READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Bang, bang!
“Uncle!”
“What’s the commotion?”
“That’s… I’m sorry. The situation was urgent…”
Screech…
Marus opened the door at the sound of Mawen’s voice.
Drip… drip…
Rainwater dripped from Mawen’s robe.
“What were you thinking, going out in this downpour?”
“It’s him. He… he appeared in Riudira!”
“…Him?”
Mawen answered with a voice that sounded like metal scraping.
“Kal Kurso! The serial killer bastard showed up!”
“…Your voice is loud.”
“I apologize…”
“Are you sure?”
Marus asked, and Mawen hesitated before nodding.
His sincere reaction made Marus grab the buckler and longsword hanging on the wall.
They were equipment that he had never stopped taking care of for a day. The buckler shone like a mirror, and the longsword could probably cut even the falling raindrops.
Screech…
Screech…
As he descended the stairs, Marus asked Mawen.
“A lantern?”
“That… I was in a hurry… A torch maybe…”
“A torch is useless in this weather.”
Whooosh…
A holy light emanated from Marus’s fingertips.
[Marus uses the Guiding Light.]
[It illuminates a certain range.]
“Let’s go.”
“Yes! He might still be in the city.”
“Don’t stray from me.”
Mawen nodded, feeling reassured.
“Yes, uncle!”
Clank! Clank!
The alleys were so muddy that even Marus, who had been a knight for a long time, felt uncomfortable running.
“Excuse me!”
The place where Mawen took Marus was the place where he had found the corpse last night.
Rumble-!
With a thunderclap, the sky flashed and…
The corpse soaked in the rain came into view.
“This guy…”
“…Yes, it seems to be him.”
“The one who ran into us this morning.”
“The mercenary who said he was chasing Kal Kurso.”
“…He was unlucky.”
Marus examined the mercenary’s eyes closely.
A scar from a sharp weapon.
The wound that crossed both sides of his eyes was so horrific that it was easy to guess why Kal Kurso was suspected to be a demon.
It was so gruesome that anyone who saw it would scream.
Fortunately, the two who were here had seen enough corpses to not show any agitation on their faces.
“There’s another victim.”
“Show me.”
A little distance away, the victim that Mawen mentioned was lying down.
With skin swollen from the rain.
“That’s the demon boy.”
“…Yes, it is.”
“Mawen, what do you think?”
“What do you mean…”
“Until noon, you seemed like you wouldn’t care if this kid died. But… now you look a little different.”
“…You’re right. I didn’t think he would die… No, I didn’t think he deserved to die.”
“It’s a futile death.”
Swoosh…
Marus touched the boy’s hair.
“Death is equal. Everyone deserves to be mourned.”
“…I may have hated him, but that wasn’t the right thing to do. I’m sorry, uncle.”
“Hatred is a worthless emotion. Control it and control yourself. Set your own standards for what’s really important.”
“Yes.”
“Did you meet the village chief?”
“I sent Freya.”
Freya was the party’s priest.
Like Mawen, she was still a rookie.
“You did well. Any traces of the beast?”
“That’s Dale’s…”
From afar, Dale, the vanguard of the party, came running.
“Huff… Huff… Huff… Mawen!”
“Dale!”
“Kuhuk… Huff… Huff….”
“Take a breath first.”
“I lost him… Huff… Damn it… It had to rain and erase the traces… Huff….”
Mawen frowned at Dale’s words.
“Did you chase the beast?”
“Yes. But… I lost him.”
“What about the guards?”
“They… They seemed to be unconscious at the time of the incident. They didn’t wake up for a long time no matter how hard I tried.”
“…It was planned.”
“He already left this village.”
“Which direction?”
“…The Great Forest.”
Boom!
Mawen slammed the floor with his fist.
“Damn it! That bastard!”
“Hmm….”
“Uncle, did you find any clues?”
“There is a suspicious spot that I have in mind.”
“Is that true?”
Mawen summarized the situation.
“Tell the truth to the village chief and come to me when the situation is settled. All of you.”
“Right now…”
“I need some time to sort out my thoughts. It might be my fault for all this.”
Soon after, the incident that plunged Riudira into terror at night was over.
Thump, thump.
“Come in.”
“Yes.”
Four people entered Mawen’s room.
“What did the village chief say?”
“He’s keeping it quiet. He said there’s nothing confirmed yet. He said he would help us, but he’s acting like a host…”
“That’s understandable. The appearance of Cal Curso in this small village means that they could be targeted at any time. They probably don’t want any outsiders to come near the Great Forest.”
“Uncle, do you think this is all Cal Curso’s doing?”
“It seems to match his style. Of course, this is also based on what I heard about the previous incidents, so I can’t be sure… But there was something strange.”
“Strange… What do you mean?”
Mawen spoke with a grim expression.
“That sword scar, I’ve seen it on the front lines.”
“The front lines? You mean…”
“I’ve seen similar scars on the members who were attacked by the demons. They were using similar swordsmanship.”
“Is that true!? Then…”
“Cal Curso’s identity might not be human. For example… A demon…”
“A demon…”
Mawen seemed to have grasped the clue of the mysterious incident.
He had been listening quietly to Mawen and Mawen’s conversation, but Dale couldn’t contain his curiosity and joined the conversation.
“Mawen, you said you had a suspect in mind…”
“Yes. Mawen, didn’t you notice?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“There’s something I didn’t tell you.”
“You hid something from me? What do you mean…”
“Didn’t you feel anything from the young man you met? The one who helped you?”
“…No.”
Mawen’s pupils shook in shock.
“Don’t tell me, Fon, that guy…”
“He’s a demon.”
“……”
“……”
The room was silent as a mouse.
“I can tell. He’s not human.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I hoped that your long-standing hatred wouldn’t cloud your eyes. I thought it would be a good opportunity for you. That’s the first reason I didn’t tell you.”
“…The first reason? You mean there’s another reason you couldn’t tell me?”
“Yes, this is also related to my past experience.”
“What…”
Mawen got up and closed the window that was raining.
Creak…
“The night I first saw the devil, I was able to smell that horrible creature ever since.”
“…Is that true?”
“The faint traces of the hated beings, the basis and the curse of my pursuit of them even after I retired from the Paladin Order.”
Mawen smelled the devil.
“Then…”
“I smelled the devil from Fon.”
“My God…”
“He’s either a devil worshipper or related to the demon resistance.”
“Why didn’t you arrest him right away!”
“If I had arrested him right away, I would have lost the opportunity.”
Opportunity?
Mawen’s eyes flashed.
“Don’t tell me… You let him go on purpose?”
“Yes.”
“To chase the devil?”
“Yes.”
Mawen was disappointed by his uncle’s decision.
“How… Because of that decision, two people died in vain.”
“No. I saved more lives.”
“……”
“If we lose track of the devil now, this mistake could bring a disaster to the empire.”
“But… To ignore the lives of the people in front of you…”
“Are you saying you would have made a different decision? That would be just for your own comfort?”
“……I’m sorry, I was confused and misspoke.”
Drip, drip…
Swoosh…
It was still raining.
“There’s nothing certain. But if we miss this, we might lose the last chance.”
“Then…”
“Pack your bags, we’re going after Fon. That kid.”
Where?
They all thought of the same name.
“To the Great Forest.”
* * *
Swoosh…
Clank…
Clank…
Forced march for days.
I told Bill to stay in Riudira. There was no one who could catch up with me in a single breath, piercing through the rain, once I left the village.
‘What about Cal Kurso… Could he do it?’
Even if he could, Bill didn’t need to stay by my side. If I really faced Cal Kurso, Bill wouldn’t be able to avoid the tragedy either.
The dungeon, the Rotten Root, was not far ahead.
I could have lost my way if I had crossed the same forest for two days, but the body connected to the dungeon didn’t wander and reached the destination.
Also, the Great Forest was not always the same scenery. There were sections where the adventurers’ hands had touched, where a suspension bridge was laid over the canyon terrain, or where a signpost was made.
Humans liked to make everything more convenient.
That’s why such maintenance was often done in places like the Great Forest.
But since such maintenance had hardly been done recently, it couldn’t shed its oldness.
“Haa… Haa…”
I seemed to have caught a cold from the long rain.
My body was hot.
Why did it have to rain so hard at this time?
No, maybe that’s why I was able to get away.
‘…They’re coming.’
I found out about a day ago that Mawen and Marus’s party were following me.
I saw them from a far distance, and they were desperately chasing me. By now, they must have come quite close.
‘Do they think I’m Cal Kurso?’
Or, there might be another reason.
The murder case that happened in Liudia this time might have been just a diversion.
“Once I cross this bridge…”
A precarious suspension bridge appeared.
A shortcut across the canyon.
It would take more than a day to reach the dungeon if I bypassed this bridge.
It was ironic that I, the owner of the dungeon, was enjoying the facilities that the adventurers had made.
Squeak…
An unpleasant cry.
The sound from the suspension bridge made my heart cold.
Squeak…
I had to move carefully to reach the other side.
‘Why did it have to rain…’
The old suspension bridge was shaking and unstable more than usual because of the rain that had been pouring for days.
Squeak…
When I almost crossed the bridge.
Splash!
My body swayed with the sound of water splashing.
“Ugh…!”
I moved my center of gravity forward as much as possible and grabbed the remains of the bridge.
Crack…
“Haa… Haa…”
I barely survived.
I slowly grabbed the debris and climbed up the cliff.
Swoosh…
Someone’s hand popped out from the edge of the cliff.
A white and smooth hand.
The nails were well groomed.
“…Lucifer.”
“Have you returned?”
Her hand pulled my hand.
“Huff… Huff…”
“You seem to have had a lot of trouble.”
“Yeah…”
My body condition was bad.
It felt like fire was coming out of my heart.
At some point, I suddenly felt angry.
‘But why… do I have to run?’
The incident happened in Riudira, but it had nothing to do with me.
But anyone who wasn’t a fool could tell. The moment I was pointed out as the culprit, my death was confirmed.
And no one would doubt that outcome.
Why?
Because I’m a demon.
I was born as a demon in the new world, and just because of that, I became like a sinner.
I realized that fact just by bumping into humans for a moment.
I felt that I had to confirm the source of this uncomfortable feeling here.
I gave Lucifer some instructions, and she nodded and answered.
“I understand.”
So, Lucifer left and came back after a while.
“Did you call me?”
The dark elf queen Ariel came out of the dungeon and stood by my side alone.
“Can you find people in this forest?”
“Are they moving fast?”
“Probably.”
“Are they alone?”
“There are several of them.”
“I found them. Which one are you looking for?”
I told her about Mawen’s impression of me.
Swoosh…
And then I pointed with my finger to the other side of the rope bridge I had crossed.
“Over there, bring that guy to me.”
“I’ll have to make him lose his way.”
Swoosh…
Ariel’s magic spread throughout the forest. Soon, the opposite side of the forest emitted a strange force along with a bleak fog.
Swoosh…
Rustle…
After waiting a bit, a man emerged from the forest and stood in front of the broken rope bridge.
“…Fon?”
“Mawen.”
He looked at me with disbelief in his eyes.
With a lot of doubt in his expression.
“Uncle said. Fon… you betrayed us.”
“…”
“You’re a demon… right? Aren’t you?”
Swoosh…
As I shook off the uncomfortable energy that wrapped around my body, the color of my pupils and hair changed from gold to black.
Swoosh…
As if the color was washed away by rain.
“…You betrayed us.”
“Is it such a big deal? That I’m a demon.”
“That’s…”
Even if I was a demon, there was no reason to suspect me of the murder case in Riudira.
Mawen shook his head and said.
“What else did you lie about? Did you trick me?”
“You approached me.”
“Cal Curso… right? That’s your name.”
“…”
“Isn’t that the look of someone who’s been hit the mark?”
As expected.
They think I’m Cal Curso.
Or, someone pushed them to think that way.
“What if I say no? Would you believe me?”
“…Have you ever met a devil?”
“…”
This question.
Have you ever seen a devil?
It was the question that Marus threw at me.
A bit strange. Why do they link this matter with the devil?
“I have nothing to do with the village’s murder.”
“Answer me! Are you related to the devil?”
Whether I’m related to the devil or not… Of course, I should answer with a lie. But, I didn’t want to do that.
“…What if I am?”
As if he was certain of something by my answer, Mawen shivered and warned me.
“Hahaha! …Then I can’t let you go.”
Yes.
That’s why I called him here. I wondered why I had to be toyed with by them.
“Mawen, I have one question.”
“Shut up! How dare a demon like you…”
“Who gave you that power?”
“…What?”
“Disgusting. You just kept looking for a reason to judge me.”
“That’s because you deceived us…”
“Is it such a big deal that a demon pretended to be a human? That I had an equal conversation with you?”
“You, you are related to the devil and you are not innocent of the village’s murder…”
“No… No. Don’t lie to yourself, Mawen. You just hate that I’m a demon, don’t you?”
Mawen’s expression hardened.
“Don’t make assumptions…”
“I have nothing to do with the murder case in Riudira and my identity is not Cal Curso. This should have been enough for an answer, but still, you want to chase me?”
Mawen nodded.
“Yes. If you are related to the devil. If you are a demon.”
“…”
“No! Even if you are not related to the devil, you have to come with us. You have to prove that you are harmless.”
“…That’s funny. By what right?”
“By the right of humans, to judge the demons.”
The conversation was over.
Demons and humans have always been like this since the War of Dominance. I felt the difference between knowing and understanding.
A relationship that can never mix, killing and being killed.
“Faust.”
“…What?”
“My name. Not Cal Curso or anything… Faust. You’d better remember it well.”
“…”
Swoosh…
“Your last words might not say a different name.”
“Fon!”
As I turned around and walked away.
If you want to chase me, go ahead.
Which one of you is Cal Curso?
…It doesn’t matter who.
“I’ll kill you all.”