I Became the Main Character’s Demon Sword

23

Over the course of two years, Rohan had become more clingy. It wasn’t that he whined or threw tantrums, but he had started making more demands of Arpel.

Most of these demands were for physical affection. Sometimes he would ask to be held like now, and other times, seemingly having enjoyed a kiss on the cheek once before, he would ask for a goodnight kiss on the cheek in a small voice before bed.

After a night when the cheek kiss had transformed into a goodnight ritual, Rohan also kissed Arpel’s cheek. Of course, it meant goodnight, but Arpel spent the night absentmindedly touching his cheek, forgetting to look at Rohan who had blushed and hidden under the blanket.

‘…Cute.’

He had clearly grown bigger, but he had become even cuter. Arpel, who had now come to define all of this as Rohan’s cuteness, thought this constantly.

As usual, Arpel picked up Rohan and got into the carriage.

At first, the coachman and attendants were shocked at the idea of traveling around the empire for two years, but at some point, they too had begun to view this as a vacation. On days when Arpel didn’t make any particular requests, they would go sightseeing on their own.

From what he had gathered, they seemed to have been worked quite hard under Lexia. Even to Arpel, who wasn’t particularly interested in others, it was clear that they looked much better than when they first met.

“Shall we head straight to the temple?”

“Yes.”

The coachman on the outside of the carriage asked about their destination. He added that it would take about a day to reach the temple if they went directly.

Their two-year journey was now just one day away from its end. They would arrive at the temple tomorrow. Arpel, blinking his eyes slowly, naturally met Rohan’s gaze. Now, like a habit, that pretty face smiled brightly every time their eyes met.

“…Rohan. Do you want to go to the temple?”

He wasn’t sure why he asked such a question. Did he hope for Rohan to say he didn’t want to go?

“Hmm… I don’t have any particular thoughts. I’ll be able to stay with Arpel even if we go to the temple, right?”

Looking at the brightly smiling face, Arpel couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth. That he possessed the same power as the cult members who had killed Rohan’s family. That perhaps as soon as they arrived at the temple together, he might be sealed away by the priests.

Arpel found it unfamiliar to feel fear. It was natural in a way, as it was impossible for him to feel fear towards anyone other than Rohan… He felt foolish for suffering silently, unable to even properly speak up.

“…Right. That’s true.”

Having only recently learned to identify this emotion as fear, the sudden realization made him hesitate. In the end, even on this day, Arpel couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth about himself.

***

“Haha, thanks to you, we enjoyed our vacation. Hope to see you again sometime.”

“Yes.”

The carriage that had dropped them off in front of the temple prepared to leave shortly after. The coachman and attendants who had been helping Arpel and Rohan in various ways during their journey left a brief farewell and disappeared in the carriage.

Perhaps because he was the only child, the three of them were quite fond of Rohan. To be precise, they found him cute. Although Rohan never got close to them, either out of shyness or wariness.

Nevertheless, perhaps due to the long time spent together, there was a faint hint of regret in Rohan’s eyes as he watched the people leave.

While ordinary temples scattered throughout the empire might be different, the central temple, of which only two existed, had set specific times for regular people to participate in worship. Access to the temple was restricted at other times.

Perhaps because of this, the area in front of the temple where they stood was very empty. Was it because the only sound was that of the wind rustling through the grass, that the sensation of Rohan’s hand holding his was particularly vivid?

“…Rohan. You know…”

Arpel, who had been standing still, called out to Rohan with downcast eyes after some hesitation. He could feel the child’s expectant gaze on him. Yet, he couldn’t immediately continue his words. Rohan’s expression twisted slightly as he waited for Arpel, who remained silent for a moment.

“Are you… going to abandon me?”

“…Huh?”

“Are you… are you going to leave me at the temple?”

Rohan’s hand, which was holding Arpel’s, tightened its grip. The force pulling on his arm seemed to have increased as well. Only then did Arpel look directly at Rohan’s face and realized that the child’s face was contorted as if he might cry at any moment.

“Don’t abandon me. You said you’d stay with me. That you’d become my family…”

The idea of leaving Rohan at the temple and departing had been just a fleeting thought. Now, he couldn’t even imagine such a situation.

From the moment Arpel decided to travel around the empire with Rohan for two years, rather than arriving at the temple as soon as possible, he had become destined to be unable to leave Rohan behind.

He wasn’t sure when exactly it had become like this. Arpel couldn’t deny that he had been drawn to Rohan because his essence was that of a demon sword, and Rohan was the only one who could form a contract with a demon sword. But that alone couldn’t explain this situation.

Clearly, as they spent time together, gradually and steadily getting to know what kind of child Rohan was, he had seeped into a corner of Arpel’s heart.

“That’s not it.”

Thinking that his hesitation had once again hurt the child, Arpel felt a tightness in his chest. He bent his knee to match Rohan’s eye level and stroked the child’s cheek with his free hand.

Perhaps Rohan had known all along. He had always been a perceptive child, so he might have sensed Arpel’s inner thoughts of envisioning a future where they would part ways someday, even while saying he would stay with him.

Feeling sorry for Rohan, who had acted as if everything was fine but still harbored anxiety in a corner of his heart, Arpel forcefully suppressed the rising fear within him.

“There’s… something I haven’t told you.”

“Something you haven’t told me?”

Just as he was about to finish his sentence, releasing the tension in his lips that he had been biting…

He sensed numerous presences approaching this place. The sound of metal armor clashing, the sound of synchronized running steps pounding the ground, someone’s voice shouting to quickly protect the child.

Arpel closed his mouth and looked straight at Rohan. Judging from those noises, it was clear they wouldn’t leave him be. There wasn’t enough time for a long conversation. With a touch dripping with lingering attachment, he smoothed the child’s hair.

“…Arpel?”

“The temple will protect you.”

As Rohan’s eyes widened in disbelief, someone’s roar was heard.

“Protect Lord Rohan!”

As a force suddenly approached and pressed down firmly on his shoulders, Arpel didn’t resist. He thought that perhaps all of this had been predetermined fate.

***

“Arpel!”

Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Rohan couldn’t react properly. Arpel, who had been by his side, was forced to his knees on the bare ground by someone, and before Rohan could fully process this, he was grabbed by other hands and pulled away from Arpel.

Only after a little more time had passed did each of the actions that had flowed as slowly as a scene in a dream come into focus. Twisting his restrained body, Rohan called out Arpel’s name like a scream.

“You must have suffered so much all this time. Who knows what terrible things you’ve been through…”

“Let go! Let me go! Arpel!”

They were wearing armor that was different from ordinary knights, decorated in silver on a black background. It was armor that proved they were knights of the temple serving the Demon God.

However, none of this registered in Rohan’s eyes. He was just desperately worried about Arpel, who remained motionless on his knees with his hands bound.

From among the knights standing in formation, a man wearing the most elaborate clothes stepped forward. The man with striking ash-gray hair and eyes as black as obsidian softened his expression as soon as he saw Rohan.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Lord Rohan. I am Dionel, the High Priest of the Central Temple serving the Demon God.”

“Arpel… Let Arpel go.”

“Unfortunately, I cannot grant that request. Please forgive us for laying hands on you out of concern for your safety.”

Rohan, who had instinctively sensed that this man was the highest-ranking person, demanded that Arpel be released, but Dionel immediately refused. Far from releasing him, he only looked at Arpel with an emotion close to disgust in his eyes.

“He is someone who should not exist in this world.”

“…Why? Arpel is my family.”

“Haha. Did he call you family? How well he deceived a child.”

Deceived.

Rohan’s eyes wavered greatly at those words. Seizing that moment, Dionel took a step closer to Arpel and continued speaking.

“The incident that occurred in Lord Rohan’s village… was our mistake. The attackers were the ‘Salvation Church’, and they worship specters. And this man possesses the same power as them.”

There was a moment of silence. Arpel showed no reaction to those words. Because he had kept his head down the whole time, Rohan couldn’t even see what expression Arpel was making.

But what was certain was…

“It doesn’t matter.”

“…Pardon?”

“I already knew.”

The fact that Rohan had known this for a long time.

Only then did Arpel show his first reaction. His slightly raised face showed clear signs of surprise. His wavering eyes revealed that he was in quite a confused state.

Rohan tried to keep Arpel’s gaze fixed on him, staring intently into those eyes. At the same time, he twisted his arms, trying to break free from the hands holding him.

Rohan might be young, but he wasn’t a fool. He had heard countless times that he was particularly perceptive from a young age. For such a child, it wasn’t difficult to realize that Arpel was hiding something.

Over the past two years, although it had lessened, Rohan had always been afraid that Arpel might leave. He felt this even more because of Arpel’s attitude of subtly avoiding words whenever the topic of the temple came up.