I asked Jian for understanding and entered the closest room to the living room, whispering as we tried to piece together our memories. For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
“Um… so, Linea knew from the start who Rina was, and Aurora had an inkling too,” I said.
“Yes, that’s correct,” came the reply.
“Yeeah….”
I had tried my best to keep it a secret from others, but the truth was that everyone had known since the first day I chased after Rina.
“And Aurora’s parents…?”
“Yes….”
Aurora cautiously responded, glancing at me.
I was a Saintess, and Aurora was a Saintess aide. Did she think that if it became known that she had demon blood, she wouldn’t be able to be a Saintess aide anymore? Perhaps she felt guilty about hiding such an important fact from me.
Honestly, it was a bit surprising.
No, I wasn’t surprised that Aurora had demon blood. I had become friends with Rina, who was a demon herself; I wasn’t about to get flustered over such a thing.
If it had been the early days when I had barely adapted to this world, I might have been shocked, but after experiencing all sorts of bizarre situations, birth secrets didn’t particularly surprise me.
Moreover, hearing this clarified several of my questions.
Her slightly reddish hair color—there were so many people with flamboyant hair colors in this world that it wasn’t something to raise suspicion over. But I always wondered why, even when I adapted somewhat to other girls, I felt awkward when Aurora blushed or changed her clothes. If it’s all because she has succubus blood, that makes sense.
…Writing it like this makes it look like I’m just making excuses, though… but still, wouldn’t there be some influence if her blood was half demon?
Yeah, even if it wasn’t that kind of example, I could now clearly understand how Aurora was able to follow Rina’s trail. It wasn’t some tracking magic. It was a scent only demons could catch. I had inserted the idea that demons and beasts could recognize each other, but I never considered that it would manifest as a scent only they could track.
“So, the reason you were flustered when I caught that earlier was because of that,” I concluded.
As I calmly asked, Aurora nodded.
“No, it’s more than that.”
Just then, Rina suddenly interrupted us.
“Don’t you have something to share with us? I mean, you three know a lot of things, yet you haven’t given me any info at all. Isn’t that a bit unfair?”
“…”
Isn’t that so?
But no matter how you think about it, I didn’t want to reveal yet that I was an existence created by the gods. Not only was it the goddess, but it was also a being created by a demon god that almost no ordinary person knew about—only Jian was aware of that.
And I knew that fact through Jian without even realizing it.
“So, I’ll ask one thing: don’t you have demon blood running through you as well?”
“Excuse me?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Rina’s somewhat absurd question prompted immediate reactions from Aurora and Linea. Well, I could understand their reactions. I had indeed shared a part of my identity with them.
They probably wouldn’t think that an existence sent by the goddess would have demon blood.
“Remember the other day in the auditorium when you were beating up those academy brats?”
But Linea calmly continued despite their mixed protests.
“I saw all the boys’ gazes directed at you. Is it possible they’d take an interest in someone who just ‘earlier’ thrashed them?”
“Well, the Clara sisters fixed them up…”
“Sure, that could be it, but…”
Rina shrugged her shoulders.
“The girls at that time didn’t seem very interested. Generally, the abilities of succubi or incubi usually only work on people who are interested in that gender, right?”
“It’s because Clara sisters are stunning…”
“Are you saying there are no beautiful girls in the academy? Honestly, just looking at the girls here, are any of them not pretty?”
“….”
Honestly, if it were any other day, I would have reacted to such nonsense, but—
After hearing I was the apostle of a demon god just the night before, I couldn’t just let it slide.
Moreover, Rina was the one who was a succubus. Among us, she held the most professional knowledge about demons.
What can I say when a demon says she’s like a demon?
“And right after that, I received tons of letters. Aren’t the academy kids clueless about how nonsensical it would be to date a saintess?”
“Then I wonder why boys don’t react to Hicks. She’s not just mixed blood but an actual succubus.”
Aurora sharply retorted, and Rina laughed in disbelief.
“I’m not half-blood. Of course, I can control my abilities. It’s different from just having mixed blood. If you can’t control your abilities and unconsciously emit them, wouldn’t that be a disqualification as a demon?”
Even if she herself probably never seduced a man, let’s brush that aside.
That said, Rina’s question was quite important.
Could it be that the body I was currently using was genuinely just human?
If it was purely created by the goddess’ hands, that might be the case. But I was the apostle of a demon god.
There was no reason the demon god’s influence would be entirely excluded from the process of making my body.
And the most famous beings created by the demon god were the demons.
…Those beings created by demons were, indeed, demons or beasts.
So, rather than saying I had demon blood, could it be that part of my body is actually of a demon?
I use holy power, but if the abilities as a demon were much weaker and suppressed, is that how it is?
“Um, Clara?”
Hearing Rina’s question, I stayed silent, and Aurora cautiously spoke up.
“…I still don’t know either.”
Ultimately, the ambiguous answer that came out of my mouth was that.
Aurora and Linea wore blank expressions for a moment, while Rina just shrugged her shoulders, as if to say, “That could happen.”
I could have asked the goddess about it right now, but…
Let’s save that for later. It wouldn’t hurt to focus on the immediate situation and take my time to find out later.
“Later, when I’m more sure, I’ll let you know.”
In the end, that was the best answer I could give.
“This discussion stops here. More importantly, we need to deal with the situation in front of us first. Let’s finish that conversation.”
Right. The initial reason I talked to Rina wasn’t for this kind of chat.
“Rina, I want to ask one thing.”
“Go ahead.”
Was it because she was relieved at my demeanor and got her answer or because she believed my claims of ignorance? Rina had a bright expression. Thank goodness.
“When we were under the witch, did you know of other demons who were infiltrating like you did?”
“No, not at all. Part of the reason is that I was just a mere underling, but ‘suspicion’ was indeed a considerable concern. I always thought someone would betray us, so we couldn’t work together, effectively splitting our forces and rarely meeting.”
Upper-level demons passed on orders between the demons, so… they probably didn’t know anything about me. Although it might be different now.
I figured that would be the case. If it weren’t, Rina’s life would be under threat every moment.
Betrayal could imply siding with humans, but it would likely be more concerning to side with another witch. It’s practically impossible for a demon to side with humans. Demons might entice humans, but humans can’t entice demons.
After all, the clergy in the church is educated not to listen to demons’ words. Is it realistic to think they would ‘side with humans’? The only reason Rina can mingle among us so freely is because I’m a saintess who and someone who knows the future, making it impossible to disregard.
…If the story had flowed as originally written, Rina’s death would have changed the image of demons a bit due to the miracle that happened then, but well, since that didn’t happen, I’ll leave it for now.
“Then, what about now that the Witch of Suspicion is gone?”
“They probably just operate as they were. They’ve likely been absorbed into other witches’ factions. Infiltration isn’t simple. It’s tough to create new ones and just as hard to change existing ones. In that case, it’s better to keep using those who haven’t been discovered.”
After saying this, Rina frowned slightly.
“Could that be something among them?”
“Yeah, it could be one of them.”
I didn’t know who did it.
But I wasn’t entirely in the dark either. I had some information, after all.
…Indeed, there were several demons from the original story I wrote that appeared in this novel.
I think I mentioned this before, but the original setting of this story didn’t involve swinging swords against hordes of beasts on the battlefield. It might end up that way eventually, but in what was written, those scenes simply didn’t exist, as I stopped halfway through the initial part.
Originally, the story revolved around Jian and the main characters who gathered around him chasing demons across the city, uncovering evidence, and fighting against the witches invading the city. If the storyline had gone as intended, the magic point in Rina’s residence would have been used much more dangerously.
But I had skipped that entire intermediate process and captured the Witch of Suspicion.
So, to put it metaphorically, it’s like this:
If things had gone as intended, I would have had to deal with every single underling one by one and defeat all mid-bosses to summon the first boss, but instead, I called forth the first boss like “Oh hell no!” and killed it right away!
Of course, all of the underlings and mid-bosses along the way remain intact.
If one were to ask how it was that I neglected those mid-bosses…
That’s because I had forgotten.
From returning from the battlefield to being canonized, and after the canonization, things erupted due to the Witch of Jealousy, and when I managed to settle that down, I ended up going to the Elven village. After returning from the Elven village, I got involved in matters concerning Arlil, and went to the Central Church, facing ridiculous situations.
There had been so much information coming in that recalling what I had forgotten became incredibly difficult.
…Of course, if someone were to ask whose fault that was, it would undoubtedly be mine.
Ultimately, those lingering troubles that were left alone had now caused the situation we were in.
I rubbed my face in frustration.
Fortunately, Rina expected that, while she might not know the positions of other demons, the demons wouldn’t have been reassigned to different regions.
If that’s the case, then this becomes simpler.
I can go directly find and deal with those I know.
I might not know their physical whereabouts, but I already know their social standings.
The one who most effectively placed demons in human society was the Witch of Suspicion. Even if other witches placed demons in the area, they probably wouldn’t reach the high positions that the Witch of Suspicion’s demons occupied.
Now it likely became a burden that made it hard for them to move easily, but… Well, before I reached out to them, they might not even know that it’s a burden.
If I take out the highest-ranking one, something will definitely come out.
Interestingly, the position of that individual is very likely related to the situation I’m currently experiencing.
“Understood.”
Nodding to Rina after having decided in my mind what I would do after leaving and returning, I said, “Then, let’s focus on overcoming the current situation first.”
Right. For now, indeed, it’s best to deal with the immediate issue at hand.
As for the rest…
We’ll see after it’s all over.
*
When I finished talking and came out, it was perfect timing for Seo-A and Erica to return.
“Fortunately, the walkie-talkies haven’t malfunctioned. The generator is fine too. If the electricity gets cut off, we should be able to hold out for a while. Of course, it’s best if that situation never arises,” Seo-A said.
“Is there no option to go back?” Selena asked Seo-A. Now that a day has passed since the vacation began, naturally, no one wanted to return, but given the current situation, returning seemed far better. This is not the 21st District where we live. While it’s fine to take action to protect ourselves in emergencies, if we go too far, it can escalate into issues between regions.
In that case, it was much better to return quickly, expecting the heroes of this area to act. Plus, we weren’t even officially recognized heroes.
“I thought about that, but not yet. We’ve only discovered the sea, and there could be beasts elsewhere. If there are beasts or demons in the forest, taking a regular van could be very dangerous.”
So the real problem was ‘How far have the beasts and demons spread?’ As someone who had seen the beasts and demons rushing in on the battlefield, this resonated deeply with me. I had been moving around in a heavily fortified armored vehicle modified from a makeshift fortress.
Jumping to conclusions could turn a favorable situation into an unfavorable one. It was better to hold on until the local heroes could come to save us. That seemed to be Seo-A’s thought process.
However, we could hardly say how long that would take.
For the same reasons we weren’t thinking about returning, those being dispatched would likely act in the same manner. Because beasts or demons could suddenly appear from the forest, they would search thoroughly and slowly. For us, running away is just the end, but for them, it’s a situation where they cannot afford to miss a single one.
Even if they could arrive within 40 minutes from the airport to here, it wouldn’t be clear how long it would take if they searched every inch. It could take hours, or even days. Plus, the road to get here hadn’t been fully maintained. Seo-A had been here multiple times, but those who came for the first time would naturally take longer.
“So, we’ll stay here until we get a separate update. Fortunately, we came prepared, anticipating being here for eight days, so we have plenty of food and water. We all brought our weapons for training, and this villa is sturdily built. We should be able to last long enough.”
Besides, there’s one of the strongest beings in the world and a former hero who was well off in terms of settings, along with the others who are quite skilled too.
…I’m just glad it was Seo-A who came with us.
Otherwise, there would have been immense chaos. Of course, while I didn’t think it would reach the worst situation where we’d all distrust and fight each other, having a leader certainly allowed us to make swift decisions more effectively.
“Then, since we don’t know how long we’ll be here, let’s set a night watch schedule starting tonight. The guard hours will be from ten o’clock until six the next morning. Two people per shift. Since there are only five shifts for eight hours, the timing will get a bit tricky. But we’re doing this because it’s truly needed, so I hope you all understand.”
A night watch, huh?
A night watch! We’re on vacation, yet we have a night watch! I didn’t even have to do that during reserve duty!
…When I get back, I won’t let this go. I’ll surely find and hand over whoever orchestrated this to the church or the government. I will make them suffer for a long time.
Grinding my teeth inwardly, that’s what I thought.
*
I thought about how in the army, they used to choose night watch randomly, but it wasn’t the case this time.
Each of us had various abilities, and Seo-A was well aware of our strengths. It was clear that she had made an effort to avoid pairings that would be as disadvantageous as possible when facing beasts and demons.
For example, Jian ended up with Erica. Jian had the best swordsmanship, while Erica, in terms of combat abilities, was the weakest among us. …Of course, that wasn’t said outright, but Erica seemed to sense it and felt a bit down.
But, in actual combat situations, there was no choice.
By the way, I ended up in a group with Rina.
It wasn’t because one specialized in swordsmanship while the other specialized in healing. It was because we knew each other’s combat styles too well. After all, among the nine duel club members plus our homeroom teacher Seo-A, the only ones who could heal were Aurora, Erica, and me. No matter how we tried to match roles like in a game party, we would inevitably end up with missing roles.
In that case, it was much better for those who could assure coordination to pair up.
However, we decided on the order through fair drawing. Fortunately, the group I was in ended up being the first.
The sleeping arrangements were unified in the living room. Using the sleeping bags we brought originally for camping and optimized the furniture for practical use, we were all set to sleep. In case of any emergencies, it was crucial for everyone to wake up at the same time. Weapons were kept close by…
This was total combat readiness.
Ah, that could have been a big problem. I almost started getting PTSD again…
After that, Seo-A centered our discussions on various strategies. Where we would roam during our watch, the main areas to watch, patrolling time, local geography details, etc., every single detail sparked memories of my PTSD, yet I had no choice but to quietly memorize all of it.
In the end, all the preparations were completed after the sun had set.
“So, I’m counting on you. If anything happens, wake me up first,” Seo-A, in the third group, didn’t forget to remind us until she was the very last to go to bed, taking a spot closest to us.
“…”
As everyone fell asleep, only Rina and I remained awake.
“Um… so, initially, there’s really nothing to do, huh?”
“Yeah, we thoroughly searched the villa before sleeping,” Rina answered with a weary voice.
Yet, neither of us mentioned that it wasn’t exactly necessary to take all these measures. Rina was well aware of how these demons and beasts moved, and how dangerous they were.
“…”
Since everyone else was asleep, we couldn’t talk freely. Ultimately, we just stared straight ahead, looking in the same direction.
Outside the window, all was quiet.
It didn’t feel like there were beasts lurking below the sea at all.
The horizon reflected just the moonlight, devoid of any other light.
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