Volume 2 - CH 418

10-4. Irza the Devil

“That witch girl, right?”

“Yes, that’s her. Ever since my memories returned, I’ve been bothered by her words and actions, and I can’t sleep.”

“But you slept fine yesterday, didn’t you?”

“Don’t you know about the nuances of words?”

Irza remained silent about the magic crystal.

He had some doubts about that matter.

So he decided to meet her on the day we returned.

But there is a possibility of being deceived again if he goes alone.

In that case, it would be better to bring a witness named Reizen.

If he makes it impossible for her to make excuses, all he has to do is wait for her to break her defence.

He feels like what she’s hiding is somehow connected to clues about the devils.

Hoen’s intuition said so, and now that they have returned there, he can’t stand still.

“Hurry up.”

“Understood!”

Hoen spread his fiery wings and grabbed Reizen, flying away.

Reizen, who was caught off-lifting in the air without permission, shouted in surprise.

When your body suddenly rises, anyone would scream.

“Don’t struggle!”

“Can you say that if you’re in my shoes?!”

◆

After a few minutes of aerial stroll, Reizen finally set his feet on the ground.

The unfamiliar aerial movement had drained his stamina.

He took a deep breath and finally relaxed.

“Haah… Couldn’t we have done it differently?”

“Haste makes waste. I want to hear the information as soon as possible. It’s not too late to start searching for devil-related information now.”

“Well, you’re not wrong… But does that witch girl really know something?”

“The magic crystal that devils and Lequam were researching. It’s appropriate to think of it as a kind of magic tool. It’s a dangerous device that keeps summoning monsters… She knows about what those dangerous individuals were researching. To put it more simply, if she knows how to stop it, it would be strange if she doesn’t know something.”

Houen’s explanations were convincing.

Anyone who heard this explanation would nod in agreement.

With Reizen having swallowed the information for the moment, Houen reached for the door of Irza’s magic tool shop and entered.

The sound of bells rang throughout the shop.

Just like when he visited before, a boy came running.

“Oh, Houen-san! Welcome!”

“It’s been a while. Is Irza here?”

“She’s in the back. Shall I call her for you?”

“It’s going to be a complicated conversation. If possible, I’d like to go inside, so could you get permission for us?”

“Understood!”

The boy immediately went to the back, seemingly to get permission from Irza.

With some free time, Houen looked around the shop.

There were no customers today.

Was it a day off?

But there shouldn’t have been a sign indicating that.

Did something happen in the Salletana Kingdom?

“Hmm…”

“There are so many magic tools… It’s hard to tell what’s what…”

“I heard that Irza made most of these.”

“Her skill is as impressive as Thekil’s. But it seems like there are a lot of everyday items here.”

“I heard she’s making magic tools for regular households. Tools that can easily boil water or start a fire.”

“They must have some good tools for adventurers too.”

As they admired the magic tools, the boy returned.

It seemed like he had obtained permission and was ready to guide them.

Prompted by him, the two of them proceeded further into the back.

Come to think of it, they hadn’t seen the two girls today.

There were supposed to be two girls last time.

Were they working inside now?

While lost in thought, they arrived at the room where Irza was waiting.

It was the same room he was led to last time.

“Here it is.”

“Yea.”

They passed through the door opened by the boy.

There sat Irza, and on the desk, tea and snacks were already prepared.

Her expression didn’t change even when Reizen arrived.

She simply smiled at them.

“Long time no see, Houen-san and Reizen-san.”

“How do you know my name, witch girl?”

“I’m acquainted with Ouren-san, so I’ve heard about you.”

After urging them to take a seat, she gestured to the boy to close the door.

The door was immediately shut.

With that sound as a signal, they sat down for now.

Then Irza raised her index finger and gave a small wave.

The curtains closed, and the room became dark.

A floating candelabrum was placed in the middle of the desk, and finally, a small flame was lit.

Houen recognized this.

“Silence huh? Is it necessary…”

“Yes. 【 Silence】 “

The air grew slightly colder.

It was proof that the skill had been activated.

But Houen furrowed his brow and looked puzzled.

Doing all this meant that something important would be discussed.

It seemed that she indeed knew about the magic crystal.

It appeared that she had lied during the previous conversation with Houen.

Houen was about to question her, but before that, Irza took off a triangular hat that didn’t fit her size.

Seeing that, Houen and Reizen froze.

“Eh, huh!? Errr- eh, eeh!?”

“…Irza… You are…”

“As you can see, I am a devil. I apologize for hiding it. Dear reincarnator.”

On Irza’s head, blue, pointed horns were growing.

They were not beautifully shaped like those of an oni, they twisted slightly.

Wings also sprouted from her back, further confirming that she was a devil.

But they didn’t understand.

Why did she reveal that she was a devil to them now?

They shouldn’t know the clear purpose of the devils yet.

If they knew, it would be easy to imagine why she would reveal her true identity like this.

But they shouldn’t know anything, so it was strange that they easily appeared before her.

“Why now…”

“…Kuti. Houen-san. Kuti is the name of the higher devil who stabbed you, transformed you into a child, and made you regain your memories. Her skill report reached me as well.”

“…That time…”

Devil skills were often difficult to understand.

The skill used by the devil named Kuti was one that transmitted information to a distant person.

At the time of their fight, she only mentioned that she “used Reizen,” so Houen became furious.

However, if Irza revealed her true identity because she wanted to inform them that Kuti’s skill allowed them to realize the devils’ true purpose, their true enemy, then it was understandable.

Although he had suspected that there might be an ulterior motive, since there didn’t seem to be any issues, he felt relieved and sighed in relief.

“…It seems there was no meaning in bringing Reizen along.”

“*Giggles, I apologize.”

“I can’t keep up with all this…”

“You need to stay focused. We have to share this information with everyone later. …It’s a good thing we came here. The conversation is likely to proceed smoothly.”

“We were originally planning to invite you. We thought you would come back a little later… However, I am also a devil. There are many things I can’t talk about, so please forgive me in that regard.”

“I am well aware of that.”

Devils can’t provide much critical information.

Only matters related to the voices and their comrades.

Regarding other things, they can have a proper conversation.

They are allies.

So they can trust them.

Houen assumed a posture to speak and rested his elbow on the desk.

Irza also placed her hands on the desk and clasped them together.

At this point, the issue of the magic crystal didn’t matter anymore.

There were more important things they had to address now.

“Let’s talk.”