Only My Magic Levels Up - Chapter 156
Only Noblemtl
Episode 156: The Shadow of the Great Mountain Range (5)
“Ah, this is it… … .”
Lilia’s expression became serious as she trailed off. Galen asked.
“Did you know what it was?”
“I read it in the Vatican library.”
Lilia answered, turning the body over and examining it.
“A demon with the ability to control evil spirits… Siren, I think? They look similar.”
“That’s right. Oh, now that I think about it, Lilia, you probably know more than I do now.”
“Even so, I didn’t notice it until the bishop told me.”
In any organization, the quality of information available to one person varies depending on his or her position. The church was no exception.
Information is divided into levels: known only to the Pope, disclosed even to the Archbishop, permitted only to the Bishop…
During her two months in the Vatican, Lilia focused primarily on refining her miracle of selection under Julian’s tutoring, but she also visited the library from time to time. It was Julian’s instructions to upgrade her knowledge, which had stalled at the priest level.
It would take a bit more practice to bring it to reality, but Myra wasn’t wrong when she said she knew more advanced information than I did. The gap was as big as that between an archbishop and a bishop.
“Oh, then isn’t it wrong to speak carelessly?”
“It’s okay, brother!”
“Well, I appreciate it, but is it really okay?”
“…Maybe?”
“It’ll be fine. The reason we have separate access rights to information is to determine who is qualified to handle it, and if you’re not qualified, who will be?”
“Oh, that’s right! Brother, you have even spoken to the Pope. Isn’t it information that you cannot share with someone who has said that he will fight hard against the devil?”
“If that’s the case, then that’s good.”
I checked to make sure that if I hear it rashly, Lilia won’t be in trouble. If it’s okay, I’ll be happy to hear it.
Lilia, who had become serious again, began to explain while patting Siren’s fallen body.
“Evil creatures originate from beasts that have been corrupted and mutated by the devil. On the other hand, demons are creatures that were created directly by the devil from birth… They are like children.”
“Then I guess we should say that evil spirits are higher beings than evil spirits.”
“If you only look at the power they have, then yes? But since they are defective and cannot exist as a complete race, it’s hard to say that they are completely compatible.”
“A complete race?”
“So, evil spirits reproduce and eat each other, right? Just like other animals. On the other hand, demons don’t do that. They are beings that are born and disappear solely at the will of the devil.”
“… Then this is not an ordinary problem.”
Galen, who saw between the lines, let out a sigh.
“Since they cannot reproduce among themselves and increase in number, this means that new demons cannot appear naturally. In other words, this one is one of two things. Either it was born from a demon that was subdued in the past and has been alive until now… or it was born recently.”
“The probability of it being the former is not high.”
Myra took Galen’s words in a calm voice.
“When subduing a demon, it is virtually impossible to leave the evil spirits that originated from that demon alone.”
The relationship between the devil and the evil spirits is absolute. In the first place, the concept of betrayal does not exist.
In other words, when subduing a demon, the evil spirits are the ones who first push in to act as a shield, not the ones who survive until the demon dies and then run away to become the remnants.
If the devil could hide his evil spirits well until the end, it would be theoretically possible, but the devil is not the type to take good care of creatures he created to be used as tools. If he were that delicate, he wouldn’t have been labeled as evil.
In short, the possibility that this siren was born long ago and had managed to survive until now was extremely low.
In that case, the most likely answer would be the latter, the one born recently.
This means that the church’s premise that ‘all devils in the present age are thrown into hell beyond the bottomless pit’ is fundamentally wrong.
“… So in the end, it seems like the devil has already descended somewhere we don’t know about. There’s a very high probability.”
Galen muttered. Myra’s expression darkened. It was a feeling of unease that had been present since she had seen the ogres and trolls moving about in groups, but hearing it in clear sentences felt different.
“Think positively!”
At that moment, Lilia, who had been quietly lost in thought, opened her mouth bravely.
“Just because you’re depressed here doesn’t mean the demon that came down will go away, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“If we had arrived just one day later, we wouldn’t have been able to save Bishop Myra, and we wouldn’t have found any traces of the Siren. How could that not be?”
It’s not that I don’t know the severity of the situation. Because I know, I think positively.
And it was true. Not only did it prevent Myra from being harmed, it also revealed the existence of the demon, so it was the best result.
“Well, it’s fortunate that we found out now. Since the head of the eastern region is also here, it saved us the trouble of having to relay the information.”
“The head of the East? Didn’t Lilia say she wasn’t in charge of the Archdiocese yet?”
“Oh, I’m not saying I’m in charge of the East. I came over the Great Mountains with Archbishop Damus! He’s in Abaca now.”
“…Your Majesty came over riding a wyvern?”
“You were satisfied because it was fast?”
“Of course it will be fast, but… … .”
Since Lilia is so young, she can do anything with the energy of youth, but it’s a bit too much for Damus, who is over seventy years old, to do somersaults and ride on the back of a wyvern.
Damus was naturally outgoing, so he accepted it positively. If the archbishop had been strict, he might have been offended.
Galen noticed Myra’s concern and smiled bitterly to reassure her instead.
“Don’t worry, we’re not recommending Wyvern to you out of the blue. We just introduced him to you because he showed interest in us first and expressed his desire to accompany us.”
“Oh, really? Then that’s good.”
“It wasn’t my intention, but it turned out well. I was able to respond immediately after I found out.”
“I’ll go and tell you!”
Lilia said, clenching her fists.
“Since the group has lost all their horses, we need new horses… No, a carriage would be better.”
The horses Myra and her party were riding were all destroyed by the ogre’s boulder throwing, and the two horses Galen and Lilia rode on were not enough to carry ten people.
From this location, it was faster for Lilia to go back to Abaca alone and pull the carriage back, even considering the round trip time, than to walk back to Abaca from there. If only Lilia could endure the effort herself. She was the type of person who would gladly take the effort.
“Will you stay here and watch over me, brother?”
“Okay, I will. Don’t worry.”
“Please! The bishop is also resting. I will go and come back as soon as possible!”
“Yeah, yeah. Be careful.”
“yes!”
Lilia greeted him cheerfully and ran down the mountainside in one stride. Soon, the horse she was riding cut through the darkness and went into the distance.
Myra, who had been looking at the scene with an expression that was half a smile and half a proud look, suddenly looked to the side.
Galen’s eyes were also fixed on the receding light, but unlike Myra, his expression was filled with joy.
Just by looking at it, you could tell what kind of feelings she had. Myra said in a soft voice.
“I’m late in greeting you. Thank you so much for coming. Thanks to you, I survived.”
“Oh, no. Not at all.”
Galen, who suddenly came to his senses, was humble.
“Lilia did everything. I was the one who got there late and just kept on doing the talking.”
“You say that even after capturing an evil spirit that you didn’t even know existed?”
“What is that… haha.”
“I was shocked when I heard that you had become a jewel, and now I hear that even Lilia has become an archbishop. If it’s okay with you, could you explain the circumstances?”
“Didn’t Lilia send you letters regularly? How many of them have you received?”
“I knew you were leaving the South for the Southwest. The letter said that Archbishop Barga had certified that you were a jewel.”
Of course, it was embarrassing for Myra. Not long after receiving the letter that Galen had become a jewel, Lilia suddenly fell from the sky with the title of Archbishop.
Galen told the story in a somewhat concise manner.
He went to investigate the plague in the southwest and met an evil jewel wizard, and while they were fighting it together, Lilia awakened.
“It’s a relief that both of you are safe. So, after that, you went to the central region and held the ordination ceremony?”
“Except for the small details, yes. I came here right after the ordination ceremony.”
“I see… … .”
Myra nodded slowly and remained silent for a while before opening her mouth.
“It’s a bit awkward to bring it up in this situation, but I’d like to ask it now since I might have to wait a long time if I don’t ask it now.”
“Please speak.”
“What do you think of Lilia?”
“… … .”
Galen paused at the sudden question. Myra’s eyes sparkled softly.
“I’m asking this question not as a bishop, but as the person who raised that child.”
“…He’s a good person.”
Galen answered quietly.
“Kind, cheerful, cute, and pretty.”
“…Is that all?”
“Shouldn’t it be right to tell Lilia first, rather than the bishop, about any further expressions?”
“I see.”
Myra also burst into laughter.
“It’s been almost two years since we’ve been together. You’re not so insensitive that you can’t sense Lilia’s feelings at all. But you’re still being cautious?”
“You are twenty now, Lillia.”
Galen smiled faintly.
“In the church, people are considered adults from the age of eighteen. But do you consider someone twenty, two years older, to be a full-fledged adult?”
“You’re still immature. Still.”
“That’s why I’m not rushing. She might mature more and make different choices, but I don’t want to force her into something that’s already a given. She might end up unhappy later.”
“How kind of you.”
Myra added, chuckling.
“I can’t imagine that as more time passes, that child won’t choose you.”
“Then there is no need to rush any further. The outcome is already decided.”
Galen shrugged slightly.
“Yes, if the parties involved are not dissatisfied, it doesn’t matter whether it’s fast or slow. I understand your feelings.”
Myra softly hummed with a much more relaxed expression.
“I will be counting on you in the future as well.”
“I, too, am the one who should be grateful.”
Galen bowed politely.
* * *
A few hours later.
Two carriages arrived at the scene, heedless of the late hour, well after midnight.
“Yes, sir?!”
“I saw some curses.”
The priests bowed their heads in shock at the sight of Damus, who appeared in person, and the warriors, even though they were not members of the church, naturally became respectful at the appearance of the great man.
While the two priests and five warriors were waiting in the carriages, Lilia, who was still riding her horse instead of the carriage, guided Damus.
On the hillside a little away from the rest of the group, Galen and Myra were still there.
“You came in person?”
“It’s a big deal, you must come. I’m glad you’re safe, Bishop Myra.”
“I am sorry. I am sorry for causing trouble to your Majesty due to my shortcomings.”
“Don’t say that. How can you blame someone who tried to fulfill their responsibilities?”
The brief conversation ended there. Both of them knew very well why the Archbishop had come in person without sleeping.
“Hmm.”
Damus groaned when he saw Siren’s body. Although he had already heard the whole story from Lilia, it did not make the shock of seeing it for himself go away.
“Based on their recorded appearances and the group behavior of ogres and trolls, they are definitely sirens.”
Damus nodded slightly at Myra’s words and took the flashlight out of his hand.
Phew!
A spear of light pierced Siren’s corpse, and crimson blood gushed out.
Chewy!
As soon as the blood touched the window, it made an unpleasant sound and emitted a dark cloud of smoke.
An abnormal life form. Since it is a demon originating from the devil, its body gradually disintegrates due to the power of the devil.
Damus, who had been watching with a stern expression, opened his mouth.
“We have finally confirmed that he is a demon. It seems we should divide up the roles right away. Bishop Myra, you will return to Abaca with your party. There must be one person who can command the city and the church.”
“All right.”
“The task of checking the situation in the pioneer area―”
“I’ll do it!”
Lilia immediately stepped forward.
“It’s my hometown, and I know the terrain best.”
“Then I guess I should stick to Lilia.”
Galen took the conversation naturally. Damus asked.
“Are you okay? Demons are nothing more than walking soldiers. Unlike the evil spirits that are simply strong, they are usually quite difficult to deal with.”
“Then it would be better.”
Galen chuckled.
“That means it’s worth playing with.”