Chapter 69

Episode 69

Jericho’s words made me doubt my own ears.

‘A demon?’

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through my mind.

This was too much of a variable.

I had anticipated a monster attack similar to the previous one, or perhaps even larger in scale. But a demon?

Demons were on a completely different level. If monsters were simply beasts, demons were mutated creatures corrupted by demonic energy.

In other words, they could wield the power of the demon realm to some extent.

Jericho had once explained that the difference between a demon and a demonic beast was the presence of a soul stone.

Only a creature possessing a soul stone, a gem containing its soul, could be called a demon.

Fortunately, the creature before us had a horn instead of a soul stone.

‘If I remember correctly, that’s a 1-star demonic beast.’

Diligent scholars had created bestiaries and conducted extensive research on demonic beasts. According to their classification, 1-star was the weakest, and the higher the star rating, the stronger the beast.

My memory was becoming clearer.

Jericho had explained that monsters were the weakest, followed by demonic beasts, and then demons.

The man in the Cliff Viscounty who had sacrificed people to become a demon was closer to a demon than a demonic beast.

In terms of pure strength, demonic beasts were a step below demons.

‘With me, Selendis, and Jericho here, subduing it shouldn’t be too difficult…’

The problem was that the word “demon” carried centuries of accumulated fear. It was enough to send the knights into a panic.

Moreover, the situation wasn’t in our favor.

“This is dangerous! We need to subdue it immediately. I’ll have to use magic. Just give me some time…”

“Stay put.”

“But it’s too close!”

The demon had appeared near the Lady’s carriage. It was a bit far, but the creature was over five meters tall and could reach her in a single leap.

I wanted monsters, not demons…

This was truly an unexpected turn of events.

“If you activate your mana, it might go berserk. That would put the Lady in even greater danger. Besides, there are too many eyes watching. If you use magic, the Inspection Unit’s existence will be jeopardized.”

“But we have to do something! We can’t let it approach her!”

Jericho had a point.

But I was the only one here who knew a crucial fact.

The Lady was the mastermind behind everything.

A mastermind wouldn’t be killed by a mere 1-star demonic beast. That’s why I could remain calm.

Of course, if a high-ranking demon appeared, it would be a different story. But for now, we could handle this.

Perhaps the Lady had even summoned this demonic beast.

Just then…

“Kyaaaaa!”

The Lady screamed.

The demonic beast, its ears perked up, turned its head towards the source of the sound. Its gaze landed on the carriage.

『Kieeee…』

It let out a strange cry, took a step forward, and peered into the carriage. Its head alone was much larger than the carriage.

『Sniff… Sniff, sniff.』

It seemed to be sniffing. It was common knowledge that demonic beasts craved the flesh of humans and other races.

This was a critical moment.

Sir Darius wouldn’t stand by and watch.

“What are you waiting for?! Rescue the Lady! Knights, fire your sword beams! Charge!”

“Stop! Don’t provoke it!”

My aura-infused command stopped the knights in their tracks. Darius glared at me, his face contorted in anger.

“Inspector O’Brien! What are you doing?!”

I pointed at the demonic beast instead of answering.

Everyone followed my gaze.

The carriage carrying the Lady was already in the demon’s massive grasp.

“Vice-captain, order the knights to retreat. It’s too dangerous to provoke it any further.”

“Damn it! This is insane!”

“My Lady!”

“Sob! Sob, sob…”

Some of the loyal knights knelt in despair. If the demon tightened its grip even slightly, the Lady’s delicate body would be crushed.

Jericho tugged at my sleeve urgently.

“Inspector! Buy us some time! I’ll try to do something!”

“I told you to stay put.”

“Why are you being like this?! If something happens to the Lady, the Inspection Unit will be disbanded!”

“If my guess is correct…”

Several clues I had noticed, thanks to my keen observation, helped me stay calm.

First, the Lady had screamed, which was unusual for her.

The previous monster attack had been just as dangerous, if not more so. There had been more monsters then.

Goblins, kobolds, and even the swift and deadly wild wolves. An ordinary noble lady would have fainted.

But the Lady had remained calm in the carriage. She even told us to help Sir Darius while she was fine.

But now she was screaming.

Didn’t that seem strange?

There was something else. Demonic beasts were terrifying creatures, but their appearances were extremely rare. It was unlikely for one to appear in Caribe, where the monsters had been eradicated.

Most importantly, the demonic beast had lost its initial intimidating aura. It now seemed as docile as a lamb.

‘It acted like this after sniffing the carriage, right?’

Interesting.

Perhaps the Lady’s scream was a “signal”?

I felt a thrill, as if I had grasped a crucial clue that could turn my hypothesis into a law.

“Jericho, Selendis.”

“Yes.”

“That demonic beast is going to run away with the Lady’s carriage. We’ll chase after it and deal with it then. There are too many eyes watching, so conceal your strength for now.”

“This is frustrating! What if it throws the carriage? We have to do something now!”

“That’s an order.”

Jericho sighed and closed his mouth.

My order worked.

It also showed how much trust we had built. Jericho and Selendis wouldn’t have obeyed if they didn’t trust me.

After all, they had known the Lady longer than I had.

They were trusting my intuition. My intuition had rarely been wrong during our missions.

『Grrrr…』

The demonic beast groaned and turned around. It leaped into the dark forest.

“It’s running away!”

“Vice-captain! We have to pursue it!”

“Hold your positions! Await my orders!”

Darius, ignoring the knights’ pleas, strode towards me.

“It seems things are going according to your plan, Inspector. What’s the next step?”

“It’s too dangerous to pursue it now. It’s nighttime, and there might be other demonic beasts. If we’re ambushed in the middle of the forest, the damage will be uncontrollable. We might even lose the entire Knights.”

“I don’t need an explanation. I asked if you have a plan!”

His sharp words made me smile slightly.

“…I apologize. I let my emotions get the better of me.”

“It’s alright. I understand.”

I would have reacted the same way if I were in his shoes.

“The Inspection Unit will handle this. Sir Jericho here has extensive experience dealing with demonic beasts. It’ll be safer and less damaging if a small team pursues it.”

“Hmm… Alright. Then, I’ll set up a base camp here and prepare for defense.”

“We’ll fire a signal flare when we’re done, so come to our location. I believe there’s a church branch in Caribe. Request their assistance as well.”

“I will. Come back alive.”

Selendis, Jericho, and I plunged into the forest where the demon had disappeared.

We activated our auras and sprinted at high speed, even though we hadn’t discussed it beforehand.

Even though we had only lost sight of it for a short time, the demonic energy was already quite far away.

“Inspector, there’s something that’s been bothering me…”

*Slash!*

A monster that had recklessly blocked our path was sliced in half by Selendis’s sword.

Jericho, shaking his head in disbelief, continued, “You said before that someone might be controlling the monsters in Caribe.”

“That’s right.”

“If that’s true, is this the same person’s doing?”

I answered without hesitation, “Yes.”

Jericho didn’t ask any further questions.

I hadn’t explicitly told my subordinates that I suspected Lady Lucia was behind it, but they must have figured it out.

After several hours of pursuit, we finally caught up to the demonic energy.

We had passed through the forest and entered a rugged mountainous area.

A massive cave stood before us. It was located in a remote and inaccessible location.

“I apologize. We should have searched more thoroughly. It must be the influence of the Dark Soul.”

“No, I think differently.”

“Huh? Differently? But you were the one who mentioned the Dark Soul before.”

“Your investigation was excellent. We couldn’t find it because the culprit was too close. There’s a saying where I come from: ‘It’s darkest under the lamppost.'”

“…What does that mean?”

I ignored his question and entered the cave.

At the end of the single path, there was a vast chamber. It was a natural wonder, a hidden paradise.

The demonic beast was sitting in the center. And the Lady’s carriage was parked beside it, completely undamaged.

There were no traces of blood, so my guess seemed to be correct.

『Grrrr…』

Its red eyes flashed. Jericho was about to activate his mana, but he looked at me first.

“Just to be sure, we can fight it, right?”

“Activate your Enclave and fight.”

Jericho created an Enclave, sealing the cave entrance. It would prevent the demonic energy from leaking out.

“And Selendis, I’ll provide magical support. Approach it and cut off its horn.”

“Yes, Master.”

*Whoosh!*

She drew her sword, its blade gleaming with aura. Selendis took the lead, ready to strike at any moment.

I activated ‘Automatic Combat’ and reviewed the spells I could use.

The demon’s skin was smooth and covered in scars.

The scars looked like burn marks, so I ruled out fire magic. The remaining candidates were water magic, its opposite, and non-elemental magic.

‘Demonic beasts have natural elemental resistance, so let’s go with non-elemental.’

I didn’t need to chant the activation words, but I did so to appease Jericho.

『Energy Bolt.』

*Swoosh!*

Six beams of light shot out from my body. They drew beautiful arcs towards the ceiling, then changed direction and accelerated towards the demonic beast.

*Boom!*

All six shots hit their target.

The power was beyond common sense. Even Jericho, who was casting his family’s secret technique, widened his eyes in surprise.

“H-How did you become so strong? I’ve never seen you practice magic.”

“Focus on the task at hand. We need to finish this quickly.”

*Slash!*

Selendis seized the opportunity and swung her sword. Black blood splattered everywhere, and the demon roared in pain.

While its attention was diverted, a white magic circle appeared.

“You have no idea how much I hate climbing mountains! Prepare yourself, you monster!”

Jericho, wielding a whip made of heavenly light, snagged the demon’s neck. The wrath of a man who lacked exercise was formidable.

*Crack!*

Selendis didn’t miss her chance.

*Slice*

The horn was severed.

The demon screamed, vomited black blood, and collapsed, turning into dust.

I immediately opened the carriage door.

“My Lady, are you alright?”