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Veronica’s words came out of nowhere.

They were delivered in a calm tone, which made them seem somewhat unrealistic.

Yet Veronica’s gaze was serious, and her lips were tightly sealed. In that moment, I instinctively sensed it.

That what she just uttered was the unvarnished truth.

“What happened?”

“…….”

Veronica exhaled a long breath and, bitterly licking her lips, began to speak.

—

Episode 12 – The Strongest Mage in History

—

The incident began with Lucia’s unexpected action.

“When the report came in that a sinister being suspected to be a demon had appeared, I had a hunch that Lucia might cause some trouble.”

The sudden appearance of the undead, the disappearance of over a hundred residents, wounds that festered despite the priest’s healing arts.

Having encountered a series of evidence, Lucia felt instinctively that a demon had manifested here. Through documents found in Archbishop Theodosius’s office, she confirmed that the demon resided in Inquisitor Agato, also known as Romain Cher.

“They say bad premonitions always come true.”

The moment Lucia saw the Archbishop’s letter delivered to the Holy See, Veronica had a vague idea of what she was about to do.

“She is definitely going to hunt the demon. Even if no one is there to help her, she will go alone. Somehow, I felt that way about her. And it turned out just like that.”

Lucia took me, who was deeply involved in the matter, along to exorcise the demon.

She detected the presence of the possessed person using a talisman, the remains of Saint Balthazar, and a map that was one of the sacred relics. Though things got complicated, and we found ourselves trapped, Lucia managed to display her wits, subdued the demon, and attempted a Grand Exorcism.

Due to interruptions along the way, the Grand Exorcism ultimately failed, but thanks to Veronica’s reinforcements, we cornered the demon.

The minions summoned from hell all returned to their infernal realm. The necromancer, who was presumed to be the mastermind behind the conspiracy, lost their soul to the demon.

The demon, having recovered from the wounds inflicted by Veronica, desperately tried to escape. However, the staff of Inquisitor Agato, thrown by Lucia—who was under a curse and dazed—pinned the demon alongside the necromancer’s corpse.

As for what happened afterward, well, everyone knows that story.

“The underground sewer collapsed, and everything got buried under a mountain of rubble. The bodies of the residents, the corpses of Muspel, the mummified necromancer’s body, and the demon possessed by Inquisitor Agato.”

“…That’s right.”

“I really wanted to be buried alive in a rural area at that beautiful age when I was carried by the Colonel—but I somehow made it out alive while running for my life. My younger sister knows what happened afterward, right?”

The wave-like purple hair swayed gently. Francesca nodded in response.

“The ground around the cavern completely collapsed. Rescue teams couldn’t enter due to the risk of further collapse, leading to fatalities, and many people lost their homes.”

Veronica mumbled, “That’s right,” as she took a sip of her cigar.

“To be honest, I thought that would be the end of it.”

A mound of stones weighing several tons fell down.

No matter how powerful the demon was, a possessed body is still a human form. It needs nutrients from the outside and can be damaged by impact. Even a demon that can withstand a bullet to the head would have a hard time surviving being crushed under heavy boulders.

The High Priest, who has been hunting demons for hundreds of years, once rolled a rock off a cliff to seal a demon, so Veronica assumed that the demon buried under the rubble would not still be alive.

But that was wrong.

“Colonel, do you remember when I checked your condition at the Cathedral yesterday?”

“Yes, I remember. You said something about a prayer being cast upon me.”

“Exactly. The Prayer of Protection. Lucia had placed it.”

Leaning back on the sofa, Veronica crossed her arms and closed her eyes.

“While checking your condition, I felt that the demon’s presence still lingered in your wound. Normally, all traces left by a demon on earth vanish when it returns to hell, doesn’t it? That does take time, but…”

Veronica tilted her head while letting out a dull sound. Her furrowed brow showed signs of frustration.

“But when I met you today, I found out your condition hadn’t improved at all.”

“Condition hasn’t improved…?”

“To put it accurately, the demon’s presence still faintly lingers in your wound.”

She added that if the demon had indeed died, by now its influence would have completely dissipated.

“Of course, your state has improved immensely compared to before. I don’t know what happened to you last night either.”

“…….”

I had a rough idea of what that ‘event’ was, but I decided to hold my tongue. Veronica, leaning deep into the sofa, continued her serious explanation.

“It’s true that the presence has lessened, and your condition has improved, but as I predicted, the demon’s essence has not fully dissipated. Likewise, I confirmed that the other Inquisition Officers still have remnants of its presence. This situation can only mean one thing.”

“…The demon is still alive.”

The saint nodded her head.

“Yes. It means he’s alive.”

Her declaration was unwavering, leaving no hope behind.

It was a scenario I wished to avoid even imagining, and I had never actually considered such thoughts, but now I had to face it.

That the demon was still very much alive.

At that moment, Francesca, who had been listening to the conversation, spoke up.

“Do you have a rough idea of the demon’s whereabouts?”

“I have a vague idea. It’s probably still buried under that pile of stones.”

“…….”

“Anyway! Since we’ve confirmed the demon is alive, we can’t just sit back and relax. Once is enough, right?”

Veronica, who had been slouched on the sofa, brushed herself off and stood up. After dusting off her backside, she tossed her half-smoked cigar into the ashtray.

Then, with a slightly relieved expression, she casually continued.

“So now we need to prepare.”

At least, that’s how it appeared on the surface.

“Follow me. I’ll introduce you to a place where we can stay for a while.”

—

From the moment the demon’s survival was confirmed, we began preparing for an eventual battle with it.

But before that, there was something more important at hand.

“The demon might be buried underground, but as long as he’s alive, there’s hardly a safe place in the Northern Regions.”

As long as that fiend was running rampant, it would not be easy to ensure safety anywhere in the North. Given my previous experience with a pesky flock of crows following me around, whether it was a hotel or Francesca’s office, I had more than enough cause to worry.

“Then where is a safe place?”

“Aside from rifts or the Duke’s sanctum, which even the demon would shy away from exuding immense magic power, there’s virtually no option apart from the Cathedral. This is considered the safest area.”

Still, the Cathedral of Saint Basil, where I currently found myself, was one of the most trustworthy and comfortable places in the North.

A sanctuary of faith boasting a thousand-year history.

The building that took root atop the birthplace of Saint Basil.

In the underground of the cathedral lies the very remains of Saint Basil. There’s also the holy water that the Magi is said to have flowing from a rock.

Not only priests and monks, but also Inquisition Officers and Knights, and even two Saints who have never coexisted in history at the same time, are currently residing together here.

At this point, it’s safe to say it’s beyond just a Safe House; it resembles a fortress.

“So Colonel, it’s best to stay here for a while. You’ve encountered a Demon before, after all. And of course, our our younger sibling and the Hero, too.”

“…I appreciate the suggestion, but I will pass. There’s no need for a Magician like myself to stay here.”

“I’m just worried about you, sis! Don’t be stubborn and just stay here, you brat!”

“…….”

Veronica requested that everyone in the party stay at the cathedral for a time.

Francesca, who belonged to the Magic Tower, hated the idea of staying at the cathedral, but right after she was caught by Veronica, who claimed to be her elder sister, she was forcibly assigned a room.

While the Saint was persuading the Alchemist, I found Camila and explained the situation to her. I left out the part about the Demon and simply implied there were security concerns.

The reason I didn’t tell Camila the truth was because of Veronica’s words.

“The Hero isn’t directly involved with Demons just yet. Our sibling is the head of the Magic Tower, so whether she likes it or not, she’s already deeply involved, but that’s not the case for the Hero, right?”

“So you believe there’s no need to pull them into this?”

“Exactly. Well, unless the Hero insists on hunting Demons themselves.”

Whether it was because she was a Saint or if she really had some faith in us, Veronica seemed to believe that the personnel at the cathedral alone could be enough to exorcise a Demon.

It wasn’t an unfounded boast.

After all, she was a priestess with a track record of sending two Demons back to Hell. If she lacked skill, that would be hubris and recklessness; however, Veronica was far more adept at dealing with Demons than the still inexperienced Lucia. Her skill was sufficient for her to overflow with confidence.

Of course, Veronica wasn’t the only one going to catch some Demons.

Regardless, both Francesca and I were involved in this incident, and Lucia, even according to Veronica, was ‘a child with talent that surpasses mine in exorcism,’ so we all had to go hunt some Demons.

Clap. Clap. Veronica clapped her hands to draw attention, smiling as she turned to Francesca and me.

“Alright, Colonel, you just need to get ready to hunt some Demons with our siblings. Do you have any weapons?”

“I do have a pistol authorized by the Imperial Ministry of Defense.”

“Great! Are you carrying it on you right now? Ah, then please hand it over.”

I handed her the pistol I took out from my pocket. Unlike the revolver, the pistol fit perfectly in Veronica’s hand as she examined it in excitement.

What exactly does she plan to do with that? I couldn’t hide my bewilderment as I questioned her.

“So, what are you planning to do with that?”

“…Hm?”

“You asked for it, so you must have some plan, right?”

“Ah, don’t worry. I’ve got it all figured out.”

Veronica grinned mischievously.

A devilish smile brimming with mischief. Her pearly white teeth gleamed between her red lips.

“It’s hard to explain it in words, but you’ll understand when you see it.”

“…?”

*

The kitchen of the Cathedral of Saint Basil.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed.

Bang! The door swung open violently. The first to enter was a middle-aged priest, who, without a moment to fix his disheveled attire, frantically looked around like a madman and raised his voice.

“No! Saint! What on earth are you doing?!”

Veronica, standing in the kitchen, smiled brightly.

“Catch them.”

“…Yes, Saint!”

The Knight, commanded by her, seized the middle-aged priest. As the thrashing priest was overpowered, several other priests dashed into the kitchen in a line. The Knights summoned by the Saint seized them all with disapproval on their faces.

The priests flailed like live fish tossed to the ground.

“Saint! Saint! You mustn’t do this!”

“Please! Please, don’t do this!”

“Get a grip! This makes no sense no matter how you think about it!”

“A- good grief.”

Veronica shoved her pinky finger in her ear, making a face as if she wondered, ‘Who’s barking?’

Before a roaring fire stood a massive iron cauldron filled to the brim with boiling water.

“What’s all the fuss about this….”

“Fire! Fire! Put it out! Now!”

“Wait a moment, Brother!”

Standing before the fire, Veronica dropped something into the boiling water. From afar, it looked like food ingredients, but up close, it was clear that what was plunging into the water was definitely not food.

A silver glinting rosary, a large cross for liturgies, a cast bell, and so on.

Each item was considered a treasure of the cathedral. Veronica continuously tossed holy relics into the boiling cauldron that resembled a raging furnace.

And,

“Gah…!”

The middle-aged priest clutched his heart.

Desperate pleas echoed from the priests.

“Stop it! Please stop!”

“You mustn’t do this! Think carefully before boiling that, Saint!”

Veronica opened a box sitting in the kitchen.

Inside, there was a perfectly white wrist bone. Bones that had been kept in an upscale casket.

The remains of Saint Balthazar.

The Saint threw the sacred relic that had been kept securely in the cathedral’s treasury.

Into the boiling water.

“Noo!!”

Leaving behind the priests, who writhed as if witnessing the gates of Hell opening, Veronica eagerly stirred the cauldron with a ladle.

Whenever the remains of Saint Balthazar climbed up the sides of the cauldron trying to escape, she would flick it back down into the water with her ladle, pressing it down firmly to ensure it wouldn’t come back up again.

Holy relics and sacred artifacts boiled vigorously in the cauldron.

With the ladle in hand, Veronica delightedly smiled.

“With all this holy water added in, the effect will be phenomenal. With this holy water, I doubt there’ll be any need to bless the Colonel’s pistol; just splashing it on a Demon will send them straight back to Hell, don’t you think?”

“…….”

I closed my eyes, looking at the Saint boiling the remains of the holy person.

“…That crazy girl.”

No matter how I thought about it, Veronica didn’t seem sane.

 

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