IDDYD 05

Chapter 05

“A-a demon?”

Alice stammered noticeably.

“You seem surprised too. A demon out of nowhere, it does sound absurd.”

Liam interpreted her reaction as simple surprise and brushed it off lightly.

But for Alice, this was not an issue she could let slide.

“Where were these traces found? I haven’t heard anything…”

“You wouldn’t have. The report just came up recently.”

Liam pulled a single sheet from a pile of documents and handed it to Alice.

“This is…”

The paper had a rough map of the ducal territory and the surrounding Saint Mountains. A large red X marked the northernmost tip of the mountains bordering the territory was conspicuous.

“Sir Neil reported finding suspicious traces at the location marked on the map. Along with signs of a magical beast having passed through, he said he sensed a power presumed to be demonic energy. But as you know…”

“There are no magical beasts in the Saint Mountains.”

“Right. If, as he said, a magical beast has truly appeared in the Saint Mountains, it means demonic power has begun to influence the Saint Mountains as well. Magical beasts move under the command of demons.”

Neil was the captain of the Fort Knight Order, a knight order under House Erdin. For him to report directly meant it was a serious matter.

Cold sweat trickled down Alice’s back.

Of all days, traces of a magical beast were found on the very day she summoned a demon. And in a place where they had never appeared before.

*‘Surely it’s not because of me, is it?’*

Alice tensed for a moment, but soon shook off the worry.

She had summoned Aiden mere hours ago, at the ducal residence.

Even if Sir Neil had submitted his report around that time, considering the travel time from the border area to the central ducal residence to deliver it, the magical beast traces must have been discovered at least several days prior.

That meant the traces in the Saint Mountains were a separate incident…

“I’ve shared the situation with the Temple, but since it’s also a family matter, I think we should go and verify it ourselves, Alice.”

“Yes. I’ll prepare within a few days and go for an inspection myself.”

Alice readily accepted Liam’s request. Circumstantially, the demonic energy in the Saint Mountains didn’t seem to be Aiden’s doing, but the timing was too perfect to dismiss as a simple coincidence.

She needed to go to the mountains herself to find out if this change was related to him.

“Then, Father, I’ll take my leave now.”

Alice bid farewell to Liam and left the office.

She had a lot to do going forward.

* * *

As soon as they were away from the office, Alice grabbed Aiden and pushed him against a wall. She had too many things to confront him about.

She drove her questions at him in a voice barely loud enough for him to hear.

“What’s going on? Was it you?”
“What was?”
“You heard it just now. The talk about demonic power and such.”
“Why are you asking me? I didn’t do anything.”

Aiden raised both hands as if wronged.

Alice knew he hadn’t done anything *yet*. He had been with her ever since he was summoned.

But who knows what he might have done *before* he was summoned to her!

“Then why…”

“Young Lady?”

Alice, who was about to press Aiden further, stopped speaking.

A maid was staring intently at Alice and Aiden. Her cheeks were inexplicably flushed.

Only then did Alice realize her posture.

A dark, deserted corridor. A young lady, whispering while pinning an unfamiliar man against the wall.

To anyone, it looked like lovers caught whispering sweet nothings in a secluded spot.

“S-sorry for interrupting!”
“No, Mary, this is a misunderstanding…”

Alice urgently called out to the maid, but she had already run far away.

They were at the end of a corridor where light didn’t reach well. It was a rather eerie spot in the vast mansion that the servants rarely used.

She hadn’t seen anyone pass through here just this week, yet of all days, a maid had to come by today. It was her mistake for letting her guard down.

“What are you going to do now, bold young lady?”

As Alice stared blankly at the empty corridor, Aiden’s teasing voice reached her ear.

“Be quiet…”

Alice murmured lowly and led Aiden to her room.

* * *

“Sit here.”

Upon entering her room, Alice offered Aiden a chair and sat on the sofa.

“Let’s continue our earlier conversation first. So why were traces of a magical beast found in mountains where there were none?”
“I don’t know that either. I didn’t summon any magical beasts.”

He shrugged as if he truly knew nothing.

There was no way to know if he was telling the truth, but it seemed pointless to press him further here.

Why on earth had demonic energy begun to be felt in a pristine zone where there was none before?

“So, I guess we have to go to the Saint Mountains now?”

Aiden spoke to Alice, who was lost in thought. Alice answered without looking at him.

“We have to. Before the territory’s people suffer direct damage, we must verify if the traces found in the Saint Mountains are truly demonic energy and consider countermeasures. Finding your sword comes after that.”
“Alright then.”
“By the way, you’re coming too.”
“Sure… Huh?”

Aiden made eye contact with Alice. At his reaction, as if hearing something unexpected, Alice spoke incredulously.

“You’re my guard, right? If I have to travel a dangerous path alone, of course you have to guard me.”
“Can’t you overcome such adversity well enough on your own?”
“Leaving a demon in our residence is a greater adversity for me, so just come along.”

Looking at Aiden, who didn’t back down from a single word, Alice let out a small sigh.

“And you never know. We might get a hint about your sword’s whereabouts in the mountains.”
“Ah, about that.”

Aiden tapped the low table between them.

Where he pointed, a large map was spread out. One Alice had been looking at earlier and hadn’t put away.

Aiden pointed to the northern part of the map.
“This is the Erdin Duchy, right? The very northernmost part.”
“Yes.”
“But I lost my sword around this area.”

Aiden drew a circle on the map with his finger.

Several territories in the south fell within the circle he drew.

“It takes a full day on horseback, at least three days, just to get from here, the center of the north, to the end of the Saint Mountains. How are we supposed to search if you specify such a huge range?”
“I don’t remember the exact location. I just have a feeling it was somewhere around here.”
“Saying that, how am I supposed to find the…”
“Ah, but it’s definitely lost in the south. I was staying in the south at that time. In other words.”

Aiden straightened his slightly bent back and smiled prettily.

“No matter how much we search here in the north, it’s a futile effort.”
“…….”

At his words, Alice offered a weak rebuttal.

“……Why do you think the sword is still in the south? Someone could have picked it up and brought it north.”
“That’s not it. It’s not in the north. I’m sure.”

Aiden’s expression was unusually resolute.

*Does he have some basis for his belief?* Alice considered asking him about it but let it go. *It’s his sword, he’ll handle it.*

Instead, Alice discussed their future plans with him.

“So how do you plan to find your sword in such a vast area? Have you thought of any methods?”
“Nope? I have to start thinking now.”
“……Haah.”

Alice pressed her temples and sighed. It hadn’t even been a full day since she met this demon, and her head was already throbbing.

But she couldn’t back out of the contract with him now, so suppressing her frustration, she spoke.

“We have no information about your sword right now, so the only way is to start by foot.”
Alice pointed to one of the southern territories on the map.
“Here. The territory where a family I know are the lords. Let’s start with the most accessible places, one by one.”
“Fine.”

Perhaps because it was about his sword, Aiden was more cooperative than before.

Alice took this chance to bring up something else she wanted to say.

“And one more thing. Don’t draw attention with your actions.”
“I don’t.”
“What do you mean you don’t? You just used informal speech with my father earlier.”
“Should I use honorifics then? I’ve probably lived at least 500 years longer.”
“Aren’t you my guard?”

Alice looked at him, dumbfounded.

He openly used informal speech to her father—a Duke—and yet had the nerve to act this way.

*Was it my mistake to expect basic human etiquette from a demon?* Feeling her head ache more, Alice pressed her forehead and spoke.

“Listen carefully. Someone with an unclear status like you shouldn’t use informal speech with my father, the Duke. On top of that, you…”

She couldn’t bring herself to utter the follow-up: *your appearance alone is eye-catching.*

She didn’t particularly want to say anything that sounded like praising him in front of him.

Instead, she laid down the law.

“Anyway, remember what I said. If you want to live, don’t stand out and stay quiet. Like I said before, if you’re found out to be a demon…”
“We both die? I know.”

Aiden answered, swatting his hand as if annoyed.

His tone still wasn’t exactly trustworthy, but having said this much, he must have understood. Alice thought so and moved on.

* * *

Yes, that’s how it was supposed to be…

So what on earth is *this* situation?

“I challenge you to a duel.”

Sir Neil pointed his sword at Aiden. Aiden looked at him with an expression of interest.

Their surroundings were bustling with knights cheering Neil on and servants gathering to watch the fight.

How on earth did things come to this?

Alice stared at them with a dumbfounded expression.