hotmtlnovel Chapter 34
Chapter 34
A new demon, Seere, has been resurrected.
And it hasn’t even been three months since Andromalius was defeated.
What’s worse is that the news of this resurrection didn’t come from a divine oracle like last time, but from the appearance of casualties, meaning it was already too late to contain the fire before it spread.
Demons typically reappear after centuries, but this time, one showed up in just three months.
Naturally, the Imperial Court was in chaos.
“What kind of nonsense is this?!”
Bang!
The sound of the Emperor slamming his chair echoed throughout the chamber. It was an action unbefitting his stature, but no one dared to say anything. Given the circumstances, his fury was more than justified.
Between managing communications with the otherworlders, dealing with the cult, and cleaning up the aftermath of the previous raid, the workload had already pushed them to their limits. Now, this news was like a bolt from the blue.
“There hasn’t even been any sign of the demon's child this time, has there? And yet, a demon has suddenly resurrected? If you can’t give me a proper explanation, you’ll face severe consequences.”
‘Severe consequences’ meant that while they wouldn’t be executed—thankfully, given the lack of manpower—their retirement might be delayed by a few years.
Luckily, the officials had already uncovered the cause.
“Yes, it appears that the Lemegeton cult, which has been gaining power recently, found Seere’s altar...”
“Damn those heretics...”
The Emperor stifled his anger as he listened.
There are two main ways to summon a demon.
The first is for a Manifestation Bearer, someone with demon blood, to offer up souls from a distance, essentially offering sacrifices remotely. Most of the demons that have been unsealed up until now were brought forth this way.
The second method is to directly find a sealed altar and break the seal. You can either offer a sacrifice at the altar or gradually weaken the seal over time. The advantage of this method is that you don’t need to offer souls directly to the demon or rely on a Manifestation Bearer. You just have to present the offering at the altar.
The drawback is... these altars have been so well hidden that none had ever been found—until now. And it had fallen into the enemy’s hands.
Sigh. The Emperor let out a heavy sigh and asked,
“So... how many casualties are there this time?”
When a demon descends, it typically results in numerous deaths. Andromalius was a rare exception, as the otherworlders served as tanks, but usually, the death toll is in the hundreds. There was even a case where Belial’s appearance resulted in over ten thousand deaths.
Given the circumstances, the Emperor had no choice but to brace himself for the worst.
“It’s been a few days since the demon’s descent, so I imagine the damage is significant.”
“Yes, but...”
The official’s response was entirely different from what the Emperor had expected.
“The number of deaths is less than twenty.”
“...What?”
The Emperor tilted his head in confusion. So few?
Seere had descended, and yet, until the day of his appearance, everything had remained eerily quiet. There were no widespread announcements, and no massive battles upon his arrival.
But as always, no matter how loud the world outside was, it meant nothing to someone living deep in the forest.
Although I was stuck wearing short sleeves because of the uninvited guests coming to the forest, there were moments when my curse lifted.
Those moments came when Ha-neul visited my cave. When she cast her illusions on me, I could briefly forget about my curse and pull out my favorite tank top—one I had tucked away in the depths of my cave.
“Ah... feels nice.”
There was nothing quite like lounging in a tank top and basking in the sun.
“...”
Of course, Ha-neul always seemed embarrassed by these moments, but after a few encounters, she was starting to get used to it.
After all, a tank top is just casual wear, isn’t it? No need to get so flustered. Though, she still had trouble making eye contact.
Anyway, while the curse was lifted, I pulled a pastry from my bag, one I had saved for this sunbathing session.
While pastries are always delicious, there are times when you want to enjoy them in a relaxing atmosphere. That’s why I had carefully preserved this one for two days.
Expecting a crispy bite, I took a bite—only to find it soggy.
“...Ah.”
I sighed softly.
It’s great that I can now eat pastries—something I had longed for as a child. The sweet, savory flavor always melts away my stress.
The only downside is that by the time the pastries arrive in the forest, they’ve gone cold. The taste is still fine, but the texture loses points.
The bread I remember from my childhood was warm and crispy...
I muttered to myself with a gloomy expression.
“Being stuck in here is such a drag.”
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it...”
Ha-neul responded quietly to my grumbling. Knowing about the mark on my body, she sometimes empathized with my situation.
I watched her for a moment, and then a thought crossed my mind.
“By the way, could you use that magic to change my appearance?”
“Huh? I’ve never tried, but I probably could.”
“Interesting...”
I nodded, and Ha-neul tilted her head in confusion, wondering what I was thinking.
If I could change my appearance... it might be worth the risk.
I smiled slightly and asked her,
“...Wanna visit the city together?”
It seemed like the perfect time to explore beyond the back alleys.