Chapter 27
AFTER DRYING off, the gang gathered for breakfast. Wallenstein had come to his senses, but some symptoms of his affliction remained. As soon as he saw Mira, he blushed and chanted, “It’s just cosmetic, it’s just cosmetic.”
Kagura cocked her head in confusion—she’d missed the morning activities.
“All right. Thank you all for your hard work yesterday,” Solomon said to the group. “We still have some work to do, but for now, it looks like we can breathe easy.”
Unsurprisingly for a royal castle, breakfast was luxurious. The five of them enjoyed a meal and a chat around the table together. While it started as mere chitchat, the conversation gradually shifted to yesterday’s events, turning this breakfast into a bit of a debriefing.
After discussing their rescue of the villagers, the state of the oni catacombs, the powers of the revived oni, and the duke-level demon, Wallenstein handed Mira an odd, cylindrical object.
“Would you mind hanging on to this for me?” he asked, averting his eyes nervously.
“What is this?” Mira accepted the object and studied it curiously. At a glance, it looked like a magical tool, but she couldn’t feel any special mana within.
“It’s one of those travel markers I told you about yesterday.” Wallenstein explained that he wanted Mira to hang on to it in case he needed Leticia’s power again in the future. The power of Leticia’s song had allowed him to seal the duke in no time. That was a tremendous boon, and he hoped he’d be able to rely on her again the next time he ran into a duke.
“Hrmm, I see. Then I will take it.” Duke-level black demons were among the greatest threats to mankind. Mira promised she would do all she could to help and stored the stick in her pouch.
As they continued to discuss yesterday’s events, the conversation became a debate centered around Luminaria’s use of ancient magic—specifically, how maybe she should stop using it in confined spaces.
“Hey, it turned out fine, right? Who cares?” Luminaria was as carefree as ever, but the other four glared as if to ask, And what if it hadn’t?
Around this time, Wallenstein stood up and said, “Oh, I’m getting word that he woke up.” It seemed his comrades were keeping him updated about the light demon. “I’ll be right back,” he said before teleporting away.
Mira gazed at the spot where he’d stood a second ago and muttered, “Must be nice…”
“Maaan, if I had that, I’d save so much travel time,” Luminaria complained.
“Makes going to the tower and back easier, too,” Solomon mused. The conversation naturally proceeded to how they could best convince Wallenstein to teach them the spell. Kagura listened, but as someone who already had her own teleportation magic, she didn’t care much. She smiled blissfully as she chowed down on a mountain of raclette cheese.
***
In the end, they came up empty on ideas before Wallenstein’s return. He popped into existence right next to Mira—he must have used the marker he’d left with her.
This time, someone else stood beside him: the former duke. Mira had already noticed his good looks when they sealed him, but as he stood there on his own two feet, her heart filled with fresh hostility toward the unfairly handsome man.
“Thank you all for waiting,” said Wallenstein. “Erm, first, this is the duke demon I turned into a light demon. His name is Barbatos—”
Before Wallenstein could finish, the duke suddenly fell to the floor. “I can never apologize enough!” It was an unimaginably perfect apology. Barbatos remembered all the sins he’d committed as a dark demon, and now, he began rattling off genuine apologies for everything he’d done relating to oni. “I’ve caused you all so much trouble.” He bowed especially politely to Kagura; no doubt he’d already been given an earful about the matter of forming Chimera Clausen.
He’s, er…very serious about this. Barbatos was almost frustratingly handsome, but the sincerity of his apologies lifted some of the hatred from Mira’s heart.
“Okay, okay… It’s fine, all right?” Kagura, a bit annoyed at how he was prostrating himself before her, accepted his apology.
“You couldn’t help it,” Mira added.
“Yeah. That’s how demons work, right?” Solomon chimed in.
“Well…depending on how you act from now on, we could maybe forgive you,” Kagura finally relented.
There was nothing to be done about the past, but now that he was a light demon, there was much that he could do in the future. It was Kagura’s opinion that he’d just have to do his best to make up for his wrongdoings, and she told him as much.
“Thank you all! I’ll do everything I can to live up to your expectations!” He shed tears of joy as he bowed one last time.
“Anyway, erm,” cut in Wallenstein. “I’ve asked Barbatos here a few questions. A problem has become clear.” Wallenstein introduced the light demon once more and revealed a shocking truth regarding the divine item.
The duke Barbatos took over the explanation from there: “I remember. It must have been three days ago by now…” He explained what had happened to the divine item after he’d opened a hole in the sealed oni tomb. Barbatos claimed that the item continued to emit divine power even after it was used to make the hole. Because of this, a dark demon could not keep it close. He had entrusted it to a human collaborator—someone who also knew how to resurrect oni, and the locations of the other oni catacombs Barbatos was aware of.
“Goodness… More human collaborators?” Mira gasped. There were a multitude of problems here, but that detail was especially troubling.
Light demons were one thing, but working alongside a dark demon was unthinkable. However, Wallenstein told her there were many organizations that worshipped demons.
“This is my fault. I swear, I’ll retrieve the divine item,” Barbatos declared. “And I’ll also erase the resurrection method and the catacombs from his mind so the information doesn’t fall into even more evil hands.” He also boasted that, since he remembered the mana wavelength of the person he’d given the item and information to, he’d be able to locate them easily once he was close enough.
“We’ll do our best to find them,” Wallenstein promised. There was no telling how much damage this person would do if left alone, so he and his comrades would prioritize finding the mysterious human collaborator over sealing more demons.
“My people will help too.” Kagura declared that she’d join in the search. If this person knew how to resurrect oni and where to find their burial grounds, she couldn’t sit idly by. If this information spread and oni were successfully loosed on the world, spirits would be endangered. They had to nip this in the bud.
The Isuzu Alliance’s information network had found Katiella in one night. Kagura’s offer was truly reassuring to Wallenstein. “Do you mean it? Thank you!”
“Sounds like we have an alliance.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you.”
With that, the Isuzu Alliance and Wallenstein’s light demon team officially joined hands.
“That’s convenient,” Solomon said. “How about you let me slide right into that alliance too?” Two organizations with boundless potential had formed an alliance under his nose, and he absolutely wanted to get in on it too. As a nation, Alcait could not overlook the dark dealings of demons. They’d managed to fend the oni off at the critical moment this time, but the oni remained a threat. The Kingdom of Alcait wished to support Wallenstein and Kagura’s efforts in order to resolve these problems once and for all.
“I’d like you two to carry out this special mission as my agents. How about it?” Solomon’s suggestion had another meaning as well: while Kagura and Wallenstein had acted independently of their nation of origin before, Solomon was telling them he wanted them back under his direct control as assets of Alcait. That meant that Kagura (also known as Uzume) and Wallenstein (also known as Wally) would be appointed as special envoys. If the need arose, they would be able to use the name of King Solomon to their advantage.
“But that would mean…” Kagura began to protest. She had already worked with Solomon in the pursuit of spirit gear created by Chimera Clausen. However, he had only acted as an intermediary between her and the Hinomoto Committee; things were different this time.
Though Isuzu presented themselves as an environmental protection organization, they secretly had a large military force under their control. If their founder was known to be an envoy of Alcait, things could turn ugly.
“My work is an act of betrayal, in a way…” Wallenstein was essentially giving demons salvation. But people ignorant of the truth might not think of it that way, and it was impossible to tell if people would ever accept the truth about demons.
That was why these two had avoided returning to their homeland all this time. When they gave their reasons, Solomon smiled sadly. “C’mon, let’s not act like strangers. We’re friends. Let me help you two out. I wish you’d rely on me a little.”
He cared about his friends; some small risk didn’t mean he needed to push them away. Sticking together through thick and thin would allow him to try his hardest, he claimed. Solomon’s words were magnanimous, yet a little lonely.
Kagura and Wallenstein fell silent. Perhaps they felt the same about these thirty years of separation.
“Okay? And how do you really feel?” Mira interrupted the silence, prompting Solomon to be more sincere.
“Your organizations’ information networks, strengths, and specializations are tip-top. I’d love to have a good relationship with them. If possible, maaaybe they could join Alcait…? Just kidding… Unless?”
All that he did was for his country. Isuzu’s information network reached all over the continent, surpassing even those of large nations. On top of that, Wallenstein’s people could turn demons into friends, and he could teleport; he would be a major help, too. If Solomon wanted to make things better for Alcait, he’d have to bring both of them to his side.
And since both Kagura and Wallenstein had teleportation spells, it would be easy to share secrets. There was almost no way for information to leak. The benefits outweighed the risks, Solomon added with a smile. But there was no ill will; everyone knew that he was doing this for the people he cared about.
“Wow. I guess that’s just the kind of guy you are, Solomon.”
“The same as ever, I guess.”
Kagura and Wallenstein smiled and accepted their assignment.
“Oh, yeah. I don’t just mean to only put you to work; when the time comes that you need help, let me know right away,” Solomon added. If needed, he would offer the full support of Alcait. That might even include dispatching his secret firepower, the Azure Sorcerer. In other words, Luminaria would provide backup.
“Well… That certainly is a boon,” Wallenstein said nervously.
“We don’t know who we might end up having to fight, so sure, I guess that helps.” Kagura shrugged.
Backup from a Wise Man would be ideal if they faced a situation they couldn’t deal with alone. They were grateful for that in itself, though they seemed a little bit nervous that this help might come in the form of Luminaria.
“Ouch, that hurts…” Luminaria pouted exaggeratedly at their reactions. However, nobody came to her defense—especially not after her sexual harassment of Wallenstein. “Reeeally hurts…” Out of desperation, she turned to Mira and begged, “C’mon, cheer me up!”
“You earned this,” Mira said coldly.
Ignoring Luminaria, Solomon continued the conversation. “Oh, and one more thing. Give me a situation report once a week, okay? It would be nice to know how things are going.”
Their work would probably have an effect on Alcait in the long term. Solomon’s special mission for them was mostly for the sake of getting their reports, so he proposed exchanging information in his office once a week.
“Well, okay. I guess that makes sense.”
“Understood. We tend to have an easier time gathering information, after all.”
Kagura and Wallenstein readily agreed. Thus, Uzume and Wally became special envoys of Alcait. This opened up the kingdom’s access to their organizations’ information networks. It seemed Mira’s running about had borne fruit.
“I’d best get going to talk to my partners.”
“I need to hold a meeting now, too.”
Wallenstein and Kagura left; they had many things to discuss with their organizations regarding future cooperation.
“Hoo, boy. Things are about to get busy-busy,” Solomon muttered to himself with a big smile. He was in high spirits, no doubt happy to have met his friends for the first time in so long.
Luminaria seemed to be enjoying herself too. Perhaps that was because three of her friends had returned after so long of her being stuck alone with Solomon.
“They haven’t changed a bit, huh?” she chuckled. She turned to look at Mira, and laughed even more.
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