Chapter 8
The Mother Impregnated with Love
Part 4
After parting ways with the exorcists, we decided to make camp in the forest some distance from Miscar Town.
Originally, we had planned to stay at an inn in town for the night, but it seemed there were no inns in that exclusive town. Furthermore, after the earlier incident, I had no desire to stay in that town any longer.
Even on the road leaving town, my Master’s expression seemed somewhat dark.
“Akatsuki, you don’t need to worry about what that pregnant woman said. There’s no need to relate it to our situation.”
“Yeah, I know that logically…”
My Master turned a clumsily constructed smile towards me, trying not to make me worry. I couldn’t find any more words to say. Usually, my Master prepares the meals, but since they seemed tired today, I asked to ‘be allowed to handle it.’
Though my Master usually declines, today they thanked me and went straight into the tent.
While working, I glanced towards the tent and could see them reading from an old file and some papers through the translucent entrance flap.
Thinking they might be hungry since they had barely eaten during the day, I quickly made some soup and served it with bread. After eating, my Master’s complexion seemed to improve a little.
Even after the meal, while I was cleaning up, my Master continued looking at the file and papers with a serious expression in front of the campfire.
I made coffee and hot milk, placing the hot milk in front of my Master.
“Why don’t I get coffee?”
“You look sleepy. You seem tired, so it would be better for you to rest soon.”
“Muu…”
My Master rubbed their sleepy eyes and took a sip of the hot milk. They continued quietly turning the pages of the papers, and after finishing the last page, they let out a deep sigh.
“Are that file and those papers the thing you were looking for?”
I asked while drinking my post-meal coffee.
“Yeah… This file contains records about the first humans on whom the soul magic succeeded. The papers are about the spell formulae. But it seems all the important materials were taken to the Kingdom of Armania long ago…”
The papers apparently came from that pregnant woman’s backpack. My Master said they seemed suspicious after being told repeatedly not to look inside, so they took them when they saw a chance. I wonder if that woman planned to live forever with Ozma using this magic. It’s pitiful, considering Ozma was just using her.
“But when I first woke up after the memory transfer in the Kingdom of Armania… it had already become a place where I knew no one… It was like that when I met you too. I wonder why that happened…”
“…Putting aside the true reasons, the rumor in the demon world is that it was suddenly destroyed overnight. But I doubt any research materials or other information remain in that kingdom.”
“Mh… I hope you’re right… Fuaah…”
After letting out a big yawn, my Master tossed the file and papers into the campfire. The worn-out file and papers quickly caught fire, crackling and turning black in an instant.
“Is that alright?”
“…It’s better if these things don’t exist. That’s why I came here.”
After confirming the file and papers had completely turned to ash and crumbled away, my Master yawned hugely again. Their head occasionally lolled forward, and their eyes were constantly half-closed. It wouldn’t be strange if they fell asleep at any moment.
As I draped a blanket over my Master’s shoulders, they leaned and slumped against me. Their eyes were almost fully closed, and it seemed they were at their limit for staying conscious.
“I’ll carry you to the tent. I’m going to lift you now.”
I firmly scooped up my Master’s body—who likely couldn’t even process my words—in both arms and headed for the tent. Using manipulation magic, I opened the entrance flap and gently laid them down on the floor.
“Dia… Tomorrow, let’s leave this place early…”
“Yes, that’s the plan.”
“Be careful… I think that red-haired person was suspicious of you until the very end. So… we have to… get away…”
Leaving those words, my Master’s eyelids closed completely, and they fell asleep. I re-adjusted the blanket over my Master, who had begun to breathe slowly in sleep. I watched them for a while, clapping my hands to make noise and poking their cheek, but they were fast asleep with no signs of waking.
I whispered ‘Good night’ and left the tent.
“However, it seems this works even on my Master, whom demon hypnotism doesn’t affect at all.”
I picked up a small vial left near a rock we used as a makeshift cooking table. It contained several small white pills. They looked like ordinary medicine, but in reality, they were a potent, tasteless, odorless sleeping pill for humans. I had mixed a few into the soup I served my Master.
In the demon world, some keep humans as pets, so shops stocking human supplies aren’t rare. And most of them sell items not easily obtainable in the human world. Not just sleeping pills for humans, but even poisons can be bought normally in the demon world. It was an expensive purchase, but it was the right decision to buy it for emergencies.
According to the instructions on the label, unless something extreme happens, they should sleep deeply for about ten hours without waking. I used gate magic to open a door and hid the sleeping pills in a place my Master would never find.
Then, I erected a barrier around the tent and carriage. It was a powerful barrier, just like before, that blocked all sound from the outside.
Now, no matter what happens outside this barrier, my Master won’t wake up for a while.
“Haa, Master is so naive. That’s why others often take advantage of you.”
Stepping outside the barrier, I gazed up at the sky. I let out a deep breath, and a black, mist-like magical power spilled from my feet, enveloping my entire body.
Having returned to my original demon form for the first time in a thousand years, I could even see the form of a pigeon flapping its wings in the distance.
◆―――――――――◆
Scarlet, having confirmed that the pigeon carrying the summarized report tied to its leg had flown off into the sky, let out a sigh and stretched.
Just to be safe, she tried contacting the Exorcist headquarters in Forestlake using the communicator, but the fog was too thick, and the connection wouldn’t go through. She adjusted the device repeatedly, but without specialized knowledge, it seemed futile.
She thought she had prepared as much as possible for a safe return, knowing they were coming to a closed-off town. But with irregular events piling up, a look of impatience was visible on Scarlet’s face.
“Lady Scarlet, perhaps you should get some rest soon?”
Hearing Plume’s voice from behind, Scarlet turned around.
Even Plume’s face showed unmistakable fatigue.
He was the one who had set up almost all the teleportation magic circles in the town. It was fair to say he was the most tired among the members.
It would have been ideal if they could send the report via teleportation magic, but the distance from Forestlake was too great, making that impossible.
“Maria has given birth safely and is now resting. ‘Safely’… though it was a stillbirth…”
“Good work. I wondered what would happen for a moment with that unforeseen situation, but thanks to Liza’s knowledge about childbirth, we managed.”
“Yes, Chronoa provided solid support too, which was reassuring. I was just panicking in the back the whole time… Haha…”
It seemed the scene had been quite hectic, as they hadn’t brought any supplies anticipating a birth.
Maria was a felon. But they couldn’t just let her die. They needed information from her about escape routes and the detailed circumstances, and above all, she needed to atone for her crimes.
Although Maria had initially struggled violently, the excruciating pain had forced her to calm down. Now, with Liza’s healing magic having mended the wounds it could, she was resting, but she apparently needed to be seen by a proper hospital soon.
They couldn’t carry the stillborn child with them for days, so they had made a small grave and held a funeral.
While all this was happening, it had grown completely dark around them.
They truly wanted to return to Forestlake as soon as possible, but Plume and Chronoa were taking turns driving the carriage. Considering the current state of the two, who were accustomed to handling horses, Scarlet couldn’t ask them to push themselves further.
“I’ve also finished preparing the report, though we only have the carrier pigeon. I’m sorry for putting all the burden on everyone.”
“What are you saying? Lady Scarlet, as our leader, you guide us firmly. Everyone else is grateful too.”
“Hearing you say that helps. Thank you.”
Unlike when she was in Miscar Town, her expression softened into a smile.
Although Scarlet usually had a stern face that gave an unapproachable impression, she showed this gentle side to the comrades she trusted.
Just as the tension was beginning to ease during this peaceful moment, Scarlet felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding and looked up at the sky.
She didn’t know why, but she got goosebumps. She looked around to find the cause, but Plume seemed to feel nothing and tilted his head in confusion.
Then, staring at a specific point, she hurriedly took out binoculars from her luggage and looked through them.
Sensing this was no ordinary matter, Plume also looked in the same direction as Scarlet.
There was a small dot in the dark night sky. It seemed to be moving slightly. Plume couldn’t tell what it was, but through Scarlet’s binoculars, the identity of the dot was clear.
The figure of a demon with large, crow-like wings flapping was visible.
From its head, covered in black hair reaching its shoulders, grew two large, reddish-black horns.
Its ears were long and pointed, and its skin was dyed jet black, as if blending into the night. And its face, along with the countless red eyes visible on its wings, was staring directly at them.
When Scarlet raised the binoculars, she thought she saw it smile faintly, as if impressed.
Sweat burst from Scarlet’s forehead. She felt a chilling sensation down her spine.
Scarlet was a veteran exorcist. She wasn’t startled by bizarre, non-human appearances at this point.
But she recognized that demon.
Long ago, in the old, non-public records of the Exorcist headquarters… a terrifying demon with an appearance like that was documented.
Now she understood why the name ‘Diabolos’ had felt off. The records stated it had suddenly disappeared a thousand years ago and was probably dead, so she hadn’t paid it much mind until now.
Where did I make the wrong judgment?
Was it wrong to trust them? No, if the information in the records was true, even a surprise attack would have resulted in us being defeated. Was it wrong to detain them? Was it just bad luck…?
She could see the demon raising its right arm towards them.
The distance was too great to fight back. A barrier spell wouldn’t make it in time.
“I’m sorry…”
The muttered words were filled with deep regret.
More than the impending death before her eyes, her heart was filled with remorse for failing to guide her comrades to safety until the end.
The carrier pigeon had likely been disposed of as well. She had tried everything she could, but she regretted not being able to deliver this record to headquarters.
Before Plume could understand the true meaning of her words, an intense impact was rushing towards them.
Scarlet and Plume didn’t even have time to scream before being utterly disintegrated into dust without a trace.
Yet, Dia’s pursuit didn’t stop.
Wave after wave of shockwaves were released, destroying everything in their path.
By the time a moment had passed, Miscar Town too had vanished without a trace.
