Chapter 60: A Deal with the Demon
“Humans and dragons are starting to notice.”
A dark meeting room. A secret gathering was taking place, where no one could see each other’s true identity.
“Notice what?”
“They are linking the increase of monsters on the continent to the return of demons.”
“Who is suspecting us?”
“Escolaya.”
“Escolaya? That is the center of knowledge on the continent, the lighthouse of wisdom.”
Some were worried, while others did not care much.
“With so many scholars gathered, there are bound to be strange ones too. The high nobles of the continent won’t believe them so easily.”
“Indeed, most nobles did not agree. Even if the two events are connected, they cannot convince the nobles.”
“Still, it is concerning that they made the connection.”
“What is the conclusion?”
“White Dragon Blancaros personally put the matter on hold.”
“We have bought time.”
“Humans might not be a problem, but dragons will begin their investigation. If we are discovered, we will be crushed before the war even begins.”
Everyone lowered their heads in silence. They had worked too hard to let it all fail now.
“What should we do? I think we should try to cover our tracks—”
“That is not an option.”
A man who had been silent until now spoke. His voice took control of the tense room. He was their leader.
“Why not?”
“The White Dragon is waiting for that.”
“Waiting?”
“If we react, they will realize that there are still traitors within the Grand Council.”
“Then what should we do?”
“We continue as planned. If things unfold over time, it will seem natural.”
“Will it really look that way?”
“The only unpredictable factor is your loose lips.”
His words were insulting, but no one dared to protest.
“If that is your decision…”
“Is there anything else unusual?”
“Well…” One name immediately came to mind.
“There is a man named Ferda Valdrova.”
Everyone was surprised.
“The young fiancé of the Valdrova dragon?”
“That fool who walked straight into a dragon’s mouth? What about him?”
“When I first heard about him, I thought the same. But seeing him in person, he was different.”
The middle-aged man was not just a demon follower; he was also a noble and a lord.
“Perhaps we should be cautious of him.”
“What level of threat does he pose?”
“He should be treated as a walking fortress, like Alberdo.”
“That seems excessive.”
“It took five years for Alberdo, the butcher, to become a real threat. This young man—”
“Is just as dangerous already.”
“You are scared of a mere boy? What a waste of years.”
They looked at him with disdain, but he returned the same look. Their thoughts were too different to align.
At that moment, a masked man entered the room and whispered to one of the nobles. The noble’s face darkened.
“A messenger just brought unfortunate news.”
Failure.
“The Escolaya Cover-Up has failed.”
The operation had been named the “Cover-Up.” They used doppelgangers to replace high-ranking nobles. Some among them had already infiltrated this way.
“And the one who stopped it was none other than Ferda Valdrova.”
Those who mocked him earlier were now speechless.
Everyone turned toward their leader. His expression shifted from a slight smile to a deep frown. He was irritated.
“Has the existence of doppelgangers been exposed?”
It was a serious question. If humans discovered demons could take their form, this was beyond just exposing their plans. It was like igniting a fuse to a massive explosion.
Coldly and logically, he gave his conclusion.
“It is likely.”
“Hmm…” The leader tapped his face with his finger.
“Who was in charge of the Cover-Up?” Silence.
“I asked, who was in charge?”
Finally, one man hesitantly raised his hand.
“I—I was…”
Before he could finish speaking, his head was cut off.
“Hah…”
“Ugh…” The heavy scent of blood filled the room, and silence followed.
“Messenger.”
“Yes.”
The masked man stepped forward. The leader tossed something to him—a syringe filled with black liquid.
“From now on, you are Baron Battlehorn.”
“I am honored.”
The masked man stabbed the syringe into his neck. His body turned into a black mannequin and absorbed the blood from the severed head. The old Baron Battlehorn was dead. A new one had taken his place.
The nobles swallowed nervously. It was a warning—anyone could be replaced at any time.
“End all research on the doppelgangers. The time for slow studies is over.”
“Understood.”
“Destroy all remaining subjects and eliminate everyone involved.”
“Yes.”
The method was simple. The research facility was under a mountain. They would simply collapse the mountain.
“The Grand Council meeting is over. Why are you not returning?” Ruri asked.
“Something came up.”
“Lord Valdrova will be waiting.”
“I know. I do not like making him wait.”
“Then why not return?”
“This is important.” Even an outbreak of monsters would not matter as much as this. This could erase the things that caused Valdrova pain.
Ruri knew. She knew where he was going.
“That is Silverwind’s territory.”
Ferda nodded.
“I know.”
“Goz hates you.”
“I know that too.”
“Demons are our common enemy. But an enemy’s enemy is not always a friend. If you enter their land… you will have to fight.”
Silverwind hated demons. Ferda also hated the demons who tormented Valdrova. But Silverwind would not welcome him.
“That is why I will do this in secret.”
“…”
“It is dangerous, but once it is done, there will be no future problems.”
Ruri’s lips trembled. She wanted to say, Do not go. But the words would not leave her mouth.
“…Are you really going?”
“I must.”
“Understood. Then I will wait.”
“No. You should return.”
“…”
“While I am gone, your duty is to protect my wife.”
Ruri bit her lip. She did not like it. She wanted to refuse. But she had no right to go against him.
“Return safely.”
Ruri turned and left. Ferda prepared for his secret mission, calculating everything.
‘If I minimize supplies and use a mid-sized teleportation circle, it will take a day.’
One day. Fast for attacking a country. But too slow for a single research facility. His enemies would not sit still. By now, they would have learned about the failed Escolaya operation. They would move quickly.
‘If Ruri could carry everyone and fly, it would be faster…’ But this was Silverwind’s land. Ruri had already experienced what happened when she faced them. Ferda didn’t want to involve her. And he shouldn’t.
‘We have to finish this by ourselves as much as possible.’
The next important thing was power.
‘The research director is a 5-circle mage, right?’ The researchers under him were just assistants, only 1-star or 2-star at best. But the director was strong. It would have been good to know what magic he used and how he fought, but torture couldn’t get information that didn’t exist.
‘I’ll have to deal with that mage myself.’
Of course, he couldn’t fight head-on. Ferda thought about his abilities.
‘Shadows that I can control without chanting.’
Usually, he used it in the form of a Shadow Hand. But he could also make it look like an octopus tentacle or a flat shape like parchment. The less light there was, the stronger it became. If the light was too strong, the shadow could break apart.
‘It’s not meant for direct combat anyway.’ Barbatos’ magic was all about stealth and strategy. It was for outsmarting enemies, not fighting them directly.
‘According to Shape of Shadow, this is part of my body.’ Since the shadow was treated as part of his body, that meant magic could also be used through Shadow Hand. It was possible, but it required a deep understanding of magic. It wasn’t just about making a hand that looked real. It had to have mana circuits and pathways just like a real hand.
Ferda focused his mana on one of his Shadow Hands. The mana moved along the black shadow under his feet and gathered in the dark hand. He followed the steps needed to draw a magic circle. Blue particles flowed from the black hand, forming a white magic circle.
Now, he could attack enemies anytime, anywhere. But Ferda frowned.
‘It takes four times longer than average to complete the magic circle.’ Any skilled mage would notice and react in time. Unless he knew exactly what kind of enemy he was facing and where the battle would take place, it was too risky.
‘No need to overthink it.’ Quick reach was more important than predictions. Instead of making countless guesses, reacting instantly was key. That was what Ferda was best at.
So, he just kept the idea in mind and lay down. He tried to sleep. It was better to prepare for tomorrow than to worry about things he couldn’t control.
That’s when it happened. Just as he was about to close his eyes, Ferda’s senses sharpened. His instincts told him something was wrong.
‘Hmm…….’
He had never felt this inside the castle before. Of course not. Valdrova’s castle was surrounded by barrier magic stronger than even the Emperor’s defenses. No one could break in so easily. But the Count’s mansion was different. Compared to Valdrova’s castle, its security was like a rotting fishing net.
‘Who’s coming?’
Ferda sensed the movement of mana. Then, the sharp smell of sulfur reached his nose.
“Hello, darling.” A seductive voice he had heard before. It was Sitri, the Demon of Lust.
“Get lost.”
“Oh my, so cold. Were we always like this?” Her snake-like tongue licked her lips as she approached.
“I have no intention of making a contract with you, Sitri.”
“I don’t want to make a contract with you either. I hate your type. Too difficult to control, and even when controlled, you don’t listen properly.”
“Then why waste time? Leave.”
“So impatient. I came here for business.”
Ferda’s face hardened even more.
“Who in their right mind does business with a demon?”
“There is one. Right here.” She pointed at Ferda with a gentle finger.
Ferda raised his hands to cover his ears.
“The research facility you’re planning to attack will be destroyed in six hours.”
His hand stopped. It was hard to ignore such information.
“Don’t give me that look. You think a high-ranking demon like me wouldn’t know?” Sitri enjoyed watching Ferda’s reaction.
“So, how do you know?”
“Darling, most of my pets are high-ranking nobles. Big babies who can’t be satisfied with normal pleasures.” She smirked. “Some of them even work with demons.”
Ferda had already suspected that. The attempt to kidnap the Escolaya Academy chancellor was proof of it.
“The kidnapping failed, and the one who was supposed to replace him was captured. If he reveals the location under torture, everything will be exposed.”
“So, they’re destroying the facility.”
“Even if you leave now, you’ll be too late. No matter what methods you use, it’ll take at least a day or two to get there.”
“If we move fast, we can go now.”
“You mean using that little Spawn? Sure, that’s possible. But do you think Silverwind will just sit and watch?”
No, they wouldn’t. Ever since Ferda had stepped into Silverwind’s territory back at the White House, they had already marked him as an enemy. If they found an excuse, they wouldn’t hesitate.
It was a problem. Sitri had analyzed the situation perfectly. That’s why she came with a business offer.
“Looking at your face, I think we can make a deal. Am I right?” She pressed him for an answer.
Ferda’s blue eyes stayed calm, hiding his thoughts.
“What can you offer me?”
Sitri smiled and reached into her chest. She pulled out a thick scroll.
“This scroll contains the Bending Bridge spell. Do you know what that is?”
“A teleportation spell that connects two locations within the same dimension.”
“Oh, how smart. That’s right.”
It was a powerful spell. Most detection magic couldn’t even sense it. Since it connected two places, it lasted longer than a regular teleport. It was perfect for Ferda’s situation.
“That’s it?”
“If you need more, my subordinates can keep Silverwind busy. They’ll make a mess and steal some research secrets while they’re at it.”
Teleportation and a distraction. The deal was too good. Too good to accept immediately. Because demons never made unfair deals for themselves. If Sitri was offering so much, there had to be a price.
“What do you want?”
“There’s a foolish demon inside that facility.”
“A foolish demon?”
“Yes. I sent her to seduce a man, but she ended up falling for him instead.”
“Is that even possible?”
“That’s why I said she’s foolish.” Sitri sighed. “If she dies there, she won’t even return to hell. She’ll disappear into the void forever.”
“So you want me to take her out and kill her outside?”
“So she can be summoned back to hell, yes.”
“How touching.”
“What can I say? We demons take care of our own.”
“Now that’s a joke.” Sitri was a demon of lust. She had nothing to do with kindness.
“Fine, I’ll tell you the truth. She’s one of my daughters.”
“I see.”
“She’s old enough to be independent, but… sigh. I have no choice but to help. A mother’s love, you know?” Sitri playfully twirled her skirt.
“So, you’ll help us while we rescue her?”
“Yes. A win-win deal. What do you think?”
Ferda thought about it. Only one thing came to mind: Never make deals with demons.
“Swear on your name that this isn’t a trap.”
“I swear on my name as Sitri, the Great Demon of Hell. There is no trap. Once you rescue her, your mission is done.” She gave her word.
Ferda nodded.
“Fine. We have a deal.”
“Oh, that was quicker than I expected. Good.” Sitri placed the scroll beside his bed.
“You have two hours. Eight people in, eight people out. Don’t forget.” Then, she melted into the darkness.
As soon as she vanished, Ferda’s door burst open. Count Consilus and armed knights rushed in.
“Regent! Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
“We detected a demon inside! We must—”
“No need. The demon is gone.”
“Did she say anything—”
“The mission is canceled.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
Ferda had no time to explain. So, he just gave orders.
“We start the operation in an hour. Gather the elite soldiers.”
