Chapter 34 : The Red Energy’s Echo

[Jonan, First Knight.]

“Speak.”

[What happened with the Count’s family?]

“That’s…”

Jonan trailed off. It seemed things hadn’t gone well.

But I had expected this.

‘Rather, I would have been surprised if he had finished it in one day.’

If the Count had tried to worship me when I wasn’t prepared, it would have been very difficult.

What happens when the other party is full of expectations, but you haven’t prepared anything?

Aria, the patient with petrification, needs to be treated quickly, but being too hasty could make things worse.

[Haste will ruin things. Approach carefully and calmly.]

“I understand, Dragon.”

As I was talking to Jonan, I shared the information I had gathered.

[The desolate mountain in the north is spewing out red demons.]

“······What? Ar, are you talking about red demons?”

He was quite surprised when the culprit who had made him suffer a few months ago and put him in danger of death came from my mouth. It wasn’t unreasonable.

“B-but, the red demons disappear after the red moon ends······.”

Red demons disappear when the red moon ends.

But I witnessed it.

The red mole demon that dug a hole and came up, and dozens of different red demons that appeared after it.

Not only did they look similar, but their aggression and habits were also exactly the same as the ones I had faced many times before.

The demons who suddenly broke through the mountain thrust their ferocious claws and teeth at me. Of course, it wasn’t very difficult to deal with them.

At the same time, I handed Jonan an abnormally large claw. The owner of the claw died in one blow, and the red energy disappeared into the air, but it was big enough to be recognized as a demon.

[This is the proof.]

“······A real demon.”

Jonan’s expression became serious. It seemed like he was overwhelmed by the fact that the serious topic had doubled.

It was natural for him as an inhabitant of this world. Wouldn’t it feel like the typhoon that was supposed to come every autumn is now coming every season?

‘The point to think about here is why those demons were there.’

The red moon is like a unique law of the world called Artera. At least, as far as I know.

Just as you move forward when you kick the ground, and an apple falls when you cut the stem of an apple hanging on a branch, it is the norm for red demons to disappear when the red moon ends.

So why are those demons spewing red energy?

It was simple to think about the characteristics of the red moon.

‘They received the energy of the red moon from somewhere.’

The red moon, as the name suggests, is a phenomenon where the moon turns red and creates an evil energy that increases the number of demons and makes them more ferocious.

Here, two factors can be considered as spewing evil energy: the moon and the red energy.

But while the red moon is not happening, the moon does not affect the demons in any way.

So the red energy can be seen as the cause of the red demons. From the beginning, their bodies are wrapped in red energy, so it’s easy to think of a connection.

‘In other words, the energy that makes the moon and demons red flowed out from somewhere in the northern mountain. It may even still be flowing out.’

And I could roughly grasp the source of the red energy.

Red demons and magic stones. The ones who are evil to humans all came from the mountains, from underground.

‘The source is somewhere underground in the mountain.’

And I’m sure that source can cure Aria’s disease.

“Dragon, then should I convey this matter first, rather than Lady Aria’s treatment?”

[There is no need. The two matters are tied together.]

What I think is simple.

The red moon and red demons are related. Magic stones are also related to red demons. Among all those things, there is an unknown energy called red energy.

On the other hand, when the red moon ends, all the red demons disappear. In other words, the red energy disappears.

Then, if I find and eliminate the source that emits red energy from deep in the mountain, can’t I eliminate the magic stones and red demons?

[Jonan. Use this to persuade the Count’s family. When everything is over and the truth is revealed, I will call you again.]

“Ah, I understand.”

With those words, Jonan’s body began to descend. When his figure, bowing his head towards me, became as small as a pea, I flew back to the northern mountain.

From now on, I had to work hard to prove my hypothesis.

Failer.

A 3rd-class expert knight of the Craystist family.

He was a man who swore allegiance to the Count when he was 10 years old.

Therefore, he was very troubled about whether to convey his thoughts to the Count.

‘Jonan······.’

Currently, Aria Craystist, the precious daughter of the Count’s family, was afflicted with petrification due to a landslide in the northern mountain two years ago. Since even the Countess, who had shown a warm smile to everyone, had disappeared, the Count quickly collapsed.

Therefore, the 2nd-class and 3rd-class knights of the Count’s family became even more diligent.

The news of Aria’s petrification quickly spread beyond the territory.

And many people visited the Count’s family, claiming they could cure the young lady’s disease.

Initially, the Count brought all those people into the mansion.

But midway, a group of doctors saw that they were trying to use forbidden drugs on Aria, and he began selecting people.

Nevertheless, fraud and criminal acts were constantly attempted, and each time, the knights spent sleepless nights catching them.

When the wizard who claimed to be the disciple of the Archmage declared his surrender, it wasn’t just the Count who collapsed.

The servants of the mansion, as well as the knights, also tasted despair.

The 2nd-class knight of the Count’s family, Narhen, left the territory a year ago with the permission of the Count to find out how to treat petrification.

After that, the Count looked into huge religions, national religions, and even minor religions that worshiped the god of healing in nearby territories, but all received answers that it was impossible.

The Count was gradually dying, following his daughter. Failer thought so.

Failer wished that his master’s family would regain happy days.

So he was agonizing.

About whether it was right to convey the words of a hunter he was close to, to the Count.

“Should I have listened to the method first···.”

The moment he said anything related to that to the Count, the Count was likely to call Jonan without asking or questioning.

No, it was clear that he would.

That’s why it was important for him to judge first.

But he couldn’t tell whether the method Jonan suggested would really cure Lady Aria’s disease or eventually lead the Count’s family to ruin.

He couldn’t make a proper judgment because he was angry that Jonan looked down on the Count’s family and himself.

He wasn’t confident that he could go back and catch Jonan.

Terror. The fear of misguided loyalty that could ruin his master covered Failer.

Failer continued to agonize in his room until dawn broke.

‘Red demons.’

Jonan was staring at the huge claw he had brought last night. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, this was the claw of a demon.

He had never seen an animal of this size, but he had seen demons of the same size a few times.

This was clear evidence that anyone who had ever encountered a demon, not just Jonan, could immediately recognize.

“Sir Failer will also recognize it at once.”

Jonan knew why his god in the sky gave him this claw.

It was to prove the appearance of red demons that appeared even after the red moon ended.

If he conveys this to the Count’s family, they will be aware of the danger, and the Count’s family will take action.

‘But that’s not enough. I need to come up with a plan to achieve both the red demons and Lady Aria’s treatment at the same time.’

The Dragon said.

[The two matters are tied together.]

[If you find the source of the red demons and the magic stones, the Count’s daughter will naturally be cured.]

Then he patted him on the back, telling him that he was doing well, so to keep working hard until he called him next time.

“The Dragon believes in me.”

After hearing the Dragon God’s praise, he couldn’t move carelessly. He had to move more clearly and efficiently.

‘It’s impossible to directly persuade Sir Failer. Then I’ll go the other way.’

Hearing that the outside of the inn was getting noisy, Jonan prepared to leave. Rachel was still lost in dreamland, kicking the blanket to the fullest.

Before waking up for no reason and feeling uncomfortable, Jonan quickly left the room without a sound.

While leaving, he did not forget to ask Rendel to take care of Rachel one more time, along with the travel expenses.

After going outside, Jonan walked towards the Count’s residence again. The soldiers guarding the door of the Count’s residence were full of spirit, unlike yesterday.

“Stop. Who are you?”

“Ah, it’s not that. I want to meet.”

“The Count is currently busy.”

The same refusal as yesterday. But this time, different words followed.

“That’s not it, I want to meet Maid Mirey.”

“Grandma Mirey? Are you acquainted with her?”

“If you say Jonan from the east village, she will know.”

Another way to meet the Count. It was to use connections among scholarship, geography, and blood.