In the brightly lit room, only a humanoid shadow entered my sight.

…

"Would you have time to sign all of these documents if you stare at me all day like this?"

Snapping out of my trance, I looked at the runes lighting up the ceiling.

They are still lit up, so that means..

"You sure know how to control yourself when you know someone is listening huh."

"Control myself?"

"I was here for about 5 minutes listening to you mumbling to yourself before you noticed me…"

I was mumbling?.. oh, he did tell me to "run away" didn't he? Was I really mumbling so much?

"So.. what do you want?"

"No panic? What about your guards?"

Even if I wasn't fully able to read his expression, I could still hear the disappointed tone in his voice.

"The anti demon runes don't work on you, which means you are either using a fake body or you are strong enough to withstand anti demon runes used by the royal family, panicking would be pointless either way."

"Those are anti demon runes? I guess I should've come here much earlier."

With a wide smile on his face, he said so, amused.

Is he blind? Or just stupid?

"Again.. what do you want?"

"Hmm, well, I was trying to find a few things, but I gave up on searching for them myself already."

Giving me a mischievous look, he continued.

"How about you help me find them? I pay well…"

"Pay well? You sound like one of those demons from old stories who temp humans into a pact, only to eat their essence later."

"Well, I would say it's more likely for these stories to sound like me than for the opposite to happen. And besides, you're thinking about this way too simply…

I do not "tempt" humans to "eat" their essence, I do it because I'm bored."

Am I really the one thinking simply, when he is the one tempting humans to what is likely their deaths, only to quell his boredom? But.. if I had this much power… Would I not do anything to run away from the boredom here?

What if this whole world was boring. Colorless and soundless. No. I have seen it, Something beautiful in my dreams, even if it wasn't exactly colorful… Right… were they not only dreams in the end? Will I ever see beauty in this colorless world…?

The demon is still here.. it's no time for a poem.

As I looked back at the demon, his expression looked serene. Calmly and quietly, he was waiting for me to finish my thoughts, unlike the cheeky, blind and stupid demon I've seen before, it was as if he was an angel, watching over me.

"So.. what even are the things you want me to find?"

"You'll know when you give me your answer, a positive one of course."

Even his tone is soft… Is he really committing to this angel play?

"If you treat questions about your request like this, would anybody take it seriously?"

As soon as I uttered the question, it was as if the demon's switch flipped. His expression quickly turned smug, and any trace of his angel play was wiped off.

"It seems you are severely overestimating mortals, including yourself. Some would sell their family and friends for the smallest scraps of gold, while others would gladly sacrifice their souls if it would mean they can get revenge on someone they hate.

And you aren't any different from them, are you? You have something you desire just as badly, whether it be real or not."

Looking at him with shock, I felt the slightest bit of excitement, and yet I was also disappointed. I would never do anything for a demon for simple revenge or money.

Perhaps realizing what I was thinking, the demon looked at me with amusement.

"What has it been, three nights? Since you started seeing them, the lights in your dreams."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

…My head went blank. Unable to look away from the shadow, my thoughts fired out of my head with no pattern or logic. It was hard to think about anything other than what he had just said.

"How.. do you know?"

"Don't you have a different question?"

"...Is it possible to get there?"

"It is. Didn't I tell you? I pay well."

I can imagine it. Waking up to a vast and dark sky, filled with little shining lights dotting it like decorations. Every day I would be able to notice a bit more of them, until I eventually move on to observe different parts of the sky.

But no matter how many times I observe these jewels, I would always see a different part of them. Day and night I would be filled with joy, observing a different beauty of this world from what is surely its source, and no day would be the same, endlessly working under an unmoving sky.

All I need to do for this future is to help the figure in front of me find some things, and then I would.. I…

*knock knock*

"...It's open. Ah!-"

Looking at my desk again the demon wasn't there anymore, as if he disappeared into nothingness.

Right, he was a demon, not some guardian angel of mine. I can't forget it.

"Your highness?"

Looking at the door again, I saw the old butler from this morning, looking even more discouraged than before.

"Albert, was it? What do you want?"

"Prince Rogier has ordered me to deliver this letter to you."

"Right, he did tell me about a letter. Who is it from?"

"..."

Not even an answer?

"Just give it to me and leave."

Quickly giving me a well decorated letter, he was about to leave…

"Oh, wait."

Standing there with his hand on the door, he didn't even try to hide his sourness.

"No nevermind."

After one last angry look, he quickly left.

That demon knows something about those lights I keep dreaming about, so maybe I shouldn't call the guards on him just yet. After all, one demon being in the palace probably isn't going to start "deepening the cracks of the sun", whatever that means.

With some complicated feelings, I opened the letter, and after reading only the first few lines, a smile quickly adorned my face.

'To his highness prince Dhaar. We hope the war has not been dragging on you too much, and this letter finds you in a good mood. As you know, like your brothers before you, you are formally invited to partake in anti demon lessons organized by the secondary military of Draxus. On the 26th of the 9th month of the year 5674, guides of our academy will arrive to take you there. We are hoping you arrive safely and without accident. Commander Selor Mare.'

Finally, and it's tomorrow too? Are they rushing me in because of the war?

But should it really be called rushing me in if I should have gone there ages ago? Either way, if there is one thing I can thank these blue bloods for now, it is starting that war.

"So your name is Dhaar?"

Looking behind me, that demon was there peeking at the letter.

"You're still here?"

"You still haven't answered my offer."

"...I'll think about it. And are you asking me to find these 'things' because you are blind? Otherwise why wouldn't you find them yourself."

"I already told you, I am doing it out of boredom, so you could see my offer as lending a hand to some poor soul in need… And aren't you the blind one considering you haven't noticed anything but the lights for the three nights you have been there?"

"That isn't me being blind.. It's more like 'selective eyesight'. Can you say the same about you not seeing the anti demon runes, considering even the slightest trace of white light is a big danger sign to other demons?"

"I saw the runes, I just didn't know they were white."

"How?? No.. it doesn't matter."

As a sigh escaped my lips, I decided to go about it differently.

"Tell me your name, you know mine now after all."

"Oh, a name? Hmm… how about… Par? Haha, yeah, Par sounds nice."

Par? The way he said it… What's the use of a fake name to a demon?

"Well, Par, since you don't seem to know, I'm Dhaar, the 5th prince of Draxus, and you are in the royal palace."

"5th? I know all of the other stuff, but I do have a few questions."

"You. Have questions."

"Yes, I do."

"No, it was… nevermind… what are they."

With a small laugh he asked-

"Was that guy your servant? He looked pretty mad."

"You saw it? Well, I had a bit of a.. fight with his coworker yesterday, and I don't have any personal servants, he is my brother's."

"I see, and why would a prince go to the military? Is your brother getting rid of you?"

The demon said, ending his question with an amused smile.

"I won't be joining the military itself, only some anti demon fighting lessons organized for nobles. All of my brothers learned there, I'm just going a bit later than usual."

"Later than usual? I hope you fight hard enough against your talented juniors, or it won't be fun at all to watch an elder compete with the air."

Letting out a tired sigh like an old man, his expression was full of expectation… Is he treating me like a clown?

"...I'm not that old, I doubt any of them will even come close to me either way, considering I'm a hornless demon in their eyes. And are you really planning to follow me there?"

"I'm planning to follow you until you give me an answer, so try making it more fun for me to watch you, okay?"

"More fun?? Who asked you to watch me in the first place you blind dimwit!"

"Like that! Like that!"

Clapping his hands like it was the end of a performance, he laughed like I was the funniest clown he'd ever seen.

Ah. Did I really lose my cool over that…?

"phew… Well that sure was a good laugh, but I have some things to do now, so I'll see you later, old man Dhaar!"

Quickly disappearing into himself, the demon Par was gone from my sight.

"Old man? I'm only 23.. That damn demon."

Grinding my teeth, I felt like the days would start becoming a bit more tiring from now on. And a bit more fun as well…