Dark Fantasy Normalized

79 – Cultists

They abruptly looked around.

The city councilor from the Phellos family, who had produced councilors for Bendalles for generations.

Balrod, the Red Lance of the Red Magic Tower, known to have approached the essence of fire as a favored disciple of the Red Tower Lord.

Maldad, the black-haired man bearing the title ‘Demon Hunter,’ bestowed only upon highly skilled demon adversaries.

Shakan, the Red Walker, descendant of the Great Chieftain and warrior, Thunder Walker.

Each one was a name with the power to move groups and regions.

And these individuals—

“Look over there!? My Zzuni! You just have to answer to my Zzuni!”

“…Is there no need to answer the questions of others?”

“My Zzuni is only my Zzuni!!!”

“Understood.”

They had become sacks of barley, planted in front of the tiny little girl.

The city councilor, who had sought out and invited these powerful figures because of a demon manipulated by the little girl.

The powerful figures who had fallen into deep contemplation because of a demon manipulated by the little girl.

They gazed at each other’s now-ridiculous figures, agonizing.

The only comforting fact was that the little girl was a spirit, not an ordinary human.

“Zzuni! Zzuni! Blackie is a good Blackie now! He says he’ll listen to Zzuni’s request!”

At that moment, the little girl returned to the man she called ‘Zzuni’.

Lysir, the honorary wizard of the Grey Magic Tower.

All eyes focused on him.

“What…did you do?”

City Councilor Lan’s brown eyes trembled uncontrollably.

Probably, no one in this place was more astonished than her.

For the past few days.

She had mobilized all the power she had as a city councilor to try and gain the respect of the sealed demon.

Persuasion, threats, requests, compromises, she had tried everything.

But the answer was always silence or mockery.

That’s what a demon was.

A deceiver who thoroughly despised and mocked those they judged to be of a lower standing than themselves.

Ran had had her fill of that deceiver’s facade these past few days.

Not just figuratively, mind you, she’d actually been throwing up stomach acid from the stress of being toyed with by him.

And yet.

Now, that deceiver was acting the devoted pet, fawning over the girl.

Even a doting uncle wouldn’t be so sickeningly sweet.

Then, Rishir patted the little girl’s head, saying,

“It’s complicated to explain, but this child is a little special.”

“Special…?”

*He was originally a demon.*

*Is that why the demons are being so nice to him?*

Rishir struggled with how to convey the shocking truth.

“You could say… she knows how to handle demons?”

Rishir’s intent was successful.

His statement was certainly less shocking than “he was originally a demon.”

And there probably wasn’t another way to convey Verbandes’s ability without causing repulsion.

“Knows how to handle demons…”

Even so, they couldn’t shake off the shock.

Demons.

Undeniably, they were the most unfathomable and difficult beings in this world.

The authority of the Red Magic Tower and the descendant of the great warrior knew how to fight demons, but they hardly knew how to handle them.

Thus, their gazes turned all at once to the demon hunter.

It was a look that seemed to ask, ‘Does something like that actually exist?’

“…”

The demon hunter’s eyes, visible through his drooping black bangs, wavered.

How to handle demons?

It does exist.

If backed by a profound understanding and analysis of demons, it wasn’t entirely impossible to deduce and guide their actions.

The problem was –

The little girl’s actions just now showed not a single trace of that skill.

-“Hey, Blackie! You answer when our Owner asks you something, got it!?”

If other demon hunters witnessed the girl’s actions and tried to mimic them, they’d look at the demon and everyone else like they were all fucking idiots.

Two possibilities immediately sprang to mind.

1. The demon perceived the target as a being of higher stature than itself.

2. There was something special about the spirit girl.

No sooner had the thought formed, the demon hunter immediately dismissed the first possibility.

Demons were creatures of extreme arrogance.

They hardly ever acknowledged the standing of another, unless they were fellow demons.

And even amongst demons, they wouldn’t concede unless the difference in rank was truly immense.

This tendency grew stronger as the demon’s ego took shape, and the demon in the crystal ball had a clear enough ego to converse with humans.

A demon like that, bowing its head without question?

The authoritative demon hunter could say with certainty:

If such a demon had been in that room, he too would have bowed his head without question like the demon.

Or face a pathetic death, like an insect crushed under a palm.

Therefore, the demon hunter spoke.

“It seems the spirit girl has a special ability.”

At the expert’s statement, the others nodded, though they still weren’t entirely convinced.

*Whatever, guess we’ll go with that.* *The expert says so, after all.*

That subtle air of doubt hung in the air.

“Well, anyway-“

The one who broke the silence was the beastkin.

Shakan. Her red tail swished, expressing her pleasure.

“This makes things easier, thanks kiddo?”

“I’m not a kid!”

“Oops, my bad. So, what should I call you?”

“I’m- I’m…! Beru, Berut-“

The little girl struggled to get the words out.

“Berubandejju!”

Her adorable sight brought warm smiles to everyone’s faces.

“…”

One person.

Except for the demon hunter, Maldard.

‘Verbande…s?’

No way. It couldn’t be.

Absolutely not.

He let out a chuckle, shaking off the ridiculous fantasy that had popped into his head.

The little spirit girl’s name being the same as some powerful entity that once ruled the ancient deserts was surely nothing more than a coincidence.

“Alright. Thanks, Verbande-jju.”

“It’s not Verbande-jju, it’s Verbande…jju!”

“?”

“But why are you thanking me?”

“Well, you got that… that black one? To talk.”

“Then you don’t need to thank me! I did it for our jju-in-ni!”

“Huh? Ah.”

The gazes that had been focused on Verbandes shifted back to Lisir.

It was a repeat of their first encounter.

They scanned Lisir up and down, as if appraising him.

They, outsiders to the Grey Magic Tower and completely unfamiliar with Bondales, knew nothing about the young honorary mage before them.

Moreover, the honorary mages they knew were usually a kind of award given to ‘ardent supporters of the Magic Tower’.

Rumor had it that the Grey Magic Tower was somewhat different, but prejudices weren’t so readily swayed.

Huh? An honorary mage but so young?

And someone like that is here with the same qualifications as me?

The negative impression they had initially formed of Lisir was quite valid.

Now, that perception had improved a little.

Shakan gave a slight nod towards Lisir.

They realized why Lisir had been recommended for this position.

Perhaps, it was because he was the master of that unusual spirit.

Lisir was now etched into their minds as the master of an unusual spirit.

In any case, a better impression than before.

Lisir smiled contentedly and patted Verbandes on the head.

“Alright then— Lord Lan? You said you have something to ask of a demon?”

Shakan gestured toward the black crystal ball.

Lan stepped forward, explaining she’d clarify the reason for their invitation before delving into the demon’s interrogation.

“First, shall we move locations?”

She stated that she had something to show them before explaining and led them to a carriage.

***

The place they arrived at in the carriage was in front of a mansion located in the 3rd district, an affluent area of Bondales.

The moment they reached the mansion door, crossing the wide garden,

Shakan’s face contorted in a grimace.

The fur on her red ears and tail bristled sharply.

“…”

Even the demon hunter Maldard stared intently at the mansion from beneath his drooping bangs.

“Shakan. What’s wrong?”

Balrod, master of the Crimson Tower, the only one still lost, asked Shakan.

Shakan then touched her nose once before spitting on the ground.

As if something foul had gotten into her mouth.

“Lord Lan. What is this? It’s too extravagant to be a slaughterhouse, too fucked up to be a place where people live.”

A slaughterhouse.

Balrod’s expression also turned serious at the significant remark.

Instead of answering, Lan started to move. She opened the mansion door and led them inside.

“…Whoa.”

That was Rishir’s reaction as they arrived in the mansion’s basement.

The basement, which showed signs of separate remodeling, was massive compared to the size of the mansion.

That huge space was densely filled with traces of carnage.

Unerasable bloodstains and the scent of blood.

The most striking was the stain left in the center.

Bloodstains spreading outward, leaving the center empty.

They pondered for a moment how such a stain could have formed.

What came to mind was a single, enormous tower of corpses.

“They were livestock.”

Even with Lan’s addition, their expressions didn’t improve.

Those who commit such acts in the city wouldn’t stop at livestock slaughter.

“Lately, suspicious movements have been detected all over Bondales. People are disappearing, unlisted transport wagons are being found. Tracing those movements led us to this place. When we arrived, it was filled with animal blood and corpses. This black crystal orb was found within.”

Shakan nodded, acknowledging the explanation.

“So, finding these b*stards and kicking their asses is our job, I get it. I get it, but one question lingers. According to you, their plan failed. They even lost the demon. At this point, they’ve not only lost significant power, they’ve likely retreated from Bondales before getting tracked down. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“And yet, you’ve gathered us here at considerable cost. This lineup feels like overkill for just capturing some pathetic demon worshipper who couldn’t even keep track of his own master and ran off with his tail between his legs, don’t you think?”

It was then that Rishir spoke.

“Eat this and shut up.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“There is that feeling. Isn’t that what you were worried about, Lan?”

“…That’s right. It keeps nagging at me. Isn’t the situation fitting together too perfectly-“

Shakan nodded but his expression remained unconvinced.

“I understand that feeling. I really do. But I can’t shake the feeling this is overreacting. That black crystal orb. To use a demon sealed in it as just bait? That’s like fishing with gold, isn’t it?”

Maldad voiced his agreement to Shakan’s opinion.

“That self’s clarity. And enormity. The one sealed in that orb is a demon of considerable rank. Enough to bring chaos to this vast city. To use such a demon as bait, that’s also something I find hard to agree with.”

Closing his eyes, organizing his thoughts, Balrod cautiously asked.

“Have any more suspicious activities been detected since then?”

Lan shook her head, a complex smile forming.

“I, too, wish my worries were unfounded.”

“Then, you weren’t possibly planning to ask the demon—”

“That’s right. That demon is currently the only suspect we can interrogate and is also the mastermind who knows everything.”

Shakan, Balrod, Maldad.

A troubled look emerged on all three faces.

They now understood why Lan had specifically defined the request as ‘demon interrogation.’

Unless they were actually going to conduct an interrogation, the demon would never divulge information about its followers.

Shakan and Balrod cautiously looked at Maldad.

He shook his head slightly.

There had been cases of demon worshippers breaking down under interrogation and divulging information about demons.

But the opposite?

Never heard of such a thing.

A demon, broken by torture, spilling information about its followers.

Pain as humans imagine it is no threat to a demon.

They began to ponder how to approach Ran’s request, which was far more complex than anticipated.

“Should we… try asking?”

Rishir, who’d been watching their reactions, tentatively broached the subject.

“Didn’t that thing say it would answer my questions?”

“…”

Shakan looked at him, a weary chuckle escaping his lips.

What was he to do with this clueless newbie?

“You think it’ll answer?”

***

“I will tell you everything…”

“The fuck is this.”

Shakan couldn’t help but interject at the ridiculous scene unfolding before him.

The demon in the crystal ball was rattling off everything about its followers trying to free it, along with their plans.

The White Shadow Sect.

They were dumbfounded when that name was spoken.

Self-proclaimed carriers of deception, they were, without a doubt, the most secretive, sinister, and dangerous demon-worshipping group on the continent.

According to the demon, even now they were hidden in the shadows of Bondales, building the foundation for a massive ritual.

“You guys. Surely, you’re not going to believe what that demon says, are you?”

It was clearly a trap or a deceit.

Shakan voiced a perfectly reasonable doubt.

Then, Berbandes—Rishir’s spirit, who’d somehow reappeared—spoke to the demon.

“You’re not lying to my master, are you!?”

“…It is for you to determine that,”

The demon muttered, solemn and profound.

A classic display of a deceitful demon.

“You lied to my master! I can’t forgive you!”

Then, Verbandes raised both arms with all his might.

It was as pathetic a sight as a raccoon stretching its body with all its strength.

A sigh, a rub at the brow, a tight clench of the eyes.

Shakan and the others each voiced their disapproval.

Just as they thought.

That little girl had been toyed with by the demon.

The demon’s attitude was proof enough –

“Ah, no! …I’m, I’m telling you for whose sake, you think?!”

“?”

Whose sake?

They doubted their ears for a moment.

Whose voice was that?

Surprisingly, it was the demon’s voice.

So flustered, he had even abandoned his pride as a demon, desperately crying out.

They couldn’t keep up with the situation.

And, they ultimately couldn’t accept it.

Right up to the moment they moved to the place where the White Shadow Church was hiding, led by the demon.

***

A secret space unknown to anyone in Bondales.

There, a secret and wicked ritual was underway.

Naked humans hung from ropes like meat.

Their grotesque forms seemed to be telling of the miserable future they would face.

Figures in white robes surrounded them.

And what faces did these madmen, who had created such a terrible scene, wear?

Goldana, the priest of the White Shadow Church.

Her face was rather blank and vacant, a far cry from solemnity.

A sudden intruder.

-I told you, Zhwinnii!

She was saying that, while looking at the black crystal ball screaming on the intruder’s hand.

“Who’s your ‘Zhwinnii’?”

Lishir scoffed at the demon in the crystal ball.

“Black burning darkness…?”

The cultist, with a hazy voice, uttered the name of the entity he served.