Swifty gritted his teeth and stared hatefully at the white-haired young man.
Why couldn't he just drop dead?!
Then, the little phoenix would have been all his to take!
'Flames consume him!'
The scout cursed.
After the Expert mage had unceremoniously kicked them out, Swifty had tried to persuade Drakon to go on the offensive and use force to storm the house. Unfortunately, the Ember heir did not want to anger the Chosen of the Divine Sovereign, and so he was told to bide his time until the opportune moment came about.
Swifty vehemently disagreed.
However, all he got in return was a warning not to step out of line - Drakon's menacing expression had sent chills down his spine.
Still, Swifty couldn't just sit there and do nothing.
Hence, he settled for spying on the white-haired young man from a safe distance.
Although…
For a brief moment, Swifty felt he had been discovered when the demon entered the marketplace. Fortunately, it seemed his mind was just playing tricks on him, for the young man continued with his day, unaware of the scout's presence.
Swifty breathed a sigh of relief.
However, that reassurance soon turned into angst and made him restless.
He was anxious the demon would pick out their plan and leave the Sanctuary, however unlikely it seemed.
That was why, Swifty hid in the shadows and chose to monitor Alden's home.
This way, if the demon ever chose to leave, he would be there to stop him.
As time passed, and the scout remained in his position, away from the guards' prying eyes - thanks to a runic item inscribed with a Rune of Concealment - Swifty thought back to his early childhood.
His expression twisted.
Ever since he was young, Swifty's parents had always said they loved him.
However, contrary to their words, all their attention was focused on how much money they could make, particularly through high-stakes gambling.
As the years flew by, their debt only grew.
At one point, the red-haired scout realised that his parent's love for gambling surpassed their love for him.
Otherwise, they would have stopped being selfish and started caring about his needs… right?
Filled with resentment, Swifty watched as his mother and father buried themselves in a mountain of debt.
When they died in an unfortunate accident a decade later, the responsibility to pay their dues fell on him as their next of kin.
That day was the darkest of his life.
He had just barely managed to keep his life after the debt collectors ransacked his house, turning it upside down in hopes of finding anything of value. Unfortunately, things only got worse, as the search turned up empty.
Swifty was forced to sell his home.
Even though he had just become homeless, the action helped relieve some of the pressure off his shoulders. In addition, one perk he had from being born into one of the vassal families under the purview of the Ember Clan was that his awakening was guaranteed.
There, he awoke a decent Magic Class and chose the occupation of Scout.
From there, he carried out mission after mission, slowly chipping away at the debt his parents owed.
It was also how he earned his nickname "Swifty" - being the fastest to run away whenever there was danger.
He didn't really care about the moniker and focused more on how much money he could make.
It seemed a love for profit ran deep in his family.
Recognising that, was a bitter pill for Swifty to swallow.
Thankfully for Swifty, salvation finally came.
After doing an untold number of missions, he eventually paid off the mountain of debt.
That was the happiest day of his life.
Swifty's priorities then shifted.
Now, instead of amassing wealth for the sake of paying off his dues, his pursuit of money had turned into a desire for comfort and luxury.
That was the least he deserved!
Never again would he feel the crushing burden of debt.
That was his ultimate resolve.
Then, one day, he received news of a scouting mission that would compensate them greatly.
It immediately piqued his interest.
Swifty's intrigue soon turned into an obsession once he laid his eyes upon the dark phoenix.
Unfortunately, all his attempts at getting his hands on it failed.
…Even when he brought Drakon into the mix.
Swifty sighed miserably, applying pressure to the wound given to him by the wretched bird.
It hurt.
It hurt like hell.
The irony wasn't lost on him, either.
The very thing he coveted now became the reason for his demise.
The scout gazed at the gaping hole in his leg darkly, cursing everyone who wielded the power to decay.
It was just too damn strong!
A moment later, Swifty heard a set of approaching footsteps.
A bitter smile formed on his face.
He knew he did not have long left to live.
The white-haired young man would doubtless kill him before the wound and blood loss ever had a chance to.
And how could he blame him?
This was the second time Swifty had tried to kill him.
The first time there may have been a small possibility of clemency, although slim.
However, now that he had ambushed him again, there was no room for mercy.
Swifty would be losing his life imminently.
Strangely, the red-haired scout didn't feel as terrified as he thought he would be.
He chuckled bitterly to himself and groaned at the pain.
Swifty saw the young man crouch a few steps away from him.
Then, the demon - no, the devil, pulled back the hood of his cloak.
Swifty didn't try to resist, letting it fall to his shoulders.
"You!"
He saw a furious expression manifest on the young man's face.
Swifty sighed once more.
"...I'm sorry."
He bowed his head.
Although he had apologised too late, the scout did not want to depart the world of the living with any lingering regrets. Alden displayed no reaction to his admission of guilt.
Swifty's bitterness increased.
"Did Drakon send you?"
"...No, I did this alone."
The white-haired devil nodded, and Swifty had the sudden urge to laugh.
"Let's get this over with, shall we? No use delaying the inevitable."
Swifty said.
The young man obliged.
Swifty took a deep breath and tried not to tremble.
It was as if he was gazing at the Reaper. Perhaps he was.
Shaking off the thought, Swifty craned his neck to look at the young man.
Alden's hand hovered over his face.
"Do you know what love is?"
Faced with the unexpected question, Swifty blinked.
He saw an expression of pain flicker on the devil's face.
Which… was extremely interesting.
"What kind of question is that?"
The scout laughed lightly.
Then, when he noticed the young man remained unimpressed, he answered quietly.
"It obviously doesn't exist."
"...I see."
The owner of the little phoenix seemed to mull over something for a few seconds.
Then, Swifty sensed the young man place his palm on his face.
"...Would you like to hear what I think about love?"
"Sure."
Swifty replied with a hint of curiosity, his voice muffled under Alden's palm.
The cloaked young man took a deep breath.
"It's…"
As he stared at the devil's crimson eyes through the gaps in his fingers, Swifty hung onto his next words.
"Sacrifice."
The scout blinked, then exploded with laughter, which quickly turned into a groan.
"...You never fail to amaze me, huh? What a load of charred cinders."
Swifty finally closed his eyes, refusing to give in to the weakness.
A pale smile stretched across his face.
Love.
What a fickle thing it was.
A second later, his dying screams filled the air.