Chapter 44

It’s been a while since I came to Lake Snias. It’s a mist-covered lake on the east side of the town, and it was the first gathering spot I visited.

I thought I’d make some regular potions again. Oh, maybe I should gather some for Alesia too. She’d probably want to start practicing potion-making soon. The morning air is refreshing, and I love the scene of the thin mist hanging over the lake.

This morning, a few others are also gathering here. Since this place is close to the town, it’s common to see newly-formed adventurers and occasionally vendors from other shops.

Some people are heading deeper into the area, while others are heading back. Some even have adventurers with them.

As I continue gathering, I hear the sound of a few people walking toward me. Are they also here to gather? I didn’t think much of it at first, but then one of them called out to me.

A familiar male voice.

“Iriya , you’re gathering too? What’s going on?”

It’s Clément Binal , the head of the merchant association I’m acquainted with. But what does he mean by ‘what’s going on’? I didn’t mention anything.

“Good morning, Binar-sama. What do you mean by ‘what’s going on’?”

“Huh? You sent me a letter yesterday. It said you’d be waiting for me here at Lake Snias this morning. This one.”

Binar holds out an envelope with my name written on the back. When he takes out a card, it indeed says that, but it’s not my handwriting, and I never sent any letter.

“…This isn’t from me. What’s going on…?”

Hearing my response, the three people behind Binar immediately move closer to us. They appear to be his bodyguards.

“Could this be… a trap?”

“…President!!!”

One of the bodyguards standing next to Binar moves to shield him from something.

In the next moment, an arrow flies out of nowhere and pierces the arm of the bodyguard.

At the same time, another arrow grazes my cheek.

“…Ahhh!!”

I can’t help but let out a scream.

If it had been just a little off, it would’ve been disastrous…!

My heart pounds coldly.

With trembling hands, I touch my bracelet and chant a defensive spell.

“O star that guides those who wander the wilderness, descend. With the sharpened crescent spear in hand, protect me from malicious intent, from disaster. …Protection!”

Since I was alone today, I had made sure to wear the bracelet with the magic that Belial infused into it. Once activated, this will quickly alert him to any disturbance.

More arrows are fired, but all of them are stopped by the protection barrier and fall harmlessly to the ground.

“…Do you know where they’re shooting from?”

“There are two in the trees and two on the ground, I think,” the bodyguard who was hit by the arrow answers, struggling.

The other two are carefully scanning the surroundings, trying to locate the enemies.

That’s right, potions!!

Naturally, I’m feeling a primal fear as arrows pass so close to my face. I need to calm down quickly…

“Ah, this is a mid-level potion, so that wound will heal right away.”

My hand trembles as I offer the potion, feeling embarrassed.

“Thank you. Sorry for frightening you. I won’t let anyone harm you…”

The man swiftly pulls the arrow out of his arm and drinks the potion.

The wound heals quickly, and he seems impressed by the lack of pain.

“Iriya ’s potions really work wonders… You’re an important artisan, everyone, make sure to protect her well!”

“Understood!”

The three bodyguards respond loudly.

Then, from the woods, about twenty men in ragged light armor appear.

“We thought we could just shoot the merchant with arrows, but they’ve brought bodyguards. They’re careful.”

“Things are dangerous these days… Didn’t think they’d try to lure her out. She’s not involved, let her go.”

The man who spoke seems to be the leader. He wears better armor than the others and carries a drawn silver sword.

Binar seems to recognize him.

Could this be the one causing trouble for him lately? Perhaps it’s that Bikneze person… He might have known we were connected since he contacted me too.

“The client wanted her. She’s a skilled artisan, right? Oh, I told them to aim for her leg with the arrows, so she can’t escape. Don’t worry, we won’t kill her.”

“…You’ve got to be kidding! No one will lay a finger on her!”

One of Binar’s bodyguards shouts defiantly at the arrogant words.

This stalemate is dangerous, so I’ll have to drop the protection spell.

“…I’m going to cut the defense magic. Are you ready for battle?”

“Of course!!”

The protection barrier fades slowly and vanishes completely.

The three bodyguards form a protective circle around us, with Binar shielding me.

“Then, I’ll begin my incantation.”

“Hah, what are you going to do with just three people? Attack!”

The men, having spread out, begin closing the distance toward us.

“Blazing flame, dance upon the board. Let even iron flow as a river. Rise, O fire, let man’s sin sink!”

I clap my hands in front of my body, creating a loud sound that echoes across the lake.

“Huh? Iriya , what are you chanting…?”

This is a fire-based spell. I thought the pillars would make it easier to locate us when help arrives. It can also block arrows, so it’s a two-in-one!

…Though now isn’t the time to explain.

“Scorching heat, become the pillar of the sun and reveal your existence! Lava Flare!”

Three towering pillars of fire shoot up, their intense heat blocking the attackers and halting their advance.

“Ah, it’s hot!! What is this, that woman’s not just an artisan, she’s a mage…?!”

“Ugh, it’s burning! My hands are on fire…!”

The three bodyguards seem a bit surprised but start fighting back, confirming the advancing enemies and preparing for battle.

“There you are, Iriya .”

“Belial-sama!”

Though the initial force from the enemies is gone, Belial has arrived. The enemies are still outnumbering us, and the strength of their leader is unknown, but with his presence, I feel a bit more secure.

Looking up at him descending from the sky, his eyes widen when he sees my face.

“…You’ve been… hurt?”

“J-just a scratch…”

“How dare you… harm my contractor!!”

I’d completely forgotten about my own injuries! A mere scratch in a life-or-death situation isn’t something to worry about!

But this is a danger signal. According to the contract, I can kill all the attackers now!

In response to Belial’s fury, a fierce, scorching wind swirled around him like a vortex. The two archers perched in the trees tumbled to the ground with a thud. Even Binal and the guards staggered, their words failing them as they stared at him in shock.

When Belial crushed the arrows lying on the ground underfoot, they briefly flared and disintegrated into ash in an instant.

“To think you dared to fire arrows at me…”

His low murmur was charged with anger, and his terrifying gaze brimmed with hatred.

“You deserve death a thousand times over!!!”

“Aaaaaaah!”

Screams echoed as the four bowmen were suddenly engulfed in raging flames. They writhed violently, but soon fell still, consumed by the fire until only charred remains were left. At first, fearful cries could be heard from the surroundings, but now everything was eerily silent, as if the air had been sucked out.

“Lord Belial! Please restrain yourself!”

“Silence!”

Though his sharp tone made me want to cower, I instinctively clung to his arm.

“T-these men were merely hired! We must make them reveal their employer!”

“…………”

Suppressing his fury, Belial listened silently.

“That man! The one with the silver sword is their leader!”

When I pointed, the man’s face turned pale as he trembled and backed away.

Belial’s menacing gaze locked onto him, and he raised one arm smoothly.

“Stay away! Aaaah, my arm!”

The man cried out, clutching his now-broken right arm and groaning in pain.

“That was your warning. If you don’t tell me who sent you, there will be no next time.”

Things were progressing quickly!

“I’ll talk! It was… Mr. Bikneze! He just paid us to do it, that’s all!!”

“…Binal, do you know this man?”

“Ah, yes… I’m the one they were after. I’m so sorry for dragging you into this…”

Of course, no one mentioned the part about them trying to shoot an arrow through my leg to kidnap me. If a scratch led to this much chaos, what would have happened if they succeeded? Too terrifying to imagine.

I was grateful the attempt had failed, but even the demon who came to my rescue scared me.

From the direction of the town, the sound of armored soldiers marching grew closer, and several guards arrived on the scene. Thankfully, Zieghardt wasn’t here today.

“We saw a terrifying pillar of fire… What happened!?”

Ah, they must have seen Belial’s Lava Flare.

The forest and grass in various spots were charred, and the attackers were either paralyzed with fear or pale and trembling.

It really was the kind of situation where anyone would wonder what the heck had happened.

I explained the circumstances, and the guards took the attackers into custody. Belial didn’t speak, but this outcome seemed acceptable to him.

When we began heading back, Belial suddenly picked me up in his arms.

“W-wait! What!?”

This was definitely a first!

“…Are your wounds hurting?”

“No, not at all! I can fly on my own!”

Without another word, he carried me into the sky. As he flew in silence, I glanced at his face. His usual expressionless demeanor was even harder to read than usual, leaving me clueless about what he was thinking.

To ensure Belial stopped worrying about my injuries, I pulled out some healing ointment from my bag and applied it to the wound.

When we returned home, for some reason, he carried me all the way to the bed.

I’m not seriously injured! The person whose arm you broke is in far worse shape than I am…!

Belial’s overprotectiveness left me questioning if this was truly the kind of demon he was.

“…I must repay you,” he said softly.

“Huh? No, you’ve already helped me so much—”

Before I could finish, Belial leaned in close and pressed his lips to my wound. As I blushed in shock, he whispered something outrageous in my ear:

“Tonight, I shall claim you.”

“…What?”

This was beyond unexpected! How did it escalate to that!?

Had he been thinking of such indecent things the whole time we were flying in silence!?

“Rejoice, for you shall share the bed of a king. This is a rare honor for a human,” he declared.

“No, thank you!!”

When I rejected him with all my might, Belial’s face, which was right in front of mine, twisted into a perplexed expression.

“Why? Fear not, for I will take care of everything. I shall grant you ecstasy beyond mortal comprehension.”

What? Does he really not understand why someone might refuse…?

Belial’s hand touched my cheek as he leaned in again, attempting to press his lips to mine.

Panicking, I pushed his face away with both hands.

“N-no, I don’t need anything like that!”

“Do not be shy. You should be grateful for the opportunity to form a bond with me.”

Could it be…?

Does he genuinely believe every woman in the world yearns to be with him? And he’s serious!? How terrifying!

“Please stop!!”

Ignoring my protests, Belial began removing his cape and ornaments, placing them neatly on the side table.

Stop! Don’t start undressing!

“Get out! Leave!”

When I screamed, he frowned and then smirked as if something had dawned on him.

“Ah, I see. You’re self-conscious about your modest chest, aren’t you? No need to worry. Such things are of no concern to me.”

Belial’s hand grabbed my chest, his fingers moving independently as if assessing it.

“This isn’t bad at all.”

…I felt something inside me snap.

“You… you… pervert!!!”

Smack!

I slapped him across the face with all my might.

Belial blinked in surprise, his crimson eyes wide.

“What was that for!?”

“That’s my line!”

Fumbling, I grabbed my bag and pulled out the Omni Insignia and the sigil plate bearing Belial’s seal.

“Spirits of power, dwell within this insignia! Omni Insignia, unleash your strength! Begone, demon Belial!”

As I chanted with all my might, there was a crackling sound, and Belial was thrown off the bed.

The effect was limited, but it bought me some distance.

“How dare you reject the mercy I offered! What do you mean by this insolence?”

“I said, I don’t want it!!”

Still, I had another trick up my sleeve. I retrieved a ring from my bag and slipped it onto my finger, channeling my magic into it.

“What an audacious move… Wait. That ring… It feels familiar… Where have I sensed that magic before?”

Raising my hand, I pointed the back of my palm at him to show off the ring.

“By the great names inscribed within the Tetragrammaton—Anaktam, Pastam, Pasfasim, Dionisim—I command you! Ring of the King, unleash your power! Obey my will!!”

The ring emanated magic incomparable to the Omni Insignia.

The earlier spell had only been to buy time for this one to activate.

“Wait… Why do you have such a thing!? Its design is slightly different, but that magic! That ring is…”

Made of iron and orichalcum, the ring bore a hexagram at its center, surrounded by four embedded morion stones—powerful wards against demons. Connecting the stones were the letters “yod-he-vau-he,” flanked by the inscriptions “El” and “Shaddai.”

For added effect, the band was engraved with phrases symbolizing “Alpha and Omega” and “God.”

“King of Hell, Belial! Leave my presence at once!!”

“That can’t be… Solomon’s—!!”

Before he could finish, Belial vanished in an instant.

The ring’s power had been unleashed. I could hear his frustrated cries from the next room.

I… I survived!

I had recreated the legendary artifact from forbidden texts—the Ring of Solomon, said to be gifted by God to command demons and angels alike.

I wasn’t sure how effective it would be, but it outperformed the Omni Insignia…!