Cooperation
Cooperation
Seneran, who had laid herself down in her sleeping bag, paid no heed to the commotion around her and sank into her own mental world. She would have liked to speak with the heresy inquisitors of the Demon God Church at once, but there was a more pressing issue.
The cause was a curious doubt that had arisen from her recent conversation with Eldmia.
'Excessive hostility toward demons... what could be the cause?'
During the journey here, she had conversed quite actively with the group. Not just for amicable party relations, but to understand Eldmia, with whom she would need to maintain a smooth relationship long-term. Asilie had no particular interest in the group, and Eldmia himself had been too focused on training to mingle often, but she had thought she'd gathered enough useful information just from interacting with the others.
But nowhere had there been anything about demons.
'He clearly said this was his first encounter with a demon.'
Demons, like demonic beasts, were targets for subjugation. They were beings of no benefit to humanity, so naturally the overwhelming majority of races perceived them unfavorably rather than favorably.
But holding such unilateral hatred for a being with whom one had no connection whatsoever was generally unheard of. Even heresy inquisitors, who learned hostility toward cultists and demons through indoctrination, did not find it easy to reach that level, so how could it be normal?
Even with such education, hate would naturally be accompanied by fear and revulsion of the unknown. Blind hostility like Eldmia's... was never easy to form.
In her mind, the pieces of information she had gathered began to take shape and interlock. The Guillotine of Levien, the Mad Dog of the Adventurers' Guild, the Massacre at Envelde Mansion. The duel with the Young Lion of Rudra. The occasion that tied him with the Pulling named Sen.
'Some evil that should not exist in this world...'
The rumors about Eldmia that pervaded the capital were sharply divided.
On one hand, he was regarded as a gentlemanly and intellectual figure. Even the famously prickly Balkun treated him favorably, so there was no room to doubt that. On the other hand, he was treated as a mad killer. Despite having been involved in many incidents that supported such rumors, he had never actually faced legal punishment for them.
The bold incidents attributed to him were mostly true. Even a member of the royal family could not have escaped condemnation after acting that recklessly, yet the reason he remained unscathed was extremely simple.
'He acted with calculation.'
Eldmia moved when justification was on his side. Even if it meant making an enemy of the army, as long as he had justification, he acted first and worried about the rest later. And the targets against whom he moved and swung his sword were those who had harmed him or intended to harm him.
Looking solely at his actions, he was no different from a wild beast with human intelligence. In that he did not tolerate attacks or hostility toward himself for any reason, he was perhaps even more dangerous than a beast.
'If we assume he tries to eliminate those who intend to harm him, or those he is absolutely certain will do harm... it does start to make sense.'
Because demons were harmful in every way. Beings that only had a possibility of being useful once they were dead. Even if one could gain temporary benefit through transactions or contracts, in the end, demons demanded a price so heavy that such gains felt trivial, and they would inevitably collect. Moreover, they were not foes to be taken lightly unless one was a formidable expert.
Though the exact nature of his relationship with Margrave of Levien was unknown, given that Envelde had met his end after touching Margrave of Levien, it was reasonable to assume that Eldmia also reacted to threats aimed at certain people around him. Broadening that, the existence of demons, which were practically bound to harm humans, i.e., the people around him, in some form. If, as in Envelde's case, he regarded them as a substantial threat and acted to eliminate them.
'Then I can understand Eldmia's hostility and fury toward demons, too.'
Their very existence was a lifeform designed to torment himself and the people he sought to protect. Worse, not just torment—they were twisted beings who dedicated zeal and sincerity to exploiting them down to the marrow and inflicting naked agony. From Eldmia's perspective, merely seeing one would make him shudder with the urge to tear them apart and kill them. Because just by being alive, they would clash with his principles of action in every aspect.
'...I need to be extremely careful.'
Though she lay pretending to be calm, goosebumps rising all over her body, Seneran let out a sigh of relief.
Seneran was a mage and a merchant. If the two professions had anything in common, it was that they did not care about means and methods for a goal. And in that she skillfully played others without deceit and took her own profit, Seneran was an excellent mage and a great merchant.
Because of that, she had intended to engage in any number of threatening maneuvers against Eldmia and those around him for the sake of her research. She had thought that if she set up a situation where he would have no choice but to cooperate with her even if he caught on later, it would not matter.
'I almost got killed.'
It had been a miscalculation. She had thought too conventionally. The moment it was discovered she had attempted such a thing, her head would likely have been severed without even a chance to bid farewell to her body. Shackles to prevent that situation? Well, were there any? If he even launched that weapon called a needle at full power, I would die then and there.
Having thought that far, Seneran's mind grew considerably more at ease, and she began pondering anew. Since her doubt was resolved, it was time to plan for a concrete future again.
Now then, how could she become one of the 'people around him' that Eldmia sought to protect? That worry was a far more pleasant one than she had expected.
◈
"Could I have a moment?"
When morning came after a night watch composed only of warriors, while I was preparing breakfast, the Saintess approached me.
"Yes. What is it, Heresy Inquisitor Bire?"
"...I meant that just Bire is enough. I'd like to finish what I was saying about Epaga."
The tent Asilie and I were using was a bit apart from the others anyway, but perhaps to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, the Saintess's voice was very low.
"Well, sure. Big Sis, I'll go talk for a bit."
"Go ahead."
Leaving Asilie, who was skillfully oiling the frying pan and grilling meat while taking out jarred vegetables, I put some distance between us, and the Saintess, who had been watching her with a peculiar gaze, asked a question.
"That companion of yours... is she not a High Elf?"
"...I wonder? I've never asked, so I don't really know."
Was Asilie a High Elf? Honestly, I had only heard that there was such a category as High Elf, and I didn't know what difference they had from regular elves, so all I could give was a vague answer.
"...Never mind. It's not particularly important. The thing is, I have concluded that in order to organize the situation and provide you with proper cooperation, I first need to return to the Order."
That only made sense. In this region, Demonfolk with slave collars around their necks were hard to even see. Unless she sawed off those thick horns, staying here to help me was impossible... Huh? Had the tip of one of the Saintess's horns always been slightly cut off?
"Later, I will send a contact messenger first. When that time comes, show this to the messenger."
Before I could even tilt my head in puzzlement, the Saintess held out the cut horn piece and handed it to me.
Wow, I just couldn't adjust to this.
"Beastmen give you pulled teeth, Demonfolk give you cut-off horns. Could you spare a thought for how the recipient feels?"
"T-This isn't something I give to just anyone..."
"No, that's not what I mean. I'm saying it's incredibly burdensome to be on the receiving end when someone gives you a part of their body like that."
Just like Krul, whom I saved from the slave merchant group back then, these horns would eventually grow back fully, so they cut and give them, but from my perspective it was damn burdensome. How come I had more body parts than proper tokens?
"...Ahem. I failed to consider cultural differences. My apologies."
"Well, I know you did it out of consideration for me, Bire... Sigh, I suppose I should also account for cultural differences."
It was already cut off, and I couldn't not accept it, so I took it and carefully placed it in the pouch containing Krul's fang.
"Hm? Is that a Beastfolk token?"
"Yes. That's the tooth that beastman I just mentioned pulled out for me."
In that brief moment, the Saintess, who had managed to examine the contents of the pouch, had a glint of interest in her eyes. I wondered if her curiosity had resurfaced, but fortunately, it didn't seem so.
"Do you perhaps remember the name of the one who gave you that token? I think it might make it easier to find a contact."
"Uh... Krul... Pitali Bazaraso, was it? Vitali Bizarso, something like that. A beastman with that name."
"Just knowing the first name is enough. That's fortunate. I think I'll be able to help more easily."
Satisfied, the Saintess nodded, then roughly estimated the expected rendezvous date and told me, then finished a simple meal, gave a brief farewell, and stepped away to return to her homeland. I thought she was in too much of a hurry, but it felt strongly like she was being considerate in case being seen with us by a third party might bring harm to us.
"Wah?! The Demonfolk member! Why isn't she here?!"
Perhaps because she had been so exhausted, Seneran had slept in late, and when she finally woke up, she whined like a fussy child, but other than that unpleasantness, nothing happened until we finished eating and packing up.
Now it was time to go to the city and earn money.