The Demon's Transformation

It must have been a mistake. Noah rubbed his temples, looking around at his companions browsing the manuscripts in the library. How could such a peaceful chapel have a demon?

He looked up again, and there was no mistake—the demon was still clinging to the dome of the repository, looking down at him with large eyes.

"Hope..." Noah realized what it was... it had grown much larger.

He gestured towards the library door and Hope nodded, understanding. Silently, it crawled across the dome and out the door, moving to the spiral staircase of the side tower.

"Come here." Noah hurried into an empty room, and Hope followed.

Upon seeing Noah, Hope bowed low, its skin now covered in demonic scales, horns sprouting from its head, having evolved well beyond a mere imp into a formidable greater demon.

"Lord! Lord!"

"Shh!" Noah quickly shushed the demon. "Whose soul have you eaten?"

"Meager scraps, Hope feeds on demon blood," it clutched its claws, "the blood in the hall."

So it was Hope who had licked the demon's blood off the statue, disrespecting the sacred effigy. The gods would be furious.

"You don't look so... small anymore." Noah frowned. "How will you hide like this?"

"Hope will find a way," it scratched its head.

"Just eat it and be done with it," Gladius urged. "It's had a taste of something delicious; you should have gone and licked it yourself."

"Demon's blood..."

"Ha! You claimed you could handle raising it, and now it's grown! It won't be so easy to control! Let's see what you'll do now!" Gladius reveled in schadenfreude.

"Hope," Noah asked, "do you remember the orders I gave you?"

"If anyone comes close, I hide, not to be seen. I cannot harm or scare others," Hope recited Noah's commands.

"Those remain unchanged," Noah contemplated, "you'll continue to roam the chapel, and I've decided to use you as a test for hunter recruits." All new hunter recruits would eventually face Hope, and only by defeating it or performing exceptionally well would they be recognized as demon hunters, the ordeal solidifying their resolve against the more powerful fiends they would face.

"Qua?" Hope was puzzled.

"You'll find out. For now, hide most of the time in the dungeon. If anyone discovers you, you're finished, and I'll crush you myself," Noah warned.

Hope nodded, showing sufficient loyalty.

"Demons can learn," Noah observed Hope thoughtfully, "what makes you think I can't raise a friendly and neutral demon?"

"Because you can't, simply can't! 'Impossible,' how many times must I stress it? 'Impossible'," Gladius argued relentlessly.

"Demon hunters always strive to accomplish the impossible, adding one more to the list won't hurt," Noah affirmed resolutely.

He patted Hope's shoulder.

"There's more to this world than feasting on souls, Hope. Do you understand?"

"Meager scraps," Hope seemed to half-understand.

Training would take time. After sending Hope off to find a hiding place, Noah cautiously exited the room, ensuring the corridor was empty before returning to the library.

Ines handed Noah a stack of thick letters.

"Yo, Noah," she said, "I found these in the library too."

"Letters?" Noah examined the unopened envelopes, sealed with wax stamps, intact, impossible to open without breaking.

"Yes, letters," Ines confirmed with a nod, "probably meant for those who never got the chance to read them. I think only you are fit to look at them here."

"Opening other people's mail isn't polite," Noah looked at the annotations on the letters, hmm...

"They were addressed to Master Frederick, but since the Master is..." Ines shrugged, "now there's only you, Master Noah."

Master Noah. The title took him by surprise.

"Hmm. You may go," Noah nodded, and Ines withdrew gracefully.

He took the letters to a secluded spot, Master Noah, he couldn't help but repeat the address in his mind, am I worthy? But if not me, then who else? Noah opened the top letter, freshly dated, just the day before they set out to hunt Blade demon.

"Frederick Marjo, as if in person,

I am furious.

I know the King's envoy sent you to hunt Blade demon, but I need you more right now! How many letters is this?

Is the King's envoy more important than me? How many years have I provided magical potions to the chapel? Don't be an ungrateful fool.

Come to White Cliff Ravine to meet with me.

Spies are everywhere, drawing closer, we can hardly hide anymore, even returning to the Great Swamp is challenging.

Come, or I shall never share the sky with you.

—Delilah Citrus."

The hunt for Blade demon was a royal command? Noah was taken aback. Why would the King mobilize local hunters to kill it?

"You ate Master Frederick's soul; do you know who that 'King's envoy' is?" Noah inquired inwardly.

"Frederick just received the orders through intermediaries; he never met the envoy in person," Gladius responded dispassionately.

Noah folded the letter and stowed it away. Since Master Frederick couldn't make the trip, it seemed he would have to set out himself. The witch...

He found Maden absorbed in a horrific illustration in "Traditional Demonology," lost in thought.

"How do you feel?" Noah asked.

"A mysterious sensation," Maden's tone was uncertain, "it feels like there's something heavy in my heart, making it hard to breathe, and when I try to distract myself, I close my eyes and see those images again."

"I suspect they're not pleasant scenes."

"Right," Maden nodded, "but I'm trying to overcome! I won't let the visions defeat me!"

"It's important to have faith," Noah mused, "a clear goal or purpose helps resist demonic influences."

"I can't read much," Maden flipped a page, "the writing is as terrifying as nursery rhymes, with monsters flying and demons frightening... but the ending, the ending is good. The demons in the book are all vanquished by the empire's people, who even dissected the demons, describing the insides as filthy and soft."

"That's right," Noah affirmed Maden's view, "demons can be defeated. These beings cannot triumph over humanity."

"Ha," Gladius scoffed with disdain.

"Demons are nothing but," Maden nodded in agreement.

"But there are stronger ones," Noah decided to unveil more, "more fearsome higher demons. Because of their power, it's difficult for them to reach this world. They can only traverse between realms on rare occasions or arrive here at the summons of worshippers. That's why we actively oppose those black witch assemblies, to prevent them from performing rituals to call upon their evil masters."

"I understand," Maden reflected.

"I actually came to ask you a question," Noah rested his hand on the table, "you're from Threetail Bay, a fisherman's family, right?"

"Yes," Maden was puzzled by Noah's inquiry.

"Then you must know about White Cliff Ravine."

"Oh, White Cliff Ravine," Maden was taken aback, "Why do you ask about that? It's where the witch lives."

"Tell me about this witch."

"She's powerful, won't let us near, cursing anyone who approaches."

"What kind of curses?"

"She makes the elderly bald, men's testicles swell as big as rocks, causes women to miscarry, turns little boys flat-footed, and little girls born with cleft lips... it's terrifying, no one dares to approach, and she has a terrible temper." Maden recounted with a shudder, "Worst of all, she can conjure thunder!"

"Thunder?"

"Yes, she can release astonishing lightning from her hands, enough to wipe out an entire army! Ah, no one dares to go there."

"A strange and dangerous witch." Noah affirmed his judgment.

"But I've heard she's always been helping demon hunters," Maden said excitedly, "I met Master Frederick because he often visited the witch at White Cliff Ravine, coming to Threetail Bay. She prepares powerful potions for demon hunters."

Sword, crossbow, spells, and potions were indispensable for demon hunters, and Noah couldn't do without them. If he could gain the witch's support, it would be greatly beneficial to his future endeavors.

"Then indeed, I do need to meet her. Tell me the exact location of the place... no, come with me," Noah considered.

"Back to the village? No problem," Maden was nonchalant, "though my family will ask what I've been up to, I'll have to tell the truth. I'll proudly say: I've been fighting demons! Just like Master Frederick."

"They might be scared off," Noah remarked, "better to maintain mystery. Have you ever been aided by demon hunters before?"

"Of course!" Maden clenched his fist, "It was on a summer night of '73, when a pack of scale dragons crawled ashore. They planned to steal women from the village for egg-laying."

"Scale dragons are that formidable?" Noah had heard of them, half-fish, half-dragon creatures.

"Yes! They'd also catch men to mate with their queen. We were terrified, utterly outmatched. Several of my friends were killed that day. But Master Frederick... he arrived at the village early the next morning, and after seeing our plight, he set out. My father rowed him into the fjord depths. The scale dragons thought he was delivering meat and came to attack; he fended them all off single-handedly! Since then, I've sworn to follow in Master Frederick's footsteps!"

"I see." Noah found this tale of his predecessor's heroism stirring.

"And then he was instantly slain, not even managing to cast a single spell that night," Gladius jeered.

"I must become someone who does not flinch before demons. After reading this book, then learning the hunter's spells," Maden turned back to his reading with determination.

Noah turned away, noticing Ines watching him from afar.

"Noah?" Ines asked, "Are you going to watch us spar?" Hugo stood a bit further away.

"Good," Noah nodded, eager to find out who among them was the best with a sword. That person would then teach the others, allowing the new recruits to grow from unarmed peasants and civilians into reservist warriors skilled with the blade.