Chapter 163
The news of a Demon appearing was so overused it was getting stale.
If this were a novel, they'd probably keep using it until the very end...
But still, for two Demons to appear at once was certainly surprising.
Of course, this wasn't the first time such a thing had happened.
After all, when I left to catch Andras, a Demon named Flauros descended midway through.
But that had a fairly clear cause and effect. Andras had been searching for Flauros even before our encounter, and his actions were indeed aimed at bringing Flauros to descend.
So, two Demons appearing simultaneously wasn't entirely incomprehensible, though the unholy alliance between those two afterward was a bit shocking...
In any case, two Demons appearing wasn't a common occurrence. Just in case, I asked Chae-rin. I asked if these two newly descended Demons were so deeply connected as to engage in such an unholy alliance.
“No? I looked it up, and apparently, they appeared in completely different locations. One happened over in the West, and the other way over in the East...”
Chae-rin said, wiggling her fingers back and forth. Her pointing back and forth seemed to indicate they appeared in opposite directions. In any case, it was clear they weren't related.
Hearing her words, I frowned slightly, as if the world wasn't chaotic enough with those Imps.
The cycle of Demon appearances was gradually shortening. Although they were somehow managing to hold them back, people couldn't help but grow increasingly anxious. In fact, quite a few people had recently started believing in doomsday prophecies and joining the Lemegeton.
*“It seems some kind of wall really is thinning, just as Barbatos said...”*
In any case, now that Demons had appeared, they couldn't just be left alone. They would have to gather People again for an Extermination. And to find a Demon suitable for me, I would inevitably have to participate as well. Needing information first, I looked at Chae-rin and asked.
“Have you heard anything about what kind of Demons they are?” “Oh, yes. The Community was buzzing about it, so I know a few things.”
Perhaps because she'd come out about being able to see the chat, she now mentioned words like 'Community' without a second thought. She first described the Demon that appeared in the West.
“First, that one’s famous, both for its appearance and because it destroyed an entire city as soon as it showed up.”
Buer is the 10th-ranked Demon of Motion. It is a Demon with a Lion's Face, a Golden Mane, and five Horse Legs around its body. Its appearance was so bizarre that from a distance, it looked like a windmill made of flesh and bone rolling along. It was also obscenely large, leaving nothing but shattered fragments in its wake wherever it rolled.
The fortunate thing was that it didn't seem to have much interest in slaughtering people. It just kept rolling and moving... Aside from people, it completely destroyed every building it passed, so it definitely needed to be dealt with quickly.
*“Seriously.”*
Hearing that, I made a strange expression. Honestly, there wasn't a single normal one among the Demons. Every single one of them had a screw loose somewhere. And wasn't it completely outside the Human Category this time?
“What about the East?”
When I asked about the other one, she made a troubled expression.
“Well, I did try to find out about that one too. But there wasn’t any clear information. They say a Demon appeared, but something’s off about it...” “What’s off?” “First, there’s almost no information about the Demon that appeared in the East. They don’t even know its name yet, and it hasn’t shown its appearance.” “If it was reported to have appeared, shouldn’t its appearance have been seen at least once?” “That’s the strangest part. Apparently, the Discoverers were making a huge fuss about a Demon appearing, right? But when they met it again a few days later, they were actually protecting that Demon.”
Hearing that, I tilted my head slightly because I couldn't quite grasp what that meant. For what reason would those Discoverers protect that Demon? Did their minds suddenly get swayed and they joined the Lemegeton in just a few days?
What she said next was even more absurd. The Demon that appeared in the East reportedly took a reasonably sized village as its base. And all the people within it were swayed by the Demon and began protecting it.
The nearby soldiers tried to approach to get information, but the people's opposition was so fierce that they couldn't even get close.
“They can”t exactly arrest all the Villagers...’
Something was definitely strange. Rather than the straightforward West, the Demon in the East felt even more unsettling. Even so, for an entire Village to protect a Demon, there had to be something going on.
“Is it mind control, perhaps...”
Anyway, I had heard the information roughly. The Knight Order would handle the response. They are probably racking their brains over the Demons appearing from both directions right now.
Meanwhile, I could just spend my time comfortably in the Cave. The only thing to consider was which one to participate in. I probably couldn't go to both at the same time.
“Thanks for the info.”
I said that and glanced outside the Cave. The lush green Forest was gradually darkening. The sun was already setting. It seemed quite a bit of time had passed while I was listening to the news.
“...Hmm.”
During the day, a few people wandered through the forest, but not in the evening. Everyone knew that the forest at night was dangerous. This meant that no one would be entering the forest now.
“...Hmph.”
I looked at Chae-rin's body for a moment, then said something.
“Hey.”
“Huh?”
“Take it off.”
“...Okay.”
She started taking off her top with a tearful expression.
*
A few more days passed after that. The Knight Order finally began recruiting an Extermination Squad. It had somewhat formulated a plan to catch the Demons that appeared in each Region. Indeed, as soon as the Extermination Squad gathered, Knights were seen stepping forward to control the personnel.
“By being divided into two Units, this Extermination will proceed! Everyone, please gather in one Place before formation!”
Knights everywhere repeated these words like parrots. I went to where the participants were gathered and looked around for a moment. It was to check who had assembled.
First, Chae-rin and Haneul naturally participated. They had come together, after all. Beyond that, countless Adventurers were gathered and waiting. Demon Extermination was lucrative both for its publicity and its rewards, so everyone had come seeking an opportunity.
“It looks like Hanbyeol Shin participated too...”
Hanbyeol spotted me and gave a small wave. Up to this point, it was a predictable lineup. However, this time, a slightly different group was also visible. About a dozen personnel, seemingly invited, were being escorted by knights...
*“...Clerics?”*
They were Clerics. The folk who usually just produced holy water every day in the Temple had come out. Seeing them, I tilted my head.
“That”s a bit unexpected.’
Because the value of Clerics was as good as gold, they had almost no Combat Ability, but their powers were like natural enemies to Demons, so demand always overflowed.
However, the number of Clerics was quite small compared to that. This was because one needed considerable faith and a long period of training to become a proper Cleric.
It was even a profession that few Otherworlders took up. That was natural. Who would just pray boringly in a game they joined for fun?
Anyway, for those reasons, Clerics rarely stood on the Frontline, because, in the long run, it was better for everyone if they stayed holed up in the Temple, mass-producing holy water, rather than standing on a dangerous Frontline. But I thought perhaps the Knight Order had specifically called them for some necessary task, for them to come out this time.
“So, how will the formations be arranged?”
Once a sufficient number of Personnel had gathered, one of the Adventurers asked a question. The Knight Commander standing on the Platform answered the Adventurer's question.
“First, we plan to focus on exterminating the Demon in the West. We will divide the Personnel roughly 8:2.”
The Knight Commander on the Platform was 5th Knight Commander Serena. Behind her, 2nd Knight Commander Odelia was also visible. Since two Demons had appeared at once, it seemed two Commanders were participating. As I nodded to myself, the Adventurer continued with another question.
“8:2, you say? Surely the East isn’t the 20%? Then how will we catch the Demon in the East?” “We don’t need to catch it right away. We can’t invest excessive Forces in a creature whose identity we don’t even properly know. For now, we plan to assign the 20% of Personnel to Investigation. In the meantime, we’ll deal with the Western Demon first.”
That made sense, because nothing about the Eastern Demon's abilities or strength had been revealed yet. They couldn't just aim for a direct defeat without knowing anything. The Adventurer who asked the question seemed to be somewhat convinced, nodding his head.
“Then how will the Personnel be divided?” “Simple. It’s Drawing Lots.”
This wasn't a convincing explanation. Drawing lots out of nowhere? This wasn't like Seat Assignment for students. Other Adventurers seemed to share the same doubts, as questions immediately flew.
“What do you mean, Drawing Lots all of a sudden? What about those who came as a Party?” “I apologize, but we’re short on time. If we discuss how to divide, another day will pass, won’t it? Hahaha.”
It was Odelia who stepped forward to answer this time.
It might not have been rational, but it was a realistic reason.
Time was a crucial resource for Knights with mountains of work. Odelia's smooth tone quieted the People's voices. Honestly, I didn't care which Demon it was, so I just accepted it.
“Don’t be too dissatisfied, everyone. After all, one of our Knight Commanders will be attached to each Extermination Squad. Now, come up and draw one by one.”
And so, the Drawing Lots began. Blue was for Buer, the Demon in the West, and red was for the East. Since catching Buer was urgent, blue slips appeared more frequently. Chae-rin and Haneul, my Companions who came with me, also drew blue slips with tails. Then my turn came, and I drew a slip without much thought.
“Ah.”
“Eh.”
It was red. Unlike my Companions who were assigned to the West team, I had to go face the Demon in the East. Seeing the red slip, I gaped.
*“This is a bit troublesome...”*
I never thought the 20% chance would fall to me. Even if the Extermination Squad moved together, moving without anyone I knew was a bit off-putting. Fortunately, this unease didn't last long.
“Oh.”
Hanbyeol Shin, who had participated alone, drew the same red slip as I. She looked around for a moment, then saw the red slip in my hand, smiled brightly, and waved.
Seeing that, Chae-rin and Haneul made strange expressions. Of course, I inwardly let out a Sigh of Relief. It was more comfortable to have someone I knew, after all.
“Just make simple preparations, and we depart tomorrow!”
And so, I set off on my journey, parting ways with my familiar companions for the first time in a while.