HPV 40

When Banwes returned to the room, blood dripping from his hand, I couldn’t say anything.

He and I passed each other like strangers seeing each other for the first time. Banwes pulled a bandage from his pack and began wrapping his hand. I sat in silence, clenching my fists.

What happens if his artifact breaks now?

I hurriedly skimmed through the game’s storyline in my mind. Was there another point where Banwes’s artifact was needed?

Yurichen only lifted the restrictions on Bzhan’s and Banwes’s artifacts after the black dragon subjugation. Until then, they had to be preserved—even if they weren’t used often.

One of Yurichen’s abilities is literally tracking those two!

Also, the fact that Yurichen could no longer control Banwes might cause psychological shifts for both of them. Yurichen would lose his dominance, and Banwes’s chances of desertion would rise.

Will it mess up the black dragon subjugation…?

Even peeking through the crack in the door, I couldn’t interfere. If I had rushed in or shouted, the standoff might’ve exploded violently.

At this point, I only blamed myself for not stopping it earlier.

Sleeping until morning and not knowing… what was I thinking?

I honestly wanted to slap myself, like a penitent worshiper. I couldn’t exactly slap Banwes.

Yeah, it was mostly my fault. It was basically me who provoked him first. Technically, Banwes wasn’t even supposed to lose consciousness during the Paronai disappearance incident.

Thinking that far actually made my heart calm down. I realized what I had to do.

“Give me your hand.”

I turned around, summoned a bluish light in my palm, and held it out to Banwes.

No response. He just sat there, hidden in the dark like some wild beast.

He was basically saying he didn’t want help.

“If I don’t heal your hand, you won’t be able to carry me.”

It took two tries before Banwes finally gave me his hand.

Even after the healing finished, Banwes didn’t pull his hand away; he left it resting on my knees. It was strangely heavy. I gave him a sharp look, and only then did he move it with an unreadable expression.

When we stepped outside the inn, Penzey approached and relayed Yurichen’s message.

“Our next destination is the Duchy of Muybesa. Oh, and by the way, a messenger came.”

The moment I heard it, I recognized it—it was the starting line of the next major episode. Thank goodness something was following the original story for once. I felt a little better.

“There’s been a problem in the duchy. It’s going to be a hassle for a while.”

The Duchy of Muybesa, ruled by a royal supporter, was a magnificent metropolis, famous for its cultured and refined people. Its fertile lands allowed culture to flourish nearly as much as in the capital.

“A big city, huh. Bet there’s tons of pretty ladies with delicate hands.”

Penzey smacked his lips in delight.

“If you even think about fooling around, you’ll find your hands dripping with blood.”

Penzey was a problem, but Banwes was a bigger one in a city like this. Even in a crowd, Banwes stood out like a giant boulder.

His sheer size was two or three times that of an average man—and it was all muscle. Plus, he carried the ominous aura of a monster, something humans instinctively shied away from.

The town guards flinched at him multiple times. Men and women alike shrieked whenever they passed too close.

Banwes simply stood there without moving. The flood of human presences overwhelmed his senses, his perception overloaded, and the mix of perfumes and city smells numbed his nose. He was, essentially, in a state of panic.

It wasn’t until I tugged on his sleeve that he finally moved.

“Carry me.”

Just like before, I had been riding on his back. Banwes looked down at me like I was some helpless thing unable to fend for myself.

Sure, I’d stand out even more on his back, but at least people wouldn’t shriek and scatter at the sight.

“Is that inn over there? How about that one?”

Paronai, also suffering from the dazzling chaos of the big city, pointed weakly at the closest inn. It seemed he didn’t have the energy to compare places.

“No. We already have a destination.”

Yurichen, being from the capital originally, should have been used to cities like this—but maybe because of other stress, his voice sounded oddly weak.

“I need to visit the Temple of Gaioh in the duchy. You can all stay nearby.”

In many ways, this was going to be a heavy episode for Banwes.

There was a reason Yurichen didn’t try to secure temple access passes for everyone.

Banwes couldn’t enter the temple.

Even if the high priest blessed him, even if Yurichen poured all his holy power into him—it couldn’t change his nature.

There was no way to allow a monster inside the temple unless they destroyed the place first.

Everyone realized it but said nothing. No one knew what thoughts stirred behind Banwes’s mask.

We decided to stay in a nearby village where retired priests lived out their days.

Taking advantage of a moment when Banwes wasn’t beside me, I quietly asked Yurichen,

“Would it be possible to take a look around the temple later?”

It was going to be where I’d entrust my future—though in the capital’s temple, not here.

Still, seeing it with my own eyes would be different from just glimpsing it through the game’s graphics.

I watched Yurichen’s face for a moment, uncertain how he would react.

Would he realize why I wanted to see the temple?

“Of course. If things go well, I’ll arrange a visit for you.”

Fortunately, he accepted it positively.

But when I turned around after hearing his answer, Banwes was standing there.

When our eyes met, my heart dropped for some reason—even though I hadn’t done anything to feel guilty about.

“You’re planning to live in the temple,” he said in a low, heavy voice after a moment.

This time, I nodded simply.

“Yeah. …Because of the demon.”

He stared at me for a long time before turning and walking away.

If he had picked a fight over the mention of visiting the temple, I could have understood it. Maybe he was angry that I could go to a place he could never enter.

But no, that hadn’t been anger.

…No way. Surely not. Did Banwes really imagine a future where we would stay together even after the journey ended? Why would he even want that?

The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. I felt a strange, tingling sensation on my skin, like tiny sprouts pushing through.

Maybe… he did get a little attached to me, in his own way. Just like I had to him.

If I was being extremely generous, maybe he simply thought I was familiar, and that was better than nothing.

The house we stayed in was spacious enough that everyone could have their own room.

After unpacking, we gathered in the dining area.

“We’ll be staying in the duchy for a minimum of three days, up to five at most,” Yurichen said. “His Highness has ordered us to assist the duchy. Since we are dedicating our time, we’ll be properly rewarded.”

“You’ll handle the rewards just fine,” Paronai said dryly. “Anyway, can you explain exactly what’s going on?”

At his question, Yurichen’s expression hardened.

It was the coldest, most serious look I’d seen from him yet.

“There was a demon summoning ritual in the duchy. The individual or group responsible has fled, and their whereabouts are currently unknown. It is presumed that the summoning was successful.”

If a demon is left unattended, a kingdom could fall within a hundred days.

The very reason we intended to slay the black dragon nesting in the northern kingdom was also because of the demon.

Demons were central to this game’s world.

And also… inside my own body…

The memory made me feel sick immediately.

I thought I had my emotions under control, but clearly not.

Thank goodness Banwes stayed still, showing no reaction.

“There are four types we must deal with when eradicating demons.”

I felt a faint presence settle behind me.

Bzhan had sat down quietly, listening intently to Yurichen’s explanation.

Demons were mortal enemies to elves as well.

The Demon War had cost them dearly, and Bzhan understood the seriousness of this situation.

“First, demons themselves. They cannot remain in this world on their own, so they possess the bodies of other living beings. Exorcist priests exist specifically to combat this.”

Penzey probably already knew all this, but oddly enough, he was paying close attention.

Maybe it was because Yurichen’s face.

“Next, demon seeds. These are humans or monsters that the demon has possessed. Sometimes they inhabit ordinary animals, but they can’t last long in such hosts. Animals, or monsters whose aura is close to a demon’s, make more suitable vessels.”

My stomach churned.

I forced myself to breathe steadily, trying harder than ever to look normal.

It required an exhausting amount of mental effort.

Maybe it was because Yurichen’s voice was so unbearably cold.