Ash could do little about the fact that they could only use primitive methods to treat wounds. He could only be grateful that demons had resilient bodies and endure it for now.
Fortunately, he had grown accustomed to enduring pain since childhood.
"…Though I hate having to get used to something like this."
As Ash sat by the riverbank, washing the blood off his body, he felt frustrated despite accepting the reality.
Behind him, Aura, soaked in water as she cleaned the bloodstains, let her long pink hair flow freely and said:
"I'm saying~ Ash, can you not talk about things you hate behind my back? Isn't my body pretty nice?"
"Don't talk nonsense. Your body… uh, it's hard for me to judge."
Ash had been staring at the bloodstains in the water, but without realizing it, he looked up and saw the young girl striking a seductive pose in the water.
Though only fourteen and small in stature, Aura's body had already begun to develop, giving him slight hope for her future growth.
But as someone who had watched her grow up since childhood, Ash only felt the urge to kick the girl wiggling her butt in the water and send her to the riverbed to drink the water.
However, since she was always teasing him and bossing him around, he should be nice to her occasionally, right? With that thought, he quietly averted his gaze, no longer looking at the annoying creature.
"This…" At that moment, Aura noticed his reaction. She placed her index finger on her lips, tilted her head, and thought for a moment. Then, a bright smile spread across her face:
"—Aha~ I get it! This is called being shy, right?"
"…Yeah, yeah, I'm shy."
(Demons are said to have cold and selfish emotions. Aura is selfish, but why are her emotions so vivid? Is this the result of upbringing? Is it because my influence was different from what a normal demon would provide?)
Ash tried hard to think of something else while covering his face with one hand to avoid scolding the smug creature. He even took all the credit for himself, but…
"I really don't understand how I ended up raising such an annoying creature…"
"I'm saying, Ash, you sometimes judge me way too harshly… Do you actually hate me?"
"No way. You're my dear little sister."
"Really? But your face shows no expression at all. Is this the attitude you're supposed to show toward someone you love?" Aura stepped out of the water, closely observing Ash, who spoke those words flatly and without expression, looking puzzled.
Unfortunately, Ash had no intention of responding. He didn't even want to comment on the strange phrase "someone you love." He simply washed his hands with the cold river water, stood up, and walked toward the bushes they had come from. Without looking back, he said:
"…Done? If you are, let's go home. If not, the meat will be taken by wild beasts or monsters."
"Ugh~ Ash, you're so boring."
"Show some respect to your big brother, jerk."
"I'd love to show respect, but you barely show any care or affection for your little sister. Besides, who calls their dear sister a 'creature' and a 'jerk'?"
"Humans do that too, you know."
"Huh? Really?" Aura immediately showed a surprised expression. Following Ash instinctively, she said thoughtfully:
"Humans are so barbaric, Ash. You're a demon, how could you copy those barbaric people??"
"…"
(What should I do? This creature actually believes it. Should I tell her the truth? Nah, this is pretty amusing, let's just leave it at that.)
Ash walked ahead, covering his face and feeling annoyed for a moment… then promptly ignored the issue.
After all, it wasn't a big deal, so it was better not to overthink it. He'd figure out a solution when something went wrong.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
After Ash and his quirky little sister spent another joyful year in the forest,
Without protection, Aura, who actually lacked sufficient combat strength, surprisingly built an army of nearly a hundred beasts and monsters under her control with Ash's help and the creatures she tamed.
Over the years, the two had become familiar with the forest's layout. They traversed the dense woods and quickly reached a human village near the mountains.
There was no resistance. The controlled army surged forward with the force of an avalanche, occupying the village without spilling a single drop of blood.
Looking at the villagers gathered in the center, trembling in fear, Aura proudly declared without a hint of shame:
"—Starting today! We are your masters!"
"Starting today! You'll have to cook for us!" Ash immediately chimed in, revealing his greatest desire at the moment.
This left Aura slightly stunned. "…Ash, don't you have any ambition? Shouldn't we be killing them?"
"What are you talking about? Isn't it great if someone cooks for us? Or do you want to cook for me with your own hands?"
"—Of course we'll let them live! Even though they're barbaric humans, they still have value."
Though her base instinct was to kill, Aura's desire to avoid work and her memories of being bossed around and treated harshly by Ash over the years made her instantly suppress her instincts.
Seeing the demons leading nearly a hundred beasts and monsters, about ten hunters initially wanted to resist. But Ash raised his hand, creating a gravitational force that brought them all crashing to the ground. The others could only surrender in despair.
However, their conversation gave the villagers a glimmer of hope. Ash stepped forward at the right moment.
"Everyone, don't worry, we're good people… No, good demons… Wait, that's not right either. Uh… Basically, we're nice demons."
How did humans in this world view demons? Ash, interacting with humans for the first time, looked at the people below him and felt a bit confused.
Though that damned system allowed him to grow stronger through killing, the actual effects of the wishes were hard to grasp. Moreover, if he went on a killing spree, he feared he'd be labeled a Demon King prematurely. He also didn't like unnecessary slaughter, so for now, he chose to develop quietly.