The Sandbank

They rested on a sandbank.

This natural island, formed by the accumulation of sea sediments, must have a long history, as it was already covered with vegetation. Continuous stretches of bushes with mostly fallen leaves dotted the landscape. Even birds unfamiliar to Noah perched here, hopping on the dry branches, chirping at the newcomers.

To the south, the outline of the mainland was visible; in all other directions, the world faded into a grey haze. The sky darkened with the approach of evening, the sea was enveloped in the afterglow of the sunset, the black waters tinged with orange hues, creating a beauty that seemed accidental. Noah watched the hazy sun dip below the horizon, the residual light fading slowly. At first, it seemed to linger endlessly, but as the darkness deepened, the sunset's swift descent surprised him.

Noah had shed his armor and was now bare-chested, allowing Dame Delish's potion to heal his wounds.

"Who has given you the Elixir of Myriad Healings before?" Dame Delish asked as she applied a deep blue medicinal paste to the wound on Noah's back.

"I suppose you mean that purple concoction," Noah replied.

"The Elixir of Myriad Healings is one of the four ultimate formulas from the Otter School," Dame Delish declared with pride. "It fulfills the mission of a potion—to do what others cannot."

"My master gave it to me," Noah suspected Dame Delish had heard of Logan's reputation, "...the old hunter Logan."

"Logan?" Dame Delish seemed puzzled. "Is that idiot still alive?"

"He fell in battle," Noah recalled that day, "because of things we were powerless to prevent."

"He came to the Corpse Swamp," Dame Delish's tone carried a hint of melancholy. "He left many regrets, lad. He selfishly drowned without repaying what he owed."

"What did my master owe?" Noah was puzzled, offering his help.

"You fool," Dame Delish sighed heavily, her application becoming heavier, causing Noah to grimace in pain. "Debts of affection, lad, debts of affection."

"It seems my master was quite popular."

"Of course he was... He had a way of making people feel comfortable, as if he could do anything. He knew how to present himself, whether intentionally or naturally. What do young girls know? Just the sight of such a fine man, and their hearts are given, even if he's not that great. As long as they could get his seed, his kisses, and his sweet nothings, they were content." Dame Delish slowly recounted the past.

"Master Logan had flaws."

"Flaws, of course, he died because of them, and I'm sure it was painful. Don't mind my tone; people from the Great Swamp aren't shy about discussing death. For Logan, death was a release. His fearless courage was lethal, bringing him too many burdens. He blundered about, just like blundering through the swamp, muddy feet, leaves and thorns sticking to him, leeches clinging to his legs. The path narrowed, the burdens grew, until he could walk no more and fell forward, dead."

"He suffered from severe amnesia. He... forgot his past."

"I've heard," Dame Delish wrapped Noah's wound with a treated animal skin, then secured it with straps across his chest, the movements broad and painful. "He wasn't one for careful calculations, unlike many demon hunters who amass fame and fortune by slaying demons and retire early. Logan trudged everywhere, constantly sharing a great secret he knew. He proclaimed a great threat in Lorman, even writing to me, warning me to be on guard. It seems he was right."

"A great threat?" Noah's heart skipped a beat. "Did my master know something?"

"That was decades ago," Dame Delish shook her head. "If there truly was a threat, it would have dissipated over the years."

On the contrary, it had been growing all these years, Noah thought.

"Do you know any clues? Please, Dame Delish, it's important to me."

"I was annoyed with him at the time and didn't pay much attention. Logan only said that the country's history had been altered, and the noble council elected the wrong ruler. I suspect he meant your current king, that Eduardo."

"His Majesty..." Noah thought of the rumors surrounding the king. Frederick II, "The Fortunate," was a wise ruler, but in his later years, he unexpectedly nominated the minor noble Eduardo Sofertael as his successor, and the council bizarrely approved, placing the obscure Eduardo on the throne.

Eduardo's reign was long and mysterious. Since ascending to the throne in the second era year 411, he had ruled for over 65 years, reaching the venerable age of 89, an unprecedentedly long reign in Lorman's history. Due to political strife, foreign invasions, and noble wars, Lorman rulers changed frequently, but Eduardo's reign outlasted any previous king.

While some criticized the king's passive governance, allowing nobles to run amok, others praised his astuteness, keeping the nation free from war. During Eduardo's reign, Lorman avoided serious disasters and wars, agriculture and commerce thrived, and the people lauded their king.

"That's perfect, he keeps a low profile and maintains quiet contact with demons," Gladius whispered to Noah.

"A demon king ruling Lorman, manipulating the council to elect him," Noah shivered at the thought. "Then Count Rene going to the West Coast, isn't he easily corrupted?"

"Ha, that's why you're such a grand tragedy. Human rulers not only hold high positions but stand in stark contrast to you."

"Why would they do this?"

"I know the tricks of my kind. Let me test you. Do you desire eternal life? Never to die, or at least live for hundreds of years?"

"I do."

"Do you want power? Power to crush those you despise, to be above the law, to scorn all rules?"

"I do."

"Do you want endless wealth? Infinite gold, jewels, and jade, along with sweet food and beautiful women?"

"I do."

"...You idiot, work with me, heed the call of the Blade Demon, and all this will be yours. I only need you to let down your guard. You're so stupid, infinite treasures are before you, and the Blade Demon is eager to share everything, but you keep thinking I have ulterior motives."

"I know that if I trust you unconditionally, everything is over. But you've shown an example; certainly, some will pledge to demons for immortality, power, and wealth," Noah said.

After Dame Delish left, Noah lay down on the sand, spread out his limbs naturally, his skin relishing the touch of the fine grains. With his eyes closed, it felt like he was the only one left in the world, surrounded by silence, save for the newly kindled fire crackling nearby.

"All those eternities, power, and wealth are nothing compared to the tranquility of this moment," he thought.

"That's your ideal! I despise you," Gladius raged. "With the world going silent, everything loses meaning, and you die."

"I'm dead," Noah said. "Peacefully fading away on this tiny sandbank."

"That's your destiny, fated to die in obscurity."

"And you?"

"Look, you idiot, you're dead and still asking 'and you?'—why concern yourself with others? No one cares whether you live or die."

"You're right," Noah lay alone on the sand. "There's no care between people."

He closed his eyes.

Footsteps approached.

"Are you alright?" Sara knelt beside Noah, touching his shoulder. "I'm worried about you. How's the wound? Does it hurt? Grandmother can be quite rough."

"Sara? I... I'm okay," Noah opened his eyes to see the young witch. She brushed her long hair aside, her features strikingly beautiful, still youthful but promising double the charm when mature.

"You're a demon hunter, right? The ones in the city, tracking down demons, dealing with dark wizards' markets," she speculated.

"That's us. We try hard, exploring every possibility," Noah rested his hands behind his head, gazing at the dim stars and the bright moon. Tonight was a Silver Moon night, once a month when the silver moon moved in front of the gray moon, offering high visibility without the need for torches or lanterns.

"What possibilities?" Sara asked.

"Possibilities of finding a way out from the dead ends arranged by demons. It sounds far-fetched... but I know somewhere demons are plotting something truly terrible."

"I guess it's one of those world-ending calamities."

"Yes, but it's fascinating," Noah shared with Sara. "Do you understand? Because this matter is unrelated to everyone. It has nothing to do with people's daily lives, clothes, food, shelter, or travel. No matter how it progresses in the background, life goes on as usual, so there's no need to worry about it. People don't care how far demons have gone in hell. It's just that when that day comes, when the catastrophe arrives... everyone's life will be overturned, and by then it'll be too late... In the whole world, I guess only a handful of people know about this crisis, and only a few of them are willing to try to stop it before it takes shape... to prevent that dark, boundless end. It feels... very lonely."

"I don't understand," Sara lay down beside him, gazing at the stars. "Why don't you speak out?"

"Then I'd be no different from a madman," Noah saw a star suddenly dim—was it real or just an illusion?—"Spreading vague, unproven things without definitive evidence, people will think I'm a swindler looking for gain. Worse, I now suspect the ruler of the entire country is under demonic influence, which means I may be in opposition to the entire nation, and people would rather follow the king's orders."

"...You've been struggling in silence?" Sara turned to look at Noah's profile. "Fighting a calamity alone? That must be hard."

"I don't know where the way out is, so we're a group trying possibilities. I don't want demons to destroy the world; I have to find a way to stop these monsters. It's my most basic idea, simple to say but hard to do," Noah explained. "So, Sara, can you help me?"

"I'm not sure," Sara sighed longingly. "Everything has changed. Your ideal is intangible but precious... Yes, it may be meaningless and doomed to fail, but it's still precious."

Sara fell silent, and so did Noah.

"I'm going to catch some fish; we'll have something to eat soon." She got up and left.

"A woman talking to you about life's ideals, how rare," Gladius was surprised. "Is she foolish? Only a fool would value ideals over reality."

You, intent on surpassing all other demons, are the biggest idealist of all.

"Gladius, did you see a star in the sky suddenly go dim?" Noah thought of what he had seen earlier. "Was it my imagination?"

"It was destroyed."

"Destroyed? What exactly is a star?"

"Other worlds."