Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Burning the Evidence
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Overnight, dozens of people vanished into thin air. To be precise, it would be more accurate to say their corpses had been incinerated by lightning or hacked to pieces and scattered everywhere.
For me, it was best to ensure no one aside from the moonlight knew what had transpired last night, so clearing away these traces was my top priority.
‘…How do I clean this up?’
There were already far too many body fragments to gather them all and bury them in the ground. If I tried picking them up one by one, it would probably take a fortnight just to leave this estate behind.
Since they were the kind who lurked in the shadows, it might be faster to erase their names from the world than to dispose of their corpses.
As I took a moment to sort through my thoughts, Adelia approached and spoke up.
“Burn the estate down.”
It was a radical but effective suggestion.
“Is that alright?”
“Is there anything that’s alright about coming all the way here?”
“Fair enough… you’re right.”
“Everything that happened tonight will burn away, along with the estate.”
“What about the remaining servants?”
“Are there any witnesses among them?”
At her question, Bill approached and shook his head.
“The servants were arranged to slip away the moment the banquet’s atmosphere turned hostile.”
“No witnesses, then?”
“At the very least, no one who saw it with their own eyes. They might suspect what happened here, sure.”
Even so, problems remained.
If the estate burned down, the servants would have nowhere to go.
“They’ll come with me to the church.”
“To the Church of Beth… even if they don’t believe in Beth?”
“From now on, they’ll have to believe in me. Let’s start there.”
She wasn’t wrong.
Their lives had been spared solely by her mercy, after all. Trusting Adelia was their one path to survival. Otherwise, they’d have ended up as kindling for the estate.
And for me, it was the right answer too.
This matter was bigger than simply executing Baron Grimhal.
I was a demon.
Those in the church couldn’t possibly be ignorant of that. The secret we’d shared last night was something that must never be revealed.
Adelia and I might look like accomplices, but she could flip her stance on a dime.
‘Well, since she swore on Beth, the odds of her exposing the secret herself are pretty low.’
As a high-ranking church official, her faith had to be absolute.
Once this was settled, Adelia would want confirmation from my side too.
After I got what I wanted from her, she could always purge me. She’d want to check my intentions or take action before then.
“You’re not thinking of judging or opposing me?”
“The Church of Beth is different from ordinary religions. It embraces all people.”
“Evil ones… demons included?”
“Evil… and demons too. Beth desires to embrace them all.”
“…What?”
It was a faith brimming with madness.
Adelia smiled.
“Love all things.”
“What a twisted religion.”
“If I hadn’t come here with you from the start, this incident would’ve been buried—or even if the truth came out, I’d have died right here.”
Eyes like glass beads.
“Beth sees all things.”
With our preparations to depart complete, we waited in the estate’s courtyard.
Roar…
Flames erupted from the kindling and soon engulfed the estate in a blaze, devouring every inch of it in an instant.
Roooar…!
Black smoke billowed into the sky.
“Burns nicely.”
“Yeah.”
A secretive night.
* * *
The journey to Liudira was mostly uneventful. I pondered whether letting them go like this was too careless, but in the long run, it was better to keep them alive.
‘She’s a saintess, after all.’
Being hunted by the Church of Beth as someone tied to a demon seemed less dire than being hunted for murdering their saintess.
“How about we camp here for the night…?”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Another reason the trip felt so comfortable was the shift in the paladins’ attitudes. Before the estate incident, they hadn’t outright despised me, but they’d treated me with clear disregard. Now, to put it mildly, they were trembling in their boots.
“We’ll handle dinner preparations.”
Nod.
They took the lead in setting up camp, lit the fire, and served the meal. As thanks, perhaps, I asked Lucifer to brew tea for them afterward.
Slurp…
“Ahh… all the day’s fatigue is melting away.”
“You’ve said your piece about the hardship.”
“Doesn’t that hardship live in my legs? You drive the carriage tomorrow?”
“Pass.”
Once they finished drinking and offered their thanks, they checked Adelia’s sleeping area and stood watch. We couldn’t unilaterally assign night watch to one side, so Bill and Mori joined in the rotations.
‘Can’t fully trust them anyway…’
Sleeping while relying on people who weren’t my own was as good as walking around with my heart exposed, so caution was necessary.
On the first day heading to Liudira, they buzzed among themselves about the estate incident, likely. But whether the saintess talked them down or not, by the next day, they treated us amicably.
There probably wouldn’t be any issues until we arrived in Liudira.
‘If trouble arises… it’ll be right after we get there.’
The moment we reached Liudira, we were set to receive the full reward for this short-yet-long mission: top-grade mana stones.
That was the point where we’d learn each other’s true intentions.
…Around the time everyone had fallen asleep, I couldn’t sleep myself and headed to the fire.
Crackle…
Pop…
Bill was on watch now. Just by how the fire was tended, you could tell who was on duty.
I wasn’t the first to approach the fire during someone’s sleep.
“…Amon?”
“Sleep evades you too.”
The demon spoke in a wistful tone.
“Maybe because you slept so much during the day.”
“You couldn’t sleep either, could you?”
“…True enough.”
“If you want to warm yourself, come closer.”
We sat across from the fire, staring blankly into the flames.
‘The dungeon… should be fine, right?’
If there was a problem, I’d sense it even from this distance.
‘Is this what it feels like to leave your heart at home and step out?’
It could’ve been unnerving, but I wasn’t too daunted. Still, I felt the need for caution.
‘I got lucky this time. No guarantee the next one will be safe.’
It was a situation that could’ve trapped me in a dilemma.
Hiding in the dungeon to fend off occasional adventurers stunted growth, but venturing out for expansion risked attacks on the dungeon at any moment… that kind of dilemma.
‘I’ll chalk it up to luck and prepare better next time.’
The more the dungeon grew, the easier defenses would become, and my movements would gain freedom.
Turning a vicious cycle into a virtuous one.
‘All thanks to this massive mana stone haul.’
A grin threatened to break out.
“What are you thinking that’s filling the air around you with the scent of flowers?”
I hadn’t smiled, but she’d caught on that I was musing about a hopeful future. Amon’s metaphorical jab gave it away.
“…Oh, this and that.”
“You must be tired. You want to get back soon.”
To the dazed Amon, I tossed a question I’d nearly forgotten.
“By the way, have you met Phenex’s master?”
“Hm? Ah… yes. But… why do you ask?”
“Got any other campfire stories?”
“Ahaha… fair point. That one was fiery, wasn’t she? …So Phenex said something to you.”
- Grandpa the archdemon says don’t trust him!
- The archdemon said he sealed my life force.
Phenex’s words had stuck with me, lingering in my mind. That’s probably why I’d slipped in the question.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“What did she say? Warn you to beware of me?”
“Not really, just chatted a bit. I’d love to hear your side.”
“Phenex’s foster father… er, her master’s story. Got it.”
She understood even my garbled words perfectly. Archdemon through and through?
“Do you know about the world where demons live?”
“Hell, right? Not exactly a paradise, from what I hear.”
“Half right. It’s Hell, sure, but not a terrible place to live—considering the ones dwelling there are demons who spew flames from their eyes and split the earth.”
“So?”
“Hell is a living world. It torments demons and forges them stronger in that harsh environment.”
First I’d heard of it.
The game barely touched on Hell’s lore.
“The harsher Hell gets… the stronger we become. But… whips that go too far only shatter us all.”
“Why bring that up now?”
“It’s about Phenex’s master.”
“…He’s connected to Hell?”
“Very much so. Right now, he’s single-handedly holding back the glacial apocalypse—might as well be dead. But once, he was one of Hell’s most dangerous.”
“Why? Aren’t ordinary demons no match for you archdemons?”
“…You’ve got it wrong. Being an archdemon is a crown you’re born holding. A name handed down from the primordial evils. Not absolute strength.”
Archdemons aren’t necessarily stronger than all demons?
‘That’s intriguing…’
Amon continued.
“Hell’s environment births countless miracles and absurdities. Not limited to archdemons. He was one such case.”
“What exactly was the issue?”
“One day, he came to us.”
Not the archdemons seeking him, but him seeking them out… different from what I’d heard.
“He asked us to seal his life force. Only archdemons could manage that.”
“Why ask to seal his life force?”
“His life force… kept expanding endlessly.”
“…What?”
“Without end, nonstop. Left unchecked, it could’ve shaken Hell’s very foundation—whether sparking a great war over it or bloating so much it warped Hell’s environment.”
“How’s that even possible?”
“Who knows… it’s Hell?”
Now it clicked.
Saying the archdemons sealed his life force was misleading.
‘He sealed it himself. To keep Hell from collapsing.’
A decision fitting for the one single-handedly blocking the glacial apocalypse.
“Anyway, curiosity satisfied?”
“More or less.”
“Good enough.”
* * *
A few days later, we arrived in Liudira—or rather, a small plain nestled by hills near it.
Two suspicious carriages waited there, likely the Church of Beth’s emissaries. I wasn’t the only one who noticed; everyone kept stealing glances at me.
‘Time to stay sharp.’
The deal was imminent.
Let your guard down, and you’d get brained from behind.
‘If they’re gonna pull something, it’s now.’
I shot a look at Adelia, and she silently headed to the carriage.
“We’re relieved you’re safe, Saintess.”
“Thanks to everyone’s concern.”
“Nonsense! We should’ve come ourselves…”
“Enough small talk… are you prepared?”
The carriage guards all turned to me as they muttered.
“…Of course.”
“Then…”
Rustle…
Amid the tension, chests were pulled from the carriage. Four in total.
“Want to inspect them yourself?”
“…Yeah.”
Creeeak…
Chests brimming with mana stones.
All radiating the blue glow of top-grade stones.
Creeeak…
This one too.
Creeeak…
And this one.
After checking all four chests, I said to Adelia.
“You kept your promise.”
“It was a promise.”
“…Right.”
“So? Gained a bit of trust?”
“No real need for my trust, is there?”
“We’ve shared more than words and glances.”
“…What?”
She smiled brightly.
“We shared a secret, didn’t we?”
“Planning to use me?”
“Didn’t we just make a deal? That’s how it’ll be from now on, right?”
“A deal…”
12,000 top-grade mana stones.
40連チャン.
Yeah, 40連チャン.
…What else matters?
“If you need me, send someone in all-white robes to Liudira.”
“Who should I tell them to find?”
“No need. I’ll find them.”
“Perfect. Then…”
“Yeah.”
“See you again.”
[Espionage activity reward has been finalized.]
[Reward: 12,000 top-grade mana stones.]
[Made contact with the Church of Beth during espionage.]
[Interactions with factions will influence future espionage.]
Adelia’s group departed.
“Sir Faust.”
“Load the mana stones into the carriage.”
“Yes. Then…”
I said to my subordinates.
“We’re heading back to the dungeon.”
12,000 mana stones!
Time for some gacha pulls!