---

“Did you bring the items?”

“Yes.”

“Let me see.”

Lucia set her bag down on the floor. The saint’s once-ornate garment had now turned into a simple cloth bag, far too modest for a priest to carry.

Inside, it was brimming with religious artifacts.

“A solid gold Roman cross, a rosary made from an olive branch, holy water obtained from a cracked rock near the Cathedral, famous for the tales of Saint Basilio, and the chasuble blessed by the Dominican Order….”

Lucia pulled out numerous items from the old cloth bag. Each belonging to Lucia, essential for the upcoming operation.

There were many more, but we didn’t have time to inspect them all. It seemed like she had brought along all the crucial items.

Of course, the most important one was—

“Uh… you brought the wrist too, right?”

“Here it is.”

The Cult’s saint gently tapped the heavy wooden box. The relic of Saint Balthazar. Inside that box lay the wrist bone of this ancient saint.

A saint carrying the relics of another saint. What on earth is happening? I glanced at the box with an uneasy expression.

“No matter how important the item, bringing something like that…”

“At this point, there’s no other relic that could help us find the demon more than the holy relic of Saint Balthazar. It was hard to obtain, you know.”

“I’ll take your word for it. What about the other items?”

Lucia opened the flap and brought out a bundle of cloth.

Silk spun from cocoons of silkworms that fed on leaves blessed by a priest from a famous convent. Hidden within that more precious silk were nothing but thin shards of iron.

Geometric patterns imbued with religious significance were engraved on the iron shards. They resembled amulets, but were not amulets.

I cautiously lifted one of the iron shards.

“A talisman. Definitely brought it. The map is included as well.”

Lucia nodded resolutely.

“Now preparations are complete. Let’s go.”

—

**Episode 12 – The Mightiest Magician**

—

The day I went to the Cathedral to deliver documents to Archbishop Theodosius, Lucia presented me with a proposal.

A request to find the demon together.

“A demon, you say?”

“There’s a monk roaming the North. That man is no longer a living human. He’s either possessed by a demon or has made a pact with one. I lean more towards him being a possessed person.”

Lucia asserted that Romain Scheir, who had killed the Inquisition officers, was afflicted by a demon.

Had anyone else said such nonsense, I would’ve called them crazy without hesitation. Unfortunately, the one making this claim was a priest of the Cult. And a saint on the verge of canonization, to boot.

I decided to hear Lucia out before making a decision.

“You’re a necromancer, so you must know well… we spoke about possessed persons before, do you remember?”

“Of course. They call those afflicted by demons ‘possessed persons’.”

“Exactly.”

Before diving into thorough explanations, Lucia briefly mentioned necromancers and possessed persons.

Those who become possessed due to certain accidents or ritualistic ceremonies are referred to as ‘possessed persons’ by the Cult. They lose their bodies to demons, who occupy their forms and live pretending to be them.

“When a possessed person is discovered, the Cult conducts initial examinations. They watch over the suspected individuals for some time to determine if one is genuinely possessed or just having mental issues.”

“If it’s a mental illness, they’re sent to a hospital. But what happens if it’s confirmed they’re a possessed person?”

“In that case, the local bishop directly reports to the National Affairs Council to request the dispatch of an exorcist. Accompanying him will be a deacon and a combat priest.”

Lucia explained that the entire process, from examination to dispatching the exorcist, usually takes several years.

However, given that four Inquisition officers were murdered, it had reached a point where the Inquisition could no longer ignore the situation, leading them to break with tradition and deploy substantial forces.

Lucia’s explanation didn’t stop there; she also spoke about how possessed individuals emerge.

“Typically, a possessed individual becomes so after experiencing an accident or disaster, rendering them psychologically vulnerable. While it’s often due to ritualistic ceremonies, there are rare cases where one inadvertently touches the wrong thing, losing their body to a demon.”

“What do you mean by ritualistic ceremonies or touching something wrong?”

“How much do you know about necromancers?”

“Well, I know a bit. As much as the average person does.”

“Then you’ve heard the rumors that necromancers gain power by making pacts with demons?”

Necromancers, aka necromancers.

Unlike the summoners at the Magic Tower, necromancers gain power by striking deals with demons. It’s a sort of transaction where they offer something in exchange for magical powers.

Because of this, necromancers come from all walks of life.

A renowned magician from one of the Magic Tower’s three great schools turning into a necromancer overnight, or a beggar unexpectedly succeeding in sorcery and becoming one.

I had thought it was just gossip until Lucia mentioned this aspect directly.

“Gossip is always based on some underlying truth. Necromancers actually make contracts with demons to gain power.”

“Does that mean ritualistic ceremonies are involved in obtaining that power?”

“Yes, precisely.”

Necromancers make bargains with demons through contracts.

The problem is that during this process, they might become greedy for power and end up offering too great a price to the demon, or be double-crossed, losing their bodies to the demon instead.

Those fallen as possessed persons leave their marks across the world. More precisely, the demon who took the necromancer’s body goes on a hunt for victims with whom to enter into contracts. They usually trick people using talismans, charms, and ancient artifacts.

“If an unsuspecting person touches an object left behind by a demon, they’ll be immediately possessed.”

Lucia believed that among the three scenarios, Romain Scheir was most likely to have become a possessed person through the final case.

“Since Inquisitor Agato was a combat priest assisting the exorcist, there’s a high probability he was inadvertently possessed by a demon. Many exorcists and deacons have lost their lives when trying to save possessed persons. I think he might be one of those cases.”

Though I hadn’t realized it then, now I could see Lucia seemed to really know a lot about grand exorcisms and exorcists. The detail she conveyed exceeded what a mere university education would cover.

I wanted to ask how she knew all of this, but time didn’t allow me to indulge my curiosity with questions.

So I decided to ask a more productive question.

“Alright. I believe Romain Scheir is possessed, and that the demon is causing havoc in the North. But how will we find the demon?”

The moment I asked that question, Lucia raised her hand confidently.

Specifically, she was holding the relic of Saint Balthazar.

The saint of this age, grasping the ancient saint’s wrist, answered,

“This person will guide us directly.”

—

Lucia’s plan was simple. To track down the demon running rampant in the North and conduct an exorcism.

The exorcism ceremony was to be performed by the Inquisition’s forces as well as the exorcists from the Cult. Should the situation demand it, Lucia herself would carry out the ceremony.

“Can a grand exorcism be done alone?”

“Usually not. A deacon is essential.”

I didn’t know much about their affairs since I wasn’t a religious person.

There must have been reasons why exorcists went around with a deacon and combat priest. So when Lucia said she could carry out the ceremony by herself, I became slightly worried.

Yet Lucia stood firm, resolute in her stance.

“But if I hold back, who will save Inquisitor Agato? If I leave him in that condition, he’ll commit an even greater sin, and his suffering will only increase.”

“…”

I glanced down at the travel permit and stack of passports in my pocket. Since I had already received my fee, there was no backing out now, damn it.

While I pondered with my head in my hands, Lucia resolutely stood up.

“If I back down now, I will surely regret it later.”

“And what if you get hurt?”

“Of course, I might get hurt. But when the moment arrives for me to stand before God, it would be pointless to offer excuses like, ‘I had no choice but to back down back then.’ So this is something I must do. No one but me.”

I didn’t know whether it was a habit learned from someone else or just her own initiative, but she was quite stubborn. If it had been Veronica, she would’ve probably just shot straight ahead without looking back. Unlike my superior, Lucia had no intentions of backing down.

She certainly wasn’t normal either.

“…Sigh. This is just my fate, I suppose. Let’s finish this quickly and go get some sleep.”

I looked up at the sky of the North, exhaled deeply, and once again plunged into the dark alongside Lucia, backs turned to the night view.

Even considering that the condition was serious, it wasn’t looking good. Lucia, who was walking ahead, glanced back as if she sensed something.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Well, it could be okay for now.”

After adding those cryptic words, Lucia let out a small sigh.

“I told you to get treated on time, didn’t I? You should visit the Cathedral and get checked, even if it’s just for an hour.”

“It’s not easy to find the time, Saint.”

“Still, you’re taking your medicine consistently, right?”

“As I’ve mentioned several times, hospitals and cathedrals are places to treat people, not places to resurrect them. What will you do if something goes wrong?”

As she placed her hand against the stone wall, Lucia began to launch into a lecture about the importance of health care.

Until now, I let her think I was managing fine, but her worry grew more evident since I kept coming back hurt from being outside. Uncharacteristically, Lucia began to chastise me, throwing out a few scoldings.

“Speaking of which, it looks like your finger isn’t healed yet either. When exactly do you plan to treat that? If complications arise, it won’t be just a minor inconvenience.”

“Ah, well….”

“If you’re going to complain about how hard it is to find time again, just keep your mouth shut. Don’t you think that’s a pretty flimsy excuse?”

“…….”

I firmly closed my mouth. It was indeed an excuse that didn’t even sound convincing to me.

After that, Lucia continued to fuss over me, but being the kind of person who typically dislikes scolding others, her reprimands weren’t excessively long.

Finally, she ended the conversation by urging me to visit the Cathedral after finishing our tasks for the day.

“That’s not going to happen. You should head straight to the Cathedral as soon as this is finished.”

“I must return to the hotel.”

“Will you walk there by yourself, or do you want to be dragged along?”

“…Fine, I’ll go.”

With that reluctant remark, Lucia beamed a smile. It was a bright smile that lightened the gloomy alley.

“Alright then, let’s try to wrap this up as soon as possible.”

With a beaming smile, Lucia stepped into the alley. Adjusting her silk bag properly, she caressed the stone wall and then carefully pulled out its contents.

A piece of iron with geometric patterns.

It was a relic known as a “Talisman” used by the clerics of the Cult, and the first key to executing Lucia’s plan.

“This is the Talisman we talked about last time, right?”

“Yes.”

The Talisman serves as a sort of charm used by the cult.

It blocks negative energies and brings good luck. In this fantasy world, it’s common to give Talismans as gifts on holidays among family, friends, or lovers, with the cult’s Talisman being the most popular choice.

Of course, nobody knows if it actually works.

Is it just a superstition like “don’t eat seaweed soup before an important exam,” or does it actually ward off bad luck and bring good fortune? How would I know? I’m not a cleric. People also don’t seem to care much about it.

But the Talisman Lucia pulled out was nothing like the trivial charms given on celebrations.

“If a possessed person or necromancer passes nearby, the Talisman will react, just like how a bell on a cat’s collar rings when it moves.”

Lucia’s Talisman was an item used by the exorcist priests of the Cult. It’s mainly used to track demons.

With meticulous care, Lucia slipped the Talisman into a small gap in the stone wall, creating over time. The thin piece of iron bent easily under her touch and disappeared between the rough stones.

After smoothing out the marks left on the stone wall with her hand, Lucia took out a bundle of paper from her silk bag.

Parchment, hardly practical in this age. Lucia unfolded the map made of parchment and began to speak in a quiet voice.

“It has gone in well. The Talisman is functioning properly.”

The antiquated parchment map was the second key to Lucia’s plan.

Lucia spread a cape on the ground to keep it dry and laid the map on top. On the parchment appeared the scenery of Novo Nikolayevsk.

Small white dots were marked on that map. Lucia pointed to one of those dots with her finger.

“If the Talisman is working correctly, it will show up like this on the map. The Talismans we hid along the way here will appear like this.”

The parchment sparkled with white dots. The map, reminiscent of magical toys I saw in childhood, was one of the sacred relics that the Cult kept under strict guard.

“If a demon passes near here, the closest Talisman will react.”

So they say.

After pausing for a moment, Lucia gave a light tap to the wooden box she had tucked under her arm like a sacred vessel.

“At that point, we can use this sacred relic. With the Relic of Saint Balthazar and the map, we should be able to find the demon’s location quickly.”

“If we place the Relic on the map, it will point us in the right direction, right?”

“Yes.”

According to Lucia, the Relic of Saint Balthazar reacts to the energies of unclean entities. That’s why when I got close to the wooden box, after being butchered by the inquisitor, it went into a frenzy.

It was a phenomenon that was hard to explain scientifically, but there was no need to try understanding it either. Just looking at the ancient bones thrashing about enough to shake the table would convince even Einstein without any verification.

I pointed to the map again and confirmed the direction we needed to go.

“We’ll go straight through this alley and then into the other district, right?”

“Yes. Installing the Talisman in the main street would be difficult, and as long as the distances aren’t too great, installing them in the alleys will work just fine.”

“Alright.”

“Then, let’s move since we need to keep installing them.”

Lucia wandered through the alleys of Novo Nikolayevsk, placing the Talisman.

The alleys were so intricate that they reminded me of spider webs or mazes, but Lucia showed no signs of losing her way. Like an adventurer, she held the map in one hand and knocked on the stone walls while installing the Talismans even in dark alleys where no light reached.

Thus, we explored the vast city, installing the Talismans.

And finally.

“We’re done. This is the last Talisman for today.”

We successfully completed the installation near the river bridge.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“You worked hard as well. Given your health, you’ve really been through a lot.”

I sat on a bench by the riverside, catching my breath. Although the lighting wasn’t bright due to the curfew, the sparse lights that occasionally appeared during the year’s end flowed along the riverside like little streams.

The lights embroidered over the rippling river. Watching the scattered light twinkles, Lucia soon approached and plopped down beside me.

“Is it installed properly?”

“Yes. Would you like to take a look?”

I examined the parchments map she handed me.

On the ancient parchment that looked like an original manuscript, the scenery of Novo Nikolayevsk unfolded, with white dots clustered together, branching out like veins throughout the city.

It was the signal indicating the Talisman was functioning correctly.

“Ah, we finally finished. Now we just have to wait, right?”

“Not quite.”

Lucia smiled brightly.

“There are still many other cities left. We need to install the Talismans there as well before we can finally find the demon.”

“When will we get to those cities?”

“We’ll take care of them in bits and pieces. I’ll continue installing the Talismans even during my duties. Will you help me?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Well, I can manage that. What kind of trouble can happen just from installing one of those?”

“Thank you.”

With a gentle smile, Lucia expressed her gratitude.

We sat on the bench, taking a moment to catch our breath. The weather was cold enough to make our teeth chatter, but as Lucia recited her prayers, the chill melted away like snow.

While sitting on the bench, Lucia suddenly exclaimed in a small voice.

“Oh, I forgot to take out the Relic.”

Lucia unlocked the wooden box and carefully retrieved the Relic of Saint Balthazar. Even after thousands of years, the saint’s bones had not returned to nature, swaying slightly in the breeze.

Holding the bones carefully with both hands, Lucia placed them on top of the parchment map. Thanks to the cape laid on the ground, which protected everything from snow, thankfully there was no catastrophe of the map and bones rolling around in the snow.

“I’ll take the bones out in advance. There’s no guarantee a demon will show up today, but just in case.”

“Do you think it’s alright to handle the bones of a person who has long passed?”

“Well, I suppose if there’s a problem, they’ll let me know themselves. I’ll say a prayer before going to sleep.”

Lucia replied with a playful tone. I couldn’t help but chuckle and shake my head.

At that moment.

*Clatter!*

The bones of Saint Balthazar resting on the map began to move.

 

---