Teaching Children Well

"Sasha, the food you brought today is not enough." Aura raised her head from the wild boar corpse that was only a skeleton left.

The power of the Holy Sword had weakened further by now. Although stepping outside the cave would still result in her being burned to ashes, Aura had regained full mobility within the cave.

Although she couldn't use magic, her demon body's sheer strength was more than enough to kill any beast in the mountains.

Sasha would lure the fierce mountain beasts into the cave. Her small body couldn't handle the thick-skinned, powerful beasts, but her flexibility was not weak. Once the beasts entered the cave, they would all become Aura's food.

"Even wild boars aren't enough?" Sasha had gained some weight from following Aura around. At least now she could occasionally eat some meat, although most of the time it was raw. But Aura would chew it up and feed it to her, not making Sasha suffer with her poor teeth worn down by coarse grains. The demon-chewed raw meat, mixed with her digestive fluids, was broken down enough for a human child to absorb.

"Yes, I'm still not full."

"But there aren't any animals bigger than wild boars on the mountain."

"There are."

Aura squinted and smiled, denying Sasha's words. The moment their eyes met, Sasha understood what Aura meant.

Sasha's innocent eyes widened as she exclaimed loudly, "But you can't eat people! Humans aren't supposed to eat humans!"

"Humans aren't supposed to eat humans, but monsters can."

"Aura… do you want to eat me too?"

"Sasha, you're my friend. I won't eat you."

"That's a relief! Thank you!"

Sasha patted her chest, comforting her heart that had been pounding with fear. She almost thought she was going to be eaten by her good friend.

Just a moment ago, Aura had fed her like a mother, yet the next second her gaze made it seem like she wanted to devour Sasha. But thankfully, it was just Sasha's imagination—haha.

"So, Sasha, as a friend, you wouldn't let your friend go hungry, would you?" Aura beguiled in an extremely gentle voice.

"...That's true."

"Bring the people you don't like here, I will help you get rid of them and make sure you never see them again."

"But killing is wrong, the Goddess doesn't allow it; she'll bring down punishment."

"I didn't kill them," Aura's eyes flashed with a wicked scheme, "although those animals were eaten by me, they didn't die."

"They didn't die?" Sasha's eyes widened.

"Yes, all the lives I eat go to heaven, which is a place without hatred, anger, or sadness. All happiness can be found there, and all sins can be forgiven in heaven. As long as they are eaten by me, they will go to the most beautiful place in the world~~"

"Sasha, Sasha, you wouldn't think that I, Aura, eat these poor creatures just because I'm hungry, right? Eating them and sending them to Heaven is the mission given to me by the Goddess. When I eat, I endure pain and sorrow, and I am fulfilling my duty!"

Sasha's eyes widened, her young mind struggling to process Aura's words.

She had been taught about the Goddess by her parents, but what Aura was saying seemed so different from what she remembered. Her parents had always spoken of kindness, forgiveness, and the sanctity of life. Yet, here was Aura, claiming that devouring these creatures was a divine mission.

Confusion clouded her thoughts as she tried to reconcile the demon's words with the teachings she had once known.

"It's to make the world a better place that I eat them," Aura continued, her voice gentle yet persuasive. She could see the doubt in Sasha's eyes, the way the young girl's pupils quivered as she tried to make sense of it all. Aura knew she was close to breaking through Sasha's resistance, and she pressed on, her tone soothing and motherly.

"Really… but…" Sasha's voice trembled as she spoke, her mind still grappling with the contradictions Aura was presenting.

The teachings of the Goddess that Sasha had clung to were her only anchor in a world filled with suffering and cruelty.

Her parents had been taken from her by violence, and she had been thrust into a life of hardship as a slave. The uncles and aunts who had been captured alongside her had never mentioned anything like what Aura was saying now. This was a far cry from the comforting words she had been taught, and it made her uneasy.

But Aura was quick to cut off Sasha's thoughts, sensing the girl's wavering resolve.

"No buts," she said firmly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she leaned in closer. "Those wounds on your body were caused by those people, right? They must be feeding on the pain of their own kind. I understand this desire very well... But, Sasha, you are so kind and don't want to curse them, so I have no choice but to let them all go to heaven."

"This way, they can find happiness that they couldn't have in this world, and you won't have to suffer anymore. Isn't this a perfect solution? What reason do you have to refuse?"

"Can I really…?" Sasha's innocent eyes sparkled, "A way for everyone to be happy."

Aura had observed Sasha closely during their time together. The girl had a habit of praying to the sky, her lips moving silently as she sought comfort from a distant, unseen deity.

Yet, when Aura had questioned her about the doctrines she believed in, Sasha had been unable to give a clear answer. It was likely that Sasha had been taken from a religious country, but because she was still so young, she had only learned the habit of praying without fully understanding the Goddess's will.

Such humans were the easiest to deceive.

With the inhuman appearance, the bewitching looks, and the utterly shameless lies and schemes that demons were known for, Aura had seen many of her kind do similar tricks in remote areas, pretending to be gods.

"Of course, I can make sure that everyone doesn't have to hurt each other~"

With deliberate slowness, Aura rose from the pile of bones she had been sitting on. Her movements were graceful, almost elegant, as she reached out with her bloodied hand and gently stroked Sasha's head. The touch was both tender and possessive, like a predator marking its prey.

"That's great, thank you Aura!"

Sasha was too young to understand the meaning behind Aura's smile, so she simply smiled back, unreservedly happy.

This was a kind of near-innocent cruelty.

————

The sound of horse hooves echoed sharply through the cold, still air, a stark contrast to the muffled silence of the snow-covered forest. The rider's frustration was palpable as he yanked on the reins, forcing his horse to a sudden halt near a thicket of bushes that stood as a natural barrier.

The man, burly and scarred, cursed under his breath as he dismounted, the leather armor he wore creaking slightly with the effort. He was not a regular soldier, lacking the disciplined air of one who served in an army. Instead, his brutish demeanor and the wild glint in his eyes marked him as a bandit—a man who had long abandoned any pretense of honor.

The snow crunched under his boots as he trudged into the bushes, his breath coming out in visible puffs of mist.

He spotted a small figure moving swiftly through the dense foliage ahead, and without hesitation, he drew a dagger from his belt. With a savage snarl, he hurled it toward the fleeing child, but the blade went wide, missing its mark and merely brushing past the top of Sasha's head as she ducked instinctively.

He angrily threw a dagger at the small figure moving not far away, but it went high, just brushing over Sasha's head.

"Don't let me catch you, little brat!" the bandit roared, his voice filled with venomous rage. "How dare you run away while I'm working? If I catch you, I'll break your hands!"

The thick snow on the ground made every step a challenge for the burly man. His large frame was ill-suited to maneuver through the dense, snow-laden undergrowth.

As he forced his way through, he found himself hindered by the thick vines and branches that snagged at his clothing and armor. With a growl of frustration, he began hacking at the obstacles with his sword, each swing sending clumps of snow and broken branches flying.

But every moment he spent clearing his path only allowed Sasha to widen the gap between them.

To his growing irritation, the bandit realized that the small slave girl, despite the chains on her hands and feet, was far more agile than her starved, weak appearance had suggested.

Sasha moved with surprising speed and dexterity, her small form slipping through narrow gaps in the undergrowth where the bandit's bulk could not follow without force.

"I'm sorry…"

Hearing Sasha's distant cries, the bandit grinned viciously.

"Hehe, is begging for mercy any use now? You've run so far, you must be very familiar with this area. Looks like we've been giving you too much free time. Slaves taken from a religious nation are always a pain, praying all the time to that nonexistent Goddess. Why doesn't that bitch show up in the village to save you?"

"I'm sorry…" Sasha's voice echoed through the trees once more, but it was clear she wasn't stopping. The bandit pushed on, hacking through the last of the vines as he continued his relentless pursuit.

Sasha turned several corners, moving with the familiarity of someone who knew the terrain well. The bandit, determined not to lose his prey, followed closely behind, his breath coming in harsh, labored gasps in the frigid air.

As he rounded the final bend, the dense forest suddenly opened up into a flat, snow-covered clearing. The sudden shift in the landscape was disorienting, and the bandit hesitated for a moment, taking in his surroundings.

The clearing had an eerie stillness to it, the snow here untouched by any tracks except those of Sasha's small feet.

The surrounding plants seemed to shy away from the open space, their branches heavy with snow and ice, creating a natural border around the clearing.

There was an inexplicable smell in the air—something faintly metallic, almost like blood, but colder and sharper, mingling with the crisp scent of snow.

The bandit's eyes narrowed as he spotted Sasha's figure dashing towards a cave that was partially hidden in the mountainside at the edge of the clearing.

The cave's entrance was dark and foreboding, framed by thick icicles that hung like jagged teeth. Despite the ominous appearance, the bandit's confidence did not waver.

If a little girl dared to enter the cave, what did a strong, battle-hardened man like him have to fear?

Finally, at the cave's end, he cornered her. The darkness of the cave seemed to press in around them, the air heavy with an unsettling quiet.

Sasha turned to face him, her small body trembling as she backed into the cold stone wall. Tears streamed down her face, her wide eyes filled with fear and despair as she apologized profusely to the bandit.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… Sasha didn't mean to…"

"What are you looking at?" 

The bandit, towering over her, sneered down at the trembling child. He looked around the dark cave, squinting as his eyes struggled to adjust from the blinding white of the snow-covered landscape outside to the deep shadows within. The dim light made it difficult to see, but his anger was not dimmed in the slightest.

"What are you looking at?" he snarled, his voice dripping with contempt. He took a threatening step closer to Sasha, his heavy boots crunching on the gritty floor of the cave. "I ask you, what are you looking at? What's that look in your eyes?" His voice rose in fury, each word seething with venom. "If I catch you, you'll be the one who'll die, not me! Your expression is really annoying, so I'll just kill you here. You're just a slave anyway. I'll take your head back with me so that other slaves can learn from it."

With a grim determination, the bandit drew his curved knife, its dull blade reflecting the faint light filtering in from the cave's entrance. His massive body loomed over Sasha, casting a dark shadow that swallowed her tiny form.

He raised the knife, ready to strike, but before he could move, he noticed Sasha's lips moving, her voice soft and almost melodic as she prayed:

"I'm sorry… Sasha doesn't want to suffer, and I don't want Master to suffer… so please, Master, go to Heaven…"

"Are you cursing me?!"

"It's not a curse, it's a blessing."

The bandit's eyes widened in fury, but Sasha's gaze remained innocent and pure.

Smack—

The two fleshy palms came together and smashed the bandit's head. Blood splattered across the cave, droplets spraying onto Sasha's pale, innocent face, but she did not flinch. The bandit's body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, his head a crushed mess of bone and flesh.

"Sasha, do you want to eat?" Aura squatted down, tearing off a dirty piece of scalp, picked out a whole white piece and putting it in her mouth, savoring it. She looked up at Sasha and offered.

"No."

"Then I'll eat alone."

Aura paid no more attention to Sasha and continued devouring the bandit. It had been a long time since she had tasted human flesh, so she had to savor it thoroughly, even cleaning the bones.

"Aura, are you still hungry?"

"Hmm?"

"There are many more people behind us who need to go to Heaven."

"Alright…~"

Human children are truly cruel.

Aura grinned.

This was wonderful. She had never had such a bountiful feast.

"Come, Sasha, let them all in—I can eat only the parts I like, and even if I don't eat them all, they can still go to Heaven."

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For this bonus chapter, it will be released every time 200 power stones are reached. As you can see, each chapter is getting longer, with double the word count compared to those in volume 1. So, please give me more stones!!!