“Senior, you’re late.”
Already, all the meal preparations were finished, and the table was filled with dishes. Everyone was seated around it, awaiting just one person.
Five chairs, one of which was empty.
Everyone subtly turned their heads to check the time, and it had already been over an hour since Alicia left. Usually, an hour would be too short a time for a typical demon extermination mission. But considering Alicia’s skills, an hour was more than enough time to deal with a Lower Demon.
“…I’ll reheat it.”
Already cold due to the passage of time, Lindy picked up the stew and headed back to the kitchen. Noticing this, Presia also stood up from her seat. However, it wasn’t to assist Lindy.
As Presia moved, the bear that had been sitting on her thigh jumped off. The tokki also wiggled free from Luna’s grip and scampered down from under her hand to the floor.
“I should go check, anyway.”
“Huh? Do you know where Senior is?”
“Because I forged a contract with Alicia the other time… Unlike before, we can now clearly determine her location. We can even vaguely gauge her condition.”
The temporary contract magic they had used before wasn’t on the same level as this. They had suffered greatly over the past three years, having no idea where Alicia was. Although it lacked the additional function of boosting combat ability, common in other contracts, this one was fine-tuned solely to better sense the contractor’s state—Alicia’s state.
It was specifically for moments like this.
“Wow, Master! Next time, please consider me too. I don’t mind being exactly like you, but even an indentured mark would be satisfying!”
“Hold on. I know where she is, but I don’t know exactly where that is. Let me go check since I know the route. We’ll go together.”
Lindy returned from the kitchen with a warmed dish—not food but her bow in hand—as she spoke to Presia.
“Me too! Me too!”
In the end, it was only natural that everyone seated at the table went along with Presia.
Of course, nothing might have happened to Alicia. But if something really did happen to her because they thought too lightly of the situation… Back then, three years ago, they could at least excuse themselves by saying Presia had left without anyone knowing while unconscious. Now, there wouldn’t even be an excuse; guilt would only grow heavier.
Two humans, one elf, one demon, and two dolls set off to find Alicia.
*
“Just over that hill, and you’ll find an abandoned shack often used by local thugs. She should be hiding there.”
“Thank you for your guidance. Everyone can head back now.”
“Although she might try to escape, we will wait outside just in case.”
Two individuals hidden in observation roles, one as a guide—there was no need for such excessive manpower. High-level creatures like Upper Demons would not allow such low-level threats to get away. These three people didn’t need to stay longer. Normally, by now, they should have been spending time with their families like I would have loved to do.
“Don’t worry. With the Holy Sword, I can sense the mana of the Lower Demon hiding inside the shack. There’s no chance of it escaping, and even if it does, I can catch it quickly.”
“Still…”
“If you keep doubting me, I’ll think you don’t have faith in my skills, you know?”
“Understood. Thank you for your hard work.”
After excusing the people, I silently made my way to the shack. I approached without making a sound, peering inside. A demon leaning against the wall, scanning its surroundings warily, seemed fully alert for anyone coming.
But what good would that do? It didn’t even notice me observing it through the window.
Naturally, a Lower Demon wouldn’t have the ability to perceive my stealth. The demon would only be aware of me when I deliberately revealed myself. Even in its dying moments, the demon wouldn’t see me.
Still, I couldn’t linger outside forever. I entered by opening the creaky door of the abandoned shack.
Indeed, it creaked loudly—an old, broken door in an abandoned shack after all.
As expected, the demon’s gaze turned toward me immediately after hearing the sound. Instead of attacking me immediately like most demons would, it made a beeline for the window to escape.
“Tsk. Where are you going?”
Good judgment, but even better initiative in action. Unfortunately for the demon, its enemy was me.
I grabbed its hair and slammed it into the floor. The wooden floor cracked slightly, but since there was no owner, it wasn’t a problem. If anything, Lindy would take care of the cleanup.
“Urg… So the trackers finally caught up?”
“Huh? Trackers?”
“Damn humans. My Lord Demon King will surely…!”
“Ah. That’s a cliché. Rest in peace.”
Apparently, there were trackers chasing this demon in addition to the traps and ambushes it had set. Since there was no need for interrogation, I swiftly pierced the demon’s heart with the Holy Sword to save time.
The demon dissolved into ash, purified by the Holy Sword. The ash was blown away by the wind seeping in through the opened door.
By now, they must all be waiting for me, and they haven’t eaten dinner. As I stood to leave…
“Escaped demon traces lead here.”
A voice outside the door caught my attention. By the sound, they were the trackers the demon mentioned earlier. Something about the voice seemed familiar.
Even though I had remained calm while killing the demon, my heart suddenly started racing upon hearing the voice. I tried to suppress the wild beating as I stepped outside the shack.
“Definitely here… Hmm? The demon’s scent disappeared suddenly… and this smell is unmistakably…”
As I pondered silently walking away or explaining that I had already dealt with the demon, the faces of the trackers began to emerge from beyond the hill.
Then it hit me. Why the voice sounded familiar. Why my heart was racing like this.
Why a single tear trickled down my cheek.
“Cel…”
“El…”
Why were Selian, Anne, Yuli, and Mariel here? Such questions could wait.
The first emotion that hit me was joy. I had thought I would never see their faces again, but fate had unexpectedly brought me face-to-face with everyone I had longed for in memory over the past three years.
But I couldn’t express my joy, nor could I just stand here staring. I had sinned against them, breaking promises and leaving without regard. I didn’t have the right to face them.
Instead of celebrating our reunion, I hid myself in the shadow of the falling night. Three years was a long time, but not long enough to surpass certain limits. Neither Selian, who hadn’t fully recovered her strength, nor my friends, who hadn’t yet reached our level, could stop me.
“Ghost everyone! Surround them!”
But I underestimated the situation.
As expected, Linne shouted in that familiar voice of hers, and the ghosts, centered around Yuli, quickly surrounded me. It would be pointless to try to escape through the ghost barrier since it would only expose my hiding. Just as I prepared to leap over the ghosts…
“Haaa!”
Bang!
Before I could push off the ground, Anne’s fist struck the ground first.
Even though she just struck with her fist, the earth around where Anne struck surged upward, causing me to lose my balance as the terrain collapsed. Luckily, my concealment remained intact despite the disturbance.
Yes, my stealth was flawless. Even an Upper Demon wouldn’t be able to detect it.
“Please bear with the pain just a little longer.”
Thud!
“But… How… Celian?!”
Even so, why? She shouldn’t have been able to detect me, yet I heard Selian’s voice from behind just as a nasty strike landed.
I needed to run, but my legs wouldn’t obey. I could feel myself tilting, the ground rushing towards me. However, before I fell completely, a gentle hand caught me.
“If there’s any injuries, I’ll heal you, so don’t worry. Sir Hero.”
The gentle voice belonged to Mariel. But through my fading vision, the only thing I saw was a mace hanging from her waist—one I’d never seen before.
What has happened over the past three years…
My thoughts never fully formed as I lost consciousness the moment my eyes closed.
