#72
Hereis returned to the Grand Temple, enveloped by the Holy Knights. Jeha and Hereis exchanged only a brief farewell before parting, as Sir Evan adamantly refused to leave Hereis’s side. Given the delicate situation, Hereis acquiesced to Sir Evan’s wishes without argument.
Once Hereis and the Holy Knights departed, a profound quiet settled over the mansion once more.
Jeha settled onto the edge of his bed, his hand moving rhythmically to stroke Kkamangi, who lay sound asleep beside him. The creature, evidently quite satisfied after feasting on human flesh and blood, purred contentedly in its slumber.
Paimon, standing by the bed, watched Jeha intently as he continued to stroke Kkamangi. Paimon’s gaze promised a torrent of scolding. Jeha tried to avoid his eyes, but ultimately, he couldn’t resist and stole a quick glance at Paimon.
Predictably, the moment their eyes met, Paimon opened his mouth.
“You acted with considerable imprudence.”
“Yes… I suppose I did.”
“My master is free to indulge in any diversion they please. However, to suffer injury at the hands of such trivial humans is quite another matter.”
“Indeed…”
“It was merely a crossbow bolt, thankfully. Had it carried even a hint of divine power, your seal would have been forcibly shattered, unleashing utter pandemonium.”
“Yes… that’s true.”
As Jeha offered his docile replies, Paimon exhaled a faint sigh. Sensing Paimon’s exasperation, Jeha cautiously began to speak.
“It all ended well, didn’t it? I merely intervened to prevent the contractor from dying.”
“There are hundreds of ways to deflect a mere arrow.”
“But I couldn’t risk using magic when I didn’t know who might be observing, could I? If I were mistaken for a demon or a sorcerer, I couldn’t possibly continue as Marquis Belgarga. I had no other option.”
Paimon’s brow furrowed deeply as he gazed at Jeha. Sensing an impending lecture, Jeha swiftly changed the subject.
“Speaking of which, Kkamangi tore all those assassins to shreds, and that’s what worries me. Isn’t it strange for a beast that specifically targets and kills assassins to suddenly appear in a bustling city like this? What if Kkamangi becomes a suspect and gets captured?”
Jeha spoke with a worried tone, his hand gently stroking the deeply sleeping Kkamangi.
“They will undoubtedly search for the beast that slew the assassins, but they won’t suspect your cat, my master. Crucially, everyone who witnessed its true form is now dead.”
“All the assassins are dead?”
“From what I overheard the Holy Knights discussing, yes. They will likely attribute it to some large, unidentified wild beast, or perhaps even an act of divine will.”
“That’s a relief, then.”
Jeha nodded, a look of profound relief washing over his face.
“It would be prudent to cease feeding it blood. Its current size is merely due to its cat form; were it in its true demon dragon state…”
Paimon’s voice trailed off, a troubled expression settling upon his features.
“Would it have grown that much?”
Jeha mentally compared Kkamangi’s initial kitten form to its current leopard-like stature. Its mass seemed to have swelled by dozens of times. If it had grown by a similar magnitude in its demon dragon form…
“…I really ought to stop feeding it.”
Jeha nodded in compliant agreement.
“So, did you achieve any significant results?”
Paimon inquired. Jeha’s mind drifted back to the red-haired widow he had encountered and danced with earlier.
“Yes, there was. That distinct scent clung to her, even if only faintly.”
“A scent, you mean…”
“The fragrance from the Demon King’s castle garden.”
Paimon raised a single eyebrow ever so slightly.
“Remember how Kkamangi became fixated on the soup with demon realm mushrooms last time? Well, he started obsessing over the scent of Countess Delfard’s invitation, so I decided to smell it myself. It was incredibly subtle, practically imperceptible to an ordinary human, yet it struck me as strangely familiar. After some thought, I realized it was the very fragrance that occasionally drifted through the window of the Demon King’s castle bedroom.”
“All the plants cultivated within the Demon King’s castle garden are exclusively rare species, native to your own dominion, my master.”
“Precisely. This implies that the demon who has had either direct or indirect contact with Countess Delfard is either someone with free access to the Demon King’s castle, or an individual who harbors a passion for collecting rare botanical specimens.”
The infiltration of other demons into Enkarosha had been a suspicion ever since the mushroom incident. However, meeting Countess Delfard in person today had definitively confirmed it.
“Countess Delfard, or someone in her intimate circle, must undoubtedly have entered into a contract with a demon.”
“A contract is an exceedingly private affair. Even you, my master, cannot interfere with an agreement that has already been forged.”
Paimon stated in a detached, businesslike tone.
“What transpires if a contract cannot be upheld?”
“That depends entirely on where the contract’s seal was inscribed. If it was etched upon the hand, the hand would be severed; if upon the eye, the eye would be lost. In your case, my master, it was carved into your heart…”
“…my heart would be torn away.”
Jeha murmured, his hand instinctively going to his chest. This was, of course, why Paimon had sighed so profoundly upon learning the contract’s seal was etched into his heart.
“However, such a predicament rarely occurs unless one is exceptionally foolish. For no matter how meticulously humans craft their contract terms, demons invariably ensure a loophole remains for their escape.”
“In short, you’re saying they’re rather cunning.”
“Precisely.”
Rather than taking offense, Paimon admitted the truth with stark clarity, his expression one of absolute self-evidence.
Jeha stroked Kkamangi, his thoughts turning to the other demons lurking within Enkarosha.
The human who had forged a contract with a demon must be Countess Delfard herself, or perhaps someone intimately connected to her.
While he could undoubtedly uncover their exact identity if he wished, Jeha had already resolved to entrust that particular investigation to Hereis. Yet, given the prevailing circumstances, Bishop Irellio appeared to be a remarkably strong possibility.
“The Grand Temple’s Bishop, secretly bound by a demonic contract… What an immense fallout that would cause, wouldn’t it?”
As Jeha murmured, Paimon added, almost as an afterthought.
“It would be far less severe, certainly, than the Grand Temple’s Archpriest having forged a contract with the Demon King, wouldn’t it?”
Jeha shot Paimon a sharp glare for his utterly superfluous remark. Then, abruptly, he pulled the blanket over himself and turned decisively onto his side.
“I’m heading to the Grand Temple early tomorrow morning, so make the necessary preparations. Since Hereis saved my life, wouldn’t it be proper to go in person, express my gratitude, and offer a substantial donation?”
“To what extent shall I prepare?”
Paimon inquired. Jeha replied with an air that suggested the question was almost insultingly obvious.
“As much as Marquis Belgarga’s life is worth!”
“Understood.”
Paimon responded compliantly, then vanished from the room. Jeha closed his eyes, sensing a Belgarga knight now standing guard at his door, a presence absent the previous night. The knight’s presence felt surprisingly reassuring. While he knew few beings could truly harm him, he had no desire to be attacked in his sleep.
****
The following morning, Paimon burst into the bedroom. Jeha, whose habit was to sleep in late, rubbed his bleary eyes and reluctantly forced himself upright.
“Is the money prepared?”
“Yes, fortunately, the bank opened quite early. I have emptied all of its vaults.”
Paimon spoke in a businesslike tone, simultaneously drawing back the curtains from the closed window. A torrent of morning sunlight instantly flooded the room, painfully assaulting Jeha’s eyes. He groaned, shielding his eyes with a palm, before finally descending from the bed.
Jeha squinted, then walked to the window where Paimon stood, gazing down. Two carriages awaited in the front yard. One was the familiar Belgarga family carriage Jeha always used, while the other was a much larger vehicle, emblazoned with an unfamiliar crest.
A colossal, robust-looking chest was securely loaded onto the roof and rear of the larger carriage. These were undoubtedly the gold coins Paimon had ’emptied’. Four Belgarga knights encircled the carriage, with additional armed men interspersed among them, standing guard. They seemed to be reinforcements dispatched by the bank.
“Please make haste with your preparations. Since such an enormous sum has been withdrawn from the bank, word has surely already spread throughout the entire city. No human would dare lay hands upon a donation intended for the Grand Temple, but it is always prudent to exercise caution.”
There was not a single flaw in Paimon’s reasoning. Jeha, without further ado, immersed himself in the bathtub Paimon had prepared, commencing his ritual purification.
Once he had prepared and boarded the carriage, the knights and armed soldiers began to move, forming a protective cordon around both vehicles. Had the rumor already spread that an immense sum was being transported from the bank to the Grand Temple? Indeed, the roadside was lined with no small number of curious onlookers.
Perhaps due to the brazen assassination attempt on the main street last night, the knights and armed guards projected a fierce demeanor. If onlookers ventured too close to the carriages, they would draw their swords in warning. Despite this, the crowd, eager to glimpse a fortune in gold coins that few would ever see again, showed no signs of diminishing.
The Grand Temple, it seemed, had also caught wind of the rumors.
After traveling only a short distance, a contingent of knights approached from the opposite side of the road. The Belgarga knights and armed men, initially tense at their approach, visibly relaxed upon recognizing the banner of the Holy Knights.
“We have come to escort His Excellency, Marquis Belgarga,” the leading Holy Knight declared. Jeha nodded, and Paimon stepped forward to offer a respectful greeting. Now, with the added escort of the Holy Knights, the enormous quantity of gold coins proceeded majestically toward the Grand Temple.