Deduction Part 4: “The True Culprit”
“In this incident, the culprit was indeed Salvia. However, that was a fabricated case she created together with Jack-kun so that the curse could be lifted without alerting the real culprit… In other words, there is a true culprit who cast the curse on Jack-kun.”
“The true culprit…”
Someone repeats the words quietly.
“… Well, even so, pursuing the true culprit isn’t actually that difficult.”
That’s right. It isn’t difficult.
“Jack-kun’s curse has been lifted. And since Salvia cannot confirm that anyone else is cursed, there probably isn’t anyone else.”
That must be the reason all the servants in the mansion were gathered into this room.
“Which means all we have to do is calmly identify the culprit… and honestly, we’ll probably know right away.”
“Right away? But how…?”
Bartley spoke to me for the first time, and while feeling a little happy about it, I answered.
“That’s because, young lady… there’s something called a curse backlash!”
“A curse backlash…?”
“Exactly. No matter what kind of curse it is, it always carries a risk. A curse without risk is just magic, after all. And that risk manifests when the curse is lifted.”
Yes, curses are heretical arts that always come with danger.
Just as the saying ‘curse another and dig two graves’ exists in the other world, curses in this world also carry numerous penalties.
“… Oh my, what’s wrong, Head Butler Hanneen?”
“—!”
Well then, after saying this much, anyone should be able to tell.
If a curse meant to kill another person is returned… the result would surely be death after unbearable pain and despair.
“… I never thought I’d be cornered in this way.”
“No, when you’re dealing with a curse user, this is the most basic approach.”
I once fought a curse user before. I had been afflicted by a relatively weak curse, but when it was dispelled using a magic tool, the damage inflicted on the opponent was even greater than what I had suffered.
In other words, against curse users, a counter is the optimal solution.
“No way…”
“Yes, that very ‘no way.’ The true nature of the Noirden curse is… Head Butler Hanneen! It’s you!!”
“………… Kuh… kuhahahaha…… Splendid! I never imagined the Saint’s mind could be this sharp!! Kuhahahahahahahaha!!!!”
Covering his face with his hands, Hanneen laughed madly as he spoke, and his form began to change.
Flesh tore, muscles swole. Black skin spread, enormous bat-like wings sprout from his back, and two large horns grow from his head.
Around his neck were marks like burns, making it obvious at a glance that they were caused by a curse.
“I see… So even a curse that would kill a human won’t kill a demon if it’s reflected back, huh… In the end, this isn’t reasoning or mystery at all, it’s just brute power.”
Every last one of them has no sense of mystery whatsoever. There’s no ‘mystery’ in mystery! I won’t forgive you, Hanneen!!
An upper-class demon, that was the true identity of Head Butler Hanneen.
“Haah… I never thought that curse would be lifted in less than a single night… That man had such strong curse resistance it took me a full year just to curse him, you know?”
“Huh, so curses aren’t exactly your specialty?”
“No, but I absolutely had to kill him with a curse. In order to make them offer up someone with holy power.”
Hanneen moves his long claws and wings, checking the condition of his body.
Seeing that form, Count Moriarty, trembling with fear, somehow forces out words.
“So that… is your true form…? Deceiving us… planting fear in the people… and trying to kill Jack… was it all true?!”
“Yes, that’s right. I was the one trying to kill that trash. This wound on my neck is proof of that.”
“?!”
“I made a contract with the Noirden family about a thousand years ago. As compensation, they were to offer up someone with holy power once every hundred years. However, foolishly, your family gradually forgot about the contract over time, eventually dismissing it as impossible…”
At that point, Hanneen curls his lips into a grin.
“Driving such trash into despair and slaughtering them all is the greatest pleasure of all!”
His voice carried words like those of a demon that did not regard humans as anything at all.
Everyone present shrank back under the pressure and tone of his voice.
“Now then… let’s bring this to an end.”
“… Huh?”
“End it. Now that my identity has been exposed, I can’t remain here. And it would be troublesome if the nation were to send a subjugation force. So…”
A sharp noise rang out as his claws struck together.
“Let’s slaughter everyone here and erase the evidence.”
“—Salvia!!”
“Leave it to me~”
Hanneen lunged at the closest person, Count Moriarty, but his attack was repelled by Salvia’s barrier, which had already been deployed before my shout.
“Tch… Is a Saintess really this strong?! How troublesome… Then I’ll start with you!!”
“… Ah… this might actually be pretty dangerous~”
Hanneen changed his target to Salvia and unleashed his attack. But once again, it was completely blocked.
“Ale-san~…”
“Oh, what is it! Hang in there~! I’m cheering for you~!”
Since I’m useless, I shout encouragement while trying to hide slightly behind Salvia.
What? You want me to fight too? Don’t be ridiculous. The opponent is an upper-class demon, you know?
Haah… you guys really don’t seem to understand how dangerous upper-class demons are. Fine, I’ll explain. Upper-class demons are the… upper evolutionary forms of demons. Demons, unlike humans, are a race that evolves like monsters do.
Demons aren’t exactly enemies of humanity as a whole, but those “strays” who don’t live on the demon continent and instead dwell among humans tend to be highly aggressive toward humans and extremely dangerous, often treated as monsters in the human world.
They choose to live in the human world, where they’re discriminated against, rather than on the continent known as the Demon Realm. There’s no way they’re sane.
And demons who live in the human world and then evolve into upper-class demons… are likely those who evolved by killing humans.
In other words, stray upper-class demons are human-slaughtering machines!
Against such an opponent, even if you have magical tools, making a move means instant—
“—san? Ale-san?”
“Hah! W-what is it?!”
“Umm, it’s a little hard to say, but~… I used too much mana lifting the curse, so I’m completely out now~”
“… Pardon?”
“So, I used up too much mana dispelling the curse, and I’m somehow managing with holy power, but I don’t have any means of attack~”
“I see, I see… in other words?”
“Please do your best~”
At that moment, the barrier around only my position vanished completely.
“Oh?”
“You’re wide open!!”
An expert worthy of being called an upper-class demon would never miss that opening.
What do you think about this chapter?
