“Then let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Hamel and Lena left the room to attend the meal. Their demeanors were oddly solemn for something as mundane as dining.
I’m going to be sick.
Hamel would have preferred to skip the meal. He envied Daniel and Ono, who were back in the room chewing on tough jerky. But what could he do? The disguise plan, the sneaking in, and following the captain of the guard had all been his responsibility.
Hamel walked calmly.
The dining hall was on the first floor. When they entered, the tables were already laid with a sumptuous feast.
The captain of the guard, who had been seated, sprang up to greet Hamel.
“You’re here. We’ve been waiting.”
“Thank you for the invitation.”
“Not at all. I hope we didn’t put you to any trouble, haha!”
That sounded right. Hamel couldn’t say the truth, so he offered an awkward smile.
“…Of course not.”
The captain cocked his head and glanced past Hamel. “Aren’t the others coming?”
“Yes. They said they wanted to rest.”
“What a shame. I was hoping to hear the stories of your followers too.”
“…They’re not talkative by nature, so you probably wouldn’t get much of a story.”
“You did seem taciturn earlier. Then on this side we have…”
The captain turned his gaze to Lena. She gave a neat bow. As an elite graduate of the magic academy, her etiquette was flawless.
“I’m Lena.”
“Oh! Nice to meet you. Then, to your seat, um…?” The captain’s bright smile faltered.
What is it?
Tension coiled. The captain stared at Lena’s face and murmured, “These eyes. This skin. And… this presence.”
“……”
“You resemble my master, Lord Vlad Chepesh.”
“……”
Hamel swallowed. Could they have been discovered? So embarrassingly easily? They had even come unarmed to avoid arousing suspicion. He regretted not bringing his sword.
If I used the dragon’s blood’s power, maybe I could…
His hand clenched; his nails sharpened with a sickening creak.
“Indeed. Noble blood makes a difference. Even your retinue gives off a similar impression to Lord Chepesh….”
“……?”
Hamel forced the power in his hand to subside.
The captain looked between Hamel and Lena with open awe. “Who exactly are you…ah, excuse me. It’s an unwritten rule in this domain not to bring up one’s origins.”
“…I appreciate the consideration.”
Hamel felt the tension deflate and sheathed his power. Fortunately, the captain didn’t seem to notice the awkward aura around him.
“Well then, please take your seats. I got a bit carried away—how embarrassing.”
“Not at all. Please.”
Hamel walked slowly to his seat. Lena followed. He strained to remember noble manners—how to pick up a glass, how to hold a fork, the purpose of more than five different knives.
Good.
Fortunately, the etiquette wasn’t much different from humans’.
“Then, welcome to your visit!”
“Thank you.”
Hamel lightly clinked glasses with the captain. The meal began.
While eating, Hamel made small talk with the captain. There were no direct questions about their purpose or true identities; the captain deliberately avoided them. Hamel felt relieved remembering the captain’s remark about unwritten rules. Had the captain pried, Hamel would have been forced to lie. He knew a fair bit about demons and could have faked things, but a long tail gets caught. It was best not to reveal his identity.
They continued the meal.
Hamel wondered what kind of demon the captain was. The captain’s table manners were impeccable; if not for the aftertrace of demonic energy, he might have looked entirely human.
A Doppelganger?
But Doppelgangers were weak in combat—someone like that wouldn’t be captain. As Hamel pondered, the captain asked bluntly, “Are you curious what kind of demon I am?”
“……”
Was his gaze so obvious? Just as Hamel was about to apologize, the captain smiled almost indifferently. “It’s fine. Most demons who’ve met me are curious. There’s nothing so remarkable to hide, anyway.”
“In truth, I am a ‘painting.’ ”
“…!”
Hamel’s eyes widened. It wasn’t a rare or powerful type; demons inhabiting paintings were common and usually weak—an old woman weeping bloody tears, a cursed infant, a long-haired woman crawling out of a frame. Most were low-rank or unclassified. He hadn’t expected the captain’s rank to be lower than a Doppelganger.
But how could someone like that be captain of the guard?
Hamel simply nodded for the moment.
“Are you disappointed?” the captain asked, a little embarrassed.
“No.”
He wasn’t disappointed. If anything, he was relieved—far better than if the captain had been a super-class demon. The captain seemed surprised by Hamel’s reaction and murmured, “Thank you.”
A short silence followed. After a moment, the captain, still thoughtful, began to confide.
“Truth be told, this is my inferiority complex. My body so much like a human’s, my unremarkable bloodline.”
“……”
“The reason I helped your followers earlier was that very thing. I’m used to being discriminated against for resembling humans.”
“…Is that so.”
“Yes. So I’ve always yearned for noble demonic blood.” The captain looked at Hamel with faint longing. Vertical pupils, scales—above all, the aura around Hamel differed from ordinary magi.
Well, of course.
Hamel’s demonic energy came from dragon’s blood combined with demonic energy from defeating a super-class Reteil and a Lamia. It carried a violent, overwhelming presence unlike ordinary demons.
Hamel nodded. “I don’t really care about that.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
What did it matter whether one was super-class or low-rank? To Hamel, there were only two kinds of demons: those that harmed humans and those that did not. If they harmed humans, he’d slay them. Experience had taught him to tell them apart; originally, weren’t demons universally enemies?
The captain hesitated, then asked, “Then, I have a favor to ask….”
“Yes.”
“Could you perhaps visit from time to time?”
“…Yes?” Hamel replied blankly, not catching the implication.
Visit often? Those words meant…
“Are you asking to be friends?”
“…That was a slip of the tongue. Please forget it.” The captain waved his hand hastily.
After a moment, Hamel said bluntly, “That’s a bit difficult.”
“Ah, well, that might be….”
“I’m planning to leave the domain soon.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, so you should come find me.”
“…!” The captain’s eyes widened in surprise.
Hamel continued calmly. “You’re always welcome.”
“…Are you serious?”
“That’s only natural if one is a friend.” Hamel answered sincerely. The demon before him had shown kindness. If the demon truly came to the domain as a friend, he would welcome them. If they came to harm humans, he would cut them down without mercy.
“I won’t leave the domain often…but I’m looking forward to that time!” The captain laughed happily.
The meal ended, and as Hamel was about to return to the second floor, the captain asked, “Ah, sir. Are you free tomorrow?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“Excellent. Then tomorrow at sunrise, come with me to see Lord Chepesh.”
“That might be troublesome for you.” Hamel hoped he wouldn’t have to accompany him—there was a risk he might have to slay the captain if things went wrong. But the captain burst into laughter, then, with a proud expression, pointed to one of the paintings. “There’s no need to worry. This painting leads directly to the castle. It’s not even a walk.”
“…Impressive.”
“It’s nothing special.” The captain coughed satisfiably and shook his head. It seemed difficult to go on their own after all.
Hamel nodded for a moment, then asked, “By the way, why is entry to the castle forbidden today?”
“Oh, that’s because today is the day Lord Chepesh has been waiting for a long time.” The captain pointed to the window. Outside, a chillingly blue full moon hung in the sky.
“He plans to offer the gathered sacrifices before sunrise to gain power.”
There was never enough time. Even Lena, who seemed stable, was on edge, and Iris, waiting with the group in the village, was no better. But there was another reason to hurry: tonight Chepesh would go through neighboring villages to offer countless citizens as sacrifices. Not only would people be at risk, but Chepesh would gain far greater power. They had no intention of waiting.
Tonight. They had to infiltrate the castle tonight without waiting for the captain.
Hamel cut the banquet short, returned to the room, and prepared with his companions. Just in case, everyone except Lena kept blood in their mouths.
And then it was midnight.
—Creak
Hamel carefully opened the door and stepped into the corridor. It was silent; there were no guards in the mansion, not even a breath.
He walked toward the painting the captain had mentioned. Contrary to his worries, nothing happened. When he cautiously placed his hand on the canvas, it rippled and his hand slipped in as if sucked.
Is it like this?
Hamel pulled his hand back. The painting returned to its original form. There didn’t seem to be any problem. They just needed to enter like this.
As Hamel prepared to step through, one painting caught his eye. A war scene hung next to the portal painting, depicting a battlefield. In its center, the image of a knight in black armor on a black horse fixed itself in his mind.
Was this painting always like this?
An inexplicable unease crept over him. It looked somehow different from the painting he’d seen when the captain had guided him.
Could this painting be…?
Could it be the captain’s painting?
Hamel drew his dagger. The method for dealing with painting-demons was simple: destroy the frame that connected them to the real world. Ripping or burning the canvas would prevent the captain from emerging. If it were the Azure Flame, it might even annihilate it.
“……”
He hesitated, then sheathed his blade.
Anyway, we’re infiltrating the castle from here.
Even if he killed the captain to silence him, the commotion would be unavoidable. It would be an unnecessary killing. Above all, he found it hard to betray the kindness the captain had shown—even if it had started from a misunderstanding.
—Tap tap
Ono, with Hamel’s blood held in his mouth, stared at him as if asking, Why? Hamel slowly shook his head. He had already made his decision.
Hamel stood before the painting that led to the castle and stepped forward without hesitation.
