The Demon of the Wilderness, Part 15
"Sigh, this is driving me crazy."
They had won, technically. But the aftertaste was incredibly bitter. The demon from Pandemonium had escaped alive, and it was a foregone conclusion that they would seek revenge.
"Knowing when to cut and run is a very demon-like trait, indeed," the Goddess remarked.
"Tell me about it," Yohan replied with a heavy sigh. He plopped his butt down onto the dirt floor.
"Ah, right." After a moment, he suddenly remembered Falco and Billy and scrambled back to his feet.
Flash! At that moment, the Goddess materialized, descending to the ground.
"These guys..." Yohan muttered, a bitter taste in his mouth as he looked down at the two collapsed on the ground. Both of their faces were deathly pale, and dried nosebleeds stained their cheeks and chins.
They must have prepared themselves for all kinds of hardships the moment they joined the Apostle's journey, but that didn't make watching them suffer any easier for Yohan.
"Are they really okay? They're not dead, right?" At his worried question, the Goddess smiled and nodded.
"Worry not. They have merely lost consciousness for a brief moment."
What a relief. Yohan breathed a sigh of relief, his racing heart finally settling.
"Though they have sustained damage to both body and mind, it shall leave no lasting aftereffects. You may put your mind at ease."
"For real?" When Yohan voiced his skepticism, the Goddess crossed her arms and snorted.
"Whom do you think is the source of the Blessing you bestowed upon them?"
Well, whatever. Since she said they were fine, there shouldn't be any major issues. Yohan decided to let it go.
"Doing things I didn't even ask them to do. What if they died?" he grumbled, directing his complaints at the unconscious duo.
"Let us see." The Goddess squatted on the dirt road, carefully examining Falco and Billy's complexions. After a moment, she raised her hands and gently placed them on their respective chests.
Soon, a warm light emanated from her small hands. Before long, their haggard complexions began to look significantly better.
"What shall you do now? I can awaken them immediately if you so desire," the Goddess asked. Yohan shook his head.
"No, it's fine. It's not like there are any demons left around here. Nothing good comes from forcing someone awake when they're sleeping."
"Indeed. You speak the truth." Still, they couldn't just leave them lying on the bare ground of this desolate wasteland. Yohan gathered his divine power and opened a Dimensional Portal to his Single-room.
"No one's watching anyway, so let's get some proper rest." Yohan immediately hoisted Billy onto his shoulders. The half-troll was undeniably large and heavy, but it was a weight Yohan could easily manage.
"Very well, then I shall also—" Watching Yohan, the Goddess suddenly slid her hands under the back of Falco's knees and neck.
"Hngh... Tei-yaat!" However, lifting an adult woman with a child's body proved to be quite a challenge. The Goddess let out a bizarre grunt, her legs trembling violently, but she barely managed to lift Falco's feet a few inches off the ground.
She can munch on jeweled necklaces like they're candy, yet she can't even carry a single unconscious person.
"Hey, your divine power is way higher than before anyway. Do you really need to worry about fuel efficiency right now?" When Yohan pointed this out, unable to watch any longer, the Goddess's eyes widened as if she had only just realized it.
Poof! Instantly, the Goddess's petite frame shot up, transforming into the form of a beautiful adult woman.
"Now, let us quickly move them inside." Perhaps embarrassed by her clumsy display, the Goddess spoke in an unnecessarily loud voice and reached for Falco once more.
"Mmm..." As the Goddess scooped Falco up, a sudden groan escaped the elf's lips. Both Yohan and the Goddess froze, their expressions growing tense.
"...Meat... Screw the... veggies... Give me... meat..." It seemed she was just talking in her sleep. Yohan finally let out the breath he was holding.
The Single-room created by the Apostle's Authority was cramped, but it was just barely large enough for three adults and one kid to stretch their legs and lie down. This was especially true now that the dining table, which had taken up most of the space, had been smashed to pieces by Billy's violent hands.
After laying Falco and Billy down in the room, Yohan took a short break. The Goddess, seemingly worried about them as well, remained materialized and watched over them. About two hours passed in what felt like a blink.
"Ugh..."
"Oh, you're awake."
Billy was the first to open his eyes. He stared blankly at his surroundings for a moment, then, as his senses rushed back, his eyes went wide and he scrambled upright.
"W-Where are we—"
"Calm down. For now, we won."
Spotting Yohan, Billy immediately leaned his face in close. Startled by the sudden approach of a massive green wall of muscle, Yohan instinctively leaned back.
"R-Really?" Billy asked, his face filled with disbelief.
"Do I look like a liar to you?"
"Thank goodness..." Only after hearing Yohan's confirmation did Billy sink back to the floor. He scratched his head sheepishly.
"Wait a minute. Didn't you just say 'for now'?"
"Yeah. Once I blocked its attack, it realized it couldn't win and booked it. It flew up into the sky in the blink of an eye, so I couldn't give chase."
Above all, it was impossible to abandon the two collapsed companions to pursue the demon. Billy's expression grew heavy at Yohan's explanation.
"Still, I'm so glad. It seems everyone is safe."
"Yeah. And... honestly, I'm reflecting on my actions right now."
He had recklessly picked a fight without proper information on the enemy, resulting in an unexpected two-versus-three match. This was undoubtedly Yohan's blunder.
"No, I don't think it's your fault, Yohan. None of us could have imagined that demons would travel in pairs."
"Indeed. Billy speaks the truth." The Goddess chimed in, backing Billy's defense. It didn't seem like a white lie meant to ease his guilt. Billy wasn't the type to lie in the first place, and the Goddess wasn't quick-witted enough to orchestrate such a calculated comfort.
"Well, since things turned out this way, let's head back to the village as soon as she wakes up."
"Yes."
The two wrapped up their conversation, looking down at Falco. Perhaps due to the immense exhaustion from the goat-headed demon's attack, Falco was sleeping so deeply that she wouldn't have noticed if someone carried her away.
"But... it doesn't look like she's going to wake up anytime soon."
"Right?"
He had been thinking the exact same thing. Yohan exchanged a glance with Billy, and both of them nodded in unison.
"A moment ago, you said one should not force a sleeping person awake. It seems your mind has changed rather quickly," the Goddess teased.
"Shut it."
Yohan snapped back instantly at the smirking Goddess and walked straight over to Falco.
"Look at her." Seeing her sprawled out in a warm spot, her pale face had regained its color—in fact, it was slightly flushed. Still, she could finish her sleep back at the village. Yohan placed his hands on her shoulders and shook her gently.
"Falco. Wake up."
"Ugh..."
After shaking her shoulders several times, Falco, who looked like she might sleep forever, finally frowned deeply and let out a groan.
"We won. Though the demon got scared and ran away."
"We... won..."
"Yeah. So let's get back to the village."
Falco nodded weakly, her eyes half-open. She still seemed completely dazed, as if she had been pulled from the deepest depths of sleep.
"If you're that sleepy, go wash your face."
"Mmh..."
But something felt off. Yohan realized that Falco was being unusually fussy, far more than her usual self.
"Hey. Wake up. Why are you acting like a kid?" Yohan scolded her, his voice slightly raised. Normally, if he spoke to her like this, Falco would snap right back.
"..."
But Falco remained silent, her eyes closed. Slide. At the same time, her hands, which had been resting on her stomach, slipped limply to her sides.
He had a bad feeling. Yohan immediately leaned down, bringing his ear close to Falco's face. He heard a labored, ragged breathing that could never come from someone sleeping peacefully. Next, Yohan pressed the back of his hand to Falco's forehead.
"Damn it."
Her face wasn't flushed from sleeping in a warm room. She was burning up with a fever.
"C-Could it be exhaustion?" Billy asked, watching from the side. Yohan shrugged, wishing with all his heart that it was just that.
"Step aside for a moment." The Goddess stood up and approached Yohan and Falco. Yohan quietly stepped back.
"If it's just a cold or exhaustion, you can cure it, right?"
"Of course."
Indeed. Wasn't the Goddess's power capable of cleanly healing stab wounds and severe burns? Reassured by that thought, Yohan tightly held Falco's hand.
"Wait, this reaction is..."
However, the Goddess did not immediately heal Falco's fever. Instead, a look of deep consternation washed over her face.
"Apostle. This is no mere exhaustion."
"Then what is it?"
Was it some kind of lingering aftereffect from the demon's attack? Yohan felt his mouth go completely dry.
"The Blessing you bestowed upon her is, in fact, making her sick."
"What the hell are you talking about? Is she an undead or something?" The Goddess wasn't so tactless as to joke in a situation like this. Even so, Yohan couldn't help but demand an explanation.
"It is not that. For reasons unknown, another energy residing within Falco's body is rejecting the Blessing."
"Then take it back right now!"
"It is not as simple as it sounds. If I were to forcibly withdraw the Blessing now, it would trigger side effects far worse than what she is currently experiencing."
The Blessing Yohan had bestowed upon them was a temporary sharing of a fraction of the Goddess's divine power. Therefore, now that the battle was over, the divine power inside them should have naturally dissipated. Indeed, the Goddess's holy energy could no longer be felt within Billy. Yet, for some reason, the Blessing that had integrated into Falco's body refused to fade naturally. Instead, it was ravaging her entire system like a malignant tumor.
"Haa..."
Soon, Falco opened her closed eyes once more, letting out a breath heavy with agony.
"Falco. My divine power is currently eating away at your body. Do you have any idea why this might be?"
When the Goddess asked, Falco silently shook her head.
"Have you ever received the blessing of another deity in the past?"
At the follow-up question, however, she suddenly froze as if something had crossed her mind.
"Speak. Quickly, tell me."
"O-Our tribe's... Guardian Deity."
The moment Falco forced the words out, Yohan and the Goddess turned to look at each other.
Falco had previously mentioned that she was once a princess of an elven tribe in the Great Forest. Though she claimed to have severed ties with her family, that didn't mean her bloodline's connection was completely severed.
"The pointy-ears' Guardian Deity..."
In this world, multiple gods undeniably existed. Even the entities known as demons were, at their core, a branch of divine beings.
"The... Great Forest," Falco muttered in a barely audible whisper. Yohan and the Goddess leaned in closer to catch her words.
"Peony of the Dawn Dew Tribe... My..."
She tried to continue, but her strength failed her, and she slipped back into unconsciousness.