Re:Demon - Reborn as a Demon Book 1

14

"Do you have any idea who I am?" the boy indigently shouted, causing Shase to slowly turn and look at him. The kid was about his own age, around nine or so and well dressed. Other than that, he was a bit red faced and his oily hair was slicked back, with a slight pompadour, as was the style popular amongst those who were in the organization.

"Not really," Shase lied. He knew full well who the other kid was, but he didn't want to let him have the satisfaction of thinking he was famous or anything, so he was playing ignorant. "Why are you someone important?"

The kid sputtered for a second, then harrumphed, something Shase couldn't get used to actually seeing. "I'll have you know that I'm Jave Spirin, the son of Gendle Spirin." He said it with such pride, that Shase could hardly believe it and instantly felt the urge to take him down a peg.

"Oh, so you're nobody."

"What?! How dare you, I just told you I'm Gendle Spirin's son, as in the head of the Spirin family's son!"

"So, you haven't done anything yourself is what you're saying. I mean, sure, your father's name carries a lot of weight, but yours means nothing if all you can do to identify yourself is to try and borrow someone else's."

"How dare you insult my father like that!"

"I ain't insulting him. I have nothing but respect for him and what he's done, but I stand by what I said, it doesn't matter who you're related to, it matters what you've done. I mean, your dad doesn't introduce himself as his father's son, does he? No, of course not, he introduces himself by his name, because that means something, he's earned that and everyone knows who that is. But you? You've got nothing. In fact, the only way using his name will find your worth, is if someone kidnaps you."

Jave was turning purple as he sputtered, unable to form any coherent sentences, so Shase pushed him a bit further, even though he knew that it probably wasn't a good idea. The truth was, their families weren't exactly on the best of terms, but he really didn't like the way Jave was thinking he was so much better than everyone else, so he took the risk.

"That's the reason you're just standing there, taking this, is because you know it's true and as much as you don't want to admit it, you know that if you try and prove me wrong, there's nothing you can say to change the facts, because you've never really done anything in your life. In that, we're the same."

"We're nothing alike you... you..."

"Jave," a soft voice said, carrying with it the force to command armies. "That's enough."

The boys turned and spotted the source of the voice sitting a little ways away. It seemed that the middle-aged man had been there the entire time, listening and had waited to see what Jave was going to do, stepping in when it became clear that this wasn't going to end well for him.

"But father..."

"But nothing, the boy is right, isn't he?"

"But he insulted the family!"

"Did he? I only heard him putting you in your place."

"But I'm part of the family! If we let people get away with looking down on us, we'll all be in trouble!"

"Then do something about it, become someone that is known and loved, become someone that when they're asked who they are, can answer simply with their name, but become someone that doesn't have to use their name to get their way."

Jave glared at the ground as his father continued. "Besides, do you have any idea who you were threatening? You don't, do you? Then how could you know if you're better than him or not?"