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It didn’t take much effort to make the demon speak. Just a while ago, Sophia had to resort to extreme torture to interrogate demons, but now, that wasn’t necessary anymore.

As Sophia’s eyes emitted a cold blue light, the demon’s gaze became hazy, and its expression went blank. Her voice, accompanied by a strange resonance and intent, pressed down on the demon. The demon, already hypnotized by Sophia’s gaze, couldn’t resist the internal and external hypnosis and suggestions transmitted through the medium of ‘sound.’

“Let me ask again. Who ordered you to attack Aarhus?”

“Grr… M’nar’s lord… Sarnas’s terror… the master of the puddle…”

“Damn it, it’s Bokrug again.”

Sophia’s extreme mental control and the spell completely disarmed the demon’s defenses, making it obediently comply with her commands.

This meant that the demon’s words were completely truthful. Having obtained the desired answer, Sophia furrowed her brow and began organizing the information she had gathered.

There is a land called the Demon Continent. This name refers to the land across the sea where demons, driven out of human territory after the Great War, settled.

Thus, the Demon Continent, which became a stronghold for all sorts of demons after the Great War, operates under a form of quasi-feudal military rule.

Simply put, it is structured around a unique feudal contract system led by seven Demon Kings and seventy-two Demon Lords.

From the top with the Demon Kings down to the barons, all are leaders of various military factions, and these factions form subcontracting relationships or consortia, creating a society that feels like a massive mutual mercenary contract.

Because of this, there are demon factions that exist outside the seven kings and seventy-two lords, having built significant power independently.

Bokrug is one such independent demon faction leader. His appearance resembles a water lizard, and his vassal demons also share some lizard-like traits.

‘Regardless, it’s clear that this guy came here and caused trouble because he’s tied to those chasing destiny.’

Generally, demons don’t act so aggressively against humans. The gains are minimal, and it only serves to heighten human vigilance, potentially weakening other demons’ influence.

Thus, traditional demons usually resort to more cunning and insidious methods, not outright invading and annihilating a city.

So, what Sophia wanted to find out was whether this incident was a personal initiative of this demon or part of a larger movement within its faction.

From its appearance, Sophia had already guessed that it served Bokrug, but she still questioned its commanding authority for this very reason.

‘Bokrug has aligned with their cause. Even though it’s an independent faction, an entire faction has become our immediate enemy.’

While demons have always been humanity’s enemy, such direct and sudden acts of annihilation are rare. Usually, demons use pre-planted cultists to infiltrate and carry out various schemes, while humans eliminate any discovered demons.

This was because neither side had the capacity or a clear cause to do more.

However, if demon lords with direct legions align with those ‘terrorists’ who aim to reclaim destiny for the demon race, the story changes.

‘It means that belief-driven terrorists with legions have emerged, regardless of capacity.’

Just reading that sentence makes one’s head spin, Sophia thought.

Sophia didn’t stop there and began estimating the demon forces that would participate in the upcoming war.

The basis was, of course, the list of demons she had encountered so far.

‘Arioch, he was a branch lord of the Marbas faction. Is Marbas actively cooperating with their schemes?’

Marbas, the fifth among the Demon Continent’s seventy-two lords, specializes in controlling plagues, insects, and rat swarms, making him adept at commanding legions. His authority and power are formidable, allowing him to serve as the ‘Grand Marshal’ among the Demon Continent’s powerful warlords.

‘But if he had officially started moving, their actions wouldn’t have stopped here.’

As the self-proclaimed Grand Marshal of the Demon Continent, if he had actively aligned with the scheming forces for this war, he would have mobilized the entire continent’s opinion and added strength. If so, the demons’ schemes wouldn’t have ended at just this level.

To describe the erasure of a city as ‘just this level’ is laughable. Sophia clicked her tongue and continued her thoughts.

‘Surprisingly, Marbas might have little to no relation to this, or at most, tacit or indirect support.’

It’s well-known within the Church, which has a long history of dealing with demons, that Marbas highly values his position as Grand Marshal. And the position of Grand Marshal inherently prohibits official alignment with any specific political faction.

‘…Or maybe he’s moving behind the scenes to shape public opinion now?’

If so, things get complicated. It wouldn’t just be a fight against a specific terrorist group but could escalate into a full-scale confrontation between humans and demons. However, Sophia had a strange confidence that things wouldn’t go that far.

‘Judging from the demons’ movements so far, it’s clear that they’ve only recently started showing visible results. Even if Marbas was impressed and began scheming, he wouldn’t have created a noticeable trend yet.’

Thus, even if Marbas had started scheming, his work wouldn’t be completed by the time a full-scale clash with them is expected.

‘Regardless, the fate of Arioch’s faction after his death should be kept as a variable.’

Whether the leaderless faction was absorbed by the higher Marbas faction, reassigned under the terrorist-led forces, or a new successor was appointed within the faction—there’s no way to know now, nor is it necessary.

However, since this could affect their future strength, it’s worth keeping in mind.

Next, Sophia thought of Krampus, whom she had eliminated near Vienna, and Koronzon, who had fled midway with Arioch.

‘Krampus was a demon from the Gamigin faction.’

Gamigin, a grand duke of the Demon Continent, is skilled in necromancy and spirit summoning. Naturally, his vassal demons are also adept in spells, and Krampus was one such case.

Korozon was an unaffiliated rogue demon. Unlike Bokrug, who has significant power and influence, Korozon roams without allegiance, which is noteworthy. However, this doesn’t mean Korozon holds no weight in the demon power structure.

‘He has ties with Nebiros.’

Nebiros, like Gamigin, is a marquis of the Demon Continent, also skilled in necromancy and dark magic.

From Sophia’s perspective, Gamigin and Nebiros could become extremely troublesome enemies. Even though clergy have mastered exorcism techniques, most humans are defenseless against demonic power.

Moreover, spellcasters who actively wield such power. In a full-scale war, spell-wielding demons would undoubtedly be the primary threats to eliminate.

As the situation grew increasingly complex, Sophia quietly rubbed her temples with her index finger.

This was a fundamental information gap arising from the inherent differences between humans and demons. Sophia wished she could send informants to the Demon Continent, but that was impossible. Not only was sending informants to the Demon Continent out of the question, but there were also no informants to send.

‘Disguising as demon worshippers is out of the question.’

Demon worship isn’t something one can simply mimic. As the saying goes, ‘Close to ink, you get black; close to vermilion, you get red.’ Mimicking demon worshippers would soon corrupt one’s soul beyond recovery. It’s unthinkable to ask a sane person to do such a thing.

Frowning, Sophia agonized over this for a while before suddenly shaking her head and muttering resolutely.

“There’s no problem. I’m moving now to handle any situation.”

Even if unexpected problems arise, she believed she could break through them head-on. Such a statement requires full confidence and trust in oneself.

Yet, despite her resolute self-assurance, a trace of unshaken confusion and fatigue lingered in her words.

[…]

Gabrielle, the white contract spirit, watched Sophia with concern.

+++++

The passengers who disembarked from the ship were largely divided into two groups.

One group had business in Aarhus itself. For example, those who had their base in Aarhus or came to visit acquaintances living there.

Realizing that Aarhus had been reduced to ruins by demons, these passengers wanted to stay, purify the city, exterminate monsters, and search for any possible survivors.

“The other group came to Aarhus merely as a transit point.”

“Or those who came for trade.”

Brantley added to Sophia’s explanation.

They were now discussing the passengers’ next steps. At this point, those who had arrived in the ruined Aarhus had established a base around the secured dock area and Aarhus Cathedral.

However, as the term ‘passengers’ suggests, their reasons for visiting Aarhus varied, and naturally, their actions upon realizing the city’s ruin also differed.

The aforementioned ‘two groups’ classification was based on these ‘visit purposes’ and ‘action plans.’

The first group, those who chose to stay, wasn’t a problem. After all, leaving Aarhus contaminated by demonic energy wasn’t an option, and having extra hands for purification efforts was welcome.

The problem was those who wanted to leave Aarhus.

They were also divided into two groups. The first were those who had other destinations beyond Aarhus, and the second were merchants who had boarded the ship solely for trade.

For the first group planning to use land routes, there was no issue. They just needed a safe path out of Aarhus.

“But those planning to use sea routes are completely stuck.”

Recalling the situation, Brantley couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

With the city in ruins, it was unlikely that ships and crew had survived. Even if the ships were intact, without crew to operate them, they were just useless hulks. In other words, the only available ship was the regular passenger liner they had arrived on.

And as the name ‘regular passenger liner’ suggests, this ship had to return to Strabenher. Coming all this way by ship only to turn back now was an option only those with ample time to spare would consider.

The second group also faced problems.

Merchants who had prepared goods and paid for passage across the sea found their potential buyers vanished into thin air. For ordinary merchants, this would mean ruin. If they had ships, they might try to cover some costs by selling elsewhere, but with no ships available…

“There is a way.”

Suddenly, Sophia, who had been quietly listening, spoke up. Brantley, who had been lamenting the difficulties, brightened and responded eagerly.

“That’s great! What is it?”

“As we discussed earlier, those staying will have much to do in the city, right?”

“Indeed.”

At this point, those who chose to stay in Aarhus were gathering to exterminate monsters, purify the city, and rescue any possible survivors. Their base was naturally the Aarhus Cathedral, the most well-equipped safe zone.

While both the dock and the cathedral had been purified, the dock area was still close to the sea. It was suitable for short stays and rest but not for long-term residence. Thus, the cathedral, closer to land and with dormitories, was the logical choice for a base.

“When people gather to do such work, they inevitably need a lot of supplies. But with the city in this state, supplying those materials is extremely difficult.”

It’s a given that gathering people can generate great power. However, it’s also true that the conditions needed for such work increase exponentially.

“Coincidentally, the Aarhus Cathedral has quite substantial finances.”

“Indeed…”

Brantley nodded in agreement. After securing the cathedral as a base, Brantley and Sophia had reviewed the documents and actual situation before the disaster. Brantley knew that the cathedral’s assets were considerable.

Even if the city’s ruined supplies were set aside, the cathedral’s warehouses were stocked with materials that could be immediately liquidated and substantial cash reserves. Suddenly, Brantley’s expression showed he had caught onto something.

“And church law clearly states the extent of on-site authority in such special situations.”

“Meaning?”

“Exactly. At this point, I have full authority to dispose of church assets.”

Indeed, that could help the stranded merchants. Brantley’s expression brightened, but he soon realized that a solution for the non-merchants was still lacking.

“Then what about the others?”

“Well, what else can we do? The port isn’t the only one, so we’ll have to advise them to travel overland to another city where they can board a ship. It’ll take more time, but there’s little more we can do.”

“True.”

After concluding their discussion, the two quickly moved into action.

Most passengers had already settled in the cathedral dormitories, so posting a notice on the bulletin board quickly reached everyone.

“We’re saved!”

“The Church never abandons us in times of need!”

“I thought we were doomed! Hahaha, we can finally breathe again!”

The merchants were overjoyed. Their previously gloomy faces lit up the moment they saw the notice on the bulletin board.

Being stuck and counting down to ruin had suddenly turned into a situation where they could at least survive, so of course, they were ecstatic.

Some tried to haggle for a better deal, but they soon cowered under the iron fist of the super boss.

“Tsk tsk, you have to know who you’re dealing with when haggling.”

“If the power balance isn’t in your favor, it’s better to stick to the master-servant relationship. Misjudging your position only leads to unnecessary losses.”

The merchants clicked their tongues at these individuals’ fates. To survive as a merchant, one must know their place. Profit is like a double-edged sword; those who recklessly wield it end up bleeding.

Those who don’t understand this and are driven by greed deserve no pity—it’s their own doing.

 

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