102

The boy, having cried himself out, fumbled and began to recount yesterday’s events.

Late last night, Anton returned home soaked from the rain.

They had expected him only in the morning, so both the boy and his wife were surprised.

His wife hastily prepared a meal for her hungry husband.

However… the meal went cold.

From that moment the boy’s memory shattered into gaps.

Screams and bloodstains.

A flashing blade and rough hands.

The boy was dragged—dragged somewhere.

All the while he prayed desperately.

That someone would save him.

From the monster wearing his father’s skin.

And then—

─Crack

Something smashed the monster like one would crush an insect.

It was….

“It was a giant being in the shape of a dragon.”

The boy ended his story there.

Hamel thanked him and stroked the boy’s head.

It matched Hamel’s expectations.

At first the pieces didn’t fit, but now the situation was clear.

‘It would be good to broaden your view. Look at the forest, not the trees.’

There are two kinds of demons in this village.

One is Apophis, a dragon-shaped being that crushes humans to pulp.

The other is an unidentified monster that controls people and abducts boys.

‘He said Apophis killed ten people.’

The boys and Anton’s wife.

It’s an exact number if you exclude the missing guard.

That means the slaughter in the village is Apophis’s doing.

At the same time, another presence is slowly eating away at the village.

No, perhaps….

‘Perhaps Apophis was protecting the village from that monster.’

What if the other humans Apophis killed had also been controlled like Anton?

The situation might be far worse than it first appeared.

A small harbor like this could literally vanish overnight.

Hamel bit his lip at the chilling thought.

“First, we should go to the place Anton patrolled.”

“Seems like it.”

Ono agreed and nodded.

The spot where a comrade disappeared and where Anton had been turned into an empty shell—there might be traces there.

“Let’s go find the captain of the guard. He’ll know Anton’s patrol area….”

“I… know.”

At that moment the boy opened his mouth, clutching his hands tightly.

His eyes were resolute, different from before.

“Where is it?”

“A pier attached to the shoreline. It’s close from here.”

The boy raised his hand and pointed toward the sea—the direction his father had been dragging him.

“…Thank you. Let’s go rescue the boys.”

Hamel bowed his head in thanks at the boy’s courage.

A bitter feeling rose in him, too.

The boy had become an adult overnight, as if Hamel were looking at himself.

Nevertheless….

He would find those boys no matter what.

Just as he was now.

What he wanted to protect.

What made him happy when shared.

“Be careful.”

The boy clasped his hands and said it to Hamel.

‘Ah….’

Only then did Hamel realize his worry had been unnecessary.

The boy was already worrying about others.

He was not the narrow-sighted child he once knew.

At that fact Hamel smiled again.

Human goodness does not lose its light even amid cruelty and violence.

It was by no means smaller than evil.

The silver-haired woman strolling the shoreline kept twitching her nose, then frowned and murmured under her breath.

“It’s awful.”

The lingering scent of magi prickled the tip of her nose.

And the unmistakable briny tang of blood.

Eleora Saint Winterborn was certain what she had been searching for was here.

“Come out quickly, please? I haven’t slept and I’m tired.”

─Kya ha ha ha ha

A laugh echoed from between the rocks as if in response to Eleora’s plea, then abruptly stopped.

A cold, icy female voice followed.

“A presumptuous bitch.”

“I hear that often.”

Eleora retorted without blinking and flicked her hand.

An ice spear shot up from the ground.

Grasping the spear and twirling it once, she spoke leisurely.

“Would you die quickly? I want to be praised by the lord.”

─Sssssk

No sooner had she spoken than something crawled from the crevice.

A half-human, half-snake.

At first glance, the lower half resembled a silk snake.

Notably, she had eight hands.

The snake-woman glowered at Eleora and muttered.

“…And she’s rather pretty. Unlucky for me.”

“Oh my, thanks for the compliment.”

“Shut up.”

The other woman’s face puckered at Eleora’s reply.

When the snake-woman gestured, swords materialized silently in the air—six blades in an instant.

Two hands remained empty.

Her curiosity lasted only a moment.

“I’ll ask just one thing.”

The snake-woman lowered her swords and spoke.

Eleora tilted her head.

“What is it?”

“Who do you think is the most beautiful in the world?”

“….”

Eleora propped her chin as if pondering, then lifted her head and answered.

“Well, one thing’s for sure: it’s not you.”

“…I might have to tear your mouth a bit.”

In an instant the snake-woman surged forward—fast.

But that was all.

─Thud

When Eleora struck the ground with her spear, ice stakes sprouted up everywhere.

“Guh!”

The snake-woman slashed through them as she advanced.

As expected.

She was not a difficult opponent.

Judging by her magi, she was no great threat—mid-grade at best, maybe high-grade.

‘Well, a high-grade demon in such a small harbor would be nothing short of a disaster,’ Eleora thought, and hurled her spear.

“Heh heh.”

The snake-woman’s mouth curled in a briny smile as she drew near and turned her two empty hands behind her back.

‘What is she up to?’

A sinister premonition flashed through Eleora’s mind.

She realized something: the snake-woman had never shown the back of her body since she first appeared.

The next moment, the snake-woman revealed what she’d been hiding.

It was….

─Flinch.

Eleora froze mid-lunge.

“P-please spare us.”

Two children wept—their faces were the ones the boy had pointed to with his spear.

Then—

“Kick.”

A briny laugh accompanied a powerful strike that hit Eleora.

─Bang!

Like a bomb, Eleora’s body slammed into the rock crevice.

“Cough.”

Blood poured as she struggled to breathe.

A single blow had shattered bones and torn her insides.

The destruction far exceeded expectation.

Judging by that power alone, she surpassed high-grade.

No—this is….

“It’s super-class.”

Eleora spat pooled blood and slowly raised her head.

Her attacker crawled across the sand toward her.

The being that had seemed an ordinary half-snake, half-woman now radiated a wholly different presence.

Among super-class demons, one fit that form and cunning.

A snake for the lower half and a beautiful woman above.

The immortal Lamia.

Why would a super-class demon be in a rural village?

And why mimic an unremarkable demon—laying a trap to prey on victims?

Eleora pieced the incident together.

‘Ah.’

It wasn’t about her.

She had merely come across this domain by chance.

Then the true target was the lord of this place, the young Saint, not her.

‘Is that what it was?’

Eleora forced a bitter smile and reached for her talisman.

She had to fight with all she had, even now.

Even if it was too late, she could at least deal some damage…

“Ah, if I flick my finger just once more, these children will die.”

─Flinch

Once again her motion halted.

She clenched her teeth and stared at the Lamia.

The Lamia held the children’s throats in her two empty hands, twisting them.

With a little pressure she could snap their necks like twigs.

Hesitating, Eleora finally let her hand fall limply.

The Lamia chuckled with delight.

“So it’s true. The famous Ice White priest has become trash, I’ve heard.”

“….”

“When she dealt with the Rasmar calamity her younger sibling died, and she retired as an exorcist right away, didn’t she? So whenever she sees young boys she thinks of her sibling, huh?”

“Where did you hear that…!”

Eleora’s eyes widened.

Her trauma had been a secret known to only a very few within the order.

Instead of an answer, the Lamia’s tail whipped in.

─Crunch-crackle

The thick tail coiled around Eleora and squeezed like a juicer.

“…Huff!”

Her face, once as white as snow, flushed red.

Bones cracked; parts of her body began to break.

The Lamia watched with hungry excitement.

“Say that arrogant thing again like before.”

─Crunch

“…Kuh.”

Eleora groaned as the pressure increased, and the Lamia’s expression brightened.

She exhaled eagerly.

“Or scream, at least. How pitiful if you howl like a dog. Who knows? I might spare you.”

“….”

Eleora remained unmoved.

Veins bulging and complexion bluing, she offered no other reaction.

“Tsk. Boring.”

The Lamia uncoiled her tail.

Eleora’s ragged body rolled weakly on the ground.

Crawling, she weakly opened and closed her eyes and realized how foolishly she had been trapped by past shackles.

Perhaps Hamel, that young Saint, could catch this monster.

For now, she could do nothing but rely on him.

Eleora forced herself into optimistic hope and steeled her resolve.

“Not even a scream until the moment of death—how stubborn.”

The Lamia muttered with disgust, then curled her lip and continued, humming a pleased tune.

“Are you sure it’s this way?”

“There’s nowhere else.”

Hamel walked the shoreline and stepped onto the sand.

Last night’s rain had washed away footprints, but there weren’t many places along this shore to hide.

“It should be around here….”

Just as Hamel was about to apply holy water to his eyes, he spotted something in the distance.

Signs of a struggle—evidence strewn on the ground.

─Flinch

A twitch caught the corner of Hamel’s eye.

He ran.

The closer he got, the clearer the traces became: a dress matted with blood and sand, and white hair.

“Lady Eleora…?”

Ono murmured behind him, dazed as if he couldn’t believe it.

Even as Hamel drew near, Eleora did not move.

Her fingers were bent backward; the joints of her limbs were shattered.

Her mouth had been torn apart.

The signs pointed to deliberate, prolonged torture.

Still….

“She’s alive.”

Hamel quickly kindled Azure Flame.

There was neither time nor strength to set bones.

First priority: keep her breathing.

‘If she keeps breathing, she can be saved.’

He couldn’t restore missing parts, but he could mend broken and slashed wounds.

So for now….

“Ono, take care of Lady Eleora.”

“What? Not treating her right away, what are you…”

As Ono began to object—

─Whoosh

Six swords shot up from the ground.

But—

─Clang!

They struck Hamel’s swinging sword and sent up red sparks.

Having anticipated an ambush, Hamel parried easily.

“Kya ha ha ha ha. You’ve got some sense, don’t you?”

The half-human, half-snake monster that emerged from the sand laughed loudly.

Hamel nodded calmly.

The reason the opponent hadn’t finished Eleora and had left her alive was clear.

“Because she’s obviously bait.”