Chapter 176
I usually participate in most Demon Extermination quests. It's easier to catch any demon I see, as I never know when the demon that is my true origin might appear.
Honestly, I can roughly distinguish them by their demonic abilities... but it's better to be safe, just in case.
Even though the holy water has greatly alleviated the pain of Berserk State, the fact remains that the Berserk State is still a pain in the ass.
I don't want to live my whole life drinking expensive holy water until I die of old age... and I feel a bit bad about enduring Berserk State B by draining the life force of others... Anyway, I'm quite desperate for liberation from the *Berserk State*.
In that sense, *Demon Extermination* was an unmissable event. It paid well, saved people, and boosted my reputation. But other quests were just annoying.
This particular quest, however, made me hesitate even more. After all, Lemegeton and I had a rather ambiguous relationship.
We didn't see eye to eye, and we were often hostile, but surprisingly, I knew a lot of people there. Among others, there were Sephiroth, whom I'd even fought alongside, and Livia, who was my Orphanage mate.
They're surprisingly human, aren't they...
I agree that the Lemegeton members ultimately need to be caught. From other people's perspectives, they're trash who would sell out the World. They'd want them eradicated as soon as possible.
But then what? If the Knights catch all the Lemegeton members as they intend, what will happen to them?
...They'll die.
The two who rose to Branch Leader positions would surely face execution, especially. After all, they are Public Enemies of the Continent. Even if we're on opposing sides, I don't wish that upon them. It's strange how a few conversations can make me worry about such things.
Ah, I don't know.
After a moment of deliberation, I decided to go along.
I'll just participate too.
Regardless, the Lemegeton Extermination is an inevitable process. I also agree that the *Cult Group* should be dismantled. If it's going to be exterminated anyway, I at least want to be there.
If they die without me present, it will feel unsettling. So, I'll at least participate.
And when the situation arises, I'll decide how to act.
Of course, I wasn't sure yet whether I'd be able to make a decision by then.
After the Lemegeton Extermination notice was posted on the bulletin board, the *Users* naturally went wild, much more so than for the *Demon Extermination* notices that appeared only every few months.
The four characters of 'Lemegeton' held a significant presence for *Users*.
Although Demon's Saga is a free Open-World Game, a main Storyline exists. And in that story, 'Lemegeton' holds the position of a primary Villain.
Of course, they hadn't really caused much trouble until now... but since they were talking about exterminating all of them, it naturally drew attention.
However, there was another factor: quite a few *Users* had joined Lemegeton.
+[F***, I'm in Lemegeton]
What do I do now? If the *Knights* come, will I die and get a *Game Suspension*? There's no way out if I'm stuck in *Underground Prison*. No, f***, I'm a *Super Unemployed* person! I have nothing else but this game!!!!!
[LOL][Bye-bye lol][It's a sign to stop being a *Super Unemployed* person and get a job. *Lesbians*, just quit the game lol]
+[Breaking news: My friend is screwed lol]
We played rock-paper-scissors to see who'd join Lemegeton, and he lost. He said it suited him surprisingly well and stayed, but then the extermination notice popped up today. Thanks to that, his soul is practically gone even at school, yep.
[We'll meet as enemies soon][-> That friend won't want to die by a Knight, so you personally behead him][Tell him to just quit the game and go to a good university lol]
[He fits surprisingly well, considering it's a *Villain Group*. This shows his personality. Yep.][-> Your personality shows through commenting like that lol]
The reasons for joining varied: simply because the Lemegeton option was interesting, because being a *Villain* seemed more appealing than playing by the rules, or just a bet with a *Friend*, etc.
The reasons for joining were all different, but the situation they found themselves in was the same.
They were all screwed now. They had joined, even considering becoming *Criminals*, trusting in Lemegeton's influence, but now the group was facing ruin.
If they lost, their reputation would drop, making game activities impossible. And if things went wrong, they could be imprisoned and face a *Game Suspension*. *Users* couldn't help but feel anxious.
+[But I'm curious, didn't those who joined do?]
They already know they'd get caught someday. lol It's an inevitable process, so it's hilarious they're making such a fuss. You chose this group, so endure it with grit, you bastards lol +
[For real lol Who held a knife to their throat and forced them to join?][-> They joined because they wanted to, so why are they making a fuss now?]
[But I'm curious, if they're so scared, why don't they just leave?][-> It's not as easy as it sounds, damn it.][-> They're already talking about it; if anyone tries to leave, they'll immediately cut off their heads. They weren't normally like this, but it seems they heard the extermination notice and are trying to control their members.][-> We're screwed then.]
Thanks to this, the *Community* was literally a mess. While Lemegeton *Users* were wailing, *Normal Users* were busy teasing them. There were even posts that escalated into fights due to heightened emotions. Their game accounts were on the line, so overreacting was inevitable.
But that was only for a moment; the conclusion was eventually reached after a long period of fighting.
+[All right, let's fight]
I'll kill all those *Extermination Squad* bastards
[For real lol]
[Stupid commoners lol We'll make you regret not believing in *Lord Demon*.]
As long as they won, it was fine. Thus, the *Users*' fervor grew even higher.
* A few days later, after hearing the news from Haneul, I headed to the recruitment place. Since I had decided to participate, I was going for the assessment.
Surprisingly, selecting the *Extermination Squad* involved an assessment. After all, you couldn't just put *Common People* on a battlefield.
They were checking for minimum conditions. Honestly, there was no way I'd fail, but a procedure is a procedure.
Murmuring. When I arrived at the recruitment *place*, numerous *people* were already waiting. From the relaxed atmosphere and the *System Windows* floating beside them, most were *Otherworlders*.
Since this *Extermination* didn't have particularly high requirements, many *Otherworlders* who usually didn't get opportunities participated en masse.
It was likely to be a group-versus-group battle. So, it seemed they were accepting as many applicants as possible to meet the numbers.
“Oh? Look, isn't that Yor?” “Wow, it really is him? Hello!” “Excuse me, just one handshake...” “Can you really show us your *System Window*?”
As I approached, several *Otherworlders* recognized me and came over. It still felt strange to have strangers show me goodwill.
But by now, I was quite used to the reaction. So many *people* had approached me, recognizing me from my broadcasts.
So, walking through the crowd, I accepted their reactions appropriately. I shook hands and granted small requests if they were minor.
“...I feel like a celebrity.”
Still, most of the reactions were positive, so I naturally felt good.
The assessment also proceeded quickly. This time, the hurdle was literally low. All they had to do was stand before the *Knights*, show something that proved their identity, and demonstrate a reasonable amount of *Skill*. Thanks to this, *People* moved through quickly despite the gathered crowd.
“Passed!”
Naturally, I passed quickly too. I didn't even need to show any *Skill* in the first place. There was a familiar face among the *Knights* conducting the assessment.
To meet Sir Yor here! What a coincidence!
It was a Knight under the 2nd Knight Commander, with whom I had moved during the Andras Extermination. Her name was... Florence, I think. I probably remember it correctly. Many times after catching Andras and returning, we had sparring sessions, so we could say we were acquainted.
“It seems you're participating in this *Extermination*. Haha, I was worried, but thanks to you, I can rest easy.” “...Haha.”
She looked at me and spoke with a refreshing laugh. I merely gave an awkward smile.
I was only participating; honestly, I had no intention of actively engaging.
I felt a pang of guilt.
After chatting with her for a while, I eventually asked Florence a question that had been on my mind.
By the way, it seems this *Extermination Notice* was put up rather hastily... Is there a reason?
It was just a guess. I knew Lemegeton would be dealt with someday, but this seemed a bit rushed. I simply asked out of curiosity, wondering if there was something more to it.
It was a casually asked question, but my guess turned out to be correct.
Ah, was it that obvious...?
Florence replied with an embarrassed laugh. Soon, she began to explain briefly.
Actually, when the *Commander* caught Sitri, one question arose. Lemegeton should have intervened to protect someone like Sitri, but it didn't intervene at all.
This was certainly a topic I hadn't considered.
She wasn't violent like Amon, and they should have stepped in to protect her with *Hypnosis Harem Sex*. But strangely, they didn't intervene at all in the last *Extermination*.
Perhaps they didn't know? She occupied the *Village* very secretly.
I offered this hypothesis just in case, but Florence shook her head.
No, it was information spread everywhere thanks to the *Otherworlders*. There's no way they didn't know.
...Hmm.
Indeed, it was an era where information was equally available to everyone. Naturally, a question arose.
So why didn't they come to protect Sitri? Did they think her ability would harm them too? No, Sitri's ability wasn't uncontrollable to that extent. After all, it could be dispelled, and Sitri didn't seem particularly violent.
Feeling a bit uneasy, I affirmed Florence's words.
“That is a bit odd.” “Yes, so we conducted an *investigation* and found something we couldn't overlook.”
They sent *People* out again so quickly; they certainly are competent when you look at things like this. Perhaps it's because the *Empire* has a lot of manpower. Anyway, I continued to ask.
“What is it?”
“An *altar*. And probably a very large *altar*. Most of their manpower seemed to be directed there. So they didn't have the leisure to care about Sitri.”
That's why they planned this *Extermination* to disrupt their plans and uproot them while they were distracted.
Ultimately, this matter was also connected to demons. Indeed, now that they had some leeway, striking their main base before a demon appeared was a rational choice.
I asked for the demon's name one last time... but unfortunately, Florence shook her head, not knowing that.
After exchanging a few more words with her, I turned my steps towards home.
*'...A Demon.'*
And as I walked home, I thought about various things. They were trivial thoughts.
How actively should I participate in this *Extermination*? Is there a way to fight without being too obvious? How should I deal with the *Branch Leaders* if I meet them, and so on...
It was annoying that I knew *people* there, causing all these unnecessary thoughts. I was also curious about what kind of demon they were summoning.
After walking aimlessly for several minutes... I arrived at my *Cave* and was surprised. A visitor had come. This was someone quite familiar and quite uncomfortable at the same time.
Hehe, long time no see...
It was Livia, the *3rd Branch Leader*, my *Orphanage* mate, standing there awkwardly waving.