Chapter 42

"......."

"......."

The two approached the mansion building, fully alert and crouched low to the ground. But for some reason, an odd sense of unease crept over them.

It was far too quiet.

There was no sound of butlers or maids, no sign of anyone at all. No lights were on anywhere. Only thick darkness lingered throughout the mansion.

Carefully turning the doorknob, they heard a creak as the door opened. Entering while suppressing their footsteps, the two soon realized there wasn't even a single mouse in the mansion.

"You'd think there'd be at least a rat or two."

"Yes... not even a single insect flying around."

William approached the window frame and ran his finger along it.

Black dust came off on his white glove.

"For it to be this poorly maintained..."

Henrik lit a candle holder with a match. White moonlight streaming through the mansion's corridor illuminated them both.

"This way."

William followed the scent of the tracking incense he had planted.

After walking for some time, William stopped, sensing something odd. He looked around. The same location as before-the scent of the tracking incense was circling the same spot.

"Strange. The tracking scent is going in circles around the same location."

"...Let's split up for now and look for anything unusual."

Henrik decided to separate from William and search for new traces.

If the tracking scent ended here, there was likely a secret passage or something of that nature.

'A cross corridor, four rooms. But Oliver wasn't visible in any of the rooms.'

Henrik slowly walked down the corridor, observing his surroundings.

There were old flower pots, sculptures, and framed paintings hanging on the walls, but nothing that could serve as a significant clue.

Henrik glanced over to see what William was doing.

He was walking around inside a room, examining every corner.

-Step, step, step.

Henrik surveyed all directions. And he quickly grasped the space.

'Regularity.'

Various patterns displayed specific regularities. The ceiling, walls, and even the floor. When entering any space, quickly understanding that space was one of Henrik's long-standing habits.

Henrik, who had been slowly examining the room, moved his steps and went out into the corridor.

'I don't sense any singularity yet.'

Stepping into the corridor, Henrik pulled something from his pocket. Small metal marbles.

When he rolled them all across the floor at once, they began rolling down the corridor, each making their own sound.

Rattle rattle-

Rattle rattle-

Then one marble.

Clatter!

Made a discordant sound.

Henrik headed toward that marble's location.

'It sounded like the space beneath the tile was hollow.'

Henrik stared intently at that particular tile. Aside from a very slight gap, it was identical to the other tiles.

He lowered his posture and tapped the floor tile with his finger.

-Tap tap.

Sure enough, it made a hollow sound.

'Found it.'

There appeared to be a secret passage below this. When Henrik lightly raised his hammer and struck the tile, crack! The tile broke easily.

"Henrik?! What's happening?!"

Startled by the sudden noise, William rushed over in surprise. But Henrik calmly stood up and said to him.

"I found a secret passage. Can you smell the tracking scent beyond here?"

"A secret passage..."

Seeing the secret passage with stairs revealed beneath the gaping hole in the floor, William couldn't continue his words.

Sharp observational skills-he had found a small detail that even William himself had passed by without noticing.

'Just what is this man?'

No matter how he looked at it, the age of 23 didn't suit him. He possessed a seasoned expertise that would be believable even if he were much older.

He slowly descended the stairs leading to the secret passage. Then he caught a familiar scent.

"It's the scent of the tracking incense. It seems Professor Oliver used this passage to move."

"...I see."

The two slowly began entering deep underground, following the path of the secret passage.

* * *

The underground accessed through the secret passage was intricately woven like a maze. Parts of the path seemed to connect to the city's sewers.

Since they had to rely entirely on the tracking scent for the path ahead, William took the lead.

Drip, drip-the sound of water droplets falling and the faint cries of small rats echoed.

Even while slowly moving forward, Henrik somehow felt this path was familiar.

Only the small oil lantern hanging at his waist emitted light, illuminating the way ahead. A small water droplet that fell on his head trickled down his neck.

After advancing for some time, Henrik finally understood why this path felt familiar.

Passing through the dim path, what appeared before their eyes was an enormous maze.

"What is this place..."

William couldn't hide his surprise at the sight he was seeing for the first time, but for Henrik, it was a very familiar location.

His third visit.

The mansion's underground was connected to the enormous maze located in the underground ancient castle beneath the Academy.

"......."

Henrik quietly swallowed and advanced toward the maze.

With William leading the way following the tracking scent, they quickly exited the maze and entered a vast cavern.

Seeing no signs of wandering lost, whoever brought Oliver here seemed very familiar with the maze.

Then, atop a high staircase, he spotted someone bound tightly with chains near a stone coffin.

"Oliver."

Recognizing the familiar face, Henrik hurried up the stairs.

He lay there unconscious, his body in tatters.

"Professor Oliver, wake up."

Henrik tapped his cheeks several times trying to wake Oliver, but he didn't budge.

"He seems to have completely lost consciousness."

"Yes, but he's still breathing, so let's get him out of here quickly."

Just as Henrik moved to unfasten Oliver's chains, a necklace around his neck caught his eye. He'd seen it before. Recently, in fact.

It was identical to the necklace Bena had worn.

Henrik hurriedly loosened Oliver's clothing. Just as he'd suspected, the man's chest was stained red, the skin raised and hardened.

"Is it a disease?" William asked from beside him.

"No, it's a curse."

But the reddened area was only about the size of a fist. Still in its early stages-it seemed treatable enough.

To do that, he'd first need to remove the necklace. Henrik raised his dagger, about to destroy it when-

An eerie presence washed over him.

Black, viscous mana blocked Henrik's dagger, then crawled up his forearm and tickled his throat.

"...?!"

Henrik leapt back, putting distance between them.

The black mana had extended from Oliver's shadow.

"Henrik!"

William suddenly shouted.

The black mana writhed and coalesced into a massive fist that swung toward Henrik.

-Thud!

The ground trembled as the fist slammed into it.

Creak, creak. Like a broken doll, Oliver jerked upright and snapped his eyes open, glaring at Henrik.

His eyes glowed red as he grinned wickedly.

Seeing this for the first time, William broke into a cold sweat and drew the sword at his waist.

"Henrik... what the hell is..."

"It's a curse, but it feels different. He seems to be controlled by an artifact."

Henrik spoke, thinking of Bena.

The necklace, the red eyes-it was exactly the same reaction Bena had shown when she was brainwashed. As if hearing their conversation, Oliver's red eyes flashed as he cackled.

"Henrik! Yes... Henrik... it was you."

"..."

"You broke one of my necklaces, didn't you?"

Oliver grinned, baring his teeth. The body was certainly Oliver's, but what inhabited it was not.

Henrik glared at him coldly and drew the hammer from his waist. Oliver waved his hands frantically in mock alarm.

"Wait, wait. I have no intention of fighting you."

"Who are you?"

At Henrik's question, Oliver plopped down on the stone coffin, crossed his legs, and rested his chin in his hand.

"I'm Dominic, Dominic Lindbergh. I don't know how I've been remembered by later generations, but let me introduce myself as the first human to converse with demons."

"Dominic...?"

Henrik suddenly recalled a book he'd seen in the Academy's ancient archives. An old book containing information about demons-the author's name had been damaged and couldn't be fully read, but it definitely contained the name Dominic.

"..."

Henrik kept his guard up, glaring at him.

The fact that he'd appeared before them meant he clearly had a purpose. And given how the book's contents hadn't ended well, Henrik even doubted whether this was truly Dominic Lindbergh.

"What? Don't tell me you don't know? I wrote several books!"

"I know."

"Then why that reaction? I'm the great pioneer of demonology. You're a professor of demonology-shouldn't you be looking at me with more respect?"

"I would have, if I didn't know how you ended up."

At that, Dominic, possessing Oliver's body, clutched his stomach and cackled.

"Everyone spouts the same nonsense."

"We don't have time, so let's end this."

"Wait. I didn't appear to fight you, I'm telling you. Quite the opposite, actually."

"Opposite?"

Dominic suddenly straightened his expression, looked toward the sky respectfully, and spoke.

"Don't struggle and regret it later-join our side instead. Do you really think a nobody like you can defeat the Sovereign? We're destroying the world? That's a misunderstanding. We're creating a new-"

-Boom!

Henrik swung his hammer, grazing the necklace.

"I was talking. Why attack so suddenly?"

"Because I don't need to hear any more drivel from a crazed demon worshipper."

Whether through brainwashing or his own will, they were lunatics who served demons, so Henrik refused to listen any longer.

A researcher who studied demons, only to become enthralled by them.

That was Dominic.

"I thought you of all people would understand..."

"Stop your nonsense."

Henrik recalled the future that lay ahead.

Burning cities, dying people, and believers worshipping demons.

Watching Dominic play the worshipper even in death disgusted him.

"Let me ask you one thing."

Henrik maintained his composure as he questioned him.

"Who are you serving?"

"..."

Dominic grinned wickedly.

His mouth stretched grotesquely wide as he spoke.

"The great Sovereign of the Demon Realm, Lord Nebiross. So, do you feel like serving him too?"

"...!"

Henrik ground his teeth.

'So it was Nebiross.'

He'd found it strange that a being called a Demon Sovereign could be inside the Academy without revealing himself, but if it was Nebiross, it made sense.

That bastard preferred to scheme from the shadows, using believers as his pawns rather than stepping forward himself.

A demon who wielded necromancy.

They'd caught a troublesome one.