✦ Chapter 104 – Wow, Rewards Pour In Aplenty! (4) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
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As Ezekiel slowly closed his eyes…
*Rumble…*
…suddenly, the entire Thornwood Forest began to tremble violently.
Black, thorny trees twisted and contorted, morphing into grotesque demonic forms, with thick misama, thick and suffocating, billowed out from the ground.
Ezekiel’s companions reacted instantly, their expressions turning grim.
“D-demons, Master!”
Even though they uttered urgent words, their bodies quickly assumed a battle formation, showing they weren’t novices.
Black Tower Master Greta also silently prepared for combat.
Agnes turned to her and asked,
Though still young, they were far from inexperienced. Despite their initial shock, they quickly formed a defensive circle, their weapons drawn.
“…You don’t seem surprised. Is this a common occurrence here? Is the Thornwood Forest usually like this?”
“While encountering demons is common, the sheer number is unusual. I’ve never seen the forest react so violently before.”
Her words were clearly not an exaggeration. Everyone could feel it – the forest’s energy had shifted, become chaotic, almost… sentient.
The sheer number of demons was overwhelming.
Tether’s shoulders shook.
“Could it be that the inspector’s earlier freezing of the forest caused this? Is the Thornwood Forest furious because of it?”
“No.”
Greta shook her head firmly.
“If you listen closely, you can hear the forest’s whispers. This… this isn’t anger. It’s….”
Greta tilted her head, bewildered.
Her expression suggested she couldn’t believe what she was sensing.
“…The forest seems joyous. It’s reacting as if it has finally found something it has long been searching for. That’s what it feels like to me.”
Ezekiel clicked his tongue in irritation.
“I intended to do this peacefully, but it seems we’re forced into this again.”
“…Inspector, what do we do now?”
“What else can we do? We fight.”
.
.
.
*Crash! Boom!*
The battle raged on.
*Kaboom! Thud!*
Explosions of mana illuminated the Thornwood Forest, turning the forest into a chaotic battlefield. Though Ezekiel and his companions were individually stronger, they were outnumbered. ŔÃ
“I’ll handle this. You three, go assist the Black Tower Master,” Ezekiel ordered, nodding towards Greta.
“It seems necessary. I’ve heard she was immensely powerful, but she looks quite worn out. I’ll go assist her.”
Agnes nodded calmly.
“…Who are you to be speaking of the Great Witch?”
A voice, unfamiliar and suddenly present.
Without them noticing, girls with light-green hair were staring at them.
It wasn’t hard to figure out. These were the frogs that had been near Greta, transformed into human form.
‘I knew those frogs were… unusual…’
What surprised Ezekiel was the sheer amount of mana each of them possessed. They were far stronger than ordinary mages.
“Don’t take it personally. We just wanted to help,” Ezekiel said, trying to diffuse the situation.
“The Imperial Magic Tower is obsessed with oppressing the Black Tower. You expect us to believe you? You’re just trying to find her weaknesses!” one of the women spat back.
*Crash! Boom!*
The battle raged on.
The frog-women, despite being pushed back by the sheer number of demons, fiercely refused any assistance from Ezekiel’s companions.
‘I suppose this is the… reputation the Imperial Magic Tower has,’ Ezekiel thought grimly.
The Imperial Magic Tower’s involvement often meant that something was amiss, something that required investigation, perhaps even punishment. No wonder most mages viewed their intervention with suspicion and resentment.
The frog-women continued to grumble as they fought.
“They’re after Greta’s secret technique.”
“They’ll take it under the guise of inspecting it, and then use it to pressure Greta, claiming some baseless flaw. They have no conscience.”
Seina, overhearing their accusations, scowled.
“…Those frogs are more annoying than the demons. Master, should I… teach them some manners? With my fists, of course?”
“Hold yourself.”
“Agnes, while you say that, you’re pushing me forward?”
The already tense situation was further aggravated by this petty squabbling. Just as it seemed things couldn’t get any worse…
Then, a long figure approached. There were three in total.
Cloaked in black, miasma swirling around them, their bodies adorned with an assortment of weapons. They were demons, but their movements, their postures… they mimicked elite assassins.
The demon in the center spoke, his voice a grating rasp.
“Leave only the targets, sweep everything else.”
As if on cue, the two demons flanking him shot forward.
*Whoosh!*
Their movements were too fast for the eye to follow.
“They’re… strong…!”
“Be careful!”
The addition of just two assassins had shifted the tide of battle. Even the frog-women, known for their strength and resilience, were struggling.
The assassin in the center drew his twin demonic blades, their edges shimmering with miasma, and began walking towards Ezekiel, his every step filled with purpose, as if guided by an unseen force.
“I’ve found you. Finally found you. Hehehe…”
Ezekiel turned to Greta, his expression curious.
“Have you ever seen them before?”
“No, they seem to be beyond even the level of high-ranking demons. What could be the reason for coming all the way to Thornwood Forest?”
“Reason?”
Ezekiel chuckled.
“I’ll find out from here.”
*Thud!*
He launched himself forward, his legs surging with mana, propelling him towards the assassin like a bolt of lightning.
“
The assassin’s head snapped up, his gaze finally focusing on Ezekiel, but his body was too slow to react.
“What are you looking at?”
*Slash!*
Ezekiel’s hand, encased in a blade of ice, sliced through the assassin’s neck, ending his life in an instant; the remaining assassins lunged at Ezekiel, unleashing a barrage of demonic projectiles.
However, Ezekiel didn’t bother dodging.
He formed a massive cube of ice, then smashed it with his fist.
*KABOOM!*
The shattered shards of ice erupted outward, shredding one assassin’s body into a bloody pulp; the other assassin was left with a gaping hole in his torso.
He stared down at the wound, his eyes wide with disbelief, then slowly collapsed, kneeling on the ground before slumping forward, lifeless.
“In… cred… ible… Seol… Gwi…” he gasped, his voice a raspy whisper.
Seolgwi?
The word registered in Ezekiel’s mind.
The battle was now over; the area clear.
The miasma had dissipated, and aside from a few battered frog-women, everyone was unscathed. The frog-women, their previous hostility forgotten, approached Ezekiel, their gazes filled with respect.
“We were rude…”
“We did not recognize the noble one.”
“Thank you for saving us.”
The frogs changed their attitude and showed respect, but Ezekiel wasn’t particularly interested in that.
Yes, the problem lies with this high-ranking demon’s mouth.
He grabbed the assassin by the neck, channeled his mana into his legs, and launched himself into the air.
*Whoosh!*
He swiftly distanced himself from his companions, carrying the assassin’s limp body. He intended to interrogate the demon before returning.
He tossed the creature onto the ground and pressed his boot against its chest.
“Tell me who you are.”
“Heh…”
The demon just grinned, a chilling sound.
“Heh… Hehehe… Hehehe! Hahahaha!”
Just as Ezekiel lost his patience and raised his hand to crush the demon’s skull, the assassin spoke, his voice laced with fanaticism.
“Seolgwi… we found the Seolgwi… How delighted will the Goddess be? Ah, my Goddess…”
He laughed, his teeth bared in a grotesque smile.
“You! You haven’t sent a letter to the Goddess, have you? How could you commit such sacrilege? To shun the Goddess, whom you should love the most! How dare you!”
“…What… are you talking about?”
The assassin’s face, a swirling mass of black miasma, was made even more unsettling by his manic grin. But Ezekiel maintained his composure, watching the demon intently.
“The Goddess has been searching for you. She wants to know why you haven’t written. Finding you alone fulfills our mission. The Goddess will soon come for you herself!”
“Goddess?”
“Yes! The Goddess desires Seolgwi! She wants to bear your child! So accept it! Accept! ACCEPT!”
The assassin suddenly lurched upright, throwing his arms into the air; its hands raised in worship.
“The Goddess will descend! Ah, the Goddess─!”
*Thwack─!*
Ezekiel crushed the assassin’s skull, silencing his ravings.
The demon remained standing, frozen in a posture of worship, a macabre statue. Ezekiel stared at the corpse, his brow furrowed in thought.
“…Goddess?”
Nothing came to mind.
While there were plenty of demons in the Demon Realm who held grudges against him. But the assassin’s words… they were strange, unsettling.
Why hadn’t he written? The Goddess descending personally? Bearing his child?
What did it all mean?
Eventually, his companions, drawn by the commotion, rushed to his side.
“Master, what happened?”
“Inspector, what’s going on?”
“
Ezekiel was silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
“I wanted to glean some information but I couldn’t.”
He kept the information about the Goddess to himself.
Goddess… Goddess… Goddess… Who was this Goddess?
‘Could it be…?’
A face flashed through his mind. The 0th Princess, the one who had been sent to the Demon Realm…
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
‘No.’
That was impossible.