Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

“Wait, Paimon. Five minutes.”

I let go of Paimon for a while, found an open clothing store, and bought an old cloak.

As I meticulously covered every single strand of my hair, their gaze was withdrawn.

I had no intention of hiding my identity as I was going to meet with Gilbert in the end, but if Paimon was captured, it would be a bit difficult. After walking a little further, a quiet vacant lot appeared.

Paimon roughly sat me down and said.

[“I’ll deal with his auras and come here, so stay here.”]

“Yes.”

But now is not the time for you to worry about me……

Paimon patted my shoulder as if he had noticed my worried gaze. Ack, it hurts!

[“Don’t worry. Eve, if something happens to you, I’ll run right away!”]

Paimon looked like a pirate captain who was going to beat a shark. He smiled brightly, waved his hand, and then left.

I tried to believe in Paimon. Only 30 seconds.

As soon as 31 seconds passed, I got up and followed Paimon.

No matter how versatile he appears on the outside as the first Grand Duke who is presumed to have cheated his portraits, I was uneasy at the thought that what was inside was Paimon.

Fortunately, Paimon arrived at the destination before I lost him, as I was not used to tailing someone.

Paimon stood in front of Gilbert who was with a certain man.

[“Are you Gilbert?”]

……It was a line that Extra 1 who only appeared once in the novel and disappear subsequently, would say.

Gilbert frowned when he saw the giant picking a fight all of a sudden.

“Who are you?”

[“There’s nothing to know about that.”]

I sat behind the wall and poked my head out.

“You don’t have the usual energy.”

As if he had sensed something from Paimon, Gilbert immediately took alert.

In Gilbert’s hand was the same sword that Sarah had once plunged into a pit of filth.

He didn’t throw it away.

It was a famous sword that was quite famous even in the novel.

Suddenly, I felt pity for Gilbert’s follower, who was standing behind. It must have been hard to clean it until it was like new.

Paimon scoffed at Gilbert’s alert posture.

[“Hey, isn’t your posture too clumsy? Did the Demon King teach you like that?”]

[“Demon?”]

No, don’t take those words seriously.

I got a headache.

It was a serious situation, but I don’t know why I keep wanting to find a mouse hole to crawl into.

In order to get rid of Gilbert’s aura, should I have asked Paimon……?

If I searched for other methods, I might have came up with one or two……?

Paimon was seen waving his hand.

[“Don’t listen to it. I only need to take your aura from you.”]

“……What?”

Paimon paused while whistling.

“Oh, Master can’t say this, so I shouldn’t do it either.”

Surprisingly, Paimon did not call my name in front of Gilbert. It seems to be the least he could do.

Gilbert lowered his voice.

“Who is your master?”

[“Do you think I can tell you?”]

Paimon stretched out his hand. A long sword made of flames was crafted in the air.

The blade and the handle were all made of blazing flames, and Gilbert’s follower stepped back as if he could feel the fire.

Paimon casually grabbed the sword made of flame with his bare hands and spoke.

[“I mean, I don’t know what humans use, but your reflexes are pretty good, right? Let me decide whether or not the talent you have been given is beyond you or not.”]

I thought that the first Grand Duke Paimon transformed into really looked like an idiot.

Oh, maybe in Gilbert’s eyes, he looked like a madman.

He is a muscular man who appears out of the blue and argues that he will take his aura. He even looks like he’s in his early 40’s.

However, even when he touched a sword made of fire with his bare hands, he had the ability to remain intact.

……Unless it’s urgent, Paimon shouldn’t transform into a human.

Gilbert raised his vigilance as I started looking for the mouse hole again.

“Are you a wizard?”

[“What, are you trying to hide the aura? Are you really afraid of it being taken away?”]

“Shut up.”

[“Anyway, it’s a talent that you got because of luck, so doesn’t it make sense to lose some?”]

Gilbert attacked with a sword that had no aura over it, and Paimon clicked his tongue to block it.

Neither the next one nor the attack afterwards could reach Paimon.

Rather, the heat radiating from Paimon’s sword made Gilbert’s face blush.

Paimon was not demonstrating proper swordsmanship, but only responding with reflexes.

Knowing that Paimon wasn’t a properly trained swordsman, Gilbert sharpened his teeth.

“I will ask you again. Reveal your identity.”

Gilbert lived in the residence of the Grand Duchy of Calakis for eight years.

There must have been many more opportunities to see the portrait of the first Grand Duke than I had.

Nevertheless, Gilbert looked at Paimon and could not remember the first Grand Duke.

He treated him as if it was the first time he had ever seen a face like that.

[“I can’t reveal my identity. Don’t I have a good sense?”]

Paimon did not raise an eyebrow once when facing the murderous energy Gilbert had raised.

Knowing that Paimon was strong enough to rule as the spirit king, this was natural for me, but for Gilbert and his subordinate, it seemed a bit overwhelming.

In a way, I don’t know if he’ll become more cruel.

Uhh, they thought he only had the mouth, but he has the skills too.

[“Ah~ If you have a problem, are you even stronger than me~”]

Stop it, you idiot.

It was hard to see Paimon, who was grinning with the appearance of the first Grand Duke, with a clear mind.

Even for me, who can only see his back and side profile, the blow was that heavy. Gilbert’s face was crumpled without mercy.

Paimon said something else, as if he had heard me cry inside.

[“By the way, you’re talking about a kid named Regen who you were going to kill. I’ve heard it somewhere……”

“Did you overhear the plan?”

Finally, Gilbert manifested his aura. He murmured with a vicious force.

“You must have been hired by Father or Maevia.”

Suddenly, Paimon rolled his eyes.

“Maevia? Is it her?”

“Crazy, who are you calling by name?”

It would have been rather impossible to not see Paimon, who was immediately resentful, and not to make the judgment that he was connected to me.

Gilbert said, sharpening the aura like a blade on his sword.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Maevia hired someone like you.”

[“What do you mean ‘someone like me’? What’s wrong with me?”]

I gave up looking for the mouse hole and instead searched the floor in search of a stone.

If I didn’t hit Paimon in the back of the head at this moment, even if I slept for the next 10 years, I felt like I was going to jump out of bed because of the injustice.

Gilbert performed a miracle of being threatening, merciful, and picking a fight with the bewildered Paimon at the same time.

“I will spare your life because of your master, so go back. She’ll be mine anyway, so won’t you be my subordinate too?”

Since Paimon had never entered the human world and had no immunity to nonsense, his face turned bright red in an instant.

[“I have never seen such a bastard? Hey, are you crazy? What? Who becomes what?!”]

It wasn’t just at a heated level. He was so angry that I’m worried about his blood pressure. Do spirits also have heightened blood pressure?

No, it seems a little hotter than that?

Suddenly, my cloak felt uncomfortable.

Every time the wind blew, hot air rushed in.

When he sensed that the ambient temperature had risen, Gilbert spit out another sentence.

“……She is now my father’s.”

At those words, Paimon lost his mind.

[“Eve is nobody’s, you bastard! She’s a little lacking, but she’s a precious existence that I will spend the rest of my life with!”]

I felt grateful to Paimon and at the same time, there’s a subtle feeling that couldn’t be described with words.

Excuse me?

It’s a little incomplete to say it was good to be by the side of a precious contractor who will be with him for the rest of his life, since he currently looks like a pirate captain in his 40s……

Unsurprisingly, Gilbert misunderstood.

“A precious existence to be with for the rest of your life? With you, Maevia?”

The current Paimon was not a spirit no matter who looked at it.

It must be unusual to handle a sword made of fire, but there weren’t many people who could directly relate it to spirits.

Far from calming Gilbert’s suspicions, Paimon ignited them.

[“Yes, you punk! Do you have any complaints, you bastard? I’ll take your aura! You will die!”]

Tears welled up in my eyes, so I sat down on the floor, not caring whether or not Paimon jumped on Gilbert.

I…… should have never…… asked Paimon……

Due to Paimon’s few words, the situation escalated to a climax.

Even if I showed up, there was little chance of it being rectified.

Rather, it was likely to get worse.

When Paimon sees me, he will be excited and run to me, calling me by my nickname, and I will just omit how it will appear in the eyes of Gilbert and his follower.

Fortunately, while I was trying to calm myself down, Paimon successfully ignited Gilbert’s aura.

“You bastard, what have you done!”

Gilbert’s shouts were heard, and Paimon’s squeaks were also heard.

[“What about my Eve? She’s not interested in a little bastard like you! If you understand, go away!”]

I covered my face with both hands.

Uh, I’m done with this anyway…

All that’s left is rumors of the Grand Duchess having an affair…