Chapter 8
According to Verity, he didn’t have the ability to open this barrier.
“But with your Opening and Closing ability, my lady, you can.”
“But when I opened the barrier before…”
“The Lord told me you coughed up blood and collapsed.”
Fortunately, Verity didn’t force me to do it recklessly.
Instead, the school-uniform demon taught me the trick.
“Don’t try to open the entire barrier. Just open a space large enough for the three of us to pass through. Imagine there’s a door here.”
“A door?”
“The only entrance built into this enormous wall called the barrier.”
Encouraged by Verity to take it slowly, I closed my eyes and imagined a single door.
A tall rectangular door.
The handle was on the right.
Right… around here…
As I reached out my hand, I felt something smooth and round beneath my fingers.
“Well then, what should you do now?”
Verity asked excitedly.
That’s easy…
Open it.
I slowly turned my hand to the right.
Click.
The sound of a lock unlocking echoed clearly in my ears.
Along with the strange sensation of my strength draining away…
We entered the primeval forest.
Ian immediately asked,
“Hevenia, are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
I was only a little tired.
Otherwise, I felt fine.
“My lady, close the barrier.”
“Oh, right.”
Click.
The lock sounded once more.
Oh? Am I getting used to this?
Closing the barrier was even easier than opening it.
It’s really dark in here.
The village had been bright under a blue morning sky.
But the primeval forest was silent and dark, like an eternal night.
The only light came from thin rays of sunlight that briefly slipped through whenever the branches of the giant trees swayed in the wind.
Those narrow beams, thinner than spider silk, briefly revealed the scenery.
Buildings swallowed by enormous trees and tangled vines.
“Judging from the buildings, this must have been the commercial district.”
Verity took out the winged eyeball and tossed it into the air.
The eyeball emitted a bluish glow that brightly illuminated the surroundings.
“Before we begin training, there are a few things you must remember.”
For the first time all day, the cheerful, chuunibyou demon stopped smiling.
“Most of the monsters gathered here have killed people before.”
“They’ve eaten people too.”
“They’re that dangerous.”
His serious warning made me nod instinctively.
“So please follow every instruction I give. Even if you don’t understand what I’m saying… or think I’ve gone insane.”
“Yes!”
“Understood.”
“Excellent. Then, my lady, if you don’t mind, may I count the weapons and assistance I’ll provide during this training as fulfillment of one of your wishes?”
“Sure.”
With my permission, Verity took out several weapons.
I put on a glove that looked like a wrist brace on my right hand.
Ian received some light protective gear and a rusty sword with a dull blade.
Meanwhile, Verity’s clothes changed.
He changed into a thick winter school uniform.
With the hoodie underneath, it looked unbearably stuffy.
Even he seemed uncomfortable, constantly adjusting his collar.
Then—
“Hevenia!”
Ian quickly pulled me behind him.
I swallowed hard.
A terrifying pressure swept over us like a violent storm.
It made my bones ache and my breathing freeze.
Th-This is really scary…
Ian gripped the dull sword with both hands and took a fighting stance.
“Ian, your reaction was quick.”
“Very good.”
Verity praised him.
“They’re excited.”
“It’s been a long time since they’ve seen creatures weaker than themselves.”
I looked at Verity’s uniform.
So those clothes are hiding his power.
That’s why I couldn’t feel this killing intent when we first entered the forest.
But his power wasn’t gone.
It was only concealed.
Before I knew it, monsters had surrounded all three of us.
Yet thanks to Verity’s amused expression, as though the monsters were beneath his notice…
I wasn’t afraid anymore.
The training method was unbelievably simple.
Kill every monster that attacked us.
Screeeech!
Thud.
A monster with the body of a lion and the tail of a snake collapsed with a horrible final scream.
It was the last monster standing.
“Haa… haa…!”
I finally let out the breath I’d been holding and collapsed onto the ground.
I tightly gripped my right wrist with my left hand.
My whole body was exhausted.
My right hand throbbed painfully.
I’m so tired…
I had killed the monster that had just fallen.
Remembering what I had read in Clavis in One Volume, I hunted it by closing its airway.
I… really killed it.
Only now did the chilling reality sink in.
I had taken a living creature’s life.
Can I really use this power properly?
A saying suddenly came to mind.
Great power comes with great responsibility.
I was glad I remembered it now.
As long as I never forgot this feeling…
I wouldn’t abuse my power.
“Wow… my lady.”
A hand gently landed on my head.
When I looked up, Verity was smiling proudly at me.
His black school uniform looked even darker because it was stained with monster blood.
“You defeated the last one entirely by yourself.”
“Are you starting to understand your power now?”
“I can’t say for sure yet…”
I smiled awkwardly.
Opening and Closing.
The power to open and close.
I still wasn’t sure whether I was using it correctly.
But I knew one thing.
Its versatility was terrifying.
At least I can protect myself now.
Thinking that, I looked down at my right hand.
The pain had already eased considerably.
“Why does this hurt?”
“Muscle soreness.”
Verity took out a small glass bottle filled with medicine and poured it over my wrist.
The pain disappeared instantly.
“According to the report from the Lord, you always use your hands when activating your power.”
“You did it when you opened the barrier.”
“And you did it again during the fight.”
Since I unconsciously twisted my wrist whenever I used my power, he had given me the wrist guard as a precaution.
“It seems that movement is your activation trigger.”
“Activation trigger?”
“It helps you concentrate, aim, and release your power more effectively.”
“You can think of it as your personal casting motion.”
Verity then handed another bottle to Ian.
While we had been talking, Ian had been kneeling on one knee, leaning on his dull sword like a cane as he caught his breath.
Ian was amazing too.
He had defeated half of the monsters by himself.
Using nothing but that blunt sword.
Just as he had warned us beforehand, Verity occasionally shouted instructions that sounded completely insane.
“Stick your arm into its mouth!”
“Trim that monster’s fur!”
None of it made any sense.
Yet Ian trusted every one of Verity’s commands without hesitation.
One monster became helpless the moment something entered its mouth.
Its weak point had been hidden inside.
Another monster carried poison in its fur.
Because Ian had trimmed it as instructed, he avoided being poisoned.
Verity praised him generously.
“You exceeded my expectations!”
“How are you feeling?”
“I feel like I’m dying…”
“And yet you’re still standing.”
“My expectations for your future have grown even higher.”
“Your years in exile clearly weren’t wasted.”
“You’re calling that an achievement…?”
“Of course.”
“Enduring injustice without giving up is an incredibly difficult thing.”
“You accomplished that.”
“So I’m sure you’ll accomplish anything else as well.”
Ian smiled as though he were about to cry.
He barely managed to drink the medicine from the bottle.
The next instant, his eyes widened in shock.
“D-Don’t tell me…”
“Is this holy water?”
“What?”
Startled, I looked at the empty bottle in my own hand.
Looking closely, I noticed an embossed pair of angel wings on the glass.
I couldn’t help shouting.
“You crazy demon!”
“Crazy? That’s such a hurtful thing to say!”
“Can demons really carry holy water?”
“Isn’t that basically attempted suicide?”
“What are you talking about!”
Verity passionately explained that demons also visited temples, prayed to the gods, and even confessed their sins.
Then he casually drank his own bottle of holy water.
“Wow…”
A demon with an angel tattoo had already been strange enough.
Now I had met a demon who happily drank holy water.
Philosophers would absolutely love this.
The coexistence of good and evil existed right here.
The third day of training in the primeval forest.
Verity was deeply impressed by how sincerely Hevenia and Ian had devoted themselves to training.
They’re doing even better than I expected.
The monsters living in this forest weren’t ordinary monsters.
Some were calamities that had once destroyed entire kingdoms.
Others had once been worshipped as evil gods by heretical religions.
Every one of them had been gathered here.
Ordinary humans could never fight creatures like these.
Only Transcendents—or beings of comparable strength—could hunt the monsters living in this forest.
Lady Hevenia is a Clavis, so she’s an exception.
Her power is stronger than expected, which is a little worrying.
But this training has taught her how to control it, so she should be fine.
The one who truly surprised Verity, however…
Was Ian.
At this rate, he may soon be able to hunt these monsters by himself.
Which meant…
He possesses the talent of a Transcendent.
A young Clavis… standing beside a future Transcendent.
Is that really just a coincidence?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Hevenia called out to him.
“How far have we come?”
“I think we’ve gone pretty deep.”
“A little farther, and we’ll reach the outer boundary.”
At those words, Hevenia’s eyes sparkled.
Verity smiled.
“Would you like to go outside?”
“Hmm…”
Hevenia glanced at Ian.
The moment he heard the word outside, Ian’s expression became complicated.
His desire to leave…
And his fear of leaving…
Were clearly fighting each other.
“Ian.”
Hevenia spoke.
“Let’s go outside and scout the area.”
“While we’re at it, let’s chop up a few of the Emperor’s lackeys!”
“…I’m fine with going outside.”
“But let’s skip the chopping.”
And so they decided to leave Exilium.
The three of them gathered around a map.
“From our current position…”
“The closest territory to Exilium is…”
Verity pointed to a city on the right side of the map.
Barony of Deste
“It’s famous for magitech.”
“Magitech?”
“The study of developing useful technology by applying magic.”
“That’s why it’s quite prosperous for a border territory.”
“The Deste family is also a prestigious noble house.”
“Ohhh…”
Hevenia responded absentmindedly before tilting her head.
I’ve heard that name somewhere before…
She tried to remember where.
Beside her, Ian quietly muttered,
“Aunt Dalise’s…”
“Hm? What about Aunt Dalise?”
“Lady Dalise’s maiden name…”
“…was Deste.”
“…Ah! Right!”
Hevenia immediately remembered the charges against her.
Murdering her husband.
Abusing her child.
The husband listed as the victim…
Was the Baron of Deste.
