Calamity – 禍 (5)

A red hair so intense it could be compared to me.

While others were drawn to the waitress’s firm breasts, I was interested in her brightly burning hair.

And then.

“Hajin?”

In that brief moment, Pawin’s energy shifted.

“Euum~ What will you order~?”

As the barmaid gave us a small, eye-crinkling smile, Pawin instantly erased his heated emotions. The atmosphere, which had been rising to a friendly level, turned lukewarm, and Shuriel and I looked at Pawin, not knowing what was going on.

“…I apologize for the late reply. One warm milk and two cups of Karal tea, please.”

“Is that all for your order~?”

“…Also, one vegetable stew, please.”

“Yes~”

“And.”

He stopped the waitress, who was about to turn away after taking the order. Angrid took a breath a beat late and asked in a lower voice than usual.

“…I’m curious if you know a Kellen-ssi.”

Kellen. I don’t know who that is.

However, Shuriel and I weren’t so clueless as to ask who he was, so we decided to listen quietly.

“Kellen-ssi~?”

“…Kellen.”

“Hmm~ I don’t think I know anyone like that~?”

The way she drew out her words was subtly irritating.

I twitched my eyes and observed the waitress. I didn’t detect any particularly suspicious energy. I felt the subdued and gloomy energy unique to the North, but it was within normal levels compared to other Northerners.

“…I’m sorry for holding you up. You can go back, as I have nothing more to ask.”

Angrid, knowing this as well, offered a light apology and turned his head again.

“Who’s Kellen?”

As soon as the waitress was out of sight, I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

Pawin waited until the waitress had completely disappeared from view before slowly opening his mouth.

“…He was someone who worked here.”

“Then who’s that waitress?”

“…I don’t know either.”

It was hard to grasp exactly how the story had unfolded up to this point.

I pressed my lips shut and didn’t avert my gaze. Angrid, understanding my intention, continued to explain step by step.

“…Kellen-ssi was a very diligent person. Except for holidays or special occasions, he never missed a single day…”

“How long was he working here?”

“…His perfect attendance record is six years.”

And yet, a waitress I’d never heard of had taken his place.

A person with a six-year perfect attendance record wouldn’t fake being sick. If it was due to an accident or illness, it would be understandable.

But, not knowing the name of the person taking over? It would be fine if the owner hadn’t revealed the information and asked someone to cover for just one day, but…

‘Assumptions arise from suspicion.’

Sure enough, Angrid’s additional testimony poured out.

“…Kellen-ssi was unmarried and a healthy person who didn’t suffer from any illnesses. You can’t take his words at face value, but he said he was in good shape, to the point where he once aspired to be a knight.”

Pawin sent a silent signal to Shuriel and me.

It didn’t mean to take action immediately. It meant to keep it to a light exploration. I nodded and pinched Shuriel’s side.

Shuriel, looking around, pulled out her chair.

“I’ll move my seat. No, I’ll just go alone.”

The order would be coming soon, so it was hard to move seats recklessly. I nodded and opened my ears wide.

― Hey.

― Who are you?

― You don’t need to know. Just answer my question.

Shuriel sat down at a table occupied by two men without a word, then drove them into a corner with a somewhat insolent tone.

“Haa…”

I couldn’t help but sigh. Perhaps because of her subtly wild personality, she wasn’t suited for this kind of thing. If Kalbert had been here, he would have taken care of it.

― Who are you to us-

– Thud.

__

― Answer my question if you want this.

Well… Shuriel was someone who had an absurd amount of money, at least.

The men hesitated for a moment, looking at the wad of silver coins Shuriel had handed over, then pressed their lips shut and stood at attention. Finally, the first stage of cooperation for negotiation, basic mutual cooperation, was achieved.

― Where did the man named Kellen who works here go?

― Kellen? That guy who worked here?

― You know Kellen?

― I know him well. He was a guy with a wide network.

A wide network, huh.

It seemed good to keep that in mind for now.

―So, the answer?

―I don’t know either. He’s been quiet lately… I haven’t seen him around here for the past two days.

―Why is that?

―He’s probably dead.

Perhaps the man’s answer seemed playful. Shuriel’s face twisted fiercely.

The man licked his lips and hurriedly made excuses.

― I’m not kidding. It’s hard to find a person who dies in the North. Because the corpse decomposes quickly due to the fraud. In cases like his, where he suddenly disappears… nine times out of ten, he’s dead and turned to dirt.

Shuriel clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. She could ask the owner, but that would inevitably arouse the suspicion of the red-haired waitress.

― Then, that waitress?

She changed the subject and brought up the story about the new waitress.

__

― That girl? Well, we don’t even know her name.

― …No one finds it strange that Kellen disappeared.

― She’s pretty and has huge tits, so why would anyone hate her? At least she’s better than that muscular macho man. It’s a pity he died, but this is the North. We don’t have the luxury to grieve over someone else’s death.

The man said, putting the money he received into his arms.

― Judging by what you’re saying, you’re not from the North, are you?

Was it too obvious?

I gave Shuriel a look and ordered her to return.

“The atmosphere is not concerned.”

“It’s similar to the West. These places are generally uncooperative…”

We gathered information afterward, but didn’t get anything useful.

I’m reminded of Pawin’s advice that the sheep of the North don’t give warmth to those who are leaving. There were already many people looking at us strangely.

It seemed that we shouldn’t expect any more active cooperation.

“Isn’t it an excessive worry?”

I said cautiously, scooping up the vegetable stew.

Even though the new waitress was suspicious, I didn’t feel anything strange.

It’s not like I’m just glossing over it.

The soul felt in the waitress… was human.

“Or, should I investigate myself?”

Still, we can’t let our guard down.

I need to let human Mana flow inside to distinguish whether she’s a Demon or not. Since human and Demon Mana boast extreme incompatibility, they cause a rejection reaction the moment they come into contact.

“…If the opportunity arises, I’ll ask for your help.”

I nodded and drank my tea.

Angrid was the only one who was hungry, so it didn’t take long to clear the table.

“Excuse me, waitress-ssi?”

I showed off my empty teacup and called the red-haired waitress. She turned her innocent eyes and approached us.

“Yes~ Is there anything you want to say~?”

“I’ll order some more tea. Three of the same, please.”

“It’s one silver coin and seven copper coins~”

This was really expensive.

I pouted my lips and continued.

“Just a moment.”

“Yes~?”

“I think I got something on my hand.”

I made an absurd excuse and reached out my hand.

– Grab.

“Eueueum~…?”

My fingers touched the back of her hand, and I immediately let Mana flow.

A very small amount. But a dense concentration that couldn’t help but react.

I raised my eyes and watched the waitress’s face.

“…Is there something on my face~?”

Nothing happened.

I made an embarrassed expression and let go of her hand.

Even if I let Mana flow, nothing happens.

My suspicion wasn’t dispelled, but the situation wasn’t good to keep pushing.

“Here’s the money. Sorry for bothering you.”

I handed over the money and smiled awkwardly.

“…Let’s go out and talk about the rest.”

It’s a situation where I can’t ask her to her face if she’s a Demon when there’s no rejection reaction. I have suspicions, but it’s really just suspicion. There’s no particularly good circumstantial evidence, and if I keep investigating like this, it could have a negative effect in the long run.

“Here are three cups of Karal tea~”

In the end, it means that we’re the ones who have to be aware of the Northerners.

While Pluton’s activities are gradually becoming passive.

In really annoying cases, the nobles of the North may be satisfied with maintaining the status quo.

Ignoring small sacrifices and leading the whole.

‘Tired.’

I get sick of it just imagining it.

If that really happens, I want to take a break for a while.

I don’t catch Demons out of duty or hatred. I just like the things that happen in the process. When I caught the twin Demons, I probably went off on a tangent as soon as they split up.

To me, all of this is a ‘secondary’ activity.

‘I want to finish it quickly… but it’ll take a long time.’

I want to go back quickly and hear about Aileen’s school life, and get thoroughly raped or ruined. Personally, I want them to increase the intensity.

It’s good to be fucked until I faint from losing strength… but these days, I want to experience something physical and tangible. I wonder if Shuriel would listen if I asked her, pretending to be crazy.

Hmm. It would be nice to put a rope around my neck and drag my naked body across a gravel field. If not that, it wouldn’t be bad to have my ears blown out and my eyes gouged out before being raped.

“Eum…?”

As I was making hopeful plans, I felt a strange taste in my mouth.

“Eubeee….”

It tasted a little strange.

It’s not the Karal tea I had before?

“What’s wrong?”

“…You don’t have to force yourself to drink it.”

Shuriel and Pawin looked at me strangely when I spat out the tea.

“Doesn’t this taste weird?”

“Taste?”

“…I didn’t feel anything particularly strange.”

I feel like I’m the one who’s weird since the two of them are fine. Or, I could have just been unlucky and the tea was defective.

‘…Did I get weird because I haven’t been raped recently?’

If not that, I could have been sexually frustrated.

This is slowly becoming a mental illness.

I’ve been overcoming ennui with sexual self-harm, so I’m having withdrawal symptoms.

I need to get raped or something as soon as possible.

* * *

“Owner-niim~”

“…What is it…?”

“It’s not that, I’m just going to take a break~”

“…Ooh, okay.”

Slightly unfocused eyes. Saliva was dripping from the mouth that was speaking. The owner’s appearance while talking to the red-haired waitress-looked strange to anyone.

However.

The waitress’s appearance while talking to the owner wasn’t normal either.

“Haaheuk…”

Pale face, trembling hands and feet. The red-haired waitress ran to the owner as soon as Yujin’s group left the store.

“Noo… Just close the store today~ It’s useless anyway.”

After saying that, the waitress hurriedly ran to an empty room and closed the door.

– Kung.

After confirming that the door was tightly locked, the waitress suddenly started scratching her face.

“Crazy, crazy…”

Tududuk, tuk. As she scratched her face with her neat fingernails, white pieces like shed skin began to fall to the floor.

After scratching for a while, her face was torn, but another face was revealed inside.

A Demon who looks a little foolish, but is cunning and thorough inside.

Some call her the Demon of Fearfire.

“That thing… is human?”

Pluton.

“Kkeuwaeek… Eueup…”

Pluton, the Demon of Fearfire who scatters fear, harvests souls, and inflicts pain in the North. She was in pain, spitting out blood on the floor.

On the rickety wooden floor, the appearance of a slender beauty had disappeared without a trace, and only a short, red-haired girl was trembling, spitting out blood.

‘…Almost all of my souls are gone.’

The moment Yujin’s fingertips touched Pluton’s body, she felt indescribable pain. A feeling that her very existence was being broken down.

She had to consume most of the souls she had collected so far to pretend to be fine. She had to imitate human souls and pretend to be a perfect human to get away with it.

But, but.

That short, red-haired kid.

No, the magician.

“…I’m going crazy~”

It’s still a reconnaissance mission, but it’s already like this?

The difficulty was too high.

“E, hehe… Still… it’ll be okay…”

Still, still.

Pluton, who had barely recovered from the pain, smiled weakly, but also laughed while lying down at the sinister plan that came to mind.