Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: The Star that Pierces the Truth (3)
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The middle-aged man's identity was the village chief of Quyrn. He sat down on an open field on the outskirts of the village to speak with Kadim.
"I-I'm so sorry. If it were up to me, I'd invite you to my home and treat you properly, but if the barrier gets repaired again, it'll be a disaster..."
"......"
Kadim glanced past the chief's shoulder.
A crowd of Quyrn's residents was frantically escaping through the broken section of the barrier, and Duncan was mixed in among them, helping the elderly and infirm who moved slowly. Everyone was emaciated, their limbs thin and their bodies filthy with grime and sweat.
Kadim stroked his chin and asked indifferently.
"That barrier—was it made by a demon?"
"......!"
The chief's eyes widened in shock.
H-how did you know? Did you run into a demon on your way here?"
"No. But it seemed like it."
It wasn't hard to guess, even without seeing it. With his superhuman sense of smell and touch, Kadim had detected the demonic energy. If a demon had cast a curse of this scale, it would have been stranger not to notice.
But the barrier wasn't infused with pure demonic energy alone. Mixed in was a familiar aura to Kadim—one handful of demonic energy blended with various other elements.
The energy that modern mages used in place of the depleted 'ancient mana': mana.
He wondered why a demon's barrier would have a mage's energy mixed in. Narrowing his eyes sharply, he pressed the chief.
"What happened here? Did the demon seal off the entire village? But it seems like a mage passed through too—why didn't he help you?"
"Sigh, well... you see, it's like this..."
The chief hesitated for a moment before spilling the whole story in detail.
Quyrn wasn't near the Golden Highway, so it hadn't suffered much during the demon outbreak. But the real trouble came after the outbreak ended. The demons clustered in Soltana scattered in all directions across the alliance lands, and one of them reached this village.
The stranger wore a black robe, disguising himself as a mage. The villagers, as if enchanted, showered him with utmost hospitality. In return, he placed a sturdy barrier around the entire village, declaring that from now on, no being could cross it recklessly.
At first, everyone was thrilled. Rumors of demons and monsters appearing everywhere had everyone on edge anyway.
It didn't take long after the visitor left to realize something was wrong.
"V-Village chief...? We can't get out either."
"......What?"
The barrier blocked not just demons and monsters, but people too. Truly, no being could cross it recklessly.
Only then did the enchantment lift, and the villagers realized the visitor was a demon.
They must have tried every way to escape. Under the chief's lead, they banded together—pounding the barrier with fists, hacking at it with axes, smashing it with iron hammers, searching for gaps, even digging tunnels underground.
But all attempts failed. The barrier was absurdly sturdy, enveloping even the underground without a single flaw. After days of futile sweat, they concluded escape on their own was impossible.
Still, hope remained. This village fell under the jurisdiction of Vesta, the city housing the Magic Tower. Spotting travelers outside, they waved desperately, begging them to inform Vesta's council of their plight.
Their efforts paid off. Soon, the council dispatched a real mage—a high-ranking one, a battle mage renowned for handling demons.
The villagers cheered at the sight of the mage's red robe, as if they'd already escaped.
But that joy faded in less than a moment.
Woooong—
"Hmph... This barrier is beyond my power to break."
"......?"
"But don't worry. It'll vanish once the demon dies anyway. I'll be back soon, so stay put and behave."
After touching the barrier and casting a spell, the mage transmitted those words telepathically and vanished from the village. The villagers stared at his retreating figure like abandoned dogs.
But the mage who said he'd return soon didn't come back for over a week. In the end, the residents sat despondently at the village entrance again, hoping vainly for another helping hand...
Kadim cut him off there.
"Wait. The mage touched the barrier and cast a spell?"
"P-Pardon? Y-Yes..."
"What spell did he cast?"
"I'm not sure, but probably something to break it. Though he said it was beyond his power..."
"......"
Kadim pondered, chin in hand. Then he sprang up and approached the barrier. He tapped the parts with mana and without, then turned to the chief with certainty.
"No, the opposite. The part with the spell's effect is even sturdier. He must have reinforced it."
"......!"
The chief's pupils dilated like hazelnuts.
He asked several times if it was true, then gaped blankly. Was that mage a demon too? Kadim shook his head. The added energy was definitely mana, not demonic.
"Why... no, why would a Magic Tower mage do such a thing...? W-We ran out of water inside... food too... Do you know how brutally we suffered...?"
"......"
As the chief trembled with shock and betrayal, Duncan finished rescuing and scouting, approaching with a equally grim face. At Kadim's subtle glance, he pulled himself together and reported.
"The adults are mostly fine, just skin and bones... But some kids showed seizure-like symptoms, like those captured in goblin caves before... Seems they've been affected by the demon after all..."
"......Good work."
Kadim sorted his thoughts based on the story and his own findings.
'The demon erected the barrier to seal Quyrn and spread demonic energy... To harvest pain and despair from the villagers... The Magic Tower heard of Quyrn's plight and sent a high-ranking mage... But instead of rescuing them, he made the barrier even stronger...'
And the demonic energy now felt... was nearing upper mid-tier.
Only one likely conclusion emerged.
The mage had deliberately aided the demon, feeding the villagers' pain and despair as the demon's 'food'.
Why? To evolve the demon, for a higher-quality 'demon corpse'.
"......"
Lower to mid, mid to upper... Just as he craved quality blood sacks, mages craved better corpses. Hadn't they swarmed the Golden Highway for that upper charmed demon corpse, delighted at the prize?
But this crossed the line. Aiding a demon for better corpses? Treating humans like fodder and demons like juvenile fish?
'And judging by not returning, the mage probably got hunted by the evolved demon instead...'
He almost laughed in disbelief. Then the chief prostrated himself before Kadim, bowing his head.
"Mercenary sir, we're grateful just for saving us, and it's shameless to ask more... But even the Magic Tower abandoned us, so we have nowhere else to turn... The demon might return now that the barrier's broken..."
"......"
"Please... couldn't you slay that demon? We're not asking for free. We don't have much, but we'll borrow if needed to pay you..."
Kadim crossed his arms, tilting his head.
His destination was close. A time to tread carefully, even avoiding falling leaves. Especially with Magic Tower involvement—best to steer clear.
'But...'
If the mage was already dead... did it matter?
It could even serve as a perfect excuse to enter the Magic Tower. 'Found a mage's corpse while demon hunting, came to deliver it.' Negotiating with those vicious mages for records was another issue, but gaining legitimate entry alone was huge.
Besides, ignoring the demon was a waste.
He'd come for demon blood. Having incinerated his rotten stock, he needed fresh. Mid-tier was welcome; upper was ideal.
Above all, this demon was surely 'that type'... Its blood buff would greatly aid the journey ahead.
"No need for pocket change. I came here to crush that filthy demon anyway."
Kadim accepted without reward. The chief, tearfully amazed at such benevolence, kowtowed repeatedly.
By the time his forehead swelled red, he asked worriedly.
"B-But are you sure? Even that Magic Tower mage couldn't handle it, so it must be very strong... C-Can you manage alone...?"
"Probably not."
"R-Right, I thought so... Then wait for other mercenaries..."
"The demon."
The chief's eyes bulged in disbelief.
Kadim gripped his jet-black axe, smirking wickedly.
*
Life returned to their gaunt eyes. They had finally escaped the prison-like village. As they strolled freely outside and quenched their thirst at a nearby stream, the faces of Quyrn's people bloomed with refreshing liberation, like wildflowers.
Not everyone, though.
Children rolling their eyes white and arching their backs, and parents clutching them, trying to soothe.
Their faces were still filled with bottomless despair.
"Narrow alley room, our big nail box house inside, black mold iris stuffed in hurts me, iron bars trapped old man died alone back skin melted spread on floor..."
"Enya, w-what are you saying...? Please, snap out of it now..."
"Imperial Year 828, Aviracus Mine Collapse, total deaths 184, 21 crushed by rocks skulls shattered red death, 29 entrails crumpled crushed between boulders burst death, 62 starved vomited stomach acid dehydrated death..."
"Selri, baby, stop... drink some water here... You've been thirsty for days... Sob..."
Endless nonsensical mutterings poured from tiny lips. No matter how their parents wept and coaxed, the seizures didn't stop.
At first, some tried helping, thinking it a fever. But now everyone knew: the kids were possessed by the demon. People cast pitying glances but slipped away without helping.
The children's futures were clear. They'd wither away starving in their parents' arms, be abandoned by unbearable parents, or dragged off by mages cleaning up demon remnants. None promised a bright, hopeful end.
But that prediction proved wrong.
Thudung, thududung...
Suddenly, a pale glow streaked across the sky.
Like a comet passing, the world brightened then darkened in an instant. Thinking it a hallucination, villagers dazedly exchanged glances.
At that moment.
"Uh, ugh..."
"Mommy...?"
The possessed children snapped back to sanity.
"M-Mommy, where are we...? Did we get out...?"
"Mommy, I'm... hungry... Thirsty too..."
"E-Enya?"
"Tobik!!"
"Se-Selri! Babyyyy!!"
Parents embraced their children, shedding hot tears. The kids blinked dazedly in their arms. When parents finally composed themselves and asked what happened, one child stammered.
"Mommy, I saw it... In the sky... A winged horse, like a shooting star... Then everything got better..."
"......What?"
Dark clouds returned to the parents' faces, thinking the child still delirious.
But no further anomalies appeared. Parents relaxed. When someone said the heavens were moved by their devotion, they embraced it as an omen of good fortune, praying in thanks.
One man thought differently.
Quyrn's chief pushed through the crowd breathlessly and asked the child.
"W-Wait, kid! Say it again. What did you see in the sky?"
"A glowing winged horse passed in the sky. Looking at it... my head sparkled, and everything got better..."
The chief's face drained of color, pale as death.
Then, like a prophet foreseeing doom, he gazed vacantly at the sky.
"My god."
It wasn't good fortune. It was an ill omen far worse than any demon. He recalled an ancient tale passed down from his great-grandfather's great-grandfather, drilled into him never to forget.
Long ago, the decisive event that made the alliance surrender to the empire in three days.
The same precursor appeared before a city vanished overnight.