Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 159: Secrets of the Fortress (2)

A man imprisoned within the metallic tube; he was most likely one of the golden-armored soldiers who is believed to be a descendant of the gods. He was the one who had likely decimated the vanguard and pursued me until I was on the brink of death.

The evidence lay in the wounds on his side and neck. Those were the places I had pierced through the gaps in his armor. The fact that cursed trees grew from those scars remained a mystery, but it served as a clue to his identity.

“Could he be one of the golden ones? What kind of situation is this?”

“I’m no expert in spiritual circuits, but this appears to be a combination of sealing and extraction techniques. Quite a sinister imitation.”

Master asked Lady Altissia about what was happening; the latter leaned forward to decipher the nature of the spiritual circuit’s effects. She seemed to grasp the general effects quickly, but her furrowed brow revealed her clear discomfort.

“Don’t just keep things’ ta yourself. Speak up.” Jude interjected.

“Mind your language, mercenary. That’s not how one should address a lady.” Lady Altissia retorted.

“Tch, what a troublesome woman…”

Jude directed a question toward Lady Altissia, but his tone was far from being an order, which would have been more appropriate for someone as dignified as her. Lady Altissia shot a brief, disdainful glance in his direction from the depths of her heart and then returned to observing the spiritual circuit without responding to the question.

Jude clicked his tongue in frustration, but he should have asked properly if he had time to do such things. It seemed that Master was also curious, so I decided to inquire on behalf of the group.

“Lady Altissia, could you please enlighten us about what is happening?”

“Of course, Mr. Demon. I cannot claim to have a complete understanding of the details yet, but I do know what they were up to. The spiritual circuit primarily serves two purposes: sealing and extraction.”

Lady Altissia continued to decipher the spiritual circuit while sharing her knowledge with us. The content of her explanation could only be described as utterly heinous.

“First, there’s the sealing aspect. The spiritual arts are sealing this man’s free will and the potent curse emanating from within him. Given the level of spiritual power he possesses, it would be difficult through conventional means. It’s likely they sealed weakened points caused by the curse.”

“So, the sealing works because he was weakened by the curse, and he’s alive because the curse is sealed…is that it?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s the gist of it. They’re sealing only his free will, not his spiritual power, partly because of its immense strength. However, the primary reason is to stimulate his survival instinct, compelling him to resist the curse. This ties into the other purpose, the extraction.”

“…By any chance, do you mean they’re draining off his spiritual power, which he instinctively releases to counter the curse?”

“Exactly. You are quite smart after all.”

More than Lady Altissia’s compliment, I was left dumbfounded by the shocking revelation. Master and Jude shared my disdain for the depraved nature of this information. Simultaneously, I harbored a strong aversion toward whoever had devised such a form of spiritual art.

Certainly, the man crucified before us was still technically alive. But could this truly be called “life” in the genuine sense of the word? Even as tree branches sprouted from his eyes, mouth, and wounds, keeping him alive solely for selfish purposes, I could never bring myself to acknowledge this as a state of being.

I was probably projecting my own image onto him. After all, how different was I from him? Raised for war and compelled to fight, I found myself clenching my back teeth without even realizing it.

“Is this person one of those golden ones? Could he be a descendant of their gods? To reduce someone like that to captivity and exploitation…do they have no reverence for the gods!?”

“Heh, they’ just usin’ what’s useful. If it means avoiding turning into a tree and dying, might as well make them useful.”

The reactions of Master and Jude, now recovered from the shock, couldn’t have been more different. Master was indignant at the act of blasphemy against the gods, while Jude gave a smirk as if to mock Master’s heated reaction; this exchange further highlighted the stark contrast in their values.

While Master openly displayed her discomfort and Jude wore a provocative expression, the real issue at hand was what to do with the man before us. Should we eliminate him while he remains immobilized, extract information after releasing him, or maintain his current state to power the fortress? Whatever the decision, I had no right to make such a choice.

“Oh!?”

“The tree branches…!”

The branches sprouting from the man who had been crucified slowly but surely began to grow. As they grew, the luster faded from the man’s skin, and ultimately, he withered away completely. His appearance eerily resembled Zahhi’s final moments.

However, there was a notable difference from that time. As the man withered away, the branches lost their strength as well, failing to bear any fruit.

The likely cause was the fact that this man had been in a half-dead state. Isn’t that what the cursed tree that I was talking to said? It absorbed the strength to bear fruit and create seeds. But by draining the dwindling power of the now-depleted man, there wasn’t enough energy to bear fruit. It all made sense when looked at from this perspective.

With the man’s demise, the spiritual circuits woven throughout the room ceased to function, and the luminescence subsided, plunging the room into complete darkness. However, the spiritualists quickly conjured a light source using spiritual power, so it posed no real issue.

“I had only intended to investigate this time, but he ended up dying. With the influence of his powerful spiritual energy, we couldn’t capture any images… Sigh, how should I report this to the higher-ups?”

“Gahahaha! There’s probably nothing else to do but report the facts! There was no way to do anything in that situation! I’ll gladly testify as a witness!”

“That was quite the letdown. Oh, and make sure to pay me properly for this job too.”

Lady Altissia was distraught over the lack of any results, but Master, as always, offered comforting words in his booming voice. On the other hand, Jude, seemingly convinced that the job was done, swiftly made his exit while insisting on discussing his payment. It was quite remarkable that our mismatched group of four managed to prevail against that descendant of the gods.

I may not have been following Jude, but there was nothing left for me to do here. Lady Altissia, Master, and the rest of the spiritualists all made their way out of the underground chamber together. As I left the underground chamber, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy looking at the withered corpse surrounded by dead branches in the darkness.

“Well then! It seems we’ll be parting ways for a while! I’ll miss you, disciple!”

The Ardius Fortress siege was over. As part of the Empire’s reinforcements on the central front, we would soon be returning to the Empire. To that end, Asumi and the others should have been preparing for our return.

Master seemed to understand this well, and it appeared that he was sad to bid his farewells. Despite his overly loud voice and occasional incorrect assessment of physical boundaries in terms of intimacy, Master was one of the few individuals, much like Marcellus, who treated demons like me without discrimination. I shared the same sentiment of bidding farewell with a heavy heart.

“Thank you for everything, Master. If possible, I’d prefer to meet you in a place that isn’t a battlefield next time.”

“Gahahaha! Absolutely! We shall arrange a grand feast for that occasion!”

“I’ll say it again, I can’t handle alcohol. Even the smell of it makes me faint, so if I were invited to a feast with alcohol, I’d collapse in an instant.”

I had a rough experience with that yesterday. I passed out due to a tiny bit of alcohol mixed in. Yes, I should take this opportunity to express myself. Just in case, if alcohol is accidentally included in any future offerings, it would be tough for me.

“Yesterday too, I got drunk because of the offering you brought, Master. Please, spare me from alcohol.”

“Huh? Yesterday?”

I made my plea, but Master tilted his head in puzzlement. Perhaps Master hadn’t intended to mix alcohol in. Seasonings containing alcohol probably didn’t count as alcohol for someone like Master, who was a heavy drinker.

So, was that accident due to unconscious actions? Hmm, it’s quite complicated. I couldn’t help but feel apologetic for causing trouble to Master because of my constitution.

“Disciple, that…”

“I’ve finally found you! Scorpion demon! Come on, we’re returning to the Empire!”

“Ah… Master, I must take my leave.”

“Sure, let’s meet again!”

Just as Master was about to say something, a voice loudly called out to me. The voice belonged to one of that man’s subordinates, an Imperial soldier. Since he was one of those tasked with keeping an eye on us, he must have come to fetch me.

I had intended to apologize with a brief word of gratitude before departing, but I couldn’t ignore the Imperial soldier who had called me. It turned into a hasty farewell, but I still bowed to Master before leaving the scene.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Gahaha! We’ll surely meet again! I’ll be waiting for that day!”

Alexander bid farewell to his disciple, the Hades Scorpion Demon, as he watched his back. There was no response from the demon, who had been taken away by the Imperial soldier.

However, Alexander was convinced that the demon’s hearing would have undoubtedly caught his words. His voice had been exceptionally loud, so unless someone had severely impaired hearing, it would have reached its intended target.

Having said what he wanted, Alexander cracked his neck and began to walk towards the room used by the higher-ups. During his departure, he couldn’t help but repeatedly twist his neck as he recalled what the demon had said.

“By the way, what does he mean by ‘offering’?”

Even when the term “offering” was mentioned, Alexander had no idea what it referred to. After returning, he had to report about the battle with the golden-armored soldier immediately, and afterward, there was a victory celebration, so he hadn’t really paid much attention to it.

So, who could have used his name and gave the offering? The most likely candidates, it seemed, were Alexander’s subordinates. Among them, the “Dragoblood Knights” including himself, were more adept at physical skills than intellectual endeavors, but there were a few with sharp minds. Alexander speculated that it must have been one of them, showing concern for the demons.

However, his deduction would soon prove to be incorrect. After he finished his report and inquired among his subordinates, not a single one had any idea. He even asked Altissia, with whom he had fought shoulder to shoulder, but she, too, had no idea. Alexander had exhausted all his potential candidates.

“Hmm… So who could have done it?”

“To leave an offering to a demon, using your name, It’s quite intriguing, isn’t it? Let’s investigate,”

Facing Alexander, who was deeply troubled and lost in thought, Altissia said with a playful smile. She had been prepared to face the higher-ups’ reprimand for the mishap that caused the death of the man who was the fortress’ source of spiritual energy. However, thanks to Alexander’s support, she had escaped any blame. She was determined to repay that debt.

The two of them immediately began their investigation. As two of the most renowned individuals within the Coalition Army on the central front, they were practically celebrities. While some people might get flustered or tense when questioned by them, no one refused to answer or lied.

“Hmm, it seems like there’s absolutely no information…”

However, the results of their information gathering were far from promising. When they inquired about food supplies with the logistics unit, they found that only the portion used for the feast had been consumed. Asking the cooks who had prepared the meals revealed that the amount they received matched the decrease in supplies from the logistics unit.

No soldiers had visited the kitchen, so it couldn’t have been taken from there either. While theft remained a possibility, if a significant quantity had been stolen for a group of demons, someone would have likely noticed.

As for the individuals who remained outside the fortress last night, they didn’t provide much information either. They knew the demons had been making a racket but didn’t pay much attention, thinking it would be fine for one night. They couldn’t confirm whether any soldiers were among the demons’ gathering.

“They must have been lax in guarding the fortress gates, given the euphoria of victory… Does this mean it’s a dead end?”

“No, not necessarily. There were traces of spiritual art cast on the night guards. It’s something so subtle that you wouldn’t notice unless you were already suspicious,” Altissia replied.

While their inquiries hadn’t yielded useful information, it didn’t mean they were empty-handed. Altissia discerned that the guards had been under the influence of some form of spiritual art.

The effects of the spiritual art had already worn off, so they couldn’t determine the exact details. However, Altissia had been able to identify the nature of the technique at play.

“It’s likely a form of thought-influencing spiritual art. They made the guards think ‘it should be fine for today’, allowing the demons to make some noise without arousing suspicion.”

“Hmm, that’s a subtle form of spiritual art!”

“Subtle indeed. The soldiers gathered here, even at the lower ranks, are the best from various countries. Using spiritual art that doesn’t draw attention, leaves almost no trace, yet still has a significant effect… It’s frustrating, but there’s no doubt that the person using this spiritual art is more skilled in its manipulation than I am,” Altissia said.

The fact that a spiritualist superior to Altissia had gone to the trouble of using advanced spiritual art to blend in with the soldiers and support the demons, particularly those who came to the central front as reinforcements, was a bizarre revelation. This only deepened the mystery even further.