

“No, sir.”

“Then are *you* the enemyyy?”

“He is not either, sir.”

“Who is the enemyyy?”

“There is no enemy here right now, sir.”

“Yooou, are you the enemyyyyy?”

“No, sir.”

The drunken rambling had begun.

But you said you wouldn’t get drunk….

Ben quietly covered his face. Even amidst all this, Demon’s questions kept repeating, making it even more miserable.

I shouldn’t have allowed it. A wave of intense regret washed over him. His sigh might have made it seem like he was about to cause trouble, so he reluctantly allowed just one drink.

‘I shouldn’t have allowed it.’

The Demon King’s trump card. The proud commander of the Demon King’s army’s 0th Legion, Demon Hart.

He had been repeating the same questions and answers for 20 minutes now.

Some might ask why he was so on edge around this seemingly drunk and silly human.

But that’s only something someone who doesn’t know him at all would say.

Yes, he might seem harmless. He might seem silly. Then go ahead and try answering ‘yes’ to that question.

That question, ‘Enemy?’

If you fail to answer or answer in the affirmative, the 0th Legion Commander transforms as if his laughter was a lie, draws his dagger, and starts charging.

In such cases, you would end up with at least serious injuries, or in severe cases, your corpse would be so mangled you wouldn’t even be recognizable.

So, how could he not be nervous?

Especially if such a situation were to occur here, it would be difficult to clean up.

‘Fortunately, he’s still at stage 1….’

His drunken behavior is divided into three stages.

Stage 1: Questions, Stage 2: Suspicion, Stage 3: Accusation.

In Stage 1, if you deny being the ‘enemy?’, he simply moves on.

In Stage 2, the question ‘Why?’ follows. If you fail to answer properly then, the attack begins.

Stage 3 is simply the beginning of a massacre.

To give a simple example, let’s say you offer the opinion, ‘Lord Demon is part of the Demon King’s army. I am too. So, we are not enemies,’ in response to ‘Why?’

In Stage 2, he would just move on, but in Stage 3, he would accuse you again, saying, ‘Why is that? You could betray me, you could be a spy!’

What else can you say to that but to deny it? If you’re speechless with bewilderment or simply repeat the denial, he attacks, declaring, ‘You’re an enemy after all,’ driving the person to the brink of madness.

‘Stage 3 is absolutely off-limits.’

With that thought, bracing himself, Ben stopped Demon’s hand as he reached for a new bottle.

Cloudy red eyes rolled up to look at him.

What they held was clear dissatisfaction.

Not bloodlust, not anger, just dissatisfaction. Nevertheless, Ben, feeling like a mouse in front of a cat, froze for a moment, swallowed hard, and barely managed to open his mouth.