Demon In The Convent
Now that I had grown accustod to the jolting movents of the carriage, it was less of a hindrance when reading a book.
However, the chatter between Illuania and Findenai, coming from the side, was quite distracting.
Can I hear a voice when I put my ear on it?
Its not to that extent yet.
Really? I was looking forward to it. Have you decided on a na?
No, not yet. Oh! Will you help to choose a na, Master?
.
Illuania turned to and spoke softly. I slowly closed the book I was reading and briefly focused on her abdon.
Although there was no visible bulge, a life had been conceived within.
The more I thought about it, the more I felt a strange sensation, which was accompanied by a kind of pressure to co up with sothing good.
As I pondered for sothing to say, Findenai let out a sneer.
Youre asking Master Bastard? It seems like hed give it a rather weird na, like a monster or evil spirit.
No way
Illuania stared at with a gaze that seed to say, Really? No way. But no matter how I usually acted, there was no way I would give such a na to a child.
That is enough.
After I asserted Findenai not to unnecessarily spread a groundless rumor, she casually changed the subject.
Anyway, is a convent usually built in a mountain valley like this? Sowhere that takes days of travel to reach?
When the foreigner Findenai grumbled, Illuania began explaining to her with a smile.
The Elia Convent is a renowned na. People in the kingdom praise it as the place that gives birth to the most Saintesses, and is considered to be the closest sanctuary to the gods.
A place the closest to the gods?
Yes, its location is unknown to the general public, and only a very few bishops know about it. Its a place designed to be secluded from any worldly temptations.
Hmm.
Illuania explained it affectionately, just like a mother reading a fairy tale. I, too, was already familiar with the Elia Convent.
Then, it should be peaceful.
Findenai clicked her tongue with disappointnt. Illuania might feel the sa, but I had a different perspective.
Convents are originally a clich setting often used in horror novels or theater plays.
This was especially if Saintess Lucia herself had to request direct assistance for the sake of the convent; it indicated a rather urgent situation.
Really? Ive been living such an ignorant life so far.
Findenai scratched her head while responding.
At that mont, a small convent that was perched on a distant mountain ridge ca into view outside the carriage.
[Hmm, it looks ominous.]
[.]
The Dark Spiritualist and Illuanias guardian spirit, the ghost of the burnt lady, already sensed the ominous atmosphere.
And just like the two deceased individuals, I also felt a damp sensation and a sense of heaviness settling over .
I had a feeling that this would be more dangerous than I initially thought.
* * *
What are you doing here?
Although I already thought it would be a difficult case the mont I saw the convent, I didnt expect to encounter such difficulties in unexpected places.
Reverend Mother Hamates was a middle-aged woman who had a rather elderly appearance.
With noticeable wrinkles now adorning her face, she appeared so nervously intense. It made it difficult to envision her as the typical image of a nun.
This is not a place where n can enter recklessly! And on top of that, a Soul Whisperer? That is ridiculous! What can an evil Dark Mage like you do?!
Huh.
Findenai snorted at Reverend Mother Hamates words, which poured out like a quick fire. Seeing Findenais fidgeting hands, it seed as though she wanted to grab an axe.
I ca after receiving a letter from Saintess Lucia.
As I handed over the letter, she approached with a disgusted expression and, forming her fingers into a pincer shape, snatched it from .
Hamates wore the glasses hanging around her neck, and after reading the contents, she couldnt help but lant.
The letter contained a ssage written by Lucia, she was requesting consideration from Hamates.
Lucia had already done the work as she knew Hamates personality well.
It is evident that she is gradually losing her qualifications as a Saintess. This is horrible.
If I am not needed here, so be it.
I responded with a cold, piercing gaze as I glanced over the convent once.
The scent of a Demon reeks all the way here.
When I spoke with my fingers covering my nose, Hamates pupils widened. Her hands, trembling with humiliation, crumpled Lucias letter as she exhaled before responding.
Fine. If you are the one sent in place of Lucia, I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now.
Her relatively swift acceptance of gave a sense of how dire her predicants urgency was.
After taking a look at the convent, she approached and cautiously whispered about the situation.
I wondered why she was so cautious, but it beca clear as soon as I heard the details.
Late at night, there were three nuns who had summoned a Demon.
However, when the Abbess ca out in the morning, she found those three nuns dead, lying atop the demon-summoning circle.
She tried to understand the situation by calling all the nuns.
However, with three out of seven nuns dead, there were five of them standing instead of the expected four.
There was one additional person.
Since the summoned Demon had skillfully disguised itself, the Abbess tried to bring Saintess Lucia to identify it.
It was because Saintess was nothing short of a natural enemy to a Demon.
Hmm.
After hearing the full story of the incident, I couldnt help but make an involuntary, subtle sound.
If this were true, Saintess Lucia would indeed have been more suitable than I am to co here.
However, since the Saintess cannot leave her position at Graypond right now.
Thus, I needed to resolve this.
Oh, shit. Master Bastard was right! This is so freaking fun.
Findenai imdiately disrupted the serious atmosphere by joining the conversation. She retrieved her axe from the carriage and swung it around playfully.
Why not just beat up those bitches one by one? I have so experience in rough interrogations, you know?
Upon seeing her asking us with a big grin, the Abbess imdiately responded with thunderous criticism.
Nonsense! How dare you think you can do sothing like that towards my girls!
Hamates stretched out her arms, spitting out saliva as she vehently rejected the idea.
Since I had no intention of torturing innocent people, I raised my hand to stop Findenai.
First, let us first confirm the bodies.
There was no need to drag things out, so I tried to check the bodies imdiately.
The place the Abbess took us to was a communal cetery near the convent.
They are buried here.
Rachel and Mikhae are those whose deaths were confird.
Next to the graves with the nas of the two nuns was a tombstone without a na.
It seed like they intended to create one for the remaining nun after finding her.
I furrowed my brow and asked.
Are they buried as they are?
Y-yes, we had no other option. The three innocent nuns were tragically murdered. And ultimately, we had to conduct a funeral so that God may embrace their souls. We cannot leave their bodies exposed outside for an extended period.
Dig them up.
I intended to promptly excavate them for confirmation, but the Abbess was startled at this. She urgently exclaid.
N-no, it is forbidden! God has already embraced these children! We must not dishonor their passing!
Even if they summoned a Demon?
It was truly an uncomfortable situation.
I thought we should at least check the condition of the bodies, but she hurriedly pulled out pictures from her pocket.
T- these are pictures I specifically prepared by capturing with a magic cara. I took them just in case soone might need them.
The Abbess handed a bunch of pictures with a humiliated expression.
It was evident that she had taken quite ticulous photographs of the bodies.
A magic cara must be quite expensive, and yet the Abbess had quite a costly item.
While seeing it firsthand would have been easier, I chose to respect her unwavering determination to safeguard the nuns bodies and let the matter rest.
Furthermore, I sensed a distinct demonic energy emanating from the ground where they had closed their eyes.
The ground felt ominous and damp, as if thousands of insects were crawling on it. I was half-certain that this was the work of a Demon.
All of the bodies shared a similar condition. None of the three nuns stood out; they were all charred black.
Tsk, we cant get much information with just this.
Yes, that is true.
I agreed with Findenais opinion and handed her the photos.
Next, let us proceed to the location where the demon-summoning circle is. You have not yet erased that, too, right?
Of course, we preserved it.
The Abbess led us to the back of the convent. A tablecloth was placed under a clothesline where laundry was hung.
When I removed the stones used as support to prevent it from being blown away by the wind, I discovered a faintly drawn pentagram underneath.
.
The energy here was definitely abnormal.
When I glanced towards the Dark Spiritualist, she responded with a rather serious expression.
[It is a Demons Pentagram. Yes, it is indeed a demon-summoning circle. And judging by the traces, it seems like sothing had been summoned.]
Since the Dark Spiritualist had confird it, it was certain then.
A Demon had been summoned through this summoning circle.
Next, we should summon all the nuns.
Please do not make my girls do strange things for no reason. They have already been through a lot of shock.
It is to identify the Demon.
When I calmly replied, indirectly indicating that I wouldnt harm them, the Abbess bit her lip before retrieving a small bell from her pocket, ringing it.
Ting! Ting!
Suddenly, urgent footsteps approached from inside. This sudden reaction reminded of my ti in the military.
With ti to spare, I gazed at the convent absentmindedly.
It looked like a building of about four floors with closely packed windows. Above those tightly arranged windows was a lone circular window on the top floor.
Is it an attic?
As I was thinking that there would be no need for windows at that height unless it were an attic, the Dark Spiritualist expressed her doubts cautiously.
[But its strange.]
.
[A creature like a Demon possesses greater pride than you might expect. Youre aware of this from your encounter with the Evil Ghost Griffin, right?]
The punk who couldnt beco a Demon and remained only as an Evil Ghost.
[There are beings much stronger than the Evil Ghost Griffin, and there are infinitely weaker ones, too. However, the species known as Demons inherently possess great arrogance.]
The Dark Spiritualist calmly continued her explanation while folding her arms and looking down at the summoning circle.
[The hierarchy among themselves is strict, but humans tend to openly look down on them, even if the opponent is a king.]
What are you trying to say?
[What I want to say is]
The Dark Spiritualist circled around the summoning circle, faking a cough. She paused briefly at each location where the bodies were found.
[Do you really think a Demon would be summoned with just three re humans as sacrifices?]
But a Demon has undoubtedly been summoned.
Both the Dark Spiritualist and I confird this truth.
A Demon had definitely arrived through this summoning circle.
[Exactly! Thats the problem. There were insufficient sacrifices. No, actually, they couldnt even be called sacrifices at all. They were just perforrs who conducted the ritual.]
.
[So, in reality, there were no sacrifices, right? Yet, a Demon was still summoned.]
And then, it burned all the nuns who had summoned it to death.
[There are so many peculiar aspects.]
.
However, that wasnt the only puzzling part.
In fact, motive was crucial in this case.
The story beca even more perplexing when the fundantal question of why arose.
Why?
The nuns of the Elia Convent were known as Saintess candidates.
On top of them, there were not just one, but three people.
Why would they summon a Demon?
The more I thought about it, more questions arose.
The mystery, as convoluted as a snake devouring its own tail, showed no signs of being solved anyti soon.
First, I needed to confirm the nuns. If we could find the Demon amongst them, then the case could be resolved more easily than expected.
The nuns gathered one by one and soon lined up in front of the Abbess.
As a man, I could feel different reactions from them: they glanced, blushed, or frowned as if they found repulsive.
Each nun had a different reaction.
Anyway
I am Soul Whisperer Deus Verdi.
As I declared calmly, they reluctantly bowed in greeting.
Since the Abbess had given permission to question them without physical contact, I proceeded to ask several questions.
They were indeed clich questions that could be found in detective novels.
Starting from what they were doing at that ti, to what they did the previous night; if there was anything strange about the victims, or if any nun exhibited odd behavior after the incident, and so on.
Since the incident occurred early in the dawn, they all replied that they were asleep. Their answers were consistent with no nuns appearing suspicious.
However, the atmosphere conveyed a sense that they truly didnt know anything, rather than an attempt to hide sothing.
Most importantly, there was no trace of demonic energy emanating from them.
I couldnt feel the demonic energy that enveloped the entire Elia Convent, starting from the dead bodies to the entire convent, from any of the nuns.
[A truly high-ranking Demon can freely emit, conceal, or even bury their energies as they wish.]
Considering the advice from the Dark Spiritualist who stood by my side, I remained skeptical of that opinion.
Then it ans that a high-ranking Demon responded to the summoning for a ager sacrifice.
It was strange.
I could strongly feel that things didnt quite add up.
I should not delude myself.
I wasnt a police detective.
I wasnt a detective who could calmly uncover evidence like those in detective novels.
Of course, reasoning with clues was important, but the thought that it alone could not solve the case had struck .
The sky darkened.
Just as I exhaled to cool my unnecessarily complicated thoughts.
I think not everyone is out here yet.
I-I saw it too.
Along with Findenais sneering voice, there was a surprised gasp from Illuania.
Both of them pointed their fingers at the sa window simultaneously.
The attic of the convent.
The circular window which was placed in the highest place
Theres a bitch left up there.
Thats right. I clearly saw her, too.
Upon the testimony of the two, I imdiately turned my gaze towards the Abbess.
I considered the possibility that she might have shalessly hid sothing.
Surprisingly, it wasnt just the Abbess whose expression had crumbled.
All the convents nuns glared at us with ominous expressions as if we had just revealed a flaw they desperately wanted to keep hidden.
Who was that?
However, when I asked, undeterred by their intimidation, the Abbess clutched the rosary of the God she served and answered.
There is no one.
Do you think I will believe your answer after witnessing such a reaction from you?
I sneered at this absurdity before responding to her, and the Abbess responded with a posture as if she would rush at us imdiately.
There really is no one. Even if there is, they have nothing to do with this incident.
I will be the judge of that.
I shifted my steps towards the attic of the convent.
/genesisforsaken
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