The only person visibly flustered by Cain’s question was Satin. Edward, who had no idea Cain had been present at the scene, gave an unbothered response.
“No, that person passed away. This is a new magician who’s taken their place.”
Edward paused mid-sentence, as if reconsidering what he was about to say, then quickly acted like nothing had happened and continued.
“Anyway, that’s what I heard, so I’m planning to wait around here for a bit.”
“Until when?”
Rita interjected with a question, and Edward scratched his head with a sheepish smile.
“For now, until evening. The search party should return by today, right?”
“You don’t have any other plans?”
“My plan was just to head out through the city gates.”
Speaking in a slightly self-deprecating tone, Edward glanced at Rita, Satin, and Cain one after another before offering a suggestion.
“Where are you all staying? If I find anything out, I’ll let you know.”
“Oh, really? That’d be a huge help!”
Rita accepted his offer without hesitation. After telling him the name of their inn, she added:
“Even if the search party doesn’t come back today, still come find us. We’ll treat you to something as a thank-you.”
“As long as you don’t order like a glutton again. We shouldn’t be wasting food in a situation like this, don’t you think?”
“I only did that because I was starving yesterday. I don’t usually eat that much.”
“I’d really prefer if that were true.”
The three of them parted ways with Edward and returned to the inn.
Rita didn’t go up to her room right away. She stayed in the lobby for a bit to rest, then stood up, saying she was going to look around nearby until dinner. She asked Satin if he wanted to come along, but he declined.
After Rita left, Satin was naturally left alone with Cain. With nothing in particular to talk about, Satin simply sipped at the tea the inn employee had brought over. Cain, on the other hand, didn’t touch his tea at all and just quietly watched Satin drink.
Why’s he staring at me?
At first, Satin thought Cain might have something to say, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Their eyes met a few times, but Cain only gave a gentle smile without saying a word.
Finally, after his teacup was empty, Satin broke the silence first.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Because it’s fascinating.”
Cain’s answer came without delay. But it wasn’t particularly satisfying.
Did I drink my tea weirdly or something?
Satin glanced around, but everyone else in the lobby was drinking their tea just like him—picking up the cup with their hand and sipping with their mouth. Realizing that, the idea that he’d done something unusual felt absurd.
Well, yeah. It’s not like anyone drinks tea through their nose.
So then, what exactly was Cain so fascinated by?
“It’s just… even watching you breathe is fascinating.”
“…Breathing is something all living things do. Frogs can even breathe through their skin, you know.”
“I thought you were dead. So seeing you alive, breathing like this, drinking something, even making completely pointless small talk—every bit of it feels surreal.”
If it was meant to be a compliment, then why include the word “pointless”?
Still, understanding where Cain was coming from, Satin nodded. If he saw his older sister standing before him again, he’d probably react just like Cain. Maybe even more obsessively.
Is that why he insists on staying close?
Right now, Cain was probably just overly excited about reuniting with a friend he thought had died. But how long could that excitement really last? Satin figured he just had to play along for a little while longer.
Then again, what kind of past did they have together for Cain to be this overjoyed? Satin had assumed that as the protagonist and the villain, Cain and his former self must’ve been enemies—but now that he thought about it more carefully, that might not be entirely true.
Maybe Cain was deceived by Satin.
The grandfather Satin remembered had always been in a dazed state, but the Black Magician Cain remembered was vicious and ruthless. And that version was probably closer to the truth. If Satin had been the apprentice of such a cruel Black Magician, wouldn’t he have been sly enough to completely fool a naive boy?
It’s definitely possible.
Villains don’t always act evil in front of others. Often, they put on a kind mask precisely so they can get away with the bad things they plan to do. Satin’s father had been like that.
Even in the past, Satin had probably entertained all sorts of vile thoughts behind the scenes while putting on a friendly façade—pretending like they were the closest of friends. If Cain had parted ways with Satin before ever seeing his true colors, then it made sense that he’d be happy to see him again now.
I don’t know if this is a stroke of luck or a complete injustice.
Part of him figured—well, it’s come to this, so maybe it’s fine if Cain lives on cherishing only the good memories. But the thought left a nagging discomfort. One way or another, Cain had been deceived. Yet he couldn’t just come out and tell Cain the truth about who Satin really was. That version of Satin no longer existed.
He thinks I’m him.
While Satin was stewing in his own thoughts, Cain’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I’m curious what that expression means.”
“It’s nothing. I was just spacing out.”
Cain didn’t press the issue further and merely gave him a faint smile. Maybe it was just a regular smile, but because his face was so goddamn handsome, it came off as oddly captivating.
Is it because he’s sitting down?
When standing, Cain was taller than Satin and always looked down at him. Those lowered eyes gave off a languid vibe. But sitting across from him like this… there was something unexpectedly aloof about his face. A delicate air that didn’t suit his physique.
Satin commented without thinking.
“Seeing you like this… you really do look like a cat.”
The words left his mouth before he had the chance to consider that Cain might take offense. He glanced over cautiously—but to his surprise, Cain was still smiling.
“I know.”
“You know?”
A twenty-year-old guy shamelessly admitting he looks like a cat. That’s a bold level of self-awareness. Embarrassed on his behalf, Satin scratched his forearm, but Cain remained perfectly nonchalant.
“I’ve been told that before.”
***
Edward arrived at the inn with news from the search party just as the sun was starting to set. Coincidentally, Rita had returned shortly before, so he didn’t have to wait to deliver the message.
“They say the Demon King has appeared.”
With that, Edward turned his eyes to Cain. Satin also followed his gaze toward Cain. Rita shot up from her seat and pointed at him.
“You said you were quitting!”
“I did.”
Cain, still seated with one leg crossed over the other, shrugged.
Is this something you should just say out loud like that?
Satin subtly glanced around. Thankfully, the inn wasn’t as crowded as it had been earlier in the day. The once-panicked guests had all returned to their rooms—or gone off to tend to other matters.
Satin had no intention of taking Cain’s side, but he did raise a fair question.
“How do they know it’s the Demon King? Did someone actually see him?”
Even if they did, would that prove anything? It’s not like the Demon King is listed in some magical bestiary with pictures. It’s not like he’d be standing there waiting for them to arrive, saying, ‘Ah, welcome. I am the Demon King,’ with a polite little bow.
Edward rubbed his chin and replied.
“Just to be clear, this is something I heard from someone else too.”
He didn’t seem to fully believe what he was about to say himself. His tone was dubious at best as he continued.
“They say a castle appeared right in the middle of the forest. A pitch-black fortress, guarded by two wyverns.”
“A castle?”
Rita repeated the word, then motioned for him to continue.
“Apparently, the wyverns talked. Though really, that’s not all that surprising. Wyverns are mythical creatures, after all. The fact that they exist at all is already unbelievable.”
Satin hadn’t known the Demon King’s castle was guarded by wyverns. The summary version never went into that kind of detail.
A Demon King’s castle guarded by wyverns… now that’s a classic setup.
Satin imagined Part 2 of the story, which he hadn’t read, all on his own. How would his sister have described such a traditional Demon King’s stronghold? Probably a fortress just as imposing as the black mist itself. The gatekeeping wyverns would warn intruders in eerie, echoing voices…
But then Edward’s next words shattered Satin’s fantasy.
“The wyverns told the search party to keep quiet because their master, the Demon King, was present. They said he absolutely hates noise. Isn’t that hilarious?”
Edward finished his account with a face that clearly found nothing funny about it.
Rita gave an incredulous snort, and Cain stared off at nothing in particular, seemingly uninterested. Satin, meanwhile, panicked quietly inside.
Was that really how the Demon King was supposed to show up? Was he always some sensitive test-taker who can’t handle a bit of noise?
Even without having read Part 2, he could say with certainty—something had gone very, very wrong here. Not that anything had ever gone right to begin with, but still.
Cain believed Satin was a dear friend. Satin had never summoned the Demon King. And now, the Demon King, half-summoned by Cain, couldn’t stand loud noises. If things kept going like this, the Demon God might get express-delivered tomorrow morning.
After thinking for a moment, Rita asked Edward:
“You sure this isn’t a hoax?”
“Who knows? That’s what the Bureau of Order is saying, anyway. As far as the public is concerned, all they’re going to hear is that the Demon King has returned.”
“Maybe we should check it out ourselves…”
“It’s a sealed zone. How would you even do that? Don’t get any stupid ideas.”
Edward cut her off before she could finish her thought.
“The Bureau’s in full crisis mode right now. If you draw attention to yourself, you might end up on the wrong end of something you didn’t deserve.”
“Ugh, typical Bureau assholes.”
Rita clicked her tongue and muttered. Then she turned to Cain once more.
“You’re sure this isn’t your doing?”
“Think whatever you want.”
Cain replied lazily, and Rita didn’t press him further. She didn’t seem to genuinely believe Cain had summoned the Demon King in the first place.
At least that’s a relief.
In this mess, Satin considered what role—if any—he could play.
There’s absolutely nothing I can do.
i keep forgetting…. this is a F*CKING FANFICNFKGKG oml 😭 satin what’re u gonna do lmaoooo