Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Connecting the Dots
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Loan slept soundly for the first time in a while.
It was thanks to the belief that nothing would happen and everything would be okay.
When he woke up.
Though all the other commanders had left and only Hans and Magda remained, Loan had no idea how it had come to be.
A bewildered Loan looked around and asked.
“Was I asleep for long?”
“Waking up just as the meeting ends, are we?”
“Ah…”
Hans asked back with a grin, and Loan was at a loss for words.
He was embarrassed for falling asleep on the job. In front of the commanders, no less.
Magda shot Hans a glare before answering.
“What a strange joke. Don't worry. The meeting ended quickly, and you only dozed off for a moment.”
“My apologies to the commanders.”
“There's no need for that. We should be giving you a reward, if anything.”
Embarrassed, he bowed his head in thanks.
Only then did he wonder why the two commanders had stayed behind.
“So, you two…”
“We had something to discuss once you woke up, Loan. We've secured the first slot.”
“…”
“It's something to be congratulated for.”
“…”
Finding Loan's blinking eyes cute, this time even Magda let Hans be.
Deciding he had teased him enough, Hans got to the point.
“Alright. First, it's about the puppeteer.”
“Yes.”
“The part in your report about the 'main body' and the 'object' was quite impressive. Miss Sophie of the Honor Division was one of those objects, wasn't she?”
“Yes. That's what I heard from the demon.”
“We performed a purification ritual immediately. We didn't know the demon's name, but thankfully, her state was similar to the brainwashed children, so we were able to wake her.”
“Thank you.”
“The purification itself went without any particular issues. However, we interviewed her to monitor her progress, and Miss Sophie had an interesting story to tell.”
A flicker of interest crossed Loan's face. Hans, enjoying the conversation, continued.
“She said she had her memories. She couldn't control her body, but she remembers every detail of the process.”
Hans's story went back to when Sophie received her mission and returned to the Pobel family.
Sophie said it was awkward how affectionate her father, Marquis Maurice, was after so long, and strange how kind the woman her father introduced was to her.
And then, at some point while spending time with them.
Sophie said she fell into a strange state.
“She said it felt like she was dreaming.”
As if watching herself in a dream.
That's why she remembered going to the Albre family, seeing Loan and Lucas there, and even looking at Loan, desperately trying to get him to wake her up.
Loan recalled that moment.
“I saw only one of her eyes move. I just thought she was consumed by darkness.”
To think it was actually Sophie's own will.
“Apparently, that state continued even after she collapsed. Even when her body's functions temporarily ceased due to physical shock, Sophie's consciousness perceived all the surrounding situations and changes.”
“Ah…”
The image of Lucas barging into the dueling grounds naturally came to mind.
He finally understood the change in Sophie's emotions.
And along with that, a few inspirations came to him.
Loan thought there must be something that could tie all the scattered pieces of information together.
He retraced his memories, placing the events on a single timeline.
Commonalities, differences, and causal relationships were all jumbled together.
“I thought the puppeteer's objects and the brainwashed children were similar, and it turns out they were.”
“There was a difference. The children's self-awareness didn't return easily, but Sophie's was clear.”
“That could be an important clue. There's someone similar. Miss Bella from the Versa Company also had clear memories and consciousness.”
“It would be good to look into them together.”
“Additionally, if we re-examine what Le Tell and the demons have been doing, I think we can figure out their intentions and methods.”
Hans and Magda glanced at each other for a moment.
Magda answered.
“Yes. That is what we wanted to talk to you about.”
“In order… ghouls, the dark priest possessed by a demon, the brainwashed children, the two humans who contracted with Bifrons, the puppeteer's main body and objects, and Boris, who contracted with a demon. It's like this…”
First, the confirmed facts.
Dark mana has been forcibly embedded and spread throughout the ghouls' bodies. It's contamination.
Loan asked.
“Has there been any progress in treating the ghouls?”
“Yes. Our Stability Division and Honor Division formed a team to work on it.”
“To meet the condition of 'breathing' that you told us about, we inflicted continuous pain. We did so until a rhythm was established.”
“It took quite a long time. And it took another long time for the Stability Division to purify such a faint exhale.”
“The imperfection of the process is fine. What matters is that we succeeded, so it will get better. It's thanks to you.”
Loan expressed his gratitude for the commanders' praise and thought.
In the case of the ghouls, it should be seen as purifying contamination. A demon's power was not involved. Their humanity was lost due to the influence of dark mana, and the desire for cannibalism became their will.
Regarding the dark priest, Magda began.
“The grimoire we saw in Olen had traces of research on incantations.”
“Yes.”
“We thought that if they developed the incantations further, they could draw out a stronger—in short, a named—demon.”
“But based on what's been revealed so far, it seems a demon already in this world manifests in the priest, rather than coming from the demon world.”
“Yes. I saw it that way too. Then the story in your report about the contract with the demon, about the object and the main body, became a clue.”
Questions and thoughts naturally flowed back and forth.
Why do demons try to make contracts?
Because they are not perfect. Their bodies from the demon world do not function properly in this world.
I don't know what the demon world is like, but if you think of it as an inversion of this world, it would be similar to the underground city of Rhodes. That's why the demon Naberius could be captured.
Loan said.
“Le Tell must have known that. That's why they tested having the dark priests accept demons into their own bodies.”
“Our thoughts are the same.”
They are learning too. Testing, correcting, and making new plans.
“But they couldn't have kept doing it that way. Either they learned something from the puppeteer, or through a similar demon.”
“They must have built a facility.”
The modification facility where they brainwashed the children.
That's why they left only the demon's will and put them in a state of emptiness.
They are all vessels of possibility.
They even made them fight each other to leave behind better possibilities.
Asmo called the objects 'appendages.' Like candidates for the main body.
“So they were trying to create a useful vessel for a demon to enter.”
It's all a process of infiltrating human bodies, planting the seed of a demon's will, and hijacking them to make them easy to enter.
The two commanders nodded simultaneously at Loan's words.
The puzzle pieces fitting together one by one.
Magda said.
“Now the important thing lies with us. The situations are different, but the cases of Boris and Sophie mean any one of us could end up like that. What's important is how not to lose control in the battle for our bodies against demons.”
“We must either avoid exposure to dark mana or be able to overcome it.”
“That's my guess too. Being influenced by a demon and being influenced by the dark mana of Rhodes Island are probably similar.”
“If we can solve one, we can probably solve the other.”
He actually knew the method.
Purification through the convection and circulation he used.
However, that was something only he could do. He had to find an alternative, or teach others the method so they could do the same.
‘Wouldn't the second one take longer?’
His experience so far told him so. Loan had realized early on how difficult it was to teach someone.
Since he hadn't even awakened the rotating power in his heart on his own, he anticipated an even more arduous path.
‘That comes first.’
As Loan frowned and fell deep into thought, Hans spoke.
“There's a reason we persuaded the other commanders to let us discuss this with you first, Loan. It's because this is the most important issue.”
“The consensus was to give you as much support as possible for the things you can do.”
“We asked Cion for their opinion, wondering if we might get a clue. As it happens, the Archbishop had just requested to hear your thoughts on ghoul purification.”
He had been thinking he needed to consult Cion anyway, so their intentions aligned.
Loan said.
“We'll have to think about two things together. A way to avoid being affected by dark mana, and also how to expel a demon if one is possessed.”
With the commanders' help, he could now begin to unravel, however slightly, the worries he'd carried since the underground city.
He was very grateful, as it felt like they had known in advance and been considerate.
He subtly contained the smile that had naturally formed.
“Commander Adrian will make the final decision on your trip to Cion, Loan. You should hear what the others have to say as well.”
Loan understood what Hans meant the moment he left the main building.
Commander Vangelis of the Practical Division was leaning against the wall, still wearing an indifferent expression.
As Loan placed a fist on his chest, he spoke abruptly.
“Follow me.”
They walked side-by-side through the main building's rear garden.
Vangelis spoke, watching the shafts of light falling through the leaves.
“Boris was introverted and soft-hearted. He wasn't ruthless, yet he had a great sense of responsibility. He tended to have a lot of internal conflict from trying so hard to carry out his assigned duties.”
“That was my first impression of him as well. He was a warm person.”
“I knew about what happened in Doughton. That's why I accepted his request for a transfer. I thought his interview with the Governor-General would go smoothly. I didn't know she would dismiss him. Of course, she must have had her own profound reasons that I couldn't fathom.”
“I was surprised, too.”
“A Union member has never been dismissed since I joined. I've heard from my seniors that it never happened before either. I've always thought that was the result of valuing character as the most important quality in the Union. But now, that's been broken.”
“…”
He wondered if he was distrusting the Governor-General, but he couldn't sense any emotion in his tone or voice.
Suddenly, Vangelis stopped walking and looked at Loan.
His eyes looked sleepy, but his gaze was as sharp as ever.
“Did Boris die in pain?”
It was an unexpected question, yet understandable.
His feelings for his former division member ran deep.
“He wouldn't have felt a thing.”
“Then that's a relief. Good. I have my answer.”
It was hard to tell what answer he had gotten, but Vangelis suddenly leaped up into a tree and vanished from sight.
He took it to mean that he had said all he needed to say.
A simple “You can go now” would have sufficed.
After that, no one else came looking for him.
Loan naturally headed to Adrian's office.
He relayed the conversation he had with the three commanders and asked for his commander's thoughts.
“A trip to Cion. Doesn't sound bad. Come to think of it, you've been traveling all over the duchies since you joined, haven't you? All that's left are Cion and Schwerin, so you might as well complete the set.”
“It's not exactly a trip, is it?”
“That's the mindset you should go with.”
“Ah…”
Loan took it in the same vein as his last mission.
“Is it a solo mission?”
“You're going to meet the Archbishop of Cion, so you should be fine on your own. How about in two days?”
“Understood. But I heard the other commanders also requested to speak with me…”
“Lydia of the Harmony Division will definitely ask for a spar. Commander Garcia probably plans to give you some 'teachings' while telling his old stories. If you're interested, stop by before you go.”
Loan headed straight for his quarters.
He placed a hand on his heart.
It was a rare chance to focus on his personal training.