A Deal with the Demon
“It seems the humans and dragons are starting to catch on.”
In a dimly lit conference room where not even one another’s identities could be discerned, a secret meeting was underway.
“Catching on?”
“Is it because of the proposal linking the surge of monsters across the continent to the return of the demonkin?”
“Who the hell is raising suspicions like that?”
“Escoleia, apparently.”
“Escoleia—the gathering of the continent’s intellect, the beacon of knowledge?”
Some voices rose with concern; others dismissed it as nothing worth fretting over.
“A place that attracts every sort of brilliant mind also attracts plenty of strange ones. The high lords of the continent won’t be quick to believe it.”
“In truth there was little real support. Even if the two things are connected, it still wouldn’t be enough to sway the noble lords.”
“Still, the mere fact that they linked the two is enough to make me uneasy.”
“So what was the final decision?”
“The White Dragon Blancaros himself put the matter on hold.”
“That buys us time, then.”
“Humans are one thing, but the dragons will already have begun their investigation. If we’re discovered, we’ll be crushed long before any war can even begin.”
Every head dipped; low murmurs of unease filled the room. The greater the care invested, the sharper the sting of frustration.
“What do we do? I think we ought to throw up a smokescreen even now—”
“That would be a mistake.”
A man who had kept a long silence finally spoke. His voice seized the heated atmosphere in an instant. He was the leader of this gathering.
“Why?”
“Because that is exactly what the White Dragon is waiting for.”
“Waiting for it?”
“If we move after hearing those words, the Grand Council will realize that enemies still remain within its ranks.”
“Then what do you propose?”
“We proceed as planned. That is the better path. If it appears that something long in the making has simply come to a head after many years, that will be enough.”
“C-can it truly be made to look that way?”
“The only variable I cannot control is the mouths of the people in this room.”
It was an insulting remark, yet they merely glanced at one another; no one voiced open discontent.
“If that is your judgment…”
“Is there anything else of note?”
“If there is something else… it would be…”
No great effort of memory was required. Only one human had left a fierce impression on him.
“There is a man named Ferda Valdrova.”
The name startled them.
“The dragon’s greenhorn fiancé?”
“What is there to say about an idiot who walked into a dragon’s maw of his own free will?”
“I thought the same when I heard the rumors. But after seeing him myself, he is quite different.”
The middle-aged man was a noble and a territorial lord before he was a follower of the demonkin.
“I suspect we may need to treat him as a genuine threat.”
“What level of alert?”
“Something on par with Alberdo—the walking fortress.”
“That seems a hasty judgment.”
“It took Alberdo, that damned butcher, five years before he became a real threat. Yet this mere boy whose term has barely begun—”
“That is precisely how dangerous he is.”
“To flinch so hard at some wet-behind-the-ears brat… age has clearly been wasted on you.”
They regarded him with pitying eyes; he returned the look in kind. Knowing nothing of one another’s true thoughts, confrontation was inevitable.
Just then a masked man entered the chamber and whispered into the ear of the noble seated at the table. The noble’s expression grew complex and troubled.
“A messenger has just brought regrettable news.”
The dismay of failure settled over the room.
“The Escoleia Overlay appears to have failed.”
Overlay was the operation’s codename: the plan to place Dopplers among the highest ranks of the nobility. Some of those present had already infiltrated through that very method.
“And the one who stopped it was none other than Ferda Valdrova.”
Those who had mocked him moments earlier gaped. As if by prior arrangement every gaze swung toward the leader.
The man’s complicated face flickered into a faint smile before twisting into something bitter. Even their leader was irritated by the unforeseen development.
“Has the existence of the Dopplers been exposed?”
Not a trace of ease colored the question. The knowledge that there existed demonkin capable of perfectly assuming human form was of an entirely different order from a simple conspiracy being uncovered. It was the same as realizing that the decisive fuses of bombs had already been planted everywhere.
He answered with cold reason, without a shred of hope.
“It will come to light.”
“Hmm…”
The leader tapped his cheek with a fingertip.
“Who held overall responsibility for the Escoleia Overlay?”
“…”
“I asked who.”
One man cautiously raised his hand.
“I-I was the one this ti—”
Before the sentence could finish, the neck of the man who had raised his hand left his shoulders. The body toppled and crumpled to the floor.
“Hhhk…”
“Huff…”
Silence and terror settled into the thick scent of blood.
“Messenger.”
“Yes.”
The man who had brought the ill tidings stepped forward. The leader tossed him something—a syringe filled with black liquid.
“From this day forward, you are Viscount Battlehorn.”
“I am grateful for the grace.”
The masked messenger drove the needle into his own neck. In an instant the man became a black mannequin that greedily drank the blood still spraying from the severed neck. Viscount Battlehorn died, and a new Viscount Battlehorn took his place. Those seated around the suddenly emptied seat swallowed hard. It was a warning: no matter who died, their positions could be filled at any moment.
“Conclude the Doppler research. The leisurely period of friendly study is over.”
“Understood.”
“Dispose of all remaining stock and clean up every individual connected to the research materials.”
“Yes.”
The method of disposal was simple. Their research facility lay beneath a mountain. All they need do was bring the mountain down.
“The Grand Council has ended. Are you not returning?”
Ruri asked.
“Something has come up.”
“Lady Baldrova will be waiting.”
“I know. Leaving her to wait sits ill with me as well.”
“And still you will not go?”
“This is important.”
Important enough to make the appearance of monsters seem trivial. This place held the clue that could erase the things that had once tormented Baldrova. Ruri knew that. She spoke as she did precisely because she knew where he was headed.
“That is Silverwind’s territory.”
Ferda nodded.
“I am aware.”
“Goz still hates you.”
“I know that as well.”
“The demonkin are a common enemy. But the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily a friend. If you set foot in that domain… you will have to stain your hands with blood.”
Silverwind hated the demonkin. Ferda likewise loathed the demonkin who had tormented Baldrova. Yet Silverwind would not welcome him.
“Which is why this must be done in secret.”
“…”
“It is dangerous, but once it is finished there will be no loose ends.”
Ruri’s lips kept moving without sound. You must not go. The words would not leave her mouth.
“…Will you go?”
“I must.”
“Understood. Then I will wait.”
“No. You will return.”
“…”
“While I am gone, protecting my wife is your duty.”
Ruri bit her lip hard. She disliked it; she had fully intended to refuse. Yet the words would not come. She had no right to defy his will.
“Please return safely.”
Ruri left at once.
While preparing the secret expedition, Ferda began calculating the numbers.
If I keep supplies to the bare minimum for mobility and push a mid-scale teleportation circle a little hard, it will still take a full day.
One day. Fast enough for an assault on an entire nation, yet far too slow for a single research facility. And the other side would hardly sit idle. News that the kidnapping of Escoleia’s headmaster had failed would already have reached their ears. They would move swiftly to cover every contingency.
If only I could have Ruri fly us all there at her speed…
But that place was Silverwind’s domain. Ferda had already witnessed what happened when Ruri faced Silverwind. He had no wish to drag her into this. And he must not.
This has to end within our own circle as much as possible.
Next came combat strength.
The research director is a 5th Circle mage, was it?
The researchers under him were mere assistants of the 1st or 2nd Circle; only the director himself was a true mage of power. It would have been better to learn exactly what magic he used and how he fought, yet even torture could not extract information that simply was not there.
I will have to handle that mage myself.
A frontal clash was out of the question. Ferda considered the tools he possessed.
Shadow that I can command without chanting.
It usually manifested as Shadow Hand, yet it could also take the form of octopus-like tentacles or something flat as parchment. The less light there was, the stronger its power became; under fierce light it weakened until its very shape threatened to collapse.
It was never meant for open combat to begin with.
It was Barbatos’s magic, centered on stealth and intrigue—a means for outmaneuvering and striking an opponent’s unguarded moment rather than meeting force with force.
According to Shape of Shadow, this is treated as part of the body.
The shadow was used as an extension of the flesh and recognized as such.
Which means magic can also be cast through Shadow Hand.
It was possible, yet it demanded an extremely high understanding of magic. One had to reconstruct not only something resembling a real arm but also the mana channels and circuits through which power flowed.
Ferda concentrated mana into one of the Shadow Hands he had already formed. The mana flowed down through the sole of his foot, along the black shadow, and gathered in the black hand. He completed the sequence of steps required to draw a magic circle. Blue particles poured from the dark fingers and succeeded in etching a white magic circle into the air.
With this he could launch a surprise attack on an enemy anytime, anywhere.
Yet Ferda frowned.
Completion time is roughly four times the average.
Slow enough that a skilled mage would notice and counter the moment it began. Unless he perfectly grasped the opponent’s type and the nature of the battlefield beforehand, it was a reckless gamble.
No need to dwell on that point.
Improvisation over prediction. Instant reaction mattered far more than endless hypotheses. That was what Ferda did best. So he simply filed the knowledge of the method away and lay down, intending to sleep. Better to leave worry about uncontrollable variables for tomorrow than to cradle them through the night.
That was when it happened.
The instant he tried to close his eyes, Ferda’s mind snapped fully awake. His instincts had detected something amiss nearby.
Hmm…
Something he had never once felt inside the castle. Naturally. Baldrova Castle was wrapped in layer upon layer of barrier magic superior even to those of the imperial emperors. Intrusion was not lightly tolerated.
But a count’s manor was another matter. Compared to Baldrova Castle it was as full of holes as a fishing net rotting in seawater.
Who is coming?
Ferda listened to the ripple of mana. Soon a sharp scent of sulfur brushed his nose.
“Hello, darling.”
A seductive voice he had heard once before. Sitri, the Demon of Lust.
“Get out.”
“My, so cold. Is that any way for us to treat each other?”
Her snake-like tongue slid across her lips as she drew nearer.
“I have no intention of forming a contract with you, Sitri.”
“I don’t have the tiniest desire to contract with you either. Your type is pure poison to me—hard to handle, and even when handled they never stay handled properly.”
“Then why waste both our time? Leave.”
“So impatient. I came on business.”
Ferda’s face tightened further.
“Is there an idiot who does business with a demon?”
“There is. Right here.”
She pointed a slender finger gently at him. Ferda raised both hands to cover his ears.
“The research facility you plan to raid will be completely destroyed within six hours.”
His hands stopped. The information was impossible to ignore.
“Don’t look at me like you’re wondering how I know. What kind of Great Demon would I be if I didn’t know that much?”
Sitri savored his reaction.
“So how do you know?”
“Come on, darling. Most of the creatures I keep on a leash are high nobles—big babies who can’t be satisfied with ordinary pleasures. And among them are some who’ve taken the demonkin’s hand, you know?”
He had already half-suspected as much. The attempt to kidnap Escoleia’s headmaster was proof enough.
“The headmaster kidnapping failed, and the one who was supposed to become the new headmaster was captured. If he spills the location under torture, everything is exposed, right?”
“So you destroy it instead.”
“Even if you leave right now you’ll be too late. All the means you have combined will still take a day or two.”
“If we move quickly we can still act.”
“Using that little spawn? Possible, sure. But do you think Silverwind will just sit still?”
Of course not. From the moment Ferda had set foot in Silverwind’s territory without leave while at the White House, they had already regarded him as an enemy. Given any excuse they would not hesitate.
Troublesome. Sitri had read the present situation with perfect clarity. That was why she had come offering business.
“Looking at your face, I get the feeling the conversation is about to go well. Is my intuition right?”
Sitri pressed for an answer. Ferda’s deep blue eyes moved with careful stillness, refusing to reveal his thoughts.
“What can you do for me?”
As though she had been waiting for those exact words, Sitri slipped a hand into her bodice and drew out a thick rolled scroll.
“A scroll inscribed with Banding Bridge magic. Do you know what it does?”
“A teleportation-type spell that links two spaces within the same dimension.”
“My, a clever man. Exactly. And you know how excellent its reputation is?”
It allowed movement so stealthy that even most detection magic became worthless, and because it connected space to space it possessed duration. It matched his need for a covert approach perfectly.
“Is that all?”
“If you need more, my underlings will keep Silverwind’s little pests entertained. I’ll buy you enough time to turn the place into a wasteland and strip every research secret.”
Instant long-distance travel plus bought time—that was Sitri’s offer. The conditions were too good. Far too good. Precisely for that reason he did not snatch at them; he considered the proposal carefully.
The other party was a demon. A demon always made contracts that favored herself and never ones that put her at a disadvantage. Terms this extravagant meant a matching difficulty or price.
“What do you want?”
“Inside that facility is one stupid little demon.”
“A stupid demon?”
“Yes. I sent her to seduce a man, and the idiot fell head-over-heels for him instead.”
“Is that even possible?”
“That’s why I called her a stupid demon.”
Sitri sighed.
“If she dies in there she can’t even return to Hell. She’ll be completely annihilated and fall into the void. So would you bring her out and kill her outside so she can be reverse-summoned to Hell?”
“A proposal overflowing with maternal affection.”
“What can I do? Fellow demons have to look after one another. There is such a thing as compassion, you know.”
“Even a passing dog would laugh at that.”
Sitri was the Demon of Lust—the furthest thing from compassion.
“Honestly, fine. I’ll tell you the truth. She’s one of my daughters.”
“I see.”
“She’s of age, so I ought to make her independent… but what can a mother do? I have to save her. I should wrap her in my skirts, but my skirts are so thin… and so short.”
Sitri fluttered the hem of her skirt in a deliberately alluring manner.
“Your proposal amounts to a rescue that simultaneously aids us.”
“Everybody wins. What do you say? Isn’t it a lovely deal?”
Ferda thought it over once more. Only a single sentence rose in his mind: Never make a deal with a demon.
“Can you swear on your name that this is not a trap meant to ensnare us?”
“I swear on the name of Sitri, Great Demon of Hell. I have no intention of trapping you. Once you extract the girl, your task is finished.”
Sitri gave her firm answer. Ferda nodded.
“Very well. Let us do business.”
“You decide faster than I expected. Good.”
Sitri set the floating scroll down beside the bed.
“I can hold them off for two hours from this moment. Eight people can enter, and only eight can leave. Remember that carefully.”
With those words Sitri melted quietly into the darkness. The instant her form vanished completely, Ferda’s door burst open. Count Consiler and armed knights stormed in.
“Lord Regent! Are you unharmed?”
“I am fine.”
“A demonic intrusion was detected inside. Allow us to search briefly—”
“No need. The demon is already gone.”
“Did the demon say anything—”
“And the expedition is cancelled.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
Ferda had no time for explanations. He simply gave orders.
“We begin the operation within the hour. Assemble the elite troops.”