Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Heretics
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They suddenly looked around them.
The councilor from the Pelos Family, which had produced Bondalles city councilors for generations.
Balrod of the Red Spear from the Crimson Magic Tower, known as the favorite disciple of the tower master who had approached the essence of fire.
Maldad, the black-haired bearer of the title 'Demon Hunter', bestowed only upon those extremely proficient in battling demons.
Shakan of the Red Step, descendant of the great chieftain and great warrior known as Thunder Step.
Each one was a name with the power to sway groups and entire regions.
And yet, those figures—
"See him over there!? My master! You just have to answer my master!"
"...So I don't need to answer anyone else's questions?"
"My master's the only master!!!"
"Understood."
—had turned into limp sacks of barley before a tiny little girl.
The councilor who had scoured for and invited these heavyweight figures because of a demon being toyed with by a little girl.
The heavyweights who had been deep in serious contemplation because of a demon being toyed with by a little girl.
They gazed at each other's ridiculous states and agonized.
The only consolation was that the little girl wasn't an ordinary human—she was a spirit.
"Master! Master! Blackie's a good Blackie now! He says he'll grant your wish!"
At that moment, the little girl returned to the man she called "master".
Rishir, honorary mage of the Gray Magic Tower.
All eyes focused on him.
"What... did you do...?"
Councilor Lan's brown eyes shook mercilessly.
Probably no one in this room was more shocked than her.
The past few days.
As a councilor, she had mobilized every ounce of her authority to earn the respect of the sealed demon.
Coaxing, threats, pleas, compromises—she had tried it all.
But the responses were always silence or mockery.
That was the nature of demons.
Deceivers who thoroughly despised and toyed with any being they deemed beneath them.
Lan had experienced that deceiver's nature to the point of nausea over the past few days.
Not just figuratively—she had actually vomited stomach acid from the stress of being toyed with by the bastard.
And yet.
Now, that deceiver was proclaiming himself a loyal Blackie and catering to the girl's whims.
Not even a doting uncle would be that indulgent.
At that moment, Rishir patted the little girl's head and said,
"It's complicated to explain, but this child is a bit special."
"Special...?"
He was originally a demon.
That's why the demons treat him nicely, right?
Rishir pondered how to convey that shocking truth.
"Should I say she knows how to handle demons?"
Rishir's intent succeeded.
His words were certainly less shocking than "she was originally a demon".
And there was no better way to convey Verbundes's ability without resistance.
"Knows how to handle demons..."
Even so, they couldn't shake off their shock.
Demons.
Undeniably, they were the most inscrutable and troublesome existences in this world.
The authority of the Crimson Magic Tower and the descendant of the great warrior knew how to deal with demons, but not how to handle them.
Thus, their gazes turned en masse to the Demon Hunter.
Gazes that seemed to ask, "Does such a thing even exist?"
"..."
The Demon Hunter's eyes, visible through his dangling black bangs, wavered.
A way to handle demons?
It exists.
If backed by profound understanding and analysis of demons, predicting and guiding their actions wasn't entirely impossible.
The problem was—
Nothing of such skill was evident in the little girl's actions just now.
-Blackie! You answer when my master asks! Got it!?
If another Demon Hunter imitated the girl's actions, demons and bystanders alike would think him an idiot.
Two possibilities arose.
1. The demon perceived the target as a superior being.
2. The spirit girl had something special.
The Demon Hunter dismissed the first possibility immediately upon considering it.
Demons were exceedingly arrogant.
They rarely acknowledged any existence's rank unless it was another demon.
Even among demons, they didn't yield easily without a significant rank difference.
This tendency grew stronger as a demon's ego formed, and the crystal orb demon had an ego clear enough to converse with humans.
Such a demon bowing its head without question?
The authoritative Demon Hunter could confidently assert:
If such a demon were present, he too would bow without question, or meet a pathetic end crushed like a bug in his palm.
Therefore, the Demon Hunter declared,
"It seems the spirit girl has some special ability."
At the expert's words, the others nodded reluctantly, still unsatisfied.
They didn't quite get it, but whatever, the expert says so.
Such a subtle atmosphere permeated the room.
"Well, anyway—"
The beastkin broke the mood.
Shakan. Her red tail swished as she expressed her cheerfulness.
"Thanks to you, things got easier. Thanks, little one?"
"I'm not little!"
"Oops, my bad. So what should I call you?"
"I- I'm...! Be-ru, Beru-t—"
The little girl struggled to squeeze out the words.
"Verbundes!"
A pleased smile formed on everyone's lips at her adorable display.
"..."
Everyone except one.
The Demon Hunter, Maldad.
'Verbundes...?'
No way. Couldn't be.
Of course not.
He let out a scoff, shaking off the ridiculous notion in his head.
The name of a little spirit girl coinciding with some mighty name that once dominated the ancient desert region was just coincidence, nothing more or less.
"Right. Thanks, Verbundes."
"Not Verbundes, Verbu...ndes!"
"?"
"But why are you thanking me?"
"Well, you opened up that Blackie over there."
"Then you don't need to thank me! I did it for my master!"
"Hm? Ah."
The gazes concentrated on Verbundes shifted back to Rishir.
A repeat of their first encounter.
They appraised Rishir, scanning him up and down.
Not only was the Gray Magic Tower obscure, but as thorough outsiders to Bondalles, they knew nothing of the young honorary mage before them.
Moreover, the honorary mages they knew were generally ceremonial honors given to 'ardent supporters of the magic towers'.
Rumors suggested the Gray Tower was different, but preconceptions didn't bend to logic so easily.
Huh? An honorary mage, and so young?
This kid has the same qualification as me?
Their initial negative impression of Rishir had been quite justified.
Now, that impression improved slightly.
Shakan nodded lightly toward Rishir.
They realized why he had been recommended for this gathering.
Probably because he was the owner of that peculiar spirit.
Rishir was etched in their minds as the owner of a peculiar spirit.
At least better than their first impression.
Rishir smiled contentedly and patted Verbundes's head.
"Now then—Lady Lan? Didn't you say there was something you wanted to ask the demon?"
Shakan gestured toward the black crystal orb.
Lan stepped forward, saying she would explain in detail the reason she had invited them before proceeding with the questioning.
"For now, shall we move to another location?"
She loaded them into carriages, saying there was something she wanted to show them first.
The place they arrived at by carriage was in front of a mansion in Bondalles's affluent 3rd District.
The moment they crossed the expansive garden and reached the mansion door.
Shakan's face twisted fiercely.
The fur on her red ears and tail bristled sharply.
"..."
The Demon Hunter Maldad also glared at the mansion through his dangling bangs.
"Shakan. What's wrong?"
Balrod of the Red Spear, the sole Crimson Magic Tower master seemingly at a loss, asked her.
Shakan fiddled with her nose once and spat on the ground.
As if something foul had entered her mouth.
"Lady Lan. What is this place? Too fancy for a slaughterhouse, too shitty for a place where people live."
Slaughterhouse.
At the loaded term, Balrod's expression grew grave as well.
Lan moved her feet instead of answering. She opened the mansion door and guided them inside.
"...Wow."
That was Rishir's impression upon reaching the basement.
The basement, showing signs of special renovation, was vast compared to the mansion's size.
That enormous space was filled to the brim with traces of slaughter.
Indelible bloodstains and the stench of blood.
The most striking was the stain remaining in the center.
A bloodstain spreading outward while leaving the center empty.
They pondered briefly how such a stain could form.
What came to mind was a massive tower of corpses.
"Livestock."
Even as Lan added that, their expressions didn't improve.
Those who committed such acts inside the city wouldn't stop at slaughtering livestock.
"Lately, suspicious movements have been detected throughout Bondalles. People vanishing, unreported logistics carriages found. Tracing those led us here. When we arrived, this place was filled with livestock blood and carcasses. We found this black crystal orb inside."
Shakan nodded up and down in understanding.
"So, our job is to find and crush the ones behind this. Got it. I get it, but one question. By your account, their plan failed. They even lost the demon. At this point, they've lost major power and likely fled Bondalles before we could track them. Right?"
"Yes."
"Yet you paid a hefty price to gather us here. This lineup seems overkill just to catch some demon-worshipping losers who couldn't even guard their master and ran off disgracefully."
That was when Rishir spoke up.
"Take this and shove it."
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"It does feel that way, doesn't it? That's what you were worried about too, right, Lady Lan?"
"...Yes. It kept nagging at me. Everything falling into place too perfectly—"
Shakan nodded, but her expression remained unsatisfied.
"I get the sentiment. But I can't shake the feeling you're being too paranoid. That black crystal orb. Using the demon sealed inside as mere bait? Like fishing with gold."
Maldad voiced agreement with Shakan's opinion.
"The clarity and magnitude of its ego. The demon sealed in that orb is of considerable rank. More than enough to sow chaos in a massive city like this. Using such a demon as bait? Even I find that hard to accept."
Balrod, eyes closed in thought, asked obliquely,
"Any suspicious movements since then?"
Lan shook her head and formed a complex smile.
"I hope my worries are just unfounded."
"Then, what you wanted to ask that demon—"
"Exactly. That demon is currently the only suspect we can interrogate, and also the mastermind who knows everything."
Shakan, Balrod, Maldad.
Embarrassed looks appeared on the three faces.
Now they understood why Lan had specifically framed the request as 'demon interrogation'.
Unless it was actual interrogation, there was no way the demon would spill info on its followers.
Shakan and Balrod cautiously glanced at Maldad.
He shook his head slightly.
Cases where demon worshippers cracked under interrogation and spilled on their demons happened often enough.
But the reverse?
Unheard of.
A demon cracking under torture and spilling on its followers.
Torture humans could imagine posed no threat to demons.
They began pondering how to approach Lan's request, more complex than expected.
"Shall we at least try asking?"
Rishir, gauging their reactions, broached carefully.
"Earlier, he said he'd answer my questions, right?"
"..."
Shakan looked at him and let out a weary scoff.
What to do with this unrealistic pup.
"He'll answer?"
"I'll tell you everything..."
"What the fuck."
Shakan unwittingly blurted out at the absurd scene unfolding before her eyes.
Wasn't the orb demon spilling everything about its followers trying to free it and their plans without reservation?
White Shadow Cult.
When that name was mentioned, they couldn't hide their bewilderment.
Calling themselves bearers of deception, they were the most secretive, insidious, and dangerous demon-worshipping group on the continent.
According to the demon, even now, they lurked in Bondalles's shadows, laying the groundwork for a massive ritual.
"You lot. You're not seriously thinking of believing that demon, are you?"
It was obviously a trap or deception.
Shakan voiced the perfectly reasonable doubt.
Then, Verbundes—the spirit who had reappeared—spoke to the demon.
"Are you lying to my master!?"
"...Judging that is your role."
The demon muttered solemnly and meaningfully.
The typical demeanor of a deceiving demon.
"You lied to Master! I won't forgive you!"
At that moment, Verbundes raised both arms with all her might.
As pathetic as a tanuki stretching desperately.
Sighs, brow rubs, eyes squeezed shut.
Shakan and the others expressed their dismay in their own ways.
Of course.
The little girl had been toyed with by the demon after all.
The demon's attitude was proof—
"N-No...! Why would I dare!"
"?"
Whose safety? Who?
They doubted their own ears for a moment.
Whose voice was that?
Astoundingly, it was the demon's.
So flustered, he cast aside demonic pride and cried out desperately.
They couldn't keep up with the situation.
And ultimately, couldn't accept it.
Not even as they followed the demon's guidance to the White Shadow Cult's hideout.
A secret space unknown to anyone in Bondalles.
There, a secretive and wicked ritual was in full swing.
Humans hung naked from ropes like slabs of meat.
Their grotesque forms foretold their miserable fate without mercy.
Those in white robes encircled them.
What faces might the madmen creating this horrific scene wear?
Goldana, priestess of the White Shadow Cult.
She wore a dazed, far-from-solemn expression.
Gazing at the black crystal orb screaming atop the sudden intruder's hand.
-What did I say, Master!
"Who’s your master?"
Rishir scolded the orb demon.
"Darkness that Burns Black...?"
The heretic murmured the name of the being she served in a distant voice.