Finding the Hidden Picture (3)
"Frankly, you say…?"
The horned woman seemed to go blank for a moment at my words. Then she snapped back to herself, and a sharp, killing aura began pouring off her once more.
In a flash she was behind me, pressing her long, razor-sharp nails roughly against my throat.
"You've got some nerve, talking that kind of crap. Who the hell would—!"
"Haa…"
The threat to my life, close enough to taste, sent cold sweat running down my skin. My heart hammered against my ribs. I'd thought we might actually be able to talk this through, but apparently it wasn't going to be that simple. No. If I gave ground here, everything would fall apart.
I strained with everything I had to keep my expression as composed as I could, even with her claws at my throat.
"You're Isana, aren't you?"
"Ha. A dead man walking, and you're bothering to remember names? What for?"
"You'd do well to think this through. Do you honestly believe I would set foot in a place this remote, alone, without any kind of contingency? If my scheduled contact is missed, my family's personal troops will start combing this area before long. Finding the trail I left toward this village is only a matter of time — and once they pinpoint the location, uncovering evidence that I was murdered here won't be difficult either. What do you suppose happens to you after that? However strong you may be as individuals, do you really think you can handle the elites of my house — knights and mages both?"
"What…!"
The killing intent that had been a hair's breadth from opening my throat faltered. I did not let the opening go.
"I'll say it again. Think carefully. Unless you want to tear down with your own hands a foothold your people spent generations building. If I had truly come here to destroy you, I wouldn't have come alone. I would have brought the house soldiers, and priests from the Church besides. We would have surrounded the village in force, put it to the torch, and wiped out every last survivor. And I would have been praised for it — for purging the demons hiding among humankind."
"You little—!"
"But I didn't. Even though I already know exactly what you are. Isana. Think about what that means. I came here to propose a path that benefits both of us."
By the time I finished, her aura had fully subsided. The demon woman withdrew those long nails and, before I quite registered it, had returned to her original seat across from me.
The pressure that had filled the room was gone without a trace. So were the vertically slit pupils, and the horns on her head.
Isana sat in silence for a moment, turning it over. Then she looked at me, still glaring.
"So. What do you want."
"Now we're getting somewhere. But this isn't a discussion I can have with you. Talks of this kind have a proper rank, as a matter of custom. Isana. Fetch your superior. And if you were thinking of feeding me some nonsense about them being ill, or in poor health — don't.
"I've shown you my sincerity. I expect you to show me the courtesy that sincerity deserves."
"…Fine. Wait here."
Isana rose from her seat, opened the back door of the parlor, and disappeared into the depths of the mansion.
Only after I was sure she was gone did I let the tension drain out of me. I opened my palm and found it slick with cold sweat.
"Hoo…"
I let out a long breath, went limp, and slid down in the chair. Then I clenched and unclenched both hands, replaying what had just happened.
This was the first time anyone had threatened my life so directly. I had done everything I could not to show it, but inwardly my nerves had already been pushed to the breaking point. It was fortunate that Isana had pulled back her killing intent after hearing me out. If she hadn't, I might genuinely have fainted.
Still… that went absurdly well.
The decisive clue had come from a remark Baron Rosedale had tossed off in passing. The original story had mentioned, a handful of times and always in passing, that demons disguised as humans were striking in both looks and bearing. The moment the baron said it, that detail had surfaced in my mind unbidden. In a backwater village like this — and one sitting right on the doorstep of the Demon Realm, no less — if the locals suddenly all shared that kind of description, it was worth at least a second look.
On top of that, the necklace hanging at Isana's throat had been a perfect match for an item you could obtain by defeating demons in the game. Once I saw that, suspicion hardened into certainty.
If I hadn't found any trace of demons here, I would have crossed the Wasteland into the Forbidden Zone without a second thought. I had packed plenty of Holy Water for exactly that purpose… but there was no longer any need to take that kind of risk alone.
And if Isana's superior was who I thought they were, that person would never be able to refuse my proposal. No — they would never refuse it. At this point in time, the superior of demons operating in human disguise was, nine times out of ten, going to be that one.
About ten minutes later, the demon woman returned to the parlor.
"…Come this way. My master has granted your request for an audience."
Isana was still looking at me like I was something stuck to her shoe, but she no longer bothered radiating killing intent or anything of the sort.
I rose and followed her deeper into the mansion. Before long, a main hall at least twice the size of the parlor came into view. Isana stopped beside the door, then turned to face me.
"From here, you go in alone. But you'd better remember this. If you show my master any disrespect, or if you even think about laying a hand on them… I will not let you walk out of here. No matter what."
"You really think I'd come all this way just to do something like that? If that's what you genuinely believe, you'd better think again. Otherwise people might start getting the idea that your entire race is as thick-headed as you are."
"You—you little—!"
I left Isana still trying to win the staring contest and opened the door to the audience chamber.
The moment I stepped inside, the sliding door shut behind me with a sharp clack.
A seat had been prepared in the center of the room for a guest. Beyond it, what looked like a raised chair for the master of the house stood waiting. Layer upon layer of thin veils hung from the ceiling in front of that chair, screening whatever sat behind them from a clear view — and behind the veils, something that looked very much like a human shadow was shifting.
"Welcome, my guest. Please, come in and take a seat."
The voice that greeted me as I entered was remarkably youthful — it sounded like a young man's. I followed the invitation to the prepared seat and looked toward the veils. The far side remained lost in shadow, still impossible to make out.
"I'm most grateful for your hospitality. I must confess, however, that I am not well versed in your customs. Forgive me — how ought I address you?"
The shadow covered its mouth with a hand and laughed.
"Heh. In a formal setting we do observe a certain etiquette of our own, but this is hardly that sort of occasion just yet. Simply call me Pyne, if you would."
…That was it.
I was certain.
The name I knew had just come from the shadow's own lips, and a shiver ran through me.
I knew what the one sitting before me would go on to do. One day, he would lead the entire demon race in an invasion of the Western Continent. With overwhelming force he would slaughter the Empire's most renowned warriors by the dozen. In the blink of an eye he would burn half the Empire to the ground and bring it to its knees. And with cunning, insidious strategy, he would drive the Hero's party into crisis after crisis.
The future Demon King was sitting right in front of me.
"A splendid name. As you already know, I am Edwin Reed. Please, feel free to call me Edwin as well."
He had asked to be addressed by name, so I decided to meet him on the same terms. There was nothing to be lost by approaching him as a friend.
And yet — his manner, his way of speaking — there was a strangely androgynous quality to it all. In the original story, the Demon King had been a thoroughly masculine figure, striding across battlefields in heavy armor and cutting enemies down. The person I had imagined and the one sitting in front of me did not quite line up.
The voice was a man's, that much was certain. There were still years to go before that future arrived. Maybe he just hasn't finished growing yet?
Never mind. That isn't what matters right now…
"Heh. Edwin… that's a fine name you have."
The shadow laughed softly after hearing it.
"Now then, Edwin. Might I ask what brings you here? You are something of an unscheduled guest, and I have a class— that is, I have another appointment I must keep. I would love nothing more than a leisurely conversation, but I'm afraid I haven't much time to spare."
"I see. Of course. I had intended to get to the point quickly myself."
I straightened in my seat and looked toward the shadow.
"Pyne. I came here to propose a transaction — one that would be of mutual benefit to us both."
"A transaction, you say?"
"That's right. A deal."
Judging by his reaction, the word had caught his interest. I let the silence sit for a beat, then went on.
"As I understand it, your side's food situation is not particularly good at present. Is that correct?"
"…How?"
The shadow made no effort to hide its surprise at my mentioning such a sensitive internal matter. The shock of it carried through the veils all the way to where I sat.
"I'd rather you not ask how I know. It isn't the sort of thing I can explain. At any rate — to return to the point — the goods I wish to trade are wheat."
"Wheat…"
"Payment in gold. If that falls short, I'll take mana stones for the remainder. Ah — and not at this year's market rate. If we transact at the current crashed prices, there's nothing in it for our side. I'll set the benchmark at last spring's southern standard rate, as published by the guild.
"Given your circumstances, this is by no means a losing deal. The Eastern Continent, as I understand it, is rich in precious metals of every kind. You would simply be exchanging a surplus of metal for a shortage of food."
I finished and looked at him. The shadow seemed lost in thought, not so much as a flicker of movement from behind the veils.
The ball was in his court now. I had said everything I needed to say. All that remained was the Demon King's decision.
"Well? Will you take the deal?"