Chapter 175: Serenity

  “I can’t… find anything…”

  John had been running around the village, trying to gather information. It’d been a few days since they’d arrived, and his results weren’t very promising.

  Nothing. He had found absolutely zero pieces of information that could help him.

  The only consolation was that he was now aware of why gathering intel was so difficult.

  The first part of it was his identity. Or, rather, his lack thereof. As a mortal, he had no status, no accomplishments, nothing to cause the Ninetails clan to trust him. All they knew was that he was a guest of Kit, and that wasn’t much to go on.

  If he were to use his analogy of bugs, he was just an interesting bug someone had brought into the house. If you were a nice person, you might give the bug a pile of sugar or something of the like, but there was simply no point in giving it a book or anything sensitive.

  He didn’t have the luxury of being affiliated with Quaesitor Veritatis here. If it came to it, he could try using their name, but he had a feeling that would only backfire. He’d abused it enough.

  Logically, it wouldn’t hurt to use the name. It seemed prestigious enough, even among Mystics. However, he had a feeling that the [Author] wasn’t pleased that he was using the name as a free pass everywhere he went.

  The second part that made things difficult was simply the fact that he didn’t know where to start. All he knew was that Sofya had been given a letter that contained traces of the Ninetails clan. From this, two conclusions could be drawn:

  First, the Ninetails were colluding with the Demon King. Such an event was definitely possible in this kind of story. A clan betraying the mortals of Devfroth seemed like an interesting twist. If that were the case, John definitely couldn’t just ask about the letter outright. Doing so would lead to expulsion or death, and neither option was favourable.

  The second possibility was that the letter had simply passed through the clan, or that somebody else had made the letter and asked the Ninetails to pass it on.

  In both scenarios, though, there was no realistic way to gather intel. There was nothing like a library he could investigate, no meetings he could sit in on, and he couldn’t really think of anything else that might hold secrets.

  “You good, John?” Destiny said one morning.

  At the very least, their living conditions were comfortable. The house they’d been provided with was of high quality, and everything within it was well-built. The air was fresh, the weather fine, and best of all, everything was free.

  Had they not been in the midst of the [Story], this would have been a nice vacation.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” John muttered, rubbing his face.

  He noticed Prota looking at him worriedly and smiled at her, but he couldn’t hide the bags under his eyes. As a last resort, he’d tried staying up several days in a row, listening for footsteps around their house, but there was nothing. Even with his body, staying up for that long was bound to take a toll.

  “Are you sure?” Destiny frowned. “What have you been doing, anyway?”

  “Just looking around,” John sighed. “I mean, what am I supposed to do here anyway?”

  “Well… hold on a minute. Why did you come here in the first place?”

  John shrugged. “Look after Prota.”

  “That was a lie.”

  John grimaced. “You’re using your lie detector now?”

  “You look awful, John. Really. I haven’t seen you this wrecked for a while.” The hero looked around, then turned back to John, lowering his voice. “The paper. You’re trying to investigate that, right?”

  John’s eyes widened. “You remember that?”

  “Of course. Even if you didn’t come, I was going to investigate it anyway.”

  John grimaced. “Yeah. We should stop talking about it now.”

  Destiny nodded, his expression grim. He hated to act so carefully in the hometown of his mentor, but the alternative was being exposed and losing any semblance of progress.

  “Anyway, how’s your training going? Learning anything interesting?”

  The hero’s eyes lit up at that question. Even Prota seemed excited now.

  The rest of breakfast was spent on lighter topics. John listened with detail, because knowing his companions’ capabilities was something he’d need to keep in mind.

  Destiny’s main issue stemmed from his inability to use his massive mana pool. John had reacted with mild disgust, given the fact that he himself could have suggested such a thing, but then again, there were probably things Mystics could help with that John couldn’t.

  Regardless of who the advice came from, the fact that Destiny had yet to use his true powers remained. Of course, some of it was reserved for his special ability, God Slaying Sword, but he could always use more powerful spells.

  “Have you told this Kang guy about… you know, your ability?” John said, taking a sip of juice.

  “Not yet. Do you think I should?”

  John opened his mouth, but no words came out.

  “John?”

  “...wait for now. Is it something you need help with, by the way?”

  “No, not really,” Destiny said, shaking his head. “I can use about fifty percent of it at most, but even then it’s unstable. If I can get used to using more mana…”

  “Gotcha. I’ll suggest something soon, then.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  Prota’s turn came next. As usual, her speech was quite brief, but John could vaguely understand what she was saying.

  Her path to improvement was something the Elder was having a tough time with. Her control over mana was so incredibly precise that, at first, he wasn’t sure as to what he should do.

  Destiny had interjected then, saying something Prota would’ve never said.

  “He said her control over mana was unlike anything he’d ever seen,” Destiny explained.

  “What does that mean?”

  “He explained it like this: usually, living beings can influence mana. This is why chants help with control. We don’t have the means to fully control mana and bend it to our will. The only one who can really do that are the gods, if legends are correct, and gods can’t interfere with the world anyway. Mystics also have better control, which is why their spells are better.”

  “...makes sense. So what’s this about Prota?”

  “According to his senses, mana actually dislikes her. This is why she can’t regenerate mana naturally. Normally, ambient mana sort of floats into one’s mana core, but it doesn’t do that with Prota. However, when she casts spells, it’s as if she’s forcibly commanding mana to do what she wants. She’s grabbing it and bending it to her will. The only thing that makes her control worse is the fact that the mana is actively resisting her.”

  “Resisting… her?”

  “Not consciously. It’s more like magnets pushing off against each other. Mana just seems to be incompatible with Prota.”

  John looked at Prota, eyes wide. Just what was going on?

  “Does he know anything else?” John said.

  “He knows she can use Soul Steal. Otherwise, no.”

  John nodded slowly, motioning for Prota to continue.

  Apparently, her next step was to simply learn more magic, as well as to cast her base spells more often. As of the moment, she was still primarily using first-circle spells, and while they were efficient, they would no longer be strong enough.

  She needed to use things like Blossoms regularly. This wasn’t possible for others, but it was possible for Prota, who could draw a nearly endless amount of mana provided her body could keep up.

  As a result, the Elder had taught her a more advanced form of mana recovery known only to Mystics. Destiny had learned it as well, but it would be Prota who used it the best. It wasn’t very different; it merely restored one’s body and energy at a faster rate.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  However, that was all Prota needed.

  She was slowly adapting to it, but casting multiple Blossoms was something she was slowly adapting to. Frozen Flames could be thrown intermittently, and her more powerful spells were no longer things she needed to hesitate before using. Of course, this all required some adaptation, but she was definitely growing stronger.

  It was strange to think that the spells that had gotten them out of such tight situations were now base-level spells, but then again, their enemies had grown that much stronger.

  If Prota fought Mise now, even if the dwarf fought at full strength, she would likely win. Of course, the Frozen Flame that had deflected a Final Stand existed, but that was an anomaly and always would be.

  They finished breakfast, and the two powerhouses went off to train some more. John remained at the table, letting out a sigh. They were growing well, but that worried him a little.

  Would they really have to fight Mystics?

  “Seriously…”

  He pulled out a strange-looking gun from his pocket dimension. According to Zero, it was the only weapon he’d be allowed to use. Otherwise, he was stuck with his swords that came with [Infinity] and whatever other resources he could find.

  The weapon gleamed in his hands. It was a futuristic-looking thing with no slot for a magazine and no scope. While it had the vague shape of a revolver, there was no cylinder, and the barrel was surrounded by some strange metal. John looked at it, not without a little fear.

  “Do I get something this time?”

  John put the weapon away. For now, he’d rest. At the moment, there was no trouble brewing, and he could afford to take a break. It would be a shame to waste this pretty village on nothing but work.

  “Maybe they have hot springs here. That would be nice…”

  ~~~

  Destiny was busy going nuts with his mana. In the week they’d been here, he’d already managed to push his core from S to SS rank, almost doubling the amount of mana he could use.

  The rank system was an exponential one rather than a linear one. The difference from A to S rank couldn’t even begin to compare to that of S to SS rank. Then, SS to SSS rank would be even greater.

  Destiny’s latent potential was even greater than that. He just had to figure out how to manage it first.

  Prota, on the other hand, was stuck at what seemed to be an S-rank core. At this point, though, determining a “rank” for her core was no longer viable. The issue wasn’t the amount of mana she could hold. The issue was that her body wasn’t standard relative to other living beings on Devfroth.

  According to the Elder, her mana core wasn’t natural. To begin with, it was strange that her mana core was not comparable to others. She always had access to less mana than her peers, even though their cores were meant to be of the same level.

  As it turned out, her core wasn’t very compatible with her body. This was merely a theory on the Elder’s part, but they had no other information, so this was the most plausible explanation for the time being.

  Since Prota and mana weren’t very compatible, the mana inside her body wasn’t residing there naturally; it was actively trying to escape. Due to Prota’s control, she was capable of keeping it within her, but this was something that was actively being forced at all times. Her core was definitely capable of holding more, but it was never truly full due to the fact that mana was constantly escaping.

  However, this wasn’t an issue that needed fixing. Prota could constantly cycle mana using her staff and other living beings. As long as her core was big enough to cast the spells she wanted to cast, that was all that mattered. And, as she cast more and more spells, that limit would naturally widen anyway.

  Her next step, then, was working on a new type of spell.

  She hadn’t explained her learning process or anything to the Elder, but that didn’t matter. He wasn’t here to teach her in the way a mentor did; he was here to teach her how to grow stronger. His methods might not be practical, but that was fine.

  What he had to show her was a new type of domain.

  “Hm… domains are typically reserved for Mystics, yes,” he said, nodding as he stroked his beard. “But you seem to do it quite well. So- uh. Um. Ah, yes. Domains. This is one I made myself.”

  The air slowly grew warmer as the Elder continued to talk.

  “Domains are usually good for spells. But- um. Right. What if they were also spells?”

  The air grew hotter and hotter. Prota could sense the mana responding to the fire element in the air, but it was doing more than that. It was actively affecting the environment as well. Not only was the mana changing type, but as it was doing so, it was affecting the environment as a spell.

  Quickly, whatever the Elder had been doing was stopped. However, the message was clear.

  A domain could also be a spell. Prota wasn’t quite sure how it was done, but she would figure it out. It couldn’t be that difficult. The natural state of mana reacting to certain elements would definitely make for an easy spell, after all.

  Suddenly, a memory came back. Back when she’d been trapped in her illusion, when she’d been fighting the other Prota. She’d used a spell and a domain at the same time, and while she didn’t quite remember what she’d done, the base had been established.

  It was something she could do. She just had to do it again.

  “Ho ho. I see you understand something. Um… what was that something… ah, you’ll figure it out.” There was a glimmer in Kang Loy’s eyes. “You’re a bright one. I have faith in you.”

  ~~~

  As it turned out, the Ninetails clan was filled with some very kind people. For the past few days, John had been wandering around the town, and now, he was being invited into people’s homes. The downside to this was that they were treating him like a lost puppy, but it was better than nothing.

  From what he could tell, the clan was quite neutral and happy with their life. Many of the Mystics here hadn’t even seen a demon war and were merely enjoying their life. There were a few older Mystics who had been around, but their sense of urgency had dulled with time.

  “The last demon war was over five hundred years ago,” one Mystic explained.

  Her name was Rina. She was a Ninetails who looked far more aged than any Ninetails John had seen. It wasn’t like it was something of particular note, but many of the Ninetails he’d met were young in appearance. Many of them were a few centuries old at the very least, but they all looked like they’d stopped their aging process at the age of thirty. The only ones he’d seen that broke this pattern were Elder Kang Loy and this particular Mystic.

  She’d invited him in after seeing him wandering the streets. When questioned, she’d simply said that he seemed interesting for a mortal. John wasn’t fond of [Characters] who called him interesting. They often knew too much, or suspected him of something he’d rather not show. In any other scenario, he would’ve turned such an offer down.

  However, this was his only lead. He’d simply approach things carefully. Besides, there was no reason to really doubt anyone at the moment. He was more concerned about his own words and actions, and that was easily controllable. Thus, he decided to ask about the past Demon Wars, something any mortal might ask. It wouldn’t give him answers, but it might give him a place to start, and this was what had led to the current conversation.

  “I remember it vividly. The enemy generals were powerful. Very powerful,” she said, shaking her head. “It was a terrible war.”

  “Hold on,” John frowned. “You’re speaking like you couldn’t beat them or something. Are you saying you fought in the war?”

  Rina laughed. “Of course!”

  “Wh- what about your rule saying you can’t get involved with the affairs of mortals?”

  “Oh, that?” The Mystic smiled. “The affairs of mortals involve things that take place in the continent of Devfroth. This rule applies to the skirmishes you mortals have. It is to prevent chaos from spreading within the continent.”

  “What, cause you guys would take bribes and shit?” John scoffed.

  “That is exactly why.”

  John almost spewed out his drink.

  “Huh?”

  “We are not as noble as you may think,” Rina smiled sadly. “Many of us would eagerly jump at the opportunity to play god. Having groups of mortals worship us… many quite enjoy that idea, especially young, impressionable ones. Power is an intoxicating thing, you know. It’s very easy to lose yourself in it.”

  “I… I see.”

  “Back to your original question, yes. I fought in the war. The enemy’s generals were as strong as we were, even. Then again, I was young and didn’t know what I was doing, but that does not change how terrible that war was. A terrible, terrible thing. Were it not for the power of the hero, we might have even lost.”

  John’s eyes widened. This was something he’d have to consider. It wasn’t part of his research on the Ninetails clan, but it was something he’d definitely need to keep in mind.

  There wasn’t just one enemy as strong as a Mystic. There were multiple of them, and they were all within the expectations of the original [Plot]. A shiver ran down his spine. If the [Author] intended to make things harder because of his involvement, just what would they be fighting?

  Rina must’ve noticed his discomfort, but it appeared that she misunderstood John’s thoughts.

  “Don’t worry. A young’un like yourself won’t need to worry about such things. That is, after all, our job.”

  “Your… job?”

  “What do you think Mystics are for?”

  “I thought you were- I don’t know, just here, I guess?” John said, throwing his arms up.

  Now that he thought about it, though, this made complete sense. He’d been told that Mystics existed to do what Celeste couldn’t, since the goddess couldn’t interfere with mortal matters. What, however, would mortals need help with?

  “So Celeste doesn’t control the demons?” John frowned. “Then… is there another god?”

  “Of course! They don’t teach you about the Demon God?”

  “No? What… what’s this Demon God?”

  “The creator of the demons. Hm… Well, I suppose I’ll tell you an interesting story.”

  Rina poured herself another cup of tea, settling into her chair comfortably. Her pink tail wrapped around her waist, giving the impression of a fluffy blanket or pillow. John momentarily went into a trance, tempted to pet the thing, but he managed to restrain himself.

  “It is said that Celeste is a being of pure good. However, all absolutes have their opposites. If Celeste is the god of all living beings, then the Demon God is the god of all demons.”

  “Demons aren’t living beings?”

  “Not entirely. They do not have individual consciousnesses, nor do they have free will. They are beings driven by destruction and chaos.”

  “So that’s why they need cultists,” John muttered to himself. “They’re not consciously trying to invade. They’re just driven by instinct. Then the cultists believe that… what, the people of Devfroth need a cleansing or something?”

  “Oh? You’re a bright one, it seems,” Rina nodded. “That’s exactly it. The demons are more of a force than they are a race. The generals are a different story, but you’ve got it. No matter what age we’re in, there are going to be those who believe they are superior and that all inferiors need to be cleansed. The demon war isn’t really a war between us and the demons; it’s a matter of survival from a group of psychos.”

  John nodded slowly, taking this information in. He wasn’t sure how it would be useful in combat, but lore was lore. Even if it wasn’t helpful, it was definitely interesting.

  “So what’s this about generals and the god?”

  “Ah. Well, if the Demon God is the opposite of Celeste, then the Demon King and his generals are the opposites of Mystics. Powerful forces used as pawns in place of the god. These beings are sentient, although driven by the same desire as all other demons. They may use intelligence to try and trick you, but if the legends are true, they do not understand emotions. They only understand malice.”

  “Hm…”

  This much was somewhat helpful. If the generals were meant to be the equivalent of Mystics, that meant that this war wouldn’t be as one-sided as he’d worried. It might be tough, but he could leave the heavy lifting to those who could do so.

  “Thank you. That was very interesting,” John said.

  He wasn’t any closer to his goal of figuring out who’d given Sofya the [Deus Ex Machina] energy, but he couldn’t help but feel that this whole conversation had been productive. There was only one question he had for the old Mystic.

  “Just out of curiosity, what’s the Demon God’s name?”

  “The Demon God’s name… well, it’s not like any of us have spoken to that being,” Rina chuckled. “We only know they exist from messages given to us by Celeste and the other three gods.”

  “Oh. But you guys have given this fella a name?” John said, raising an eye.

  “Of course. After all, giving such a force an identifier removes the fear of the unknown. Although not many know of its existence anymore, the name given… hm, what was it?”

  John waited patiently. He didn’t think this would be important, but it wouldn’t hurt. Besides, he was curious.

  Had he known what the answer would be, however, he may not have asked.

  “Ah, that’s right. The name we gave that being… Diaboli.”

  John flinched. An unwelcome yet known face came to mind. The being behind it all. The end goal.

  Why was it being brought up here?

  “...Diaboli?”