Chapter 144: Ancient Myth

[You killed them?] Elias blinked.

The Sword Spirit nodded proudly and replied, "Yes, all of them."

[How...?] he asked, still finding the answer difficult to believe.

The Sword Spirit immediately looked offended by the question. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him before saying, "What do you mean by ’how’? I am the Sword Spirit. Every idea, imagination, and dream related to swords is a part of me."

Elias raised a hand, signaling for her to stop, before calmly responding through Mental Whisper, [I understand that, but what does that have to do with demons?]

"This is why it is difficult to talk with mortals," she muttered while shaking her head.

She then began circling him as she asked, "Do you know about the Old Gods?"

Elias nodded, his expression becoming serious. [The divine beings who gave birth to all of creation.]

"The era in which they were still alive was called the Era of Gods, or at least that was how the name was passed down to the generations that followed."

Elias furrowed his brows as he struggled to understand what she was getting at. [Can you not explain it better?]

"How impatient," she sighed, shaking her head. "Simply put, that was not the true name of that era. Its true name was the Era of Gods and Demons."

[This is my first time hearing this...] Elias said, his eyes widening with surprise and curiosity.

"Of course it is." She spun around in the air before adding, "As demons were feared by most mortals, they dreamed of a sword that could end them, which was how I gained the destiny of a Vaniquisher."

"After we killed them, we made sure that people forgot their very existence because, unlike spirit beings, who become stronger because of how vividly their aspects are imagined, demons grow stronger through fear."

[I see...]

Elias nodded slowly, but then his expression suddenly changed.

’Wait a minute...’

His lips gradually fell into a deep frown as another thought entered his mind.

’If demons are no longer present in this world, then how did Stella find out about them?’

He stared at the Sword Spirit with growing uncertainty.

’And if what she is saying is true, then how are demons related to Stella’s current condition?’

The more he thought about it, the deeper his frown became.

The Sword Spirit eventually stopped circling him and studied his expression before saying, "You must have learned about them from Stella."

Elias nodded.

The Sword Spirit nodded as well, then folded her hands behind her head and continued, "As I am a part of her, she too possesses the destiny of a Vanquisher, so she is naturally aware of them. However, that destiny means nothing because demons no longer exist in this world."

Elias found that difficult to believe for some reason, but he could not explain why.

Perhaps it was because Stella had mentioned demons so naturally.

Perhaps it was because her words had sounded as though she had personally encountered them.

Still, Elias had no evidence to contradict the Sword Spirit, so he simply nodded and said softly, [Thank you for giving me answers.]

The Sword Spirit looked at him for a moment before turning around.

"I only did so because I found it amusing," she replied.

Then she flew away, phasing through the stone wall once again.

Elias watched her disappear and remained silent for several seconds.

It seemed she had a vendetta against staying in one place for more than a few seconds.

’And she calls me impatient.’

He shook his head with a faint smile before beginning to walk toward Monica’s room.

His mind felt much lighter than before. At least he no longer needed to worry about demons secretly roaming the world and causing Stella harm.

Still, he could not completely rule out the possibility that demons remained somewhere.

The Sword Spirit had been speaking about events that had happened millions of years ago, if not even earlier. The Era of Gods was nothing more than an ancient myth.

’But if demons really are gone, then what did Stella encounter?’

Elias frowned slightly before pushing the thought aside.

He would investigate it later.

He soon reached Monica’s room, only to find that the door was still wide open. He had been in such a hurry earlier that he had not even bothered to close it properly.

As Elias appeared at the doorway, Monica’s slightly furious voice immediately reached his ears.

"Where were you?"

Elias gave her a wry smile as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

"I had something important to deal w—"

"Something more important than me?" Monica interrupted, her flat voice carrying the hint of sadness and sharpness.

He blinked at her reaction.

She was being unusually direct about her feelings, and the realization brought a smile to his face as he walked closer.

"Of course not," he said.

Monica frowned deeply before looking away.

"If it was less important than me, then you would not have left me all alone."

He sat down in the chair beside her bed and looked at her with a mischievous smile.

He leaned closer until his face was near hers, then whispered beside her ear with Angel of Comfort active. His warm breath brushed against the tips of her ears.

"How do you want me to prove it, then?"

Monica’s lips trembled slightly, and she struggled to answer.

After a moment, she finally looked away and muttered, "I do not know... You have to find that out yourself. Hmph!"

Elias chuckled softly before leaning closer.

His right hand slowly slid across her bare abdomen; the tip of his finger touched her belly button, and Monica’s eyes shook at his touch.

For a moment, he wondered whether he should say what was on his mind.

Then he decided to do it.

"I have heard that when a noble’s wife gives birth to an heir, she becomes an important figure within the entire family..." he mumbled near her head. "Perhaps I have found a way to prove myself."

Monica’s cheeks immediately burned.

"Y-You are always thinking about doing that, are you not?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Elias moved his lips closer to her ear and whispered directly into it, "Was it not obvious?"

Before Monica could respond, Elias’s lips parted, and he gently bit her ear.

"Eek?!"