A demon…!" The shocking news left everyone speechless. Demons—spiritual beings from the depths of another dimension—were inherently evil, making communication with them impossible. They thrived on the corruption and suffering of others, making them extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, it was not easy for them to cross dimensions, so most people would never encounter one in their lifetime.
But when one does appear, it turns the entire area into a living hell, Sylas thought grimly.
Being spiritual beings, demons were extremely difficult to deal with, as there were only limited methods of banishing them. From the moment they manifested, they would ravage their surroundings to satisfy their insatiable desires. And now, not just one, but two demons had appeared in Corleone's territory. This situation was more dangerous than most military conflicts.
"How severe is the damage? What's the projected extent of additional casualties?" Ulrich asked in a tense voice, fully understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Fortunately, the additional damage has been kept to a minimum. That's thanks to the quick actions of the village leaders nearby," the Count responded.
"Does that mean there's no further threat of escalation?" Ulrich asked, trying to gauge the situation.
"Yes, but the damage that's already been done is catastrophic." The Count unfolded a map and pointed to several villages within his domain.
"Artigue, Molvil, Nirvon. All the residents of these three villages have been slaughtered. While the villages are relatively small, when combined, the death toll is significant."
"Good heavens…!" Ulrich and Dani gasped in shock.
So it's a slaughter demon, Sylas thought, his eyes narrowing. These demons fed off violence and bloodshed, gaining strength and pleasure from acts of murder and brutality. Though they lacked special abilities or intelligence, the sheer number of deaths they caused in a short amount of time made them especially destructive.
"Fortunately, a Holy Knight Order from the Church has been deployed and is currently containing the demon. It has been unable to break through their encirclement and is repeatedly attacking and retreating. I'll be leading the family's knights to join the Church and put an end to it."
Such widespread devastation in his territory meant that the Count had no choice but to personally intervene. As the lord of the land, his reputation was at stake. Not to mention, he needed to console the residents living near the affected areas.
"The problem is, this isn't the only demon that has appeared. You'll need to take care of the other one."
"Where is it?" Ulrich asked, his expression tightening.
"Valtor," the Count answered.
"Valtor? That's a city!" Ulrich shouted in alarm. It was one thing for a demon to attack a village, but for it to strike a city was an entirely different matter. The population, trade, and tax revenue of a city were far greater than that of a village. If the city were to be ravaged, the impact on the family would be devastating.
"Calm yourself. The situation in Valtor isn't as bad. A demon has indeed manifested, but it's a succubus, so no one has been killed."
"A succubus? The kind that feeds on people's emotions through dreams and illusions?" Ulrich asked, calming down slightly.
"Yes. The city's residents have been plagued by terrible nightmares every night, but no physical harm has come to anyone. The real issue is that many of them refuse to evacuate."
The Count sighed. "People refuse to leave because they don't want to abandon their property, business, or homes. Even though they're suffering from nightmares, they're reluctant to let go of what they have."
"In that case, I want you to go to Valtor and deal with the succubus. If you lack the means to defeat it, then forcefully evacuate the people if necessary. Fortunately, a saintess is on a pilgrimage nearby and has sent word offering to help us."
A saintess! Sylas's interest was piqued. In this era, where miracles and magic were exceedingly rare, a saint or saintess represented a rare embodiment of divine power. Their abilities, like those of Toby or Ray, were formidable but of a different nature.
"Time is of the essence, so prepare to depart immediately. Assemble a small, elite party, and if you ride swiftly, you can reach Valtor in five days."
"Understood, Father. We'll prepare at once," Ulrich replied.
"Dani, you're staying here," the Count said, turning to his other son.
"Huh? Why am I the only one staying behind?" Dani asked, confused. He wasn't keen on facing a demon, but being left behind felt like an insult.
"You need to be here in case of an emergency," the Count explained.
"…Ah!" Dani nodded enthusiastically, understanding the hidden implication. He assumed it meant that if Ulrich were to die or be severely wounded, there would be no immediate heir. He was being kept in reserve.
Ulrich and Sylas exchanged silent glances.
What Father really means is that you'll just mess everything up if you go.
Better for him not to know the real reason he's being left behind.
The Count, ever a kind father to his sons, raised a finger to his lips, signaling them to keep quiet.
Sylas and Ulrich quickly assembled their team. Along with Toby, Ray, and Roderick, they gathered a group of seven knights. No servants or squires accompanied them—their focus was on speed and combat readiness.
Sylas also included Max in the group.
"I'm not a knight, though!" Max protested.
"But you're still useful. After all, you're an assassin," Sylas replied.
"But daggers don't work on demons!" Max exclaimed.
"Don't worry. Longswords don't work on them either."
"That's not reassuring!" Max pleaded to be excluded, but it was no use. Soon, he found himself mounted on a horse, muttering dejectedly.
"How did I end up like this…?"
"Stop whining. You know if I die, you'll be executed too, right?" Sylas pointed out.
"At least they'd chop my head off cleanly! Demons will make me suffer for hours!"
"That's true," Sylas admitted.
"Couldn't you at least lie to make me feel better?"
"Sorry, I don't lie to my subordinates," Sylas said with a smirk.
Max's worries weren't unfounded. While the others seemed to take the mission lightly due to a lack of information, Sylas knew better. The situation in Valtor was far more dangerous than they realized. There was a real chance that Sylas wouldn't be able to save Max if things went wrong.
But he's essential to my plan, Sylas thought. In his previous life, the succubus incident in Valtor had resulted in massive casualties—one-third of the city's population had died. But if Sylas's plan succeeded, he could drastically reduce that number. Max played a crucial role in that plan.
"Are you ready?" Ulrich asked, turning to Sylas.
"Yes, everything is set," Sylas replied.
"Then let's go. Time is of the essence," Ulrich said, and together they rode out. There was no need for pretense or forced smiles. The only thing that mattered was reaching Valtor as quickly as possible.
The group rode relentlessly, stopping only for brief moments of rest and sleep. Meals were taken on horseback to save time. Thanks to their tireless effort, they arrived at Valtor in just three days, two days earlier than anticipated.
Toby let out a disbelieving laugh, impressed by the speed of their journey.
"Well, I'd say our hard work paid off."
"Let's hope so. We won't know until we get inside," Sylas replied.
"Surely you're being overly cautious. The reports said nothing major has happened," Toby said.
"You can never be too cautious when it comes to demons," Sylas answered, and the others nodded in agreement. Given enough time, there was no telling what a demon might do.
As they neared the city, the knights breathed a sigh of relief. The walls and gates surrounding the city were still intact.
"Looks like we're in the clear," Roderick said, exhaling a sigh of relief, followed by the other knights.
"Thank the goddess for her protection," he muttered, as they relaxed slightly, believing the worst had passed.