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Chapter 42 – Descent of Evil (6)

Chapter 42 – Descent of Evil (6)

The ones who had left to investigate returned to the territory.

Everything they saw and experienced was reported in full.

And the territory was turned upside down.

A demon had taken over the village.

And it was none other than Ashetiar, the Demon of Gravitas.

A demon.

And a demon significant enough to be recorded in history.

A being whose mere descent could shake the entire continent.

That being had descended upon a village in the territory.

The captain of the guards complained of severe stomach pains.

The lord also covered his face.

Why did such a trial befall this small territory?

The lord felt like cursing even the gods.

But fortunately, an Inquisitor of the Sun God succeeded in defeating the demon and sending it back to hell.

The ones who had gone on the mission had internal injuries from the battle, but none had died.

Although an entire village was annihilated, with over a hundred lives lost, it was almost as if there were no damage when compared to the demon itself.

If the demon had started moving toward the world, the casualties would have easily exceeded thousands.

The appearance of a notable demon.

And its defeat.

The territory was in turmoil.

All sorts of rumors spread, and the lord began to worry about what to do next.

And the protagonists of those rumors were in the Sun God’s church within the territory.

“It’s noisy, isn’t it?”

“It’s not a small matter. The lord must have a headache too.”

The room appeared to be a very simple bedroom usually used by priests.

In it were an Inquisitor of the Sun God and a barbarian who didn’t believe in any gods.

Ketal spoke.

“Are you really planning to leave immediately? I think you should take enough rest before you go.”

Aquaz, who was lying in bed, did not look well.

Not even a day had passed since they had fought the demon.

It wasn’t enough time to shake off the aftereffects of the battle.

But despite Aquaz’s pale complexion, there was a strong resolve in her eyes.

“We cannot delay.”

Aquaz bit her lip.

“I must inform the Holy Land of this as soon as possible.”

“If that’s your wish.”

“I have already explained the general situation to the lord. Since it’s an internal matter of the kingdom, I can’t intervene any further. The rest is up to the lord’s judgment.”

Aquaz slowly raised her upper body and bowed to Ketal.

“First, thank you. Without your help, we would all have become the demon’s playthings.”

“No need for thanks for saving a friend.”

Ketal grinned.

“So, are we friends now?”

“…I am an Inquisitor of the Sun God. Do you really wish to form a friendship with me?”

“Is there a reason why not?”

“There isn’t, but…”

“Then that’s fine.”

Ketal chuckled heartily.

Aquaz looked at Ketal with a peculiar expression.

Even within the church, Aquaz was someone who was feared, so Ketal’s friendliness was quite perplexing.

But she didn’t dislike it.

“As you wish. I’m not so shameless as to refuse the heart of a benefactor.”

“No, it’s alright. I enjoyed it too. That demon, it was certainly something different.”

“Different, you say.”

Ashetiar, the Demon of Gravitas.

The idea of describing the feeling of crushing such a demon as different made her give a bitter smile.

‘…What kind of barbarian is this?’

“By the way, I’m curious about something.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Aquaz snapped out of her thoughts and composed herself before asking.

“What are you curious about?”

“Why shouldn’t you tell a demon your name? At the time, your reaction didn’t seem like it was just to buy time.”

At first, since nothing happened and there was nothing felt, he thought it was the demon’s lie.

But remembering Aquaz’s reaction at that time, it wasn’t simply a lie.

She was truly shocked. Aquaz opened her mouth.

“It’s a brand.”

“A brand?”

“A name is one of the components that make up a being. Through the name, a dark brand is imprinted deep within the soul. And unless one receives a baptism, the brand cannot be erased.”

The brand attracts evil beings.

It’s like a prey exuding a strong scent of spices.

Historically, those branded either received salvation through baptism or were pursued by evil their whole lives until they met their end.

“I see?”

Ketal’s face showed interest.

“So, does that mean I’m branded too?”

“That… isn’t the case. You weren’t branded, Ketal.”

Of course, there are ways to prevent the branding.

By using mystical means to protect the soul firmly.

A strong enough individual could certainly block it.

But Ketal didn’t seem like he had blocked it.

No. It wasn’t quite the concept of blocking it to begin with.

It was more accurate to say that it couldn’t reach him.

“…It’s ambiguous. Your name is certainly known in Hell, Ketal. But since you weren’t branded, they won’t be able to pinpoint your location.”

The beings of Hell were aware of Ketal but had no way to track him.

It was a very peculiar situation.

“Unless the beings of evil descend directly into this world to pursue you, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Aquaz murmured.

Ketal’s expression became curious.

“A bounty?”

“You could say that… but don’t worry about it.”

Aquaz said.

“Unless you encounter evil, it shouldn’t be an issue.”

And the descent of evil into this world was very rare.

Aquaz believed that Ketal would probably never encounter evil again.

“Well… if that’s the case. But a demon, huh. It’s fascinating. I couldn’t kill it.”

“That’s the nature of such beings. If I had been defeated, unless the continent’s strong individuals moved, the demon couldn’t have been stopped. At the very least, this territory would have been utterly destroyed.”

The defeat of an Inquisitor.

The other churches would be on high alert.

It would take considerable time for them to mobilize properly.

And Ashetiar had enough power to destroy several territorys in that time.

If not for Ketal, this scenario would have become reality, but Ketal seemed puzzled.

“It didn’t seem like such a strong being. It was weaker than I expected.”

“…”

Aquaz swallowed the words that tried to escape her mouth.

She wanted to say it was indeed such a powerful being, but given that it had been toyed with, she couldn’t argue.

‘The Barbarian of the White Snowfield.’

There are many places in this world known as Forbidden Lands.

But the White Snowfield was the largest among them and the least known.

An extreme Forbidden Land unreachable by humanity.

She now realized that Ketal’s presence from such a place was significant.

“But I understand why it couldn’t be killed. Can it only be killed with divine power?”

“To be precise, it’s more of a reverse summoning. When in a territorial state, that space becomes very similar to Hell. Unless it’s a great miracle, it cannot be defeated.”

“That’s quite troublesome.”

Unless one borrowed the power of the gods, it couldn’t be defeated.

It was a problem beyond mere strength.

It essentially meant that without Aquaz, the territory had no way to handle the situation.

“Do such beings appear often? This world seems quite dangerous.”

“No. No, it doesn’t. The descent of a named demon is extremely rare. Especially one in a territorial state.”

Creating a territory requires many sacrifices and a long period of preparation.

Usually, the process gets noticed by the gods and is eradicated before the territory can be established.

But this time was different.

A whole village was turned into a demon’s territory without anyone noticing.

And without the help of a black magician.

By the time Aquaz received the divine oracle, the territorialization had already been completed.

“…How is this even possible?”

Aquaz’s face grew troubled.

This was an anomaly.

An impossible occurrence.

But it had happened.

The world was changing in strange ways.

Aquaz shook her head to clear her thoughts and spoke.

“Still, if it wasn’t for the territorialization, you could have defeated it, Ketal. A normal descent can be reversed using aura.”

“I don’t use aura.”

“What?”

Aquaz’s eyes widened.

“Are you a mage?”

“No. I can’t use mana either.”

“Then a spirit user…”

“No. You seem to misunderstand. I can’t use any mystery. As of now, anyway.”

Ketal emphasized his last words.

Aquaz’s eyes widened further in shock.

“…Mystery?”

“I spoke with Cain. He said my body is a bit unusual, making it difficult to find a path to the mystical arts.”

“W-Wait a moment.”

Aquaz raised her hand to stop Ketal’s words.

After taking a moment to organize her thoughts, her expression turned even more astonished.

Monstrous physical abilities.

Blocking the attacks of the Demon of Gravitas with a single finger, breaking through thousands of thorns with his bare body and charging forward.

Was all of that purely physical strength?

Could someone have superhuman strength using only their physical body?

Aquaz looked at Ketal in disbelief.

Ketal, finding it interesting, stroked his chin.

“So, if it wasn’t a territorial state, could you defeat it with something like aura?”

“Yes. Yes. If the mystical power is concentrated to an extreme, it can perform a reverse summoning.”

“Then if a territorial state is established? Even those called heroes wouldn’t be able to defeat it?”

“Impossible.”

Aquaz answered firmly.

“Unless it’s a great miracle, you cannot defeat a demon.”

Aquaz’s voice carried a certainty as if it were an immutable truth.

This piqued Ketal’s interest.

“So, without mystery, I can’t defeat a demon?”

“You can prevent the summoning, but once the demon is summoned, it would be impossible without the cooperation of believers like me or someone who can wield divine power.”

“Then I’m curious. What exactly is a demon?”

A being that can only be defeated with divine power.

“A being that humans cannot defeat without the help of the gods. Why does such a being exist?”

For a moment, Aquaz closed her mouth.

Ketal tilted his head at the sight.

“Are you alright?”

“Oh, yes. I’m fine. I didn’t expect such a question….”

Ketal’s question just now touched on the roots of evil and divinity.

It was a question that those who had received extensive education and accumulated knowledge within the church often pondered.

The fact that a barbarian, who supposedly didn’t know much about the gods, would ask such a question left Aquaz flustered.

“I can explain, but… it might be a long story. Is that alright with you?”

“I don’t mind. It sounds interesting.”

“Oh, really.”

Barbarians usually dislike explanations.

They prefer simple, physical confrontations over complex discussions.

But Ketal wanted to listen to the story and gain knowledge.

He was indeed unique.

He was more like an intellectual who explored a vast array of knowledge rather than a barbarian.

“In that case…”

Aquaz took a moment to organize her thoughts and began to explain.

Ketal listened with a face full of interest.