The Chronicles of a Lost Man in His Forties Founding a Nation ~Commonsense is Hindering Me From Becoming TUEE~ Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Demonists

 

Demonists are, as their name implies, religious fanatics who wors.h.i.+p the anki. 

(T/N: For those who forgot, ‘anki’ literally means ‘shadow demon.’ Thus, ‘Demonist.’ I was just too lazy to type out shadow demon every time.)

The information that I heard from Heldol, whose face was twitching during the telling, is as follows. 

Firstly, they are an organization of fanatics who perceive the destruction of the world by anki as salvation. They go underground to conduct rituals where they offer sacrifices to the anki or undertake training to ‘become closer to the anki.’ Since after the first Bleed 500 years ago, their numbers have been suppressed many times, but never completely wiped out. To this day, there are still active cells underneath various countries. Their members include anyone from slum dwellers to n.o.bles and even priests. 

“...... or so goes the rumors. I’ve heard of them being very active in Shulendal and Feldi, but…… Demonists in Lelis……”

The last line sounded more like a question to himself. 

As a magician, he belongs to the Subjugation Faction, who claim that magic is a tool for destroying anki. That puts him at complete odds with any Demonists that might or might not be out there. 

“If such people are really in this city……”

“You would be a blatant target for their hate. Far more than even I would.”

He has this really complicated look on his face while vocalizing this conclusion.

The position that he’d wanted to shoulder was s.n.a.t.c.hed by me, who’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I do feel slightly sorry about it, but……

“I gave you my thanks for the information, Heldol-dono. I swear that I will never again visit such disrespect against you.”

“A-, Ahh. That would be greatly welcome.”

Talking things over with this young man who is overflowing with dreams and aspirations (or so it appears to me) will have to be postponed to the next opportunity.

If these Demonists who have gone beyond the reach of reason are truly here, then they might be a problem that the Great Wizard should resolve. Furthermore, it would also mean that the ‘one in a million’ chance of Irudo and Mora and other people I know being targeted has jumped up to ‘one in a thousand’ or maybe even ‘one in a hundred.’

I don’t have time to be dawdling here like this.

♥♦♣♠

After paying the bare minimum of farewell greetings, I leave the Magician Guild.

In novels and games, heroines and collaborators get kidnapped or killed when they leave the protagonist’s eyes for just a moment. If I am just needlessly exacerbating my own sense of impending danger, then it’s fine—if it turns out this way, then let’s just say I’m excessively self-conscious or I have a gamer’s brain—but I am now very worried for Mora and Irudo.

♥♦♣♠

“......?”

I have now arrived back at Irudo’s mansion after travelling almost in a straight line through the Astral plane.

The second and third floors of Irudo’s mansion are residential, while the first floor is an administrative office for managing his caravans.

Commerce Avenue is, true to its name, a bustling place with shops lined side by side throughout its entire length, and thus isn’t a dangerous place…… or so I’d thought.

A p.r.i.c.kly atmosphere currently permeates the air in the avenue. The pedestrian traffic is thin, and Irudo’s mansion is especially quiet. Time and again, pa.s.sersby shoot uneasy glances towards it. There is unnatural damage in the wall and a few windows.

Don’t tell me.

“MORA! IRUDO!”

While rus.h.i.+ng into the mansion while almost being crushed by an ominous sense of foreboding……

“Gio-saaan!”

“Mora!”

Mora rushes towards me with a full power tackle…… I meant, hug. When I reflexively hug her back, I feel her small body trembling.

“Are you unharmed?! What about Irudo?”

“Margils-sama!”

Irudo appears in front of me in perfectly good health. Wh-, what a relief……

♥♦♣♠

Apparently things did not develop into the worst case scenario.

We are in the living room, reporting what had happened to each of us.

“Actually……”

While I was off having my meeting with the Council Chairman, there were some intruders who tried to kidnap Mora.

The burglars were a 3-woman group who managed to infiltrate the mansion without anyone noticing and knock Mora out. Mora was about to be taken just like that, but one of the burglars was rendered immobile by ‘an invisible ent.i.ty.’

That burglar raised a shout, which caused Irudo and the servants to realize what was going on. They all rushed towards Mora, which prompted the remaining 2 burglars to use Mora as a hostage. However, when they saw the genie that Irudo summoned out of nowhere, they lost their will to fight and fled.

The damage that I saw from outside the mansion was all caused by the genie.

♥♦♣♠

“I see…… In any case, I’m glad that Mora is safe and uninjured……”

It seems that the [Invisible Demon] that I used beforehand did its job properly. Irudo also managed to use his Genie’s Ring well. I breath out a huge sigh and relax all my tensed-up muscles.

“Gio-san was the one who protected me, right? Th-, thank you very much!”

“To think that you have saved my daughter once again……”

Mora, who is sitting next to me on the sofa with her body glued to mine, looks up at me with teary eyes. Irudo also deeply lowers his head in thanks. 

However…… 

“...... However, I bear responsibility for things having become like this.”

Considering that the burglars’ target was Mora, then I believe it safe to conclude that I am the target of whoever orchestrated everything that happened, and that this is not related to the Council’s inner power struggles. I do not know for sure if they are Demonists or not. When I conveyed what I’d heard from the Branch Leader to Irudo and Mora, it turns out that they also know of the rumors. 

“‘There are Demonists conducting sacrificial rituals underground’…… this is a rumor frequently pa.s.sed around at least the citizens, if not the Magician Guild. But more importantly……”

“It’s not Gio-san’s fault at all! Those people are the ones in the wrong!”

“It is exactly as my daughter says. Margil-sama, please do not take it upon yourself.”

While patting Mora’s head as she gives me a tight hug, I absentmindedly let my thoughts roam. 

I get it now. So this is what it means to be a Great Wizard, a hero. 

Whether I like it or not, my very presence greatly affects the people around me. The reason why great wizards in stories isolated themselves in towers might have been because they hated this. 

In actuality, could I, by myself, really protect these two, as well as all humanity, from anki? 

…… That’s not right. 

“I am sorry…… Actually, thank you, you two. I won’t let anyone lay even one more finger on either you two or the servants in this mansion.”

If it is a given that the hero’s nakama have to get hurt regardless of his will, I will gladly kick such logic to the curb. 

The burglar who was caught by the Invisible Demon was tied up and locked away, but had apparently escaped soon afterwards. Well, if she’s a nakama of that fake maid, then I’m not surprised.

It’s indeed painful that I didn’t charge investigative spells like [Sense of Adept] and [Psycometry] today. Tomorrow, let’s make sure to change my loadout with focus on investigation, defense, and pursuit. As for fighting, my Wizardry Staff and various magic items would have to make do.

And one more thing.

I’ve just thought of a City Adventure conquest method that neither a j.a.panese salaryman nor a TRPG character can do—it is a hand that only the Great Wizard Gio Margils can play.

“There is a place I want someone to guide me to.”

“Yes? Where would that be?”

From my sling bag, I take out a leather bag almost bursting with gold coins and precious jewels.

“The Adventurer Guild.”