Branch Leader

Burying those bastards took quite a long time.

You had to dig pretty deep if you wanted to keep any smells or traces from leaking out.

And, more to the point, I didn't have a shovel at the moment.

Who the hell leaves the house expecting this to happen?

It'd be weirder to think, "Ah, I have a feeling I'll be burying people today, so I'd better pack a shovel!"

Thanks to that, I had no choice but to dig with the round shield that orange-headed bitch left behind.

Dammit. If I'd known this, I wouldn't have punched a hole through it.

No matter how you dug with a shield, some dirt kept spilling through the hole in the middle, which was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠real pain in the ass.

"Kill you, past me."

So I spent the whole job cursing my past self.

It was a day I especially missed my neighbor, Mr. Owl Bear.

If only that friend with the big appetite had been around, I wouldn't have had to dig at all.

Still, after about two hours of work, I managed to finish somehow.

"Hoo..."

I wiped off my sweat and glanced around; before I knew it, night had fallen and the forest looked dim.

Naturally, Chae-rin had already gone back to the city.

The look on her face when we parted was really something. She had the expression of a regular citizen pretending not to see a crime scene.

...Well, it was my first time burying people too, so I found it a little novel. I never thought I'd end up doing this kind of thing either.

'...Am I still okay?'

I briefly questioned my own humanity.

Maybe because I'd lived here for 23 years, I felt like I was gradually losing the sensibilities of a modern person.

Still, my chest didn't feel particularly pricked by guilt, and I wasn't breaking out in a cold sweat.

It seemed my humanity was telling me I was still all right.

...Or maybe it was already dead and couldn't speak up.

Anyway, that took care of everything I had to do.

But an uneasy feeling still lingered in my mind.

Because the fact that these guys came here in the first place was the real problem.

These women hadn't come looking for me, and they hadn't fled here because something was chasing them from outside.

They'd been roaming around under orders from their organization, "Lemegeton," when they happened to run into me and tried to get a piece.

And thanks to that, I'd ended up with two hours of digging labor.

Come to think of it, I still had to go home and clean up the blood I'd spilled.

"You dog-fucking sons of bitches."

A sudden surge of rage hit me, and I spat on the ground where they were buried.

If I'd had my way, I'd have taken a nice long piss on top of it too, but unfortunately I didn't have to go at the moment, so I had to hold back.

Judging by my humanity's lack of reaction, they'd definitely have been down for it.

A real shame.

Anyway, now was the time to lay low.

Because "Lemegeton" would keep coming into this forest in the future.

As Yoo Chae-rin had said, those people were currently out for blood searching for the "Hooded NPC."

So they'd turned the city upside down, and when he still didn't show up, they'd expanded their search radius to this forest.

'It's going to be obnoxious for a while...'

Somehow, my head started to ache. I really hoped they wouldn't find my hideout.

Luckily, I'd set up at least some camouflage.

Even if it was the kind of camouflage you'd spot right away up close, it was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠better than nothing.

If I just stayed hidden well for a while, they might eventually give up and leave without finding me.

So I headed back to the cave to clean up the blood I'd already spilled.

...And that complacent thought was shattered to pieces just two weeks later.

"We meet at last. It's a pleasure."

While exploring the forest, I encountered a woman.

She had long, straight white hair falling to her waist and a cold impression.

When she saw me, she slowly bowed at the waist as if in prayer. The gesture even carried an air of unknown decorum.

Soon she raised her head and introduced herself.

"I am the Fifth Branch Leader, Sepir."

"...Hoo."

I let out a long sigh.

This time, a seriously troublesome one had shown up.

*

What did the rank structure of Lemegeton look like?

Even though they were a cult that had suddenly appeared, their power was by no means negligible.

The very fact that they worshipped demons was a problem in itself, but people who could even tear Imperial Knights apart were steadily appearing among them.

If their forces were this large, they naturally had to have some degree of organization.

Because they were a secretive group, information was a little scarce, but the ranks themselves were surprisingly easy to come by.

That was because a few of the users who'd joined Lemegeton had leaked at least the rank structure.

Lemegeton was built on a thoroughly vertical chain of command.

At the very top was the General Assembly Chair, and below them came Branch Leaders, Zone Leaders, Team Leaders, and Lay Believers, in that order.

As befitted a bunch of cultists, even their rank chart was built on nothing solid.

However, you couldn't just dismiss the "Team Leader" rank as totally low.

Because apparently, some people became Team Leaders for a specific purpose.

I'd heard from Chae-rin that in some cases, a person at the Branch Leader level might hold the title of Team Leader...

The explanation got a bit long, but anyway, the conclusion was short and clear.

Right now, the second-in-command of the cult was standing in front of me. The highest-ranking officer right below the General Assembly Chair.

I'd never seen for myself how strong a Branch Leader was, but an Otherworlder in Lemegeton had given a succinct assessment.

[Just doesn't make sense lol; not even human, fr fr]

Naturally, that was a message Yoo Chae-rin had relayed to me.

So I had no choice but to raise my guard.

Their skill, well, I could set that aside since I'd never witnessed it firsthand.

The real problem was that a Branch Leader-level figure had come here at all.

First, I asked her.

"...What's your business?"

"I'll be direct. Please join our cult, Manifestor."

The moment she faced me, she called me a Manifestor as if she were certain of it.

I was shaken inside, but outwardly I played it perfectly cool.

"...A Manifestor? What the hell kind of bullshit is that?"

"Oh dear, you needn't play dumb. I've come already knowing everything."

"...Knowing what, exactly?"

"A few months ago, you cut off Lord Seere's left arm. Is that not so?"

My hand twitched.

I'd managed to keep a poker face, but controlling a physical reaction was too much.

Meanwhile, she went on speaking.

The woman in front of me briefly drew up her mana, then layered it over herself.

As if blanketed by a light ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠snowfall, her white hair soon turned a dull brown.

"You certainly used your head well. 'Illusion Sight' magic, no less. It's a spell that has certain difficulties to learn, but there's nothing quite like it for concealing one's identity. Thanks to it, we too were thoroughly fooled until recently."

I smacked myself on the head.

So they'd figured it out after all.

I suppose... Illusion Sight wasn't some ancient secret art; if you set your mind to deducing it, you could do it any number of ways.

But one question still remained.

If so, how had they found out I was in this forest?

As if she'd read my thoughts, the other party continued explaining.

"Our cult has a great many talented people. And among them, the Second Branch Leader excels in communication and pursuit."

At the word "communication," a memory suddenly came to mind.

A figure who'd been exchanging messages from beyond a blood-drawn magic circle when I killed that believer named Lian.

'No way...'

"And just a few weeks ago, when we sent believers here, we installed a safety measure. Nothing too elaborate. Nothing more than a simple life-sign check."

But those believers' signals had been cut off here.

"A curious thing. They weren't just any ordinary personnel, either. They didn't have the best personalities, but at the very least, they weren't the sort to die to monsters. One of them was a Zone Leader-level talent, at that."

Then there was only one answer. A human had killed them, not a monster.

So who had killed them?

A powerhouse strong enough to kill a Zone Leader who even used Sword Aura, and a person who happened to be wandering this forest.

Coincidentally, the cult was currently investigating this forest to find the "Hooded NPC."

Reasoning that no Manifestor could possibly be living a normal life in the city.

Then the thought naturally led in one direction.

A Manifestor in hiding was in this forest.

"Though I never imagined that the person we've been looking for would be such an outstanding man..."

Her gaze briefly turned toward me. An odd look flickered over my face and body for a moment.

Though her expression remained as blank as ever.

Regardless, I let out a deep sigh.

"Hoo..."

I'd thought there were no witnesses and I'd completely covered it up.

The problem started the moment cultists set foot in this forest.

In short, I'd been hit by an unavoidable checkmate.

Confusion churned in my head.

What should I do now? Could I stay hidden?

Was it time to deal with this Branch Leader person?

"Ah, and please don't get any foolish ideas. I've already shared the relevant information with the cult's officers. Even if you do something to me here, the truth won't stay hidden."

Apparently this woman had a special talent for reading minds.

"Then allow me to make my offer once more. Please join our cult. A talent like you would be welcomed by all."

I said to her, to Sepir.

"Fuck no."

"...Why not?"

"I said I don't want to get laid by Seere."

"...You speak quite crudely for a man."

Sepir nodded.

"If you truly insist. Very well."

"Huh? You agreed faster than I thought."

"What use is a talent gained through coercion? I don't know ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how the others might feel, but... I, Branch Leader Sepir, am someone who respects the will of others."

I tilted my head.

"That's unexpected. Wasn't it Seere who's been searching for me all this time to get a piece?"

"Get a pie... Hoo, do not worry about Lord Seere. Though we serve demons, we are not simply dragged around by them."

She continued speaking.

What she said next was somewhat shocking even to me.

"And to be honest... Lord Seere doesn't have much time left. That is because the Fighting King (鬪王) has been deployed. Without his left arm, it will be difficult for him to hold out."

"...! Finally! That filthy gay bastard is going to die!?"

"...I would ask you to mind your language. Please, I beg you."

Still, it was a strange thing.

Even if this was a recruitment attempt, why tell me, an outsider, something like this?

Normally, this would be secret information even within the cult.

"Is it okay to tell me something this sensitive?"

"Please consider it an expression of trust. It means the cult wants you that much."

She bowed again.

Sepir gave me another bow.

For an officer of an evil organization, she was excessively courteous.

"Then I shall take my leave now. Ah, please don't worry about the information that you're a Manifestor spreading widely. To us in Lemegeton, Manifestors are exceedingly precious. We have no reason to leave you to die at the hands of knights for no reason."

That was, at least, a relief among all the things I was hearing. Though the situation was still terrible beyond words.

"Then I will come again next week. Ah, do be aware that next time, someone other than myself may visit."

No, don't come, please.

And so she leisurely departed the forest. I considered holding her back to stop her, but I couldn't even do that.

Crash-zing!

Ice crystals enveloped her, then shattered into fragments and vanished.

I didn't know if it was some kind of magic, but it was an ability I'd never seen before in my life.

Left alone in a daze, I pinched the bridge of my nose for a moment.

It seemed something pretty huge had happened...