It’s me, I’m the treasure.

During his youth, Mikael was well known for having a bright head on top of having a handsome face. This caused many men to be jealous and women to fall for him, but after the misfortune that struck his family, these traits were forced into the background as he worked in physical labor.

Ultimately, although not on a genius level, Mikael was smart.

And even in death, his brain generated ideas at full speed like a well-oiled machine.

"Uhh… Mister? Are you still here? Hello?" the boy waved his hands in the air.

This jolted Mikael back to reality, "Yes, yes… By the way, what's your name?"

"Ah! My name is George. How about you, mister?"

"I'm Mikael."

After the awkward introduction, Mikael went straight to the point, "Uhm… George, I have a favor to ask…"

"What is it, Sir Mikael? I'll do anything to return the favor of saving my life!" the kid enthusiastically said.

"Tsk! You shouldn't make promises like that without first knowing the favor. What if I was a real demon? You'll get yourself in trouble, kid." Mikael admonished, "Anyway, I want you and your friends to spread that rumor about me."

"Huh? Wouldn't that be bad for you, sir?" George tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh, It would be. If we left it alone. But I want you to add something…"

The child's mischievous eyes gleamed with excitement. Mikael thought he really looked like a boy with 8th grader syndrome playing an agent with a mission.

"I want you to tell the people that I'm guarding a treasure and only the worthy will obtain it."

"Woah! Seriously? Was there a treasure in the orphanage?"

"Yes. it's me. I'm the treasure." Mikael smugly declared.

Unimpressed, the kid rolled his eyes, "I didn't know you were this kind of character, sir…"

Mikael blushed and hurriedly defended his shameless remark, "Well, think about it! If they passed my test, the one to form a contract with me will get himself a guardian angel! If that's not a treasure, then what is?"

"Sure, Sure. I'll tell the others to do it tomorrow. But what kind of test are you planning, sir?"

"A test of courage."

On Earth, lots of thrill-seekers did tests of courage on abandoned buildings, hoping to get a glimpse of ghosts and since he was now a poltergeist, Mikael deemed this test appropriate for his class.

"Ooh! That sounds exciting!"

"Of course, it is! Now I gotta go and prepare for the test. Sleep tight and treat your mom nicely!"

Mikael sped back to the orphanage.

He gazed at the building's façade and smiled contentedly, 'Yes, this is it! This spooky aura and ominous wind that seems to have a mind of its own! It's perfect for a test of courage.'

But as he entered, Mikael bumped into an unexpected problem. – the interior was too clean!

Gone were the greasy windows and bloody floors; His two weeks of boredom remodeled the place to look like someone actually lived in it!

'This won't do! Creepier… it has to be creepier!'

Mikael recalled all the horror movies he had ever watched – the classics of 'The Ring', 'The Grudge', 'Paranormal Activity' – they had one thing in common: Vandalism on the walls and messy rooms.

'The kids are in charge of the promotion and I, the direction…'

"The setting itself should invoke fear." Mikael began his preparations. He gathered red berries from the forest and extracted their juices.

Splash!

He sputtered the walls with red juice to imitate blood. He collected the toys and placed them at strategic locations. He also captured the murder of crows and kept them in a locked room, feeding them rabbits that he hunted in the forest.

As he decorated his lair, Mikael thought of the qualities that he wanted his partner to have.

'My partner should have the makings of a hero. An ally of justice who will feed me with good Karma.'

He held up his index finger to count, 'First of all, it should be a guy. I'm not sure what kind of society this world has but from the looks of it, it's patriarchal. Meaning, women would have limited chances of getting involved with politics or military. They might not even be allowed to enter knighthood.'

Mikael knew these prejudices may put him in trouble sooner or later, but from historical accounts of Earth, women have always been oppressed and robbed of chances to prove themselves. As such, Mikael had no intention of going down that hard road.

Another finger unfolded as Mikael floated above the office desk, 'He should also be strong enough to fend for himself. I don't want to babysit some kid who gets in trouble due to his morals'

'Most importantly, he should be ambitious. So the both of us can climb greater heights since a man of high position must have a luxurious life.' Contrary to his initial reluctance to form a contract, Mikael was now anticipating his partner's life.

As someone who lived miserably in his last few years, Mikael felt a strong aversion to poverty, 'Nope. I don't want someone who has to work his ass off to feed himself. If I can possess my partner, then I want the experience to be pleasurable. I want to eat delicious food and sleep in a soft bed.'

Noticing that his list was getting longer, Mikael suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! Are my standards perhaps too high?"

At dawn, the orphanage was revamped to look like a proper haunted house.

But it was only after a week that visitors started to appear.

The bored Mikael, who was lounging lazily on top of a nearby tree branch, excitedly drifted toward the group.

"Do you think it's real?" one of the three men asked.

"Which one? The demon or the treasure?" another answered.

"Both. They say the demon massacred hundreds of goblins in one night… think it'll kill us?" the man trembled in fear.

'Hmm… not enough courage. That guy's out.' Mikael judged like an interviewer crossing out job applicants.

"If you're scared, just go back! I need that treasure. I'm sick and tired of subjugating monsters for a few coins."

'A guy. Check. Subjugates monsters so probably strong… check. But he's poor. Nope. You're also out.'

"Enough. We're already here so get yer asses up and go back to position!" the leader barked.

'Oh! This one looks promising.'

The trio entered.

Creee… bam!

Mikael slammed the door shut, startling his guests.

"You want my treasure? But only one of you may receive it…" He whispered to the leader.

The leader's stone face momentarily flinched, "I heard you are a demon."

"Oh yes, I am. So, what are you going to do about it?" Mikael was clearly enjoying his little show.

"Fight us! If we beat you, give us the treasure!" the leader challenged.

Meanwhile, his two companions nervously asked him, "W-who are you talking to?"

"Huh? Can't you hear the voice?" the leader turned to look at them.

"Nope. You're the only one who can hear me." Mikael answered before adding, "They can't hear me. Can't even see me… then, how will you fight?"

Seeing his guests turn silent, Mikael talked to each member and gave them a choice, "I'll give you a chance. Pick one member who will stay and I will grant him the treasure."

The three men glanced at each other with hungry eyes, each of them swallowed by greed.

'Me… the one to stay should be me!' they all thought.

The men inconspicuously held their weapons and sounded the others out, waiting for a chance to attack.

Mikael was sad. After almost a month of staying in the darkness, Mikael desperately longed for sunlight. He feared that staying too long in the dark may cause him depression, as his psychologist often warned him.

As such, he was now eager to find a partner thus, he proposed this test to see how the three will react. He knew that a person's true nature comes out in these kinds of situations and he had hoped that the leader would not show his ugly avarice but alas, he turned out to be a great disappointment.

Before the three could start a fight, Mikael controlled the heavy dining table and pushed the trio out of his lair.

"Wh-What's happening?!" the leader shouted.

"You failed," Mikael answered as he threw the men out and tightly shut the front door.

--Chapter end--