I Became the Main Character’s Demon Sword

17

Arpel placed a thick chicken steak cut into appropriate sizes on the child’s plate. Rohan quickly stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork, put it in his mouth, and smiled brightly while making eye contact. Arpel’s lips also formed a faint smile in response.

Just as he thought, “This is quite a happy dinner,” it happened.

“May I join you?”

Arpel turned his head at the voice of an uninvited guest. The figure wearing a light-colored robe draped over his body and a hat of the same color pulled low seemed quite familiar.

“No, you may not.”

Though he vaguely remembered, Arpel refused. The man laughed loudly as if he had expected this. He exaggeratedly adjusted his clothes as an added touch.

“So you did remember? I even wore the same clothes on purpose, but I guess there was no need. Ah, I’m Lexia.”

Arpel ignored the gesture of extending a hand as if asking for a handshake while naturally sitting down on the empty chair right next to them. The man seemed a bit embarrassed and shrugged once before withdrawing his hand.

Lexia. Arpel’s eyes were cold as he looked at the man. He was the person sitting in the center among those overseeing the assessment when Arpel had that meaningless sparring match for the rank test on the day he registered as a mercenary. Arpel hadn’t given him a shred of attention since then, thinking they wouldn’t meet again.

He wanted to smash the chair the man was sitting on into pieces right away. But Rohan… As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Arpel glanced at Rohan’s expression. He expected the child to just blink blankly, but there was a subtle trace of annoyance in his expression.

Since even Rohan didn’t want this situation, maybe it would be okay to smash it. He could pay for the broken chair. Just as Arpel finished this one-dimensional thought and was about to draw shadows from the floor to shatter the chair…

“If you attack here, you’ll have to leave all that food behind, you know?”

Lexia smiled broadly and took off the hat he had been wearing low. As he watched the dark green hair, grown to about neck length, naturally disheveled, Arpel silently clicked his tongue.

The moment he noticed Rohan’s face showing displeasure, a bit of killing intent leaked out. The man seemed to flinch, apparently sensing the briefly unhidden killing intent. Though he kept smiling gently as if to appease, the fact that he sensed the killing intent and easily feigned calmness showed he was undoubtedly quite skilled.

While subduing him wasn’t impossible, it was clear that chaos would ensue. Arpel withdrew the shadows that had been creeping along the floor.

“I came to request a job.”

“I’m not taking jobs now. I don’t need money.”

“Hmm. What if I offer something else as payment? Like raising your mercenary rank to S-rank?”

Naturally, Arpel seemed completely uninterested.

“Wow, that’s harsh. Even though I knew I’d be rejected, it was quite a clever proposal. Aren’t you curious how it’s possible?”

“No.”

Unable to find any more reason to listen, Arpel’s hands, which had paused briefly, began moving busily again. He was preoccupied with cutting the chicken steak into pieces for Rohan to eat.

Rohan, who had been looking somewhat blank, smiled habitually as soon as Arpel handed him a piece of meat. Arpel reached out and wiped the sauce near Rohan’s mouth with a napkin.

“Then how about this? I’ll take responsibility for getting you to your desired destination. It seems you’re going quite far?”

“You’ve been investigating.”

“Haha. You’ll understand, right? In business, what’s important is who knows more when gaining the upper hand. The more information you have about the other party, the more advantageous you become.”

Although Arpel answered with cold eyes, he was quite drawn to Lexia’s second proposal. Originally, he had been taking on unsuitable requests and earning money to ensure the child could live comfortably on the way to the temple.

It wasn’t a bad deal, as the other party would bear all the hassle and expenses until they reached the temple in exchange for completing one request. After all, he hadn’t been saving money to live in luxury. The money would be meaningless anyway after arriving at the temple.

Moreover, whatever request Lexia was proposing, there wouldn’t be much danger for Arpel. However, despite this, Arpel couldn’t answer immediately.

In a short time, Arpel had countless worries about Rohan. When they first met, he had resolved to run away and leave him at the temple, but as they spent more time together, that resolution clearly wavered.

And now, even the faintly remaining roots of that thought had vanished. Just as Rohan had asked Arpel to become his family, Arpel also wanted to continue being with Rohan.

He didn’t know why it had come to this. All emotions originated from the child. He felt he could now understand the saying he couldn’t comprehend in his previous life – that emotions don’t always need a reason to form. Before he knew it, Arpel had become immersed in Rohan.

In the end, the thought of running away after leaving the child at the temple fizzled out.

No one knows what will happen after arriving at the temple. He might be sealed immediately, or unlike the original story, he might not be sealed. After all, all Arpel had done for Rohan was to take care of and look after him.

Perhaps, with a very low probability… they might be able to stay together continuously.

Whatever the future held, one thing was certain: everything would change once they reached the temple. Was that why? Despite deciding to go together, he didn’t want to go quickly. He felt a faint fear that he might never see the child again.

Lexia tilted his head at Arpel, who wasn’t giving any answer. His eyes, which had been coldly fixed, were now moving back and forth, seemingly lost in thought.

Noticing that the child was sitting where his gaze occasionally brushed, Lexia smiled lightly. The instincts honed through years of conducting dozens of negotiations were ringing.

“Oh right, since you seem to be from out of town, I’ll also guide you to famous tourist spots on the way to your destination. How about that?”

Arpel, who had stopped moving, turned his gaze and stared at Lexia. Though he felt a chill down his spine at the returned gaze, Lexia only deepened his smile.

In the end, his choice was not wrong.

“…I’ll do it. That request.”

“You’ve made a good decision.”

Shall we discuss the details at the inn?

The sound of clicking his tongue was clear. Arpel had never had clear emotions towards people other than Rohan. Even towards those with malicious intent, he would just let it pass. But now, he could be certain of this one thing.

He disliked this man.

***

Thanks to chasing him away right then and there, telling him he’d take the request but to get lost immediately, Arpel was able to finish the meal alone with Rohan.

“Arpel, are you going to work again?”

“Probably.”

Since he had already informed Lexia of the inn’s location and the room they were using, he would be waiting there. Arpel walked the path leading to the inn, holding Rohan’s hand. The hand he was holding fidgeted.

“…I don’t like that mister.”

It was quite a sulky voice. Noticing even his lips pouting, Arpel squeezed the child’s hand tightly. Seeing him now able to throw tantrums well, Arpel felt somewhat elated.

“I don’t like him either.”

“Then…”

“He said he’d pay for everything if we take the request.”

Let’s finish this job and then spend the rest of the time going around playing together.

Instead of letting go of the hand he was holding, Arpel picked Rohan up and held him in a familiar position. Rohan’s eyes, facing him, wavered several times, as if lost in thought. What was certain was that the child wasn’t in a bad mood.

Soon, Rohan wrapped his arms around Arpel’s neck in a familiar gesture, and Arpel lightly stroked the head resting on his shoulder with one hand. A mumbling voice was heard near his ear.

“I wish Arpel could always be with just me…”

Despite the small voice that was almost a whisper, Arpel could hear Rohan’s words more clearly than ever. Somehow, his chest felt tightly full. It was an inexplicable sense of fulfillment, but since it was an emotion originating from Rohan, he welcomed it gladly.

He poked the plump cheek with his finger. This seems to be what people call cute. He kept touching the cheek that dented each time he gently pressed with his finger. As he kept touching the cheeks, Rohan suddenly lifted his head from Arpel’s shoulder.

Although he didn’t say anything, Arpel somehow felt that Rohan’s gaze was asking, “What about Arpel?” Now able to form a faint smile quite naturally, following Rohan’s lead, Arpel answered.

“Me too. I wish I could always be with just you, Rohan.”

You’re the only meaningful existence to me.

As a reward for the cute confession whispered to him, Arpel also whispered to Rohan with his face close. Rohan blinked silently, seeming to blank out for a moment, before his cheeks suddenly began to flush.

“Rohan?”

The redness that had taken over his face wasn’t satisfied with just the cheeks and quickly spread to his ears. Arpel tilted his head at the ears that had turned as red as apples.

“It’s nothing…”

It was a shrinking answer.

I see, alright. As if believing Rohan because he said so, Arpel nodded as usual and continued walking while holding the child.

The child’s blush didn’t fade even by the time they reached the inn. Lexia, who had shamelessly sprawled across a small chair inside the room to greet them, chuckled when he saw Rohan’s bright red face.

“Looks like something embarrassing happened, little one.”

Of course, Rohan didn’t answer. He only buried his face deeper into Arpel’s shoulder.