Chapter 36 - The Kanlaon Heritage Shrine

"WHAT?!"

Okay, I don't mean to yell but Hiiro-san just told me Department Thirteen captured Noir.

"Why? Why would they do that? I mean-"

"He's an unregistered magical creature inside the borders of Negros of course they'd see him as suspicious, especially since he emits that abnormally strong magic power."

I have already noticed Noir to be powerful and smart the moment Ferigo left him in my care. As much as I don't want to admit it, Ferigo told me Noir would be able to protect me if needed. So I figured he won't leave an ordinary familiar. But for Noir to be caught by the Philippine's supernatural secret service just seems out of the blue.

"Now come with me and prove he's not a danger before they do something drastic."

"Didn't you try to reason with them?" I ask as I got off the bed and change my clothes, not caring of the presence of others in the room.

"I did! But they won't listen to me!"

Bullocks!

Hiiro and I immediately head out to a place called a heritage shrine. Nicco surprisingly decided not to come with us and went to search for Sylvia and Klint instead. He said he will still be able to do his duties as observer even if we're not together.

How he will do that is beyond me. And I'm not sure I want to know either.

We reach the place and look up in the area. I still feel a little sluggish but I can feel something is off about the area.

"This is a place called the Kanlaon Heritage Shrine. It's a shrine for the god Kanlaon that resides within the volcano." Hiiro explains as we ascend the steps of the shrine.

"Why would they have a shrine after the god? I thought he closed himself to the rest of the world after humans broke their promises to him like way before the country's colonial era?"

"I'm not well diverse in the Philippine's history, folklore and legends, I suggest you ask Department Thirteen or someone from the Canillo Family to answer your question when you meet them."

Right. From what I can surmise, the Department Thirteen is in-charge of keeping the local supernatural in check in the entire country while the Canillo Family is basically the province's guardian, like the Tachibana Family in Okinawa.

I for one haven't heard much about the myths behind the volcano. Well, there is actually a lot of versions so it's hard to pin down the real legend.

"By the way, are you okay? I heard from Himeko that you actually passed out an hour after your flight arrived and from what I can presently notice, you move slower than usual." Hiiro asks earning him an eye roll from me.

Wasn't he informed already?

"It's this island's stupid barrier. It's making me feel all bad and weak because it thinks I'm a supernatural. Nicco said someone from the Canillo Family told him it's because I'm contracted to an unregistered and uninvited demon!"

Seriously. How does that even work? Does the barrier recognize my connection to Ferigo? Sure he's an all-powerful demon that has the title of Great King of Hell but how does the barrier even recognize that?

"That's strange." Hiiro-san pauses which make me look up to him.

He has his thinking face on.

"I'm contracted to Licht but I feel fine."

"It's because you were actually invited."

He and Himeko were sent to help with the investigations after all.

"It's not just that. I mean, Nicco is probably not all human, Klint is definitely not entirely human either, and none of you may have told me but I can tell Sylvia is not human at all."

Hmm… Now that he said that…

"I should feel fine soon." I reply with a grin. "Nicco said they'll tweak the barrier so I will no longer have a problem. Although I'm quite furious they captured Noir."

"Yeah."

We reach the top of the stairs and I immediately see a temple. It doesn't look like the temples back in Japan but it still looks and feels like a temple. Especially with the altar and the white pillars out in the front.

Slayer use .

Name: Kanlaon Heritage Shrine

Description: A shrine dedicated to the god Kanlaon who resides inside the volcano Mt. Kanlaon. It houses a magic artifact.

What magic artifact?

[Error]

[Cannot be identified.]

I thought as much. I should probably see it myself if I want to know what that artifact is.

But…

"Lt. Wakaba, you have returned. I suppose you have talked to the master of the familiar we have captured?" a man says. The mere thought that Noir has been captured by these guys is making me a little edgy for some reason.

Also, the man smells weird and he just spoke Japanese. Is he the interpreter?

"Major Canillo, yes I have. In fact I have brought him."

Major Canillo? He's part of the Canillo Family then? The people Nicco called the Keepers of Kanlaon.

I immediately use on him.

Name: Carlos Canillo

Age: 38

Level: 26

Title: [Head of the Canillo Family] [Head Keeper of Kanlaon Shrine] [Blessed by Kanlaon] [Keeper of the Right Eye of the Primordial]

He's the same age as Uncle Gio, but not quite has the same level. Maybe because of experience? But the last title he has is suspicious. Is that what this shrine is housing?

If it is, then I think I just found a loophole in the [Slayer System]'s operation.

Stats:

>Strength: 3678

>Intelligence: 2987

>Agility: 3295

>Stamina: 2980

>Defense: 3578

Ah, so he's a brawn kind of guy too.

Skill List:

Arnis? An interesting fighting technique. I'm really curious about and too. He's one of the few who has more than two titles as well as the blessings of a god in his skill list. Well the only ones I know were Shizu and Nicco so I guess there's not much comparison to be made.

Oh yeah Nicco was blessed by the Roman god, Mercury when I looked him up. I mean, among everyone, apart from those with question marks on their information, he takes the cake for being a demigod child of Neptune and has the blessings of Mercury. Sakura-nee is also one big enigma but she's on a whole other level though.

Anyway, why is Major Canillo staring at me with a strange look?

What? He doesn't want to believe Noir is my familiar?

Well, Noir is not technically mine but his master is my contracted demon familiar so I guess they can make the connections on that?

"Are you pulling my leg Lt. Wakaba? How can a child who hasn't even hit puberty and had his growth spurt be the master of a Class S Level Five demon familiar?"

Class S Level Five?

Noir is a Class S Level Five demon?

How come I didn't know that?

But then again, the last time I used on Noir he kept flying around so I couldn't see the information, so I'm not entirely sure either.

Wait, I just got insulted, didn't I?

"Trust me Major Canillo, even I don't want to believe it but he's really the master of the crow."

The guy is invading my personal space! Hasn't he heard of that?

"What?" I grumble and I'm pretty sure I'm glaring at him.

"You don't look much but upon closer inspection it seems the lieutenant is not lying. You have a powerful aura around you."

"You don't have to be too close though. Although, I have a question."

"Shoot kid."

I'm pretty sure I'm glaring at him.

"If this is a sacred place, why is the barrier already useless? Did you bring something here? Or is it part of the investigation Hiiro-san is joining in?"

"Lt. Wakaba this kid is…"

"I told you Major."

"Let's see your crow kid. If you pass the test, I'll release him but in the condition that you will not be causing any trouble in my land."

"Sure."

Can't promise you that. Trouble just seem to always find me.