Demon Summoning (5)
Hell if I know anymore.
It had only been a split second, but in that fleeting breath, a dizzying storm of thoughts had whipped through my mind. Could I really just leave the Lion Kingdom to its own devices? What would happen if I simply walked away? Was this world truly going to play out according to Noah's original storyline? Every conceivable doubt had clamored for an answer at once.
Yet, as chaotic as those thoughts were, my mind worked with terrifying speed.
I could still vividly picture the dumbfounded, panic-stricken faces of the knights and soldiers staring up at me. Poised to strike the instant I broke my word, they had stood tensed on a razor's edge—only to end up gawking at the sky, completely flabbergasted, like dogs staring helplessly at a rooster that had flown onto the roof.
As if I could actually bring myself to slaughter them.
Granted, becoming Faust had fundamentally damaged my psyche. As the business with Matthias had made painfully clear, my capacity for empathy had eroded to almost nothing, and the deaths of total strangers barely stirred a ripple in me anymore.
Even so... wrong was wrong, and some lines simply could not be crossed.
Of course, if the history of this world strictly mirrored the narrative roadmap of Noah, this act of mercy would amount to nothing more than a fleeting whim—a trivial indulgence in self-satisfaction. If the Lion Kingdom didn't fall to the demons, the Player—the story's protagonist—would lose both their staging ground and the opportunity to grow. And that meant when the truly monstrous threats emerged later down the line, they wouldn't stand a fighting chance.
...Well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
In the game, a player who started the Lion Kingdom arc at Level 24 would hit Level 60 by the time they cleared it. If they were denied the chance to slaughter legions of demons, undead, and magical beasts for experience points, they'd be left languishing somewhere around Level 24. From a player's perspective, that would be an absolute living nightmare. Forget clearing the next scenario; they'd be marching straight into a meaningless, unavoidable death.
No, "high risk" didn't begin to cover it. It was a mathematical certainty.
Still... it couldn't be helped. This world was astonishingly similar to Noah, but there was no guarantee the future would follow its script to the letter. I couldn't just offer up millions of innocent lives as grinding fodder for some hypothetical player based on an uncertain future.
Besides, if things really go sideways, I can always step in myself.
Grinding through the fall of the Lion Kingdom wasn't the only way to level up. There were plenty of other paths: completing quests, hunting monsters of comparable levels elsewhere... If the world truly operated on game logic, I could personally take care of the worst threats, or even train the player myself. The idea of an exhausted modern game developer offering to mentor the hero sounded utterly ridiculous, but the option was there.
...That said, where the hell am I supposed to go?
I cast my gaze downward. Below me stretched an unbroken expanse of emerald forests and rolling plains. I had cast Flight magic on a whim and left the Lion Kingdom to keep my promise to the Knight Commander, but I genuinely had no destination in mind.
Even if I crossed the border into a neighboring nation, the people there would react no differently than the citizens of Lion had. They'd probably assemble a subjugation force and send it marching right after my head. Of course, being the endgame raid boss of Noah, there was no way in hell I'd fall to some half-baked militia—it wasn't like they were an elite raid team decked out in full endgame gear. But even so, I couldn't just go around slaughtering everyone who picked a fight with me.
My body might belong to a demon, but deep down, I was still human. First priority: get as far away from civilization as possible. Heading due north from Lion would lead to the snowy mountain range. Holed up there, I could stay out of sight for the time being—
A blinding flash erupted—
...Huh?
Right then, that all-too-familiar crimson light suddenly flared around me once more. The beams bent like concentrated laser light, swirling in a tight orbit to form a glowing pattern beneath my feet. The geometry was unmistakable. It was the exact same magic circle that had dragged me to Matthias in the first place.
Wait, why is this thing following me?!
Having zero desire to relive that stomach-churning dimensional whiplash, I hurriedly tried to leap out of the circle's radius. But the glowing sigil moved in lockstep with me. No, "following" wasn't the right word. It was latched onto me. Bound tight, like my own shadow.
Don't tell me I can't physically step out of it? Am I supposed to counter it with a dispel or—hurk...
That demon... he really just walked away.
I thought for sure it was the usual sinister demonic trickery... What on earth was that? I feel like an absolute fool for being so terrified.
"Recovery potions? ...What?! Just 'tough it out'?!"
"Yeah! The fighting's over anyway, so they said don't waste potions and just wrap it in bandages!"
...What an absolute farce.
From what I overheard, despite the demon never launching a single attack, our side had managed to rack up casualties purely from working themselves into a panicked frenzy. Still... all things considered, this was an astonishingly clean resolution for a demonic incursion. In a typical encounter, everyone would have been corrupted into butchering their own comrades, died gruesome deaths, or ended up trapped as damned undead thralls with no hope of salvation.
"Rena, are you all right?"
"Ah... yes, Commander. I'm fine."
I had stepped outside with a dazed expression, taking in the chaotic surroundings, when the Knight Commander approached to check on me. He wasn't merely asking after my well-being, either. He pelted me with rapid-fire questions: Was anything feeling strange? Had I forgotten anything? Was my mana corrupted? What had transpired between me and the demon in that room?
And the entire time he questioned me, his expression and posture bore none of the familiarity from before I faced the demon. Tense, guarded, coiled like a spring—ready to draw his blade at a fraction of a second's notice.
Well... I understood completely. I had been locked in a room alone with an archdemon of that magnitude. It was only natural to suspect I'd been compromised or toyed with. Had I been in his boots, I would have done the exact same thing.
"Matthias must have done something to offend the demon, because he died on the spot... After observing my reaction, the demon simply left. That is all."
"Why would a demon that slaughtered Matthias leave you untouched?"
"I don't know, Sir."
The Commander's brow furrowed at my flat response. Under normal circumstances, receiving a look like that from him would have soured my mood instantly. But as I told myself, his suspicion was entirely warranted. Even if I put myself in his position, the claim that a demon had looked upon a helpless, defenseless victim and just walked away sounded absurd. If I were him, I'd be seriously wondering whether this subordinate's memories had been tampered with—or if she had already fallen and become a pawn of the Abyss.
"Is that so... Hmm. Then where is Matthias's body? We must secure the corpse for verification."
"There is no body. Swollen from catastrophic mana overload, Matthias exploded on the spot. He was reduced to viscera and scattered across the entire room."
"What? Then that blood all over you..."
"Yes. It isn't mine, Sir. It's Matthias's."
The Commander's face twisted into an indescribable grimace. Had he actually assumed all this blood was mine? Was that why he had been on such high alert? Then again, I'd just spent minutes alone with an archdemon and emerged drenched from head to toe in gore, yet stood here chatting with total composure. Seen from the outside, it was utterly unnatural.
Still... what in the world was that demon?
Judging by his appearance, his aura, and his sheer magical pressure, his standing was indisputably higher than that of an archdemon. So unfathomably high, in fact, that I couldn't even begin to gauge his true depth. And an entity of that stature should have left legends trailing in his wake. Lesser demons far beneath him had volumes of recorded lore. There was simply no way a great demon capable of shifting the balance of the entire Demon Realm merely by existing wouldn't be documented anywhere.
And yet... there's nothing.
Despite all reason, not a single scrap of information existed regarding the demon I had just witnessed. From his name to his lineage, everything about him was an absolute blank.
Could it be that I was simply ignorant? ...Hardly likely. It was like how even an illiterate peasant woman in the most remote countryside knew the tales of legendary heroes who shook the world. Beings of absolute might carved out legends simply by breathing.
...Should I head back to the Great Forest to search the archives? No... it's too soon.
At least five hundred years would need to pass before the other elves forgot about me. Going back now was premature—far, far too early. I still needed to stay in the outside world... Fine, I'll just investigate out here. The mortal lands hold plenty of lore on their own.
"...Rena? Are you truly all right?"
Snapping out of my reverie, I found the Commander staring down at me, his gaze laden with lingering suspicion.
"Pardon? Ah... yes, I'm fine. I was just pondering what manner of demon he could have been."
"Is that so? Well, if you say so... *Ahem*. In any case, go inside and get washed up. And I believe we'll need to place you under quarantine for the time being to monitor your condition. You understand, don't you?"
Ugh... to be fair, I really do need a bath. The stench of blood clinging to my skin is enough to make me retch...
"Of course, Commander. Understood. I'll take my leave now."
Having heard the Commander's orders, Rena hurried away from the royal castle to wash her body clean. Completely unaware that when the Commander told her to wash up, his words had encompassed far more than merely rinsing off the blood.