The Nature of Demons
Bella Cardinal, having clarified that her role was not evaluation but camaraderie, attached herself to Princess Reciel far more aggressively than before.
“What does Your Highness think of demons?”
“I already dislike even a single strand of Prince Loras’s hair, so there’s no way I’d like what’s taken root inside his body. I know nothing about demons. I don’t even know what they are. I simply hate them because they’re connected to Prince Loras.”
If I were Princess Reciel, I would probably feel the same. To her, demons were still nothing more than an abstract concept.
“Even if they haven’t concerned you until now, if Prince Loras is working with a demon, you’ll need to learn about them.”
“About demons? What exactly should I know?”
“That is…”
It was absurd that, as a priest, I found myself at a loss for words when asked what a demon was. I could speak at length about the abstract idea of demons, but the one standing before us was a real demon, wasn’t it?
“It’s something we’ll have to investigate together from now on. I can explain everything written about demons in the ancient texts, but we can’t distinguish which parts are fact and which are fiction.”
Even if the accounts were somewhat exaggerated, the appearance of a demon had never been a blessing to humanity. Personally, I hoped the texts contained lies. If everything written was true, then a demon’s arrival would be a catastrophic disaster for mankind.
“What exactly is written in those texts?” Princess Reciel asked, her curiosity piqued by the mention of ancient records.
“Demons possess their own names. Each one has a different specialty—abilities that bring about the end of the world. The first that comes to mind is the demon that spreads plagues.”
“Plagues?”
“It creates incurable diseases and unleashes them upon people. The contagion is so potent that anyone infected dies. The more people perish, the stronger the demon becomes.”
“Isn’t that cheating? If such a demon existed, the world should have collapsed long ago.”
When I gave a brief explanation, Princess Reciel reacted as though she had heard an absurd joke. But it was no joke—the proof that such demons had existed was right there inside the temple. Bella Cardinal, who had expected this reaction, continued without revealing that detail.
“The demons you imagined and real demons are quite different, aren’t they?”
“In fairy tales, demons felt more like mischievous tricksters who tormented children.”
“Do you know why demons appear in fairy tales at all? It was to ease people’s fear of them. Long ago, there was a demon that fed on emotions. If people felt fear toward it, the demon would consume that fear and grow stronger.”
“Anyone hearing this would think it’s real.”
Still treating it as a joke, Princess Reciel fell silent when Bella Cardinal’s expression turned serious, her playful demeanor gone.
“Demons are the children of the Evil God. The Evil God wishes to destroy our world and create a new one under its rule. Its children will do anything to bring about that destruction.”
It was no wonder the Holy Empire reacted so strongly to the mere mention of demons. Every demon described in the ancient texts possessed terrifying power—power so threatening that one wished it were untrue.
“Their abilities are varied and lethal against humans swayed by emotion. I wonder what kind of demon has attached itself to Prince Loras. Doesn’t it make you curious? Excited, even?”
Once the demon began to move in earnest, terrible events would undoubtedly unfold one after another in the Deltrack Empire.
“Excited?”
The moment Princess Reciel’s expression hardened at Bella Cardinal’s words, the Cardinal broke into a bright smile. The stern look vanished as if it had been a mere jest.
“We gathered here precisely to prevent such things from happening in the Deltrack Empire, didn’t we? I simply wanted to give Your Highness a warning because you seemed to underestimate demons. I meant no harm, so please don’t take offense.”
“…I’ll admit I was ignorant about demons and lacked a proper sense of urgency.”
Princess Reciel’s expression softened as she took a step back.
“In truth, before coming here, I already ordered an investigation into demons. If a demon has appeared, it would be troublesome not to know what it does. So I told them to find out immediately. Once we know the name of the demon possessing Prince Loras, we’ll be halfway to preparing to kill it. That’s why you must discover the demon’s name. It would be even better if we could learn its appearance as well. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”
Seeing how thoroughly she had prepared despite not yet confirming that a demon truly resided in Prince Loras put my mind at ease. I had worried she might be too complacent, but it seemed my concerns were unfounded.
“When I first heard that a demon had taken root in Prince Loras’s body, I thought it suited him perfectly. He’s been vicious like a demon since childhood. Having one inside him doesn’t seem to have changed him much. Whatever demon it is, it must be one that matches his nature.”
“Stopping a demon won’t be easy, but in the end, it will meet the fate already written for it.”
“What fate is that?”
“Ruin.”
Princess Reciel’s eyes gleamed at the word.
“The ancient texts say this: when a demon appears, tens of thousands will die, and rivers will run with blood. If Prince Loras remains alive, the people of the Deltrack Empire will suffer because of him. To prevent that, Prince Loras must die.”
Our task was to stop that from happening.
“Our empire never delays or half-heartedly performs the duties required of us. So, Princess Reciel, use us to achieve what you desire. Doing so will benefit the Holy Empire as well.”
Prince Loras’s rash decision to show hostility toward the Holy Empire had been a fatal mistake. He would lose much because of it. I knew he wasn’t the type to act on emotion, so why had he done it? It was a situation where he gained nothing and lost everything.
‘Perhaps he tried to avoid the heretic verification process…’
If other nations had continued supporting him, he might have been able to pressure the Holy Empire. The problem was that neighboring countries feared the Holy Empire far more than he had anticipated. As a result, his plans had fallen apart, leaving him with nothing but losses. Of course, all of this was mere speculation—there was no way to know his true motives.
“Joining hands with a demon was the worst mistake that man could have made.”
“Of course, there are many things we still need to verify—whether a demon truly possesses him, whether he’s a victim, and so on.”
“What happens if he is a victim?”
“Unfortunately, even if he is a victim, his situation won’t improve. A body once possessed by a demon is considered tainted and must be burned.”
Even royalty could not escape the judgment reserved for the impure. This statement seemed to please Princess Reciel.
“Is there a way to confirm whether a demon has possessed him?”
“Unfortunately, there isn’t—not until the demon reveals its true form.”
“Then isn’t it difficult to punish Prince Loras?”
“If Prince Loras doesn’t want to be branded a demon, he’ll have to come to the Holy Empire himself and prove his innocence. But I doubt he’ll do that.”
In the end, if he didn’t prove his own innocence, the Holy Empire would treat him as a suspected criminal and act accordingly.
“Even if he goes to the Holy Empire, you said we can’t be certain unless the demon shows itself.”
“Divine power is the antithesis of the Evil God. If we pour divine power into his body, the demon might be forced out because it can’t endure it.”
It was a crude method, but effective. A demon residing within a body wouldn’t be able to withstand a continuous influx of divine power.
“What if Prince Loras proves his innocence there? What if none of it was true?”
If he proved he wasn’t a demon or a heretic, would the Holy Empire’s support disappear? That seemed to be the real question Princess Reciel wanted answered. However—
“Even if he isn’t a demon’s host, the result will still mark him as a heretic. It can’t be otherwise.”
Bella Cardinal firmly dismissed her concern.
“Couldn’t he prove he has no connection to heretics?”
“Prince Loras has already acted with hostility toward the Holy Empire. Why wouldn’t he be a heretic?”
This part was frustrating. If I were to say what the Holy Empire truly wanted: ‘Even if he isn’t a heretic, it doesn’t matter. He attacked us.’ He had incited other nations to express grievances against the Holy Empire, and the Holy Empire had no intention of letting that slide. According to my master, they were prepared to brand Prince Loras a heretic even if he wasn’t one. Since they couldn’t say that outright, they kept insisting that if he wasn’t a demon’s host, then he must be a heretic.
Seeming to find the situation unbearable, Bella Cardinal grasped both of the princess’s hands and spoke.
“We will do our utmost to support you. So please, bring that demon before us.”
If Princess Reciel won the struggle for the throne, Prince Loras, now without allies, would have no choice but to come to the Holy Empire.
“…I’ll do my best.”
“Excellent. Then shall we discuss in detail what kind of support you’re hoping for?”
The Holy Empire’s offer of assistance. At the question of what support she desired, Princess Reciel’s eyes sharpened.