Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Freedom Comes with Responsibility. (3)
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"Veronica!"
As I called her name and stepped forward, everyone froze, lowering their weapons.
"Veronica? Black Death?"
"That's right. It's Veronica."
They'd all fought on the same battlefield, so of course they knew her.
No, it went beyond mere recognition. The Troll Lord had fallen thanks to her, making her one of the key figures in saving Hasler.
"Ah, there you are. I have something important to tell you... But who's that woman behind you?"
"Pardon?"
Turning at Veronica's words, I saw Lin glaring at her from behind me, eyes narrowed like axe blades.
What the heck? Why is she acting like that?
She had to know Veronica was an ally from that reaction just now.
Or did she have some grudge against adventurers?
Hmm, coming from a princess with hero aptitude, that wasn't unreasonable... but she followed me, a commoner, just fine.
Ah, first things first—I should introduce her to Veronica.
"This is Miss Lin. We found her lost in the Ode Swamp, and the investigation team has been protecting her."
"Ah, I see."
Even after my explanation, Veronica remained slightly guarded against the glare directed her way.
She must have instinctively sensed that Lin was as strong as her—or stronger.
An S-rank adventurer and a hero with A-grade aptitude, eyeing each other warily.
And me, stuck right in the middle.
...What is this atmosphere?
"Who is this woman?"
Then Lin spoke up from behind me in a sharp voice.
Was it just wariness toward a stranger?
Well, after everything she'd been through.
It was enough to make anyone distrust humans.
"This is Veronica. An S-rank adventurer. She played a key role in resolving the recent Troll Lord incident, and she teaches dagger skills to me and the other adventurers."
"...Hmph."
Huh? What?
I'd clearly explained she was trustworthy, but Lin's expression soured even more.
"That's not important right now. Let's head back to Hasler first."
Veronica had been watching Lin's odd reaction with a troubled look, but seemed to recall her original purpose and spoke hurriedly.
"What's going on?"
What could make her so urgently seek me out?
Had something else happened in Hasler...?
No, if it were that serious, Veronica would've handled it herself or contacted the Hero Management Bureau.
I didn't have the power to resolve major incidents, no matter what.
"Well... something strange came out of the Troll Lord's corpse."
"Something strange?"
Come to think of it, I'd heard from Veronica that they'd recovered the Troll Lord's body for research.
It was meant to uncover its secrets alongside this habitat survey, right?
And now something strange had emerged from it?
What on earth could it be?
How bizarre did it have to be for them to send her all the way out here to fetch me?
"I figured Instructor Kane might have some idea. That's why I came to get you."
"Hmm, I see. Got it."
With her putting it like that, it sounded like either a grave problem or something truly outlandish had turned up.
Of course, there wasn't much I could do... but they were trusting me this far.
Best to head to Hasler and share whatever knowledge I had.
"I'll come too."
But then.
A sharp voice rang out from behind.
"Miss Lin?"
Lin was still glaring at Veronica, declaring she was coming along too.
What? Suddenly?
She clearly didn't like Veronica, so why insist on tagging along?
Did she think Veronica was dangerous?
Worried she'd slit my throat if I went alone?
Haha, nothing like that.
Well, her coming along wouldn't cause any real issues.
Their vibes were off, but maybe traveling together would help.
Clear up any misunderstandings.
It'd be nice if they got along.
"Mind if she comes too?"
"Uh... sure."
Veronica nodded reluctantly.
Lin kept glaring at her all the while.
This party lineup... sh-should be fine... right...?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The journey back to Hasler was nothing short of hellish agony.
They just eyed each other silently, warily.
I kept throwing out topics to try and ease the tension.
"Veronica might seem sharp at first glance, but she's actually pretty kind. Hasler's not even her main base—she's just dispatched here—yet she works so hard. And she teaches dagger skills really well."
"Hmph. I see."
...Lin's mood darkened further.
"Miss Lin gets scared around people at first, but once you're close, she helps out with everything. She's a good person."
"Oh, really?"
...Now Veronica's mood was souring too.
What the hell?!
Anyway.
This atmosphere made it impossible to say anything properly.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally staggered into Hasler.
...I'd never been so relieved to see those walls.
"So, what exactly came out?"
Their vibes had overwhelmed me so much I hadn't gotten the details.
What could it be to warrant sending Veronica?
"...Now that you're here, better to see it yourself. Hard to explain."
Veronica scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
As she said, we headed to the lord's castle basement.
Into the lab where the Troll Lord's corpse was being autopsied.
"Ah, Instructor Kane! You've arrived!"
"...Yes, my lord. It's been a while."
Well, only about three or four days, really.
But that deferential attitude... I still couldn't get used to it.
Was it really okay for a lord to use such extreme honorifics with a commoner, bowing and all?
"Ah, and that woman there..."
The lord noticed Lin hiding behind me and asked.
But staring like that would make her glare daggers.
"......"
Yet when Lord Strau looked her way, Lin hurriedly hid completely behind me.
...Huh? Why different from with Veronica?
Scared of crowds here?
"Ah, she was lost in the Ode Swamp, so the investigation team's protecting her. She insisted on coming along..."
Might be confidential she shouldn't see, so I trailed off like a question.
"Ah, I see. Well... shouldn't be an issue. Come along."
Surprisingly, Lord Strau shrugged coolly and permitted it.
Not something needing secrecy, then.
"Take a look at this first."
Lord Strau personally escorted me deeper into the lab, treating me like an honored guest.
There...
"This was found inside the Troll Lord's body."
A jet-black something inside a glass jar, constantly writhing and shifting forms.
"...What is it?"
At a glance, it resembled a black, fluid solid.
But moving on its own, it seemed alive.
Slime? Liquid metal? Parasitic monster?
What the heck was it?
I had no clue just from looking.
"...Feels gross."
Then Lin, from behind me, frowned at the black substance and muttered.
Yeah, it definitely creeped me out.
Some ominous aura radiated from it.
The sheer unknown quality played a part too.
Humans fear the unknown by nature.
First, I needed to pin down what it was.
Examine its traits.
Coming from inside the Troll Lord, parasitic monster seemed likely.
Or maybe a core holding its life force—not out of the question.
"City experts across fields and mages investigated. It's not a living organism. But it emits mana..."
Lord Strau glanced at the black thing and spoke gravely.
"...And demonic energy is detectable too."
"Demonic energy?"
My face scrunched up involuntarily at those words.
Demonic energy meant the foul, grotesque aura emitted by demons from the demon realm.
Different from mana entirely.
Was that why Lin felt grossed out?
Heroes sense demonic energy more intensely and acutely.
But why would something like that be in a Middle Realm monster?
"And... the alchemists mentioned this: the Troll Lord's body... might have been artificially created..."
"Pardon?"
Created?
What did that mean?
Weren't Troll Lords naturally occurring?
Alchemists were experts in crafting artificial life forms.
If they said it, it might really be the case.
"......"
A bizarre fluid substance reeking of demonic energy.
A body that might've been manufactured.
And behavior uniquely intelligent this time around, as if it knew human traits and tactics inside out.
Everything converged on one conclusion.
"...The Troll Lord was created by a demon?"
What else could explain it?
"...Truth be told, we reached the same conclusion you did, Instructor Kane. But... it just doesn't make sense."
Lord Strau shuddered as he spoke.
Right, it didn't add up—just like he said.
Or more precisely, it shouldn't add up.
Demon precursors—or actual descents—were known to corrupt beasts and monsters into demonic beasts via demons.
And their power scaled with the demon's strength.
Low-grade demons could at best produce D- to C-rank demonic beasts.
Turning orcs, trolls, or silver wolves at most.
So then.
To corrupt an S-rank extermination-level Troll Lord into a demonic beast.
What rank of demon would that take?
But something was off.
Ode Swamp clearly...
"Yet no demonic traces—or even precursors—were found in Ode Swamp. We'd have noticed during prior surveys if there were."
...Yeah, that was it.
Demon precursors don't happen quietly or subtly.
Having surveyed over 70% of Ode Swamp with zero traces meant no demons were there.
That's why they hadn't pulled the investigation team but brought just me for input.
In other words, the situation was:
The Troll Lord was demon-created.
Said demon: high-grade... or higher.
But zero demonic traces in Ode Swamp.
"...Instructor Kane. What do you think?"
Lord Strau asked in a deeply anxious voice.
What did I think?
This was a total anomaly—no records in any demon lore.
No demon, but a demon's creation present.
And not imported from elsewhere—it had spawned right in Ode Swamp as a Troll Lord...
"...Huh?"
Wait a minute.
Why had we assumed...
...that the Troll Lord originated in Ode Swamp?
If it was truly created.
Couldn't it have been made elsewhere and brought in?
In that case, right now...
Thud!
"...?!"
That's when it hit me.
Suddenly, the sound of something slamming into glass echoed.
Everyone jolted, staring toward the noise.
There sat the glass jar that had held the black fluid substance.
But where had the fluid gone?
As if it had smashed against the inner wall and spread.
The black mass was splayed across the glass.
And then it began creeping along the jar's wall... morphing into letters.
⚠ DEMONIC INSCRIPTION ⚠ [To those who call themselves light, the iron mace of darkness.] The letters soon coalesced into an incomprehensible.
Strange sentence.