Chapter 93
That staring contest only lasted a moment.
"No, I was just thinking how weird it is to only have a head…"
I mumbled that excuse and turned my head away.
A strange delusion briefly flashed through my mind… but I wouldn't bother explaining it.
It was a bit embarrassing, and not that important anyway.
In any case, it was strange that there was only a head.
The thick Demonic Power flowing from around it, the way she talked normally in that state… she was definitely not human.
She actually introduced herself.
She said she was the 8th rank, the Demon of the Woodland, Barbatos.
It had been a while since I'd seen a Demon since Dantalian.
The first thing that stuck in my head was her rank.
'8th rank…'
Pretty high.
Of course, I knew that the ranking wasn't simply a measure of strength.
Dantalian, for instance, showed a slightly stronger form than the others, didn't he?
But even considering that, there's a certain pressure that comes from the number.
And even if that weren't the case, thick Demonic Power was overflowing from around her. So much so that it was spilling out of the Cave.
Just looking at that, I could guess she was a pretty strong one.
'Hmm… I wonder if I put something in her neck, would it come out her mouth? No, before that, what does the severed neck part even look like?'
Well, she only had a head, so it wasn't that nerve-wracking.
I left her alone and looked around for a moment.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, the underground scene slowly came into clear view.
A huge line drawn on the floor like a Magic Circle, and a peculiar Tattoo embedded in the center.
Although I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd heard about it enough to immediately realize what kind of place this was.
'Is this the Altar…?'
The Forbidden Forest is circular.
If you run through the vast fields of the Empire, at some point you suddenly come across a lush Forest. A dangerous Forest that occupies a very large area.
Since it's circular like that, many people have wondered what's at the very center of this Forest. And today, I could solve that mystery.
There was a Demon's Altar at the deepest part. That's why Lemegeton came all the way here.
"Hmph, how rude. If an introduction is given, shouldn't an introduction be exchanged?"
As I was thinking to myself, Barbatos frowned and said so.
I answered casually.
"Oh, yeah. Nice to meet you, I'm Yor."
"No… Well. You have no manners. Well, what can I expect from a human."
She sighed, saying so.
Her tone was very authoritative, but since she only had a head, it didn't feel dignified at all.
She was clearly a Demon, but there was nothing threatening about her.
It looks like there's no need to fight anyway. I decided to just have a conversation.
"So… why do you only have a head? I understand this is the Altar, but."
"Call me Lady Barbatos, you rude wretch. And do you think I'll answer you without question?"
First, she showed her prickly side.
Despite only having a head, she has quite the ego. As if she wouldn't have a proper conversation unless I showed the respect she demanded.
Of course, my personality wasn't good enough to go along with it.
"Hey, you seem to be mistaken about something. Who's in the superior position here? Unlike someone who doesn't have limbs, I can harm you, and I can destroy the Altar."
I said that in a teasing tone and pointed my Spear at her face.
In other words, a threat. A threat that I could use violence if she didn't cooperate.
Since she only had a head, I thought she wouldn't be able to resist easily.
Indeed, she didn't resist at all even though the spearhead was right in front of her neck.
"Huh, you're quite reckless. Yes, go ahead and try. Maybe it would be better to return to the Demon World like that…"
No, she even showed a detached attitude.
As if she didn't care whether the Altar was destroyed and she returned or not.
Rather, her tired-looking green eyes seemed to be secretly hoping for it.
"…"
And that sight piqued my interest.
Honestly, I thought it would be okay to destroy the Altar just like this.
In any case, the opponent was a Demon, and as a Manifestor, a Demon was something I had to deal with.
I have enough animosity, too. I'm constantly building up hatred because of that damn Demon's Blood every month, aren't I?
But this time, the Feeling was a bit different.
Whether it was advanced rhetoric or sincerity, I wanted to have a conversation.
I didn't have anything to do for a while now that I'd reached the deepest part anyway.
"Huh… Forget it."
So, I quietly lowered my Spear and plopped down.
That seemed quite unexpected, as her eyes lit up with interest.
"You… are quite strange. I've heard that normal humans are either frightened or prostrate themselves when they see a Demon."
I didn't bother answering. Because I was also confused about how to treat a Demon that only had a head.
Instead, I started asking questions again.
It's not like I can't get any information if there's no answer. I can roughly infer things by looking at the other person's eyes and hesitations.
If that doesn't work, using Dantalian's Ear is also an option.
"Is the reason this Forest is full of Demonic Power, and strangely full of Monsters, because of you?"
When she introduced herself, she clearly said she was the Demon of the Woodland.
Just looking at the words, it's forest and field.
In other words, she directly stated that she was a Demon related to the Forest. Her Demonic Power spread throughout the Forest, and there was more than enough to infer.
Surprisingly, she readily admitted it.
"That's right. It's this body's doing. I can freely improve and dominate the Forest."
It seemed that putting away my Spear and backing off helped to calm her down.
She didn't stop there and continued speaking.
"For now, it was done to protect the Altar. Rather than just leaving the Altar underground, it seemed better to surround it like a fortress. I thought I could buy some time until the Manifestation."
"So you haven't Manifested yet… but you can still use your power in that state?"
"It is possible. Like me now, if I Manifest even a part of my body, I can use my power even while trapped in the Altar. Of course, that power is only a small fraction, but."
"…"
I listened to those words and quietly nodded.
This was news to me. To be able to use power while still in the Altar.
Of course, she said it was only a small fraction… but it wasn't something to ignore.
That small fraction created this vast Forest, didn't it?
And in a way, I survived until now thanks to this Forest.
Although it might not have been intentional. So I was genuinely impressed.
"That's amazing…"
"Huhu, it's this body's greatness."
She haughtily lifted her head slightly. She was still just a head, so there was no dignity, but.
But only for a moment, then she sighed deeply and said,
"However… it's getting tiring now. It was good that I used some of the Mana gathered at the Altar to Manifest my head. I thought I could gather the surrounding Mana and Manifest at any moment. But I didn't expect it to take this long…"
She continued speaking.
"It's been a very long time since I Manifested like this."
Suddenly I thought about when this Forest came into being.
I don't know when this Forest was created. There's no way such a huge Forest would appear overnight. The trees would have grown slowly and gradually expanded their territory.
As such, the exact year can't be known. But what is certain is that it must have been at least over 100 years.
I imagined it for a moment. Her, alone in this dark Cave, only a head, for hundreds of years…
'…Hmm.'
Even I was very lonely after spending 10 years alone, and I thought it wouldn't be much different even for a Demon.
I asked her with a bit of sympathy,
"Can't you undo the Manifestation or go back to the Demon World for a bit?"
"It is possible. But if I return like this, the other Demons will surely notice. If I Manifested my head beforehand saying I would expand my power, but return with no results… I would definitely be scolded by the King I serve."
"…"
I don't know the ecosystem of the Demon World. To be honest, I don't have much Attention either.
But listening to what she said, I thought it wouldn't be easy to live there.
She strangely felt pitiful, looking anxious about others' opinions and afraid of being scolded.
As I was thinking to myself, she continued.
"Well, still… it's not bad being like this. I can give commands to the animals and watch them play, and most of all, I don't have to worry about the King's watchful eye."
The conversation had somehow shifted from a question-and-answer session to her complaints.
It seemed like she had accumulated a lot while staying here. Maybe it was feelings built up from the Demon World.
I had nothing to do anyway. I listened to her words with a blank expression.
Contrary to her needlessly archaic way of speaking, she was quite emotional and talkative.
She was still cautious, though, as she didn't give out much real information.
'Come to think of it…'
But as I listened, a thought suddenly occurred to me. A rather random thought.
'What's the weather like outside?'
I was supposed to clash with the Knights' Order the day after it rained.
The rain wasn't falling as quickly as I thought.
It felt like the Knights' Order might arrive first.
So, I was going to go outside to check the weather.
But that was when it happened. As I suddenly got up, she asked me,
"Where are you going?"
"…Oh, there's something I need to check."
"You're not going to leave after saying that, are you?"
I silently looked at her after hearing that. I couldn't figure out what her intentions were.
Regardless, Barbatos continued. With a sullen expression, like a child throwing a tantrum.
"At least talk a bit more before you go. I am bored."
Hearing those words, I let out a short, dry laugh.