Chapter 56 : Where are You!

As soon as I confirmed evidence of demonic interference through Aikus, I immediately requested the butler to gather everyone in one place.

The butler wasted no time and, within 30 minutes, had assembled the entire party, including the hero, in the room I was staying in.

Now, the room was filled with everyone, including the hero.

“Why did you call us here?”

Olivia asked, her sharp blue eyes fixed on me. 

Judging by her irritated tone and expression, it seemed she’d been interrupted from her magical research.

“Calm down, Olivia. Your tone is too sharp.”

“Do I not look justified right now? I was just on the verge of solving a problem I’ve been wrestling with for days, and then I get dragged here?!”

“Can’t it wait until later?”

“The flow of my thoughts is broken! Ugh, fine. What would you know? I guess I’ll just have to deal with it again, huh?”

“Hmm, that’s a commendable mindset. I applaud you.”

“Argh! Are you doing this on purpose?!”

Olivia ruffled her hair in frustration and shouted at Agnes, who stood with a thumbs-up and a teasing smile.

“No, I’m always sincere.”

“Ugh… Fine, Agnes! Let’s settle this today, you and me!”

What a mess.

“Haha, those two are at it again,” the hero said with an awkward smile, scratching the back of his head. “Sorry for the commotion, Lady Ruina.”

“It’s fine, but… are you sure it’s okay to leave them like that? They seem pretty intense.”

“Yes, don’t worry. They look like they’re fighting, but it’s never serious.”

Even though it seemed rather rough, I decided not to interfere since the hero seemed unconcerned.

“Now then, Lady Ruina, since Olivia is here, can you tell us why you summoned us so urgently?”

“Of course,” I nodded at the hero’s polite request, a smile on my face.

“I’ll get straight to the point. The reason I called you all here is—”

I paused for effect, lowering my gaze to emphasize the gravity of what I was about to say. This seemed to work as Olivia and Agnes’s bickering ceased.

I continued,
“Because it is now certain that there is a demon present in Viln.”

“A demon…?”

“What are you talking about?”

The group looked at me with puzzled expressions, as if questioning whether they’d just heard something absurd.

“Exactly what I said. There is currently a demon in Viln.”

“Wait, hold on. Why do you think that?”

Olivia’s question prompted me to recall the events of the past few days as I responded.

“I’ll explain. Hero, you mentioned recently being attacked multiple times, even by ordinary citizens, correct?”

“Yes, that’s true,” the hero confirmed with a nod.

“Well, we experienced something similar. Many people attacked us as well.”

“And?”

“In response, we captured those individuals and sent them to the church for interrogation. Afterward, we infiltrated an End Church gathering to investigate further.

During the investigation, we uncovered the true nature of the End Church, but a mishap occurred, resulting in Paladin Artorius being imprisoned.”

The group exchanged confused glances. Noticing this, I continued.

“We headed to the prison to rescue him, thinking it would be simple. However, the gatekeeper informed us that entering the prison required Aikus’s permission, which left us stuck.”

I bit my lip slightly as the memories of the struggles that followed came flooding back.

“From that day, we spent several days running around trying to get permission. Eventually, we met with the former lord of Viln, who provided us with clues that a demon might be involved.

Then, three days later, I had a conversation with the current lord, Aikus, which confirmed those suspicions.”

“What kind of clue?” Agnes asked.

Instead of answering directly, I turned to Olivia.

“Before I answer that, Olivia, may I ask you something?”

“Me?”

Olivia pointed to herself in surprise. I nodded.

“Yes. Do you know how to use mental magic?”

“No! Why would I use such vile, wicked, and deceitful magic?”

“But that’s not the only reason you don’t use it, is it?”

“It’s forbidden by the Arcana…!” Olivia averted her gaze, clearly caught off guard.

“There’s probably a more fundamental reason, isn’t there?”

“Ugh… Fine! I can’t use it, alright? Satisfied?”

“And why is that?”

“Because I don’t understand its structure. And don’t misunderstand! It’s not just me—no one in the entire Arcana knows how it works! Mental magic is something only Dream Demons can use!”

Olivia pointed at the hero in exasperation.

“Dane! Say something! You know this too, don’t you?”

Rather than backing her up, the hero remained silent while Agnes chuckled.

“Excuses, excuses, Olivia.”

“They’re not excuses! I mean it!”

“You’re so childish. How cute.”

“Argh!” Olivia screamed in frustration at Agnes, who chuckled again.

“Lady Olivia, are you saying that mental magic can only be used by Dream Demons?”

“Yes, that’s correct!”

“And do you know the symptoms of being under mental magic, like hypnosis or brainwashing?”

“Of course! It causes short-term memory loss and sudden personality changes since the victim’s behavior might differ from their usual self.”

Impressed by her precise knowledge, I nodded.

“Exactly. Those are common symptoms of mental magic. And when those symptoms aren’t present, the only way to detect it is by examining the victim’s pupils for changes.”

“And why are you asking about this?”

“Good question. Why do you think I’m asking?”

“What? Are you messing with me?”

“No,” I replied with a mysterious smile, meeting her narrowed gaze.

As I continued to stare, Olivia seemed to realize I wasn’t joking. Her expression shifted to that of a researcher deep in thought.

After a moment, her eyes widened in realization.

“Wait… could it be…?”

Finally, she seemed to understand.

I smiled and said,

“Yes. Someone displayed the exact symptoms you just described.”

“Who?”

“The assailants who attacked us… and the current lord of this territory, Aikus.”

The room erupted in shock.

It was only natural—what I was suggesting was that Viln’s current ruler had been under the control of a demon.

I continued, “After reflecting on what the former lord told us about Aikus’s actions, I realized they resembled those of the assailants.

This morning, we detained Aikus and examined his pupils, confirming that he had been subjected to mental magic.”

The group’s faces grew pale with realization.

“As I said before, only one race in this world can use mental magic: Dream Demons.

The moment I confirmed this, I knew a demon had infiltrated Viln.”

As soon as I declared that there were demons in Viln, the room fell into a heavy silence.

Looking around, I noticed everyone exchanging glances, clearly hoping someone else would speak up first.

The silence was broken by Agnes, who raised her hand and asked, “I have one question. Is all of this based on your prophecy?”

“I won’t answer that.”

“I see… very well,” she replied, nodding reluctantly when I shook my head.

Next, Olivia spoke up.

“Do you know where the demons are hiding?”

“I don’t know exactly,” I admitted, “but I suspect they’re embedded within the End Church.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because Lord Aikus mentioned that he has no memory of anything after meeting with a priest from the End Church.”

“Interesting… but let me ask you this.” Olivia locked eyes with me, her piercing blue gaze practically drilling into me.

“You’re not using us to further your own goals, are you? If you’re trying to manipulate us to get rid of the End Church, you’d better be prepared.”

The intensity in her eyes made my face stiffen.

“I swear on my name and before the gods, that is not the case. I assure you, my intentions are genuine.”

In this world, swearing on one’s name is significant, as names are believed to embody one’s very essence. It’s often considered an unbreakable vow.

Of course, that didn’t apply to me—I didn’t believe in gods, and the name I used was a pseudonym. My pledge was purely performative.

“Fine. Then what do you need from us? You wouldn’t have summoned us so urgently unless you had a specific request.”

“Yes, here’s what I need you all to do—”

I smiled, pleased that things were moving smoothly. But just as I was about to explain, the hero interrupted.

“Lady Ruina, may I ask something first?”

I turned toward him, his low voice and serious expression drawing my attention.

“If what you say is true, then are you implying that all of Viln’s suffering is caused by demons?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

I answered without hesitation. It was the truth, so I had no reason to falter.

Before I could return to the task at hand, the hero suddenly shouted,
“Damn it!”

Bam!

The sound of his fist slamming against the table echoed through the room, startling me.

Turning around, I saw the hero standing over the table, his fist clenched tightly against it.

“While all this was happening… what was I even doing?!”

His voice trembled with frustration, and his aura was so intense that I dared not approach him.

“Hero?”

He remained still for a moment, then abruptly stood and stormed out of the room.

“Hero?! Wait!”

I called after him, but he ignored me entirely and disappeared.

What the hell just happened?

I was utterly baffled. Why was the hero suddenly acting this way? Did I say something wrong?

I replayed my words in my head, searching for any misstep, but I couldn’t find anything.

“Olivia! Where are you going?!”

Olivia stood up and began following the hero out of the room, further shattering my plan.

“Wait! Everyone, please hear me out first!”

I tried to stop her, but she didn’t even look back.

“At least stay until I finish explaining!”

My desperate plea echoed in vain. She was gone.

Left stunned by the chaos, I stood frozen until Agnes approached me.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her expression firm. “It seems the hero is furious with himself for being unable to act while this situation unfolded.”

“What…?”

“His sense of justice must be burning bright. He’s a hero, after all, and he can’t forgive himself for doing nothing, especially if demons are involved.”

“Even so, this reaction is…”

“Unreasonable? Perhaps, but he’s still young. And… there’s the matter of what happened before,” she added cryptically, her face darkening.

She stood and continued, “If you have a message, tell me now. I’ll make sure it reaches him.”

“Ah… yes.”

I quickly gave Agnes some instructions, grateful she was willing to listen. 

Unlike the others, she stayed and paid attention. 

I asked her to capture as many followers of the End Church as possible, especially those in higher ranks.

“Understood. I’ll take care of it.”

With a wave of her hand, Agnes left the room.

Now, only Bliss, Reina, and I remained.

I wanted to scream.

It was a long moment before I could gather my thoughts.

“They’re all gone now,” Bliss said, approaching me with a wry smile.

“Yes…”

“What will you do now, Lady Ruina?”

“I… I think I’ll rest for a while.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Bliss replied, stretching her arms with a small sigh.

Her movement caused her figure to shift slightly, which drew my attention momentarily before I shook it off.

“Ugh… I haven’t slept in days,” she continued.

“You haven’t slept? Why?”

“Because of Artorius and the damn End Church. That idiot just had to get himself thrown into prison…!”

Her clenched fists trembled as she spoke, her frustration evident.

“What do you plan to do about the End Church now?”

“The best option would be to capture all their followers, but that’s probably impossible. Targeting their higher-ups first would be more practical.”

“Won’t they resist?”

“Of course. But we have the hero, don’t we? What chance do they have against him?”

“True,” Bliss agreed.

“The bigger problem is finding them. They’re so secretive it’s hard to pinpoint their location.”

“Do you have any idea where they might be?”

I shook my head.

“Not even a vague guess. They’re incredibly clandestine, holding their gatherings underground. It’s no wonder we can’t find them.”

“I wish they’d just come to us,” Bliss sighed.

“You never know. From their speeches, it seems like they’re planning something. Maybe they’ll reveal themselves soon,” I joked lightly.

“Like attacking the lord’s castle, for instance?”

At that moment, a deafening explosion shook the room.

Boom!

The butler burst through the door, his face pale with panic.

“The castle is under attack! Please, evacuate immediately!”

I could only stare blankly and utter,

“What…?”