Chapter 51-under the moonlight

  Under the twin suns, in the land of knights, where the knight academy rested, the tale of our young demon continues.

  In an old run-down house, on the second floor, the room to the top left, an old woman walked out of the room. She walked down the corridor, reaching the steps and continued her slow, steady steps. As she walked down, noise started filling the air, the noise of children playing. As her footsteps came closer, the noise slowly died down. In front of her stood the small young demons, 12 in total. They spoke in unison,

  “Greetings, Grandma Hilda.”

  The old lady’s face turned soft seeing the children’s faces.

  “Good morning, children,” she greeted them.

  They all rushed to her and hugged her. She caressed them back, a daily ritual in the orphanage. The old lady’s hands were hugging the children, but her eyes were searching for someone.

  A sharp child among the 12, Lily, a 15-year-old demon who lost her parents in a demonic beast attack, spoke out,

  “Grandma, you seem distracted.”

  Hilda replied,

  “It’s nothing, my child. Don’t worry.”

  “I know what is bothering you,” she said.

  “Ooh, and what is that?” Hilda asked.

  “You are searching for big brother, aren’t you?” asked Lily.

  “I got caught,” smiled gently the old Hilda.

  “Grandma, don’t worry. He left for work early today. Since the academy is recruiting new students today, they called all the ground keepers early today,” said Lily.

  “Ooh, I see,” realised Granny Hilda.

  “Though he forgot his lunch in a hurry, I plan on giving it to him. Want to join me?” asked Lily.

  “Let’s go,” said Granny Hilda.

  The children all returned to their daily activities. Lily took the lunch, and Granny Hilda wore her outdoor slippers, and the both got ready to head out.

  The duo started their journey to the academy. On the road, the demons all greeted Hilda, as she is the beloved caretaker of the kingdom’s orphanage for years. Her service is known by all the locals. It is also due to the support of the locals that she could keep the children well fed.

  “We are almost there,” said Lily.

  Hilda smiled as she walked slowly, gasping due to her age.

  “You would have come even if I didn’t ask you, right, Granny?” asked Lily.

  “Yeah, my child,” said Hilda.

  Lily continued,

  “After all, unlike us who were here our whole life, he who is here for the past year is your favourite,” pouted Lily.

  “My child, it’s my duty to take care of him. After all, he lost his memories from before. In this new place, he was lost, all alone and helpless. So he just needs a bit more of my attention than you strong children,” said Hilda.

  “There you go preaching about how fragile he is. Have you seen those huge arms of his? If anything, he is an ox, not a fragile princess,” she replied.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  As the words flew around, time spun by. They reached the knight academy.

  In front of a huge white building, a lone demon with a sweep was sweeping the area. The ground was filled with trash.

  “The sword trial always leaves behind a huge mess,” said the lone figure.

  He picked up a wooden sword on the ground which an onlooker left by mistake. He felt something, a spark, as he stared at the wooden sword in his hands.

  The duo looked at the scene.

  “Ooh, he is so dead,” said Lily.

  Hilda rushed forward with her walking stick.

  The lone demon looked at her and said,

  “Grandma.”

  Hilda came near him and raised her walking stick and started hitting him.

  “You dumb child, don’t grandma me. How many times have I told you never touch the sword?” said Hilda.

  The demon dropped it.

  “Sorry, Grandma. I was just picking it up to clean the place,” he said.

  Lily came forward and said,

  “That’s enough, Grandma,”

  She continued forward to the demon and slowly wrapped her arms around him and said,

  “I missed you, big brother Leo.”

  He patted her head. She continued,

  “There, I got my fill of Leo energy for today.”

  Hilda, worried, spoke,

  “Leo, listen to me. Those who raise the sword will inevitably meet their end by it. I can’t lose you, my precious child.”

  Leo came near her and hugged her and spoke,

  “Grandma, don’t worry. You guys are my family. I don’t ever intend to leave you guys.”

  Hilda smiled. Then she handed him his lunch.

  “Oops, I forgot. Thank you, Grandma, Lily,” he said.

  The duo smiled at him. As they said their goodbyes, Leo spoke,

  “I may not arrive home tonight. Don’t wait for me,” he said.

  “Alright, brother. Take care,” Lily replied.

  As they went home, Leo continued cleaning the ground.

  Before long, the twin suns set, the blue moon rose in the skies. Leo walked in the corridor filled with the knight candidates.

  They were whispering,

  “Have you heard? The new recruit has got the famous ice beauty, the daughter of the king’s guardian, the blood of the demonic star,” said one female demon, a second year.

  Another of her friends replied,

  “I also heard a rumour. She isn’t the only one. There is also another girl, an illegitimate daughter, who is just as talented as her stepsister but not as beautiful, also has been admitted.”

  The females continued to gossip, but Leo paid no mind to it and continued to walk the corridors and reached the end where the pond which he was recovered from was.

  On the pond stood a bridge in cherry red colour, the pond capturing the sky into it. It was Leo’s usual spot, a usually undisturbed place in the academy, his spot for rest and recovery.

  He, as usual, after a long day’s work, headed there.

  He walked in the grass field towards the bridge. As he came close, he saw someone standing over the bridge. As he got closer, he could see a demon with long black hair perfectly reflecting the moonlight, paired with her jet-black eyes and lips that were leaves just plucked from a cherry blossom. Her figure slender and beautiful.

  She stood on the bridge. On her hands, a piece of bread, standard issue for all recruits.

  Wind blew, her silk-like hair started dancing with the waves. She opened the bread, but fate played her. The wind blew sand into her eyes. Her hands slipped, the bread flew into the air. She turned, tried to catch it, only for her shoes to slip on the wet bridge.

  Her figure fell.

  Leo rushed, with one hand holding his lunch. He used his other hand to hold the falling demoness.

  The wind blew again. Under the moonlight, a fated meeting had occurred, that would not only change the fate of the two but also the fate of this whole realm.

  The eyes of the girl slowly recovered. She saw the face of our young demon, Leo. He helped her stand.

  Her soft white cheeks turned cherry red.

  “Th… thank you,” she said.

  “Don’t mention it, miss,” replied Leo.

  She turned around and saw her dinner being devoured by the fishes in the pond. Her moon-like face saddened.

  Leo, seeing this, spoke,

  “Miss, if it’s alright with you, I got plenty to share,”

  As he opened the box his sister gave him, as he sat on the bench on the bridge.

  The girl sat next to him, separated the box.

  The girl started eating before he could even say anything. He, after the long day’s work, forgot his fatigue and hunger as he saw the girl munching down his lunch.

  In a blink of an eye, she nearly wiped the box clean.

  Leo continued to admire her clumsy way of eating. The wind kept blowing, maintaining a beautiful melody in the air, which was interrupted by a voice,

  “Maria, where are you?”

  The girl turned around.

  “Oh no, it’s curfew. I have to go,” she said.

  She looked at him and said,

  “Thank you,”

  Before she ran away, slipping yet another time before she reached her friend.

  On the way, she left behind a brooch, a beautiful purple brooch depicting a butterfly.

  Leo bent down, picked it up and kept it in his pocket, sighed as he saw her figure vanish into the corridors.

  He packed up and left home, still hungry.