Chapter 623: Growth and Reduction
A ghost town in the border region of the former Divine Empire of Sydnia which once existed in the center of the continent. There was a change in the Flesh Tree that grew in that abandoned church.
The dark child embraced by the outstretched hands protruding from the Flesh Tree appeared to be a three year old only several months ago, but now it had grown to be around a six to seven year old.
Though it still embraced the child, the size of the Flesh Tree had decreased in contrast to the growth of the dark child.
「It is going well.」
「Yes, the child is growing favorably.」
The aged man, Agares, was smiling, content at the growth of the Goddess Anat’s child whom was in the cradled by the Flesh Tree.
Once a human priest in a border town, the man had now outgrown his human shell and become a leader of the demon kind.
A man observing the child protected by the Flesh Tree spoke with Agares. The bespectacled nervous man who was once the governor of the town had changed his name to Buer.
They both looked human as they had no extra limbs.
However, what sets these two apart from the rest was their grey skin which did not match any other race.「What of Gamigin and the others?」
Buer asked Agares without looking away from the child.
「Ahh, Horsehead and Lionface? They had gone hunting with their underlings.」
「Hmph, those two must really have muscles for brains……」
Buer noticed that one other name had not come out of Agares’ lips.
「Hm? What of Gremory? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her in a while.」
「……Gremory?」
Seeing Agares’s face turn sour, Buer shook his head, looking fed up.
「That woman is fishing for men again? Good grief, how bothersome.」
「Yeah, I’ve told her not to make much of a spectacle though.」
「I don’t give a damn about the guys she would squeeze dry, but if she were to move too conspicuously, it would put us in danger.」
「Gremory was a former harlot, after all. It’s our fault for expecting her to have any sense of decency.」
Agares and Buer frowned in unison.
「That woman is a demon, though not a succubus.」
「Buer, succubi do not kill men. Only someone like Gremory would suck the life out of men.」
「Fumu, is that so? I’m not all too familiar with the mode of life of the Devilkin.」
Buer and Agares were Demonkin, vastly different from Devilkin. The Devil race fall within the realm of people, Demons were a class of monsters that didn’t classify as people.
Just as Agares corrected Buer’s misunderstanding, the Succubi of this world did not have the power to enter people’s dreams, nor do they have the ability to absorb life force and kill through sexual activities or anything of the sort.
As Buer and Agares conversed, loud footsteps could be heard approaching.
The loud footsteps came from the Horse-headed Gamigin and the Lion-headed, four armed Malbas.
「Ou! We’re back!」
「We have returned.」
「Be quiet, you are in front of God’s Child.」
Agares reproached Gamigin for his loud voice, but Gamigin was completely unfazed as he gazed at the Flesh Tree.
Malbas, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned as he simply gave a brief report of his return.
Their behaviors may have been influenced by their previous lives as humans.
Gamigin was once a rough lumberjack, and disposition hasn’t changed very much.
Malbas was previously a temple knight, so while he had become more ferocious as a Demon, he still had the air of a disciplined warrior somehow.
「Did the Great Tree grow a tiny bit smaller?」
「Hoh, so even someone as crude as you can tell?」
「Shut it! Even I can tell that much!」
「Umu, the development of God’s Child is proceeding favorably.」
Gamigin and Malbas also noticed that the Flesh Tree had become slightly smaller.
And so, Buer asked Gamigin and Malbas about the current situation.
「Now, Malbas what of your subordinates?」
「They are definitely monsters, so it can’t be helped that they aren’t that smart, but they can still be commanded.」
「Are there a few individuals that can evolve to a higher being?」
「A few emerge here and there, but you know their origins. They still have a long way to go.」
「Hmph! I don’t need your weak monster subordinates!」
「Ignore that meathead Gamigin, Buer. More importantly, you should tell Gremory to come back more often.」
「What do you mean meathead!? Tch! How boring!」
With noisy, heavy steps, Gamigin left.
「Good grief, that man will drag us down.」
「I have no problem killing him if that time comes.」
「Killing a companion would also be problematic too, though.」
Buer and Agares shook their heads in disbelief.
The Flesh Tree pulsated, and the Evil Spirit’s child grew steadily.
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