#032
"Heavens, the continent's greatest archmage has a demon right under his nose and pretends not to notice... Ugh, Duke, you're being deceived. Even for old times' sake, I can't stand by while you fall for that sly demon's temptations."
"To think there's affection even between strangers—looks like the Papal Court is still overflowing with meddling disguised as sentiment."
Catherine had suddenly become the demon bewitching Chezare. Since there was nothing remotely tempting about her to begin with, she couldn't help feeling utterly at peace, body and soul, even as they branded her a demon.
I'm getting hungry... Maybe I can score a meal before I go.
That attitude must have gotten under their skin. The cardinal on the left, grinding his teeth, yanked something out from the massive bag he'd been lugging around.
What emerged was a woman's bust sculpted from pure white marble.
For a split second, an intense vertigo and the stench of a filthy sewer overwhelmed Catherine.
Huh?
She shook her head to clear it, and the wave of alien sensations vanished as quickly as it had come.
"Duke, we're not here to harass you."
Catherine took a couple of steps back and glared at the woman's bust the cardinal had produced. Transparent emeralds embedded in its marble eyes gleamed fiercely in the sunlight.
A holy relic was an ancient artifact that exuded holy-attribute mana on its own. It was something the Papal Court obsessively collected (though they'd bristle at the word "collected" in their presence), possessing the immense power to slay demons and magical beasts.
"The holy relic Gabriel commands the execution of that demon. With all due respect, I shall deploy the holy sealing array. You there—begin."
"Holy Sealing Array, Chapter 7! [Hamiel]."
"Holy Sealing Array, Chapter 7!"
⟨ [Hamiel] ⟩
Do they have to say such embarrassing lines every time they cast a spell?
Catherine glanced down at the ornate magic array etched beneath her feet, her heart filled with profound dismay.
Should I... just stay still?
Was this a precious experience or a dire emergency? Who would have thought she'd ever feel hunger while standing in a holy sealing array?
Yet, strangely, no sense of crisis washed over her. Her protector was none other than that mighty archdemon and archmage, blood kin to Shagweed II.
"Hey, do I have to keep standing here...?"
Catherine started to call for Chezare but quietly shut her mouth. He was staring intently at the bust called the holy relic Gabriel, as if gauging whether it was real or fake.
"Hah, what a fearless demon. It stares right at the relic and doesn't flee?"
"It's underestimating us. Wait, Duke. I'll melt that sly demon to ash with flames of purification right now!"
Flames or whatever—Catherine just hoped Chezare would resolve this mess quickly. Of course, since she wasn't a demon, there was no real danger.
Right...? Surely nothing unexpected will happen.
"I thought it was fake... but it's genuine. A real holy relic."
"Chezare, what do I do? Should I just stand here?"
Chezare turned his head, a faint purple aura flickering in his eyes.
"No worries. It'll be fine."
He pivoted toward the cardinals, his face settling into an expression of utter boredom, as if yawning his head off wouldn't be out of place.
"The real problem's over there. How dare you cast magic on my land without permission... I'll report today's incident directly to the Pope and demand an apology. If you don't want to be exiled to some backwater, start preparing your excuses now. You'll be chased out in nothing but your underwear."
"Don't talk nonsense! This is a demon singled out by the holy relic Gabriel itself—how can you be so brazen? You there, pick up the pace!"
"Got it."
Could holy relics even "pick up the pace"?
Catherine watched them silently, resigned to whatever happened. Then it struck.
The light and wind bursting from the sealing array intensified. At the same time, the ground beneath her feet began heating up as if she'd stepped onto lava.
What the—?
In a panic, Catherine grabbed Chezare's arm and whispered urgently.
"Chezare, this magic array. It doesn't hurt regular people, right?"
"Not at all."
"Then something's wrong right now. My feet are burning!"
"...Burning? The holy sealing array only affects magical beasts and demons. Must be your imagination."
It wasn't. The searing heat from her soles was climbing up her calves.
Unable to bear it, Catherine bolted—or tried to—but Chezare grimaced and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"If you don't want to be branded a papal extermination target, stay put, Catherine. Running away now would paint you as confessing to being a demon. It'll be a huge hassle later. More trash will swarm your mansion. [Remor]."
⟨ [Remor] ⟩
A glowing orb of familiar shape materialized in the air. Twice as radiant as usual, it spun rapidly, expanding in size before transforming into a massive transparent sperm whale.
Chezare lightly patted Catherine's back as she stumbled away in shock. It was truly overwhelming, blotting out half the sky.
I thought Remor was just a spell... Turns out it's a demon's name.
The whale opened its mouth.
"My liege, it stinks of shit."
"No nose, yet you sniff it out well. Clear those useless turds from my mansion."
The colossal whale's body swung toward the priests. Right—Chezare, who'd lived thousands of years, wouldn't lie to her. As he'd said, this heat must be all in her head.
Catherine calmed herself, hoping the fierce heat would subside soon. Strangely, it felt like it was already cooling.
"You mangy Papal dogs. If not for our merciful liege's command, I'd have chewed you up alive. Spend your lives in eternal gratitude to him!"
The whale gaped its jaws wide, and the cardinals' faces drained of color in an instant.
"Duke, what is this outrage? Retract the order at once!"
"How cunning. If the Pope learns of this...!"
"Shut up and get in my mouth, you tasteless fools."
And just like that, they vanished neatly into the whale's maw. It happened in the blink of an eye. At the same moment, the burning heat finally ebbed away.
The whale did a grand loop before turning its head toward Christopher's western harbor. Planning to dump them in the sea, perhaps? For such a majestic entrance, the ending felt anticlimactically deflating.
Chezare spoke.
"Bad timing. Would've been quicker and easier if I'd handled it alone. Let's get you back home before things get more tangled."
"What about food?"
"Food? You can eat right now?"
He looked utterly exasperated. Catherine felt genuinely wronged.
"I can't help it. I came right after waking up."
"I'd grant most requests, but not now. [Remor]."
His refusal was so firm she couldn't bring herself to press further.
Thanks to the magic, they arrived in the garden of her mansion, where Demian was diligently tilling the soil.
"Gah! You scared the shit outta me!"
Startled by their sudden appearance, Demian fell flat on his ass.
"You trying to give people heart attacks? Warn us before popping in!"
Then, spotting Chezare, he bolted into the mansion like his tail was on fire.
Ahh, home really is the best.
Returning from the picturesque ducal residence to her weed-choked garden filled her with cozy relief.
"Selfish Chezare. Nearly left me behind all alone."
Yaong, who'd snuck onto her shoulder at some point, was busily grooming its butt.
Seeing this, Chezare looked mildly surprised.
"Did it flee because of the holy relic Gabriel? Pretty sharp instincts."
"Ahem. I didn't flee in panic, absolutely not! But that relic's the real deal. With Gabriel, those cardinals get way too strong."
Neither the cardinals' claims nor Yaong's rang true. Catherine being pegged as a demon from the start had already eroded all trust.
"If it's real, why'd it point at me instead of you, Chezare? Total scam artist. Yaong, aren't you mistaken?"
"Nope! The Brutal Night Sovereign doesn't lie about stuff like this."
Lies or not, reality proved otherwise. Catherine eyed Chezare suspiciously. He didn't look relieved either—his face wore an unfamiliar complexity.
"Something as impure as Gabriel can't reveal my true nature. But it targeting you, Catherine... That was unexpected. Probably the influence of getting close to the Abyss."
"The Abyss?"
The sky, which hadn't seemed to have passed hours, was dyeing red. Yaong yawned widely and answered her question.
"All archdemons have a passage connecting Eden and the infernal pit—that's the Abyss. In human terms, a demon summoning circle!"
"Oh. Yeah, I've heard that before."
The infernal pit was the land of demons and beasts. The aerial gardens belonged to the saints. And Eden, where Catherine lived, was the mortals' realm in between—or simply, the human world.
So it really was a demon summoning circle after all.
She vaguely recalled her mother mentioning that the sole passage between the infernal pit and Eden was the Abyss, aka a demon summoning circle.
Demon summoning circles were one of the Papal Court's top vows for extermination and a ancient relic mages hunted fanatically. High demons usually required exceptional summoners, but with a circle, even a three-year-old could call one forth.
That's why demons with weird heads kept showing up at my house.
Demons could cross voluntarily without a summoner, it seemed. Now she understood why Chezare called this magic array a "bomb."
Overhearing her mutter, Chezare's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing.
He leaned in close, breath brushing her face, his gaze displeased.
"Heard of it? Hm, whoever told you, better watch out for them from now on. Nothing good comes from hanging around humans close to demons—especially loose-lipped ones."
"I heard it from my mom."
"For your mother's safety, watch your mouth."
"No need to worry. She passed away long ago."
Chezare's intense gaze softened instantly. The intimate distance, close enough to see every lash, pulled away in a flash.
Was I too cheeky?
But what could she do? It was the truth.