Ch.128Demon Hunt (2)

The content of Juel Lazian’s letter was simple.

“I heard you obtained two stars.”

“Congratulations.”

“I heard you’re heading to the Outer Continent. How about joining me for a demon hunt before you go?”

This wasn’t a summary of the letter—it was the entire thing. The rest? All blank space. In the past, a famous mathematician once said, “I have proven this, but the margin is too small to write it down.” If that mathematician had seen Juel’s letter, he surely would have written an entire thesis on the spot.

That’s how much blank space there was.

Just three lines of text on a large piece of paper.

Fortunately, perhaps, there was a map drawn on the back. The map had various symbols marked on it, with a postscript written below.

“I won’t write at length as it would be troublesome.”

“Show this letter to a nearby church and they will guide you. I’ll be waiting.”

Najin did as instructed.

With Juel’s letter in hand, Najin headed to the church in the adventurer’s city. When the nun at the church saw the letter Najin was carrying, her eyes widened dramatically.

“J-just wait here a moment, please!”

The nun hurried off somewhere, and soon returned with a priest who examined the letter. The old man, like the nun, opened his eyes wide before making a call somewhere. The exact same scene repeated several times.

After that, well… Najin learned for the first time today that the usually calm and relaxed clergy could move so quickly.

In just a few hours, a carriage arrived before Najin. The priests who stepped out of the carriage wore robes embroidered with blood-red stitching—they were none other than inquisitors.

“Are you Najin?”

After a few questions and verifying the letter, the priests immediately bowed their heads to Najin. Their attitude was like that of subordinates addressing a superior.

“We will escort you. Would you like to leave now?”

Najin boarded the carriage they had brought.

There was no reason to refuse when they offered a ride. As Najin got into the carriage, the inquisitors watched him nervously.

“Um, Lord Najin?”

“Yes?”

Somehow, the form of address had changed to “Lord” Najin.

“When and how did you receive this letter…?”

“I received it by mail this morning.”

When Najin answered, the inquisitors’ faces turned deathly pale. As he later learned, the letter from Juel hadn’t been delivered through the Sacred Blood Order. It had been placed directly into Najin’s mailbox.

And this was a very awkward situation from the Sacred Blood Order’s perspective.

Normally, when a figure as important as the Order’s executioner moves, they do so through the Order. The same applies when contacting someone. This is because the executioner, along with the high priest, represents the Order.

Their smallest gestures and casual words could be interpreted as representing the entire Order’s opinion. That’s why figures like the Order’s executioner, The Sacred Host, and the Lighthouse Keeper must be extremely careful with their words and actions…

But Juel Lazian wasn’t careful.

Moreover, she didn’t care what others thought.

She maintained the attitude of “Why should I care about that? If there’s no legal issue, I don’t see why I should follow such rules.” This proposal to Najin was also her unilateral decision, made without any consultation with the Order.

But what did it matter if it was unilateral?

If the Order’s executioner wished it so.

Who would dare object to her words?

As a result, all the Sacred Blood Order could do was accommodate Najin. That was also why the inquisitors treated Najin with such respect.

“We will ensure your journey is comfortable.”

“What? Oh, thank you.”

“No need for thanks. It’s unnecessary. You are the executioner’s guest, aren’t you? It’s only natural, truly natural.”

The boy before them was an honored guest of the Order, personally invited by the executioner. Whether Juel intended it or not, the letter could only be interpreted that way. Of course, Najin had no way of knowing this.

‘Demon hunting. How interesting.’

-Right? I wonder what kind of demon it will be.

While the inquisitors who unexpectedly found themselves accompanying a demon hunt were tense, Najin’s expression couldn’t have been more serene.

‘This is a good opportunity.’

After all, he considered Juel’s proposal a good opportunity.

A chance to loosen up his body before departing for the depths of the Outer Continent. And an excellent opportunity to confirm the changes that had occurred in his body after obtaining the stars.

2.

During the carriage ride, Najin conversed with Merlin. He had a few questions.

‘Why does the Sacred Blood Order hunt demons?’

-Because their deity hates demons.

‘Are there people who like demons?’

-Well, it’s not just dislike, it’s more like… hatred? Loathing? Contempt? Anyway, she wants to completely eradicate the demon species from the world.

Merlin stroked her chin as she spoke.

-These days she’s known by the tame name “Matyr of Thorns,” but in my time, she was called “One Who Froth at Sight of Demon.” Other names included “One Who Bathes in Demon’s Blood,” “Demon Killer,” and “Demon Slayer.”

Those were rather extreme epithets.

As Najin blinked, Merlin continued.

-While Arthur and I hunted demons because they were harmful to humanity, she killed demons simply because she hated them. She had good reason, though.

‘Reason?’

-Yeah. She was originally a princess of a small country called Lapeli or something like that, which was completely destroyed by demons. Most of the citizens became demon contractors, and the rest became demon followers.

Come to think of it, Najin had read about this in history books.

Lapeli, a nation that perished due to demons about a thousand years ago. It was always cited as an example when explaining the dangers of demons and why black magicians attempting to summon them should be eliminated.

‘She has reason to hate them.’

-Right? But the interesting part comes next.

‘Next?’

-Yes. What do you think she did after that?

Najin tilted his head in confusion, and Merlin grinned.

-She killed them all.

Najin barely managed to hold back an audible “What?” that almost escaped his lips. Amused by his reaction, Merlin continued.

-About 30,000, I think? She killed all 30,000 demon contractors. All by herself. She even hunted down those who had contracted with demons and fled abroad. Over ten years, without missing a single one.

Not leaving even one alive.

By the time that blood-soaked history ended, Merlin said, the woman had become a constellation. That’s why history books don’t record Lapeli as a demon-worshipping nation, despite falling to demons.

-Because she washed it clean with demon blood. Because a star was born atop countless demon and demon follower corpses. Lapeli became sacred ground.

It was both a stellar ground (星地) where a star was born.

And holy ground (聖地) for the Sacred Blood Order.

-It was when Arthur and I were fighting the Demon Lord, I think? In the midst of battle, I looked to the side and saw some unfamiliar girl stabbing the Demon Lord’s belly. When I asked “Who are you?” she answered “Demon. Kill.” So I thought, “Ah, a comrade,” and we fought together.

Later I found out who she was.

Recalling that time, Merlin spoke with disbelief.

-She was quite insane in many ways. A massacrer. A poor child who knew nothing but killing demons.

‘How did such a person become the deity of the Sacred Blood Order?’

-Because the doctrine she established was simple. Ask the person sitting in front of you. It probably hasn’t changed much in a thousand years.

Najin asked the inquisitor sitting across from him.

“May I ask about the doctrine of the Sacred Blood Order?”

“Ah, of course.”

The inquisitor smiled broadly and replied.

“Kill demons. Burn everything related to demons. Eradicate the demon species from this world. Whatever your status, whatever you’ve done, our deity doesn’t care. What she wants from you is only one thing.”

He struck his heart with his fist.

“As long as your heart beats, strike down demons.”

“That is all,” the inquisitor concluded.

A faint madness could be sensed in his eyes.

-See that? She probably never intended to create a religion. She just wanted to kill demons, and since she couldn’t kill them all alone, she created followers. Naturally, a religion formed around that.

Hatred of demons.

There was no faith as simple and intense as that. Merlin muttered with a complicated expression.

-I suppose there are many people who have lost something precious to demons, both then and now. That’s why that child is still the deity of the massive organization known as the Sacred Blood Order.

Matyr of Thorns.

That was her well-known constellation name, but those who lived in the same era as her called her differently, Merlin said.

-A fire burning for a thousand years.

And a fire that would continue to burn.

A flame of hatred that would not die until it had completely incinerated the demon race from this world. Merlin’s expression seemed somewhat detached as she explained.

-Well, I’m not one to talk.

She smiled.

-I too cannot close my eyes until I tear out the throat of the Witch of Abyss.

3.

After traveling for several days, the carriage stopped at a city straddling the border of the Outer Continent.

Baldernos, a city of a forgotten nation.

Originally a city close to the Outer Continent’s border, about 300 years ago, when the boundary expanded, seven-tenths of Baldernos was swallowed by the Outer Continent. In the process, all the city’s residents vanished like vapor.

Of course, only the residents disappeared; the buildings remained intact… but no one could live in a city more than half-swallowed by the Outer Continent. As a result, Baldernos became a ghost city.

And for black magicians, an “uninhabited ghost city” is interpreted as an ideal residence. Moreover, being adjacent to the Outer Continent made summoning much easier. Various conditions combined to make Baldernos known among black magicians as a prime location.

The Sacred Blood Order couldn’t possibly be unaware of this fact.

The Sacred Blood Order periodically monitored Baldernos. During one such monitoring, traces of black magicians were discovered, along with evidence of demon summoning, which was no small matter. And naturally, major problems require major force.

The Order’s asymmetric warfare asset, Juel Lazian.

She had headed to Baldernos not long ago.

This was the background of the current operation.

“So that’s how it is.”

“Yes, now I’ll explain the operation.”

Najin nodded as he listened to the explanation.

“Originally, only the executioner was dispatched here. This purge operation was planned to be carried out by the executioner alone, but there’s been a change.”

The inquisitor who had arrived at the operation site began his explanation. He pointed to symbols drawn on the map as he spoke.

“Lady Juel will enter from the back gate of Baldernos on the opposite side, inside the Outer Continent. And you, Lord Najin, will enter through the front gate ahead.”

According to his explanation, it was as follows:

Juel would advance from the back gate toward the front gate. Najin would advance from the front gate toward the back gate, eliminating any black magicians they encountered. He said that proceeding with this operation, they would meet Juel around the boundary of the Outer Continent.

‘The explanation is simple, but…’

Najin looked up.

He gazed at the city divided by the boundary between the Outer Continent and the mainland, separated by a translucent barrier. Beyond the barrier was blurry and difficult to see, but even the visible portion of the city was quite large.

It won’t be as easy as it sounds.

Thinking this, Najin stretched his body.

“Please let me know when you’ve completed your preparations to enter. Then I’ll signal Lady Juel…”

“I’m ready now.”

“Pardon?”

The inquisitor who was busily preparing holy water and silver weapons blessed with divine power looked at Najin. Najin was merely stretching lightly, without seeming to have made any preparations.

“Um, Lord Najin? If I may be so bold, Baldernos is a city consumed by the Outer Continent. It’s no different from entering the Outer Continent itself, where physical deterioration progresses rapidly. Without sufficient preparation…”

“That’s for us to worry about. He doesn’t need it.”

One of the inquisitors cut off his subordinate’s words.

He gestured toward Najin with his eyes. In response, Najin spread his hands wide. Two stars floated above his palms, shining brightly.

“Ah.”

The inquisitor let out a brief exclamation.

Then he knelt on one knee and bowed his head. It wasn’t directed at Najin. He was offering a prayer to his deity who might be watching from above.

Sparkle.

As if answering his prayer, a constellation of eight stars hanging in the sky above shone brightly. The Matyr of Thorns had responded to the prayer.

“Lord Najin?”

“Yes?”

“I recommend covering your ears.”

Najin blinked.

Looking around, he saw that all the gathered inquisitors were bowing with their ears covered. Though puzzled, Najin did the same.

Soon, Najin understood why.

The inquisitor had just offered a prayer to his deity to announce the start of the operation. And that fact was then conveyed through the deity to her champion, Juel.

Operation start.

Juel Lazian, having received the signal, moved.

Far away, beyond the boundary separating the Outer Continent and the mainland, at the opposite entrance across the massive city. Though the distance between Najin and Juel was as large as an entire city…

Najin could tell. The fact that Juel had moved.

It wasn’t because Najin’s senses were particularly keen.

It was simply because her movement was too enormous.

SCREEEEEEEEEECH!

A chilling sword cry echoed. A sound resembling the scream of a human writhing in pain. That sound leaped across the Outer Continent’s boundary, traversed the city, ignored thousands of meters of distance, and vibrated Najin’s eardrums.

The sound came first, followed by the phenomenon.

The massive barrier dividing the Outer Continent and the mainland shook. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what was happening beyond the boundary, behind the blurry barrier.

The city was being dismantled.

By a single human and a single sword.