Chapter 4: Show some respect to your brother, asshole
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Ash felt quite helpless about the current situation, where he was forced to rely on folk remedies to treat his injuries. Yet, he could only be thankful that demons had sturdy physiques and just bear with it for the time being.
'Fortunately, I've been enduring this since I was young, so maybe I'll get used to it.'
"…Although I'm used to this sort of thing, it's still pretty annoying."
As Ash sat by the river, washing the blood off his body, he felt frustrated with his current circumstances, even though he had come to accept the reality.
In front of him, Aura, with her back to him, soaked in the water to wash away the blood. She shook her long pink hair freely and sighed:
"Hey, Ash, can you stop saying such annoying things behind people's backs? I think my figure is actually pretty good, don't you think?"
"Stop spouting nonsense. Your figure... well, it's hard for me to judge."
Ash was still staring at the bloodstains in the water, but subconsciously raised his head to glance at the loli performing a wet and seductive act nearby. She was only fourteen years old and still quite small, but there were hints of growth, which made him wonder about how she would mature in the future.
Though he'd watched her grow up, Ash now had the strong urge to kick her as she twisted her hips in the water, sending her to the bottom of the river to drink some water. But since he was always bullying and ordering her around, he figured he should treat her a bit better from time to time. With that thought, he turned his eyes away, deciding to stop paying attention to the irritating girl.
"This is..." Aura noticed his action and couldn't help but put a finger to her lips, tilting her head in thought. After a moment, a bright smile lit up her face.
"Ah~ I get it! You're feeling shy, aren't you?"
"...Yes, yes, I'm shy."
They say demons are cold and selfish. This one is definitely selfish, but why are her emotions so blatant? If I can take credit for anything, it should be her behavior, right? Because I've influenced her in ways most demons wouldn't. Ash rubbed his forehead, trying to think about anything else rather than teaching her a lesson. He felt so proud of himself, even crediting her changes to his "education." But...
"But I really don't understand how I ended up teaching such an infuriating creature."
"Look, Ash, you always make harsh comments about me every now and then. Do you... secretly hate me?"
"How could that be? You're my favorite sister."
"Really? Then why don't you show any expression? Is this how you're supposed to talk to your lover?" Aura walked out of the water and leaned in, observing Ash closely as he read with an expressionless face, clearly puzzled.
Unfortunately, Ash had no intention of humoring her. He didn't even want to react to her odd "lover" comment. Instead, he washed his hands in the cold river, stood up, and headed back toward the bushes he had come from, without bothering to look back.
"...Have you finished washing? If you have, let's go back. Otherwise, the meat will get taken by wild beasts or monsters."
"Geez, Ash, you're really boring."
"Show some respect to your brother, idiot."
"I want to be respectful, but you don't show enough consideration and love for your sister. Besides, who calls their beloved sister a 'thing' and an 'idiot'?"
"Actually, all humans do."
"Huh? Really?" Aura looked genuinely surprised as she subconsciously followed him, deep in thought. "Humans are so barbaric. Ash, you're a demon—why would you learn from such barbaric people?"
"..."
What should I do? She actually believes that. Should I tell her the truth? Nah, this is too funny. I'll just leave it for now. Ash walked ahead, covering his face for a moment, deciding to drop the matter.
Anyway, it's not that important. Better not to take it too seriously. If something goes wrong, I can figure out a solution later.
...
Ash and his eccentric sister spent another year living peacefully together in the vast forest.
Aura, though lacking in combat ability, with the help of Ash and their controlled beasts and monsters, managed to build a servant army of nearly a hundred at an impressive snowballing speed.
Over the years, the two of them, having already mapped out most of the forest, traveled through the dense jungle and soon arrived at a human village nestled near the mountains.
There was almost no resistance. The controlled servants occupied the village with overwhelming force, practically without any bloodshed.
Looking at the trembling villagers gathered in the center of the village, Aura proudly declared without any hesitation:
"—From today onwards, we are your masters!"
"And starting today, you'll cook for us!" Ash added, voicing his current biggest wish.
This left Aura momentarily speechless. "...Ash, isn't that a little too idealistic? Shouldn't you be killing them, as usual?"
"What are you talking about? Isn't it better to have someone cook for us? Or do you want to do all the cooking yourself?"
"—Fine, I guess we should keep them! Even though they're barbaric humans, they still have some use."
Although her instinct was to kill, the prospect of not having to do the work herself—and recalling how Ash had constantly ordered her around over the years—made her suppress her instinct quickly.
When the villagers saw the demons leading a large group of beasts and monsters, about a dozen hunters tried to resist. But Ash simply raised his hand, creating a gravitational force that pinned them to the ground. The others quickly gave up any hope of fighting back.
However, the conversation between Ash and Aura offered the villagers a glimmer of hope, and Ash stood up once more, speaking to them at the right moment.
"Don't worry, everyone. We're good people... No, wait, we're good demons... Actually, uh... Anyway, we're not bad."
By the way, how do humans in this world perceive demons? Ash mused, watching the people below.
Although his system allowed him to grow stronger through killing, the exact nature of its power was still puzzling. Moreover, if he went around slaughtering people carelessly, he'd probably be labeled a demon king. He wasn't fond of killing innocent people unnecessarily, so for now, he opted to develop gradually.
It wasn't that the idea of violence was completely off the table, but he preferred to pace himself, knowing it was smarter to grow his power slowly rather than draw unwanted attention.