CHAPTER 62
The Ex-Demon Lord and the Pope’s Request
The pope came first. There was no close second.
After all, there were many kings, but one pope.
In a society that revered the Demon Lord, the pope was at the top of the social pyramid—the ruler of all humanity.
With the title of Heavenly King under his belt, Lizer Bellphoenix was considered an unprecedented powerhouse.
…No surprise that Lizer induced mass panic at the manor by showing up unexpected.
“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what should we do…?!”
“R-r-r-r-relax! F-first, let’s…yes, let’s bring out some tea!”
Valdr and the servants were sweating profusely. It was getting to the point where I was worried they would be dehydrated.
Compared to their flustered panic, Rosa and Ireena remained relatively composed. It seemed the two planned on keeping a cool head as they assessed the situation. As I squared off with Lizer, they offered nothing, simply observing.
…Normally, it was the authoritative queen who should have been running the show. However, if she had no intention of facing this, I had no choice but to reluctantly step in.
“…I am pleased to see you in good spirits today. But for Your Eminence to visit us…”
“I have a rule to make the journey myself whenever I ask a request. To show my sincerity.”
I’d had just about enough of this. What did he have in store for us? For the first time in my new life, I hated the fact that I was a commoner with no right to refuse.
“…We shall most gladly accept any request. What can we do for you?”
“As you are all aware, there are four days left until the meeting commences. The guests have already all gathered in Megatholium, and the preparations are complete… However…”
“However?”
“It shames me to say we have not finished cleaning.”
Cleaning must have been code for some matter relating to the demons. Lizer must have done a general sweep beforehand for the meeting and announcement of the peace treaty afterward to progress without any interruptions. That meant the demons hiding in the city were accounted for…but there must have been something in the way of getting the job done. And he wanted us to deal with it.
“…I see. How many?”
“Three remain. Among them, I would like to entrust one to you. We could normally take care of the matter ourselves, but…we are rather short on hands at the moment.” Lizer looked apologetic.
Ireena must have felt sorry for him, because she broke through the silence, sounding cheery. “Leave it to us, Sir Pope! Ard and I can win against anything!”
“Yes, I am counting on you.”
Lizer smiled with relief, but…there was something shady about this situation.
His gestures and words were all fishy. I was sure something else was going on.
…Having said that, we had no choice but to dance right into the palm of his hand.
“Well then, allow me to explain the details.”
He began describing the matter. As I committed it to memory, I retreated to my thoughts.
Why do these things always happen to me?
It was decided that Ireena and I would take on Lizer’s request.
We would be unable to guard Rosa while we were away from the manor, but Lizer dispatched protégé knights from the cathedral instead.
Temporarily relieved of guard duty, we took on our new mission, leaving the manor behind.
“So, Ard, what should we do?”
“We should start by gathering information. We’ll walk around the sector where the incident occurred. It will be tiresome work, but…let’s do our best.”
“Right! As long as I’m with you, Ard, I can go nonstop for three days and three nights!”
I let myself smile at Ireena’s bottomless energy.
…After that, we skipped any detours and headed straight for our destination to begin gathering intel.
The incidents were a string of serial murders that had happened within the city. The crest of the demon crime syndicate, Lars al Ghul, was carved near each of the bodies. Lizer had apparently used that as his basis for concluding that the murders were demonic crimes.
…But they never bothered with the issue again. Lizer seemed to think it wasn’t a big deal and put off dealing with it…
As a result, we ended up having to investigate the situation from square one.
There was no intel—which meant no interviews with the local populace directly after the events.
“Huh? What was it like during the incident? Hmm, that was a while ago…”
“…Long enough for you to forget?”
“Yeah. Probably about a month ago.”
This was our first kernel of info.
We were gathering intelligence by the site of the first murder. The area was close to the main road and saw a decent amount of traffic while the sun was up. However, it became deserted at night. It was therefore a hot spot for multiple crimes, murders included.
“Oh yes, it was definitely the work of demons! I saw ’em with me own eyes! They were half-beast and ate a person right up!”
This was our second kernel.
If it was half-beast, there was no question it was a demon. They normally wore a convincingly human guise but could transform into a hybrid when in a state of extreme excitement or agitation.
…We steadily gathered more info but didn’t stumble upon anything revelatory.
“Hmm. Maybe we should cease our interviews and inspect the crime scene.”
We moved to where the murder took place.
It was a nook that saw significant traffic.
“…There do not seem to be any Ghosts left here.”
Ghosts were masses of thought occasionally left behind by the deceased. Murder victims were especially susceptible to this, emanating hatred for those who did them wrong for eternity. This would occasionally give detectives clues about the perpetrator, which was very handy when solving cases.
…However, nothing of the sort had been left behind at the crime scene.
“There’s no trace of magic, either. We would have had a lead to follow if there was, but I suppose they wouldn’t be so careless.”
There didn’t seem to be anything else worth inspecting here.
“The scene of the latest murder isn’t far-off, so let us head there.”
We moved on to begin a new investigation.
It was still light out, but we were in an isolated backstreet. I crossed my arms as I stood right in the middle of it, performing a sweep of the area.
“Hmm… This murder occurred only two days ago… I was slightly hoping the astral spirit might still be here, but…”
After people died, their astral spirit left its mortal coil. It would then remain in this world for three days and three nights before heading off into the afterlife. As long as their astral spirit was present, it was possible to bring back the dead with revival magic.
…However, there was no such thing to be found here.
“I was hoping we could interview the resurrected victim and close this case… How unfortunate.”
“But now we know the bad guy is a demon!”
“Yes. Aside from a few exceptions, only demons possess the ability to erase astral bodies. Therefore, it is safe to assume the offender is one.”
Ireena glared at the ground and clenched her fists. “This is unforgivable…! I don’t know what they’re planning, but to take people’s lives for the sake of their own ends…! Why do they cause us all these problems…?!”
The demons filled her with righteous indignation. I planted my hand on her shoulder.
“Let us strive to resolve this matter quickly to prevent any more victims. For now…shall we visit the general store?”
“The general store? Why?”
“To purchase a map. We may be able to decipher their motivations.”
Ireena didn’t seem to understand my intentions, but she didn’t argue. In fact, she nodded as if she had faith in me. I didn’t want to let her down…but…I couldn’t predict the future.
We headed to the store and bought a complete aerial-view map of Megatholium. I took a quill pen and began marking it up.
“What are you doing?”
“Noting the crime scenes… Hmm… It appears to have been a wasted effort.”
There were a host of reasons why demons killed people, but it was often for some type of ceremony. Whether it was to offer up blood and souls, summon a powerful entity, or curse a specific person, a ritual could accomplish many goals.
“Ceremonies use a special circle drawn with hydro-alchemy, but for exceptionally large rituals…like ones to devastate an entire city or country, for instance, they require a circle that covers the entire target area.”
I thought that might have been what the culprit had in mind, but…it looked like I was mistaken. If that had been the case, some form of circle would have shown up on the map when I connected the crime scenes, but I didn’t see anything that made sense.
“I was off the mark…but no matter. There are any number of factors that will lead us to the truth.”
“Wow, Ard! You’re a world-class detective!”
I was starting to feel guilty that Ireena had so much faith in me…because I’d just lied to her. To tell the truth, it was safe to say the investigation wasn’t going well at all. If things went from bad to worse…there was a chance the case would end up an unsolved mystery.
Even so, it would stress out Ireena if I told her the truth. So I was doing my best to appear strong and keep her spirits high.
“…Let’s continue investigating the crime scenes for now. I’m sure we will stumble on some damning evidence.”
Nothing but wishful thinking. The truth was, I knew there wouldn’t be proof.
What was I supposed to do? I was keeping it together on the outside but was a mess on the inside. I headed to the nearby crime scene with Ireena, but…
On our way there, we came across a long line of people as we entered a residential district lined with houses.
“W-wow, look at that line…! How long do you think it goes?”
“I’ve never seen one this long, even at the royal capital.”
Normally, I’d brush this off as an unusual sight, but…this line was sending my sixth sense into overdrive.
Something was going on here. I went over and questioned one of the people waiting.
“Excuse me. Could you tell me what this line is for?”
“Huh? Young man, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of the Saint?”
“…The Saint?”
Ireena and I cocked our heads in bewilderment. Most of the people in line looked at us with expressions of disbelief.
“Ah. You must not be from around these parts.”
“Doesn’t excuse them for being so ignorant!”
“Anyone who hasn’t heard of the Saint must be from the sticks.”
…Well, considering Ireena and I were from a remote village…
“Well, sorry for being hillbillies! Well?! Who’s the Saint?!”
“The Saint is the Saint.”
“Uh, I think his real name is Master Bordeaux.”
“He can instantly heal any illness or injury.”
“…That is something.”
Apparently, this Saint was a town physician named Bordeaux. Among those who extolled his praises were many people with thick accents, and I got the impression that this Saint was famous abroad, too.
…But since the two of us were from the middle of nowhere, we were only just hearing of him now.
“This world is full of extraordinary people,” Ireena said.
“I agree… If he is an excellent physician, I suppose all is well, but…”
I knew it. Something definitely sent my senses tingling. I pulled Ireena down the alleyway with me.
“Wh-what’s wrong, Ard? Wh-why’re you suddenly taking us to this deserted spot?”
She had apparently misunderstood me. Her pale face flushed pink.
“I wish to be away from the public eye for a short while.”
“Huh?! U-uh, but well…I-I’m not sure I’m ready…”
Yes, there seemed to be a huge misunderstanding here. I explained more thoroughly.
“We shall use mirror magic to observe the clinic. The public would grow suspicious of us, so I thought it best that we come here.”
“A-ah, I see. Sigh…”
Ireena seemed disappointed, but I intentionally ignored her and swiftly cast the spell.
A crimson geometric pattern…a magic circle manifested before us. Soon enough, a large, reflective object materialized from within.
“Well then… Shall we take a closer look at this Saint’s activities?”
A medical office appeared on the mirror’s surface. The interior was nothing unusual for a small physician’s office. There was a row of several shelves packed with what looked to be bottles of medicine. In the middle of the office, two men were lounging in chairs facing each other.
One appeared to be an ill dwarf. The one assessing him was a male human. I guessed he was the Saint—Bordeaux.
He looked to be in his late thirties. He had a noticeably well-trimmed beard and fine facial features. Mature, handsome, and exuding debonair, Bordeaux smiled gently.
“So how are you feeling today?”
“I-I’ve been terribly nauseous since this morning…! A-and my stomach won’t stop churning…!”
“Hmm. Nausea and diarrhea? Any guesses as to why?”
“N-none at all…!”
“I see…Well then, let me take a quick look.” As the consultation concluded, he moved on to conducting a physical examination.
It had been your usual medical exam up until this point, but—
“It seems you are afflicted by a pesky disease. The necessary treatment won’t be short—or cheap.”
“What…?!”
“Do not fear. I shall cure what ails you in a matter of mere seconds.”
After he bragged about his abilities, Bordeaux pressed his right index finger to the man’s forehead.
Then…a magic circle covered the patient’s entire body. Seconds later, it scattered into glittering particles and fizzled into skin.
“Oh…?! Ohhhhhh…?! Have I been healed?! My nausea and abdominal pain are completely gone!” The patient widened their eyes, leaping out of the chair.
Ireena murmured with wonder as she watched on from the other side of the magic mirror. “Was…that…recovery magic?!”
“Yes. One beyond modern standards.”
In the modern world, magic had been depleted to the point that recovery spells were on the brink of extinction. In ancient times, it had been a simple enough task to bring someone back from the dead, but healing the slightest scratch proved difficult in the modern era. Despite this, Bordeaux had healed an illness in a matter of seconds.
“Does his nickname come from his exceptional use of recovery magic?”
If that was all there was to it, it wasn’t a big deal. It might seem miraculous by modern standards…but it wasn’t like it was impossible.
Though extremely rare, there were “irregulars” born into the world—called mutants. Prime examples included my current parents and Ireena’s father. They were far outside the norm, which let them accomplish the impossible with ease.
“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone besides Daddy do it…!”
Ireena seemed to think Bordeaux might also be one of these rare entities.
However…I thought otherwise.
“Hmm. Well, how about that?” I whispered as I watched Bordeaux heal another patient.
“This is a curious case, indeed.”
Gooong. Gooong. The sound of the bell rang through the town.
In the holy nation of Megatholium, the bell counted the hour and dictated the populace’s actions. Eighteen rings. That meant it was evening and time for us to hurry home. Guards dispatched by the cathedral went on patrol and simultaneously lit the city’s magic lampposts.
At this hour…Bordeaux stepped outside as his clinic wrapped up for the day. He was about to hang up the CLOSED sign, but…I called out to him.
“Pardon me. Might I have a moment of your time?”
Bordeaux looked at me, offering a gentle smile. “How may I help you? I’m closed for the day…but if it is an emergency, I can make a house call. It is my duty to heal as many people as possible.”
“How generous. I admire the passion you have for your work.” I made a show of nodding enthusiastically…all the while narrowing my eyes at Bordeaux. “Well, I shall get straight to the point.”
From then on, I had to speak in a voice loud enough for him to hear. After all, I didn’t want the Holy Knights on patrol to get wind of this.
I voiced my sneaking suspicions about this man standing before me.
“Mr. Bordeaux… Why is a demon like you saving people?”
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