Chapter 92

“A... a demon worshipper?”

“How dare you! Do you have any idea whose presence you stand in, spouting such insolence?!”

The Blue Knights shouted at Woojin and leveled their weapons, seemingly forgetting even the Black Dragon.

“We’ll soon find out whether I’m right.”

Despite Woojin’s threat, Zion remained composed.

“Sir Duran. Keep the Black Dragon firmly restrained. Outlanders may... come and disappear as they please, but we have made our homes here.”

“Understood.”

“We have a duty to protect this continent.”

Woojin frowned slightly at Zion’s words. He was subtly dividing players from NPCs, turning them against one another.

“You’re putting that clever mind to a strange use. This continent matters to me, too. That’s why I’m doing this.”

“This demon... I have seen it before.”

Zion Muren spoke.

“...!”

The knights could not hide their shock at his answer.

“W-what do you mean?”

“Lord Zion, are you truly involved with a demon?”

“I am not the only one.”

“... Pardon?”

“This concerns my house.”

Zion looked at them.

“You would not know. Even within the house, only a very few know the truth.”

Then he pointedly addressed Woojin.

“I never imagined a secret kept for hundreds of years would be revealed like this...”

CLACK.

He unfastened his armor. Then he pulled back one side of his shirt collar, revealing an unfamiliar design beneath his collarbone.

“I am no demon worshipper. Quite the opposite. House Muren has hunted demons for generations.”

A stir ran through the knights.

“You will have heard of the War of Corruption.”

The Abyss.

The dregs left behind when light, darkness, and the void created humanity.

Demons were born from those dregs. From their very origins, they were destined to be humanity’s enemies.

Humans and demons.

Akedonia was a world where those two races had always coexisted. Though overshadowed by the Labyrinth Tower, that premise was actually why the game was titled [Evil Tale].

Most players, however, were uninterested in demons and knew little about them. That was only natural, since the game’s setting held that demons had vanished after the war against them five hundred years ago, known as the War of Corruption.

Naturally, players never had occasion to see a demon in person.

‘I thought demons were just something mentioned on the website...’

But he had been wrong. Astonishingly, they existed within the game as well.

“Five hundred years ago, when Laxion, our founding king, established the Kingdom of Bolton, countless demons still roamed the continent.”

Zion looked at Woojin with something close to a glare.

“House Muren helped the founding king hunt those demons, and the Kingdom of Bolton was built upon their corpses.”

FWOOSH...!

Flames flared momentarily from the design beneath his collarbone.

“This tattoo is bestowed only upon those of our house’s bloodline. It is inscribed with the founding king’s blood.”

[“Hh... hiii...!”]

At the sight of the tattoo, the demon began writhing as though in pain.

“This design, inscribed with the founding king’s noble blood, protects us from demons and has the power to purify evil forces.”

He rubbed his fingers over the tattoo.

SIZZZ...!

When he brought that hand to the demon’s face, the reek of burning flesh filled the air, as though he were searing it with a branding iron.

[“Mmph...! Mmmph...!”]

The demon’s mouth melted, fusing its lips together.

“The War of Corruption was the great war in which the five great kingdoms, led by the late king, drove out the demons and reclaimed Akedonia for humanity. Everyone believes that war is over...”

He shook his head.

“But no. Demons still exist, and our house has been pursuing them in secret.”

“Oh...”

“To think...”

The knights murmured in wonder at Zion Muren’s words and nodded.

“The demon in the cellar was a test subject for studying its kind. You asked what we did with the mana extracted from it? We were merely conducting research to prepare for another war against demons that might one day come!”

He thrust up his hand and pointed at Woojin.

“And now you have ruined it! You brought a captive demon out into the world and caused nothing but chaos!”

‘Master...’

Ruen looked at Woojin with worried eyes.

The mood had shifted. The man they had believed a villain had turned out to be a hero instead, and now their accusations would turn back upon his accuser.

“And what did you call me...? A demon worshipper? How dare you accuse me of such a thing!”

Zion’s shout was a snarl.

“How disappointing. Outlander though you may be, I was grateful to you for defending the town alone against the Black Dragon...”

SHING.

Zion Muren leveled his sword at Woojin.

“To slander me like this... Did you want all the credit for yourself? No, that cannot be it.”

He put more force into his voice.

“How did you know there was a demon in the cellar in the first place? Have you been prying into our house’s affairs?!”

CLACK.

The knights’ spears turned toward Woojin.

“Or... are you the demon worshipper here?”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. That single remark changed the way people looked at him.

“Confess the truth, or you will answer for it!”

[“Grrrr...”]

Bensina rested his head on the ground and watched the pair, as though amused by the spectacle.

“Confess?”

“Yes. You will make ample amends for disgracing House Muren!”

Turning the tables, Zion began pressing Woojin with an indignant fury.

“N-now... let’s all calm down...”

BOOM!

Sensing something was wrong, Peron stepped between them to intervene, but at that moment the knights’ spears came hurtling at him.

“Ghh...! You crazy bastards...!”

Dozens of spears struck the spot where Peron had stood.

“You actually tried to kill me!”

He had hastily leaped back, and now shouted in disbelief.

The knights drew their spears back in unison.

“I intended to honor you as a war hero. But I never imagined you would stab me in the back like this.”

Guarded by the knights, Zion Muren took another step forward.

“Leave the battlefield. In recognition of your service thus far, I will spare your life. Ah... though I suppose you Outlanders have no fear of death.”

Zion sneered.

“What easy lives you lead.”

GRIND.

Woojin stared at him, barely suppressing his mounting fury.

“Whew...”

Then he slowly exhaled, as though breathing out the anger he had held down.

“Really? You’re that confident?”

“Why? Do you have evidence?”

“You sound afraid that I might.”

Woojin looked at him as he spoke.

“Nissen.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to one spot.

“Tell them what you found in the cellar.”

“Yes... I confirmed there were magic circles there, along with the demon.”

At that moment, Zion’s expression froze.

“There were three types of magic circles. One restrained the demon, and another circulated mana to keep the circles functioning.”

He held up his index and middle fingers and continued.

“Those two were basic circles found in magic texts, so they were not difficult to recognize. However... I had never seen the third and final circle before.”

GRIND.

Zion Muren ground his teeth despite himself.

“Go on.”

Nissen flinched at the sight, but Woojin paid it no mind.

“Yes... From what I could see, I believe the third was a mana-transfer circle.”

“What is that?”

“It sends mana extracted from the demon to a particular location. For example...”

He walked over to Bensina. Then he brought a hand above a chain attached to one of the harpoons restraining the dragon.

RIIING!

A startlingly sharp resonance pierced their ears.

“Into magical devices like these.”

[“As I thought.”]

Bensina spoke in a growl, looking at the harpoons piercing him.

“I do not know whether House Muren hunts demons, but at the very least... it seems you are not using the mana stolen from them solely for research into their kind.”

“You have some nerve saying that.”

Zion glared at Nissen, his eyes blazing.

“... You. What are you?”

“A-an apprentice mage from Thorn Bach.”

“An apprentice mage?”

At Nissen’s answer, Zion let out an incredulous laugh.

“What would a mere apprentice know about magic circles?!”

“And you know all about them, do you?”

“... What?”

“Have you studied magic, then?”

“Shut up!”

At Woojin’s questions, Zion glared at him as though he wanted to devour him.

“As you say, sir... my lack of talent has kept me a mere apprentice. But I can still recognize what I see.”

“What...?”

“You most certainly used the demon’s mana.”

THWACK!

At that moment, Zion swung his fist at Nissen.

“...!”

But before it reached Nissen’s cheek, Woojin caught it.

“Let go! This man has insulted House Muren! Nobles have the authority to pass summary judgment!”

Zion shouted.

“He is spouting absurd lies!”

“I am not.”

At that moment, Nissen placed a hand over one eye.

“...!”

When he removed his hand, his true eye was revealed.

Its iris was pale green. It shone far too brightly to belong to a human.

“What I see is real.”

“I-it can’t be...”

“Yes. That’s right. A Fairy Eye.”

Woojin spoke coldly to the flustered man.

“An ability granted by the Fairy Queen. He drank Fairy Water.”

“F-Fairy Water...?”

“Yes. You know what it is. Water imbued with fairies’ power. And the Fairy Queen specially bestowed her power upon him so he could control it.”

“Impossible... A mere apprentice mage from some village like this... How...?”

“Because fairies live here.”

“... What?”

Zion Muren’s gaze wavered.

“Now that I think about it, this really is a remarkable village. Demons and fairies, gathered in the same place.”

“... What?”

“All the citizens of Thorn Bach have been evacuated.”

Leaving the pale-faced Zion Muren behind, Woojin took the leaf the queen had given him from inside his clothes.

“I have kept my promise to you to protect the village.”

HUMMM...

The leaf in his hand trembled.

“So now it is your turn to act.”

WHOOOOSH!

As the leaf crumbled to powder and vanished in his hand, the space before him began to warp.

“Fairy Queen.”