[Vol. 7] Chapter 205: A Thought Turns into a Demon
"What kind of price do I need to pay? Can you promise that Her Highness won’t be hurt at all because of this? And… how can I be sure you really have this power?"
Hearing the girl speak in a soft voice, almost like she was forcing the words out through clenched teeth, the flame gave a satisfied smile.
"There’s no price to pay, this is just a mutually beneficial partnership. Whether the little princess gets hurt or not doesn't depend on me. It depends on you. You’re the host, the one who will carry everything out. All I, [Nightmare], do is give you the power to make your wish come true. As for proof… that’s easy."
"Eeek—meow!!"
As it spoke, the gray flame suddenly turned into a blurry shadow and shot toward the slightly open rooftop door without warning. Right after, there was a clear, panicked scream from that direction, with a hint of fear, but then everything went quiet again.
Just as Orluk paused in surprise, recognizing that very familiar voice, she frowned slightly, as if realizing something. Then, a small figure stepped forward and opened the door, appearing in her sight on her own.
"This… how can this be?"
Seeing the person’s face and that familiar small, thin figure, Orluk took a deep breath, then let it out again, her voice filled with emotions that were hard to describe.
She felt like there had already been too many surprises tonight.
The one who appeared was none other than Noelle, the catgirl who lived in the same room as Orluk. Orluk had thought she was already fast asleep. But it looked like this girl had noticed she couldn’t sleep and had secretly followed her after she left to clear her mind.
If that was all, it wouldn’t have been too strange. After all, catfolk naturally have sharp senses, so it made sense she woke up after hearing Orluk get out of bed and change clothes. They had been classmates living together in the same academy for years, it was understandable for her to follow out of concern.
But now, it was clear to Orluk that Noelle had been hiding behind the rooftop door from the very beginning, secretly listening in on her talk with the being who called itself [Nightmare].
The real problem was, Noelle was just a healer who practiced healing magic. Even if she was often teased for being a “silent little kitty,” how did she manage to hide from the detection methods taught to disciples of the [Thief Saint]?
Orluk had never known before that this little catgirl, who always followed Princess Carinvega around, who seemed like a poor, cute mascot in their group, actually had such amazing sneaking skills.
And when she thought more carefully about it, a chill ran down her spine. If Noelle could act this smoothly and precisely… how many times had she done stalking things like this before?
If [Nightmare] hadn’t noticed her just now… and if those things they talked about had reached the Princess’s ears…
Just thinking about that made a wave of fear and panic rise up inside Orluk. And along with it came a deep anger from the bottom of her heart.
She took another deep breath and pushed down the storm of emotions inside her. Then she looked over at the orange-haired catgirl, who now stood silently by her side. Noelle's eyes were shut, arms hanging loosely, and she was being gently pulled by a thread of gray flame from [Nightmare], moving like a puppet controlled by a ghost master from the Ancient Spirit Realm.
The catgirl's small, thin body swayed a little in the night wind. They had been good friends for years, living together all this time. But for some reason, Orluk couldn’t feel any sympathy for her now.
It was like a voice whispered inside her, and a flame that had started burning in her chest, fueled by shock and anger, was slowly eating away at her calm.
Trying to shake off the feeling, Orluk gave her head a quick shake.
“What did you do to her?”
“Nothing serious. I just made her fall asleep. If you accept [Nightmare]’s power, you could do the same thing.”
Orluk gave a cold snort, not fully agreeing or denying.
“You knew Noelle was eavesdropping from the start, didn’t you? And even knowing that, you still showed yourself and talked to me on purpose. You even led the conversation in that direction… You say I have the freedom to choose, but behind the scenes, you cut off every way out. So this… is what my inner demon really looks like? So sneaky and dirty?”
But [Nightmare] wasn’t offended by her sharp words at all. While keeping the catgirl’s sleepwalking body from collapsing, she simply let out a calm laugh, using the same voice as before, like she had copied it from someone else.
"Dirty tricks? This is just a normal negotiation method. I’m your inner demon. Aside from the key parts, the rest of my thinking is built using Lukeke as a model. So… are you saying you dislike yourself?"
"Hmph… Stop calling me that name. I’m Orluk now."
"Alright, alright~ whatever you say."
Realizing that this being basically knew everything about her, Orluk knew there was no point in pretending anymore. She didn’t bother saying anything meaningless. Instead, she looked again at Noelle, who stood there completely relaxed and still, like a puppet with its strings pulled.
"Your power is just putting people to sleep and then controlling them like this? If that’s all it does, it’s not much different from mind magic. In the world I came from, there were plenty of magical items and secret techniques that could do similar things. Doesn’t seem that impressive."
It seemed like her comment hit a nerve. [Nightmare] let out a little snort and replied with full confidence.
"Those little tricks on the surface don’t even come close to the power of laws. What you’re seeing now is just the most basic use of a [Dream Seed] once it’s planted. You must understand, dreams are reflections of the soul. By controlling dreams, one can indirectly control everything about a living being. The true wonders of this power can’t be understood unless you experience them yourself!"
"That’s just a fancy way of saying nothing…"
Orluk shook her head a little, clearly unimpressed. But then, she realized something even more important.
"Wait, so you’re saying Noelle has this [Dream Seed] inside her too? What is this thing exactly? And when did it sneak into our bodies?"
"Hmm..."
Now that the topic got more serious, the gray flame's tone became more focused, like a pro introducing their signature move.
"The rules behind this are tied to the laws of the world. Even if I explained it in detail, you wouldn’t be able to understand it with a human mind. To put it simply, you can think of the [Dream Seed] as a kind of special power rooted deep in the soul. It’s like a tool that lets you use different abilities. As for when it spread into your bodies… well, haven’t you already guessed?"
“I see… Just as I thought…”
Orluk nodded slowly, deep in thought.
“The strange and crazy monsters in the [Morst Underground Labyrinth]… that was your doing, wasn’t it? My nightmares started the same night I was scratched by that mutated [Nightshadow Monkey]. Wait! Don’t tell me even Princess Carinvega is…!”
Seeing the blue-haired girl suddenly grow tense, [Nightmare] simply swayed calmly.
“Don’t get so worked up. The [Dream Seed] isn’t like some kind of disease that spreads quickly and easily like in your memories. It needs a proper process to be planted, or it has to enter the body through some physical medium. Your [Dream Seed] came from that corrupted monster, and this little catgirl got infected because she stayed close to you for a long time afterward. As for the princess you care so much about, don’t worry, she hasn’t been infected by a [Dream Seed]. Not yet, anyway.”
The palm-sized gray flame flickered gently, then suddenly pulled back the thread of energy that had been connected to Noelle. Her sleeping body collapsed softly, and Orluk instinctively stepped forward to catch her.
“Alright, I’ve talked enough for one night. I’ve clearly explained the risks and rewards. Now it’s time for you to decide, mortal. If you accept my power, you’ll be able to control the [Dream Seed] inside her. That way, not only will this little catgirl never speak a word of what she saw tonight, but she’ll even go from being your love rival… to becoming your most loyal servant. We’ll start working together for real.”
“Of course, since I said you have a choice, then you really do. Even if you turn me down now, both you and her will forget everything that happened tonight. I can erase the [Dream Seeds] from both of you. But if something happens in the future, if that little princess gets caught up in something dangerous, then it’ll have nothing to do with the deal we almost made tonight.”
Hearing those words, which seemed to hint at something more, Orluk frowned slightly.
“...You mean, even if I refuse, you’ll just look for someone else to make the deal with?”
“Hah, of course! I’ve got my own mission to complete, I can’t just give up so easily, right? If I can, I’d much rather work with you, since your soul is the best match for this power. But if that’s not possible… I’ll just go find someone else, simple as that~”
There was no doubt, the other side was threatening her, using “Princess Carinvega might be in danger” as a reason.
Orluk knew very well that if she refused [Nightmare] now, she could gain temporary peace… but she would also be pushed out of whatever strange game this was, becoming nothing more than an ordinary person swept along by fate. But if she accepted...
Holding her friend, who was slowly waking from sleep, her eyelids twitching slightly like she might open her eyes at any moment, Orluk’s long, steady fingers trembled uncontrollably.
She knew clearly, if she took this step, there might be no turning back. Even if she was half-forced to make this decision, even if it was for the safety of the princess, it wouldn’t change the truth.
After all, that so-called threat might just be a convenient excuse given to her by [Nightmare], one that made it easier for Orluk to convince herself.
Heh… what a devil, toying with people’s hearts...
“Huff... huff...”
Countless chaotic thoughts made her breathing grow faster, and her trembling hand slowly rose. Guided by a dark desire that seemed to spread naturally in her heart, she reached toward her once-close friend’s face.
“Smack!”
Her fingers, now nearly blended into the night, firmly covered the small catgirl’s just-opened, still-confused eyes, pushing her back into darkness.
“Give it to me, give me the power!”
“Mm-mmmph!!!”
The tiny body in her arms twitched violently, but all her struggling was swallowed by the deep, endless darkness of the night. Orluk’s vision blurred, yet somehow everything felt sharper than ever before.
She could feel a strange, powerful force bursting from within her… and a blazing fire rising in her heart like never before. As her eyes focused again, the gray flame was already gone, leaving only a joyful voice echoing in her mind...
...blending perfectly with the strange, almost eerie smile spreading across her face.
“Very good. From this moment on, you and I… will share the power of the nightmare.”