Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Daimon
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In the previous playthrough, I hadn’t paid it much mind, but since I’d heard about it this time around, I wanted to confirm.
“The temple calls it an organization of demon worshippers, but Father thinks of it as a gathering seeking truth. Which one is it really?”
“I didn’t expect a question like that. To answer you, it’s both.”
Abyss continued his explanation.
“The Daimon organization is mainly composed of four kinds of people. A small number of nobles and merchants, scholars, and black sorcerers.”
It was an unexpected combination, and Rachel tilted her head, unable to immediately grasp what held them together.
“You could think of it as a symbiotic relationship where they exchange information, eliminate rivals, and pool funds.”
The merchants provide funds to the nobles and, in return, receive various benefits and interests in those nobles’ territories.
The nobles take bribes from the merchants and ask the black sorcerers to curse and eliminate their rivals.
The scholars—those considered intellectuals—have realized that truth doesn’t reside solely with the gods. They seek truth from demons, the beings humanity has long feared.
Thus, they aid the black sorcerers, who are closest to demons, in order to gain knowledge from them.
And the black sorcerers fulfill the requests of the merchants, nobles, and scholars while receiving funds and safe havens in return.
In short, Daimon was a complex organization formed by the union of nobles, merchants, scholars, and black sorcerers.
“Ah!”
Rachel let out an exclamation as understanding dawned. She had finally figured out how Henri had come into contact with black magic.
‘It was Daimon!’
He wasn’t close to them now, but in the original story, he had spent a long time living in the capital, feeling lonely, and wouldn’t have refused their approach.
A gathering seeking truth.
There, he must have heard that even the dead could be revived, and when Evelyn died, he had undoubtedly made contact with Daimon.
‘But if he returns to the estate often, he won’t get involved with them! That’s why the danger level dropped!’
“Anything else you want to ask?”
“There’s a lot I want to know, but the situation around us doesn’t seem relaxed enough.”
No sound penetrated, but she could see the outside situation clearly.
Assassins had burst through the door for a surprise attack, but the harpies and sturdy men, who had known in advance, were defeating them.
The situation was in their favor, but not so much that they could chat leisurely, so Rachel cut the conversation short.
“To be upfront, I want to know the Emporus family’s secrets and the location of the pseudo-contractor’s token hidden in Harpa Castle. If we roll over to the next playthrough, I’d like to use it right away.”
“So, in your terms, you’ll share that information with us in the ‘next playthrough’?”
“That’s right.”
The fighting stopped. Even Evelyn, who had been sitting quietly watching the battle, stood up.
Soon, a group presumed to be knights appeared, dripping water from the rain.
They pulled out parchment from inside their raincoats and unfurled it, mumbling something.
Abyss dispelled the soundproof barrier and stepped forward urgently. But it was already too late.
“……operating an illegal gambling den. For these reasons, we will take suspect Chris Emporus into custody!”
Thanks to the soundproof barrier, she hadn’t heard the beginning, but the conclusion was that they were arresting Chris.
They didn’t stop there; they checked the corpses around and assessed the people in the tavern.
That was when Rachel realized who they were. The military police.
Normally, the militia would handle criminals, but since the charges pinned on Chris were grave and required strict handling, the kingdom’s military police had shown up.
‘I should have helped him flee to the temple.’
“It’s a murder case!”
The apparent leader shouted, and the military police blocked the entrance. Some checked the bodies.
That was when Abyss stepped in.
“I have something to say about this.”
“Who are you?”
“A customer. These guys suddenly appeared and tried to kill that customer over there, and I and the others helped him by taking them down.”
Abyss pointed at Chris as he spoke.
He emphasized that he and his subordinates weren’t acquainted with Chris, framing it as aiding a stranger targeted for assassination.
A military policeman who checked the assassins’ bodies compared their possessions and wounds, then gave a brief report.
“There’s a black snake tattoo on the ankle. And the wounds suggest this man is telling the truth.”
The black snake tattoo was the mark of certain assassins. Proof they were assassins.
“But I heard you call that customer Emporus earlier, and he doesn’t match the person I know.”
Abyss subtly probed while pointing at Chris. A gaunt man among the military police stepped forward.
“What’s different?”
“I run a small merchant guild in the capital, and the Baron Emporus I met before was a different man. I heard the charges against him earlier, and they don’t match what I know.”
The gaunt man pulled back his hood and addressed Abyss, signaling he was open to talk.
Rachel listened closely to their conversation.
“Living in the capital, I hear all sorts of rumors, and I vaguely recall hearing about those charges you mentioned.”
Abyss broached the subject like that. No matter how silver-tongued he was, he couldn’t stop them from taking a suspect with a warrant.
However, Abyss was trying to drag Sari Emporus into it.
“The baron and his brother Sari Emporus were illegally trafficking slaves……”
“That boy is the baron’s son and has just inherited the title……”
“So he too must stand trial……”
As this exchange went on, the subject, Chris, went pale.
Harpie grabbed him as he backed away as if to flee.
She whispered something in his ear, and Chris nodded with a frightened look.
The military police captain approached Chris. Chris blinked nervously but shouted.
“I’ll come quietly. But instead, I’ll sue my uncle Sari, who framed me for crimes I didn’t commit, sent assassins to kill my mother and threaten me in order to seize my fortune!”
A long conversation followed, and it was decided that the military police and Chris would head to Harpa Castle.
This wasn’t the military police’s unilateral decision. It was possible because of the gaunt man sandwiched among them—a low-ranking judge.
Rachel rested her chin on her hand, watching the situation unfold, then realized Abyss had orchestrated it.
‘By moving with the military police, we can reach Harpa Castle safely!’
If assassins appeared, capturing one would prove it was Sari Emporus’s doing, tilting things in their favor.
“We’ll go with you too.”
Henri couldn’t stand by as his nephew was taken and stepped forward. For Rachel, it was welcome news.
‘I can finally check out the empty Harpa Castle!’
“Who are you? What’s your relationship to the suspect?”
Black hair was rare in Kudass.
They must have guessed they were relatives from the hair color alone, but the judge still asked about their relationship.
“I’m his second uncle. I’ve been protecting my nephew, who fled from a threat to his life.”
“And those behind you are family?”
“Yes.”
“Then your relationship to the other suspect, Sari Emporus……”
“He’s my brother.”
“Understood. You’re permitted to accompany us.”
And so Chris gained the sturdy shield of the military police. Abyss tagged along as a witness and person of interest.
***
The carriage raced through the pouring rain alongside the mounted military police.
The military police pursuing a major criminal who had shaken the kingdom’s order were strong enough to rival most knights.
Only the judge, the sole non-combatant, couldn’t keep up with the forced march, so Evelyn yielded her seat in the carriage to him.
“You okay?”
“Yes. Don’t worry, dear.”
Evelyn kissed Henri’s cheek before stepping out of the carriage.
Henri’s expression soured at sending his beloved wife out into the rainy outdoors for a stranger.
“I’m sorry.”
The judge, aware he had displaced a woman into the rain, looked apologetic.
“But why did your wife……?”
The judge voiced his question: why hadn’t the man yielded the seat instead of his wife?
Henri shut his mouth, embarrassed.
The answer came from the driver’s seat. The small front window opened, revealing Evelyn’s blue eyes.
“He’s weak and can’t be out in the cold rain for long.”
“No, still……!”
Faced with the unreasonable situation, the judge started to say something but closed his mouth.
Rachel silently found it fascinating to see the supposedly cold enforcer of the law flustered.
“I don’t know much about trials, but do military police and judges normally travel together?”
“It’s not standard, but it happens sometimes.”
In other words, an exceptional case.
‘Why this exception? Daimon organization? Or some other reason?’
She couldn’t tell yet.
‘I want to ask.’
If he was connected to the Daimon organization.
As a judge, he could be considered an intellectual.
And since he’d gotten involved in Chris’s matter, he might be connected or know something.
‘I should probe after all.’
“Father.”
Henri turned his gaze to Rachel’s call without a word.
“You said you got a card with papyrus drawn on it before. How did that happen?”
“I was invited to a noble gathering and received it from a palace scholar I met there.”
“A palace scholar?”
Rachel echoed in surprise at the unexpected status.
The kingdom had many scholars, but the foremost were the palace scholars.
They resided in the palace, educating the princes or advising on national policy.
With such great influence, only the wisest and most sagacious could become palace scholars.
“He was in charge of Crown Prince Herrion’s education, so I’d met him a few times before.”
Rachel had thought the Daimon organization was linked to Third Prince Demian’s faction, assuming he was Demian’s tutor.
But learning he had tutored the now-deceased crown prince gave her chills.
‘The crown prince was poisoned to death, so maybe the culprit was……!’
The one who benefited most from the crown prince’s death was the third prince.
If the palace scholar, who had been the crown prince’s tutor, had been part of Daimon and the third prince’s faction from the start, it wouldn’t be strange if he poisoned Herrion.
‘Maybe the Daimon organization is even more thorough than I thought.’
Rachel suppressed her goosebumps and glanced at the judge.
He showed slight interest in their conversation.
His gaze was fixed on the rainy window outside, but his held breath was proof.
However, his slightly furrowed brow suggested his interest leaned more toward displeasure than approval.
Rachel continued without showing she’d noticed.
“But would someone you’ve only met a few times give you an invitation to another gathering?”
“He said anyone interested in truth is welcome.”
She didn’t think it was that simple.
If she had to guess, the scholar hadn’t known Paris Emporus was targeting Rachel and had invited Henri simply because he was his brother.
“I see. Have you ever received a papyrus-drawn invitation yourself, Judge?”
Rachel blinked her blue eyes at the judge. He turned to her and soon shook his head.
“No.”
“Then have you seen one? I don’t even know what a papyrus looks like since Father didn’t describe it well, and I’m curious what the picture is.”
“Such a curious girl. I’ve never received one, but I’ve seen people with them. It’s just a plant drawing. Don’t pay it much mind.”
The judge said this, trying to completely quash Rachel’s curiosity.
‘A negative reaction to the papyrus card.’
From his response, Rachel judged he wasn’t a Daimon member.
Still, she wondered how he had seen such a card.
But his expression didn’t look good enough to press further.