THE HERO'S SON IS A MONSTER-Chapter 42: Lubally time 3

Ariane and the Ruler of Pandemonium had engaged in another discussion.

"It’s not like it was useful anyway."

"For beings like us, the appearance we have is just the way the world perceives us. It might not have anything to do with it, but it’s a way of saying that it’s irrelevant!"

"Hey, I’m a woman!" Ariane declared, throwing a suspicious glance at the ruler of Pandemonium. The latter rolled her eyes behind her mask.

"A child, you mean?"

"Say that again, sloth!" Ariane displayed a defiant expression toward the ruler of Pandemonium. The ruler of Pandemonium raised her hands in surrender, not particularly eager to mock Ariane.

"On another note, this place is still just as bizarre."

She was talking about Ariane’s castle.

The room, which had been cracked everywhere, no longer had a single fissure as if the damage had simply been erased!

It reminded her of Hêlêl’s castle. But well, Hêlêl’s castle was kind of disgusting—not to mock him, of course. Everyone has their tastes. Why am I even justifying myself?

"Kid, come here!"

The child remained calm, not reacting at all to the ruler of Pandemonium’s call.

"Hmm."

The problem with the two of them was that neither knew how a baby, similar to human children, actually functioned. Technically, Ariane should have had more experience due to her research, but since she spent all her time sorting her memory and delegating certain tasks, both of them had completely lost all common sense. And the fact that the child was strange didn’t help.

"He’s still just a child. Don’t expect too much. Besides, we’ve already made good progress!"

"I think that..."

"Oh."

"???"

"I’ve run out of time," the ruler of Pandemonium affirmed.

Her body began to crumble, transforming into particles. Even though she could leave Pandemonium freely, unlike demons, she couldn’t bypass certain rules. The body she was using now had reached its limit.

"Tch, I spent so much time rambling that I forgot he was supposed to come with me. But now it’s too late."

"No, you weren’t supposed to do it in the first place. I didn’t go through all this trouble for you to turn him into a spiritual entity and lock him in that prison."

Ariane stared at the particles evaporating into the air in silence, arms crossed, an unreadable expression on her face. She never liked this, no matter how many times she witnessed these moments. She never got used to it.

The ruler of Pandemonium—her relationship with the ruler of Pandemonium was hard to define, but what she felt was not.

The strongest feeling she had was loneliness.

The ruler of Pandemonium had returned to Pandemonium, and Ariane knew she would be back soon.

The child, on the other hand, didn’t move. He hadn’t reacted to anything so far and clearly had no intention of starting now. His gaze remained empty, fixed on the space where the ruler of Pandemonium had stood moments before.

Ariane sighed and knelt to his height.

"Alright, so what do you want to do now?"

The child didn’t answer, but a slight shiver ran down his spine. Ariane noticed the tremor. So, he could still feel something. She narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair slightly.

"Don’t worry, you’re not alone, kid. Want to help me?"

Silence filled the room before an echo resonated—a familiar voice laced with irritation.

"I was gone for barely a minute, and you’re already acting like a big sister, Lady Ariane?"

Ariane stood up abruptly, her gaze locking onto a silhouette appearing at the room’s threshold. She immediately recognized the presence of Eresheb, one of her creations. She often regretted creating something like her. Eresheb’s long black hair cascaded around her face, and her deep violet eyes gleamed with restrained submission.

Ariane’s moving castle was always in motion, but that didn’t mean it was impossible to find or enter—it was just no easy task. However, for Eresheb and the others, this wasn’t a problem. They all had a device that allowed them to track the castle’s direction and a unique protocol that granted them access.

Ariane no longer concerned herself with such things. The only reason she had been surprised by Eresheb’s return was that she had become careless.

"Eresheb..." Ariane narrowed her eyes.

Eresheb had a tendency to unconsciously mimic the ruler of Pandemonium since she was designed to imitate her. But of course, to Ariane, she was a failure and her greatest sin. To put it simply, Eresheb was an unwanted child.

"What are you doing here?"

Eresheb advanced slowly, a smirk playing on her lips. "I came to retrieve what that other idiot left behind."

Ariane recalled that she had entrusted a mission to Eresheb and her brother, but she hadn’t expected Eresheb to return so soon.

Eresheb’s gaze fell on the child, and a flicker of interest crossed her eyes.

"So, who is he? A new experiment from Lady Ariane?" That habit of calling her ’Lady’ like the ruler of Pandemonium did made Ariane grit her teeth. Honestly, she found it cringe, but she didn’t hold it against Eresheb, which is why she rarely corrected her on it.

Most of the creatures that could be found in the moving castle were either the result of Ariane’s experiments or new test subjects. Eresheb didn’t recognize this child, which explained his surprise.

Ariane instinctively positioned herself between Eresheb and the child.

"Don’t get too close, Eresheb. He’s not yours."

The smirk vanished from Eresheb’s face. Just as she thought, her mother didn’t love her. She knew it, but it was always hard to bear.

"Oh, Lady Ariane, still so protective... but tell me, what exactly do you plan to do with him? You can’t keep him here forever. The atmosphere of this place doesn’t suit him."

Ariane clenched her teeth. She hadn’t yet figured out the next step, but she refused to let Eresheb handle it. Her pride wouldn’t allow it. She would take care of the child herself.

Eresheb, her face slightly disappointed, seemed to read her thoughts and crossed her arms.

The child finally lifted his eyes toward Ariane, as if waiting for her to decide for him.

She sighed.

"I’ll explain later."

Eresheb smirked. "As you wish. Your orders are absolute. I’ll report on our mission’s progress soon."

Eresheb slowly approached the child under Ariane’s intense and scrutinizing gaze. She felt that familiar weight on her shoulders, the constant judgment of the Lady. No matter how much effort she put in, she knew earning her respect wouldn’t happen overnight. A silent sigh escaped her heart as she repeated an intimate promise to herself: One day, I will make Lady Ariane recognize my true worth!

The child, lying on the ground, appeared to be around three years old. His delicate little body was curled up, his half-closed eyes barely showing any signs of awareness, his breathing nearly imperceptible almost too silent. His apparent fragility contrasted strangely with the tension that filled the room.

Eresheb leaned down and gently lifted him. The moment she held him in her arms, a strange sensation coursed through her being a chilling impression, as if her own body rejected the contact. Instinctively, she hastily placed the child back on the ground, staring at him in confusion, her hands trembling slightly. What had she just felt?

She remained frozen for a moment, her mind analyzing the anomaly while Ariane observed silently. There was neither surprise nor concern in her eyes, only a distant indifference, as if she were witnessing a scene that was either familiar or, worse, insignificant. Her gaze seemed lost elsewhere, wandering through the labyrinth of inaccessible thoughts.

After a long silence, Eresheb straightened up and swiftly left the room. Ariane followed her departure with her eyes but did not move.

Moments later, Eresheb returned, this time fully equipped. She wore a full-body suit made of a special dark fiber. Her long black gloves covered her arms entirely, their texture resembling reinforced skin, designed to withstand extreme conditions.

Ariane raised an eyebrow slightly. She understood that quickly?

She hadn’t expected Eresheb to return so soon, let alone this well-prepared. But she said nothing. She simply observed, her impassive silhouette standing against the dim light of the room.

This time, without hesitation, Eresheb lifted the child again. A radiant smile brightened her face as her voice rang with sincere enthusiasm:

"Don’t worry, Lady Ariane, I’ll take care of him!" she declared with renewed confidence.

She gently tightened her hold on the child, her gaze filled with an unexpected tenderness. "Take this chance to rest, I’ll handle everything. I’ll watch over him!"

Ariane remained silent, realizing that arguing was pointless. When Eresheb adopted this tone, when she embraced a role with such fervor, nothing could stop her. If she insisted, she would be met with that gloomy expression, that closed-off face, that funeral-like demeanor that irritated her so much. So, she chose to turn away.

"I’ll need to conduct some tests on him later." That was all she said before leaving the room, leaving Eresheb alone with the child.

Even though Ariane was no longer present, Eresheb slightly inclined her head in a gesture of reverence, her respect for the Lady remaining intact even in her absence.

"I will do what is necessary."

She turned her attention back to the child, her gaze shining with a mix of amusement and curiosity. For the first time since their arrival, someone was holding a child with genuine care and delicacy.

She studied the small being in her arms his steady breathing, his peaceful face. Then, after a brief moment of contemplation, an enigmatic smile appeared on her lips.

"Hmm, now... what am I going to do with you?" she murmured, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It seems Lady Ariane has created something terrifying once again."

She traced a gloved finger over the child’s soft cheek, observing his skin and its reaction. An ordinary baby wouldn’t have triggered such a sensory alarm upon touch.

This was no mere creation, this was a living enigma.

Her smile widened slightly.

"But first, let’s get you dressed! My little brother is a big boy, he can’t stay naked!"

Without wasting time, she set out to find suitable clothing while keeping a watchful eye on the child. No matter what he truly was, no matter where he came from, one thing was certain, he was under her care now.