The Forest Race Clonne

Chapter 15

“I’m Lisa Avil, the Head of Research in the Supernatural Abilities Department of the Operations Team. I will now begin the report.”

The name sounded familiar. Lisa Avil, an alchemist and a mage, once held the title of the youngest successful candidate in the Security Department until I broke her record.

‘Now she holds the title of the youngest head of department.’

She began her report calmly, holding a staff and casting a short spell. A halo of light rose and formed a shape in the center. It was the form of the species that had recently attacked the Imperial Palace.

“As you know, what you are seeing now is the intruder who attacked the Imperial Palace. He is also the true culprit behind the serial murders that claimed eight victims. As you can see, it is a species we have never encountered before.”

In the slightly murmuring atmosphere, the Research Department Head continued explaining. She detailed the characteristics revealed: skin color, nail length, skin thickness, and the number of teeth. This explanation went on for some time. Finally, a man from the Imperial Guard raised his hand when she mentioned the assumption that the being was a cannibal.

“Is it really a human and not a monster?”

“Yes, although it was killed before we could conduct a more detailed investigation, the witness statements confirm it’s an intelligent creature capable of reasoning.”

“But cannibalism… How can such a being be considered a species?”

“There have been cases of cannibalistic species before. According to ancient texts, there were some races with such characteristics.”
”

The Research Department Head scanned everyone with a dry look.

“They were referred to as Demons.”

“…”

A peculiar silence followed. Confusion and disbelief were apparent on everyone’s faces. I supposed my expression wasn’t much different.

That was an ancient creation myth.

In the beginning, when the Creator God formed and ruled this land, there were celestial beings who served Him. However, some of them fell from grace and opposed the Creator God, calling themselves Demons and began to terrorize the world.

As the world became desolate due to the Demons’ havoc, the Creator God eventually drove all the Demons into the Dark Realm. He then divided the two worlds completely and appointed sentinels to guard the gate, ensuring no one could cross between them. Thus, peace was restored to the world.

“Is this a mythology class now?”

Someone grumbled in a disgruntled tone. However, the Research Department Head remained calm.

“Not all myths should be dismissed as mere fiction. There are traces of these stories in our world. The Dragons, which are considered the greatest and most powerful beings on the continent, are proof of this.”

According to the myth, Dragons were also a race that allied with the Demons. On the ‘Day of Judgement,’ when the Creator God punished them, they repented and sought forgiveness, allowing them to remain in this world.

While there is no concrete evidence that Demons existed, the presence of Dragons is undeniable. The Elten Mountains, teeming with monstrous creatures, fall within the Dragons’ territory. Occasionally, the scales and claws of Dragons are discovered.

“Are you saying that was really a Demon? Do you mean to suggest the gate to the Demon Realm has been opened?”

“To be precise, it isn’t a Demon. We believe it to be a byproduct derived from the Demons.”

The person had asked half-mockingly, but the response was exceedingly serious. There was no trace of a smile on the Crown Prince’s attentive face. People’s previously skeptical expressions began to sober.

“According to records, some monsters influenced by the Demons’ aura evolved into sentient beings. This race was called the ‘Scal’—commonly known as the Demonic Beasts.”

“Demonic Beasts?!”

“They are much weaker than Demons and are closer to beings of this world. Thus, they were not banished to the Demon realm on the Day of Judgement. However, they were still dangerous to leave unchecked. Therefore, they were sealed underground in this land.”

The projected image changed. This time, it was an ancient text densely packed with writing.

“These are ancient records on the Demonic Beasts. I’ll summarize the interpreted parts. ‘The Scal have green skin, manes on their backs, eyes like reptiles, alligator-like tails, and raptor-like feet. They enjoy human blood and practice cannibalism.’ All these characteristics match those of the recent intruder.”

The atmosphere grew significantly heavier. As the reality sank in, everyone present swallowed nervously. Even if the gate to the Demon Realm hadn’t opened, it was clear the seal of the underground world had been breached.

“I-Isn’t this a huge deal if it’s true? Just one of them wiped out an entire squad of the Imperial Guard. That equates to the force of thousands of soldiers. Can human power even contain them?”

“They could, if they were capable of mobilizing an army right now.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Amidst the urgent stares, the Research Department Head changed the illusion to another ancient text.

“According to the records, what is sealed is not the Demonic Beasts themselves, but rather something akin to seeds. It seems that if the seal is broken and the seeds sprout, it will result in the birth of individual Demonic Beast in this world. Think of it as an extinct species being resurrected and reproducing.”

“So, their numbers are currently small?”

“Yes, and it appears they need time to build their strength. The attack on the Imperial Palace seems to be evidence of this. If they were already powerful enough, they wouldn’t have needed a lone attack.”

It was fortunate news amidst the misfortune. Just as the pallid faces seemed to regain a bit of color, the Crown Prince spoke up.

“With this, we should ask ourselves a question: Why did they reveal themselves before they were fully prepared?”

The Crown Prince, who had been quietly listening, began to speak.

“As you all know, the attack on the Imperial Palace wasn’t merely an indiscriminate assault to devour humans. The intruder clearly had a purpose when it infiltrated the palace, going so far as to throw away its life.”

A heavy silence fell this time. The Duke of Rouster’s expression was particularly grim. Seeing the normally impassive Duke fail to conceal his anxiety suggested there was more to the story. The Crown Prince, maintaining a calm demeanor, spoke again.

“For those who don’t know, let me clarify. It’s officially announced that the intruder faced off against the Imperial Guard in the West Palace and was killed. While that is true, there’s an undisclosed fact involved in the incident.”

“An undisclosed fact…?”

“At that time, the Emperor was resting in the West Palace.”

“…!”

“Currently, His Majesty is in critical condition.”

The news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving everyone stunned.

“During the evacuation, it was reported that the Emperor was splashed with the creature’s blood. For some unknown reason, he has not woken since. Researchers have concluded that the Demonic Beast’s blood acts as a mysterious poison to humans.”

“The attack was specifically targeted at His Majesty the Emperor. I believe a force aiming to overthrow the palace revived the Demonic Beasts.”

No one objected to that statement. From that moment, I quietly accepted that my future was thoroughly entangled. This gathering was far too serious for mere witness testimonies.

“For now, it will be announced that His Majesty is taking a vacation for health reasons. The issue is that the Foundation Festival is only three months away.”

The expressions of those present grew even grimmer. The Foundation Festival was the second most significant celebration after the Emperor’s birthday. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country flocked to the capital to participate, and delegations from various nations also attended.

“The Foundation Festival is a proclamation of the empire’s strength to the world. If His Majesty doesn’t attend this event, it will become evident that something has happened to him. Therefore, we must find a cure before then. This is the reason I’ve gathered you all here today.”

“…Do you have any solutions, Your Highness?”

It was clear he hadn’t gathered everyone just to state the obvious. When someone cautiously asked, the Crown Prince’s eyes deepened.

“Have you ever heard of the Lupinus fruit?”

* * *

“Sei, good morning.”

I turned to see who had greeted me so energetically. Camille, smiling brightly, took a sharp breath upon seeing my face.

“What happened to your face? You look so haggard. Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep again?”

“And why do you look so fine, Lord Camille? Did you sleep soundly?”

“Well… Hey, you really didn’t sleep?”

“It’s not that I didn’t sleep, but that I couldn’t sleep. How could anyone sleep after what happened yesterday?”

I had tried to lie down and sleep. But as I tried to figure out where everything had gone wrong, the morning sun had already risen. Camille clicked his tongue as if understanding.

“You really have a tendency to dwell on unnecessary things. Even when you were a kid, you stayed up all night pondering and blaming yourself over a single wrong problem. Turns out it was a mistake in the answer key.”

“Shut up.”

“Another problem is your foul mouth when you’re tired.”

If you know that, don’t provoke me. I glared at him, and Camille raised his hands in surrender.

“We don’t have a choice in this anyway. Just accept it calmly.”

“You must be happy to see things so simply, Lord Camille.”

“You’re the one making it complicated.”

Am I really? I sighed as I watched Camille return to his seat nonchalantly. The nightmare-like events of yesterday were still vivid in my mind.