Ch.232232. Presentation (2)

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Rewinding time a bit.

Let’s go back to when I was talking about the presentation.

Back to when Walter and the Emperor’s expressions soured simultaneously as soon as I mentioned taming demons.

“…Student Darwood.”

Walter, the headmaster, tilted his head as he spoke.

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

His voice was slightly serious, without his usual eccentric demeanor.

As if he genuinely didn’t understand what I was saying.

“…”

Hey now.

You’re breaking character.

Where did your chuunibyou speech and behavior go?

“…Well, it’s nothing.”

In other words, what I just said was so absurd that even Walter reacted this way.

He probably didn’t expect someone to suddenly bring up the topic of “demons” right to his face, despite the club being called the “Exorcism Club.”

And the idea of “taming” them would certainly be even more incomprehensible.

“Actually, I mean it literally. The Exorcism Club will research ways to handle demonic power to ‘restrain’ them.”

“…”

Walter’s eyes narrowed rapidly.

“…I’d like an explanation.”

“Rather than explaining, I think it would be easier to show you.”

With those words, I took out something I had prepared.

It was a wooden staff with a rough shape. It looked like it was barely shaped from wood, not even properly finished.

Next, I pulled Riru, who was fidgeting behind me, forward.

She seemed slightly hesitant, but when I twisted my eyebrows as if to say “Are you not going to do it?”, she immediately let out a deep sigh.

“…Fine, kid.”

Riru said that and drew up her energy with a deep breath.

Blue demonic energy. The seal embedded in my chest responded, and the surrounding air vibrated slightly.

The two people in the audience probably already recognized what this was.

“-!”

While the Emperor’s eyes widened, Walter’s reaction was more intense.

He grabbed his ritual tool and sprang to his feet. In an instant, divine power was deployed around him, simultaneously creating several miracles and formulas.

He must have realized this was “genuine” demonic energy. He was trying to suppress it, even through force if necessary.

Moreover, the Blue Demon’s power is “crushing” – destroying everything it touches. If handled incorrectly and the Emperor got hurt, it would be an absolute disaster.

So, before the situation became dangerous, I quickly moved to the next step.

I “caught” the swirling demonic energy around us with my “bare hands.”

“…What.”

While Walter stared in astonishment with wide eyes, I kneaded the blue demonic energy I had caught as if molding clay.

‘…Since the seal was strengthened, I can just do this much now.’

I now have a body that can properly touch the demonic form created by the fragment. I can now handle demonic energy with my bare hands without even borrowing power from that side.

With that thought, I “condensed” the blue demonic energy to about the size of a baseball.

Eventually, I molded it into a more specific shape. I created a handle to make it easier to grip and made certain parts slightly pointed.

And then.

I took it and applied it to the wooden piece I had prepared earlier.

Since it’s the Blue Demon’s energy, naturally everything it touches gets ground away.

But by making it into a “tool” like this, I can precisely refine only the parts I want.

I cleaned up the stump. Made everything smooth and sleek.

“…”

I heard Walter let out a hollow laugh.

After all.

I was using demonic energy that crushes anything it touches.

To “sand” a piece of unfinished wood.

As if demonstrating that this wasn’t a “harmful power” at all.

“Demonic energy.”

While working, I continued speaking, looking directly into Walter’s eyes.

“Can be handled in this way, ‘harmlessly,’ by someone capable.”

As I said this.

I briefly directed my gaze at the Emperor, who was staring with round eyes.

He seemed stiff, as if extremely shocked by what I was saying.

“…”

This person likely doesn’t know yet that he is a Demonic Vessel.

But he must instinctively feel it.

That what I’m saying relates to him too.

With that thought, I continued speaking calmly.

“It’s different from common belief, isn’t it? Usually, people think even just contacting demons brings a curse.”

“…”

“The Exorcism Club will research ways to study demonic power ‘beneficially’ like this. After all, all power can be handled properly with the right method.”

With a grin, I presented the neatly finished wooden stick to Walter.

Despite having touched demonic energy, it was just a normal staff with no energy imbued in it.

An everyday object that’s impossible to believe was involved with demons, considered the most malicious omen on the continent.

Something that could make life a little more comfortable for any ordinary elderly person who held it.

“…Student Darwood.”

Walter spoke in a slightly subdued voice.

“Do you realize how sensitive the topic you’re discussing is?”

“Yes.”

I answered without hesitation, looking directly into Walter’s eyes.

“Wouldn’t it make for an interesting research subject?”

“…”

“I thought you would certainly be interested in this topic, so I selected it.”

Indeed.

Deliberately showing a topic that could make the entire continent’s leadership go berserk in front of this person is partly to “recruit” him.

Headmaster Walter. The strongest priest in Elphante aside from the Pope.

Also, the most authoritative demonology researcher of our time.

This person needs to serve as an advisor to our club in the future. He’ll be a great help for what I need to do, so I’d be more troubled if I couldn’t share this level of information with him.

“You just perfectly controlled demonic energy ‘in the way you wanted.’ This is unprecedented in history.”

Walter continued with sharp eyes.

“…Then, those desperate to make it into a ‘weapon’ will be obsessed with targeting you. What you’re talking about could ignite a war that would burn the entire continent.”

“I know that, Headmaster.”

“…”

“And actually, announcing it openly like this might prevent more fighting.”

“…What?”

I just smiled at Walter, who questioned with a bewildered voice, without further explanation.

Well, just wait and see.

Later, he’ll understand what I meant.

“Of course, if everything were revealed right away, it would cause chaos. I trust that the Chancellor and Headmaster will appropriately adjust what’s shared in external announcements.”

I was blatantly asking for information manipulation, but I didn’t feel particularly guilty.

I’ve been dealing with demon incidents everywhere and have achieved impressive results.

I can ask for this much, right?

“And one more thing.”

I continued speaking to Walter, who was now maintaining a sharp gaze almost glaring at me.

“If a demon is particularly ‘cooperative’ with me, this is also possible.”

With those words, I sent Riru back and pulled Serath forward by the wrist.

He looked at me with wildly spinning eyes. His gaze was swirling as if asking “Are you really going to do this?” but.

“For example, like this.”

I continued speaking with a grin, as if it were nothing.

As if saying, we’ve already agreed on this, right?

“…ugh, uuu…”

With a snap of my fingers, Serath closed his eyes tightly, placed both hands on his chest, and bent over.

It’s nothing special. Just temporarily releasing the energy he’s always “suppressing.”

Unlike Riru, this guy hasn’t had many opportunities to get friendly with the demon inside him, so he’s obviously not familiar with handling demonic energy.

But it doesn’t matter. Once the energy is released, it acts on its own regardless of the vessel’s will.

[Masteeeeer-!]

With those words, violet energy “took form” and popped out of Serath’s body.

It looked identical to Serath, but the way it ran toward me with shining eyes like a pet dog meeting its long-lost owner was unmistakably that of a pet.

[Did you call me? Did you call me?]

“…Yes, yes, kid.”

As it clung to me eagerly, I roughly patted its head, causing its eyes to narrow further as it began rubbing its cheek against me.

A sign of affection, I suppose.

“For now, would you mind going back inside Serath? Can I ask you that?”

[Yes! You’ll praise me more if I do, right?]

“Yes.”

As soon as I said that, it was sucked back into Serath’s body.

However, though it looked like Serath, its behavior was exactly like the Violet Demon from just now.

“…Like this.”

Pointing at Serath, who was rubbing his head against my hand like a pet showing affection, I continued speaking to Walter, whose expression had moved beyond disbelief to a sense of unreality.

Unlike the performance with Riru earlier.

The key point is that this guy just “obeyed” my words.

As if I were its master. A demon following a human’s command.

“They can directly follow human ‘control.'”

…To be precise, only I can do this. And even then, it’s probably only possible with the Violet Demon.

It’s quite specialized information, but worth sharing.

Given Walter’s character, now that I’ve shown him this much, he’ll surely do things that will help me.

He’ll probably start researching like crazy about the phenomenon I just demonstrated.

Before long, he’ll bring me several pieces of information that will be helpful.

“…You.”

Walter opened his mouth as if groaning.

“You truly are an absurd existence, Darwood Campbell.”

“…Is that so.”

“Yes. And this isn’t even a completed ability, is it?”

“…”

“That seal on your chest that responds to demonic energy. That seems to be the key. Judging by the energy I sense… it’s barely reached halfway. Yet you already have this level of control over demons?”

I looked at him with a grin.

See that?

I didn’t even reveal much, but he’s already making high-level inferences.

He’s definitely worth “recruiting.”

As I was thinking that.

Suddenly, the auditorium door flung open.

“Excuse m-“

The person who entered saying that had a very familiar appearance.

A female student I’ve never seen before.

But she looks almost identical to Serath.

If Serath had slightly shorter hair and looked a few years younger, he would look exactly like her.

“…Serath?”

Then, such a voice dropped from her direction.

Startled by it, the demonic energy surrounding Serath’s body instantly dispersed.

“…Victoria?”

Serath uttered in bewilderment, looking back and forth between his current state and Victoria.

“…Oh.”

Eventually.

His face turned red. It was so red that it seemed juice might leak out if touched slightly.

It wasn’t just embarrassment; his mental state was visibly collapsing.

With pupils shaking not just like an earthquake but at a collapsing level, Serath struggled to open his mouth.

“…N-no, it’s not.”

At those words, Victoria unconsciously stepped back.

Her eyes were full of contempt. It was a face like she had seen a bug.

“…N-no, wait, Victoria, listen to m-“

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

“…”

“I don’t know anyone like you. Please don’t talk to me.”

As a tear of shame formed in Serath’s eye, Victoria slammed the auditorium door shut and left.

“…”

“…”

A devastating silence fell.

It was terrifyingly quiet. Everyone seemed dumbfounded by what had just happened.

“…Hey. Are you okay?”

Surprisingly, Riru, who usually has the worst relationship with Serath, was the first to speak.

She approached Serath cautiously, looking around nervously as she spoke.

Serath’s condition must have looked really bad for even her to be concerned.

“…Who was that? Do you know her?”

“…”

Hearing those words, Serath covered his mouth with both hands.

His body trembled. Another tear rolled down from his eye.

“…M-my…”

Serath spoke in a sobbing voice.

With a voice full of self-loathing that would have made him desperately crawl into a mouse hole if one existed, he continued.

“M-my little sister… We were separated when we were young…”

“…”

“I… I haven’t seen her for over ten years… and the first time I see her… is like… this…”

“…”

“…”

Another long silence followed as Serath couldn’t continue speaking.

This is, well.

Hmm.

So.

The first impression he gives his little sister, whom he hasn’t seen for over a decade, is this.

“…”

Even with my moral sense that has already gone as far as it can go, I’m starting to think maybe I went too far this time.

[That’s Darwood Campbell for you.]

“…”

[Merciless.]

“…”

[True to your reputation as the biggest scumbag I know. You never fail to maintain your level of awfulness.]

Well.

This time, even I clearly had nothing to say in my defense.

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