35
Chapter 35
"Since demonic energy acts as oxygen for demons, closing the dimensional gates that emit it should cause the demons to perish... at least, that's what I've heard."
Harry stroked his beard.
"I recall the Cathedral making that claim. They said the Goddess had delivered such a revelation."
Harry took a bite of grilled lizard and continued.
"What's certain is that the demonic energy currently spreading across the land strengthens the demons and pollutes the ecosystem."
It doesn't just pollute the environment, but also the human mind, turning people into Worshippers. Unless one has the ability to repel demonic energy, like the Clergy or Mages, ordinary people find it nearly impossible to resist.
In a way, Demon Worshippers seem more like zombies in the modern sense than Karon's zombies.
Viral zombies are more in trend these days than voodoo ones.
Harry, who had been talking enthusiastically, shifted his gaze to Rake.
"...Strangely enough, the Barbarians seem to have adapted quite well."
I find that curious as well. I wonder if Barbarians possess something similar to Demonic Energy Resistance.
Rake, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke.
"We are not much different from you. Those who couldn't adapt are simply gone."
For us, losing faith means death.
There is nothing more shameful than abandoning the Loa to become a Demon Worshipper, so many chose to take their own lives before they were completely infected.
Ah... so it was a case of 'survival of the fittest.'
Harry cleared his throat.
He stroked his beard, looking slightly awkward.
Anyway, polluting the ecosystem... I wonder if it's something like terraforming. They might be spreading demonic energy to create an environment optimized for demons to live in.
If that's the case, why do the demons and Worshippers eat livestock that haven't been infected?
The Infected, contaminated by demonic energy, should be a better food source for them.
Well, since they share the same demonic energy, maybe it feels like eating their own kind...
As that thought crossed my mind, I felt a chill run down my spine.
- Mage Harry. Is there a possibility that the Infected could become demons?
No way. Please, no.
Harry looked at Totem No. 3 with a solemn expression.
He asked if the appearance of demons didn't strangely resemble the animals of the earth.
Holy shit.
Does this mean every Infected is a potential demon?
I'll have to kill every single one I see. Though I'm already doing that.
Harry mentioned a study by the Imperial Magic Technology Research Society suggesting that if the Infected continuously absorb demonic energy and keep consuming humans, they could undergo a process similar to evolution and become Low-tier Demons, but it was too complex for me to fully grasp.
"Kuuuuh— Hmm! Demons. Infected. I see."
Kanto looked like he was on the verge of drifting off to sleep.
- Is there any other information that could help in driving out the demons?
I wondered if there were any Hidden Pieces known only to civilized people.
Harry explained that before the Empire fell, experts in Golemology were summoned to a secret laboratory for a project.
As he recalled, the goal was to mass-produce new combat golems to counter the demon armies.
He hadn't participated because he had to look after his granddaughter, Luna, but he knew where the place was.
He added that while no mages might be alive there now, they might be lucky enough to find the research results.
Harry closed his eyes gently as if reminiscing. Since they were in the same field, he must have known many of them.
This is valuable information. Even just obtaining the mass-produced golem blueprints would be a huge help.
- Mid-tier Demons seem to send coordinates to High-tier Demons right before they die. Is there any way to stop that?
"It can be neutralized by interfering with the casting, but you need superior mana control over the target to do so."
- Can you interfere with a Mid-tier Demon's casting?
This was a critical matter.
"I can't interfere with the casting myself, but I can build a device that does. The materials are common and the process is simple, so I can make it quickly."
Harry added that he had created and supplied several such devices to the military before the fall.
The product name was 'Magic Interference Device.'
"I'm not sure if it'll work on Mid-tier Demons, but there's a good chance."
Great. As long as there's a possibility.
If he could just interfere with the coordinate transmission, Harry had already more than pulled his weight.
The conquest of Symphonia is almost within reach.
Harry finished his meal by saying he could gather magic stones and materials in the village we cleared to extend the operation time of the current golems and build the interference equipment.
1. Regardless of everything, the dimensional gate must be closed.
2. The Infected can evolve into Low-tier Demons.
3. There is a place where the 'masterpiece' created by a gathering of golem specialists is located.
4. Harry can create equipment that interrupts casting.
That's about it for the information gained today.
Once the subjugation of Symphonia is over and I have some free time, it would be a good idea to visit the location from the third piece of information.
It wasn't in a region very far from here.
***
A few days passed after collecting the magic stones and all the materials for the Magic Interference Device.
Denjo, who had gone to scout the foot of the mountain for a while, stood before the leadership of the Tribe Alliance to report.
Though the leadership was just Rake, Paya, Kanto, Muri, and Harry gathered at the altar.
"Devil's Sight is spread everywhere. It reached all the way to the entrance of the mountain."
- I see.
"I saw quite a few Worshippers as well. They were moving as if scouting the area."
The same situation George experienced at first was happening again.
The demons had noticed due to the excessive subjugation. Even if they hadn't fully realized it, they must have known something strange was going on.
"It would be best not to move for the time being. If we act rashly, we might be caught in a pincer attack."
"Low-tier Demons cannot think as complexly as humans. After patrolling for a few days, they'll shift their attention elsewhere."
Rake gave her opinion, and Muri added to it.
Muri, who had been resting for a few days, was still using a cane, as if she still had difficulty moving.
She said she suffered spiritual pain from creating two Mini-Totems in such a short period.
She told me not to worry because it wasn't life-threatening, but given her age, I was still a bit concerned.
Anyway, the consensus was to rest for a while. I agreed with both women.
George's Raid Party had four level 5s, giving them the combat power to strike three villages at once and take the offensive, but the current Tribe Alliance had no one capable of facing a Low-tier Demon besides Rake and Kanto.
Rake could subjugate a village on her own, but Kanto would struggle.
Although he had defeated a Low-tier Demon, it was only because he had the support of strong warriors like Denjo and Una that he could secure a safe victory.
- Can the golems handle a Low-tier Demon?
I asked Harry.
"Rock Golems have excellent durability and strength, but they are slow. They were originally designed for construction. They might work against slow, bulky demons, but they'd struggle against agile ones."
Since we don't know which demons we'll fight, there's a chance we could lose.
In the end, Rake is the only one who can cleanly take down a Low-tier Demon.
In that case, it's better to quietly wait for an opportunity.
We aren't in a situation like George's Raid Party, where it was 'strike now or lose.'
George's party had used a village as their base. They attacked urgently because they feared the demons would unite, surround them, and invade the village.
On the other hand, this is a mountain. It's a place where demons and Worshippers rarely go, and the terrain makes it difficult for a large army to climb.
The warriors of the Blue Moss Tribe were born and raised in the mountains. Even the agile Rake would practically be flying.
If we fight in the mountains, we have the absolute advantage.
We had plenty of time.
The demons and Worshippers will lose steam if they keep scouting for days. That's when we strike.
Additionally, my growth won't be significantly delayed just because the Tribe Alliance headquarters takes a break.
The Golden Sun Tribe is steadily earning points for me.
Yesterday, I raised the Zombie Control blessing to the intermediate level.
- Let's do that.
I decided to suspend the subjugation operations for a few days.
In the meantime, I decided to move to Totem No. 2 and assist the Golden Sun Tribe with their hunting.
"Lord Mallak! This is Chief Tur. We are continuing the subjugation steadily. The totem isn't finished yet, so please wait a little longer."
- I've come to help the Golden Sun Tribe today.
I focused on groups of Infected because targeting Low-tier Demons would lead to too many casualties.
Since the Golden Sun Tribe lacked a trump card like Rake, it was an unavoidable choice.
It's not like this is a simulation game where you can just pop out children and replenish lost troops.
It's a demon apocalypse; who on earth would have a high birth rate?
"Oh! You've come again today!"
After I supported them a few times with the Totem of Healing and Zombie Control, they absolutely loved it.
"Long live Loa Mallak!"
"He is the Loa of Loas!"
The warriors, who once worshiped only Rakan and hesitated when looking at me, have now come to truly serve me.
It's natural to care more about the chicken right in front of you than the pizza far away. Especially if that chicken is a god.
The analogy might be a bit odd, but it gets the point across.
This happened today when I moved to Totem No. 2 to support the Golden Sun Tribe's combat operations.
It feels like I'm leveling up an alt character, which is quite satisfying.
"Ah, Lord Mallak!"
"You've arrived!"
Tur and Bojak greeted me warmly.
Tur was armed and on horseback, while I (Totem No. 2) was placed on Bojak's wagon along with various ornaments.
Why the armor? Were they in the middle of a subjugation?
"I was actually just thinking of praying to you. We're in a situation where we might need a blessing... haha."
I followed Bojak's gaze.
I saw people engaged in battle with a group of Infected—potential aggressors, or rather, potential Low-tier Demons.
They were pale-skinned civilized people, led by a woman in a nun's habit and a middle-aged knight.
This was my first time seeing a group of civilized survivors.
- Are we going to save them?
Tur grinned.
"Didn't you tell us to save the civilized people, Lord Mallak? Normally we'd ignore them, but since you wished it, we must obey."
I didn't expect them to help civilized people so voluntarily.
I'm actually a bit touched.