Into the Creations-Chapter 98: [] Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated in a Count’s Family [22]

Chapter 98 - [98] Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated in a Count's Family [22]

"Hmm. He said to make sure to collect the demon's corpse."

Hassent pulled out a large sack from the shadows. As he placed the demon's head into the sack, something quietly moved near the demon's legs. It was a demon that had shrunk to the size of a child's palm. Its body was pitch black, with two horns on its forehead and a tail on its backside. The demon, taking advantage of Hassent's distraction with the corpse, began to quietly sneak away into the forest.

'Hehehe. This is my true body. I can just recreate that other body.'

'Thud!

Suddenly, a boot flew through the air and struck the demon squarely, sending it flying backward into a tree.

"Ugh! H-How?!"

The demon stared at Hassent in shock. The man who should have been busy handling the corpse behind him was now standing right in front of him.

"Parasitic demon, Saphin. The young master ordered me to capture you."

In Hassent's hand was a glass bottle. Saphin's true body had the physical capabilities of a small animal, so a glass bottle was more than enough to contain it.

"What do you plan to do with me?!"

"..."

Hassent didn't answer. He didn't know either. He was simply following Eugene's orders to collect the demonized corpse and capture the demon's true form.

Hassent grabbed Saphin and sealed it tightly inside the glass bottle. The bottle was enchanted with shock-absorbing magic, so there was no way Saphin could escape.

"To know the demon's identity, name, and even its abilities... As expected, the young master has been chosen by Serion."

Hassent once again marveled at Eugene's greatness as he prepared to return.

***

I stared at the glass bottle on the desk. Inside was a small, black demon. The demon, having given up on everything, sat slumped at the bottom of the bottle, looking at me.

'What was it called again... Homun... Homunculus! That's the visual it reminds me of.'

I once saw a picture online of a small person trapped in a glass bottle. It was called a homunculus, I think. It was a well-drawn picture, so I remembered it.

The lower-tier demon, Saphin.

A demon with parasitic abilities, referred to as a parasitic demon in the original work.

This demon has the ability to parasitize certain creatures, including humans. It can also parasitize some monsters.

The conditions for parasitism aren't difficult. It just needs to enter the host without them noticing. However, the host must be unable to sense mana and have weak mental strength.

Once it parasitizes a human body, it gradually erases the human's consciousness and takes full control. The human body slowly transforms into a demon's body.

This creature has lived for over 200 years by parasitizing human bodies. During that time, it occasionally ate humans or killed them for no reason.

In the original work, Saphin incited the villagers to rebel against the Pruckus Count's family. Of course, the rebellion was easily suppressed, and Saphin fled from the protagonist, Kyle, eventually meeting its demise. The episode itself wasn't particularly interesting. However, it did hint at future demons in the original story.

'This demon isn't really worth keeping around.'

A lower-tier demon. Moreover, its true body's combat abilities are extremely weak. If it fought a child, the child would probably win.

There are two reasons I captured this thing.

'First, I needed to remind Hassent of my worth.'

People tend to grow dull over time. Even if they were initially excited and pledged loyalty to me, they would eventually start to have doubts.

This incident made Hassent realize once again that I am the one chosen by Serion. The demon's name, location, appearance—everything happened exactly as I said it would.

'Second, this thing has value.'

Even though it's a lower-tier demon, it's still a demon.

Moreover, it's a captured demon.

I can sell it to the Magic Tower or the Church for a high price. I'm not sure of the exact market value, but I estimate it's worth at least 20 billion nerl. If Saphin were a mid-tier demon instead of a lower-tier, the price would have been ten times higher.

'The problem is that this thing can speak human language. Information about Hassent could leak.'

Hassent has been extremely thorough in hiding himself. For decades, he has adhered to the principle that an assassin must never be discovered. He's a model assassin.

But to trade that information for a mere 20 billion nerl? That's ridiculous. The cost-benefit doesn't add up.

'It would be great if I could control the demon, but... that's obviously impossible.'

There's a reason they're called demons. You shouldn't even try to make deals with them.

'It's a waste to just kill it.'

There's only one option left. Extracting the demon's blood. In other words, a blood donation.

In this world, demons are humanity's enemies, but they are also incredibly powerful magical materials. Demon blood is a top-tier material that can be sold for a high price at the Magic Tower.

'But this thing is too small. There's a limit to how much blood can be extracted per day. Maybe I can get 100 million nerl per month?'

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"It's Yuria."

"Come in."

Yuria opened the door and entered the room. In her hands was a tray with a teapot, teacups, and some light snacks.

Yuria set the teapot on the table and skillfully prepared for teatime.

It was teatime.

"Master, are you troubled by something?"

"Yes. It's because of this demon. To extract its full value, I need to extract a certain amount of blood every day... but that's not easy."

The demon is the size of a child's fist. Its lack of combat abilities is a plus, but its small size is a major drawback. Extracting blood from something that small requires skilled techniques.

"Don't you also need to extract information?"

"That's true too. Even though it's weak, it's still a demon, so it must have information about other demons."

"Then, leave this demon to me. I'll handle it properly."

"Yuria?"

"Yes. I'm confident."

I thought for a moment, then nodded. I knew Yuria had learned interrogation techniques from Gon and Ron, the torture experts. I had never seen her perform an interrogation myself, but I heard she was exceptionally skilled.

"I'll leave it to you, Yuria."

"Yes."

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As I sipped my black tea, I instinctively reached into Yuria's chest. It wasn't my will—my instincts acted on their own.

***

"Kyaaaah! You wicked woman! Stop it! Stop! I'm dying!!"

Saphin screamed in the prison. Its body was firmly strapped to an iron plate. Its arms and legs were, of course, immobilized. The only thing it could move was its head, which it shook from side to side.

"You haven't met today's quota."

Yuria, dressed in thick clothing for the torture session, spoke indifferently. In her hand was a dreaded syringe.

"You... crazy bitch...!"

Saphin's face contorted in pain.

The quota Yuria mentioned was 100ml per day.

100ml might not sound like much, but for Saphin, whose body is the size of a child's fist, 100ml is more blood than it has in its entire body.

For reference, 100ml of fresh demon blood is worth about 10 million nerl on average.

"50ml left. Hang in there."

The syringe's needle pierced Saphin's right arm.

"Ahhhhhhh! You're worse than a demon! Just kill me! Kill me, I said!"

Saphin screamed at the top of its lungs.

These days, its life was so miserable that death would be a mercy. Except for when its blood was being extracted or when it was being tortured, it was always trapped in the glass bottle. The only food it was given was bitter herb residue. It had tried to commit suicide a few times, but after being caught, it was now bound and trapped in the bottle.

"I can't kill you. You are the master's valuable asset."

"Damn it! I'll kill that damned brat! I'll definitely kill him, and I'll kill you too!"

"Your language is too crude. I clearly told you to use polite and clean words."

Yuria placed a wet cloth over Saphin's head.

"Ugh! Ugh! Gah!"

The demon's body was so small that even a wet cloth was enough to torture it. Yuria removed the cloth before Saphin could drown.

"I'll tear your mother to pieces!"

"My mother has already passed away. Do you lack the ability to learn?"

"I've lived for 200 years, you bitch! Demons have pride! Do you think I, Saphin, will bow to humans like you?!"

After extracting Saphin's blood with the syringe, Yuria sprayed a potion on its face. The potion would regenerate the demon's blood. Of course, the potion had its limits, so only 100ml could be extracted per day.

"Ugh! Gah! Gah!"

"I admit it. It's been 20 days, and you haven't revealed any information. At this point, even I have to acknowledge it. The mental strength and pride of a demon are truly remarkable."

"Hahaha! Do you get it now? No matter how much you torture me... Hey, bitch. What's that?"

"It's called a scalpel. A surgical knife."

"No! Not that! The glass bottle next to it!"

Yuria picked up the container next to her. It was filled with something resembling black powder.

"Ah. You recognized it. It's impure mana."

"How... do you have that?!"

Impure mana is strictly forbidden on the continent. It cannot be used, created, or possessed. Impure mana can become a source of power for demons and can also turn corpses into undead.

"I made it. Fortunately, there were good materials nearby."

The "good materials" were the 32 thieves and 1 merchant imprisoned in the dungeon, who were tortured daily. Impure mana is born from negative emotions such as resentment, hatred, jealousy, and suffering. Of course, in normal circumstances, it dissipates immediately, so a special process is required.

"I haven't been idle all this time. I've thoroughly researched demons in the literature and learned that impure mana is more effective than regular potions."

The literature also briefly describes the special process. It's written in a way that prevents readers from replicating it. That's why Yuria spent two full weeks experimenting before successfully creating impure mana.

"...You made impure mana? For me?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Keh... kehkeh! Do you realize? Impure mana gives demons power! You're making a mistake!"

"I know. And I also know that for a wounded demon, impure mana is nothing more than a highly effective potion. With impure mana, it's possible to extract 300ml of blood per day."

"...Who would have thought I'd ever wish for Serion to appear. Maid, let's make a deal. I'll give you whatever you want. I may look like this, but I'm a demon. I know where treasures are hidden. Aren't you tempted?"

"What about your demonic pride?"

"Damn it! Is that really important right now? Please. I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Yuria shook her head.

"It's fine. Actually, the master doesn't expect much from your information. It's more profitable to extract your blood for the rest of your life. 300ml a day is 30 million nerl, 900 million nerl a month, 10.8 billion nerl a year, and 108 billion nerl in ten years."

"Damn it."

"I plan to remove your organs today. According to the literature, organs, eyes, horns, and limbs can all be regenerated with impure mana. They may not be as valuable as your blood, but I estimate at least a 10% increase in profit."

The most valuable parts of a demon's body are the horns, followed by the blood. However, Saphin's horns are too small to be worth more than its blood.

The sharp scalpel drew closer. Tears welled up in Saphin's eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Lady Yuria. I was wrong. I've reflected on my actions. Please, won't you grant me death?"

"You are truly a golden goose. Don't worry. I won't make the mistake of being blinded by immediate gains."

"Ahhhhhhh! You damn bitch!"

***

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