◈ Episode 140. Arcana (2)
Time was short, but even so, the preparations were completed thoroughly.
If only to avoid dying as a stranger on the Arcana Continent, crushed beneath pride. One of those preparations was coordinating with the dwarves.
—“We have understood your great will.”
The one who adjusted the timing was, as expected, the shameless……
No, the reliable Hi-El.
She handled matters flawlessly, as if she took after someone.
There was nothing that deviated from procedure.
By the way, I hadn’t expected a message like this.[You have entered the Arcana Continent, which is headed toward destruction.]
Beneath the entry notification.
Messages appeared one after another.[You have fulfilled the conditions.][A reward will be granted.]
For now, I could tell just from the first two lines.……
It was a quest-related message.
Including my class quests.
There were several quests I was currently carrying out, but only one quest came to mind that would grant a reward.[Demon King, Flaurous vs Dwarves].
It had to be that war quest where I’d accumulated one million contribution points.
How about it? That’s the right answer, isn’t it?[The “Oath” with the relevant faction is valid.][Your relationship with the relevant faction is already at its maximum.][Your influence within the relevant faction is already at its maximum.]
Indeed, it was the right answer.
Without even having time to feel smug, I checked the messages.
The relevant faction was naturally the dwarves.
The oath must have been the oath between Akshan and the dwarves.
Up to this point, the messages were what I had expected.
So what kind of reward would they give me instead?
I’d even secretly counted my chickens.
And yet.[You have obtained command authority over the flying mechanical fortress, the Iron Castle.]……
This was a reward that exceeded my swollen expectations.
I had obtained command authority a few times before.
That was why I couldn’t help making a fuss.‘I can command the dwarves’ decisive weapon?’I, Lee Hoyeol, have a conscience too.
Even if I am the last demon hunter.
I’m not so shameless that I’d milk an Akshan oath I hadn’t even known about.
At most, I had expected something like a dwarven weapon or a piece of armor.
That was what I had hoped for as a reward.
If you hand me a reward like this, my conscience is going to waver……!
Who were the dwarves?
Though their direction differed from the Magic Tower’s, they possessed technology comparable to the Magic Tower’s. The crystallization of that technology was the “Iron Castle.” It meant a flying ship would become my backing.‘Come at me, all of you.’Demons or monsters.[Natural Enemy Relationship]
Whether it activated or not aside.
Unless the weather was terrible, wouldn’t nothing be able to stop the Iron Castle? Why, even right now, it was more than a match for a hundred.
From land to sky. Even on the Arcana Continent, which was filled with demons, the Iron Castle was flying leisurely.
However, I knew.
This tiring personality.
This damned integrity.‘I won’t be able to use it in a way that goes against pride.’This personality, so upright it was practically stiff.‘There’s no way I can make use of the Iron Castle for anything unrelated to the Oath.’
However, today, at this moment, it was fine.‘In the end, the goal is demon hunting.’Because this, too, was like an extension of the Holy War.
“Well then, we have arrived.”
While I was diligently turning my head.
We finally reached the entrance to the mansion.
As expected, the scale is enormous.
A grand mansion like this, located not far from the imperial capital.
Marcelo, you were the young master of an incredibly wealthy family, weren’t you?
Unlike our Granfell, who had nothing to his name.
“The garden is meticulously maintained.”
“Haha. It is an honor that you recognize our efforts. For the House of Simuard. I, Seo, and the other servants are doing our utmost.”
I, Lee Hoyeol.
Tormented by Granfell’s pride, had done a major cleaning every day.
Around the time I began worrying whether I might get housewife’s eczema.
I realized one thing.‘Doing housework properly is no ordinary task.’Even tidying up a studio apartment and an office was that annoying.
The hardships of the servants managing a mansion like this.
I couldn’t just overlook them.
“I have recognized your pride.”
“Oh my, you praise us too highly.”
Had my words put him in a good mood?
Seo’s gaze turned toward the lakeside.
“The scenery of Lake Nania is as beautiful as the garden. If it is all right with you, sir, I will guide you to a guest room with a fine view of the lake.”
The scenery of a beautiful lake, huh.
So you mean that lake reflecting the demon’s pupil blinking in the sky, right? If I hadn’t known anything, I would have flinched. I would have wondered if we were really looking at the same thing.‘Status abnormality, Hallucination.’But I knew the reason.
I also knew the source was a demon.
I knew it was not Seo’s fault.
“I see.”
What came out of my mouth was a suitable reply.
At the same time.
Seo placed his hand on the mansion door.
“Then, welcome to the House of Simuard.”
Creeeeak—!
As the door opened, I felt demonic energy.
Even someone who wasn’t a demon hunter would have no choice but to pause, wouldn’t they?
For one thing, the inside of the mansion was far too dark.
It was difficult to find even a single light.
To the point where moving around would be difficult.
“You have worked hard, Miss Emma.”
“Ah, head butler. The person beside you is……?”
“He is a guest. Please prepare one more place for the meal.”
However, Seo and the other servants did not seem to be aware of it.
As expected, if it was a status abnormality, that was hardly strange.
Inside the demon’s belly.
Now that I had entered it directly and confirmed the scene, I was slightly worried.‘At minimum, a high-ranking demon.’It had swallowed an entire magical family whole.
Considering that not only Bellier but Marcelo as well had fallen into a status abnormality……. What do you mean high-ranking? It may well be Demon King-class. If it hadn’t been for the effect of [The Last Adventurer], I really wouldn’t have dared do this.
However, even if I realized that.
There was no change in my dignified attitude.
I calmly opened my mouth.
“I thank you for your hospitality.”
“Not at all. The family head will soon be coming down, so…….”
Seo gestured as if guiding me.
“If it is all right with you, would you like to be seated first?”
Following his suggestion.
I sat at the dining table.
The tableware being neatly arranged.
Servants moving in the darkness without the slightest breach of etiquette. It was odd to say this in a situation where I had walked into a demon’s maw with my own two feet, but…….
Why was that?
At this moment, I felt deeply satisfied.
No, beyond satisfied, I felt at ease.『Born as the heir to a great family, he had tasted the very peak of abundance…….』Yes, it had to be because of that damned setting!
Because of it, this medieval-style mansion, which should have felt unfamiliar to a modern person.
Felt as comfortable as the living room of my own home.
Even when they set down the tableware, they didn’t make a clatter.
Seeing as my mouth, which couldn’t let even the smallest fault slide, was staying still……. It meant there truly wasn’t a single thing to criticize about the servants of the House of Simuard.
Of course.[Skill, “Natural Enemy Relationship,” has activated.]
Except for that side.
The presence I felt from the upper floor.
The one who had swallowed the House of Simuard.
The source of the terminal curse.
The demon was approaching.
Its voice reached my ears.
“Have you introduced the mansion to our guest, Seo?”
“I will show him the details after the meal.”
“I see. Do as you find convenient.”
So it knew of my existence.
Well, the fact that Seo came out to greet me meant it had noticed my approach.
However, it would never imagine I was a demon hunter.[Exorcism Ritual]
Not until I activated it.
Soon, a shadow drew near the dining table.
Countess Simuard.
The demon greeted me.
“Oh my, my introduction is late. I am Yula Simuard. Against my will, I have taken on the role of head of the House of Simuard. But……. You are wearing unfamiliar clothes.”
By unfamiliar clothes.
It meant the suit that was indispensable to me.
Yes, even in reality, my attire drew strange looks.
On the Arcana Continent, it went without saying.
However, I did not reply.
The reason?
Simple.
I do not make unnecessary conversation with prey.
“……?”
Silence—the servants must have noticed the sudden stillness as well.
The hand filling the glass paused for a moment.
However, noblesse oblige.
I also had to thank the servants for their efforts.
“Thank you.”
As if the silence had meant nothing, I offered my thanks.
“……
N-not at all.”
He ignored the lady’s question, yet he thanked me?
The servant seemed flustered, but once my mouth had opened, there was no way it would stay still.
Tsk—I lifted the glass and swirled it in the air.
Slosh, slosh.
Wine emitting a mysterious red glow.
In my entire life, I had only drunk wine a few times.
Yet I shamelessly prattled on.
“A heavy yet non-sticky aroma.”
I do not know how this is any different from the smell of grape juice.
“An aging period that is neither insufficient nor excessive.”
Naturally, I do not know how many years old this wine is either.
“A wine most suitable for a banquet.”……
Am I a sommelier or what?
They were words I had said myself, but I couldn’t help doubting them. After all, even when drinking green tea made from a tea bag that cost a few hundred won apiece, I was the kind of person who would attach all sorts of flowery praise to it.
I set the glass down and continued speaking.
“I can tell even without drinking it that it must be excellent.”
“……
Th-thank you.”
Not only the servant, but even the head butler, Seo, looked flustered this time.
Because I had chattered on while ignoring the truly important words.
To me, Yula Simuard once again.
No, the demon’s question came flying.
“……
You are quite knowledgeable about wine. Might you perhaps be coming from the south?”
However, I did not reply this time either.
I told you, didn’t I?
Noblesse oblige.
I was merely observing “procedure” for the servants who served Marcelo’s House of Simuard. So I was telling it not to cross the line, despite being an inferior breed.
A chilly silence flowed once more—I only opened my mouth after the food was placed before me.
“A cooking method worthy of excellent ingredients.”
By the way, even if I didn’t need to drink, I did need to eat.‘You know, a ghost who dies after eating has better color…….’No, that’s not right. If I’m going to say the same thing, let’s refine it.
Before and after intense activity.
Protein intake was not a choice, but a necessity....
The House of Simuard.
The matriarch, Yula Simuard.
No one knew exactly when she had begun calling herself the mother of the House of Simuard.
Not even the members of the family themselves.
However, there was no one who doubted Yula either.
The status abnormality engraved through the generations of the House of Simuard.‘The Demon’s Curse’ was such a thing.
Beyond the window, Yula looked at the night sky reflected on the lake.
“What an enchanting view.”
To think a sight she had only seen in the Demon World would unfold on the Arcana Continent as well.
Indeed, there had been value in rotting away inside the body of a lowly human for decades.
“Leisurely and at ease, just like now, even in the future.”
Yula had no intention of rashly stepping forward.
She had no desire to be thrown into hell like the foolish Demon Kings, or that pitiful great evil, Greed. Unlike those fools, she knew how to grow stronger without stepping forward herself.
“You do not have long either, Marcelo.”
Humans were foolish.
Even those called magicians, who were at least clever among humans, were no exception.
A deal that blossomed talent in exchange for lifespan.
“I am not a god. How could such a thing be possible?”
It was a trick.
It was thanks to a status abnormality that made them believe the deal was real and truly effective. To exchange one’s paltry confidence for one’s lifespan. Yula let out a laugh.
“Weak humans. Well, thanks to that, I have grown this much.”
Yula knew.
That quality was just as important as the quantity of sacrifices.
In that sense, the bloodline of the House of Simuard was the finest sacrifice.
And among those sacrifices, Marcelo Simuard was prey so exquisite it was intoxicating.‘If I collect his lifespan, I will……!’At last.
She would grasp the power to overturn the rankings of the Demon Kings.
She would also be able to stop wearing human skin.
Compared to all the years that had passed, only an instant-like span remained.
“How fortunate. A diversion has rolled right in.”
The reason she greeted guests while playing the role of family head?
As she said, it was simple amusement.
Watching terrified humans was always enjoyable.
So she had used her worthless limbs.
To welcome the guest.
And that was now.‘……
What is this?’Yula was engulfed in a sense of incongruity.
The silver-haired man’s reaction was utterly alien.
Since time immemorial, if an ordinary human were confronted with her before she revealed herself.
They should have already shown fear—if not that,
then at least some sign of agitation.
A mansion buried in darkness. Servants who sensed nothing amiss about such a mansion. Being overwhelmed by the atmosphere born from all that was the reaction befitting a human.
And yet, to act so naturally in a mansion like this? ‘His attire is unfamiliar.’ Yula’s mind began to turn.
At present, the Arcana Continent was warped by upheavals in the Demon Realm.
Was he a man swept here from some distant region in the aftermath?
Was that why he could not even grasp the situation?
To probe the man’s state of mind, Yula spoke to him.
“……
You are wearing unfamiliar clothing, I see?” ……
However, no answer came back.
She thought perhaps he had not heard her.
But that was not the case.
“!”
He was ignoring her.
“A full-bodied aroma without any cloying heaviness.”
“An aging period neither lacking nor excessive.”
“A wine perfectly suited to a banquet.”
The fellow was chattering away, swirling his glass with an insolently upright posture.
And not just once.
While he conversed perfectly well with those insignificant servants,
he was blatantly ignoring her words.
As though he refused to exchange even a single word with her. ‘How dare a mere human. Me.’ For an instant, rage surged up.
But Yula suppressed it. ‘All the better.’ It had been a long time since she had broken a human like that.
In that sense, her interest had instead been piqued.
Imagining how that arrogant face would crumple and collapse.
“You may clear my place, Emma.”
Yula set down her utensils and looked at the man.
This time, she released her evil aura openly.
At a level no ordinary human could withstand.
Yet the man stubbornly finished his plate clean.
“Seo, could you tell the chef it was an excellent meal?”
He even did not forget his thanks. ‘……
Just what is he?’ The sense of incongruity only grew stronger.
Yula, too, could not hide her emotions forever.
Had they noticed her displeasure?
“We will excuse ourselves for a moment.”
The insignificant servants all withdrew.
There was no need to act any longer.
Just as Yula was about to open her mouth.
“The performance is over.”
Instead, a cold voice rang out.
At the same time, the silver-haired man raised his head and looked at her.
As if the evil aura she had been emitting meant nothing.
“……!”
There was not the slightest tremor in the man’s gaze.
“Let us move to a suitable place, inferior breed.” ……
Inferior breed?
Before she could even grasp the meaning of his words.
Yula’s field of vision changed.
“!!!”
Because she belonged to a family of magic, she could recognize it.
This was magic—a portal.
And so she could not help but be astonished. ‘I hadn’t let my guard down for even an instant……?!’ Then when had he manifested a portal?
Yula came to her senses and looked around.
Fortunately, it was a familiar place: above Nania Lake near the mansion.
But……
That enchanting scenery had changed.
The surface of the water where the Demon Eye of the night sky
should have been reflected.
Yet the only thing floating upon it was the silver-haired man.
“……
The Demon Eye is gone?”
No, that could not be.
Even if the Demon Eye had closed, it made no sense that only the man would be reflected in the lake. Then did that mean she was seeing an illusion……?
“Don’t tell me?”
At that moment, Yula realized.
It was instinct.
The instinct of prey she had forgotten, now placed before its natural predator.
“……
Demon hunter!!”
But what returned was neither affirmation nor denial, but a question.
“Are those your final words, hideous demon?”
The cold voice continued.
“From this moment on, the only words you will be able to utter are apologies to the House of Simuard.”
“……!!”
Then, mana surged from the man.
Only then did Yula truly realize it. ……
It was him!
That man was none other than
the survivor of Akshan who had sent one great evil and four Demon Kings to hell.... [The First World Tree has noticed your existence.] [The First World Tree blesses you.] [Your vitality and mana regeneration have greatly increased.] … .