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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
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Chapter 61: Demon Hunting (2)
"...!"
Galahad's eyes filled with joy upon hearing Hamel's answer.
"I knew it!"
He grasped Hamel's hand with his gauntlet and exclaimed,
"Please, let us help you. I have others with me."
"How many?"
"Two knights and about twenty soldiers. I can bring more if I include those who are hesitant."
Hamel listened to his answer and calmly nodded.
"That's enough. Commander, do you know who the demon is?"
"No, that's..."
Galahad trailed off, seemingly hesitant.
He probably had someone in mind.
Perhaps it was the same person Hamel was thinking of.
After a moment of contemplation, he continued haltingly,
"...I'm not sure, but I've felt something amiss for a while now. The guards and servants would disappear for days, but the lord would simply say it was alright. And..."
"And when they returned a few days later, they seemed the same as usual, but they had no memory of where they'd been."
Hamel finished his sentence.
Galahad's eyes widened, and he nodded in agreement.
"Exactly!"
"The demon we're dealing with is Carnosa Vinea. Those who disappeared and returned are now nothing more than empty shells, monsters."
"Such a..."
Galahad squeezed his eyes shut.
His mustache trembled.
But soon, he clenched his fists with determination and opened his eyes.
"This is my fault. It's shameful that I couldn't do anything while things escalated to this point. Tell me what to do, even if it means my death."
"Dealing with the demon is my job. Commander, please prepare what I tell you in the banquet hall."
"Anything you ask."
Galahad's eyes shone with resolve.
Perhaps he would have acted soon even without Hamel's intervention.
Hamel calmly told him what he needed to prepare.
Galahad, puzzled, asked,
"Will that be enough?"
"It will be sufficient."
At Hamel's reply, Galahad struck his full plate armor with a clang and declared,
"I will prepare everything without fail."
"Thank you."
Hamel nodded and then confirmed one more thing.
"Commander, do you happen to know why this festival is being held?"
"Hmm? Isn't it to celebrate the baroness's recovery?"
"That's the public reason. But with a demon involved, there must be a true motive."
Vinea hadn't completely taken over this region yet.
There had to be a reason why Vinea would gather knights who could potentially pose a threat.
After a moment of thought, the commander cautiously spoke.
"I don't know the exact reason, but... I do know the reward for winning the tournament."
"Reward?"
"Yes, I heard the lord has prepared the 'Fruit of Eternal Life'. They say it can cure any disease and elevate one's swordsmanship to the next level. It's hard to believe, but even if half the rumors are true, it's worth striving for."
"...I understand. Then I'll see you shortly."
Hamel bid farewell to Galahad and departed.
He stood for a moment, organizing his thoughts, and then finally seemed to grasp the situation.
"So that's it."
Hamel figured out why Vinea had organized the festival.
A fruit that heals illnesses and grants power.
As far as Hamel knew, there was only one way to achieve such a thing.
'A contract with a demon.'
In other words, Vinea held the tournament to choose an apostle.
Since a demon could only have one apostle, the stronger the apostle, the better.
And the winner of the tournament would be a proven warrior.
'Vinea plans to feed the tournament winner a fruit containing its essence to turn them into an apostle.'
Even if it wasn't the winner, turning the participating knights into treants would still be beneficial for bolstering its forces.
'Killing two birds with one stone.'
Hamel nodded in slight admiration.
If Vinea's plan had gone smoothly, it would have grown into a force that even the Knights Order would struggle against.
In any case, having Galahad's help was an added insurance.
Reducing Vinea's forces, even slightly, was a significant achievement.
'Now, let's move on to the next.'
Hamel continued on his way.
***
A short while later, Hamel stopped at the annex where Rupert and his knights were staying.
Since the inner castle couldn't accommodate more knights than the guards, the knights were staying here.
As Hamel approached, one of the knights standing guard stopped him.
"Sir Gilmore, what brings you here?"
The voice held a slight edge to it, likely influenced by the outcome of the match.
Hamel replied calmly,
"I've come to see Sir Rupert."
"Sir Rupert is not here at the mome—"
"I know he's here. I made an appointment earlier, so please inform him of my arrival."
"...Please wait a moment."
The knight, finally relenting, called over another knight on duty and relayed the message.
Hamel, observing this quietly, let out a soft sigh.
The knight's claim that 'Rupert wasn't here' likely meant Rupert wasn't in a good state.
Was he deeply dejected from his loss?
Or perhaps extremely angry?
As Hamel waited, speculating on Rupert's condition...
"...What is it?"
"..."
Hamel was momentarily speechless when he saw Rupert emerge.
His eyes were red.
It seemed the defeat had truly frustrated him.
"Have you been crying?"
"...!"
Rupert flinched at Hamel's question, then glared and retorted,
"Are you mocking me?"
"Not at all."
Hamel shook his head.
Rupert glared for a moment longer, then slumped his shoulders dejectedly.
He looked so miserable, like a rain-soaked puppy.
"I cried because I was ashamed of myself. I was arrogant."
'...Oh?'
Hamel was slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected Rupert to be self-reflective.
Perhaps he wasn't as arrogant as the rumors suggested.
At the very least, he seemed to be accepting his defeat.
As Hamel pondered this for a moment...
"So, why did you seek me out?"
Rupert asked again, seemingly calmer now.
Hamel nodded and replied,
"Because of our previous agreement."
"You mean about believing your words?"
"Yes."
Rupert looked at Hamel for a moment, then nodded.
"Tell me."
"...!"
Alright.
Hamel clenched his fist.
Then, not too fast, not too slow, but clearly and firmly, he explained the current situation to Rupert.
"...What are you..."
Rupert, having heard the whole story, found it hard to believe.
At first, he looked at Hamel with a bewildered expression, as if he had heard a joke.
But seeing Hamel's serious expression, he realized the truth and became confused.
Nevertheless, when Hamel asked him to take his side, Rupert nodded.
"Alright. However, there needs to be clear evidence."
"For example..."
"Such as the demon's identity being clearly revealed. I'll give them a heads up, but don't expect the other knights to help you unless the situation is clear."
"That's enough."
Hamel replied calmly.
He didn't explain the details, but he was confident.
"Then, I'll be counting on you when the time comes."
"Yes."
Leaving Rupert's hesitant farewell behind, Hamel exited the annex.
Quite some time had passed, and a blood-red sunset was painting the horizon.
Was there about an hour left until the banquet?
As he walked, estimating the time, Hamel came face to face with a welcome sight.
"Miss Lena."
"I'm back."
Behind her, two children peeked out.
"Hansel, Gretel, you've worked hard too."
"Hehe."
The children's hands, as they smiled brightly, were covered in dirt.
And Lena was no different.
Hamel brushed the dirt off their clothes and calmly asked,
"Have you prepared what I asked for?"
"Will this be enough?"
Lena held out a container she was carrying.
Hamel peered inside for a moment and nodded.
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."
To be honest, it wasn't absolutely necessary now that he had a good idea of Vinea's true form.
Nevertheless, this would help pinpoint the demon.
With this, all preparations for capturing the demon were complete.
He had waited long enough.
It was hunting time.
***
The beat of leather drums echoed rapidly.
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
Torches illuminating the square flared to life one by one, and soon the entire city was as bright as day.
The joyous singing and the energy of the people were almost palpable.
"It's begun."
Daniel murmured, and Hamel gave a short nod.
Scanning the banquet hall, he stopped in front of a barrel marked with the agreed-upon blue symbol.
Hamel pierced a small hole in the oak barrel and tasted the liquid inside.
An intensely salty flavor, almost numbing to the tongue, filled his mouth.
'It's done.'
Galahad had prepared everything as promised.
Some of the barrels placed throughout the banquet hall were marked.
Salt itself, with its purifying properties, was effective against demons, but saltwater was particularly toxic to plant-based demons.
This preparation wouldn't have been possible without Galahad, who was connected to the castle.
He had fulfilled his role with just this.
Hamel quietly went and sat in his designated spot.
Beside him were Daniel, Ono, Lena, and the children.
Seats had been prepared as he had requested from the lord.
Hamel slowly surveyed his surroundings.
Amidst the excited atmosphere, he spotted some slightly tense individuals: Rupert and his knights.
Fortunately, they were inconspicuous if one wasn't paying attention.
They were wearing somewhat thick clothes, likely concealing thin chainmail underneath.
Judging by their expressions, they seemed skeptical, but as he had explained beforehand, they would side with Hamel and fight when the time came.
Just then, with a resounding fanfare of brass instruments, Lord Edmuir appeared.
He entered with his family, crossed the square, and took his place at the head table.
The boisterous atmosphere subsided with the lord's arrival, and all eyes focused on him.
Tristan, passing by Hamel, gave him a small wave.
Hamel responded with a slight nod.
Tristan smiled brightly and went to his seat.
Lord Edmuir, with a genial smile, began to speak.
"Thank you all for attending this banquet. May glory be with you."
"May glory be with you!"
The people responded in unison, raising their glasses high.
Amidst the momentary commotion, Hamel quietly spoke to Lena beside him.
"Now's the time."
"Yes."
Lena reached under the table and, after a moment, carefully pulled something out.
Whatever she retrieved immediately floated gently upwards.
Hamel followed its path with his eyes, then flinched at the unexpected sight.
"...This is."
Hamel murmured to himself and nodded.
It was fortunate that he noticed it now.
With this, all the preliminary work was done.
Just then, the lord nodded and continued his speech.
"Now, before we begin the banquet in earnest, we shall hold the award ceremony."
At the lord's gesture, an attendant came forward carrying a plate.
There was a slight commotion among the people at the unexpected item on it.
"That's..."
"Hmm?"
It was understandable, as the plate held a single, ripe bunch of grapes.
The lord rose from his seat and declared in a solemn voice,
"This is the Fruit of Eternal Life. It is what cured my wife of her incurable disease."
The people seemed surprised, having heard the story before.
Some, who already seemed aware, sighed in disappointment.
"The Fruit of Eternal Life? So the rumors were true?"
"Huh..."
The lord, holding the plate himself, called out the winner's name.
"Sir Daniel Tyrian, knight of Heidern, step forward."
At his name, Daniel rose from his seat.
He exchanged a brief glance with Hamel, then walked with a solemn gait to stand before the lord.
When Daniel was in place, the lord presented the plate and said,
"They say that if a knight eats this Fruit of Eternal Life, they can surpass their limits. Today, we shall witness it with our own eyes. Daniel."
"...What do you mean?"
To Daniel's question, Edmuir replied in a low but clear voice,
"I mean the birth of a Swordmaster."
"...!"
Astonishment filled the eyes of everyone gathered.
Not one person bearing the title of knight was without a flicker of desire in their eyes.
"..."
Daniel calmly accepted the plate offered by Edmuir.
He stared intently at the grapes for a moment, then...
—Snatch
He suddenly grabbed them with his hand and flung them away.
"Huh?"
Taken aback by the unexpected act, the people could only stare in stunned silence.
The grapes Daniel threw landed precisely in Hamel's hand.
A brief silence fell.
Then, the lord's expression contorted, and he let out a thunderous roar.
"What is the meaning of this insolence...!"
Or rather, he tried to.
Hamel's following action made the lord shut his mouth.
—Drip
Hamel held the grapes in his hand and offered a short prayer.
Then, a fierce azure flame erupted, incinerating the grapes.
"..."
A silence fell, so profound it was hard to believe they were in a square filled with thousands of people.
In that abyssal silence, Hamel, holding the burning grapes, spoke coldly.
"Unfortunately, it seems we won't be witnessing the birth of a Swordmaster today. Instead, I shall show you something far more interesting..."
Hamel slowly drew the sword from his waist.
His eyes gleamed with a sharp glint.
"I shall show you a demon hunt."
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismal]
[Proofreader - Max]
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