CH 87

The door to the lodge was left open, and rain was blowing in near the entrance, creating a puddle of water.

As Souya looked around the lodge, he first saw a strange man with a mustache lying on his back. He had short black hair and was wearing leather armor that was stained with rain and mud. The floor was covered with a blanket that someone must have prepared, and beside him was a longbow and a quiver of arrows that seemed to be his personal items.

At the side, Merylou and Tat were wiping off the rain stains with hand towels and checking the injuries of the man lying on the ground.

At the front, Aisha was gripping the cleric’s staff and preparing to chant. Her hands were trembling, probably from the strain of his sudden appearance. The man lying on the ground was pale, with painful scars on his face and arms, combined with his muddy appearance, it was quite a sight. Aisha’s scream earlier must have been triggered by the sight of this man.

“Peryton-san. Who is he?”

Souya spoke to Peryton, who was standing a little farther away, arms crossed, keeping an eye on his surroundings. Next to him stood Rams, the coachman, standing side by side.

“…… Souya-san. I was thinking of calling you just now. The man who is lying on the ground is a hunter from the city of Lingen, and his name is Hans-san …… It seems that he is injured. Did he slip on his foot while hunting?”

Peryton muttered uneasily. The man who had fallen, Hans, seemed to be a familiar face he recognize.

It is hard to say what caused the injury, but if he is in a position to talk, it would be faster to ask him after Aisha’s magic is over.

“…… Speaking of which, Souya-san. What about the hazy ghosts that Rams saw?”

“It’s a mistake, to tell you the truth. Peryton-san, don’t worry. There is no ghost. The wagons are safe too.”

“I see …… That’s good! Well, I hope nothing more disturbing happens ……”

When Peryton looked suspiciously at Rams standing next to him, the gentleman looked uncomfortable and apologetic.

“Don’t worry about it, Rams-san. There was a cause for the ghostly apparition. I’ll explain later.”

It was true that the fog ghost had been misidentified by Tat and Rams, who were guarding the stable, but they had been so ingenious with their magic that it was inevitable that they had failed to see them.

(Though I don’t think they’ll believe me if I tell them it was the cat fairy, a Cait Sith. I guess I should introduce Shamil to everyone later …… I wonder if she’ll come out.)

If I tell him to say sorry, he’s going to sulk and hide.

A Cait Sith is a friendly being, but it is also said to be fickle and mischievous. Shamil was typical in this respect, and even though he had been in the service of a human for a while, his habits did not seem to have disappeared.

“–God of Knowledge Luster, grant your people the miracle of healing. [Cure Wounds].”

As Aisha’s sacred art was completed and a pale light enveloped Hans, I could see the abrasions on his face and exposed arms regenerating nicely.

“…… The girl with the glasses …… so you’re cleric …… thank you …… Ughhh.”

“No …… I’m sorry about the screaming earlier …… If you’re not feeling well, I should do a Cure Poison just in case. I can’t do it, but there’s another good cleric named Mia with us.”

Hans seemed to have regained consciousness, but Aisha’s sacred art didn’t seem to make him fully recovered, his face was covered with oily sweat, and his breathing was still unstable.

After confirming that the first aid with the sacred art was finished, Tat wrapped Hans’ body with a blanket.

“You okay, old man …… Get some rest. Do you want something to eat?”

Merylou handed Hans a glass of water and asked him if he was hungry.

“…… Thank you …… No …… Never mind that …… there’s a problem …… Cough, cough.”

“……What’s wrong? Did you drop your wallet? If so, we’re going to Lingen too. I’ll help you find it.”

Hans is choking on his glass of water, coughing and muttering under his breath.

Merylou was watching him, laughing at him, and trying to calm him down.

Souya dropped his gaze and was lost in thought.

A Bronze Demon blocking the mountain path. The red-black demon sword with the spirit of fire in it. The huge smoke seen by the Cait Sith Shamil. Hans, the Lingen hunter, arrives at the mountain lodge injured.

The only answer that could be derived was one that was shaped by Souya’s bad imagination.

The only reason he did not immediately put it into words was his wish that it would not happen.

He turned his back on Hans and stood at the entrance to the stable, looking up at the pouring rain.

“A-A …… group of …… demons ……… destroyed …… Lingen ……… Uh ……. Uaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Hans, remembering the scene he had muttered, scratched his head wildly and screamed.

The lodge was instantly quieted by the deafening screams and the unbelievable content.

“……O-Oi, old man …… what did you just say?”

“……What!? …… Y-You’re lying, right?”

“…… Hans-san!? …… What happened to Lingen!?”

And the words rained down on him. Hans became delirious and it seemed to take him a while to calm down.

In the midst of the confusion, Souya was the only one who was thinking.

A group of a bronze demon and small demon imps that were blocking the street. Thinking back, it seemed that the group had been given a certain purpose.

(…… To get rid of the people who were escaping from Lingen to Ilstadt. And to repel anyone going from Ilstadt to Lingen?)

The Bronze Demon and the little demon imps we met in the light rain and attacked as if it were a suicide mission. It seems to me that their actions were too sloppy. 

Souya thought that there was room for negotiation, and he intended to tell them so during the slugfest, and interrogate them to find out why they were blocking the mountain road. However, the Bronze Demon activated the Fire Spirit Disintegration [Final Strike] contained in the demon sword in his hand and launched a self-destruct attack.

(Fight the enemy in front of you until you die …… If you do that kind of compulsive geass, you can create this kind of piece.)

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If there was a being that had the authority to force the Bronze Demon to act in such a way, it would be a Dark Priest, who controlled the dark arts, or a demon of a higher color, both of which were possible with the advanced dark arts of compulsory geass, which forcefully makes them follow their orders.

(T/N: I don’t know what’s this compulsory geass. I guess this Geass makes it able for them to order around the demons that are ranked lower than them, just like they said above.)

And the huge smoke that rose in the direction of Lingen, witnessed by the Cait Sith in the stable. And the testimony of Hans, the hunter.

The Fire Spirit Disintegration [Final Strike] of the Advanced Fire Spiritual Art. The compulsory geass and demon summoning [Summon Demon] of the advanced dark arts. And the habit and preference to burn human cities with fire.　

The Double Speller Silver Demon, who controls the Fire Spiritual Art and the Dark Art. Souya had an idea of its existence.

“Souya-san …… I just heard a scream, but is there something wrong?”

Mia peeked anxiously out of the stable’s entrance.

She is holding the Cleric Staff, in one hand and Shamil, a black cat Cait Sith, in the other.

“…… Mia, please calm down and listen to me. It seems that Lingen has been attacked by monsters.”

“…… What?　…… Ahhhh …… the smoke that Shamil-san saw yesterday …… Don’t tell me…”

A stunned Mia’s voice trembled, and she used her cleric staff to hold her staggering body together.

“That’s right. The Red Horned Demon, Redhorn, may have appeared.”

Souya mentioned the name of Silver Demon that he had heard about from Seran and Louise.

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