After getting up from the sickbed, my days became filled with rehabilitation training.
Because of the forced enhancement from mana waves and the abuse from drugs, my muscles had weakened to the point where they were almost completely wasted away.
Just like when I had repeatedly trained after transmigrating into this world, I slowly began recovering my stamina.
Meals were also prepared differently each time to match my physical condition.
They were such excellent meals that it almost made me regret the days I had spent eating porridge.
“Don’t you want to go outside?”
“……If I could go out, I would have done it already.”
“Mm. It’s not like I’m stopping you though.”
“That’s not the problem. My body is. It’s still incomplete to call it human.”
Aira would sometimes ask me questions like that. It seemed she wanted to care not only about my physical health but also my mental health.
I kept wondering why she was being this kind to me, but my body still hadn’t fully recovered.
I wanted to postpone asking about something that might make her uncomfortable by unnecessarily stirring it up.
“So it’s because the demon’s power is leaking out. It still isn’t completely under control, is it?”
“……Yeah.”
Just as she said.
As soon as my body recovered to some extent, the first thing I did was check the new power I had gained.
The new demon form.
“The Demon of Pain and Dreams.”
It couldn’t really be called a “form” of a demon.
Since the demon’s power hadn’t been removed through purification or anything like that, perhaps that was only natural.
This deadly poison-like energy had arbitrarily seized the place of my mana core and coiled itself there.
Simply put, the demon’s power had gathered in my dantian.
The same phenomenon that had briefly happened to Sasha and that would later happen to the prisoners in the Harken Detention Camp had also happened to me.
Of course, it couldn’t be said to be entirely a bad thing.
No matter what it was, becoming stronger was a good thing.
Besides, I had temporarily handled mana before through the top-class dangerous drug “Mirage Oasis”, so in some ways the sensation was somewhat familiar.
However, there was another problem.
Every time I drew on that power, the demon’s energy would surge out like a seizure and begin to erode the surroundings.
This uncontrollable power affected not only the Form of Pain and Dreams, but also the Forms of Rage and Justice that I had been using without any problems until now.
Whenever I attempted Shape Transformation, I ended up turning into a demon.
Not just in appearance either…I truly became a demon itself.
Perhaps because of that, another phenomenon occurred: my rationality would fade along with it.
No matter how hard I tried to control it, whenever I activated the demon’s power, I would inevitably lose consciousness that day.
Still, a penalty like that almost felt justified.
[Madman Adel (Adel Bliss)]
Health: 17 (+700)
Mana: 44 (+850)
Dexterity: 21 (+500)
Stamina: 11 (+425)
Perseverance: 13
Intelligence: 17
◆ Possessed Trait: Shape Transformation (Active)
◆ Time until transformation ends – 5 minutes 58 seconds… 57 seconds… 56 seconds…
◆ Available Mana: [414,590]
◆ Available Qliphoth: [5,000]
◆ View Details (+)
When I opened the status window while in demon form, my strength that was far beyond several previous levels was displayed numerically.
At this level, it surpassed that of academy professors and was several stages stronger than them.
I might even be able to go toe-to-toe with an Archmage. If the opponent were a swordsman, the matchup might be slightly worse. But even then, defeating someone at the level of a Sword Master didn’t seem difficult.
No. I could definitely win.
After a long time, the insight of a seasoned veteran of “Empire of Kohonbach” shone through again.
Ten minutes.
For the ten minutes I could remain transformed into a demon, I would not lose.
Against swordsmen, even those at the level of a Sword Master.
Against mages, even Archmages.
Of course, from the public’s perspective it would look as though a demon itself had manifested, so I couldn’t use it recklessly… but I had already reached that level.
…And it was only summer now.
I had been transmigrated into this world for just four months, yet I had already reached this level of power.
At this point, maybe it was fine to feel a little proud of myself.
“…So the thing labeled Qliphoth must be the unit used to summon demonic power.”
After pondering such a trivial thought, I shook my head.
That kind of detail didn’t really matter. The name itself wasn’t important.
In truth, that wasn’t the only thing I had gained.
After killing Quinoron, the enormous amount of mana I violently absorbed had increased my overall mana capacity.
Quinoron’s magic artifact “Belial Link” had been destroyed, but it seemed I had somehow managed to gather the fragments even while I was unconscious.
However, that wasn’t the only thing that had broken.
The high-rank magic artifact “Leviathan” which I had worn on my right hand had also been shattered.
“…I don’t really have anything else to do. I might as well try repairing the broken artifacts.”
Just like that, another task was added to my daily routine.
I nodded to myself.
Staying inside the house all day turned out to be busier than I expected.
***
My condition stabilized more with each passing day. But perhaps humans are creatures that simply cannot live without worrying about something.
Even though peaceful days were passing by, there was still something weighing on my mind.
“By the way, is it really okay that you haven’t contacted your acquaintances?”
“……”
It was during mealtime when Aira asked that. It was a question that pierced straight through my worries.
Our relationship had already progressed to the point where we helped each other for convenience without any suspicion, so I let out a sigh without trying to hide anything.
“…Even if I wanted to contact them, I can’t. The power of the demon is still leaking out little by little. How could I possibly walk around outside like this?”
“Mm… I think you probably could if you really tried.”
“……”
That was true. But if I did that, my trail might be discovered sooner or later.
Now that I had truly become no different from a demon, I had to be cautious….extremely cautious.
If something went wrong, the entire Empire might end up chasing me.
“Ah. Are you worried that this place might be traced?”
“Well, yeah.”
I nodded without hesitation. No matter how suspicious Aira might be, she was still the benefactor who had saved my life. Even if our relationship were to fall apart again someday, that day wasn’t today.
“So you’re being considerate. That’s a satisfying answer for me.”
“Glad you like it.”
“It’s cute how you don’t recklessly ask questions about everything. Just as I imagined.”
“……”
I quietly kept my mouth shut.
I didn’t really know what one was supposed to say in a situation like this. My silence was simply that kind of silence.
Originally, the woman in front of me wasn’t the type to reveal her personal circumstances or emotions easily. In the game, she was basically expressionless.
There had to be some reason she was treating me kindly. Since I didn’t know that reason, I didn’t want to risk stepping on a landmine by speaking carelessly.
“Shall I help you a little?”
“It’s fine. It’s gradually becoming less noticeable anyway. That’s thanks to you.”
“Really? Are you sure it’s okay?”
Aira leaned across the table and faced me directly.
I was flustered. Since getting up from my sickbed, this was the first time she had come this close.
But only for a moment.
Before I knew it, Aira had already transformed into a cat.
– Meow.
“If it’s me, I could even teach you things like this. Where else would you learn something like this?”
“…Hmm.”
Was she saying she would teach me how to transform into a cat?
“If it’s a small animal like this, the power of the demon will hardly leak out. Why not go to Tane for a while in this form?”
That was certainly a tempting suggestion.
“Aren’t you worried about your sister?”
That remark drove the final nail into it for me.
***
Creak—
Camilla absentmindedly opened the mailbox.
Flap, flap!
The parrot raised in the management office of the Robine dormitory flapped its wings.
“None! None!”
The parrot said cheekily. Normally she would have just passed by, but that day she glared at it.
“Scary! Scary!”
Perhaps it heard the noise. Seeing her standing there, the maid hurried over with a puzzled expression.
“Lady Camilla? Any mail that arrives is brought to your room…”
“…Ah. I had some urgent business… I’m sorry.”
“…You’ve been coming here for the past few days. If any mail arrives for you, Lady Camilla, we’ll send it straight to your room. Please wait without worry.”
Camilla nodded. She still looked absent-minded.
“…There’s no reply from Adel.”
That was what was troubling her.
It had already been more than two weeks since she had last received a reply from her younger brother, Adel.
“This is strange… Even my letters are being returned…”
Time felt like it was stretching endlessly. Maybe he was just busy with something. She tried to reason that way, but she was still anxious.
“…Could something have happened?”
It was only natural for such worries to arise. What made her especially uneasy was a line written in a letter from her adoptive father, Austin Bliss.
“A demon has appeared in the capital, so come home during the vacation.”
That was the gist of the letter.
It was also a warning that matched the rumors quietly spreading around the academy lately.
—A new demon has appeared.
That kind of rumor.
Perhaps it might even be connected to Adel. Camilla recalled once again what her brother had explained to her.
“…He said it’s possible to return from being a demon back to a human. In exchange, he could wear the shell of a demon… But that also means someone existed who tried to turn Adel into a demon.”
Camilla bit down on her fingernail. As much as she trusted her brother, she had no doubt about what he told her. She didn’t suspect Adel either.
But… what if Adel had fallen into some kind of trap? What if he had been caught in it before he could do anything?
…Thinking about it carefully, it was also strange that the person who had tried to turn someone into a demon would give up so easily after one failure.
“……”
Before she knew it, Camilla had stopped on the dormitory stairs, clenching her teeth.
Adel was clearly younger than her.
But sometimes, she felt from him an air that one would normally expect from someone much older.
He must have been trying to be considerate. Camilla had always accepted that attitude with happiness.
…But.
What if this time she had been the one being considered again?
What if he had tried to handle everything alone because he didn’t want to trouble his sister?
Yes.
When she thought about it carefully, that was exactly how it seemed.
Would there really be any reason for Adel to suddenly start changing even his face just to win her favor?
With that thought, Camilla recalled the last word she had heard from Adel.
“…Harunsdel. The Harunsdel test….”
If it was there, there might be some clue. Having made up her mind, Camilla nodded firmly.
“…Camilla Bliss.”
It was right then that someone called out to stop her.
A woman’s low, slightly hoarse voice.
When Camilla turned around, a woman with peach-colored hair was standing there.
She wasn’t wearing the maid uniform or the school uniform usually seen on campus.
The woman who appeared was dressed in something like a nun’s habit.
“……?”
“That bracelet…Adel Bliss gave it to you, didn’t he?”
For some reason, that sudden question made her heart pound with an ominous feeling.
“I need that bracelet.”
“…Who are you?”
Even at the natural question, the woman didn’t answer. She only stared at Camilla with eyes that seemed strangely off.
“Adel Bliss is currently missing. If you want to find your younger brother, ‘cooperate’.”
Words that seemed to enchant the listener. The activation of “Innocent Purity”.
However, Camilla only lightly shook her head, brushing away the haze creeping into her mind.
Camilla herself had no way of knowing, but the remnants of the Magic Structure Analysis she had shared with Adel through the trait “Double Helix” had managed to block Sally’s ability at least once.
“…I remember now. You’re the girl I saw at the tavern back then.”
“…!!!”
The woman informing her of Adel’s disappearance.
Camilla’s blue eyes burned quietly.
“If you’re going to ask for a favor, explain the situation properly.”
“……”
“Tell me what happened to Adel.”
Startled for a moment by that chilling pressure, the woman soon seemed to reach some understanding and finally spoke.
“…It’s Adel.”
…Silence followed.
An almost suffocating stillness filled the space completely.
The sentence was incomplete. Most of the elements necessary to convey its meaning were missing.
But sometimes, that alone is enough.
In Camilla’s mind, Austin’s letter surfaced once again…
There’s a demon in the capital—.
“…They say it’s a new type of demon. It’s Adel.”
Sally White bowed her head deeply.
“Please… help us. We have to find Adel. Before it’s… before it’s too late….”
“……”
“Please….”
Leave a Reply