The True Identity of the Demon 3
“Oh my, I have no intention of abandoning my humanity,” Liliana replied, her smile widening in amusement.
Petra, clearly exasperated, shook her head and looked at the reconstructed monsters Liliana had created.
“Well, I don’t really expect you to stick to human limits anyway... But why did you reconstruct them?”
It seemed Petra had given up trying to decipher the spell formula Liliana had devised.
“When they’re alive and moving, it’s hard to get a good look at them with all the miasma in the way, right? I thought it would be easier to examine them like this,” Liliana explained.
“I see. They just look like regular animals to me, though.”
Petra nodded and walked closer to the barrier, observing the monsters. Liliana nodded in agreement as well.
“Yes, they look like ordinary animals to me too. I wonder what could cause them to possess such extraordinary physical abilities and magical power.”
“Hmm... I really don’t know,” Petra replied, tilting her head in thought.
Despite ongoing research into monsters, the infrequency of their appearances meant there hadn’t been many samples to study. The increase in monster sightings had only started in the past year or two, and no significant breakthroughs had been made.
(Their body composition isn’t any different from normal animals. They even have blood circulation...)
When a monster was cut, it bled. In terms of body composition—its skeleton, muscles, and internal organs—the monsters showed no significant differences from regular beasts. Even the proteins and hormones that made up their organs didn’t show any major discrepancies. Although this world didn’t have the means to perform such detailed analysis, Liliana could do so with magic. If there had been any differences, it could have provided a clue—but there weren’t, and Liliana sighed in frustration.
“Next time, we might need to capture one alive.”
“...What?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to capture one alive? That way, we could observe its living state,” Liliana suggested.
Petra turned to Liliana, momentarily wondering if she had misheard. Liliana tilted her head innocently, a gesture that was quite endearing—but what she was proposing was anything but.
“How exactly are we supposed to capture a monster alive? They use magic, you know. We’d have to put them in a magic-suppressing cage to keep ourselves safe. But if we do that, we won’t be able to study them.”
“If they’re alive and conscious, it would indeed be difficult to analyze them,” Liliana agreed calmly, nodding in response to Petra’s concerns.
Petra’s eyes widened as she realized what Liliana was implying.
“Are you seriously suggesting we remove the monster’s consciousness? You’re not joking?”
Monsters don’t lose consciousness. As long as their bodies remain intact to some degree, they continue to wreak havoc, attacking anything in sight. Even if severely injured, they keep moving and fighting until their bodies are completely destroyed.
But Liliana didn’t seem bothered by Petra’s pointed remarks. Her expression remained unreadable, and her tone was so serious it was hard to believe she was joking.
“Yes, I’m quite serious.”
Petra narrowed her eyes, studying Liliana closely. Even though she understood Liliana’s seriousness, she still found it hard to believe. Sensing Petra’s doubt, Liliana didn’t go into further detail.
“I haven’t tried it yet, so I’ll test it myself. If I get another chance, I’ll show you the results.”
“...I’m not sure if I should be hoping for that opportunity or dreading it.”
The “opportunity” Liliana was referring to would likely come during another battle with monsters. While Petra was curious about how Liliana intended to remove a monster’s consciousness without killing it, she certainly didn’t want to encounter another monster if it could be avoided.
As Petra sighed in her conflicted state, Liliana deactivated the barrier surrounding the monsters. With a whisper, almost like a prayer, she spoke:
“<Vanish.>”
The fragments of the monsters disintegrated into dust, carried away by the wind like grains of sand. The particles caught the moonlight filtering through the trees, shimmering white like the Milky Way in the night sky.
*****
――――Deep within the forest, a miasma so thick it sends chills through the air grows.
A young girl, her cheeks puffed up, walked alone with her heart racing in excitement for her first adventure. She walked cautiously, lighting her path with magic.
(Is this—Prohen Forest?)
Liliana stared in astonishment. She had parted ways with Petra in this forest and had used teleportation magic to return to the mansion and sleep.
(Ah, is this a dream?)
She thought to herself. The girl walking alone in the dark forest, illuminated only by her own magic, was Tania Draco, whom she had met just a few hours ago. The forest, which should have been engulfed in darkness, was only slightly illuminated.
“Everyone treats Tania like a child. I’ve already started studying magic before Belastar, so I’m an adult now.”
At the age of six, being able to attend magic lessons was a great honor for her.
“Safflower, juniper, burdock. Hehe, Tania can remember them all just fine.”
Having a good memory was a point of pride for Tania Draco.
“Ben-sama had a teacher when he was five, so even though I’m only six, I can already help Ben-sama.”
Her eldest brother, Ben Draco, was renowned for his excellence within their family. Having been appointed as the Vice Director of the Magic Department at the youngest age in history, he was Tania’s idol. Although Belastar had been quite rebellious recently, Tania found it absurd. To Tania, “Ben-sama” was the most wonderful and amazing person in the world. She thought that Belastar was childish for opposing such an incredible person. As a result, Tania had been avoiding conversations with Belastar recently.
Recently, Belastar seemed to be practicing magic control more seriously than before. Tania felt a pang of anxiety about being overtaken, but she still felt a bit better, thinking that she was far ahead. Therefore, Tania was determined to become an even stronger mage than Belastar and become Ben-sama’s right hand.
“To do that, I need to strengthen my magic. Even though the teacher said it's still too early, if I keep waiting, I’ll fall behind. I’m not an ordinary girl.”
Her increasing chatter was due to her growing fear of the darkening forest. However, Tania was unaware of it. If she were conscious of her fear, she might become paralyzed and unable to move.
Unlike the city, the forest, dense with trees, darkened quickly. However, absorbed in searching for medicinal herbs, Tania had not noticed the change.
“――――?”
She felt a ripple in the air. Tilting her head, Tania dismissed it as a mere illusion and continued walking. The next moment, black mist began to form around her.
“――!?”
Monsters began to appear one after another.
Even Tania realized and stopped in her tracks. She hurriedly cast a barrier around herself, but since she had just started serious magic training, her barrier was weak. Furthermore, at just six years old, Tania could not maintain her composure in the face of ten or so monsters.
The monsters seemed to have identified Tania as their prey. They fixed their mad, dark eyes on her and roared, exhaling a foul breath. Tania’s face turned pale with fear. The barrier she had set up to protect herself dissolved.
The first monster raised its sharp claws towards Tania. Overwhelmed with terror, Tania, unable to scream or defend herself, crouched down and covered her head.
Just as it seemed the monster’s claws would tear into Tania’s small head――at that moment.
A dying scream echoed through the night.
Feeling no pain, Tania looked up in confusion. Standing in front of her was a robed woman, glaring fiercely at the monsters before her.
“Seriously, Belastar is making such a fuss about you being missing, so I came to find you. What are you doing here?”
“A, P, Petra――”
Tania called out the name of the person who had saved her with trembling lips.
Petra Muirulainen ――Petra was the only person Tania had ever felt close to outside her family, and she was Ben-sama’s important friend. The conversations between Ben-sama and Petra were so complex that Tania could not understand them. Feeling left out and constantly frustrated by her inability to match Petra’s prowess, Tania had always been envious.
In front of the stunned and speechless Tania, Petra fought off the attacking monsters with her magic. Realizing she needed to fight as well, Tania finally regained her composure. She stood up and tried to step in front of Petra. But the timing was far too unfortunate.
“Get out of the way, you’re a nuisance!”
“What are you, so arrogant――!?”
The monster’s fangs attacked Tania as she bit back reflexively. Petra, who had incinerated the monster on the opposite side with fire magic, sensed that her attack against the monster attacking Tania would be too late.
“――――Tch!”
Petra quickly pulled Tania into her arms, shielding her. The monster’s fangs sank deeply into Petra’s side. The fangs seemed to be laced with a potent poison. The searing heat spreading from her side and the chilling cold attacking her entire body nearly made her lose consciousness. Even without the poison, the miasma from the monster’s wound would be enough to make her situation dire—being struck by a poisonous monster’s fangs was nothing short of bad luck.
“Petra――?”
Tania, protected in Petra’s arms, looked up at her face. Petra mustered her remaining strength and drove a dagger hidden beneath her robe into the monster. With the monster’s grip loosened, Petra managed to escape its fangs and set it ablaze with fire magic. The bleeding stopped, but the poison that had entered her body could only be purified with healing magic. Unfortunately, healing magic could not be used on oneself.
“Ugh,”
Breathing heavily, Petra collapsed on the spot. It was only then that Tania noticed the blood flowing from Petra’s side. Her young face turned pale.
“Petra――”
“Be quiet,”
Petra, on the verge of death, used her last bit of strength to teleport with Tania to a familiar room.
“Muirulainen!?”
Amid her fading consciousness, Petra heard a voice she never expected to call her by name. She sensed the presence of a man desperately casting healing magic. When she opened her eyes, she saw a blurry, pale face.
“――Please, please――don’t die, Petra.”
The first time he called her name was both gentle and sorrowful.
Petra, in her dazed state, thought, call me by name when I'm conscious, coward, though she could not voice it.
“Stay alive, Petra.”
Over and over, the man called out to Petra, who was unconscious. Petra later heard from Paul, Ben’s milk brother, that the man had been desperately caring for her with clumsy hands.
The man who had picked up the orphaned Petra after she lost her mother in the war, named her Muirulainen, and took her in at the Magic Department was Ben Draco. He was not present when Petra woke from her severe injuries. Although Petra had recovered and returned to her daily life with a large scar on her side, Ben Draco had been cold towards her. Petra had also been unable to speak to Ben, and time passed. Tania cast glances full of unspoken words at Petra each time they met, but Petra ignored them.
Paul said Ben probably felt guilty for Petra protecting his sister. However, Petra did not address him, maintaining a mocking smile.
Why would she be spoken to by someone who avoided her?
“――This coward.”
She could not bring herself to utter those harsh words directly. The fear of being rejected if she reached out was the greatest—was it Ben or herself who was the coward? With a self-deprecating expression, Petra never tried to approach.
She never imagined a day would come when she would regret it. Despite knowing all too well that there is no such thing as forever.
******
Liliana woke up, staring blankly at the ceiling. It was the familiar ceiling of her mansion.
“――A dream?”
It felt too realistic to be a dream. She sighed deeply, her face pale.
After returning from the monster hunt, Liliana had compared the <record> of the miasma she had analyzed with the components of normal air. Exhausted from the hunt, she had pushed herself to make the comparison as soon as possible. As expected, she found a clear difference in the air's composition. The miasma contained toxic substances such as sulfur dioxide and hydrogen cyanide. These toxins did not react with each other but remained suspended in the air, separated.
Having confirmed this, Liliana decided to rest due to her exhaustion. It was so severe that she might have dreamt a nightmare. Telling herself this, she struggled to move her fatigued mind. Her hands trembled slightly, and a cold sweat dampened her entire body.
“What does this mean? It wasn’t a real event――was it?”
If it had been a real event, it should have followed the sequence where Tania is attacked by a monster, Petra protects her, and then Liliana is called in. However, in the dream, Petra did not call for Liliana and sustained severe injuries. Therefore, it wasn’t a dream of a real event.
Liliana had experienced lucid dreams before, all following the scenarios of the game. Yet, the dream she had just had was a story not featured in the game.
Neither Petra nor Ben Draco appeared in the otome game from her past life. Naturally, scenes of Petra helping Tania in the Prohen Forest and sustaining severe injuries, which would lead to a deteriorated relationship with Ben Draco, were not depicted. Such scenes were not included in the official setting materials or related products sold.
――And yet, they appeared in Liliana’s dream.
“Is this a premonition of what’s to come? No, that can’t be.”
Liliana sat up, murmuring to herself. Tania would not repeatedly venture alone into the Prohen Forest. Though Tania was a bright girl for her age, she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice after such an incident.
Feeling an odd sense of anxiety, Liliana clutched her chest with her right hand. However, her racing heartbeat showed no signs of settling.
She felt a clammy sweat trickling down her spine.
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Chapter 57