Reincarnated in a Shounen Manga - Chapter 285

Chapter 285 - Happiness

Ellen walked alongside Kon, stealing glances at him as they approached their destination. The stone road beneath their feet was the only thing interrupting the vast expanse of grass fields around them.

She still vividly remembered the days when Kon had been nothing more than a young man with the remarkable ability to maintain a straight face while looking at her. For someone of his age, she found it quite impressive.

He had learned and soon surpassed her. Ellen couldn't quite pinpoint the moment when Kon had become stronger. His growth wasn't slow, but rather the opposite. He developed so fast that before she knew it, he had defeated the Demonic Exorcist, a feat she herself couldn't achieve at the time.

Now, with her ultimate class demon by her side, Ellen wanted a sparring match against Kon to determine once and for all who the strongest Master was. Even though she had the advantage of an ultimate class demon, she felt it wouldn't be a significant edge against Kon.

But for now, Ellen pushed such thoughts aside. She might not be the most socially perceptive person, having grown up in the woods with a sword-obsessed zombie as her best friend and father figure. However, even she knew better than to get in a fight using her demon against him, especially when he didn't have one.

It would be like rubbing Carpy's death in his face.

Ellen sighed and glanced at Kon's expressionless face. She wanted to hug him and reassure him that everything would be alright, tell him there was no need for someone as young as him to carry the weight of the world.

But maybe there was a need for him to do that. After all, how were the rest of the world faring now?

He was a talented young man who had reached a level of power that few exorcists had ever achieved. He had done it all at such a young age, but in Ellen's eyes, he was still just a kid.

In the end, she couldn't hold back any longer and placed a comforting hand on Kon's shoulder. He stopped walking and turned around, looking somewhat confused.

"Don't worry, everything will be alright. I'll be there by your side, so you can lean on me," she reassured him.

Kon, on the other hand, furrowed his brows and asked, "Are you coming to me? You know I'm a married man."

Ellen sputtered at that and hastily removed her hand from his shoulder. "What?! God, no!"

"Okay, just wanted to make sure. Because when we're walking in silence, alone, and you suddenly say something like that, it sends the wrong message," Kon sighed. "Anyways, I know you mean nothing by it. Just be careful with others."

He took another step, stopped, and turned around again. A strange look appeared in his eyes as he smiled. "Also, just to make sure you know. I'm very thankful for what you have done for me, never asking for anything or trying to use me. If you ever need help or anything, make sure to tell me. I will try my best to help you."

Despite the initial awkwardness, Ellen chuckled. "Not like I had anything better to do. At least I know that if you need something from me, you'll say it to my face instead of scheming to use me to your advantage."

Kon had a knowing smile on his face. "So, the world outside your forest wasn't all it's cracked up to be, huh?"

"Yep, extremely disappointing. Everyone wants to use everyone, and they kill and murder without a second thought," Ellen stood beside him as they resumed their walk.

…

Dozens of minutes later, they spotted a traditional mansion in the distance. It resembled a gated community, with walls enclosing a hill and a mansion atop the lush green slope.

Even from this distance, Ellen marveled at the number of people walking about.

How come it looked like a small town, instead of an exorcist clan? Usually, exorcists died quite young, so even exorcist clans could only have so many exorcists at once. No wonder the Raion Clan didn't lose their place as one of the Great Clans, despite having no Special Exorcists.

As they approached the gate, they noticed some children playing behind it. Some kids were outside the walls, chasing butterflies or frolicking with their pet dogs.

It was a tranquil scene, something one wouldn't associate with a clan riddled with internal conflicts.

Ellen never doubted Kon or questioned his actions. At the end of the day, Kon was never one to commit wrongful acts without reason; it was always for the greater good.

Kon wouldn't harm those children, would he? She pondered this as she recalled what Kon had revealed to her about sending her to eliminate the Raion Clan one day.

Countless thoughts raced through Ellen's mind. Could she carry out such an act? Could she indiscriminately take lives for the greater good?

She glanced at Kon, who wore a smile as he approached the guards. He appeared entirely unperturbed and inquired of the guards,  "Excuse me. Can I have a meeting with the higher-ups or de facto leaders of the Raion Clan?"

The guards, dressed in dark attire with golden inscriptions and appearing to be middle-aged, seemed to be at the peak of their power they will ever be. Although their Ord, compared to Ellen and Kon, was not particularly noteworthy. They appeared to be, at best, Elite Exorcists.

"No," one of the guards refused. He had a thick dark beard, silver hair, and deep blue eyes. "The clan is currently grieving the loss of the previous clan head, and everyone is in mourning."

The guards tried to maintain a facade of bravery. But their nervousness was evident from their shaky eyes and twitching fingers. Ellen didn't blame them; even she would feel nervous refusing someone like Kon. Not only did he have a formidable reputation, but he was also a high-ranking Special Exorcist, known for both his power and his short temper.

"Wow, that is actually a pretty good excuse. Anyone saying no to that would be an asshole," Kon congratulated them. "I sympathize with you guys, I know what it is to be a working man. Just having to listen to your boss tell you bullshit all day. So don't worry, I won't hurt you."

Suddenly, the entire atmosphere shifted, and it felt as if a razor-sharp blade hovered at their throats. Kon approached the guards, who stood stiff and frozen, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads as they avoided meeting his gaze.

Ellen on the other hand thought about what Kon said. He sympathized with the guards? Knew what it was to be a working man? Yeah, right... He grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, and she doubted Kon had ever done a day of hard labor.

Kon walked between them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Since I like you guys already, I will try and be nice. Go and call over the previous clan head's children or the next succession candidates. Tell them that I just want to talk, but if they refuse again, the Raion Clan will sadly experience a catastrophic event and be wiped off the face of the earth."

"Y-Yes, sir!" The guards nodded and hurriedly retreated.

Kon sighed and looked at them as they ran away. Then he turned toward the kids who were looking at them curiously; none of the children seemed scared.

It didn't appear that Kon's pressure had extended too far. Maybe that was why he had approached and touched the guards? To localize the pressure more easily.

Taking out a talisman and waving it at the curious kids, Kon smiled. "Who wants to see some cool exorcist tricks?"

The kids gathered around. Unlike the stern look he had before or the usual smile he used to reassure everyone, this smile was different. It reached his eyes, and he laughed as something as simple as having blobs of water slowly chase after children seemed to bring him happiness.

Ellen found this somewhat relieving. At least this meant he probably wasn't going to harm the kids. Or perhaps he was just giving them their last moment of happiness before taking action. No, he was smiling and laughing. Kon wasn't the kind of person to do something like that before killing someone.

Even as the kids played with the water balls and splashed in the water, Kon's smile didn't waver; it only seemed to grow wider as his eyes glistened with pure happiness he couldn't hide.

He sighed and looked at the sky, then laughed again. Then he quickly composed himself and apologized, "Sorry about that. But they just reminded me that despite everything I've done, my efforts weren't for nothing. If it weren't for me, these innocent kids would be dead, eaten by demons, and never have the chance to experience happiness."

"Yeah, obviously," Ellen said.

She didn't understand why he was stating the obvious. He had saved millions of people. Why was he only now realizing it? That was one of the main reasons she followed and protected him. Because, at the end of the day, he was the only one bothering to protect anyone.

Kon chuckled, "Yeah, you're right. I shouldn't concentrate on what I couldn't do. No matter how this whole thing turns out, at least I've given the people more time to experience happiness!"

When he said that, the Ord around him shifted and twisted. There was a golden hue in the back of his eyes that quickly settled down.

Yet there was a lingering sensation on her skin as if Kon's Ord had grown sharper. He looked Ellen in the eyes and declared, "I will make sure that everyone gets their happy ending."

"Okay?" Ellen was as confused as ever but went along with it.

However, Ellen straightened her back, and her face turned expressionless when her demon notified her that a group of Ord users was approaching.