Chapter 60: Deal with the Demon

“It seems that humans and dragons are already starting to grow suspicious.”

In a dark meeting room.

Inside, where they could not even distinguish one another, a secret meeting was taking place.

“Suspicious?”

“Could it be because of that proposal linking the increase of monsters on the continent with the reappearance of demons?”

“Who is making that kind of assumption?”

“From Escolea’s side.”

“Escolea? Isn’t that the beacon of knowledge, the gathering of the continent’s greatest minds?”

Some showed concern, but others took it lightly.

“Being a place full of intellectuals, there are also many eccentrics. The higher-ups of the continent won’t believe it easily.”

“In fact, it didn’t receive much support either. Even if they are related, they can’t convince the nobles.”

“Even so, the fact that someone has connected the two is concerning.”

“And how did it end?”

“That’s why the white dragon Blancaros personally decided to postpone it.”

“Then we’ve gained time.”

“Even if humans don’t, the dragons must already be investigating. If they discover us, we will be eliminated before a war even begins.”

Everyone lowered their heads, letting out heavy sighs.

The more they had invested, the greater the frustration.

“What should we do? I think it would be better to cover it up right now…”

“No.”

A man who had remained silent for a long time spoke.

He dominated the atmosphere instantly.

He was the leader.

“Why?”

“That’s exactly what the white dragon wants.”

“What do you mean he wants it?”

“If we react to that, they will realize there are still internal enemies within the Grand Council.”

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“We will continue with the plan. It’s the best course. If it appears that everything erupts naturally after years, that will be enough.”

“D-do you think that will work?”

“The only variables I have are your mouths.”

It was an insulting statement.

But no one complained.

They only exchanged glances.

“If that is your decision…”

“Anything else out of the ordinary?”

“No need to think too much.”

There was one human who stood out clearly in his memory.

“There is a man named Perda Valdrova.”

Everyone reacted.

“The young fiancé of Valdrova?”

“What is there to say about that idiot who walked straight into a dragon’s jaws?”

“That’s what I thought too. But seeing him in person is different.”

The middle-aged man was not only a demonic follower, but also a noble.

“I think we should keep an eye on him.”

“Alert level?”

“At the level of a walking fortress, similar to Alberto.”

“That’s exaggerated.”

“Alberto, that damn killer, took five years to become a threat. And this is just a brat…”

“That’s precisely why he is dangerous.”

“Afraid of a child? You’ve aged poorly.”

They looked at each other with contempt.

No one truly understood the other.

At that moment, a masked man entered and whispered something to a noble.

The noble’s face stiffened.

“The messenger has just brought bad news.”

News of failure.

“The Escolea cover-up has failed.”

The “cover-up” was the name of the operation.

They used Doppler to infiltrate noble positions.

Some had already been infiltrated.

“And the one who stopped it was Perda Valdrova.”

Those who had been mocking fell silent.

Everyone turned toward the leader.

The leader formed a bitter smile.

Even he was irritated.

“Has the existence of the Doppler been discovered?”

A question devoid of calm.

Knowing that demons capable of replacing humans exist is no small matter.

It is like discovering explosives planted everywhere.

The leader responded with absolute coldness.

“It will probably be discovered.”

“Hmm…”

He tapped his face with his fingers.

“Who was responsible for the Escolea cover-up?”

“……”

“I asked who.”

A man raised his hand.

“I-it was—”

Before he could finish, his head was cut off.

The body fell to the ground.

“……”

Silence and fear filled the room.

“Messenger.”

“Yes.”

The man stepped forward.

The leader tossed something to him.

A syringe with black liquid.

“From today, you are Viscount Battlehorn.”

“Thank you for the blessing.”

The messenger injected the contents into his neck.

In an instant, his body turned black like a mannequin.

He absorbed the blood of the corpse.

The former Battlehorn died.

A new one took his place.

Those present swallowed nervously.

It was a warning.

Anyone could be replaced.

“End the research on the Doppler. This is no longer the time to study calmly.”

“Understood.”

“Destroy all remaining materials and eliminate anyone involved.”

“Yes.”

The method was simple.

Their facility was beneath a mountain.

It was enough to collapse it.

***

“The Grand Council is over. Don’t you plan to return?”

Ruri asked.

“I have unfinished business.”

“Lady Valdrova will be waiting.”

“I know. I don’t like making her wait.”

“And yet you won’t go?”

“It’s important.”

More important than any monster outbreak.

A thread that could eliminate what made Valdrova suffer.

Ruri knew.

She knew where he was heading.

That’s why she asked.

“The place is within Silverwind’s territory.”

Perda nodded.

“I know.”

“Goz harbors hatred toward you, Perda-nim.”

“I know that too.”

“Demons are a common enemy. But the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend. If you enter that territory, your hands will be stained with blood.”

Silverwind hates demons.

Perda also despises the demons who make Valdrova suffer.

But that doesn’t mean they will welcome Perda.

“That’s why this will be done in secret.”

“……”

“It’s dangerous, but if it goes well, there will be no consequences.”

Ruri’s lips trembled.

Don’t go.

She wanted to say it, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“……Are you going?”

“I have to.”

“I understand. Then I will wait.”

“No. You must return.”

“……”

“While I’m gone, your duty is to protect your lady.”

Ruri bit her lip hard.

She didn’t like it. She wanted to refuse.

But she couldn’t.

She had no right to go against his will.

“Please come back alive.”

Ruri withdrew.

Perda began making calculations while preparing the secret expedition.

‘If we focus on mobility and reduce supplies to the minimum, even by forcing a medium-scale teleportation circle a bit, it will take a day.’

One day.

Fast to attack a country.

Slow for a simple research facility.

Moreover, the enemy would not stay still.

The failure of the kidnapping of the rector of Escolea would have already reached their ears.

They would prepare quickly.

‘It would be ideal if someone like Ruri could carry us flying.’

But that was Silverwind’s territory.

Perda already knew what had happened when Ruri faced them.

He didn’t want to involve her.

And he shouldn’t.

‘This must be resolved among us.’

The next important thing was strength.

‘The head of the laboratory was a 5-circle mage?’

The researchers were only low-level assistants.

The head was the real danger.

It would be ideal to know what kind of magic he used.

But not even torture could extract nonexistent information.

‘I’ll have to handle it myself.’

Of course, it couldn’t be a frontal battle.

Perda reviewed his options.

‘The shadow I can manipulate without needing to cast.’

It normally takes the form of a Shadow Hand, but it can adopt shapes like tentacles or flat surfaces.

The less light there is, the stronger it becomes.

With intense light, it weakens until it crumbles.

‘It wasn’t created for direct combat.’

It is Barbatos’s magic.

Designed for stealth and strategy.

‘According to Shape of Shadow, this is part of my body.’

The shadow is recognized as part of his body.

‘Then I can also use magic through it.’

It was possible.

But it required great magical control.

Not just imitating an arm.

But reproducing circuits and mana channels.

Perda concentrated mana into a Shadow Hand.

Mana flowed from his feet, traveled through the shadow, and gathered in the hand.

He followed the process of constructing a magic circle.

From the black hand, blue particles emerged.

He managed to draw a white magic circle.

Now he could launch surprise attacks from anywhere.

But he frowned.

‘Four times slower than average.’

An experienced mage could react.

It was risky.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

More than prediction, improvisation was important.

And that was what he did best.

So he lay down.

He tried to sleep.

It was better to rest than to worry about what couldn’t be controlled.

Then—

Just as he closed his eyes, his mind activated.

His instinct detected something strange.

‘Hmm…’

He had never felt that in the castle.

Of course.

Valdrova’s castle was protected by multiple magical barriers.

But a noble mansion—

Was different.

Much more vulnerable.

‘Who’s coming?’

He felt the fluctuation of mana.

And then—

A smell of sulfur.

“Hi, darling.”

A sensual voice.

The demon of lust, Sitri.

“Get out.”

“How cold. Is that how you treat me?”

Her serpentine tongue ran across her lips as she approached.

“I have no intention of making a contract with you, Sitri.”

“Neither do I with you. I hate your type. Hard to control.”

“Then stop wasting time.”

“Relax. I came for business.”

Perda’s expression hardened.

“Who would do business with a demon?”

“Someone. You.”

She pointed at him.

Perda raised his hands to cover his ears.

“The facility you plan to attack will be destroyed in less than six hours.”

He stopped.

It was important information.

“Don’t make that face. I’m an archdemon.”

Sitri smiled.

“How do you know?”

“The ones I manage are usually high-ranking nobles. Some even work with demons.”

It was something Perda had already suspected.

The kidnapping confirmed it.

“The kidnapping failed. The replacement was captured. If he talks, the place will be exposed.”

“So they’ll destroy it.”

“Exactly. Even if you leave now, you’ll be late. It would take you one or two days.”

“If I move fast—”

“Using that little spawn? Maybe. But do you think Silverwind will allow it?”

They couldn’t just stand by.

From the moment Perda set foot in Silverwind’s territory on his own when he was in the White House, to them, he was already an enemy.

If they had a pretext, they wouldn’t hesitate.

Complicated.

Sitri fully understood the situation.

That’s why she had come to propose a deal.

“From that face you’re making, I feel like now we’re finally going to reach an agreement. Am I right?”

Sitri pressed him.

Perda’s blue eyes moved calmly, revealing nothing.

“What can you offer me?”

As if she had been waiting for that question, Sitri slipped her hand into her cleavage.

She pulled out a thick rolled parchment.

“It’s a scroll with Binding Bridge magic inscribed. Do you know what it does?”

“It connects two spaces within a dimension. It’s a teleportation type.”

“Oh, what an intelligent man. Exactly. You know how valuable it is, right?”

It could move with such stealth that most detection magic becomes useless, and by connecting spaces, it has continuity.

It fit perfectly with his situation, which required stealth infiltration.

“Is that all?”

“If you need more, my subordinates can entertain those useless Silverwind fools. I’ll give you enough time to wipe out the place and loot all the information from the lab.”

Moving long distances at once and also buying time.

Sitri’s conditions were too good.

Too good.

That’s why, instead of accepting immediately, Perda thought.

The opponent was a demon.

Demons always make contracts to their own advantage.

A deal this favorable implied an equivalent price.

“What do you want in return?”

“Inside that facility there’s a foolish demon.”

“A foolish demon?”

“Yes. She was supposed to seduce a man, but ended up completely falling in love with him.”

“Is that possible?”

“That’s why I said she’s an idiot.”

Sitri sighed.

“If she dies there, she won’t even be able to return to hell. She’ll be completely annihilated and disappear into the void. So bring her out and kill her outside. So she can be summoned back to hell.”

“What an affectionate proposal.”

“What did you expect? Even among demons, we take care of each other. There’s something called affection.”

“Not even a dog would believe that.”

Sitri was the demon of lust.

The furthest thing from affection.

“Fine, I’ll tell you the truth. She’s one of my daughters.”

“I see.”

“She’s already an adult, she should be independent, but what can I do? Her mother has to save her. Even if my skirt is too thin and short.”

Sitri swayed her skirt provocatively.

“Your proposal means I rescue her while you help us.”

“Everyone wins. Isn’t it a great deal?”

Perda thought again.

Only one phrase crossed his mind.

Do not make deals with demons.

“Can you swear on your name that this isn’t a trap?”

“I swear in the name of the archdemon Sitri. I have no intention of setting a trap. If you rescue that girl, your mission ends there.”

Sitri answered firmly.

Perda nodded.

“Fine. Let’s make that deal.”

“Easier than I thought. Perfect.”

Sitri left the scroll floating in the air next to the bed.

“You have two hours from now. You can send in eight people at once, and bring out eight people. Don’t forget.”

After saying that, Sitri vanished into the darkness.

The moment her figure completely disappeared—

Perda’s door burst open.

Count Consilus and several armed knights rushed in.

“My lord regent! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“We detected a demon intrusion. Allow us to search—”

“No need. It’s already gone.”

“Did the demon tell you anything—?”

“And the expedition is canceled.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

Perda had no time for explanations.

He only gave orders.

“We begin the operation in one hour. Gather the elite troops.”