Chapter 86: Pebbles and Leaves Part 6

– Have you finally changed your mind?

"Yes."

– Hahaha! Excellent. Then I personally will…

"However, there is a condition."

– …A condition?"

Demarcushel, who had been laughing uproariously, flinched and asked again. So naive. I aimed a shot at the black flames blazing on the scroll.

"Of course. Do you think I'd be mad enough to surrender myself to you?"

-But a contract means…

"A contract certainly allows for the adjustment of details."

Until the seal is stamped, that is. I spoke with a sly smile and the black flames wavered.

– Fine, let's hear it…

"Shadow."

– What?

"Shadow. I'll just lend you my shadow."

In an instant, the black flames shot up tremendously. This was probably out of anger, given that I had offered only my shadow.

"Don't like it? Then forget it."

– You, you little…!

"Think carefully, Demarcushel. Do you want to remain trapped in that scroll, or would you rather borrow my 'shadow' and take revenge on the crows?"

-…Grrr!

– Piro-pi!

Beepy landed on my shoulder and chirped threateningly at Demarcushel, which caused the intensity of the black flames to diminish slightly.

I knew the nature of demons very well. Having been confined since ancient times, which is not easy to remember, they always longed for freedom. Demarcushel was an unusual demon, but his desire for freedom was not much different from that of other demons.

– …Fine!

As expected.

After much struggling, the black flames dwindled almost to the point of extinction, then flared up vigorously once again.

"Make it so I can kill anything!"

– 'Anything' won't work, 'anything' is too much.

"Such a troublesome creature."

If you don't like it, too bad. I glanced at the black flames, drew a dagger, and slashed a wound across my palm, then sprinkled the blood over the flames.

– Whooosh!!!

Then the black flames clung to the drops of blood as they fell. They burned more intensely and swelled in size until they began to engulf my shadow.

As the flames transferred to my shadow, the scroll too began to slowly burn up, turning into ash. When the scroll had completely disintegrated without a trace, the voice of Demarcushel started to emanate from within the shadow.

– This place is more disgusting than the scroll itself.

"I am a druid."

After all, druids and demons are natural enemies. I was as unfamiliar with this situation as Demarcushel. After all, my shadow had just embraced "evil".

Of course, I had no intention of harboring Demarcushel indefinitely. I planned to make good use of him and then dispose of him when the situation was right…

There's also a way to transfer him to another living being.

Though such actions were unethical and not particularly appealing.

Nevertheless, lending my shadow was an excellent choice. The shadow was "me" yet not me; even as it accepted Demarcushel, I remained safe and untainted as a druid.

I decided to test the power of Demarcushel and extended my hand. The shadow moved along with it. However, while nothing happened with my own hand, black flames shot out from the hand of the shadow.

The black flames were literally black, so they quickly melted into the darkness. Five trees hit by the black flames began to burn, but they were also covered by the darkness and could not be seen.

Impressive.

It was an impressive ability. I had merely lent out a shadow, and yet the power it wielded was this formidable.

It might even be effective against Grizel.

But the advantages didn't stop there.

– Grrrrrr…

Somehow sensing the scent, a lone bear was prowling nearby before I even realized where it was…

– Pop!

– Fwoosh!

– Whooooosh!!!

Black flames erupted from the fingertips of my shadow.

After lending it to Demarcushel, my shadow had seemingly become a kind of "automatic attack device". The reality was that it wasn't I who controlled the shadow, but Demarcushel.

Wow, this could be quite useful…?

Thinking that I would have to get rid of it later already made me feel regretful. While I was thinking about this and watching my shadow, it suddenly wavered as if shimmering.

– Why did I just have a very unpleasant feeling?

"…It must be your imagination, your imagination."

I casually reassured Demarcushel and then returned outside the empty house where my companions were waiting.

"Ready now."

We began moving cautiously. I considered releasing the dark elves first, but it seemed better to deal with Grizel first to avoid any chaos. We did not want any unnecessary harm to occur.

The path leading to the center of the village was eerily quiet. Was it because it was the middle of the night? Or perhaps…

"Shh."

Lloyd who was leading the way whispered. We all stopped in our tracks and looked where he pointed. It was the village chief's house.

Unlike the other houses, the chief's house was brightly lit. This clearly meant someone was inside.

"Lloyd, come with me. El, you and Ayla keep watch outside."

After exchanging glances, we silenced our footsteps and approached the chief's house. There were four dark elves standing guard around it, but Lloyd took down two, El one, and I dealt with one. After we subdued the dark elves, gagged them, and tied them up, we quietly opened the door of the chief's house.

Light leaked out. We could also hear voices talking inside.

– Let's strike all at once.

– Got it.

– You take the left, I'll take the right.

After exchanging a few hand signals, we dispersed silently. Soon, Lloyd's sword flashed. I too reached out to use [Moon Light]. Then at the same time,

– Slash!

– Flash!!!

We unleashed our attack on the source of the voices. Black flashes emitted from the sword, and the morning stars scattered brilliant moonlight in all directions. The lack of an immediate counterattack meant that our assault had been effective.

"…"

"…"

Or so we thought.

It was all our misconception.

***

What we had attacked was merely shadows.

"Theodore!"

Lloyd was the first to realize something was wrong, but by then it was already too late. The shadows had already enveloped him. He was caught by the shadows and could not move. And then the shadows…

– Whoosh!!!

The shadows couldn't touch me as my shadow began spewing black flames all around. It was Demarcushel.

The village chief was manipulating the shadows. That's how he could attack Lloyd and El without any warning.

Even though she was asleep, I thought there was no way El could not see a single sign of a person and that she would have been helpless … unless for a reason like this.

It seemed the village chief might have been using dark magic to control "shadows". To use the shadows, he must have intentionally kept the lights on.

Of course, since I had already handed over my shadow to Demarcushel, it was of no use against me now.

"Cuscus, find the dark mage!"

– Cus, Cuscus?

"This is no time for bickering!"

My shadow, flickering in the dim light, stretched out long and began to extend in all directions as if it might swallow the entire space. While Demarcushel searched for the dark mage, I ran toward Lloyd, who was caught in the grasp of the shadow, while preparing to activate my [Sunlight] skill.

– Whooooosh!!!

As I ran, I extended my hand and unleashed a burst of light as bright as the sun. Although not bright enough to illuminate the entire house, the light was sufficient to drive away the shadow holding Lloyd.

"Lloyd, are you okay?!"

There was already a large bruise on Lloyd's neck. It was a trace of the shadow strangling his neck. "That" Lloyd could cough like that. This doesn't seem to be ordinary shadow magic.

Thanks to the [Sunlight], the shadow disappeared momentarily, but it soon began to ripple on the floor before revealing itself once again. It was inevitable; where there is light, there must also be shadows.

Before the shadow could fully reform, I had to find the dark mage. However, Demarcushel showed no signs of returning. I hadn't trained enough with [Sunlight] to maintain it for a long time… I started to back away as the shadows tightened around us.

– Thrummmm…

– Screeeee…

– Creaak, clack…

The shadows approached with bizarre noises. Demarcushel who realized the situation came back and tried to drive out the shadows by burning the area around us with black flames, but in the end, he too was a "shadow". The shadows crept closer and closer. Squeak, squeak, the shadows swung ominously with the swaying lights hanging from the ceiling.

"…Wait a moment."

I suddenly looked up. Bright light was pouring from a lantern. I reached for the dagger strapped to my waist. And then…

– Whoosh!!!

I threw the dagger straight at the lantern.

– Boom!!!

Pitch-black darkness quickly settled around us. All the shadows were then devoured by the darkness.

– Not bad.

The voice that emerged from the darkness itself was a familiar child-like voice.

"…Grizel."

– It's truly a shame that I have to kill someone as talented as you.

"I could say the same about you. Any chance you'll reconsider your stance right now?"

– Hahaha!

"I see. Typical of villains, then."

– A villain? You say the most amusing things.

"What's so funny? Right now, hundreds of dark elves are trapped underground in this village. Don't tell me you're going to claim you're not a villain?"

– They are merely receiving 'education.'

"Education?"

– On how to be better beings.

"Crazy bastard…"

– Interested?

"Not at all, you bastard."

The voice laughed even louder; it was a typical mad villain's laugh, if only it didn't sound so young.

I strained all my senses to keep from losing my mind in the darkness. But I still could not pinpoint where the voice was coming from and stood only with my dagger drawn.

Damn it, where are you…

– I like you, Druid.

Should I be relieved? He plans to kill me anyway. I gripped my dagger even tighter.

– Let me tell you a secret.

"..."

A secret? I instinctively listened more intently.

– A secret about the queen.