"Tch."
It was like fighting a doll controlled by a puppeteer on a battlefield, a unit unrestricted by emotions and feelings alike.
For me who was widely conscious of everything, who I faced right now was an overwhelming power.
"..."
We exchanged blows as waves of pressure expands each time. We were matched in pacing, yet the force in his attacks was stronger than mine.
I've no chances to take, I cannot just be defeated here.
"Dark Magic: Skepticism."
I cast magic that suddenly boomed into the area, afflicting everyone in the radius other than me.
It was a weakening spell that lowered their power output, yet this was a spell that was hard to use without mana.
This spell would only last a minute, and I would only be able to cast it one more time as I've already spread an allocated amount of mana on myself.
"Dark Magic? You're a demon as well?"
Halted by the words, the woman with jet black hair shouted as if she was one.
The Hero and the other blonde woman didn't appear to me as so and thus she would be the obvious choice.
Nonetheless, she looks so human.
"A demon as well? So, they're still demons capable of slipping through the borders."
It wasn't always surprising to see someone other than demons use Dark Magic, but if they were new to the human continent, then they will be.
Reacting like that is just giving away that you are a demon yourself.
"..."
"Ngh. I almost forgot about you."
The Hero attempted to strike me from the side as he swung, yet I blocked it fairly easily as it was slow.
The force was there but as long as I was blocking it with my sword coated in mana, I can fortify it.
"You completely forgot about me as well!"
The blonde woman shouted, raising her hands as if she was to charge once again.
Yet, opposite to what I'd thought she does, she released her gauntlets and started to rigidly gesture her right hand.
There was magic flowing to her hand!
"Shit. I let my guard down!"
I was being pinned by the Hero's attack, and just as I thought that I've knocked her out, the two women were casting something in unison.
"Dismantle!"
Suddenly, my hands were light.
The sword that I was holding wasn't there as it breaks into shards of lights that floated away.
My sword that had been just created not too long ago was broken. It was dismantled by magic.
"Ah. How will I ever explain this to the young master."
"..."
As I stand there unarmed, the Hero's pinned attack surged into my side.
I, Marcus, servant of Grantt Maximilian, had made a blunder.
A sudden twist that turned the world into complete darkness.
△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼
"It's night, and he's taking too long."
"Something must have happened to him."
I wondered inside my office with my chin resting on my palm.
There were only five papers on my desk and I haven't managed to read and sign them yet.
Most of the workload had been transferred from here to another office where Lilith had hired townsfolk to take care of.
They were handling papers that wouldn't need the authorization of the Lord while I, get those that need it such as building permits and the buying of land by new settlers.
It's been two hours since I had Marcus follow that party, and seeing how he was confident with his swordsmanship, I can't see him losing easily.
Or maybe I overestimated him even after teaching him some options in using his Light Magic.
I snapped my fingers, knowing that there will be at least one maid to heed my call.
"Yes, Master."
Just as the unusual and uncanny speed and timing, they were too quick for my own good.
At the door was Jai, with a serious expression as she entered.
"Whaddaya need?"
Then she turns just into this candy-gal-like maid after being that intimidating in the first three seconds. She's always like this whenever she gets to be called.
"We're going to find Marcus. I lost him."
"What?! Marcus is missing?!"
He just became missing just now.
The range of which I can use my Inspect was the whole city but as I've used it again just now, Marcus was nowhere o be found.
"I can't find him. He wouldn't even go out of town. It just means he was defeated and dragged along outside my range. Even if he does die, I'll feel it. So that means, he's alive."
"Master talks illy unusual way."
Despite her dialogue, she was ready to set out. We needed to move as soon as possible.
Though I regretted sending him out, thanking him after this will be much better as now we know that they aren't just your normal adventurers with hypnosis magic.
"Tsk. This is troublesome."
This is a problem. Marcus is someone listed as someone provided by the Goddess to me. Not only that, he'd been a reliable servant, unlike the maids whose reason for loyalty is still unknown.
"If you're really worried, Master. Leave this to Jai! You can just stay here and wait."
"Huh?"
Jai suddenly suggested something was different from what I wanted to originally do, which was to find Marcus with her, however, for her to do this mission alone?
It's not like I don't trust her, and although she is skilled in close combat, she seems a bit too carefree and clueless for a search like this.
"But, you won't be able to find him in just simple ways. I—"
"Jai has friends y'know? We'll be able to find him soon if we start now as long as the trail is fresh!"
She used a set of words that seemed weird but normal for her, like a dog describing a hunt.
I still can't seem to allow it. I had to find him in the quickest way possible.
"Trail? But I want to—"
"You can let her go, young master. She's capable of doing so. Wasn't she always the first one to know where you are?"
Just as I was about to speak, someone cuts in through the doorway.
It was Lilith.
"Maybe it's time for you to tell the master, Jai."
Jai stood right in front of her as Lilith holds her by the shoulders. I could see now that Jai was only as tall as Lilith's chest, with her bonnet only adding up to it.
What was it that they had to tell me?
"..."
Jai was holding her bonnet down. Was she hiding something in there? There are two—wait, now that I've noticed. She doesn't have ears on her side of the head.
She's a—
"I'm a demi-human!"
"So you can find him through scent, right?"
"Please don't hate m—What?"
I think she just tried to get ahead of me.
Nonetheless, if she is a beastmen, or a demi-human, as they called it; Then she is sure to be able to find him quickly.
"I don't care if you're a demi-human. I won't hate you for it. But that doesn't mean I'll let you go alone."
I must go with her. It was my responsibility as his master to supervise him. I was careless. I was too negligent.
"No! Like I've told master, Jai isn't alone!"
"Master. Stop being stubborn and leave it to Jai. We need you here. You and Marcus are the strongest in this city. If we were to be attacked with both of you absent, we'll be in a pinch."
They say the strongest, but I haven't done anything but use magic. The sword I have in my waist is a decoration, a weapon I'm forced to carry.
As I could scramble and unfold the pages of the booked memory of my past self, there were visions of myself practicing swordsmanship.
It seems like I was indeed skilled with it, however, I don't think I'd be able to execute that kind of movement.
I'm still a businessman through and through. Without my knowledge of how physics works, I wouldn't be able to cast magic.
A mana-less cretin like this body wouldn't hold up for long.
"Regardless of everything, your life is our priority."
Lilith continued to have her share of words, only letting Jai nod in agreement as her hair was being caressed.
I guess they have a point. I shouldn't be too hasty. My life is more important than anything else right now, still...
I'm still human.
"Alright. Just make sure you will come back in one piece Jai. I won't forgive you if you don't."
I turned my back on them, facing the window as the moon illuminates through at the glass pane.
"Of course! Jai will never let you down!"
She pulled her fist in, grinning at me as she wear her bonnet back.
Leaving with determination I've always wanted to see in my people.
I wonder when was I last worried like this in my past world.
I'm beginning to hardly remember at all.
△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼
"—!!"
Woken up to the abrupt sound of a subtle crackling of firewood, my first instinct was to move my hands and feet.
I couldn't move. My hands and feet are tied up with something. I could only see a fireplace from my horizontal position, feeling the coldness of the ground in my face.
This rough and dusty feeling of land. It's different.
We're outside of town.
"Domf't evmfn try. Those are smfme fine blmfck fiber that Lompri made. They won't easily break even if you try."
Beyond the fire that was in front of me, there was a woman's voice that spoke, seemingly with her mouthful.
"What?"
I could barely understand the first thing she said, but I got the gist of it.
These fibers that were wrapped around my hand and feet were thin but the more I pull, the more it gets tighter and stronger.
This is something made out of strong material. They must be both skilled or wealthy people if they have this kind of object with them.
"Who are you? Why are you after the young master?!"
I launched myself up to a seated position, shouting those very questions I had in mind.
"Huh, violet boy. We're the ones who will be asking questions."
I heard another voice from behind me, pulling me and hurling me to a tree with my back pinning against it.
"Ugh—"
"Were you sent by the Lord of Hellsburg, hah?"
She stomped her foot to the tree just next to my face, creating a loud thud as most of the tree's leaves fall due to the shock she sent.
A mere threat like this wouldn't scare me.
"Like you will get an answer from me."
Her hand immediately raised just as I said that ready to hit me in the face.
That will hurt, a lot. But I will never waiver, even if I have to die right here.
"Lori, don't. Either way, he looks like those servants that would gladly die for their masters."
There, that voice behind the fireplace spoke again, yet, it was clearer now.
Lori seems to be the name of this tan-skinned woman, holding me by the collar as she pinned me to the adjacent tree.
"For you to be this stubborn, it seems like your master is someone rather fragile."
"Fragile? You, idiots, do not even know Master Grantt's capability for magic!"
I shouted abruptly. They're underestimating the young master too much! But, why do I feel like I've done something I shouldn't have.
"Oh. So his name is, Grantt? I'm sure I've heard that somewhere."
Another blunder. I can't believe I just his name away! This will not happen a third time!
So what if they know his name? They don't know what he looks like. Her hypnosis must never reach him.
"There was this one red-haired beggar, assuming that he was the lord of the place. If I remember correctly."
"Hah?! I don't remember the master saying his name to you back at the mansion!"
Lies! This was a lie to trick me. They won't be able to get me with this apparent deceit they have.
"That means that beggar-looking guy was the Lord. To think that there's still a lord capable of dispelling hypnosis."
She was grinning. I've been had again!
Lilith was right about something. I was too easy when it comes to the Lord.
"You're very easy."
"You don't have to say it out loud!"
The blonde woman had the nerve to time my thoughts. This was worse than physical torture.
My pride of being capable in situations like this had been reduced to nothing but dust.
"So, what is a demon like you doing there? Serving a human master?"
The black-haired woman began to ask her off-shoot questions, something that she knew would have me respond.
"What are you talking about? Don't lump me in with you. I only knew how to use Dark Magic because I had to."
"Don't deny it. I can tell. In your veins, demon blood is flowing. You're a half-demon, half-human."
I ground my teeth and gulped in.
The fact that I tried to hide for years was simply revealed by a random demon.