Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Demon Order (6)

Lucia kept her gaze fixed on the two approaching figures and spoke calmly.

“They could not endure the contract with Valak… and became ‘Corrupted Bodies.’”

Corrupted Bodies.

Those who had been completely consumed by madness, their bodies and minds entirely eroded by Demonic Aura.

There was no reason left in them. 

Only the impulses of slaughter and destruction remained.

Judging by their faces alone, it would not have been strange if they rushed at us at any moment, yet their movements were surprisingly subdued.

“There is no need to be tense. I am controlling their actions…….”

Lucia reached out and placed one hand on each of their foreheads.

Gurgle… gurgle…….

The Demonic Aura swirling around the Corrupted Bodies churned violently, then surged up along her hands and covered both her arms.

It was so dense that it no longer resembled an aura, but instead transformed into something like black sludge clinging to her arms.

“…Ugh.”

Each time the sludge writhed, Lucia’s expression twisted further.

“Do you realize how insane this is?”

“Just wait. It will not take long.”

Despite my warning, she did not remove her hands.

After several seconds—

Swoooosh…….

The boiling Demonic Aura on her arms gradually calmed, then slowly began to return to the Corrupted Bodies.

“Madness Control…….”

The exclusive ability of a Demon Cult Leader to absorb the madness of believers who serve the same demon.

Before long, all the Demonic Aura had left Lucia’s arms.

“Grrr…….”

“Krrk… kh…….”

The distorted expressions of the Corrupted Bodies gradually became peaceful.

But Lucia leaned against a nearby tree, pressing both hands against her head.

Judging from the occasional groans escaping her lips, she was clearly in great pain.

It was only natural.

These were not ordinary believers, but Corrupted Bodies.

Absorbing their madness would inevitably cause severe backlash.

After barely steadying her collapsing body, she turned to me, visibly exhausted.

“You asked… what I received from Valak as the price, right?”

In my previous life, when I had formed an unfair contract with Valak, I had hurled all sorts of insults at her.

At that time, she had brought me here and explained her situation.

Yes… just like now.

“Valak told me that if he becomes a Top-Rank Demon, he will return my parents to their original state.”

“…Are you out of your mind? What were you thinking, offering something like that as the price?”

Though I spoke harshly, the price Valak offered Lucia was not nonsense.

Since they had become Corrupted Bodies due to a contract with a demon, only a demon could reverse that corruption.

Cruel, in its own way.

“Does that make sense to you now?”

Lucia looked at me, her expression still unmoving.

But it reminded me once again—

She was walking on thin ice in this life as well.

A fragile surface that could break at any moment, sending her plunging to her death.

“Then let us go. This should keep them quiet for about a week…….”

Still not fully recovered from the backlash, Lucia staggered slightly as she headed outside the barrier.

I followed behind her.

…She looked small.

Despite being a beastfolk of similar height to me, her back seemed unusually small.

If someone met her without knowing the full story, they might think she had reached a state of complete detachment.

What nonsense.

She was not calm.

Nor was she fearless.

She was simply struggling desperately to keep her mind from breaking.

Unless she forcibly suppressed her emotions, no one could endure something like this while sane.

A bitter taste lingered in my mouth.

I recalled the memories of my previous life.

She would die in about two weeks.

And her death would become the spark that ignited the war between the Dark Empire and the Holy Empire.

***

The next day, after arranging to meet Lucia and deal with the defectors—

I was currently surrounded by female beastfolk in the hallway of Saengterminum.

“Hello.”

“You are Damon, right?”

“We are first-year students from the Martial Arts Department.”

Beastfolk with different fur textures and colors wagged their ears and tails as they greeted me.

…What is this?

If they were familiar faces, it would be one thing, but I did not recognize a single one of them.

No, it was even stranger.

I had only stepped out of the classroom to use the restroom, and the moment someone shouted that they had found me, a crowd had gathered.

What was going on here?

Hmm… let me think. 

Martial Arts Department? 

Beastfolk?

Realizing the situation instantly, I examined their faces and then glared at a familiar figure among them.

“Eek!”

The beastfolk girl who had called me “blacklisted” the night before at the alley restaurant.

…Sigh.

I think I know why they came.

“Why did you take Lucia with you last night?”

“What exactly did you write in that note? She is not the type to abandon her work and leave immediately…….”

“Answer us. Now.”

The female students glared at me like beasts, interrogating me.

“Why do you not ask Lucia directly? You are in the same department.”

“We did. So did the seniors. But she keeps brushing it off, saying it is none of our business.”

“How can we not worry?”

Lucia had a better reputation than she appeared to.

As a member of one of the Four Great Houses, even for a beastfolk, her physique stood out. 

She had a well-proportioned body and superior physical ability compared to others.

And beastfolk tended to be drawn to strength.

In other words—she was a role model.

“Lucia is amazing in practical classes. She fights boldly and looks cool.”

“We were afraid we might upset her if we pushed too hard…….”

“Ah I see.”

No, that girl should have just made up something simple instead of avoiding the question and making things troublesome.

Well, she was still young.

Fine. 

Let me show you the social finesse of a twenty-seven-year-old mind.

Let us see if you can keep doubting me after this.

“You want to know what I wrote in the note? If you are that curious, I will tell you.”

After a brief pause, I deliberately looked out the window.

“I wrote that I fell for her at first sight and asked if she could spare me some time.”

“…What?”

The students’ eyes widened, and silence fell over the hallway.

I continued, pretending to be bitter.

“Just like you, I quite liked Lucia.”

“……”

“It was fine until we went out together… but I told her I liked her and asked if she would go out with me right away. She said it was ridiculous since we had just met.”

“……”

“Haha… thinking back on it, I might have been too hasty.”

“……”

“It was the first time I felt that way.”

“……”

I drove each word in like a nail.

The effect was immediate.

“Ah…….”

Their expressions turned solemn, like people who had committed a grave sin.

“S-so that is what happened…….”

“We had no idea…….”

“W-we are so sorry…….”

“Hey, this is your fault!”

They apologized repeatedly before quickly scattering.

Watching them leave, I smirked inwardly.

Heh, naive fools.

This is why dealing with kids is easy.

After saying that much, there was no way they would dig deeper.

Rumors might spread since other students were around, but I was far past the age to care about such things.

Hmm.

As I turned to head back to the classroom, someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.

“I happened to hear everything, Damon…….”

Lloyd looked at me with pity.

“It is good that you are honest about your feelings, but as you said, you may have been too hasty.”

“…What?”

“Still, do not be too disheartened. These things happen. After all, half the world is made up of women.”

“I am fine, okay?”

“I like that unyielding attitude. This will surely become a valuable experience for you.”

“No, seriously, I am fine, you idiot…….”

Ignoring Lloyd, who had clearly misunderstood everything, I returned to the classroom.

***

That afternoon, during class, I thought about the drawbacks of Auto-Casting.

Through my battle with Lucia, I had confirmed that I could alternate between Black Magic and Holy Magic in real combat.

However, I could only use one Mid-Rank Holy Magic through Auto-Casting at a time.

If I tried to activate two, my heart could not handle the strain, and I would struggle to even breathe.

I asked Yulia about it.

“Do not worry. That is a side effect everyone who uses Auto-Casting experiences.”

“That is a relief. So it is not just me.”

As I turned to leave after hearing what I needed, Yulia spoke again, sounding slightly concerned.

“Um… may I ask how you plan to solve the problem with Auto-Casting?”

I explained the solution I had come up with.

Magic could only be used after understanding its formula.

But Auto-Casting allowed me to use Mid-Rank Holy Magic without fully understanding the formula.

“The more I use Auto-Casting, the more I start to understand how the formula works.”

Holy Magic was still based on formulas.

For example, I only understood about fifty percent of the formula for Grace of Strength.

As I continued using Auto-Casting, that percentage would increase, and the burden on my heart would naturally decrease.

“If I keep experiencing the Mid-Rank Holy Magic I cast through Auto-Casting and understand the formula… I should eventually be able to interpret it on my own. Then I will be able to use multiple Mid-Rank Holy Magic spells.”

“Hehe… I was worried for nothing.”

Yulia smiled in relief.

That meant my approach was correct.

“Oh, but…….”

She hesitated.

Was there something I missed?

“I heard from Viole… that you got rejected…….”

“…Why does news travel so fast?”

I was genuinely surprised. 

It had not even been a day.

Seeing my displeased expression, she quickly tried to comfort me.

“P-please do not feel too down. We are still young, right? There will be more chances…….”

“……”

I think I underestimated the speed at which rumors spread among teenagers.