Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Child of Prophecy (2)
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The reason he didn't show any sign of fluster at the question that pierced deep into his lungs was thanks to the instinctive senses honed through countless regressions.
The less he revealed about himself, the better.
Secrets and flaws had to be hidden no matter what. Especially from someone whose identity he didn't even know.
“⋯⋯-”
He barely managed to hold onto his head, which had spun for a moment.
“An intriguing⋯⋯ question.”
The reason he didn't show any sign of fluster at the question that pierced deep into his lungs was thanks to the instinctive senses honed through countless regressions.
The less he revealed about himself, the better.
Secrets and flaws had to be hidden no matter what. Especially from someone whose identity he didn't even know.
“An intriguing⋯⋯ suspicion. It's the first time I've ever heard something like that in my life.”
Stay calm.
If he didn't know the other person's intentions behind the question, reacting first was the worst possible move no matter how he looked at it.
At the very least, his efforts to not let any fluster show on his face or in his actions had paid off.
Because there was someone nearby who had reacted first, giving him time to catch his breath.
“⋯⋯What do you mean by that, Miss Rachel? From the future?”
At Lionel's words, laced with a hollow laugh, Rachel snapped back to her senses and replied.
“Ah, um, s-sorry! It must sound weird if I ask so suddenly!”
With that, Rachel flushed red and flailed her arms.
“It's just that everything Mr. Carlyle does is exactly what I was originally going to do⋯⋯!”
“⋯⋯Pardon?”
What was this now?
Carlyle blinked and asked back, and Rachel continued her stammering explanation.
“The problems I was originally going to solve, Mr. Carlyle just fixes them right away⋯⋯!”
“⋯⋯?”
As he listened quietly, trying to make sense of it.
Rachel's increasingly flustered explanation started to sound a bit off.
“The Black Whale flying toward Cradle, the ones operating inside the capital, the matter with Her Highness the Princess⋯⋯!”
According to her, those were all incidents she was supposed to step in and resolve.
Even the fact that the catastrophe-level magical beast Black Whale had been 'corrupted.'
Even rooting out the Devil Worshippers operating inside the capital.
Even the fact that something was hidden inside Ilia's body.
Even Liza sweeping through the capital ahead of the fever ritual—it was all because this girl had pinpointed their locations.
“⋯⋯.”
Carlyle's expression grew increasingly serious as he listened to what Rachel was saying.
Honestly, it was most likely a lie.
The biggest reason for thinking that was the very existence of the Grand Duke sitting right next to him.
If she could make such accurate prophecies about demons, how could she miss the assassination attempts on this man?
Compared to the previous incidents, it was the most severe threat by far.
And as if reading his thoughts, a related topic dropped right away.
“⋯⋯As for the Grand Duke, I ended up missing that one too.”
Rachel said with a slightly darkened expression.
“My 'prophecies' don't all come to me, you see.”
“⋯⋯.”
“It's more like specific, fragmented pieces flow in⋯⋯ Sometimes I even think it's like the demons are only 'showing me what they want me to see.'”
⋯⋯And.
She was spot-on about the very concern Carlyle had.
Giving her the oh-so-convenient ability called 'prophecy' and feeding her disinformation to sow confusion—it was one of the tactics the demons loved to use as the world raced toward destruction.
At the very least, the fact that she suspected it on her own meant she wasn't a fool.
'Hard to judge.'
[⋯⋯Indeed.]
And even if she had failed to foresee the assassination threat on the Grand Duke.
She had pointed out things like Ilia's situation that even Carlyle had missed, so it wasn't as if she was completely useless.
Assuming what this girl was saying wasn't an attempt to deceive him or something made up on the spot.
If that was the case, he could just test her.
“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt.”
“Yes?”
Carlyle plopped down in front of the quietly seated Rachel and stared straight into her face.
For a long, long time—enough to make both Rachel and the Grand Duke flustered.
“⋯⋯Um, Mr. Carlyle?”
“⋯⋯.”
“I-I feel a bit strange in my body⋯⋯”
That was because Carlyle was currently channeling mana to thoroughly scan her body.
Rachel squirmed in panic, but Carlyle ignored her and continued searching her body.
However.
[She's clean.]
'Yeah.'
Nothing.
If there was anything there, it would have been inevitably detected at this level of thorough inspection.
“Look here, Carlyle. That doesn't seem like something to do to a lady.”
Even the Grand Duke, who had been quietly watching from the side, cleared his throat and stopped him.
Well, it wasn't physical contact, but rummaging through her body like this was no different.
“⋯⋯Yes, it must have looked strange. Sorry.”
“Especially if you're going to take responsibility for Gray, you should watch your conduct a bit more.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
[Exactly.]
Exactly what? This guy.
Anyway.
'⋯⋯She's clean for now.'
The possibility of her being manipulated by demons seemed low.
If there had been any manipulation, no matter the method, there would definitely be 'traces' left at this depth of search.
“But why did you specifically ask if I was 'from the future'?”
“Huh?”
“If you had suspicions like that, wouldn't it be normal to ask if I have prophecy abilities like you? I'm curious why you jumped to that conclusion.”
And it wasn't as if.
That line of reasoning would be the most logical, but instead of asking if he was a prophecy user like her, she had asked if he was from the future.
It wasn't a typical assumption.
And her response to that was odd too.
“Ah⋯⋯”
Rachel averted Carlyle's gaze and fidgeted.
“Because I know someone similar.”
“⋯⋯What did you say?”
Carlyle asked in utter bewilderment.
Someone from the future?
“Whether you'd call it from the future or not, it might not even be human to begin with⋯⋯”
To Carlyle's question, Rachel mumbled incoherently.
She seemed unsure how to explain it herself.
“It gave off a feeling a bit similar to you, Mr. Carlyle.”
“⋯⋯.”
He had no idea what that meant.
But he was definitely going to look into who she was referring to later.
[A fellow regressor like you⋯⋯?]
'No.'
He flatly denied that possibility.
It was a question laced with such certainty that even the Holy Sword faltered in response.
[⋯⋯How can you be so sure?]
'If it's not, it's not.'
He was certain.
“⋯⋯.”
If he thought back to how he had obtained the ability of infinite regression in the first place—the initial 'trigger.'
It was impossible.
As he mulled over those thoughts, Rachel shook her head.
“Anyway⋯⋯ I was just checking. Your reaction says you're not.”
Rachel let out a small sigh.
“I'd like to talk more in detail, but it doesn't look like we have time anymore.”
“Yes?”
“We're all about to get really busy.”
Carlyle tilted his head at her words filled with strong conviction.
“⋯⋯No clear prophecy, but I have a feeling something big is about to happen—”
Before she could finish.
The door burst open.
“Assemble everyone.”
It was Felix, her expression rigidly set.
“I have something to announce.”
⋯⋯Her voice was terribly sunken.
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The world of Demon Hunter was a fusion fantasy where all sorts of complex technologies were mashed together.
As such, briefings were naturally conducted far more efficiently than one might expect.
Felix, who had announced that they had figured out the purpose of the rockets 'imported' into the capital under the emperor's orders—possessed by a demon—immediately played a video feed in the room.
It was a simulation. Of what seemed to be a human 'infecting.'
“⋯⋯Pandemonium, commonly called 'Hell,' is a secondary dimension. Completely different environment from our Material Realm.”
Felix said, puffing on her pipe.
“A normal human just touching Pandemonium turns into this.”
With those words.
The man in the video began changing rapidly.
His whole body turned bluish-red, accompanied by vomiting blood, and not content with that, blood started spurting from every pore.
His body withering black and dying.
⋯⋯Utterly gruesome.
Among those watching the footage, those with weak stomachs like Vespa turned pale white and covered their mouths.
“Fever over 42 degrees, systemic hemorrhage, intravascular clotting, widespread tissue necrosis.”
Felix continued in a groan-like tone, matter-of-fact.
“100% fatality rate. No human survives.”
And the reason for showing this footage.
“⋯⋯.”
Felix's eyes fixed on the spire embedded in the middle of the capital.
“⋯⋯The rockets in there are meant to scatter this Pandemonium 'virus' across the entire capital.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Once they launch, that's it. The capital ends right there.”
Carlyle clutched his head.
'⋯⋯Crazy bastards.'
He hadn't expected them to resort to such a radical method.
Well, considering the outcome where the capital falls in a single day, it wasn't incomprehensible for an event of this scale.
Then, the most important question first.
“How much time until launch?”
After a moment of silence, Felix tapped her pipe on the ashtray.
“Four hours from now.”
“⋯⋯.”
Please, just a little.
Let us live with some breathing room.
Goddamn demon bastards.
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