Mammon arrived back to his dingy hovel after returning to the form Wren was so smitten with. Mortals were so oddly conscious about physical appearances, so much so that changing one's guise would result in a completely different social experience, and the demon never understood that facet of the human condition. Either way, it would be prudent to keep up with appearances with Wren. The demon was starting to get used to having the child around, he was useful for the odd chore here and now. The boy delivered on the promise of food, and much to Mammon’s surprise, Wren didn’t appear to have skimped out on his spending. Sure the tiny portions of street food would hardly attract the appetites of even the lowliest of Gluttony demons had he been back on Earth, but the assortment of kabobs, fried dough, and honeyed dates was a refreshing take nonetheless.

“Welcome back, Mona!” the boy said with a smile, clearly proud of his accomplishments.

Good, let the boy indulge in some of the lesser Sins like Pride for now, that never hurt, and loathe to acknowledge it, Mammon knew they were useful traits for a growing warlord or emperor-to-be to have. In fact, with Mammon’s new soul, maybe he could even branch out to the other Sins as well, although he knew that Greed would still be at the center of his existence, no matter how much he’d change.

Once again, those would be things to look forward to in the future. There were still so many things that Mammon had to do before he could even think of making the boy anything other than a street urchin. But at least the demon had secured enough money to move out of this horrible damp cellar and into something even remotely respectable. A step up, even a tiny one, was a change in the right direction.

But first, he had some things to clarify with the boy. Mammon cleaned up a small area near the spot where he had slept and carefully placed the pouch of coins down on the ground. He wished there was, well, any furnishings at all here, but alas, the ground had to do. Wren had all but abandoned his food when he saw the five stacks of glinting gold coins.

The boy was speechless for a few moments, almost unable to comprehend the money in front of him. Well, Mammon supposed that he would have to get the boy used to seeing much more wealth in the future. Eventually, or so the demon hoped, Wren would be so unimpressed with physical money that he’d pass by chump change like this without a second thought. Financial wealth was just a means to power and power is where Greed truly came into being.

“I have a question for you, little lordling,” Mammon said, “Now as an elemental, I’m not too well versed with money, we didn’t really have any in our home, but I can assume from your reaction that this is a substantial amount of coin, right?”

Wren nodded. “Yeah! It’s… I’ve never seen so much money in one place before, not even the leaders have so much!”

Mammon smiled. “I see. That’s good to know. Do you know how much the average citizen makes in a year? Like the local butcher or shop owner I mean.”

The boy frowned and shook his head. “Um, I’m not too sure, but the coin purses that people carry never have gold in it. It’s mostly just iron and some silver, but I heard some of the others say they’ve found more before. Sorry again… I know I’m not helping much.”

Well, the demon didn’t expect much worldly knowledge from a child, much less a beggar child to begin with, but he would have liked it if Wren knew much of anything about the world he inhabited. So far, from what Mammon was able to uncover in the day and a half they’ve spent together, the boy knew scarcely more than the few alleyways and streets that he resided in. The CEO of Hell did say that he wanted a challenge, and fixing Wren’s certainly one of the bigger challenges that he’s been presented with, so he supposed he couldn't complain too much.

“That’s okay, Wren,” the demon said with a casual lie, “But remember this helplessness, and remember it well. This feeling will serve as motivation for you to improve. You still want to do that, right?”

The boy’s soul surged with determination, nourishing Mammon’s own in turn. Now, although the boy lacked in many worldly aspects, he did not lack in drive and ambition. Mammon wouldn't know what to do if he lacked even that, so he was thankful for the little things.

Mammon nodded. “Alright, that’s enough talk for now. Let’s eat the food you bought before it gets cold, and then we can find you some proper clothing, and perhaps a bath as well. We can’t have you filthy and dressed in rags with me around! Like I said, Wren, I’ll make a lordling out of you yet.”

The boy looked down at his skinny, soot-covered skin and even filthier clothing before returning to look at the demon in skepticism. Mammon saw that the boy didn’t believe his words, not really, but Wren wisely chose to keep those thoughts to himself. That was already a noticeable improvement from the clinically shy lad that the demon had met on the first day. He didn’t believe in himself quite yet, but he held faith in Mammon at the very least.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

“Take one of the piles of coins, Wren,” Mammon instructed, shoving one of the neatly stacked rows over, “That one is all yours.” The boy looked like he would protest but the demon quickly cut him off. “You’ll need to learn how to use the money if you’re to help me in the future, and it’s fine if you waste a small sum. That much we can always earn back ourselves.”

Wren closed his mouth before hesitantly nodding his head. He grabbed the coins, picking each piece of metal gingerly before stashing them away in a small dirty cloth pouch. He placed them securely next to his notebook before pulling it out again to recount. It almost seemed like he was afraid that they’d disappear if he looked away for a second. Mammon chuckled to himself before stashing his share of money away as well.

The two of them finished the food in record time, Wren was unusually quiet for most of the meal as his mind raced about. Mammon gave the child some time to digest his new wealth, to allow his young brain to daydream about all the possibilities that money could bring, and most importantly, to want more. From the influx of growth that his Soul-Seed had experienced ever since Mammon shared his loot, it seemed like the boy was doing just that.

The next few hours were a blur of motion; it was nothing but tedium for Mammon, but a life-altering experience for the young boy. Mammon had managed to remove most of the grime and filth from the boy with some heated river water - courtesy of Mammon’s meager infernal powers - before paying a few coins to get the boy properly washed in a bathhouse. The demon even hired someone there to make sure the boy was properly scrubbed and soaped.

Half an hour later a slightly red Wren appeared outside. Although his clothing still looked like the rags someone would clean their floors with, the boy himself was at least thoroughly clean. To Mammon’s surprise, he actually had mousy brown hair instead of the black that Mammon thought he had. The demon supposed that he’d grow up to be quite the looker in the future if he had some proper food in his system.

The next thing they had to do was get the boy dressed. That proved to be a bigger challenge than he thought since few high-end boutiques would allow the child inside at all. Mammon had to guess Wren’s size and buy something for him to wear first before the child could be presentable enough to enter stores for himself. But all of that hassle was worth it. For one, Wren did look like a lordling by the end of all their spending, a poor minor lordling, but at least someone who wouldn’t be overlooked when he walked down the street. His time spent at night and in hidden alleyways had even kept his skin pristine and white, an enviable trait for any young noble.

Mammon had dressed the boy in dark leathers and furs. A modest cloak of white fur accented the leathers, while a comfortable set of trousers clung close to his body. He now had an air of dignity to him, well, some of the time at least. He was still much too shy to pass as a properly pampered noble, but that can be worked on later.

Wren’s clothing looked too light for the cold weather, but this world’s enchantments and strange magicks ensured that its people would be properly insulated regardless of what they were wearing. It cost a few gold coins to get, and Mammon was told that they’d need regular servicing down the line, but such a tiny amount of investment for comfort was a small price to pay.

Wren, of course, didn’t see it that way. He had tried to complain about all the extravagant spending, done for his sake no less before Mammon convinced him of the necessity of physical appearances. He couldn’t expect to do much dressed like a street urchin, and eventually, the boy had relented, trusting the demon to know best. By the end of that day, Wren didn’t even bat an eye when Mammon spent almost three gold coins just on shoes that would be completely waterproof. Good, the demon thought, the boy’s education was going along nicely.

“The last thing we need to do,” Mammon said to Wren as they made their way back to the dingy basement, “Is to get us a proper base of operations.”

The boy looked at the place he used to consider a luxury, then peered down at his new pristine clothing, before nodding. “You’re right, Mona… sorry for making you stay here for so long. Let’s go get something better right now!”

The demon chuckled at the boy’s enthusiasm. That was an improvement from his sulking attitude when they were spending, although he was still a little too stupid for Mammon’s liking. Mammon shook his head. “No, it’s the middle of the night right now, remember? Some street stalls might be open, but I doubt any housing establishments would be operating at this hour. We’ll go first thing in the morning.”

Another blush before Wren nodded. “Sorry…”

“And enough apologizing, little lordling,” Mammon said with a sigh, “You’re starting your journey to better yourself, and you have to remember that those in power don’t apologize.”

“Even when they do something wrong?”

Mammon nodded solemnly. “Especially then. Remember, you are to be a leader amongst men, someone that others look up to for guidance. If you apologize, then it shows the people who look up to you that you are unsure." The demon stared at the boy hard in the eyes. "It would show that you are weak. Now that might be the case, but showing weakness to your supporters would only bring them unease. It will make them doubt themselves because they had put their trust in you to lead them. Apologizing will lead to the suffering of everyone, including yourself, so remember that well.”

Wren mulled over the words for a while before muttering, “So because I’m going to be strong, I’ll have to make sure that people always think I’m strong so that they can believe in themselves, right?”

That was an awfully simplified and flawed way of thinking, but the demon couldn’t expect much else from an ignorant child. Instead, Mammon nodded softly. “That’s exactly it! Sometimes it’s better to lie, just a tiny bit so that others will have the strength to continue. Remember that lesson well, little lordling.”

“I think I understand…” he replied, “I’ll try to meet your expectations, Mona!”

“Perfect, now get some sleep for now. We have a big day ahead of us, and it’ll be the official start of your transformation, and of your revenge.”