"I am familiar with the Creste Greater Demon clan. They are ambitious savages who would stab their own masters in the back if even a hint of weakness is shown to them. It's a trait all of them share which is why I loathe calling them greater demons. They follow only the most ruthless killing machines. Killing machines who have no sympathy for any living thing besides their brethren. I had witnessed their savagery as a youngling before I achieved strength that no one else could hope to stand equal to. Before I became a demon lord serving the demon army, I had joined the Creste clan as a soldier and saw their kin rip apart their own generals or captains for showing a hint of compassion or consideration to their enemies. Even the children of those weak demons were slaughtered because the demons thought that the children might also grow up to be their parents which brought an unimaginable disgust."
"...Why did you not get rid of them when you became a demon lord? Surely you didn't trust them?" Curiosity got the better of her so she asked.
"Hmm, well it is true that I did not trust them. Savages do not have the brains to even think of getting others to trust them so it is too much to ask of them. However, the Demon Prince born to the chief of that tribe was different. Powerful, cunning, intelligent—he had all the good qualities of his race and the potential to join the demon army in its conquest to destroy the human realm. However, the prince did not have such minuscule ambitions." Oriel chuckled, "That Demon Prince is now in the human realm. He is the subordinate of Brynhildr Selia Bloodforth, the current Vampire Lord. Vetis Creste. How she managed to make him her subordinate is unknown to me. Together they rule the remains of a small nameless city which was sieged a few years ago. The lord was killed but his 1000 or so citizens remain and waited for a strong leader who they will serve in exchange for protection. The city sits between the imperial capital and your destroyed kingdom."
Flora repeated the name in her head.
Vetis Creste
Vetis Creste
Vetis Creste
Vetis Creste
Flora burned the name into the back of her mind.
"What will you do once you meet this demon? Your meeting is inevitable since you will no doubt want to build a special bond with my host."
"Special bond?"
Also, why is Oriel saying this as if he can't control Arnold's body forever? She thought this because he said "my host".
"Well, are you just going to keep him at a distance?"
Flora had asked herself that question countless times. She was his slave but he did not tell her to do anything that she didn't like. Despite telling her that she should train Luke, he gave her a choice, as if asking if she wanted to continue doing it. Of course, she wouldn't walk away, not when the person she's training is the next hero.
Flora touched the area where her slave mark used to be—her chest. Despite its absence, she still felt like she belonged to him, strange as this feeling might seem to others if they ever heard her say this.
"Does it matter what I want to do…? Shouldn't he be the one to show me why I should stay by his side?" An arrogant remark slipped out of her mouth, as usual.
"Stay by his side" doesn't mean she's always there for him. In fact, the two rarely see each other. It just means she's not walking away to some other nation to avoid him altogether. She used to think that her main priority is training Luke.
If Luke wasn't in the picture, would she still stay?
"I just told you, didn't I? He is someone who can even make the gods kneel." His voice had an air of certainty to it, "Who wouldn't want to gain the favor of such an individual? Even I would bow before a lowly ant if it can yield great rewards later in life."
That's right. Any other person would've been shocked hearing this, yet Flora thought that it was normal for Arnold to transcend all common sense by the things he knows and does. She had felt this way when he was the only one to know a way out of this dungeon without having visited it once.
It was just a feeling but…
She felt that he could become a man who makes the whole world kneel to him.
It was more than a feeling—it was a conviction that kept her anchored to him, despite the oddities in their "complicated" relationship that was neither that of friends or master-and-servant.
Flora looked back at Oriel, who had seemingly lost interest in their conversation.
"If I meet him…" Flora pondered the answer but couldn't find the right one, or rather she was unsure if she'd be able to do what was on her mind.
Flora shook her head in an attempt to forget about that inevitable day and changed the subject: "How does he know what happened to my nation?"
"You did not answer my question about the demon… I suppose it would be difficult to do harm to a friend of a friend. Or more like an ally of a friend."
"…." Flora didn't say anything to that. True, even she wasn't stupid enough to not know the consequences if she were to try and kill the demon.
"Your mind is wandering, girl."
"…"
"Humph. Regarding your question, my host just had a vague idea of what could lead to the destruction of your nation. A demon offered an alliance to your father which was misinterpreted by others as scheming with the intention of causing harm to others. But he did not expect the demon to be someone he knew. Put simply, the demon I'm referring to is an anomaly in the knowledge he had of the Luthial Kingdom's downfall. It was as if the world needed a placeholder. When expecting one, he was met with another. That sort of thing."
"Was what he said about Serz true? That you can find out anything as long as you have the money…?"
The way Oriel worded it seemed as though Arnold knew her nation would fall before the war even happened. He said "could lead to" and not "what led to". Is he acquainted with someone who has a foresight special skill? While this possibility seems ludicrous at first, it was worth considering alongside an artifact that he might've received from Serz that lets you look into the future. Flora had no idea how expensive or rare such an item would be.
The demon shrugged in response, "If that is your understanding of what I told you then so be it. Let thy imagination run wild."
"Then… did he find out what happened to the previous Sword Master?"
"Why don't you ask the boy yourself? My time is running out so I cannot go over mere trivialities."
So, Flora was right. He can't control Arnold forever. Or maybe he was given the option to yet isn't taking advantage of it? Why else would he say that a part of him didn't want to consume Arnold just yet?
"I'm curious, though. What would you even be able to do in your current state if you found out the truth?"
Nothing… she wouldn't be able to do anything… That's exactly why she wants to become stronger.
She felt twice as strong as in the past due to how many monsters she'd slain, duels she'd won and the amount of training she forced herself to do but it was still not enough. She had killed only A-rank monsters and had put a request at the guild to allow her to take part in S-class subjugations. Of course, this was merely formality to increase her rank. Flora would go fight those monsters even if she wasn't given any permission.
Mercenaries are bound by only a few rules.
· Pay the guild's percentage for every reward
· Do not kill comrades
While she did not need permission to fight S-class monsters, that wasn't to say these monsters were easy to encounter. They're usually spotted in monster zones which are notorious for having SS-class monstrosities. One in each region was already too much.
To avoid walking into a death trap, she had not gone to any monster zones known to the public until now. She chose to prioritize levelling up her rank instead to get access to "Sweet Spots" which are basically zones where only S-class monsters are spotted. These are kept secret from the public. These zones can include dungeons as well.
Of course, mercenaries are not permitted to go into dungeons due to their agreements with the nations to not interfere in guild activities but special privilege is given to high-rank mercenaries (S-rankers) who are the only ones that work with the guild to handle subjugations. Strength is a valuable thing which is why exceptions are allowed.
Back to the rules, anyone with common sense would be surprised how some mercenaries don't follow these simple rules. They were, like Daraia said to Flora earlier, a bunch of savages. It wasn't that hard to admit that Flora wasn't any different.
She beat up a dozen people on the first day as a mercenary. Most were annoying her while a few groped her thinking she was some softie who would cower.
In any case, she had tried to control her urges to not hurt (like really hurt) people for the simplest annoyance to not taint her name at the guild, which could prevent her from leveling up.
"There is a high possibility that your master is dead so it matters not what you'd do. You would just be avenging ghosts and never obtain salvation." He said with a shrug.
"I've already steeled myself for the inevitable." Even she didn't believe those words. Maybe she was just trying to convince herself.
"I see."
Oriel then went silent, but Flora could see his eyes sweep around the area. His body jumped slightly at the faintest sound of bushes rustling and water splashing.
"By the way… You seem very wary of the gods, even though you said your presence alone wouldn't warrant their fear. Did they capture you before?"
"Indeed... I was briefly imprisoned during the war before being rescued by my comrades. It is precisely why I cannot allow this boy to be captured by the gods. I do not wish to be made a prisoner yet again. Two hundred and fifty years of isolation as a soul was enough for me."
The demon continued with an "Alas…" while sighing like an old man who had just gotten off work.
"This boy must reveal his true abilities sooner or later, regardless of the risks to either me or him. He must give the gods the means to save all the realms. I'm sure he knows this too but he should take necessary measures to ensure his safety."
So, Arnold was thinking this far ahead…
It was unbelievable to think how he went from killing gang members a year ago for Lauran's sake to saving the realms for the good of humanity. It seemed unlike him unless there was some benefit to it. He had shamelessly told the whole group that he wanted payment for saving all of them, which gave Flora the idea that Arnold wasn't the kind of person who would ask "how high" without hesitation when told to jump. He'd rather ask how much he'd get paid for every meter.
Flora could understand why he wasn't outright telling the public the things he knew. She noticed that the demon didn't mention anything related to Serz, so maybe this was something Arnold had discovered on his own. The case of the curse must be unrelated to how he acquired knowledge that could save the realms.
The needed measures were probably both to secure his safety and reap benefits by milking the gods.
Yes, that sounds more like him. Flora was glad Arnold wasn't such a complex person to understand since he was very open about his intentions. Of course, this might just be a side he wants others to see.
"Allow me to pose a question before my time runs out: If someone were to offer you the means to help you in your pursuit of revenge… Would you offer your whole life to them? Would you kill yourself when ordered to if the situation requires it?"
She almost blurted out that her fighting skills should be more than enough.
"Hesitation," the demon shook its head, "If your will is this feeble then you should give up your pursuit of revenge. You do not have the courage and determination to go through with it."
"Wha…"
"I can confidently tell you this because I, too, desire revenge. However, I have the power to achieve that revenge on my own so I do not rely on others. Of course, if I were in your shoes, I would offer everything I have to the person who offers a helping hand and helps me get revenge. Whether said person abuses me, neglects me, scorns me… It would all be worth it because I made a promise to serve them as their sword."
A strange tingle went up Flora's spine.
It's almost as if those words were the exact words she wanted to hear. No, they definitely were.
This sense of duty and loyalty… It was something Flora experienced with her master.
A man who she'd lay her life down for. A man who she'd offer her body to without hesitation if he wanted it. A man who she'd take care of for the rest of her life.
Flora found herself seeking another person to replace her master. A person who she could direct this loyalty to. A person like her master—not in resemblance of his character or deeds but greatness itself. A figure who can only be admired from afar yet someone who she could never claim parity.
Flora felt that if Arnold mouthed the words "become mine and I shall lead you to greater heights of strength" then she would immediately drop to her knees with her head bowed, ready to be knighted by him.
Of course, this was a feeling she would never be able to play out if she was the one declaring her loyalty to another who she considers a figure worthy to be compared to her master. Maybe she wanted to look at Arnold from afar and see what other great things he'll do?
Whatever she's feeling right now, she could not allow herself to change how she interacts with him or how she sees him.
Oriel suddenly groaned and grabbed his head, "Ugh, it would seem he's beginning to wake up. Mesede… Kuli ahard suka, Plesiduxius…" he muttered a strange phrase with a deep frown as if he was recallling something or someone unpleasant.
His hair was slowly losing its white color and turning back to dark blue and his horn was slowly turning into particles.
"He's only been asleep this whole time…?"
"Indeed… His will is shaken but not invulnerable as I had hoped and another troublesome thing is forcing me out... While I could easily take control the first time, a second time seems unlikely unless something shatters his will completely. Our little chat has come to an end, girl. I will be watching both of you through his eyes. Perhaps I will be more motivated to control his body forever when a second opportunity arises—"
Arnold's original appearance was finally back. He fell forward. Flora quickly headed towards him and caught him before he fell. She lowered him to the ground and put his head on her lap.
In that moment while looking at his scrunching expression, Flora could see her master's face overlap his own. He had the same dark blue hair, a fuller beard and a more mature face but the two undoubtedly looked the same to her in that moment.
Flora's surprise lasted only a few seconds before the face vanished like smoke… then she could not remember his face at all.
"...Master… Don't go... Just... Just a little longer..." Flora grabbed Arnold's cheeks instinctively but she froze before shutting her eyes tight and biting her lips.
A dark cloud covered her master's whole face when she closed her eyes.
Arnold suddenly groaned before his eyes opened slowly as if they were too heavy.
"…Huh? Is that you, Victoria…?" he raised his hand to touch her cheek then stopped. His face scrunched up.
"Oh, it's just you… Flora." He sighed in disappointment.
"What's with that reaction!? A princess is giving you a lap pillow but you're disappointed!?"
Flora threw Arnold off her lap. Of course, due to her strength, he was flung away like a sag of potatoes. He crashed into a nearby rock…
**
"So, that's what happened…" Arnold sat silently on a nearby rock after listening to Flora what happened while he was asleep.
He didn't know how to react to it so he was only silently looking over the river.
"…When did you become a demon lord factor?" Flora asked carefully.
Blurting out that it happened right in the middle of fighting Lancelet would be stupid since he'd then have to come up with a bullshit reason how he acquired Oriel's soul.
Arnold checked his condition before answering Flora.
· Condition: Exhausted (Spiritually), Cursed
That was a status that only comes up when a target is mentally or spiritually exhausted. What this meant is that the target is susceptible to mind control (even by the simplest magic taught by "mind control for dummies"), domination magic, charms, ghost takeover (possession), and Soul Hijack (another soul taking over your body).
The last two weren't the same since ghosts are people who have regrets from their mortal life and seek to get rid of those regrets. If they can't do that then they're forced to remain ghosts for all eternity as just a manifestation of lifeforce.
In the case of souls, they can't freely choose whose body to take unlike ghosts. They need the target to be vulnerable to supernatural forces. It's quite rare for something like that to happen unless the target is on the verge of death (whether in battle or in a sick bed), and has lost all hope which causes their will's mental defenses to break down…
So, a question arose: why was Arnold affected by such a status when he's healthy and still had the will to live?
Arnold unintentionally looked at his fingers. Those same fingers he surrounded in Sword Intent since ordinary steel can't cut his flesh without immense pressure behind it and depending on the quality.
He then brushed his fingers over his upper body. Scenes of him cutting into his own skin played out inside his head.
The scene of Gederick's spear piercing his chest made him shut his eyes and breathe deeply to calm his nerves.
"—I was born with the demon inside of me. I think one of my father's enemies cursed my mother when she was pregnant with me." He opted with that explanation.
Flora didn't seem to suspect anything wrong with what he said and merely nodded.
"I see. Well, I've heard tales of demons being born inside infants from witchcraft too."
Arnold caught her staring at his chest. He was still half-naked. He knew Flora wasn't the kind of woman who falls for every man just because he's handsome and fit so there was another reason why her gaze was fixated on his chest.
"Are you curious?"
"It's none of my business…" She looked away after dismissing his question.
She then changed the subject: "I'm heading over to the white tent to join their discussions. What will you do? You wanna tag along?"
'They're probably unsure of how to infiltrate the guild. They need to hurry so that we can get started already.'
Arnold was unsure if the runes will be able to dispel the curse a second time. When he used it on Sabrina, the scroll disintegrated. Maybe the quality of paper was the reason for that? For rituals of this caliber, one would need magic sheets. Magic formulas are hard-coded into magic sheets (which means they're impossible to remove from a magic sheet unless you destroy the sheet itself). Of course, Arnold knows a way to draw runes onto an already-used magic sheet and using it without mana without triggering the magic sheet's original spell.
Despite that, he hadn't found any magic sheets so far so he'll have to stick with normal paper or scrolls. This doesn't decrease the effectiveness of the antibodies or the multiplier runes, mind you. It just makes the ritual even more troublesome.
He wants to get rid of the curse in one go, not worry about the cured individuals getting cursed again when the individuals who were sent to retrieve the Dungeon Archives, come back. The curse acts like an airborne virus, hence its nature being "Mark of Cause". Well, he can always just tell the cursed individuals to leave the camp and avoid all contact with the still affected individuals.
Arnold replied to Flora:
"I'll stay out of their meetings. They don't need me there."
"Right…"
The two then went silent.
'What's with her? She's usually very talkative.'
"I haven't told you this before but you look really beautiful. Even more so with green hair. It really brings out your golden eyes that's reflected in the moonlight." Arnold threw a corny statement in an attempt to lighten the mood which made Flora go "pfft"
"Is that your attempt at flirting? I thought you were the guy who could get any woman into his bed. My heart barely skipped a beat."
Arnold shrugged, "Every woman eventually gives in and fall into your hands if you know what they desire."
He wasn't being serious, of course. Arnold had no intention of pursuing her. He'd rather avoid forming relationships with all his allies.
"Hmm…" she didn't say anything further.
He noticed Flora looking at him silently. Her expression was unreadable but her gaze seemed gentle somehow? He was expecting her to tell him to "fuck off, manwhore" but that response never came.
Arnold was trying to think of what to say next but he suddenly caught the whiff of a delicious aroma. It made his stomach growl.
"Oh, what's this?"
"Ah, that's right. The girls are making food for the whole camp. You haven't eaten yet, right?"
"…Well, it's been a day since I last ate something. Never had an appetite until now."
The smell of whatever they were cooking was too delicious to resist.
'I wonder if I can even taste the food.' The nutritional shit bricks that Rafaela secured for them back at a supply point was all he had eaten for the last few days. He couldn't taste those horrible bars which was the only reason he was grateful for losing his sense of taste.
Arnold hopped off the boulder and picked up his shirt. It was stained with his blood, a reminder of what he did to himself.
He had fallen asleep the second he laid his head on the pillow earlier but was awoken less than ten minutes later after remembering the fight with Gederick and experiencing the pain all over again.
He recalled the feeling of that pain that grasped his heart like a hand wanting to suffocate him. In a futile attempt to get rid of that pain in his chest for the umpteenth time, he sought a greater pain, a pain he could control. A pain that his brain couldn't force him to experience. A pain that could coexist and battle for dominance.
Arnold turned away from Flora and leaned on the nearby boulder as he gritted his teeth. Somehow even recalling how the pain in his chest felt was enough to bring it all back.
His fingers dug into the rock as if he was holding dry clay in his hands and not a solid boulder that no normal hands could crush as if it were nothing.
He bit his lips but could still hear small whimpers leak out. Hoping that Flora couldn't hear them, he crushed the boulder even more. Veins bulged on his arms as he forced out his full strength to bear the pain.
Arnold suddenly felt someone's small hands circle around his back and hold onto him gently.
He could feel that person's small body push up against him. Why was her body trembling as if it could feel his pain?
"…Sabrina… When did you get here…?" Arnold asked with a voice that he never thought he'd use.
The voice was small and weak, something he was disgusted by.
Perhaps due to focusing more on suppressing the pain that was accumulating in his chest, he was unable to sense her.
An enemy could've stabbed him in the back but he wasn't thinking about that in that moment since he trusted Flora to handle it.
Arnold felt shameful displaying this weak side of himself that he wanted to conceal. The blood, the sweat, the visions—all of it made it impossible for him to hide that side of himself.
It was either show that weak side of himself or run off to kill something with his own hands, turning that pain into uncontrollable anger.
"…." Sabrina didn't answer him and squeezed tighter.
Arnold thought to himself "maybe showing this side of myself was okay. I can even rely on others and tell them what's going on" however his actions didn't match his thoughts.
Arnold easily pulled Sabrina's hands off his body even though she was trying her best to hold on to him. Arnold silently put on his shirt, never turning to face her.
"Al…"
"…Don't call me that. We aren't that familiar with one another." Arnold glared at Sabrina which made her flinch.
However, Sabrina suddenly frowned and glared back at him after hearing what he said, "What about Madi? Is she not allowed to call you that either? She's like the only one who calls you that, you know! Why can't I also call you Al!?" with her hands on her hips, her glare intensified.
"…."
"Friends should have nicknames for each other you know!"
"Friends…?"
"That's right! You can call me Brina if you want to and I'll call you Al, okay?" she sent a beaming smile his way.
"No."
"What!? Why not?!" A shadow then loomed over Sabrina's face, "Do you hate me? I was the one to inflict this curse on you so it's only fair that you hate me…. Hahaha…"
"What? That's not it…"
"Really!? Then call me Brina!" her face beamed with joy.
"Miss Beurot is fine." Arnold began walking in the camp's direction.
"Wha! That's too formal!" she pulled on his arm, "I'm Brina! B-R-I-N-A."
"Why do you even care what I call you?"
"I don't like it when my new friends start acting distant." She pouted at him and squeezed his arm tighter.
"New friends? I don't recall ever becoming your friend."
'She's not wearing a bra, is she—wait, that's not important.'
Sabrina suddenly let go of him and fell behind. She crouched on the ground while clutching her head as a grey cloud loomed over her.
"D-Did I become u-unlikable…? I-I've managed to befriend so many people who didn't like me at first… Did I lose my special charm….? Was my smile not enough…? Am I supposed to act cute like Madi so that he'll give me attention…?" She spoke to herself.
Arnold could hear Flora snickering as she walked past him with a carefree kick in her step.
'What the hell is so funny…' he glared at her back as she continued walking.
He turned to Sabrina who was kneeling as if she lost her country.
"You have enough friends, Lady Beurot."
"Lady Beurot now!? Are you doing this on purpose!?" she shot up and glared at him with her hands on her hips again. It seems she does this frequently when upset.
Arnold ignored her and continued walking after scoffing. He could hear her small shoes tap up to him. Her long pale blonde hair fluttered as she walked around him repeatedly while peaking up at her face.
Arnold could smell a bit of sweat mixed with shampoo as her hair danced in the wind. It was a pleasant scent.
"Al." her sweet voice filled his ears.
"….."
"Al." a coy smile appeared on her face as she tapped his arm, "Fufufufu~"
"…."
"A-l-l-l-l~" she pouted and whined.
'Tch…'
"….."
"I know you can hear me, Al~ Stop ignoring me~"
Arnold suddenly began running in the camp's direction after activating [Speed of Sound]. Everything behind him was blown away. Sabrina's skirt was pushed upwards by the wind, exposing her bare legs.
"W-Wha! Hey!" Sabrina, caught off-guard by that sudden burst of speed, cried out as Arnold became an afterimage.