The Enemy Hiding in Plain Sight
"Don't say a word. Just walk."
Thud. Iris was doing better than I'd expected. Given how soft-hearted she normally was, I thought she'd struggle with this sort of thing, but she was handling it flawlessly. It was hard to believe she was the same girl who'd been chatting away with the woman earlier like they were old friends. She'd acted so close to her back then, only to flip her attitude completely. Maybe I should count that as a blessing.
Whatever circumstances that woman had, the fact remained that she'd cooperated with the enemy. It was only natural for Iris to show open hostility. Unlike my other disciples, though, Iris had never actually fought the Demon God worshippers. At most, she'd sparred with me and taken down a few monsters and demonic beasts. In the end they were all the same breed, but there was inevitably a difference between dealing with "people" and "non-people."
I'd struggled terribly with that distinction at first too. Entering Season 2 meant having to hurt people whether I liked it or not. Could someone who'd lived an ordinary life until now really stay sane after crossing that line?
...That thought hadn't lasted long.
The idea that Season 1 was bright and lighthearted only held up when compared to Season 2 of this game. Season 1 had plenty of dark undertones, cruel realities, and brutal depictions. Most players had simply been too busy pulling hero characters, raising them, and equipping them to notice the atmosphere. Because of that, when I finally faced it head-on, I nearly fainted.
The Demon God worshippers charging at me with intent to kill. Watching those insane fanatics, tasting their blades more than a few times... I'd become someone who could now kill people without batting an eye. Even though I knew returning to this state would cause all sorts of problems, I'd had no choice but to change.
Even I, after receiving the Heavenly Demon's teachings, had gone through that much. I'd expected Iris to struggle even more. Yet she was acting like my worries were completely unfounded, displaying such fierce hostility it seemed as if she'd been the one tormented or suffered greatly at the hands of the Demon God worshippers.
"Just one thing. Please, just one thing."
"I told you to shut your mouth."
"If I cooperate and do exactly as you say, will you spare my family? My son?"
"This woman is unbelievable!"
I couldn't understand why Iris was getting so worked up. She raised her hand like she was about to throw a punch. This was bad. At this rate we'd have a disaster on our hands before we even arrived. I decided to step in before Iris could lunge at the one-eyed woman.
The one-eyed woman clearly had no intention of stopping, and Iris had no intention of letting her speak. In that case, the best move was to send Iris back and take over myself.
"Your whole body must feel refreshed. You're still running your mouth even when told to keep it shut."
"...."
"Want me to do it again?"
When I slightly raised my hand, I saw the one-eyed woman shudder visibly. It was more effective than any pain or torture imaginable. Even though it hadn't lasted long, the fact that an ordinary person had endured it without losing her mind was astonishing.
"Looks like you don't like that idea either. Good to see you keeping your mouth tightly shut."
"...At least my son."
What? She still had the nerve to speak? Her mental fortitude was truly impressive. Or perhaps it was simply the power of motherhood.
"Please, save at least my son. It doesn't matter what happens to me...."
"I told you not to misunderstand. I'm not doing this to help you."
"...."
"I'm going to crush the bastards who did something that annoyed me."
"But..."
"So shut your mouth and guide us properly. Before I change my mind and kill your entire family and son along with you. Don't try to bargain when you have nothing left. This is your final warning."
Only then did the one-eyed woman nod and lower her head. It seemed she'd caught the subtle hint in my threatening words: maybe I can save them.
After that, she stayed completely silent as she led us toward the city where the Demon God worshippers who had kidnapped her family and blackmailed her were hiding.
The distance should have taken only a day, but the one-eyed woman was painfully slow. In the end we had to walk for two full days to reach the city.
"...."
At night, when Iris lit a fire, the woman would warm herself from a distance for a short while before retreating to a corner. Then she'd pull something from her clothes. It was clearly a drawing of her son.
"...Master."
"What is it?"
"Do you feel sympathy for that woman?"
"Sympathy? Don't say such disgusting things."
It was true the one-eyed woman found herself in a miserable position. She'd been forced to choose between her family and the safety of the world, and in the end she'd chosen her family. She had abandoned the world for her family's sake. I wasn't criticizing her for facing that kind of impossible dilemma.
The problem was that her choice had caused harm to my own disciple, Garam. It was no different from choosing to hurt my family to save her own. That was why I felt no sympathy for her, nor any desire to understand her.
"Then why did you bring her along..."
"I already told you. Monsters and demonic beasts are easy to handle because you can see them coming. But Demon God worshippers are like germs hiding inside a body. They're incredibly difficult to root out. So whenever we get the chance, we have to smash them as much as possible."
An internal traitor was far more dangerous than any powerful external enemy. Countless helpful NPCs had become unusable. Repair facilities and shops had all disappeared, making party maintenance a nightmare. The Hero Gathering Hall constantly drained repair funds claiming it was under endless attack from Demon God worshippers. Even dungeon runs came with messages about party members being injured by them on the way.
The difficulty was already hellish and player complaints were skyrocketing. Those bastards had kindly poured oil on the fire with their "Just quit already!" attitude.
Thanks to them, there'd even been talk of a five-thousand-man suicide squad. Just thinking about it makes me sick.
Regardless, the Demon God worshippers had to be crushed on sight. Like cockroaches, the moment you let your guard down they multiplied in every direction. In these dark times, it was the perfect environment for such absurd cults to flourish.
The reason I kept sending my disciples running all over the place was to prevent exactly that. If people had somewhere to turn, if they were given the belief that they could survive, they wouldn't commit the ultimate act of stupidity by worshiping the Demon God.
"The Demon God worshippers really are... worse than monsters."
"At least monsters don't take hostages. Unlike those insane bastards. There's nothing more rotten than the combination of human malice and cultist madness."
"When you put it that way, Master, it makes me want to wipe them from the face of the earth even more."
Yes. That was an excellent mindset. There was no need to show those cultist bastards any mercy. The best thing was to quickly snap their necks and send them straight to the Demon God they longed to meet. All while fueling the flames of Iris's fighting spirit and determination.
Before long we arrived at the city where the one-eyed woman had encountered the Demon God worshippers.
"...Wait. Isn't this place fairly close to the Royal Capital?"
"Yes. It's only three or four days from here to the capital's outskirts."
"Impressive. Truly impressive. The kingdom is desperately searching for Demon God worshippers with eyes like torches."
It was true that the area beneath the lamp was the darkest, but I hadn't expected them to be this brazen. Then again, considering the hell that would later unfold starting from the kingdom's center, it wasn't all that surprising.
"What do we do now?"
"That's... I don't know either."
"What?"
"I only knew that the Demon God worshippers who kidnapped my family were here."
"...But you at least know where you received the threats and how the orders were delivered, right?"
At my question, the one-eyed woman nodded and led us, saying she knew that much. Entering the market, she pointed to a makeshift stall ahead, explaining that she'd spoken with them there. She'd received her orders in a room at an inn located further inside before joining the Sword Hero's party.
"Then we'll start by examining that building. Iris."
"Yes, Master."
"Stay here with that woman for a while. I need to take a look around."
I didn't have x-ray vision, but I could at least make a rough inspection by expanding my senses. I needed to determine whether that building was truly just a wooden makeshift shop on the surface, or if it hid a suspicious entrance.
I walked over to the makeshift stall. An old man with a rather kindly face was selling goods there. Nothing special—just some snacks and cheap traveling supplies.
"Owner. One bag of jerky, please."
"One bag of jerky! Just a moment!"
After placing a casual order, I scanned the inside of the building under the pretense of examining the merchandise. Even though it was daytime, there were no lights inside, making it extremely dark. I could faintly make out something, but focusing any harder might alert them to my presence.
Instead, I used a different method to assess the situation. I dispersed my energy throughout the building, mapping out which areas were blocked and which were open. The principle was similar to sonar from a submarine.
Soon I found exactly what I was looking for.
...There it is.
Between the blocked wall and floor, I sensed an entrance emitting a strange current. It could have been simple underground storage, but for a makeshift shop like this, there was no reason to build one. Besides, the energy flowing from within was far from ordinary. It was incredibly turbid, damp, and above all, utterly repulsive.
"Here's your bag of jerky."
"Thank you."
While handing over the money, I grabbed the old man's hand for a light handshake and subtly sent a thread of energy into him to examine his condition.
...The one-eyed woman was telling the truth.
This was indeed the entrance to the Demon God worshippers' hideout, and this seemingly kind old man was actually a fanatic guarding it. Otherwise he couldn't possibly emit such a sinister aura.
"Master. What did you find?"
"That woman was right. I had my doubts, but they're hiding in plain sight like this."
"...Should we alert the city authorities?"
"Don't be ridiculous. If they're bold enough to operate so openly, bribing city officials must be child's play for them. Reporting it would only give them time to escape and alert them that there's a traitor among the officials."
"Then what will you do?"
What was there to say? We'd flip everything upside down ourselves. Having power and not using it made one an idiot. Being afraid when there was no need to be afraid made one a fool.
"For now, let's head to that inn and rest. We'll move when the sun sets and the night grows deep."
With those words, I led Iris and the one-eyed woman toward the inn. The jerky I'd bought from the Demon God worshippers was, of course, thrown straight into the trash.