In the darkness, Paranoy's scarlet eyes glimred nacingly,
Perhaps due to the scarlet color of her eyes, they looked quite eerie in the night, almost like the eyes of a wild beast flashing feral in the dark.
In reality, the current Paranoy was no different from a wild beast.
If I failed to gauge her mood correctly, she might rush to Luna, whom she followed like a sister, and blurt everything out, irreversibly damaging my relationship with Luna.
"Ms. Luna! Hassan, this jerk touched my thigh while I was sleeping...!”
Then I might end up in a situation where Luna said sothing like, "Hassan, you've gone too far!" and proceeded to rip out my hair and kick out of her house.
The voice replayed vividly as if I had glimpsed the future, sending shivers down my spine.
Was this the pinnacle of the Observation Haki that I'd only heard about in words? I heard that one's sixth sense could grow even stronger in dire situations, and that was precisely how I felt at the mont.
Hence, to prevent such a future from happening, I pondered ways to captivate Paranoy's mind and thoughts.
Damnit, was there any good way to do that?
"Mr. Hassan, are you indeed Pluto's son?"
In that sense, Paranoy was slowly walking right into the trap. At this very mont, it would be great if I could exploit Paranoy's misunderstanding to my advantage.
From the very first eting, this girl had readily misunderstood as so kind of cultist, and that turned out to be helpful to in many ways till now.
So, I decided to make up a story about pretending to be soone else's son, just for today. Of course, I wouldn’t forget to ask for forgiveness from my parents back in my hotown once I get there soday. Surely, they would understand the importance of preserving their son's honor.
"Well, you see... I am, in fact, Pluto's son."
As I finished the sentence, regret washed over instantly. I wondered if I really had to go this far just to get out of trouble. On the other hand, I was concerned if Paranoy would even believe such a lie.
"A-As expected...! My judgnt was indeed accurate...! I am not a fool...!"
Huh, it turned out that she really bought it.
Paranoy even marveled at her own mysterious insight.
Upon seeing her trembling figure, it seed as if she could burst into tears at any mont as she was deeply moved by this knowledge.
"Mr. Hassan, then why are you living with ordinary people? What's the reason for pretending to be a foolish Samaritan...?"
"Pretending to be a foolish Samaritan?"
Fucking shit, I was being careless. It really felt like I got hit with a powerful body blow in the gut due to that statent. This Paranoy brat was surprisingly a strong opponent.
Paranoy, who looked the most foolish among all my acquaintances, thought of as a foolish Samaritan. I felt like hitting her head with my fist.
But if I easily fell into provocation here, I might lose and end up with a conclusion like Luna saying, "Hassan, you've gone too far!”
I must protect the future of having a family with Luna.
"Well, you see... it's all part of a deception tactic. It's to deceive our enemies."
As the lies piled up one after the other, my shoulders and chest also felt heavier accordingly. Was this the weight of deception?
Fortunately, my efforts did not go in vain, as Paranoy's response was definitely positive.
"Enemies! Lord Pluto's enemies! You were trying to deceive those wicked temple knights! Your acting skills are truly impressive...! Even I, Paranoy, the loyal follower of Pluto, almost fell for it..."
She had already fallen for it though. Of course, Paranoy wouldn't know that. I was one step ahead of this brat, no doubt.
But this brat… she had the habit of changing sides and betraying people at the slightest chance. Now she was calling herself Pluto's loyal follower when she had gained freedom by badmouthing him. She was like a fickle cultist.
Of course, that was not important right now.
I cleared my throat and muttered the words that ca to my mind.
"True deception ans to fool your allies before deceiving your enemies in the first place, Paranoy. Anyway, I can’t believe that you managed to figure out my true identity. Indeed, you're a loyal follower."
While emphasizing the word "loyal follower", I gently stroked her head. Her scarlet hair felt really smooth and refreshing, perhaps she had scented it with good fragrant oil.
Paranoy didn’t know how to respond to my praise.
"Euhhh— It was a good idea to pretend to betray Lord Pluto... So, you haven't said anything until now because you wanted to test , right…?"
"Well, sothing like that. Anyway, you passed."
"Wow! I passed! I passed…!" “
Paranoy jumped up and shouted in excitent at the news of my approval. Worried that Luna might wake up, I quickly covered her tiny mouth with my palm.
"Shh, shh! Quiet down. This is a secret between us only."
Paranoy nodded in response to my words. When I removed my hand from her mouth, she began to speak in a low, scheming voice as if concocting so evil plan.
"Does Ms. Luna not know about this?"
"She doesn’t."
"I see... So you were using one of the techniques from the 24 Secret Arts of Hell, the False Prophet Technique! If that's the case, we must keep this a secret from spreading…"
"False what?"
"The 16th technique from the 24 Secret Arts of Hell. 'False Prophet’s Technique'... If you are Lord Pluto's son, aren’t you a monster capable of using the 52 Secret Arts of Hell?"
Damn, what was that? If the technique was the 24 Secret Arts of Hell, why was there another 52 Secret Arts of Hell after that? The more we talked, the more my mind got tangled up into a ss. It felt like my brain was contorting into a jumble at this point.
Anyway, from what I understood… In Paranoy's mind, Pluto's son was like Kan Rider, who can use ultimate moves.
Was Paranoy testing ? It was more like she saw as a joke.
However, society in the 21st century is dominated by the dia.
So, with a brain enriched by various forms of dia such as text, images, and videos, the concept of Pluto's son, the descendant of the Demon God, the Overlord of Hell, quickly took shape in my mind based on Paranoy's imagination.
So, all I had to do was act it out.
"Yes, the 24 Secret Arts of Hell. Pluto's son feels no guilt even when lying."
"Indeed, he is the most ruthless villain in the world. The embodint of a two-faced scoundrel!"
What the hell is this fucking shit?
Sigh—
Honestly, I wanted to quickly resolve this situation and just go to sleep. Yet, the most important thing now was to get Paranoy’s promise, making sure that she didn’t ntion today's events to anyone.
"Paranoy, what happened today, and my true identity, must remain a secret you share with no one."
".... Even to the other followers of Pluto?"
"That's right, only you can know. Having passed my test, you are, umm... my right-hand man now."
"M-, your right-hand man... Not Anxious, Somnia, Schizo, or Captain, but little old , Paranoy, as Mr. Hassan's right-hand man…? This is truly touching…!"
Paranoy seed genuinely astonished to be considered my right-hand man, surpassing the other distinguished cultist priests. Everything went according to my plan.
Curious as if to confirm, Paranoy asked a few more questions.
"But what's good about being your right-hand man? Are there any benefits…?"
Benefits? Indeed, it was an important matter. If she was the right hand of Hassan, the Overlord of Hell, what kind of benefits should there be?
"P-Perhaps, could I receive so gold…?"
Receive gold? Even I didn’t have that at the mont.
So, I thought about what excuse would be the most believable. It was ti to fully utilize the brain of the 21st-century-educated Hassan.
Since I was roughly twice as smart as Paranoy, I could co up with a response that was twice as convincing. My exceptional brain quickly calculated a plausible answer.
"As my right-hand man, you will have, umm... a 5% stake in the world I'll rule over one day. You'll be granted that share."
"... 5% of Hell!"
Of course, it was a lie. There was no way I would beco a ruler. It was a complete scam using false promises.
"If it's 5% of Hell, then I, Paranoy, could beco a Baron, no, maybe even a Count of Hell!"
However, without knowing about my thoughts, Paranoy blissfully continued imagining how she would receive a higher reward in the future.
I felt a slight twinge of guilt at her sudden excitent.
In truth, I wasn’t the Son of Hell, the monstrous being who was using deadly techniques as she believed to be; I was just Hassan, a commoner who would feel guilty when he just lied every now and then.
Lies and bad deeds were not sothing just anyone could do.
Nevertheless, I had to say sothing.
In a stern and intimidating voice, like the true son of the Demon God, I added a few more words to drive my point ho.
"But being my right-hand man also cos with great responsibility. If you fail to keep the secret, you will be thrown into the depths of Tartarus, in the darkest realm where Knox resides."
"Heeeeeee..."
Just a mont ago, Paranoy was happy, but now, as if that was a lie, she shriveled up in fear from my threat.
I think it was a good decision to learn about Pluto's labyrinth and the rulers of Tartarus and their domains from the encyclopedia.
Indeed, studying and gathering knowledge always proved to be useful one day.
Now the conversation was mostly over.
While contemplating going to sleep, I noticed Paranoy blinking her eyes as she stared at .
"Go upstairs and rest quickly. Or do you have anything else that you want to say?"
"It seems that Lord Pluto has indeed listened to my prayers..."
"Prayers?"
I wondered what she was going to say next. But the ditch water nymph seed to be rambling on even though no one asked her anything.
"Every night, while waiting for my mother in the cave, I prayed to Lord Pluto. But after he revealed himself to the first ti, I have never received an answer from him ever again...."
Tears began to fall from Paranoy's scarlet eyes, glistening brightly under the dim moonlight shining through the window on the first floor.
In my mind, I pictured a young Paranoy hiding in a dark and dreary cave, waiting for her mother with the uncertainty of not knowing when she would return.
In a world where predators preyed on nymphs on a daily basis, Paranoy had to hide herself just so she could survive.
She must have felt lonely and scared, kneeling there every night, offering prayers that went unanswered.
Paranoy, although foolish, wasn’t a bad person. If there were indeed gods, shouldn't they have responded to her prayers at least once?
I, on the other hand, didn't feel any particular affection for Pluto. He was probably just like your typical demon god.
Of course, I didn't need to share my thoughts with anyone.
I had already crossed the line by not only touching this innocent girl's thigh but also deceiving her. Now my heart was pounding, and my face was burning in sha. It was truly a horrible feeling. This was how I beca a real villain.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, Paranoy wiped away the streaming tears with the back of her hand.
"But to think that his son has appeared before ! My prayers may not have gone in vain after all... I can’t stop myself from crying right now…!"
"Well, um, he actually heard everything. He probably was just busy, you know. Hell is filled with souls and there's a lot of work to do everywhere."
"I see... As a loyal devotee of Lord Pluto, I knew everything…!"
Anyway, with this, the strange midnight play ca to an end.
Paranoy took a few deep breaths to compose herself. After that, she ascended to the second floor, stepping on the stairs with her bare feet.
I watched her back with a sense of growing unease.
I told her to keep it a secret, but I wasn't sure if Paranoy would do it well due to her stupid and clumsy nature.
Should I use Hippolyte's mory erasure technique, as she did to ?
But that felt like a forbidden technique, and I was afraid it might not just erase Paranoy's mories but also Paranoy herself.
At that mont, Paranoy suddenly turned around and said sothing to .
"Uh, Mr. Hassan..."
"What now?" Please, just go to sleep already.
"If you truly are Lord Pluto's son, could you show so necromancy?"
"Necromancy?"
"I want to see how you handle the magical power of death... If I witness that, I might believe that you are indeed the son of the demon god…"
What would a slick talker say in such a situation?
"Little nymph, greater blessings await those who believe without any proof or evidence."
"But... I've heard too many unbelievable stories today without actually seeing anything. It's hard to make sense of it all…"
"Sure, I can understand your concern if that’s the case."
So, I rummaged through the bone inside the jar on the first floor. It was filled with the bones of so unknown creatures. They were probably used by Luna for making those suspicious elixirs.
After grabbing a handful of bones, I roughly laid them on the floor and whispered.
"... Arise."
With a clatter, the bones began to twist and arrange themselves into a strange form.
It almost looked like a small child. Wait, a child? I was montarily surprised. Then the little nymph spoke.
"A skeleton goblin...! It’s basic necromancy...! But still, to be able to use such power without other spells or magic circles so fast..."
Paranoy trembled with pure astonishnt. I was also afraid that Luna or soone else might see this sight.
What would Luna think if she saw using necromancy? Would she abhor as a cultist? I could probably deceive her by pretending it was just so voodoo magic, but I didn’t want to get into such trouble.
"Alright, that's enough."
I swung my fist at the skeleton goblin or whatever the hell this abomination was, standing still on the floor. The impact of my punch with a strength stat of 12 was enough to shatter the bones into a heap of fragnts.
"Mr. Hassan, I'll work even harder..."
"No, actually, you can ease up a bit. The ti hasn't co yet. Until then, stay low and hidden like a lion in the bushes, claws sheathed."
"A lion..."
"Yes, like a lion waiting for an opportunity. No sound, not even a faint rustle. That's what we are. Got it?"
I was a bit worried that Paranoy's enthusiasm might inevitably invite trouble for us.
So I instructed her not to do anything at all and just live a normal life as if she knew nothing.
"You'll have to continue being a follower of God of Hearth. I know it might not be like that inside your heart but still act like you are on the surface."
"Understood... I'll try to extract information about the Temple Knights at the Temple of Hearth. The Temple of Hearth and Jupiter's knights have a close relationship from what I know!"
"Yes, sothing like that. Anyway, this conversation is over. Don't bring it up again. It's OVER, got it?"
Paranoy's lips trembled as if she had more to say. So when I abruptly ended the conversation, she looked slightly disappointed.
But perhaps my serious and stern expression worked its magic as she soon climbed the stairs and laid down on Luna's side of the blanket.
Softly— Softly—
Once those girls were deep into slumber, followed by stable breathing sounds, I finally let out a sigh of relief with a sense of reassurance.
Just what in hell happened in the middle of the night?
Feeling ntally exhausted, I went back to the first floor and roughly laid a blanket on the floor before lying down on it.
As I tossed and turned to fall asleep, sothing sharp kept touching my back, making uncomfortable. Was the whole world out to get tonight?
Of course, that wasn’t really the case here. It was probably because I hadn't properly cleaned up the remains of the broken skeleton goblin or whatever it was from earlier.
"... Arise."
I sat up and muttered to myself.
Then, from under the blanket, sothing started to rise and took the form of a little imp.
Thud— Thud—
It was a terrifying sight. The skeleton made of connected bones had a ghastly, bluish glint in its eye sockets, giving goosebumps.
"Go in there. Inside that jar over there."
Thud.
The creature listened to my words and entered the jar, which was filled with piles of bones.
"Now, disassemble."
*Pshhh— *
Soon, there was a loud sound of bones scattering in all directions. Without using my hands to break them, just the "disassemble" command was enough to make them crumble.
Damn, honestly, it was so freaking fascinating.
It would be great to conduct various experints on it later.
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