"You wait outside."
Edward's voice was calm as he spoke to Richard, seemingly unbothered by the bloody scene before him.
Though Richard was furious, he could only obey the order, clenching his teeth as he stepped outside.
Edward, on the other hand, continued walking forward, a fawning smile on his face, his tone relaxed.
"Why'd you show up all of a sudden without giving me a heads-up?"
The gray-mouthed weasel demon raised its head and responded hoarsely.
"My brother's son got hurt, so I brought him here to recover with some nourishment."
He pointed to the smaller, wounded weasel demon beside him, the one gnawing on a human leg.
It was clear that this was his nephew.
"We won't be leaving until my nephew's wounds heal.
We're staying put," the gray-mouthed weasel demon said, its tone forceful.
Edward nodded, still smiling obsequiously.
"Of course, stay as long as you like."
As he moved closer to the gray-mouthed weasel demon, his gaze shifted to the smaller weasel demon.
The smile on Edward's lips deepened, and his eyes gleamed unnervingly as he spoke.
"Your nephew is quite handsome."
The small weasel demon lifted its head to respond, but before it could utter a word, its pupils contracted.
In the next instant, its head was swiftly severed, blood gushing out like a fountain.
Richard heard the commotion and turned abruptly, only to see Edward still standing there, while the small weasel demon's head rolled across the floor.
His eyes widened in disbelief, his heart racing as his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Edward's smile remained unchanged, as if what had just happened was a routine event.
"Edward, you're courting death!"
The gray-mouthed weasel demon roared in fury, its claws lunging at Edward in a fit of rage.
But Edward reacted swiftly, slicing through the demon's arm with a single swing of his sword. Blood spurted, splattering all over Edward.
"You're not leaving," Edward said, his tone dripping with mockery.
The gray-mouthed weasel demon howled in pain, clutching its bleeding stump, its eyes filled with terror.
Before it could react further, Edward swung his sword again, severing the demon's other arm. Blood splashed once more.
"You should… stay here… forever," Edward said, his eerie smile still fixed on his face.
His entire visage was now stained red with demon blood, making him appear even more sinister.
With two more swift strikes, the gray-mouthed weasel demon's remaining limbs were severed.
It collapsed to the ground, staring up at Edward in sheer terror, unable to believe its fate.
The final strike came without mercy, lopping off the demon's head.
The head rolled across the floor, finally stopping at Richard's feet.
Richard stood frozen in shock, his mind blank, his body stiff as wood.
Edward casually wiped the demon's blood from his face, maintaining that unsettling smile.
His voice was still calm as he addressed Richard.
"Why are you back?"
Richard, snapped back to reality by Edward's gaze, felt a shiver run down his spine.
He glanced at the terrifying demon head at his feet, nearly stumbling.
The demon's face was twisted in a grotesque expression of horror, eyes wide open in death.
Richard staggered out of the house, leaning against the wall outside.
He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm his chaotic thoughts.
The bloody scene and Edward's brutal methods had left him deeply shaken.
After a moment, Edward strolled out of the house, wiping the remaining demon blood from his sword with a cloth, the stench of it still strong in the air.
He spoke casually to Richard, "We'll leave in a bit."
Richard opened his eyes, his mind still in turmoil.
His thoughts condensed into a single, dumbfounded question.
"Why?"
Edward responded calmly, "It's an order."
Richard looked at Edward with a mix of confusion and fear.
He couldn't understand why Edward had smiled so eerily while killing the demons, or why he had been so indifferent to the sight of human bodies being devoured by demons.
None of it made sense to him.
Trying to steady himself, Richard finally asked a practical question.
"Aren't you afraid of retaliation from other demons for killing them?"
Edward pulled out a cigarette and placed it in his mouth.
He patted his pockets but found no matches.
He looked at Richard, who shook his head, indicating he didn't have any either.
With a sigh, Edward tucked the cigarette behind his ear and answered nonchalantly, "It said it didn't want to leave, so I helped it stay."
Richard was at a loss for words, realizing Edward wasn't going to offer a detailed explanation.
He took a deep breath and decided not to press further.
The two stood there, letting the cool breeze blow over them, the air still heavy with the scent of blood.
After a while, Edward suddenly looked into the distance and smiled.
"They're here."
Before Richard could react, Edward had already drawn his sword and charged toward the remaining weasel demon.
The demon barely had time to register its shock before Edward's sword cleaved its head from its shoulders, spilling blood onto the ground once more.
"You clean this up.
I'm going to borrow some matches from the villagers," Edward said lightly before turning and walking away, leaving Richard standing there with a complicated expression.
Richard watched Edward's retreating figure, biting his lip.
He couldn't understand this man at all.
...
Once Richard was out of sight, Edward no longer suppressed his emotions.
He crouched down in the field and began to retch violently.
His right hand clutched his left tightly as he tried to force himself to calm down.
As a transmigrator, this was the first time he had witnessed such a brutal death up close.
The sight of flesh being torn apart and the weasel demon's teeth still stained with meat made him feel both nauseous and terrified.
Though he had appeared calm and even cold in front of Richard, that was only because he had been forcing himself to suppress his fear and anger.
If he had shown weakness in that situation, not only would he have lost control, but he would also have put himself in greater danger.
After a while, Edward forced himself to stand, brushing the dirt off his clothes as he continued walking toward the village.
...
Edward smoked a cigarette as he glanced at the text before him.
[Ordinary demon, no level. Total lifespan: 345 years. Remaining: 85 years. Fully absorbed.]
[Ordinary demon, no level. Total lifespan: 352 years. Remaining: 98 years. Fully absorbed.]
[Ordinary demon, no level. Total lifespan: 380 years. Remaining: 57 years. Fully absorbed.]
[Remaining demon life: 240 years.]
[Remaining personal life: 1 year.]
"Well, 240 years, not bad," Edward thought to himself, though he hadn't yet decided how to use the demon life force.
He pondered whether to continue enhancing his Demon Slayer Swordsmanship or to invest in other skills.
As he deliberated, Richard had already loaded the demons' corpses onto a cart and brought the horses around.
He walked up to Edward, handed him the reins with a complicated expression, and glanced back at the scattered farmers standing on the ridge.
The villagers still stood motionless, like the living dead.
Only when their eyes swept over the cart and saw the demons' bodies did a flicker of emotion return to their vacant stares.
"You saved the villagers today. Thank you," Richard said, his tone filled with complex emotions as he tried to force a smile.
But just then, he felt the reins being pulled from his hands.
Looking up, he saw Edward casually mounting his horse and riding off.
From up ahead came Edward's cold, emotionless voice.
"You still have paperwork to finish on your desk. If you don't get it done today, I'm docking your pay."
Richard watched Edward's figure disappear into the distance, his face filled with mixed emotions.
In the end, he said nothing and simply followed after him.