My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

Damon had already expected Emilia to see Ric, but he still froze for a moment before turning toward the most logical conclusion.

There was no way she would recognize him.

The boy didn’t have some ridiculous birthmark or other obvious feature that would give him away. Hell, Damon was the one who had raised Ric for most of his life, and even he probably wouldn’t recognize the boy immediately if he hadn’t seen him for half the time.

In fact, Damon could swear that even his own mother wouldn’t recognize the person he had become, so why would Emilia recognize Ric when the last time she had seen him was on the day he said his first word?

Emilia couldn’t take her eyes off the boy as he ran toward Damon, proudly holding one of the mass-produced models of a magic sword created by Damon’s organization.

”I mean, it’s good, but mine is clearly better.”

He held the sword up for Damon to inspect, only for Damon to smack him lightly on the back of the head.

”Damn genius, they’re mass-produced. And at least introduce yourself to these fine ladies.”

Damon gestured toward the three women.

Ric glanced at them, frowned, then looked back at Damon and slowly shook his head.

”Master... I understand, but shouldn’t you hold back a bit? There’s such a thing as overdoing it.”

Damon tilted his head, having no idea what the boy was talking about.

Ric shook his head.

”Most men only have one woman. Why the hell do you have so many? Are you trying to start your own country?”

Damon’s lips quivered.

His hands trembled.

Then he suddenly grabbed the boy.

”You little... Oh, you’re so dead.”

”Ahh! Ahh! Let go!”

The ladies could only watch the interaction unfold.

Emilia glanced at Ric and couldn’t help but find the brown-haired boy adorable. Seeing Damon holding him upside down only made her more curious about where the child had come from.

Eventually, Lilith rescued him, grabbing him by the cheeks and pulling him away while scolding him for his terrible manners.

”Where did you get this child from?” Terra asked, while her sister continued gazing at the boy.

”Oh, this is Ric. I sort of picked him up, if you know what I mean. He’s my apprentice. The boy has some potential, but I can’t imagine where he learned that nasty personality of his.”

Damon answered casually, doing his best not to look at Emilia.

”Ricky, come over here.”

Damon called toward the boy, who was still being scolded by Lilith for his mannerisms and speech.

”Yes, sir,” Ric answered, glancing at Lilith cautiously.

”This is Ricky. He’s a child, as you can see. I sort of picked him up. There are about five more from where he came from. I picked them up in the Anarchy Mountains.”

Damon waved his hand, and shadows emerged from different parts of the campsite, gently gathering the five children and bringing them toward him.

Now that he was outside the Anarchy Mountains, he could remove his soul from this body and perform simple things like this without much difficulty.

When the children appeared, Damon began introducing them one after another.

They were camouflage for Ric.

Emilia smiled and nodded at them.

”Right. This is Abellona, the Third Princess. She’s royalty. This is Terra Hightower. She’s rich. And last but not least, this is Lady Ravenscroft. She’s Terra’s sister, and her name is Emilia.”

When he said that, Ric glanced at Damon for a long moment before slowly turning his gaze toward Emilia.

So that was his mother.

She looked like a prim and proper lady, a little imposing, but there was a gentleness to her that Ric could feel. The feeling she gave him was similar to Lilith and Renata.

Stern, but gentle.

Then there was his master.

Amazing, but also a little weird.

Ric glanced back at Damon. Even in a woman’s body, he couldn’t hide how cool he was. His master really could do anything.

Ric walked toward the ladies and offered his hand.

”Greetings, Princess. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Abellona had never been particularly good with children. Most children were afraid of her, so she crouched down and accepted Ric’s handshake.

”The pleasure is all mine, Ricky.”

Ric frowned and quickly waved his hand.

”That’s not my name. Call me Ric, if you don’t mind. Only Master calls me Ricky, and maybe Ranar, but no one else.”

And he would like to keep it that way.

He then moved toward Terra.

There was something odd about her. She was simply difficult to see through, but she seemed slightly amused by him.

He shook her hand, but Terra suddenly held onto it.

”You are quite adorable, aren’t you? You almost look like someone I know.”

”Ma’am, please. I understand I’m cute. There’s no need to get touchy.”

Ric sneered.

Terra’s expression twitched before she slowly looked toward Damon.

”He’s just like you.”

”Is that a compliment?” Damon grunted.

Inwardly, however, he was relieved.

Ric looked a little like Xander, and the fact that Terra hadn’t picked up on the resemblance was a relief.

Emilia watched as Ric walked toward her and raised his hand.

The moment he did, she immediately pulled him into her arms and pinched his cheeks.

”You are the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. You’re so adorable!”

”Ahh! Let me go! Master! Master, save me!”

Ric cried out as Emilia was suddenly overcome by a burst of maternal affection.

After several minutes, Ric finally gave up trying to escape her clutches.

Damon smiled as he watched the two of them together.

”You know, if you want him, I can sell him to you for a million Zeni. He’s a pain to keep around, honestly. Always getting into trouble.”

When he said that, Emilia smiled and nodded.

”Sounds like a deal.”

”What? No! I don’t want to be sold! At least several billion! I know my worth!”

Ric finally squeezed his way out of her grasp, his expression filled with indignation.

He wasn’t angry about being sold.

He was angry about being sold so cheaply.

”I know my worth! I’m priceless! At least put in a good amount!”

He continued ranting about his actual value, listing his skills, his talents, and even how good he looked in expensive clothes.

Emilia and everyone else couldn’t help but laugh.

For the first time in many years, Emilia felt her heart lighten.

She genuinely smiled.

She genuinely laughed.

There was something about this child that brought warmth back into a place inside her that had been empty for years.

’Godric would be around this age too.’

She looked at Ric for a moment longer.

’I wonder if he is as lively... or happy.’

She imagined her son trapped somewhere cold and dark, surrounded by terrible and terrifying things, afraid and waiting for her to save him.

Her poor baby.

Ironically, that image wasn’t entirely far from the truth.

Ric had been raised in a tomb, although most of the terrifying beings there were the ones who ended up being tormented by him. With plenty of backing behind him, he had never been afraid for a single day. He lived like a king, ate whatever he wanted, and did whatever he pleased.

Although sometimes he had to go to bed early because Lilith or Renata would ground him.

His master, at least, was a rather chill guy.

Although his master had also been called irresponsible on more than one occasion.

So perhaps that wasn’t saying much.

There was joy to be found in children.

The other children all referred to Ric as their boss, and they seemed quite charming as well.

Emilia closed her eyes for a moment before gazing toward the distant Anarchy Mountains.

”The sun shines with divine power over the Anarchy Mountains,” she whispered, repeating the words the mysterious voice had once spoken to her.

Did that mean she would find some peace here?

Riddles had always been difficult for her to solve, and that voice seemed to love speaking in riddles.

Damon was slightly relieved.

It seemed Ric was getting along well with Emilia.

In a happier world, he would simply give her the son she had been missing and walk away into the sunset.

But the moment he did that, he would violate the contract.

And the Unknown God would make him pay dearly for it.

’Sorry, Ric. Just enjoy this for now. In a few years, you can go home to your mother.’

Lilith sighed as she watched Damon.

She knew this wouldn’t end well.

But Damon didn’t want to be tormented by the knowledge that his actions could ruin Ric’s life.

He would rather suffer himself.

He had promised her that he would not regret whatever came next.

Just as Damon was about to say something, Abellona walked up to him and leaned closer, lowering her voice.

”You’re really good with children.”

”Yeah. I had some trouble at the start, but I think I’ve come a long way.”

”That’s good. I’m glad you like children...”

Abellona paused, then glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

”Are there any specific types of children you don’t like? Say, ones with horns, or claws... or maybe wings?”

Damon scoffed and glanced at her.

”Abellona, I like children. Sure, as a kid I hated them because of how cruel they were, and because the kids in my village gave me a bad impression, but I love the little rug rats.”

She nodded, then turned toward him with a serious expression.

A moment later, she leaned closer and whispered so softly that only he could hear.

”Can you come by my tent tonight?”

Damon’s lips curled into a smile.

So she had only been acting tough earlier.

”Of course. But aren’t there too many prying eyes around? No worries, though. I move—”

He suddenly stopped.

”Wait a minute. I’m in a woman’s body. I can’t do anything.”

Before he could say anything else, Abellona had already walked away.

Damon watched her retreating figure before clicking his tongue.

”Tch. I really need to get my body back.”