◈ Episode 322. What a Refreshing Twist Indeed
I finally begin to understand.
Mere years.
The reason why adventurers were able to shake the Arcana Continent in a time that amounts to but a fleeting moment...! Gremory chewed over the memories of the flesh burrowing into her mind—more precisely, the Player's knowledge. 'To think she held such a blessing.' If such an ability had been granted to her....
She wouldn't have needed a long time.
If only she'd had a few years similar to those adventurer bastards.
She would have been able to seize the power to challenge the Demon Kings of the Ten Seats.
Even that alone would have made for a sufficiently satisfying possession.
"Fufu."
Not even her discerning eye had been wrong.
Simply for beauty (美)
, she had chosen this shell.
Never had there been such a windfall.
Gremory muttered softly.
"To think she was a lady of a noble house—no, something greater."
A Mythology conglomerate.
She couldn't even guess the meaning of the term.
However, a glimpse of it was visible within the body's memories. A status that allowed one to live a luxurious life worshipped by countless people. There was no more comfortable environment in which to hide oneself. 'There is no longer any time to hesitate.' Gremory moved her steps as the flesh led. Now that the possession was a success, she didn't think the madmen of Akkeusyan would be able to track her. They would have their hands full dealing with the slaves of authority. Even so. 'I won't let my guard down.' Furthermore, this land holds existences even greater than those madmen.
The final demon hunter.
Is it not the hometown of that silver-haired man?
Let's see, a man of that caliber would surely be renowned in this world as well. She should be able to find information about him even in the shell owner's memories.
Gremory's prediction hit the mark.
"...
I Hoyeol."
The name immediately leaped from her lips.
But something was strange.
Gremory felt a peculiar sense of déjà vu from the shell. '...
What is this?' It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it her first possession.
Even if she was being generous with praise, it was merely a human body.
The sensations she felt should definitely have been unwelcome.
Yet it felt strangely familiar.
Ordinarily, she would have overlooked it without much thought.
Had she not resolved not to repeat her mistakes?
Gremory closed her eyes for a moment. 'I must examine the interior.' And before long, she realized the reason. 'Truly a wretched life, woman.' To offer her body to a demon twice. 'True name, Baek Iseol.' Baek Iseol.
Within the woman's interior, the traces of a demon remained vivid.
Moreover, the scent of a species that could be considered the same kind as that lustful bastard, Lust.
Gremory clicked her tongue. 'Succubus.' A race of demons that could be counted on one hand for their vulgarity in the demon realm. Gremory had taken a liking to Baek Iseol's body. Therefore, she whispered secretly into Baek Iseol's interior. 'You may consider this an honor. I am an existence of a different class than a mere succubus. I shall make your shell be reborn not as some mere yaomo, but as a true queen.' The first step for that would be to return to Baek Iseol's mansion. After that, she intended to first deal with Baek Iseol's blood relatives and close associates, who would obviously be in the way. 'Won't it get annoying if they recognize me?' Even though she had donned a human shell.
Gremory had no intention of suffering the humiliation of imitating a human. Interferences must all be cleared away, and her surroundings filled only with faithful slaves of authority.
It was the moment Gremory made that resolution. '...
Hm?'
Thud.
"!"
Her foot moved on its own.
At first, she thought the body was reacting according to her will.
Until she looked around. '...
Why?' There was no way something like Baek Iseol's mansion could exist atop these precarious stairs, was there? Gremory urgently searched through Baek Iseol's memories. More precisely, the common knowledge of a Player. 'A portal exists at the entrance of the Mage Tower. Adventurers freely traverse the world through the Mage Tower's portals. The stairs of the Mage Tower, above them is a space permitted only to mages....'
Thud.
But no matter how much she searched her memories, there was no reason to climb the stairs. Perhaps because of that? Unnecessary attention was focused on her. The gazes of the humans lingering at the entrance of the Mage Tower followed her.
No, more precisely.
"Huh, senior. I-isn't that Baek Iseol?"
"...
Huh? Damn, it really is Baek Iseol!"
"What brings Baek Iseol to the Mage Tower..."
"Wait, is this an extension of that incident?!"
"L-let's get the camera out first!!"
Baek Iseol.
They were directed at the owner of the shell.
Grind.
Gremory gritted her teeth. 'Does she have some connection to the Mage Tower?' There was no way they would discover she was wearing a shell, but.... Those bug-like bastards' machines would spread this situation to the world. Such attention was unwelcome while facing Akkeusyan. 'Don't move on your own, wench.' Gremory lashed out internally and seized control of the flesh....
No, more precisely, she tried to seize it.
The moment she hesitated, her steps moved again.
Thud.
"...!"
Gremory couldn't contain her astonishment.
She shouted internally.
A Demon King like me.
Not only that, but one who had devoured the Authority of Great Evil.
Are you saying a mere human is defying me? 'This is impossible!' But that was only the beginning.
Ssk.
What blocked Gremory as she climbed the stairs was a lanky man.
His renown extended even to the demon realm.
It was famed even among the Demon Kings, so she recognized him at once. 'Marcello Simuard...!' If her possession were discovered, things wouldn't end nicely.
Gremory fell into serious anguish. Should she manifest Lust's Authority even now? But could she break this man's mental strength? No, before that.... '...
Wait, why is he fine?' Gremory—she had clearly been unable to control the rampaging Authority of Lust. Thanks to the rampaging Authority, she had ruined things and barely managed to save her own life.
However.
"It's been a while, Ms. Baek Iseol."
Marcello treated her as if nothing were wrong.
He was treating her like the shell.
To say he had offset the Authority with his profound mental strength....
'The bugs on the lower floor were fine too....' Gremory made a forced guess. '...
Could it be that I've become able to control the Authority?' Of course, it was a baseless guess.
Her mouth moved on its own.
Her head bowed on its own.
"It's been a while, Chief Marcello. I am deeply ashamed for violating the regulations of the Mage Tower. I formally apologize for entering the upper floors without permission."...
Damn it!
Gremory had no intention of spouting such words. Leaving aside the humiliation, turning around and escaping the Mage Tower would have been the best move rather than spewing such excuses.
Marcello shook his head.
"You need not worry. There must surely be a reason you came. Please come up. It seems we cannot speak properly on the stairs."
Thud.
It wasn't too late even now.
Don't follow that man.
How dare you try to defy me.
Even when she threatened from within, the body still wouldn't listen.
Eventually, she reached the top floor of the Mage Tower.
At a point where no one was visible, the conversation continued.
"I can guess the reason for your visit. There is only one point of contact between you and me, Ms. Baek Iseol. It must be regarding the Holy War Allied Forces."
What, the Holy War Allied Forces?
Gremory was astonished. To think an allied force had been organized under the name of a Holy War in this completely different world. It was a situation she couldn't have predicted when she was on the Arcana Continent.
"That is correct."
Gremory felt her lips going dry. 'Damn it.' Now that she knew of the Holy War Allied Forces' existence. The moment when Marcello would realize her existence was drawn with excruciating clarity. Gremory now cried out as if pleading from within. 'Please, just shut up.' But Baek Iseol's lips moved mercilessly.
"It's nothing else but that I seem to have been possessed by a demon again."...
She knew she was possessed?!
How on earth?
Having grasped the situation, Gremory desperately floundered from within.
Perhaps thanks to that, she realized belatedly. 'Wait....' This was Baek Iseol's second possession.
Which meant the succubus that had first possessed Baek Iseol no longer existed within her interior. Gremory recalled the emotions she had felt upon possessing her. '...
I witnessed possibility.' Revenge was near.
The System was an authority, an authority beyond authority.
Sitting in the Ten Seats was not a dream either.... 'Was I the only one who dreamed such a dream?' Could the succubus not have known that fact?
If so.
The succubus would never have abandoned this body of its own will. 'That's right.' Gremory finally arrived at the answer. '...
The succubus was hunted!' The puzzles began to fit together in her chaotic mind.
"Possession, you say. Then you must have come to find Chief I Hoyeol."
Chief.
And I Hoyeol.
Why Baek Iseol's body had headed to the Mage Tower.
"Yes, it seems I am in your debt once again."
And why the faint sense of déjà vu still hadn't vanished.
That was it.
The subtle déjà vu hadn't been felt upon seeing the succubus.
It was the instinctive recoil toward a natural enemy engraved in a demon's genes.
Gremory eventually crumbled. '...
Are you saying that even after struggling this much, it's useless?' That the natural enemy relationship can never be defied? That the hunt began the moment she set foot on this land? Did this mean that once caught by a demon hunter, there was no escape by any means or methods...?
Before long, a bell rang in Gremory's ears.
"It seems someone was waiting for you just in time."
Clack.
Clack.
Clack. 'N-no....'
The whistle of the hell-bound train.
*The top floor of the Mage Tower.
The moment of entry.
A familiar message greeted me. [Skill, 'Natural Enemy' is activated.]
I was honestly surprised.
"A rather refreshing reunion, I must say."
Baek Iseol, master of the Mythology Guild and member of the Holy War Allied Forces.
To think she had been possessed by a demon once again.
While exchanging greetings nonchalantly, I flinched. 'Is she really okay?' According to Marcello's telepathy.
He had said Baek Iseol entered the Zero Mountain Range and was possessed by a demon. It seemed she had come straight to the Mage Tower, where I was most likely to be. Thanks to the straightforward path, the conclusion was natural. 'The one possessing Baek Iseol is a half-blood demon.' The quest objective flashed as if confirming the answer.
-Hunt demons. (Repeatable)
●Track the half-blood demon by following the blood trail. (Success)
●Slay the half-blood demon. (In Progress)
That was the reason I was surprised. 'Ms. Baek Iseol, you really....' I had thought no one suffered more than me, troubled by Grangpel. But I couldn't complain in front of Baek Iseol, who had been possessed by demons twice.
Besides, this time it wasn't an ordinary demon.
Yet Baek Iseol was no different from usual.
"Gremory. According to my memory, she was the 56th ranked Demon King. And seeing how she kept mentioning authority... she seemed to have something she was counting on."
I fell silent.
I simply stared into Baek Iseol's pupils. While one could deceive the eyes of others, the eyes of a demon hunter could not be deceived. Indeed, Baek Iseol's eyes were clearly dyed black.
Which made it all the more questionable. 'How on earth is she fine?' Demons feed on negative emotions. Therefore, they drive their possessed humans further toward ruin. Just remembering Baek Iseol when possessed by the succubus.... 'She was completely different from how she is now.' Well, they say trials make people stronger. 'Did the experience of being possessed by a succubus become an advantage?' I didn't know for sure, but it seemed her mentality had become steely. There had been a time when stories about Baek Iseol filled not only the society section but even entertainment articles.
I, I Hoyeol.
My head was a mess with various thoughts.
Just who is Grangpel?
"You have grown as well."
"Yes?"
"You must have finally realized pride."
The esteemed founder of the Pride Theory.
At my words, Baek Iseol let out a small sigh.
"Whew, thank you for saying that! Honestly, I was worried. That being possessed again would trouble the Commander-in-Chief. But perhaps it's thanks to not forgetting pride, as you said? I was able to avoid repeating the terrible dark history... no, the mistake from the succubus incident."...
Dark history, I know that feeling all too well myself.
As I nodded deeply, suddenly.
A meowing sound was heard.
"Just what are they going on about, meow."
"Please stay still, Tower Lord."
"I still don't know what pride is, meow."
Anyway, that guy!
Is he not fully awake?
Why is he talking like that?
Was that old man called the Tower Lord taking a nap on the top floor of all places, watching this embarrassing scene? Anyway, it was not something that could overshadow Baek Iseol's accomplishments.
"Let's get straight to the point."
Without hesitation, I prepare
[Exorcism Ritual].
Half-blood demon.
I still couldn't grasp what it meant, but if authority had been added to a Demon King, it was certainly no ordinary big shot. To hunt such a being, what was needed was a sacrifice, a demon's item.
And it had to be an item of matching rank. 'I happen to have just the right thing.' A trophy left by a similarly big-shot demon. [Cocoon Swollen with Jealousy] [Rank: Legendary] [Restriction: Unknown] [Effect: Sealed] [Description: A demon's curse dwells within, sealing its effect. To know its true effect, it must be purified.]
That's right.
Left by the Jealousy of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Nothing less than a legendary-grade item. 'It must be an item on par with Ghost Iron, right?' I had been quite looking forward to it.
But because of this damned integrity, I couldn't show my dark desires.
I put on an expression more solemn than ever.
Toward Baek Iseol. No, toward the half-blood demon, I declared.
"From this moment, I will begin the execution." ['Cocoon Swollen with Jealousy' has been selected as the sacrifice.] [Skill, 'Exorcism Ritual' is activated.] [Inviting the half-blood demon, Gremory, to the 'Ritual'.]