Chapter 299: Ancient Demon (2)

“What’s so special about this place? I only came to see you locked up, Professor,” Epherene said, peeking into my room. “... I’m not here to help you or anything, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

Epherene said she had no intention of helping me, yet her eyes lingered on the cuff around my wrist with a seriousness that told a different story.

“How did he even come up with stuff like this?” Epherene muttered as if speaking to the cuff itself.

"This is an artifact far beyond what someone like you could ever hope to dismantle. Take your incompetence elsewhere," I replied.

“...

Wow

, you really haven’t changed, Professor, even after all this time,” Epherene replied, glancing at me with her lips pursed. “Anyway, what is this about a demon?”

“The Devourer—a ghost that feeds on humans.”

Epherene’s eyes widened in shock.

The legends about demons were already tucked away in my mind, even though I’d never studied them. Of course, it must have been a Yukline instinct—among all that knowledge, the Devourer stood out as one of the more prominent demons.

“I told you earlier—this isn’t a place meant for someone like you,” I added.

“What are you talking about? I’m pretty strong now, too, you know. Look. See?” Epherene said, weaving mana into armor reinforced with nanotubes around herself.

"

It

is unique," I replied, shaking my head at Epherene, who claimed to be strong.

“Unique?”

I pointed toward the window, and Epherene turned to look.

"Look at the sky."

The sky remained dark, though morning had been due some time ago.

"...

Oh

, I've learned about this. It's the Long Night phenomenon, isn't it?"

“Indeed.”

It was a magical phenomenon known as the Long Night, where, when the mana concentration in the desert rose beyond a certain threshold, the sand would lift like a veil and block out the sun.

"The sand becomes lighter than air and just floats up, right? But what about it?"

"It caused this phenomenon."

The Devourer was known for moving like a ghost through the darkness of the desert’s long night, hunting humans, and remaining unseen by the human eye.

"And it has already claimed this space as its dining hall," I added.

“Its dining hall?”

“Indeed. You entered here by choice, but only minutes remain to leave. Consider your exit now—the moment is at hand.”

The Devourer’s attribute, called

Killing Field

in game terms, was nearly complete—and once it was, no one inside would be able to escape.

"Neither mage nor knight has the power to eradicate it," I concluded.

“... Not a single mage? What of Adrienne—”

"That applies to Adrienne and Zeit as well," I interrupted.

There was a reason it had been sealed instead of eradicated.

“But you’re saying you can kill it, Professor?” Epherene asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Because I am Yukline," I replied, nodding.

“

... Wow,

” Epherene murmured, squinting her eyes with a dry laugh and crossing her arms, though a smile played on her lips. “It’s always about bragging, after all. You never change, do you, Professor? Honestly.”

Epherene sighed, but composure returned to her face before she gave a nod.

"But I trust you, Professor, because you never lie."

Epherene then took a step closer and looked at me.

"However, Professor," Epherene continued, her moist eyes sweeping over my features. "While I was in that desert, I discovered a truth—the Scarletborn are not our enemies."

I remained silent.

"Of course, Professor, you'll likely loathe me for saying this, but honestly, it matters little if you loathe me any further. Still, I felt like I had to speak of this."

Leaving aside my loathing for Epherene, her words were far too dangerous a statement.

“Our enemy is elsewhere. It is not the Scarletborn. We are merely being manipulated by Quay’s game right now.”

I glared at Epherene as she spoke those words.

“... I’m telling you, our enemy is elsewhere, Professor. Do you want me to articulate it in a thesis?” Epherene concluded, staring at me with a blank expression.

"Epherene," I said, silencing her with a gesture. "You've passed the point of no return."

I could not bring myself to utter the words that I shared in her mind—for Sophien had undoubtedly watched me from the most intimate depths of the main building.

“Has Idnik swayed you with her words?” I inquired, foregoing any further discussion.

“... And if she has?” Epherene replied, biting her lip.

With this, the greatest sin will move to Idnik. That, at least, is a saving grace,

I thought.

"In the first place... Wait."

Epherene, who was about to say something else, widened her eyes and hastily released mana, spinning to look behind her.

“... Who is it?”

At that moment, within the swirling quietude and profound silence, the flickering ember of light coalesced into a human form, shimmering just beyond Epherene’s intense glare.

"... Be careful, Professor. It could be an enemy," Epherene muttered.

“One would rather call it Scarletborn,” I replied with a scoff at Epherene’s words.

Epherene swallowed and fell silent.

“... Deculein.”

Then, from within that darkness, a woman’s voice echoed my name—a Scarletborn who now pulled back her hood to reveal her face.

"Deculein, you will recognize me."

The woman who spoke had a peculiar appearance, and besides being cloaked in a thick coat, she wore a blindfold across her eyes, reminding one of a sightless monk.

"Lucy, is it?" I replied, a smile touching my lips.

"Who is Lucy?" Epherene asked.

"The granddaughter of the Scarletborn Great Elder, she was a Scarletborn who lived in Padahal," I replied.

"... But how do you know her, Professor?"

"It was I who extracted that eye and then placed her in confinement within Roharlak."

"What?! Why?!" Epherene replied, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Lucy, from a distance, also bit her lip.

"Given it was an eye of excellent quality, I extracted it instead of her core," I said, offering a brief explanation.

"... What on earth are you talking about—”

"Lucy, have you escaped Roharlak?" I inquired.

Lucy remained silent, radiating a potent death variable that needed no explanation—a definite threat capable of ending me.

Where on earth is Karixel, who ought to be preventing her actions?

I thought.

"Is it your intent to kill me?" I asked.

“Do you ask that of me? The grudge we hold for the people of my clan whom you slaughtered far outweighs the rage over the eye you claimed,” Lucy replied.

"

Hmm

, you've decided on the most regrettable choice. You are far too impetuous for the Great Elder's granddaughter."

“... You are worthless, Professor. Accept, then, the judgment of our clan.”

As I responded with composure, Lucy began to radiate hostility.

Boom—!

A ripple of dark crimson mana shook the entire floor.

Fwoooooooosh—!

The mana, which had rushed like a tsunami threatening to tear my heart asunder, abruptly subsided.

Tap—

Then, it returned toward Lucy.

Squirm, Squirm.

The dark crimson mana flowed back, like salmon swimming upstream, as if time itself were rewinding.

“Stop it.”

The enemies, their eyes wide with disbelief, watched this miraculous phenomenon, a spectacle entirely conducted by Epherene.

“... Mage Epherene, I’ve heard about you through Idnik,” Lucy said, turning to Epherene. “Isn’t Deculein a villain to you as well? Leave him to me, and I will kill him myself.”

“Still, stop.”

“...

Haa

,” Lucy murmured, a sigh slipping through her teeth.

"It is for all of us," Epherene added, quickly clarifying her words.

“... Us?”

"Yes, look out the window."

Epherene mirrored my recent action toward her earlier, while Lucy, too, looked up at the darkness beyond the window.

“There’s a demon present in this space,” Epherene concluded.

"Do you think we wouldn't know that? We intend to kill Deculein, and then present it as the work of a demon."

“No! You’re missing the bigger picture! Before you can kill Deculein, the demon known as the Devourer will lock us here. I tell you, we won’t be able to escape! Right, Professor?” Epherene asked, turning to me.

I nodded.

“Yes, so, we’re talking about an ancient and incredibly powerful demon here. For example, it is the Roahawk of the demons.”

“... Roahawk?”

“

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh—!

”

At that moment, an eerie cry echoed, reverberating through the air.

“Yes, and only Yukline stands a chance against that demon. Therefore, if you kill Deculein right now, it means all of us will die here...” Epherene concluded.

***

Meanwhile, Ria was running through the desert with Delic, shouting as their footsteps kicked up clouds of sand beyond the main building.

"Everyone come inside—! It's dangerous out there—!" Ria shouted.

“All Elite Guards, attention! Fall back indoors immediately! Threat detected outside!” Delic shouted.

Their shouts carried a single purpose—to warn others and lessen the loss of life.

“Come inside—! Come inside—!”

Deculein had warned of an attack from the Altar, but when it finally came, it ended in an instant—every last one was devoured the moment they set foot near the camp.

“... Ria, was the name you spoke ‘Devourer’?” Delic asked.

“Yes, that is correct,” Ria replied.

"Are you aware of a method to oppose it?"

"No, there isn't a method," Ria replied, shaking her head as she continued to run on the training ground.

"None?" Delic replied, his brow furrowing.

“No, it’s invisible from the very beginning. It’s like gas... so you can’t even kill it.

Oh

, look over there!” Ria replied, pointing to an Elite Guard sprawled on the ground.

The Elite Guard’s body was crumpled on the ground, one leg severed, but the shallow rise and fall of his chest showed he was still alive—barely.

“Excuse me! Excuse me!”

Ria and Delic ran to the Elite Guard crumpled on the ground, driven by the faint hope that he could still be saved.

“Are you alright?!”

When Ria looked at his face, she recognized him as Bell’s subordinate, and though he was shaking from the pain, his eyes found the two of them.

"Excuse me, where are the others?" Ria asked.

“... They’re all dead. You too... and Knight Delic, please, you must escape. Something—something is very wrong,” the Elite Guard replied, pointing a trembling finger into the distance.

The place Bell’s subordinate pointed to lay just east of them, swallowed by darkness and fog.

“We attempted to escape, but we found ourselves trapped in an endless loop. The same landscapes, repeated a hundred times, cycled again and again... and we found no exit—”

“It’s okay now, we’re here, you see. But where is General Bell?” Ria asked.

“General Bell... will likely be in the main building."

"That is a relief," Ria replied, giving a satisfied nod as she administered first aid. "Knight Delic? There's no other way. We will have to handle the outside. We can't just let everyone die."

"Only the outside? What of the interior, then? Her Majesty is within the main building," Delic replied.

"We can just leave that to the Professor," Ria said.

"... Count Deculein is currently in—"

"But General Bell is in the main building," Ria said.

"Bell? I am aware of his strength and it is indeed renowned, but he cannot eradicate a demon," Delic replied, his brow furrowed in confusion.

“I know,” Ria replied, chuckling as she explained. “Since he can’t eradicate the demon, he’ll have to release the Professor—he’s practically at death’s door himself, and he’s not going to keep the Professor locked up only to die himself.”

“

... Oh.

”

Then, a deep smile tugged at the corner of Delic’s mouth.

“Indeed, that is reasonable,” Delic replied.

***

At the same time, Sophien sat with her chin propped on her hand, a smile playing on her lips.

—

Your Majesty, you were already aware of the demon’s arrival and of Bell’s inevitable decision to release Deculein.

Keiron said.

“

Hmph

, as if I would abandon Deculein for the likes of a brainless bastard like Bell,” the Empress replied, nodding.

—

It is, therefore, because Deculein displeased Your Majesty that you granted Bell complete authority.

Sophien’s decision may have seemed emotional, and to some extent it was—but behind it all, calculation held greater weight.

“Even if one combined only the merits of a wretch like Bell and raised hundreds of millions, a single Deculein would prove a hundredfold superior,” Sophien replied, changing into fresh attire, fastening a sword to her waist, and tying her long hair tightly.

Then Sophien continued, "In this pandemonium, Bell will find no recourse but to release Deculein with his own hands. With that, Deculein's influence will be instantly overturned."

—

... Hmm, it seems Your Majesty has already forgiven the Professor.

Keiron said it with a curl of his lip.

“Indeed. I find myself unable to forgive Deculein,” Sophien replied, nodding without a hint of displeasure and tilted her eyes toward a nearby cactus.

It was a cactus, poking up from the ground in a strangely adorable way.

"It is because I love Deculein."

Love, then, I find myself forgiving because I love—no, it’s more than that. Because of love, Deculein’s sin is no longer a sin,

Sophien thought.

—

Your Majesty, is there no call for us to save the Professor?

"Not yet. You are merely to watch, Keiron."

However, as Deculein’s impudence was undeniable, Sophien’s calculation extended far beyond merely discrediting Bell.

"Let us go to Yulie, then."

What Sophien genuinely desired was the isolation of Yulie.

“The conditions have already been met. Idnik, Epherene, and even the one called Allen—all have gathered here in this very place.”

—

Yes, Your Majesty.

With everyone's attention diverted by the demon named Devourer, this very moment presented Sophien with the perfect opportunity to seek out Yulie.

—

However, Your Majesty, might I ask one more question?

"Were I to deny it, you would ask nonetheless, would you not?"

—

Upon meeting Yulie, what will be your first action, Your Majesty?

Keiron asked, speaking words straight to the point.

Though the matter was of little consequence, Sophien nevertheless gave the question some thought.

"Do you question the obvious? I shall..."

Sophien’s words, which were about to declare her immediate intent to execute Yulie and run a blade across her pale throat, caught in her mouth.

Though Sophien undeniably wished to, and indeed intended to, an inexplicable scene continued to form in her imagination.

“Of course, I shall...”

The face of Deculein, mourning Yulie's death, and the heart of Deculein, sorrowing for Yulie's death.

“... Yulie, that woman.”

Deculein's sorrow would spread, blending with Sophien's own sadness, and his tears would become her own.

“I shall... Yulie, that woman...”

However, pushing back every trace of weakness and cleaving it cleanly, Sophien said, “... I shall kill that woman, Yulie.”

***

"General Bell! You must release the Count now! The key!" said one of Bell's subordinates, shouting in General Bell's office, lit by a single, flickering candlelight.

"You should silence the tongue of yours," Bell replied, his teeth gritted.

"Are you content to let us all die like this?!"

“

Shh.

”

"Not

shh

, but—”

In Bell's grip, at this very moment, gleamed a singular key—the only one capable of unlocking Deculein's cuffs.

However, Bell had no desire to release Deculein’s cuffs with the key. He would rather die—no, releasing him would be death itself, for a freed Deculein would undoubtedly come to kill him.

“... Well.”

But at this very moment, a rather clever idea sparked in Bell’s mind—one that could at least guarantee safety.

"We cannot surrender and die at the hands of a demon," Bell muttered.

The subordinates' faces brightened with visible relief.

“Fine. I will lift Deculein’s house arrest,” Bell continued, affecting an air of great generosity as he announced his decision.

In that instance, Bell’s subordinates sprang to their feet and said, “Yes, sir! We will proceed forthwith—”

“However.”

However, Bell’s idea was only starting to form as he pulled a key from his inner pocket.

"The cuffs shall be removed later," Bell continued.

“... Pardone, me? What does that mean—"

"Deculein's house arrest and the removal of his cuffs constitute distinct issues. I will be freeing Deculein from house arrest, but I will not, by any means, remove his cuffs."

At its core, Bell’s ingenious idea offered only a promise to safeguard his personal safety.

At the very least, I must extract that much from Deculein to make this worthwhile,

Bell thought.

“Furthermore, this key is essential for controlling Deculein. I’m sure you know how violent a Yukline becomes, consumed by demonic energy—even without consulting history books,” Bell added.

“

Umm...

”

The subordinates watched dumbfounded.

“What are you waiting for? Shall we go to Deculein, whom you all wished to see? Or should we rather not go?” Bell concluded, a smile twisting his lips as he rose.

“...

Oh

, yes, sir!” replied one of the subordinates, immediately opening the office door. “Let’s move!”

At that very moment...

Squeeeeeeeeelch—!

One of Bell's subordinates was instantly devoured, his body dissolving into a gruesome smoothie of blood, flesh, bone, and visceral fluids that dripped down to stain the soles of their shoes, and so the situation was far more dire than anticipated.

"... W-What are you all doing~? Aren't you going to lead the way...?" Bell said, swallowing hard.