I Want To Die One Day Before You - Chapter 110
“Ah, I see. The rings young women like are here…”
“She’s a bit older.”
“…Ah, I see. Then how about these rings?”
The clerk adeptly handled the situation and guided Iruel to another section.
‘He must be a lover to some noblewoman.’
The clerk glanced at Iruel. Indeed, he had the look that older women would find appealing.
After looking at rings for a while, Iruel eventually chose one embedded with a red ruby.
‘I hope she likes it.’
Fiddling with the small gift box containing the ring, Iruel moved forward with heavy steps.
He walked incessantly.
The buzzing noise of people, which clung like bees, gradually decreased and eventually was buried by the sound of the wind. The houses looked like randomly placed dots with no order.
Leaving the village, he headed towards the forest.
‘I need to meet Mother.’
Iruel tightly gripped the gift box.
He had to go to the borders to meet Rufus. However, he had no intention of traveling on horseback like that guy. His mother, being a witch who traveled by broomstick, why would he need to use such a primitive mode of transport like a horse?
‘Let’s go to the Demon King’s castle where Mother is.’
He entered the forest without hesitation.
The forest at night was a cold silence itself. It felt like a giant green corpse. The forest, devoid of any human traces, was a sinister place even for an adult man to walk through.
Just as he was about to step deeper into the forest, a shout came from behind.
“Hey, young man! It’s almost dark, where are you going?”
It was an old man living near the forest.
“It’s too late now, demons might appear. It’s dangerous, just go back.”
The old man, holding a torch, warned Iruel.
“It’s fine. I’m in a hurry.”
Iruel’s nonchalant reply made the old man click his tongue.
“If it’s so urgent, why didn’t you come yesterday? Go back before you get harmed by demons!”
However, Iruel’s steps did not hesitate. He plunged deeper and deeper into the desolate forest.
With each step, the dead leaves on the ground were crushed into powder. The withered branches cracked ominously, breaking into pieces.
As he was crossing a thicket, something suddenly popped out from the damp soil.
It was two bright red toads.
“There’s someone. Someone is here.”
The toads blocking Iruel’s path croaked loudly. They were the same species as the monsters raised by Witch Od.
‘Why are these creatures blocking my path?’
Iruel squinted and looked down at the toad monsters.
“Human. It’s a human.”
“Food. Give us something to eat.”
With their tongues tainted with poison sticking out, the toads lunged at Iruel.
“Get lost. Can’t you recognize a demon?”
Iruel, irritated, kicked the toads away.
The toads, flung far away, struggled. Their attempts to right their overturned bodies were comical.
After flailing for a while, the toads that had righted themselves croaked at Iruel.
“A demon? Are you a demon?”
“Yes, can’t you tell by looking?”
The toads looked at each other and cocked their heads.
No matter how much they looked, the man with ash-grey hair standing before them seemed entirely human. He did not have the sharp teeth of a demon, nor did he bear the mark of a curse.
No matter how they looked from side to side or top to bottom, the man in front of the toads looked just like the humans who came to chop wood during the day.
“Human. You look like a human.”
“I’m not though. I’m a demon, you fools.”
“Evidence. Give us evidence.”
At the toads’ insistence, Iruel sighed.
“What should I show you? Want to taste my blood?”
“Smell. We can tell by your smell.”
“Smell. Lies have a smell.”
The toads suddenly jumped over Iruel’s head. Iruel, tired of everything, let them scuttle about on top of his head.
He was taught well by his mother, the witch Odr, who had raised him. Toad monsters were inherently suspicious.
“It’s not a lie.”
“Demon King. You smell like the Demon King.”
After sniffing around for a while, the toads jumped down from Iruel’s head.
“Sorry. We are sorry.”
“Go on. Go safely on your way.”
The toads tucked their bright blue tongues back in and burrowed into the ground again.
‘…What? Why do I smell like the Demon King?’
Iruel was dumbfounded.
It would make sense if they said he smelled like a witch, since his mother was a witch. But that he smelled like the Demon King?
When was the last time he had been at the Demon King’s castle?
He couldn’t remember. It felt like a very long time ago. But they’re telling him that he smelled like the Demon King?
‘Those fools, I might have to drill new nostrils into them.’
As he was about to move forward again, his foot suddenly sank into the ground. It had caught in a small hole made by the toads as they burrowed.
Ah, damn it.
Thump! Iruel lost his balance and fell. Dirt filled his mouth.
Spitting out the debris, Iruel grimaced.
“These damn toads…”
As he tried to get up, his body, impaired by alcohol, wouldn’t move properly. Despite flailing about on the bare ground, it was no use.
‘I must be mad to drink myself to this state again…’
Having given up on moving his stiffened body like plaster, Iruel closed his eyes.
Eventually, he lost consciousness right there.
Squeak-squeak—
A short while later, the sound of a mouse squeaking could be heard from somewhere.
