The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

I met "Teacher" when I was still young.

Born in a nameless settlement, I was an ordinary low-ranking demon with only a slight talent for earth magic. Even within the community of low-ranking demons who lived quietly to avoid drawing the attention of higher-ranking demons, I spent my childhood without standing out particularly.

Hunting monsters in the forest, growing medicinal herbs, and living a modest life. Such peaceful days were easily shattered by the attack of a large monster that had wandered into the forest.

The settlement was trampled, and family and friends were devoured. I, who could only tremble after being pushed into the food storage by my parents, was saved by a single human.

An overwhelming warrior who defeated the rampaging monster that had devoured the village with just a flick of her finger. That was my first encounter with Teacher.

When Teacher arrived, only a few had survived. Everyone except me thanked Teacher and moved to another nearby settlement.

"Aren't you going?"

"Please... take me as your disciple!"

When Teacher said that, I begged to be taken along. The strength that instantly killed the monster that low-ranking demons couldn't even touch, her demeanor, her mystical aura. Regardless of species, I thought she was beautiful.

Teacher stared at me intently before nodding.

"Do you have a true name?"

"No, I don't."

At that time, I hadn't yet received a true name. Demons can only be given names by others from a superior position. Even among parents and siblings, there's a rule that low-ranking demons can't give true names to other low-ranking demons. Since there were no mid-ranking demons in my settlement, we were all nameless.

I had a nickname "Rau" because my ears were a bit rounder than the others, so I told her that.

Teacher called me Rau for the time being and gave me an earring. It was a "Transformation" accessory that would change my brown skin, pointed ears, sharp claws and teeth into a human-like appearance.

"If you want to come with me, please wear this. I'll train you in human cities for a while."

I was taken by Teacher and left the demon realm. This is how my life changed dramatically from that point on.

We traveled to various countries and cities. Unlike the primitive life of demons, human cities were more civilized. People gathered in towns, trading various goods with currency.

I learned from Teacher's teachings, studied, and grew up while blending in with humans.

Teacher took on other disciples during our travels. Most were humans, but sometimes she welcomed beastmen and elves as well.

Despite our different races, we were all siblings.

After studying under Teacher for a long time, my skill in magic improved. When my racial skills awakened and I evolved into a mid-ranking demon, I had outstanding talent in earth magic even among demons.

Above all, the "Usurpation" skill I acquired when reaching the maximum level was powerful.

After obtaining this skill, I was enthusiastic about being more useful to Teacher, but she said to me:

"Your power is for yourself. You don't need to use your life for me anymore."

"What are you saying! We disciples all know that you're traveling to maintain the balance of this world. We understand that it's a lonely path. But with my long lifespan, I should be able to be of more use to you!"

"That's true... but that's not the original purpose. To be honest, it's just a side effect."

"Then what is the original purpose? The reason why you gather disciples, guide the world, and continue traveling for thousands of years is..."

"To die."

The cold words Teacher said at that time are still clear in my memory.

"It's not that I can't die, but that I'm unable to die. This journey is really about finding a way to die. I can't let you accompany me to the end for such a futile purpose."

I couldn't respond to Teacher, who spoke with such sadness.

Shortly after that, I parted ways with Teacher and returned to the demon realm. I joined under the high-ranking demon who ruled my home region, received a true name, and continued to gather information about the demon realm.

Teacher had been looking for something that could kill her for a long time. It seems she couldn't find the answer in human countries and cities for thousands of years.

Then what about the demon realm?

Even Teacher wasn't very familiar with the demon realm. Unlike human countries, it's an isolated society where information is confined to each area. So shouldn't I be the one to search for that answer?

With that in mind, I continued to gather information in the demon realm.

It was nearly 300 years later, a thousand years ago from now.

Although I had already awakened as a high-ranking demon, I was living quietly, hiding my power. It was then that Teacher casually visited me.

"It's been a long time, Rau. I hear you're called Saturn now."

"Yes, Teacher. I received a true name and have been accumulating more power. How have you been these past 300 years?"

When I asked this, Teacher showed a tired expression.

Still in the form of a beautiful young girl. However, her aura seemed worn and frayed.

It was a weak expression I had never seen before.

"...It's no good. Recently, everywhere is just war. No matter how much I try to mediate, I can't stop people from hating each other. I feel like I've been made to realize how ugly human nature truly is."

"Is that so. If you'd like, why don't you recuperate here? If you distance yourself from the mundane world, your heart might rest... Besides, I've been longing for you all this time. How happy it would be to spend time together."

"Fufu. You really do love me, don't you?"

Teacher smiled faintly with an exhausted expression.

Adoration. Romantic love. Affection. Friendship. Respect. Awe.

I had always been aware that my feelings for Teacher were a mix of many emotions. Due to our teacher-disciple relationship, it was convenient not to have to name these feelings.

Of course, Teacher probably understood this too.

But she never accepted it.

Teacher's loneliness wasn't something that could be filled by me alone.

"Hey Saturn. You haven't used your skill on me yet, have you?"

"...No, I haven't."

"Usurpation" can only be activated once against a target. There's a risk of failure against opponents with high magic proficiency, and what's stolen never returns to the original owner until I feel death.

Until now, I couldn't point that fingertip at someone close to me.

Teacher said:

"I've been thinking for these hundreds of years. If possible, I wanted someone I didn't know to kill me. But I'm at my limit now... The reason I came here is to have you use that skill on me, now that your magic proficiency has increased... Hey, would you steal my 'Universal' for me?"

"!"

I shuddered.

The god-like skill that embodies Teacher's immortality. If I stole it, Teacher might die. It was something I had thought about too.

But the idea of killing Teacher with my own hands made me nauseous just imagining it.

"Please, Saturn... I don't want to live anymore. Not being allowed to die, isn't that such a cruel story? I've been living while watching the history of this world for so long. The ugly history of humanity that never ceases to fight... Those thousands of years of memories keep tormenting me. I don't want to despair of people anymore."

"B-but Teacher... I..."

"Please. Before I go mad and become an enemy of the world, steal me from this world. It's a failure as a teacher to make a disciple do such a thing... but I can't bear it anymore."

Teacher entrusted herself to me.

She's like a god who can become any form, any state. I had no way of knowing she had been suffering this much.

I wanted to save her. I had been gathering information not to kill her, but to save her.

Yet, she asks me to kill her.

I had never felt such pain before.

But deep down, I was happy. Because I had never been relied on before. Because Teacher could do everything I could do.

I place my hand on Teacher's forehead.

Teacher closed her eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry, Saturn. I'm counting on you."

"I'm sorry, Teacher... 'Usurpation'"

I activated the skill.

What I stole was not "Universal" -- but Teacher's memories.

I couldn't kill Teacher.

If Teacher's suffering was due to her long memories, wouldn't taking away those memories remove her loneliness and pain?

That's what I thought.

"...Huh, where is this...?"

Teacher looked puzzled, with an expression like that of an innocent girl.

It was successful.

I smile.

She probably doesn't know left from right now. But I can teach her slowly from now on. If she's despaired of humans, she can live here forever. I have the power to steal lifespans, so I'm an ageless existence.

If there are two of us, we won't be lonely.

"Teacher, I--"

"Don't come near me!"

Teacher was on guard.

"You're a Dark Elf, aren't you? What did you do to me? Where is this? It's outside the laboratory, right? Are you an experimental subject too? But your ears are round... Could you be a native? But I heard there were no Dark Elves left outside..."

"Teacher, what are you saying? Your memories should have been erased..."

"What do you mean memories being erased... Huh, no way. Wait, I can't remember! What was I... What's a laboratory? What's a Dark Elf... Who am I... No, NO NO NO NO! Don't disappear! Stop! Don't erase me!"

Teacher screamed, holding her head.

I didn't understand what had happened.

Experimental subject?

Teacher called herself that. Probably buried memories from thousands of years ago.

Memories unearthed by my skill. But even those memories seemed to be fading away.

"Please calm down, Teacher. Let me explain first, listen--"

"No! Don't come near me!"

Teacher ran out of the house.

Having lost her memories, she was reacting like an ordinary girl. But even so, Teacher was still Teacher. To escape from me who tried to chase her, she unconsciously changed her body into lightning and instantly moved to the sky.

And so, the Mystic King who had lost her memories disappeared for a while.

After that, I used low-ranking demons to gather information from all over the continent. Teacher was found 10 years later. What I had stolen was only Teacher's personal memories. Perhaps she hadn't lost the knowledge she had accumulated, as she had started traveling again as if nothing had happened.

I didn't think what I had done was a mistake. I may have caused her temporary suffering, but I was able to remove her pain.

That's what I thought.

Even after that, Teacher continued to raise disciples. Sometimes, she would come into conflict with my subordinates who I had infiltrated into human territories. It couldn't be helped since Teacher was human. I let my subordinates do as they pleased since I didn't think they could win against her.

Teacher probably thinks of me as some evil mastermind.

But that's fine. Because our relationship was lost along with her memories.

Time passed, and for the first time in thousands of years, a Demon King was born among the demons. At that time, Teacher raised the Ruin Factor to become a hero and opposed the Demon King.

The Demon King was defeated, the hero disappeared somewhere, and Teacher resumed her journey again.

I continued to live in hiding as usual while searching for Teacher's whereabouts.

Then one day, I was shocked.

I learned that Teacher wanted to die again.

It hadn't even been a thousand years since I stole her memories.

Yet, as if she remembered, Teacher was looking for a way to die.

Had I been wrong?

I asked myself this many times. Should I have killed her back then?

But either way, I can no longer kill Teacher. Nor have I found a way to kill her.

I couldn't reveal myself as her former disciple now. So I decided to search again for something that could kill an immortal being.

At that time, I obtained new information.

A hero refers to a human who became an apostle of the Dragon God and gained the ability to kill enemies of dragon-kind. I had always thought that the hero skill was the ability to kill demons, but it seems the Dragon God wasn't so simplistic.

Humans who protect dragon-kind -- that's the true nature of heroes.

Then if Teacher were to become an enemy of dragon-kind, wouldn't heroes be able to kill her?

That's when my plan began.

I used my subordinates to search for the seed of a hero -- the Ruin Factor. At the same time, I used my infiltrated subordinates in various places to manipulate events so that dragon-kind would become enemies with human countries. First with the elves, then Restamia, and now plans are about to be executed in the Maguu Empire as well.

Fortunately, neither I nor Teacher have a lifespan. We have plenty of time. If we could obtain the Ruin Factor and brainwash them, they would become our pawn, but if that proved difficult, I was prepared to kill them once and wait for the next Ruin Factor.

"This time, I will save you. Teacher."

I am Saturn, a high-ranking demon.

With love, I am the one who will kill you.