Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 80 They suddenly looked around at each other. The city councilor from the Pelros House, which had produced Bondaless city councilors for generations. The Red Spear of the Red Magic Tower, Valrod, known as the beloved disciple of the Red Tower Master who had approached the essence of fire. The black-haired Maldad, who bore the title of 'Demon Hunter,' a name given only to those extremely skilled in opposing demons. Red Step Shakan, descendant of Thunder Step, the great chieftain and great warrior. Each of these was a name that held the power to move groups and regions. Such people- "Look over there!? Our Risir! You just need to answer that Risir!" (E/N: I don't understand) "...There's no need to answer others' questions?" "My Risir is the only Risir!!!" "I understand." They had become like borrowed sacks of barley before a tiny little girl. The city councilor who had sought out and invited these heavyweight figures because of a demon being manipulated by the little girl. The big shots who had fallen into serious contemplation because of a demon being manipulated by the little girl. They agonized as they looked at each other's suddenly ridiculous appearances. The only consoling point was that the little girl was not an ordinary human but a spirit. "Risir! Risir! Blackie is a good blackie now! He says he'll listen to Risir's requests!" Then, the little girl turned to the man she called 'Risir.' (E/N: in raw it says something else than Risir, but I cannot find a good way to translate it and Risir is fun too so let's go with that) Honorary Mage of the Gray Magic Tower, Risir. All eyes focused on him. "What did you do...?" City Councilor Ran's brown eyes shook mercilessly. Perhaps no one in this place was more surprised than her. For the past few days, she had mobilized all the power she possessed as a city councilor to try to gain the sealed demon's respect. Persuasion, threats, requests, compromise—there was nothing she hadn't tried. But the response that came back was always silence or mockery. That was what demons were. Deceivers who thoroughly despised and toyed with beings they judged to be of lower standing than themselves. For the past few days, Ran had experienced this deceiver's nature to the point of disgust. It wasn't simply a metaphorical expression—she had actually vomited gastric acid from the stress of being toyed with by that creature. And yet. Now that deceiver was playing the part of a faithful blackie, catering to the girl's whims. Even a doting uncle wouldn't be that kind. Then, Risir patted the little girl's head and spoke. "It's complicated to explain, but this child is a bit special." "Special...?" She was originally a demon. So it seems demons treat her well? Risir pondered how to convey the opinion arising from such a shocking fact. "Should I say she knows how to handle demons?" Risir's intention was successful. His statement was certainly less shocking than 'she was originally a demon.' Moreover, there would be no expression that could convey Verdandes' ability with less resistance than that. "She knows how to handle demons..." Nevertheless, they showed signs of not recovering from the shock. Demons. Without a doubt, they were the most incomprehensible and difficult beings in this world. The authority of the Red Magic Tower and the descendant of the great warrior knew how to confront demons, but they didn't know much about how to handle them. Therefore, their gazes turned in unison to the Demon Hunter. It was a gaze that seemed to ask 'Does such a thing really exist?' "..." The Demon Hunter's eyes, visible through his drooping black bangs, wavered. Methods to handle demons? They do exist. If backed by advanced understanding and analysis of demons, inferring and guiding their actions wasn't entirely impossible. The problem was— He couldn't sense even a fragment of such skill in the little girl's actions just now. -Blackie! When our Risir asks something, you answer! Got it!? If another Demon Hunter learned and copied the girl's actions exactly, both demons and people around would look at them like they were idiots. Thus, two possibilities came to mind. 1. The demon recognized the target as a being of higher standing than itself. 2. There was something special about the spirit girl. As soon as the thought occurred to him, the Demon Hunter immediately dismissed the first possibility. Demons are extremely arrogant beings. Unless they're fellow demons, they rarely acknowledge another being's standing. Moreover, even among demons, they don't easily submit unless there's a considerable difference in rank. This tendency becomes stronger as a demon's ego takes form, and the demon in the crystal orb had an ego clear enough to converse with humans. A demon like that bowing its head without question? The authoritative Demon Hunter could confidently assert: if such a demon had been in this place, he too would have bowed his head without question like the demon. Otherwise, he would have met a trivial death like a bug crushed in a palm. Therefore, the Demon Hunter spoke. "It seems the spirit girl has a special ability." At the expert's statement, the others nodded while feeling unsatisfied. They didn't quite understand, but let's go with that anyway. Since the expert says so. Such a subtle atmosphere pervaded the place. "Well, anyway—" It was the beastkin who broke that atmosphere. Shakan. She expressed cheerfulness as her red tail wagged. "Thanks to this, things will be easier. Thank you, little one?" "I'm not little!" "Oh my. Sorry about that. Then what should I call you?" "I'm— I'm...! Veru, Verun—" The little girl squeezed out the words with difficulty. “Veruvandes!” At that cute sight, pleasant smiles formed on people's lips. "..." One person. Except for Demon Hunter Maldad. 'Verdande...s?' No way. It couldn't be. Of course not. He let out a bitter laugh and shook off the ridiculous fantasy that had come to mind. That the little spirit girl's name was the same as some mighty name that had once ruled the ancient desert region was nothing more or less than a coincidence. “Right. Thanks, Veruvandes.” “Not Veruvandes, it’s Veru...vandes!” "?" "But why are you thanking me?" "Well, because you opened up that blackie's mouth." "Then you don't need to thank me! I did it for our Risir!" "Hm? Ah." The gazes that had been focused on Verdandes turned toward Risir once again. It was a repeat of their first meeting. They looked Risir up and down as if appraising him. Being complete outsiders to Bondaless, not to mention the Gray Magic Tower, they knew absolutely nothing about the young Honorary Mage before them. Moreover, the Honorary Mages they knew were generally a kind of award given to 'enthusiastic patrons of magic towers.' From what they'd heard, the Gray Magic Tower seemed to have somewhat different circumstances, but prejudice doesn't work with such flexibility. Huh? He's an Honorary Mage but young? Such a kid is here with the same qualifications as me? The negative perception they initially had of Risir was quite reasonable. Now, such perception had improved somewhat. Shakan nodded lightly toward Risir. They realized why Risir had been recommended for this gathering. Probably because he was the master of that unusual spirit. Risir was imprinted in their minds as the master of an unusual spirit. A better perception than initially, at any rate. Risir smiled satisfactorily and patted Verdandes' head. "Well then— Lord Ran? You said you had something to ask the demon?" Shakan gestured toward the black crystal orb. Ran stepped forward, saying she would explain in detail why she had invited them before proceeding with questioning the demon. "First, shall we move to another location?" She had them board a carriage, saying there was something to show them before the explanation. *** The place they arrived at by carriage was in front of a mansion located in District 3, Bondaless's wealthy district. The moment they crossed the spacious garden and reached the mansion's entrance, Shakan's face contorted sharply. The fur on her red ears and tail bristled sharply. "..." Demon Hunter Maldad also glared at the mansion through his drooping bangs. "Shakan. What's the matter?" The only one who couldn't grasp the situation, Red Spear Valrod, Master of the Red Magic Tower, asked Shakan. Then, Shakan touched her nose once and spat on the ground, as if something dirty had entered her mouth. "Lord Ran. What is this place? Too luxurious for a slaughterhouse, too fucked up for people to live in." Slaughterhouse. At that meaningful expression, Valrod's expression also became serious. Instead of answering, Ran moved her feet. She opened the mansion's door and guided them inside. "...Wow." Such was Risir's impression upon reaching the mansion's underground chamber. The basement, showing signs of separate renovation, was enormous compared to the mansion's size. That enormous space was densely filled with traces of slaughter. Indelible bloodstains and the scent of blood. Most impressive were the stains remaining in the center. Blood stains extending outward while leaving the center empty. They briefly pondered how such stains could be left behind. What came to mind was a single enormous tower of corpses. "They were livestock." Even though Ran added this, their expressions didn't improve. Those who would do such things in the city wouldn't stop at slaughtering livestock. "Recently, suspicious activities have been detected throughout Bondaless. People going missing, unreported cargo carriages being found. Tracking those activities led us to this place. When we arrived, this place was filled with livestock blood and corpses. This black crystal orb was found among them." Shakan nodded up and down, indicating she understood. "So our job is to find and crush the bastards who did this. I understand. I understand, but one thing puzzles me. According to you, their plan failed. They even lost the demon. At this point, they've not only lost considerable power, but there's a high probability they withdrew from Bondaless before being tracked. Isn't that right?" "That's right." "But you gathered us here at considerable cost. Don't you think this lineup is too excessive for catching demon followers who couldn't even protect their master and fled disgracefully?" It was then that Risir opened his mouth. "Take this and get lost." "Huh? What did you say?" "There is a bit of that feeling, isn't there? Lord Ran, weren't you worried about that too?" "...You're right. It kept bothering me. Whether the situation was falling into place too conveniently—" Shakan nodded, but her expression was far from convinced. "I fully understand that feeling. But I can't shake the thought that it's being overly sensitive. That black crystal orb. Using the demon sealed in it as mere bait? It's like fishing with gold?" Maldad expressed agreement with Shakan's opinion. "That clarity of ego. And its enormity. What's sealed in that crystal orb is a demon of quite high rank. A level sufficient to bring chaos to this enormous city. To think they used such a demon as bait—I too find it hard to agree with that assessment." Valrod, who had closed his eyes to organize his thoughts, casually asked. "Have any suspicious activities been detected since then?" Ran shook her head and produced a complex smile. "I too hope that my concerns were unfounded." "Then, what you were planning to ask that demon—surely not—" "That's right. That demon is currently the only suspect we can interrogate, and also the mastermind who knows everything." Shakan, Valrod, Maldad. Troubled expressions appeared on all three faces. They finally understood why Ran had specifically defined the request as 'demon interrogation.' Unless they truly conducted an interrogation, there was no way the demon would reveal information about its followers. Shakan and Valrod cautiously observed Maldad's reaction. He shook his head slightly. There were occasionally cases where demon followers couldn't withstand interrogation and confessed information about demons. But the reverse? They had never heard of such a thing. A demon unable to withstand torture and confessing information about its followers? Any pain humans could imagine posed no threat to demons. They began pondering how to approach Ran's request, which was far more complex than expected. "Shall we try asking first?" Risir, who had been gauging their reactions, casually broached the subject. "Earlier, that thing said it would answer my questions, didn't it?" "..." Shakan looked at him and let out a weary laugh. What to do with this unrealistic youngster. "Will it answer?" *** "I'll tell you everything..." "What the hell." Shakan couldn't help but object to the absurd scene unfolding before her eyes. The demon in the crystal orb was spilling everything about the followers trying to free it and their plans. The White Shadow Cult. When that name was mentioned, they couldn't hide their bewilderment. Calling themselves Carriers of Deception, they were truly the most secretive, sinister, and dangerous demon worship group on the continent. According to the demon, even at this very moment, they were hiding in the shadows of Bondaless, laying the groundwork for a massive ritual. "You people. Surely you're not planning to believe that demon's words?" It was obviously either a trap or deception. Shakan voiced a perfectly reasonable doubt. Then, Risir's spirit—who had appeared again at some point— Verdandes spoke to the demon. "You're not lying to Risir, are you!?" "...It's up to you to judge that." The demon muttered solemnly and meaningfully. It was the typical behavior of demons practicing deception. "You deceived Risir! I can't forgive you!" Then, Verdandes raised both arms with all her might. It was as pitiful a sight as a raccoon stretching its body with all its strength. Sighing, rubbing foreheads, or squeezing eyes shut tight—Shakan and the others each expressed their dismay. Of course. That little girl had been toyed with by the demon after all. The demon's attitude was proof of exactly that— "N-no...! How would I dare!" "?" How dare who? They briefly doubted their own ears. Whose voice was this? Surprisingly, it was the demon's voice. He had panicked so much that he set aside even his pride as a demon and cried out desperately. They couldn't follow the situation. And ultimately, they couldn't accept it. Until the very moment they moved to the location where the White Shadow Cult was supposedly hiding, guided by the demon. *** A secret space that no one in Bondaless would know about. There, a secretive and evil ritual was being conducted in full swing. Humans hanging naked from ropes like meat. Their grotesque appearance seemed to speak without reservation of the miserable future they would face. Those clad in white robes surrounded them. What kind of faces would the madmen who had created this terrible carnage be wearing? Goldana, priestess of the White Shadow Cult. She wore a vacant expression quite distant from solemnity. The intruders who had suddenly burst in. —What did I tell you, my Lord Risir! While looking at the black crystal orb shouting from atop that intruder's hand. "Who are you calling your Lord!" "O darkness that burns black...?" The cultist called out the name of the being they served in a distant voice.