Chapter 32 (1/2)

Chapter 32

The first agenda of the Bercht conference was the appearance of demons, one of which I killed at the Mountain of Darkness. To start with, Dzekdan demanded my testimony.

“The Mountain of Darkness is an area that has always been under-purified. There’s always been more than enough monsters there, but I didn’t expect to kill a demon that day.” I caught my breath after my testimony.

Essecil, the young Head of the Bran Family, added to my vague explanation.

“That means this has become more serious and much larger than the frequent appearances of the demons in the system. Not only that, The north is swarming with them. Command each school or cooperate with the Church. Wizards need to be dispatched to the suspected area.”

She was a Named character with mysterious green hair and a trustworthy head of a family with high convictions.

Now that I didn’t have the power to interpret, judge, reiterate or refute others’ words verbally, I decided to agree with the messenger to close off my statement.

“That is correct.”

Essecil’s eyes widened in surprise.

Well, Deculein was the type to point things out, even if it was right.

The other wizards didn’t necessarily criticize this item on the agenda.

“First of all, if the Church selects a suspected area, wizards can then be chosen and dispatched from each magic school.”

They had passed through the first item.

“The ‘Linnel School,’ known for their destructive magic, has shown great enthusiasm in exacting the demon’s punishment…”

But there was still quite a lot to discuss on the agenda, such as which schools would be dispatched, what countermeasures to apply on the areas where the demons frequently appeared, what revisions had to be done on the dungeon and demon hunting laws, and more.

For almost 4 hours, the round table discussed important matters without end.

During that time, I kept my silence, reserving my right to speak three times.

“We will adjourn for now to take a short break.”

In just five hours, I was able to get off the round table.

I went outside to gather my senses, finding a petite man with brown hair stamping his feet near the exit.

Allen.

“… Ah, professor!”

Allen shouted and came running.

“A-are y-you alright? I’m sorry I’m late! Joining the conference while it’s already ongoing is against the law, so I was left with no other option but to wait. I’m sorry…”

I shook my head as he became flustered. “It’s okay.”

It wasn’t, though. I didn’t know how many times I experienced mana exhaustion today. An ordinary wizard would’ve been down with a fever or died already.

I could still feel some of its side effects, and I had only recovered [300] mana during the 5-hour conference.

“Uhm, Professor. I heard that you saved—”

“I told you not to cry.”

Allen bowed his head to prevent tears from falling. “… Kukh!”

At that moment, I noticed something that made me unable to look at this kid innocently anymore. There was a factor about him that seemed rather unfamiliar.

“From now on, just stand still next to me.”

“What? Oh… Yes, yes…”

But I couldn’t disclose it here.

If my thought was right, then I had to keep this kid close. I shouldn’t show my emotions.

… If I wanted to live.

*****

We were given a 30-minute break.

The Heads returned to their respective waiting rooms, exchanging opinions and making deals as needed, but I just stayed with Allen.

I didn’t do anything else.

Just like that, the break ended, and I came back to the round table and returned to my seat. Allen stood beside me.

“What is the wizards’ stance regarding the Red Box?” Dzekdan opened the next item on the agenda.

At that moment, the atmosphere of the Elder’s Hall suddenly changed.

No one had designated a right to speak, but a debate came up right from the start, one fierce enough to say that the Red Box was the wizards’ ‘Achilles heel.’

“The Red Box is like a bunch of cockroaches. They lay eggs and constantly reproduce, and eat away at society.” Betan of Beorad poured out unfiltered criticisms.

Essecil then raised her concern in a slightly uncomfortable tone. “There’s no way to distinguish the Red Box from other races, however.”

“We can just invent one. We can use their blood as our basis. If the people in the university tower in the Empire gather, there’s nothing they won’t be able to do.”

Betan sounded very enthusiastic about the matter at hand. Ihelm, who had been watching silently, tried to say something, but Betan gave him no space to interrupt.

“The Red Box somehow manages to group up among themselves. That might mean they have a leader who rallies them together.”

The Red Box was a unique clan. Their existence itself was weak and almost unnoticeable, but many of them had developed their own talents.

And there was definitely someone among their geniuses and prodigies who united and commanded them from a safe place.

Betan managed to unveil that crucial information, but… The leader of the Red Box should never die.

According to the game’s plot, he was a messiah, close to Buddha or Jesus.

“Their leader’s most likely hiding off the grid, organizing and keeping their clan alive. Don’t you feel disgusted knowing that they’re plotting their schemes right under our noses? That alone is treason!”

“Betan, that’s a mere speculation.”

“It was because of their resistance that many wizards died 60 years ago,” Betan shouted back at Essecil’s refute, who no longer replied to him. The uproar on the round table calmed down a little.

Glitheon, who had been watching me since earlier, finally spoke up. “What do you think, Deculein of Yukline?”

Everyone’s gaze focused on me.

Yukline.

Since ancient times, we had been at the forefront of punishing demons, earning us a status that gave us great influence and power regarding matters related to them.

“…”

Since I came from the world that oversaw this dimension, I was familiar with these events. According to that knowledge, it would be better to suppress the Red Box as much as possible.

However, this world’s ‘common enemy’ was no longer the Red Box. That made the difficulty of the main quest in the future much easier.

“Long ago, they were our enemy.” I calmly replied. “But if you look at the history books one by one, you’ll begin to understand that it was all a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?” Betan cut in, but my glare immediately shut him up. I continued.

“It was a misunderstanding at first. Two hundred and thirty-seven years ago, Rodran, from the ‘Rodran Witch’ incident, was accused of being a witch and was pushed to a corner, only to be found innocent.”

I brought up concrete evidence.

“Extensive oppression against the Red Box stemmed from that incident, causing their clan’s blood to spill. Naturally, they resisted. Their resistance shed more blood, and that blood birthed to a short truce.”

I saw it on the set-up sheet, and I also read works of literature that addressed it. Both of those allowed me to come up with a controversial thought.

“As you said, there had been another political move 60 years ago. A mine containing mana stones was discovered in the Red Box’s land.”

This world’s mana stone mine was much more important than modern oil and natural gas mines combined.

“Huh? political move?! That was no political move!” Betan slammed his hand on the round table.

There was a lot to learn about that six-decade-old story, but that was another matter. I had to focus on persuading them for now.

“They are born from diabolic energy! There’s no question about it! Shouldn’t you know this more than others since you’re a Yukline?! Your family has been punishing demons far more than most of us!” Betan shouted. He sounded almost as if he was having a seizure.

I shook my head. “Yukline’s tradition is to hunt demons, not the Red Box.”

“The Red Box are demons!” His outcry caused the round table to ring.

If we followed his words, it could one day lead to a massacre.

“…”

After Betan’s clamor, a long silence fell on the hall where all sorts of discourses had already been conducted. However, it did nothing but amplify the tension…

I looked at him intently. “Those words of yours. Can you take responsibility for them?”

To demonize an entire race was the same as turning them into humanity’s common enemy. Betan, of course, didn’t answer.

“Control yourself from recklessly concluding and declaring races as demons. Remember, the very person who does so might just be the devil himself.” I ended my statement with those words, causing the Heads of the families to look at me with surprise in their eyes.

Eventually, Dzekdan’s voice came up. “Betan, please restrain yourself from uttering such ill-suited remarks. Since it doesn’t seem like we will be able to reach a conclusion at this rate anyway, let’s end today’s conference here.”

*****

The first meeting ended without a clear conclusion. It wasn’t a big deal, though, since Sylvia had already prepared her resolve to stay here for three nights and four days anyway.

The night was already dark when she reached the ‘Rosary Hotel’ in the fourth district; their accommodation only allowed one person per room.

“…”

Syliva looked at the paper she received from the hotel’s caretaker.

———[ Night Rules for the Rosary Hotel of Bercht’s Fourth District ]——— All of these rules apply only at night.

1. If you find an open door while walking around the hallway, never look inside or enter the room.

2. If someone knocks on your door, do not open it. You should also never answer it verbally.

3. There have been cases where bodies have been found in the bathroom. Do not panic and simply close the door.

4. Rosary Hotel is on the first floor of the building. Upon the appearance or discovery of stairs, do not climb up or down.

5. Once you lie on your bed, please refrain from walking until morning. Otherwise, you might be transported to a different space at any moment.

6. Making noise in the hallway is not allowed. The use of magic is also prohibited.

—————

Sylvia blinked after reading it all. They were unnecessarily horrifying rules, and even her father instructed her to wear earplugs.

She wasn’t a young child to go exploring anyway, and she felt so exhausted that all she wanted to do was sleep right away.

Laying down on her bed, her hawk ‘Quickstone’ stood by her bedside.

“Goodnight.” She greeted Quickstone and closed her eyes, falling into a silent slumber almost instantaneously.

According to the clock, she slept for about three hours before opening her eyes due to thirst. Since then, Quickstone had been watching over her as she tossed and turned in bed.

She felt relieved. “Sleep comfortably.”

The hawk then closed its eyes as she rose and grabbed herself a cup of water on the shelf.

After quenching her thirst, she turned around, finding herself standing in the middle of a hallway.

Not her room, but an endless hallway.

“…” She felt goosebumps rise all over her body. Chills clawed their way up her neck, causing her back to waver. She remembered the fifth rule too late.

[5. Once you lie on your bed, please refrain from walking until morning. Otherwise, you might be transported to a different space at any moment.]

Feeling the cold floor underneath her, Sylvia looked down and found herself barefooted.

Whiiiiing…

The wind blew, but she didn’t know from where.

Sylvia looked around and found a staircase not far away. She knew she shouldn’t use them, however.

[4. Rosary Hotel is on the first floor of the building. Upon the appearance or discovery of stairs, do not climb up or down.]

‘Let’s calm down for now.’

As the wind blew ever so softly on her skin, Sylvia convinced herself that nothing bad would happen to her.

With her will solidified, she stomped along the hallway until she stumbled upon a room with its doors open.

She paused.