“Is it hard to understand? You haven’t actually killed any demons. Killing you just because of a possible future isn’t a clever move at all—in fact, it would only make your slander seem justified. I wouldn’t do such a thing.” She spoke with disdain. “On the contrary, isn’t wanton killing for some inexplicable reason the most common behavior among humans?”

　　Brian Carter was dumbfounded.

　　Are demons these days all so reasonable?

　　“Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself”—these eight words are easy to say, but few can truly live by them. Even in my previous life, where basic education was widespread, most people were strict with others and lenient with themselves.

　　“The Privy Council’s exam is held once every three years. Scaring you off with nightmares is basically just reducing the number of exorcists.” The other party twitched her ears. “Unfortunately, it seems this trick doesn’t work on you.”

　　It took Brian Carter a while to respond, “...Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell others and ruin your plan?”

　　“That’s what makes you people so interesting.” The fox demon seemed to grin. “There are only so many exorcist spots. If others get scared off, you have a much better chance of passing the exam, don’t you? Besides, even if you tell the truth, how many will believe you? Those who were about to be scared away? No, they’d never admit they were fooled by such a simple trick from a demon. They might even hold a grudge against you. Considering these two points, are you sure you’d still want to tell?”

　　This guy... could it be this isn’t her first time doing this? He suddenly realized he might not be the only one who noticed something was off with the nightmares.

　　“Alright... I won’t say anything.”

　　“You admit it quickly.” She seemed to have expected this outcome. “For humans, as long as it benefits themselves, the right or wrong of the matter doesn’t really matter. Even the most feared evil spirits can be used if there’s profit to be made, let alone a demon.”

　　With that, she turned toward the window, preparing to jump out—

　　“Wait!” Brian Carter called out again.

　　The woman’s movement halted abruptly, her foot nearly slipping off the windowsill.

　　This time, when she turned back, there was a hint of annoyance in her expression.

　　“If you’re just trying to stall for time—”

　　“Why can’t demons cooperate?” Brian Carter said righteously. “Honestly, I’ve never met a real demon before, but if all demons are as reasonable, principled, and polite as you, what’s wrong with working together?”

　　“Principled... polite?” The fox demon looked a bit confused.

　　“Not willing to do things just to frame others—that’s being principled. And when I called out, you stopped immediately—that’s respect for the person you’re talking to, which is definitely a sign of politeness. As for monsters and ghosts, they can’t communicate and won’t stop harming people just because they’re in the wrong. It’s clearly unfair to lump yourself in with them, so I have to correct your statement.”

　　“...” This time, it was the other party who was left speechless.

　　Brian Carter naturally wouldn’t let this chance slip by. He pressed on, “Also, you mentioned slander earlier, which means humans have certain stereotypes about demons. But isn’t your view of humans also a kind of prejudice? Even if most are unsavory, there are always exceptions—since you understand human speech, someone must have taught you. So, what about this teacher? Was he the kind of person you described?”

　　For a moment, he caught a trace of softness in her eyes.

　　But soon, that flicker vanished without a trace, as if it had been an illusion. “Such a glib tongue.”

　　“Thank you, I brush my teeth every day.”

　　The woman snorted coldly. “You’ve said all this just to get me to secretly help you, so you can pass the exam more easily, right? Too bad I’m not interested in whether you pass or not, and I won’t cooperate with someone who wants to become an exorcist. Save your breath—”

　　“If you have time, come chat with me tonight.” Brian Carter said unhurriedly.

　　“Ahem,” the fox demon nearly choked, “You... what did you say?”

　　“About the cooperation.” He looked completely sincere. “If you’re not busy with anything else. As for when, it’s up to you—just treat it as a break after scaring people.”

　　She still seemed unsure she’d heard him right. “Chat...?”

　　“Since it’s cooperation, of course I won’t let you do it for free.” Brian Carter picked up a cloth bundle from the table and opened it in front of her. “This is your payment for chatting. What do you think?”

　　Inside the bundle was the braised beef he’d gotten earlier from William Grant.

　　He had to admit, the shopkeepers in this remote little town were surprisingly skilled. The braised flavor was rich, and the beef slices were cut with just the right firmness. He’d planned to save some for tomorrow.

　　When he lit the candle, Brian Carter had already noticed that, despite her imposing presence, she was wearing wrinkled hemp clothes. Maybe as a demon, her endurance in the wild far surpassed ordinary people, so she didn’t care about sun, rain, or sleeping rough. But that didn’t mean she had no preferences or didn’t know how to enjoy things—especially since she’d clearly been taught by humans.

　　“Gurgle.”

　　Brian Carter heard a faint rumbling sound.