Chapter 23
What kind of coincidence is this?
On the third day.
I was feeling a strange sensation.
"Someone keeps staring at me."
Even while I was treating people, I kept getting that feeling, and it made me feel truly uneasy.
When I consulted Alios about it, she replied like this:
"They're probably those who haven't been cured yet, desperately hoping that they'll be treated soon."
"Is that so?"
Now that she said it, it made sense.
I was treating people at an incredibly fast pace, but there were still many plague victims.
This place is originally a prosperous territory near the capital of the Kingdom of Arsen, so there are a lot of people.
There were even some whose conditions were so serious that I had to personally go to them and treat them.
Should I try to increase the treatment efficiency even more?
But how should I do that?
Even at my current pace, an average priest wouldn't be able to imitate this level.
To raise the efficiency further from here, I need to find a better method rather than just doing it faster.
While I was pondering methods, a certain question suddenly came to mind.
Come to think of it, how did the original Airan manage to treat an even worse-off territory?
Although he possessed powerful Holy Power, he didn't have Divine Power like Ceres.
He shouldn't have been able to cure people just by touching them like I can now, yet he managed to do it all alone.
It wasn't described in the original story, but did Airan perhaps have a special method only he knew?
"Alios."
I quietly called her.
"If someone other than me had come here to treat people, but they couldn't heal just by touching like I can..."
"Then it would take a lot of time, or they'd fail, wouldn't they?"
"No, let's assume they succeeded. In that case, what method could that person have used?"
For problems related to fantasy, you should ask the people of this world.
Unlike me, Alios is a native of this world. When I asked for her thoughts, she paused for a moment before speaking.
"Maybe they used wide-area magic or something like that?"
"You mean magic that affects a large area, right?"
"Yes. I've never actually seen it myself, but Sibellius, whom you also know, Ceres... a great archmage like her is said to be able to use magic that affects an entire area."
If that's the case, could I do it too?
If I spread Divine Power as widely as possible to create an area effect, the efficiency would definitely increase.
I immediately tried something similar using Divine Power.
Since Divine Power takes the form of light, what if I healed by illuminating the surroundings like light?
"Light, light?!"
"The disease is gone. Breathing doesn't hurt anymore!"
This really works!
The radiance that burst from my hand cured the illnesses of everyone within its reach.
"Hmm, I think my sickness is gone too..."
"But my body still hurts in some places."
However, maybe because the power was dispersed, it only cured the illness while the physical damage caused by the illness remained.
Well, I can always treat that separately later.
Even just curing the disease alone drastically reduces the time.
To think that I can heal just by walking around spreading light—this was nothing short of revolutionary!
Most likely, the original Airan used a similar method to heal an entire territory alone.
At this rate, I might even finish everything by the end of today.
Excited, I spread the light of Divine Power all around as I walked.
But a short while later…
"Uaaagh, I can't take this anymore!"
A woman suddenly burst out screaming from within the area touched by my Divine Power.
"Stop that disgusting feeling right now!"
"Who are you?"
I looked at the woman, confused as to why she was suddenly giving me orders.
She was about the same height as me.
Considering the average height of women in this world, she was on the smaller side.
She had a relatively petite figure and a cute face, but her eyes were fierce.
Her short-cut hair was blood-red, reminding me of Violet.
"You're Red?!"
It was the first time I had seen this woman, but Alios recognized her and was visibly shocked.
"Everyone, stand back. Now!"
She suddenly shouted, and the next words explained everything.
"That woman is a Demon!"
As Alios revealed Red's true identity, the surrounding people were stunned, and so was I.
I've seen a Half-Demon before, but this is my first time seeing a real Demon!
Even in the original story, Demons didn't appear often.
It was just mentioned in the setting that Alios hunted Demons, and Sibellius was a Half-Demon.
Even the protagonist, Ceres, rarely encountered Demons.
So why is a Demon appearing in front of me, the protagonist who's not supposed to see them often?
"Ceres, do you remember?"
Alios stepped forward, holding her sword as if to protect me.
"When Ceres first used that power."
"You mean the time when you were fighting a Demon, dodged its attack, and your subordinates got injured instead? Don't tell me it was her?"
"Yes. That Demon called Red is the very one I tried to capture back then but unfortunately let escape."
No way, what kind of ridiculous butterfly effect is this?!
Unlike the original story, because I said something unnecessary, the Demon who should have been killed ended up surviving and is now standing in front of me?
"Heh, how dare you bring up that day in front of me!"
Red shouted in rage.
"Yes, I'm the one who suffered the humiliation of running away from you that day!"
"Don't turn the blame on me. I almost lost my subordinates that day."
"Like I care about that. What matters is that I haven't forgotten that day and have been waiting for a chance to take revenge."
"So you came all the way here to find me?"
"Lucky coincidence. I came because of the plague, thinking I might scavenge some corpses, and then I heard that you were here."
You even eat plague-ridden corpses?
I knew Demons ate humans, but I didn't realize their meals were this miserable.
For a moment, I actually thought she was kind of pitiful, but then Red suddenly pointed at me.
"My original plan was to go after that precious man of yours first to make you despair. But this disgusting power you're spreading made me snap!"
…So it wasn't the patients staring at me. it was you?
I thought the stares were from the patients, so I spread my Divine Power widely to reach more people.
That coincidentally ended up offending the Demon's senses, provoking her into revealing herself.
…So because I opened my mouth unnecessarily to Alios, the Demon who was supposed to die early didn't, survived, targeted me out of revenge against Alios, got hit by my Divine Power, got annoyed, and revealed herself?
All of this, start to finish, is one absurd chain of coincidences!
"Demon?"
"Is she really a Demon?"
Even after Red revealed her identity herself, the surrounding people didn't flee.
It was probably such a sudden situation that they couldn't process it yet, but honestly, they should be running!
"Take this."
"Uagh!"
Red grabbed one of the people who didn't run and hurled them toward Alios.
Alios had no choice but to put away her sword and catch the person to safely set them down.
Red took that moment to charge in. She dashed toward Alios to strike—
"Die!"
But just then, a soldier rushed forward. He thrust his spear with full strength at Red, aiming for her heart.
"You don't know your place."
But Red easily broke the spear.
She grabbed it with her bare hand and snapped it with brute force. Then, while her opponent stood shocked, she effortlessly grabbed him by the nape.
From Red's hand, sharp claws emerged.
She was in a position to tear out the man's throat at any moment.
"Freeze. Move again, and I'll kill him."
With that warning, Alios, who was about to counterattack, halted.
Seeing her hesitate, Red burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.
"Ha ha ha! As expected, all you self-righteous heroes are the same."
"…What is it you want?"
"Your humiliation and death. Alios, I'll repay the humiliation of my defeat to you last time!"
Red pointed at me again as she spoke.
"With so many people you have to protect around you, you'll never be able to beat me! I'll sever your limbs and cook that man of yours right in front of you!"
That "cooking" must mean she plans to eat me.
Anyway, it was a crisis.
There were too many people around to fight properly, and she had taken a hostage.
Even Alios would struggle in this kind of situation.
"Alios, what should I do?"
I asked, wondering if she needed my help, but Alios didn't answer.
After a moment of contemplative silence, she finally spoke.
"If you're going to kill the hostage, then go ahead."
"…What?"
"…What?"
Not only me, even Red was shocked by her unexpected response.
"Are you insane? A supposed hero letting a hostage die just like that? And this is a foreign country! If you do this, it could cause a diplomatic incident!"
"You said that if you defeat me, you'll disgrace Ceres. From the moment you said that, nothing else matters."
Alios glared fiercely at Red as she spoke.
"How dare you, how dare you throw your filthy desires at my Ceres. I will never forgive you. Not even a hundred deaths would be enough. I'll make sure you suffer the most miserable death in this world!"
"Are you serious?! Don't you see the hostage I'm holding?!"
"Kill him. I don't care about that kind of person. Even the title of Hero or a diplomatic issue is trivial compared to Ceres. No matter what the cost, I'll kill you for daring to threaten him!"
Chapter 24
It was just unpleasant.
When Alios shouted, the surroundings fell silent.
Red, who had been threatening others, and the citizens she had threatened all froze.
Even I, the very person she claimed was precious to her, closed my mouth.
A moment later—
"Did you learn romance instead of basic manners?"
Red replied, sounding dumbfounded.
"You're the heir to a ducal house and a Hero! You're saying you'll throw all of that away over one man?"
"I'm saying exactly that."
"You've completely lost your mind since I last saw you!"
Even as Red shouted, Alios moved, as if to prove she meant every word.
She assumed a thrusting stance toward Red, her sword radiating a clear aura.
She looked like she would stab and kill, hostage or not.
"Hey, Alios!"
She's not serious, right?
I watched, hoping this wasn't real—
"Damn it!"
Before Alios could move, Red quickly threw away the hostage.
If the opponent didn't care about the hostage, then they were just a burden.
Clearing the nuisance, she shot up into the sky.
Red jumped and landed on top of a building, with Alios immediately giving chase.
The two began a fierce battle, leaping between rooftops.
Alios swung her aura-coated sword at Red as she rushed in, but Red raised her arm to block.
Normally, blocking aura with your arm is reckless, but Red's arm had undergone a strange transformation.
It was covered in thick scales, so the aura sliced into scales, not flesh.
Having blocked the attack, Red transformed her other arm too, pulling out claw-like blades and slashing.
Alios quickly ducked to evade.
Even though only one of them had aura, the fight was still evenly matched.
Was that perhaps one of Red's Demon abilities?
In the original story, each Demon had a unique ability, Red's must be combat-focused bodily transformation.
"L-Lord Ceres!"
As I watched the battle, some soldiers approached me in a panic.
"What do we do? Should we assist Lady Alios…?"
"That's impossible."
I answered firmly.
They were fighting while leaping between buildings. How could anyone interfere?
Even I, far stronger than an ordinary human, couldn't manage it. Using a bow to snipe from a distance would be just as difficult.
"Instead of that, please focus on evacuating the civilians."
The sudden appearance of a Demon had thrown the area into chaos.
Some people were fleeing, while others were still frozen, watching the battle unfold.
While I directed the soldiers to evacuate them—
"Fufu, scurrying away like rats!"
Red laughed ominously as she spotted the fleeing civilians.
"You think I'll let you go?"
Something rose from Red's body.
What descended to the ground looked like winged, thread-like insects, but much larger!
Disgusting-looking things swarmed by the dozens, descending upon the fleeing people.
I was shocked, thinking they'd all died, but the truly shocking part came next.
The people the bugs burrowed into suddenly turned and charged straight toward me like lunatics.
"Ceres!"
Alios, who had been ignoring anything not attacking her, was stunned by this unexpected turn.
"Haha, I know he's your weakness!"
Red laughed triumphantly. The bugs seemed to be some sort of parasite that allowed her to control others.
They even enhanced physical ability.
The soldiers tried to protect me from the controlled people, but were easily overpowered.
Seeing this, Alios tried to help me, and Red, noticing the opening, went in to strike.
Amid the chaos, I approached the controlled people instead.
Just as one reached out to grab me, I caught their extended arm.
Using their momentum, I flipped them over.
"Eh?"
"Huh."
I heard both Red and Alios make dumbfounded noises.
Ignoring them, I moved on.
I tripped another by hooking their foot and blocked the path.
As the dozens charging from the front hesitated, I slipped into a blind spot.
Before they could regroup, I ambushed from the side, mainly using low kicks to knock them down and subdue them.
Just in case, I injected Divine Power into the ones I restrained, and they stopped struggling.
They only lost consciousness, with no visible harm. Maybe the bugs melted away from the Divine Power?
Anyway, once I resolved the crisis, Red let out a shocked cry.
"He's not a sickly patient?! I thought he was the Empire's Greatest Beauty, weak and frail!"
"I was cured!"
And I got even stronger.
Without superhuman physical strength, no matter how good your technique is, you can't win against dozens of enhanced enemies.
"Sorry, but targeting me wasn't the best idea."
"You bastard! You should've just gotten captured and stayed weak, so why the hell are you getting in my way?!"
…What?
I was so dumbfounded that I replied.
"Hey, extra!"
"…Did you just call me an extra?"
Yeah, you didn't even have a name in the original story.
No fight scene, just a one-time mention as 'some Demon.' If you're not an extra, then what are you?
"You arrogant brat! You think you're all that just because Alios is protecting you!"
"And yet you're still alive thanks to me, so maybe don't act high and mighty."
"…What?"
"Apparently you don't know, but the reason you're still breathing right now is because of me."
It wasn't intentional, but that's how it turned out.
But Red, who had no way of knowing the full story, only looked bewildered.
"What are you talking about?"
"Just know that what I said is true."
"Uagh!"
Alios took advantage of Red's distraction to land a critical blow.
Red gritted her teeth as a deep slash ran from her chest to her side.
"You bastards! So that nonsense was to confuse me!"
It wasn't exactly our plan, but given the situation, she completely misunderstood.
"Uaaaah!"
Thinking she'd been tricked, Red lost it and transformed into a grotesque form.
One arm split into a massive whip-like appendage, while the other became a giant head.
She seemed unable to move swiftly in that state, so she landed on the ground.
Then, aiming at me, she opened the mouth on the snake-like arm, an eyeless serpent.
"Oops!"
Seeing that, Alios flinched and rushed in front of me.
"Be careful! That's the same attack that injured my subordinates last time."
The same attack that would've injured your arm in the original story?
"She's charging it longer than last time. It looks like she's planning something bigger."
Alios broke into a cold sweat, watching Red stall instead of attacking right away.
You'd think we could just dodge during that time, but—
"If you dodge, the ones you subdued will get hit instead."
Since Red said that, it made it hard to run away.
To prevent interference, she swung her whip-like arm around, keeping everyone at bay.
"Ceres, let's just get out of here."
"Wait."
I stopped Alios, who was trying to carry me away alone, like no one else mattered.
A good idea had just come to mind.
Perhaps because she's a Demon, that thing seems weak to Divine Power.
She couldn't withstand my Divine Power and revealed herself, and even the insects she made couldn't endure it.
Come to think of it, there was a scene in the original where Ceres drove away Demons using Divine Power.
If that's the case, maybe I can use Divine Power as an offensive tool, at least against her.
"Ceres, what is that stance?"
"Ener..."
"Excuse me?"
"Never mind, Divine God Buster!"
I was about to shout a skill name no one here would recognize, so I changed it at the last moment.
As I yelled the made-up, cool-sounding name, Divine Power surged from both my hands like pillars.
Red had just begun gathering flame in the mouth of the snake-head arm when it was swept away.
"Uaaaagh!"
Her charging attack was canceled, and she let out a scream as her whole body began to melt.
Soon—
Red, struck by the Divine Power I unleashed, looked like someone who had suffered full-body burns.
"I-I won't let this go."
She spoke forcefully, but her actions said otherwise.
She sprouted wings from her back, lifted into the air, and tried to escape.
"The moment I recover, I'll come back for you. Especially you, Ceres Hyperion, I won't just kill you. I'll humiliate you, then devour every part of your body!"
"What the—? This extra just won't shut up!"
"You bastard, I really won't let you go now~!"
Red fled, hurling threats full of rage.
And then—
"The Demon disappeared!"
"Hero Alios and Saint Ceres have defeated the Demon!"
Cheers erupted.
"Amazing!"
"You not only cure disease, but even defeat Demons!"
Strictly speaking, it was our fault she showed up in the first place, but people only cared about the fact that we drove her off.
Even when we resumed the healing, that was all anyone talked about.
"When you were taken hostage earlier, I was really worried, but I see now, you had a plan all along!"
"The Demon actually let go when you said it didn't matter if the hostage died."
"It was all bluff to fool the Demon!"
Even the part that could've turned into a serious diplomatic crisis was conveniently misunderstood.
The news reached the Queen of Arsen right away.
"A Demon appearing... Could it be that the plague was its doing?"
"Doesn't seem like it…"
"Still, I shudder to think what would've happened if you two weren't here."
"Well technically, it was kind of our fault…"
"A valiant Hero and a beautiful Saint joining forces to defeat a Demon, like something out of legend! I shall throw a grand banquet in your honor!"
Even when I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, the Queen of Arsen was too excited to listen.
"Ceres, everyone is praising you."
Alios smiled quietly to herself, like this had nothing to do with her.
I looked at her with a sour expression.
Chapter 25
Someone already said that line.
All the healing was finished by around 3 p.m.
Even though there'd been a total disaster with that fight against the Demon, it still ended quickly!
It was all thanks to switching to the method of spreading Divine Power like light, letting me heal hundreds per second.
Once everything was done, we accepted the Queen of Arsen's hospitality and went to the banquet.
"Lord Ceres, your beauty is just as the rumors say. You truly look the part of a Saint."
"Not only did you stop the plague, but you even defeated a Demon. Remarkable."
Nobles I didn't even recognize kept approaching to talk to me.
"Lord Ceres Hyperion, if you have time, might I meet with you privately later?"
"Ceres doesn't have time."
Some women even tried to flirt, but Alios cut them off.
To be honest, the banquet was just a bother.
I only came because I couldn't refuse the invitation of a foreign monarch due to my noble status.
I figured I could at least enjoy the well-prepared food, but—
"No."
Just as I tried to tear a leg off the roasted chicken, Alios quickly took the plate away.
"You can't just eat meat whole with that body."
"I'm fully recovered now."
"It hasn't even been that long since your recovery. Until your body fully adjusts, start slow and gradually work your way up."
I was disappointed, I thought I'd finally get to eat properly now that I was healed.
"You say you'll endure anything for me, but you won't even let me eat what I want?"
I complained, and while I was at it, I brought up something else.
"Don't do that again."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't make those kinds of extreme decisions so easily, letting others die for my sake."
"Why not? Isn't it obvious that someone you love is more important than a stranger? Or would you let me die for someone you don't even know?"
"…No, I wouldn't either. Even if I struggled with it, I'd probably still choose you, my friend."
What I meant was, she shouldn't have said it so lightly.
"You should've at least hesitated and been sure there was no other way. Your decision was too care—"
"Did it seem careless?"
Alios cut me off.
She spoke firmly, her face devoid of any smile.
"If you think I said those things on a mere impulse, without any conviction, then that must mean my feelings still haven't reached you."
"What…?"
"Ceres. Back when I went to kill Violet to save you, you had already become someone more important to me than anything else."
…She didn't even say that in the original story.
Original Alios said similar things, but it was more about possessing him no matter what.
Not doing anything to save him.
So is this still the same obsession as the original? Or not?
What should I say?
While I was struggling to respond—
"May I borrow you both for a moment?"
Someone spoke up. It was the Queen of Arsen.
With an awkward expression, she continued.
"Mm, sorry to interrupt such an important conversation, but… a guest has arrived."
"A guest?"
"Yes. A noble from the Empire, like you two. She said you'd recognize the name Countess Hurion."
The Queen asked if I knew her, and I nodded.
Countess Hurion was a friend of Ares, and her estate was right next to ours.
She made such a fuss before that I even ended up healing her daughter. I couldn't forget her.
"She came all the way here?"
Why?
"She said it was urgent. That she had to meet with you, Ceres, as soon as possible."
"I understand. I'll go meet her right away."
I nodded to the Queen and gave Alios a glance.
"…Let's go."
She'd been waiting for my response. Looking slightly disappointed, she followed after me.
The place the Queen guided us to was surprisingly a secluded corner of the royal garden.
"She said she wanted to speak privately, just with fellow Imperial citizens. I'll give you privacy, whatever it is, I hope it works out well."
"Thank you."
I gave my thanks to the Queen of Arsen, who had been considerate enough to accommodate us after everything we'd done.
Once we entered the corner, a familiar face was standing there, almost as if hiding.
Countess Hurion.
She was the same age as Ares, yet like Ares, she looked young, a beautiful woman with long black hair.
"Ceres, it's been a while!"
She greeted me warmly the moment she saw me.
"When I heard you'd been taken by the Emperor, I was so worried. I'm glad to see you're safe."
"Vio—no, Her Majesty had no intention of harming me."
"So it was true? I heard similar information and tried to stop Ares, but she wouldn't listen."
"Mother did something?"
I suddenly had a bad feeling.
I wanted to believe it wasn't what I feared, but—
"Listen carefully. Ares is currently planning to rebel against the Emperor in order to rescue you."
…I told her not to do anything reckless!
I said not to worry and to stay put, and yet now she's starting a rebellion just like in the original story, that hit me hard.
"She even asked me to help her."
"And what did you say?!"
"I already made a vow to you, Ceres. That I'd always be your ally. But I couldn't act when the situation was still unclear."
When she said she wanted to assess the situation first, Ares apparently exploded with anger.
Countess Hurion said she somehow calmed her down, but it didn't last long.
"A few days ago, she disappeared, saying she would find you herself. Now, in your territory, both the heir and the lord are missing, and the retainers are desperately trying to cover it up."
That's strange.
I clearly asked Violet to pass along a message that I was doing well, so why did Ares lose her composure like this?
"I had a hunch she was going to make a move, so I tried to contact you first to explain the situation, but unexpectedly, I got information that you were here."
"So that's why you came to meet me in person."
In the original story, Countess Hurion was the one who informed the Emperor about Ares's rebellion.
But now, since I cured her daughter, has she come to report to me instead?
I calmed my trembling heart and asked,
"Then… where is my mother now? Don't tell me she's already marched on Emperor Violet?!"
"There's been no word yet, but it's only a matter of time."
Countess Hurion frowned as she explained.
"Before Ares disappeared, she came to me and said this: She already found out where Ceres is. If I wouldn't help her, she'd go alone. She didn't care if there was a terrifying presence there. As soon as she found her trump card, she would go fight."
"Terrifying presence? Trump card?"
"I don't know what the trump card is… but the terrifying presence must refer to the Emperor."
It sounded plausible—
"No, I don't think so."
Alios, who had been silent, suddenly interjected with a tense expression.
"Think about what she said before that. She claimed she knew where Ceres was. But where had Ceres been until now?"
I thought back to where I was before I came here.
And instantly, I knew who the 'terrifying presence' was.
"Sibellius!"
* * *
Sibellius.
The powerful Archmage, a despised Half-Demon.
A figure famous in many ways, now thrashing on her bed in her room.
"Ughhh, Ceres! What are you?!"
The reason she was groaning and calling out to Ceres was simple.
I can't get that human out of my head!
Even though it had been days since he left, she couldn't stop thinking about him.
Hair and skin like pure silver and snow.
Those blue eyes that carried determination even in pain.
That elegant voice that always addressed her bluntly.
And the dazzling smile he would occasionally show.
She couldn't forget a single thing!
But most of all, what lingered in her memory was the scent that came from Ceres.
So vivid it felt like he was right beside her, only to fade away again like a dream, she thought she would go mad.
Was there some kind of curse on that scent?!
That was the only explanation that made sense.
She couldn't think about magic research, let alone her daily life, all she could think of was Ceres!
Right. Now that I really think about it, it was strange. There's no way a human body would naturally give off that kind of scent. It must be some kind of special ability, like one of a Demon's innate traits.
Maybe he wasn't even human.
He had the beauty of a celestial angel. The ability to heal others instantly. And even gave off an alluring scent.
"…It makes sense."
It was a thought born of denial, but now that she thought about it, it made perfect sense.
Where on earth would you find a human like that?
Sibellius began to suspect that Ceres wasn't human at all.
That he might be some evil being toying with her.
If Ceres had heard this, he probably would've asked her in all seriousness if she'd gone off the deep end.
But even if she had, it couldn't be helped.
Sibellius hadn't been able to sleep properly since he left days ago.
"I'll uncover your true identity!"
She began tearing through her books.
She flipped through volumes that documented rare and unusual races, until she fixated on one.
"This is it! 'Celestial beings always remain pure and emit a natural fragrance.' I knew it. You really are an angel!"
Just as she was laughing to herself, convinced she'd uncovered the truth—
"Who's there?"
Feeling something strange, Sibellius's expression hardened as she stepped outside.
And when she did, she saw a familiar face waiting for her.
"You're… Count Ares?"
A woman with cool beauty and silver bobbed hair.
She had only seen her once before, back when the late Emperor had brought her in to introduce her at court, why was she here?
Ah, right. Ceres is her son.
She must've come looking for Ceres.
Thinking that, Sibellius was about to say he wasn't here.
But then her face turned deadly serious.
Because Ares was holding something in her right hand, something she should never have.
A distinct, organic-looking black sword.
"Black Pain. The cursed Demon Sword used by the Demon King a thousand years ago!"