Diana, in a cheerful voice, said,"Neuro… Mommy is coming with you toooo!"
"WHAT!!! That's awesome, Mama! Then it's a family trip?" Neuro said excitedly, his eyes shining with joy.
"Nahhh… it's kind of Mommy's trip," she replied sarcastically.
Hearing that, Neuro became even more excited. He had never left the village since his birth, and the thought of going on a journey filled him with happiness. This would be his very first family trip.
Meanwhile, Akira was lying on a chair near the dining table, his face pale, tears rolling down his cheeks as if he could no longer handle the tension.
Suddenly, a voice came from near the window, carrying a mocking tone.
"Hmmmm… I think you need help, Sir Akira."
With a weak and suffocating voice, Akira replied,"Rudioussssssuuuu… helpppppp meeee… take me somewhere… anywhere… where my wife is not there…"
"Sir Akira, stop being pathetic. Why are you even like this? Did your wife hit you or something?" Rudious asked mockingly.
Akira, with a runny nose and teary eyes, replied,"She said… she said…"
(Diana had said to Akira:)"If you don't take me with you right now, I will run away… or maybe some man will kidnap me. And I'll say I won't resist. I heard demi-humans are being kidnapped, right? I'll just announce that I'm a half-demon. And if they don't believe me, I'll show them my power. Don't you forget who I am and where I come from. After I wipe the floor with them, they'll definitely believe I'm a demon—because normal humans don't have that kind of strength. So… what do you say, darling? Should I do all that? I just wanted to come with you."
Hearing all that, Akira had completely lost his courage. His mind filled with terrifying imaginations of everything she said, and it broke him completely. In the end, he had no choice but to agree.
After listening to the whole story, Rudious said,"That's… scary. But why are you crying just from hearing that? It's not like she's actually going to get herself kidnapped."
Akira immediately replied in a mocking tone,"You say the same thing after you marry Lilly. Then I'll listen to you."
Hearing that, Rudious started blushing slightly, though he tried to hide it. He coughed lightly.
"Ahem… maybe I don't understand it yet. But I will… eventually. I have some work to do, so I'll take my leave. Have a safe journey, Sir Akira. And… convey my regards to my master… no… my father, on my behalf."
Hearing that, Akira dropped his pathetic act and gave a cheerful thumbs-up.
"Yup! I won't forget."
Meanwhile, Neuro was excitedly preparing for the journey. He packed his belongings quickly, unable to sit still even for a moment.
Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name.
It was the demon boy—Iris, the same friend he had fought with the previous day.
Hearing the voice, Neuro slowly walked outside. His smile faded, and a small fear rose in his heart. He thought he had lost his friend after blaming everything on him.
Then he remembered his father's words:
"Neuro, he sees you as a rival. That's what pushes him ahead. A rival is more than a friend. Remember that."
Gathering courage, Neuro stepped forward—though guilt still lingered inside him.
As he approached, Iris called out casually,"Oyeee, Neuro! Wanna come play with us?"
Neuro was confused.
Is he… not angry with me? I called him a demon… and blamed him for my own mistakes…
With a shaky voice, Neuro asked,"Iris… are you not mad at me? I called you a demon and said so many bad things…"
Iris smiled.
"It's obvious that I am a demon. But yeah… I don't like being called that."
Hearing this, Neuro felt completely broken. He lowered his head, unable to look him in the eyes.
From the window, Akira and Diana watched everything with concern.
Then Iris continued,"But you know what? I'll let it pass… because you're my rival—and my best friend."
Neuro slowly lifted his head and looked into Iris's eyes.
Iris smiled brightly.
"I won't let you outshine me. So let's grow stronger together."
He extended his hand.
"Let's shake hands… like true adventurers."
Hearing that, all of Neuro's doubts disappeared. Tears rolled down his cheeks—not tears of sadness, but tears of growth, of realization, and of how much he valued his friend.
Neuro proudly shook his hand.
"Let's see who outshines who then."
Iris grinned.
"Hmm… we'll see about that."
From behind, Sara slowly walked toward them.
Seeing her, Neuro remembered how he had treated her the previous day. He felt guilty, but found it hard to apologize.
Iris quietly stepped aside, letting them face each other.
They stood there, looking at each other, but no words came out.
Finally, gathering courage, Neuro lowered his head.
"I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have made you cry… and I'm sorry for hurting you."
Sara smiled warmly.
"You don't have to apologize, Neuro. I understand. You don't need to worry about what happened yesterday."
Suddenly, she ran toward him and hugged him tightly.
Both Neuro and Iris were shocked.
Neuro blushed deeply, unable to react.
From the window, Akira smiled proudly.
"That's my boy."
Suddenly, he felt an intense gaze.
Turning to his left, he saw Diana staring at him angrily.
"Diana… what happened? Why are you angry?" he asked nervously.
Diana replied in a serious tone,"Darling… what are you teaching our son?"
Akira stepped back slightly.
"W-What do you mean? What did I teach him?"
Diana slowly moved toward him.
"Are you teaching our son to be a womanizer?"
Akira froze in fear and slowly backed away.
"Rudiousssuuuuu! Please save meeeee!"
Meanwhile, somewhere in the market, Rudious suddenly sneezed.
"…Now what problem has Sir Akira created for himself?" he wondered.
Then his expression turned serious.
Father… I will catch those bastards. I will protect this land and your ideology, a world where humans and demons can live together.
I promise… I will continue this harmony in these lands.