Chapter 842 - Chapter 6: Beyond That ③
Beyond the fourth door was a single man wearing white priestly robes. Apparently, he was a former priest. According to Fiona, he wanted to talk.
"Just talk? No fighting?"
"Hmm. He only said he wanted to talk."
Listening to the exchange between the Priestess and Fiona, there was a possibility that a fight awaited after the talk, but since he was a priest, he would likely use Holy magic. If a human became a monster, perhaps the magic they could use had disappeared.
"Demon Lord-sama, what does this mean?"
Violet asked the Demon Lord. Since she was originally scouted for the Demon Lord's army, she could probably ask casually.
"Is it not as you heard? He likely wishes to talk."
In the Demon Lord's reply, I felt there was also a bit of hesitation.
"Um, the people we've faced in the rooms rather than the passages so far were originally human, weren't they?"
"Why do you think so?"
"The clothes. That check pattern is unique to the people living in the northern region of the White Island, now called Finis."
"And so you say they are human?"
"Yes. I believe those people are what we call the legendary Eight Heroes."
Without the kind of support we have today, those eight alone challenged the Demon Lord's Cave and ended up subjugating him. Because of that, the first team for Demon Lord subjugation has traditionally been served by Finis since ancient times.
I don't know why those eight are acting as monsters in a place like this, but the colors and patterns of the checks of the three we've fought so far match the legendary eight I heard about in Finis. The first warrior was red. The second pair's light infantryman wore the green that scouts wore, and the mage was blue and suddenly fired Cocytus. She must have been good at ice and water magic. Considering the color of the ring I got from Dune and the color of the Dragonewt's wings, the color representing water is blue.
"Eh? Is that so?"
Had the Priestess not noticed?
"Yeah. I didn't know at all that the legendary eight wore clothes like the people of Finis. Much less the colors."
I see. The Priestess wasn't there at that time.
"Did you notice?"
When I asked my companions, everyone had noticed that they were wearing Finis check pattern clothes. However, Mary was the only one who connected it to the legendary eight.
"Somehow. The colors and patterns matched their professions, so I thought that might be it."
How typical of Mary. But she remembered it properly. As expected of someone who frequently conducts trade.
"Just in case. I sell them after understanding the meaning of those patterns and colors."
Now that she mentioned it, the third shop is selling Finis check patterns on a large scale. They were even making skirts and such using short pieces of cloth. When Mary wore them, they were basically blue. Mary herself is good at ice magic. She had it all covered.
"But even if they're wearing check patterns, isn't it too sudden to connect them to the legendary eight?"
Beatrix's argument was quite understandable.
"Because we haven't encountered Demon Race wearing those clothes until now, right?"
The original form of the Demon Race doesn't wear clothes. When they blend into human society, they take human form and wear ordinary clothes that humans around them wear. I've actually seen it. They wouldn't go out of their way to imitate the culture of northern humans, which would identify their origin.
"After that, maybe the number of people. According to what I think, we should encounter seven people here, excluding the magic beasts we encounter in the passages."
"Seven? Not eight?"
"Yes. Seven. Because we've already encountered one of the eight."
If you include the Demon Lord, it should be eight.
"Eh? Then, is the Demon Lord a former legendary hero?"
That's how it should be. However, the Demon Lord is not in a check pattern. That's what bothered me.
"No. I am pure Demon Race."
Oh, I was wrong. Beatrix's gaze is painful.
The Demon Lord was not one of the legendary eight. My guess was wrong, but the former priest who opened the door ahead told us various things.
Since he said he wanted to talk, we all gave our usual first-meeting greetings. I had the Priestess and Fiona unmerge and each give their greetings. When it was my turn, before I could announce my name, I was told, "You are Bishop Jeanne, aren't you?" He had apparently known for some time. When I asked the reason, he said he would explain later.
After the self-introductions, it was a banquet. We all sat in a circle and toasted with the Demon Lord, who was nominated by Beatrix. The Demon Lord seemed surprised, but he accepted. However, without any preamble, he just held up his bowl and said, "Cheers." Still, we were able to toast with the Demon Lord's lead. I'll brag about it to those delinquent old men later.
The former priest's name was Gavan-sama. He was a person who lived as a human about four thousand years ago. He seemed to be an acquaintance of the Demon Lord and they exchanged normal greetings. When the Demon Lord said he had undertaken the role of a guide, he laughed cheerfully. He was quite different from the three we had fought so far.
"Since you have come this far, you have defeated the three you encountered previously, have you not?"
"Yes. I was the one to send them off."
"Is that so? Thank you very much. Please let me thank you on behalf of the three of them."
Saying that, he took both my hands and bowed his head.
"No. It was my duty."
When I replied, he was smiling.
"Then, you use Holy magic, do you not?"
"Yes."
As expected, he was different from before. It was likely because the first warrior didn't use magic, but the two we just fought did. And they were able to analyze the magic we used.
"Shamefully, I cannot use magic now."
"You used Holy magic before, didn't you?"
"Yes. To be precise, it was only Holy magic."
I see. It's the same pattern as Erikson-sama. Holy magic users basically become unable to use magic once they go to the other side. They might be able to use it if they tried, but they'd just blow themselves up.
"Bishop Jeanne, to what extent do you use magic? From what I see, you have two orbs for firing magic. Surely they must be Holy magic. I would guess you have upper-level or ultra-high-level Heal and Holy infused in them. Forgive me, but if you are not very proficient in magic despite being a user of Light magic, I can see why you would bring in two of those precious orbs."
Um, what should I say? I suppose I have no choice but to tell the truth.
"Priest, your misunderstanding is extreme."
"That's right, that's right. Is your eye a knothole to think that Jeanne can only use Light magic satisfactorily?"
The female ghosts who had been staying quietly in the orbs came out. They were shouting with their heads sticking out of the orbs. Since Finis is a nation where everyone is a soldier, even the women have fierce temperaments.
"W-Wait a minute. That's rude."
"What are you saying, Jeanne-sama? The rude one is that fellow over there."
"Exactly. I don't know if he's one of the legendary eight or whatever, but listening to him quietly, this damn priest. What kind of thing is that to say to Jeanne-sama, who has mastered both Light magic and Holy magic at the ultra-high-level?"
Hieeee! The opponent is one of the legendary eight. To that legend, you call him d-d-d... no, I can't say the rest!
"What, you use both Light magic and Holy magic at the ultra-high-level? I apologize for my rudeness. Please accept my sincere apologies."
Actually, I'm also ultra-high-level in Dark magic, but I'll keep quiet.
"Completely rude. Well, as long as you understand."
"Umu. Just be careful from now on. At the very least, we will absolutely not tolerate any remarks that insult Jeanne-sama."
"That's right. From what I see, you seem to have ended your life much younger than us. I don't know if you're a ghost or a monster, but in terms of years lived, we are much older than you."
"That's right. We should teach you a thing or two about manners."
Don't try to force your way out of the orbs! You won't be able to use magic!
When I scolded them, they said, "Just a joke, just a joke," and went back into the orbs.
"That's amazing, Jeanne. You have two such intense ghost fans."
"It's not just two, there are dozens of them."
"Eeeh!"
Um, don't you ghosts on this side join in too.
Because the ghosts came out and made a fuss, I was questioned thoroughly about my relationship with the land of Finis.
"I see. I understand well why the Demon Lord is with you."
When I looked at the Demon Lord, he didn't change his expression. However, the frog curse seemed to have broken. There was a peaceful atmosphere around his eyes and mouth.
"Bishop Jeanne, I understand well why you use Light magic at the ultra-high-level."
"I-I see."
I'd like you to tell me the reason, if possible.
"As you may know, there were once great Priestesses on this island."
The five ancient Priestesses.
"It is said they used powerful magic, mastered staff techniques and martial arts, and were skilled in the art of leading groups in battle."
They're perfect, aren't they? It's like combining the Headmistress and Eleanor-sama.
"Those Priestesses are said to have sealed powerful Demon Race that were rampaging in various places so they would not resurrect. That magic is Testament."
Sealing, or rather, confining; I feel it's a bit subtle, but...
"However, we could not use it. In other words, we could not seal him."
The Demon Lord they couldn't seal was apparently the Demon Lord right behind me. Gavan-sama and the others were hailed as heroes for subjugating the Demon Lord who had resurrected after almost a thousand years. However, they apparently felt chagrin at not reaching the point of sealing him. After that, they used their fame as those who had subjugated the Demon Lord to travel around the island to gather lore related to the method of sealing the Demon Lord. And they found out that there seemed to be a magic called Testament. Unfortunately, as people from the north who were treated as outsiders, it was only explained to them as a secret art. The eight, who could not accept this, offered prayers to the Goddess and Diana-sama for many days to be granted wisdom regarding Testament. As a result, the Goddess granted their wish in exchange for them becoming immortal beings and fulfilling the role of helping Diana-sama as monitors of the activation of Testament. However, the user of Light magic was excluded. Why was he excluded? Because they only appear once every two hundred years. Even though he was only at the basic level, because he was a precious user, he was allowed to live out his life as a human.
"And we seven became the kind of beings we are now."
The 'kind of beings' they are now was apparently something like the Demon Race rather than humans. It seems they became like this as the price for immortality. Even in Finis, detailed information about the legendary eight is not known. That's only natural.
"Does that mean that the three people I sent off and turned to dust will be weakened?"
"Is that so?"
Since I was asked back, I looked at the Demon Lord.
"That is not the case. They remain as they are."
"Is that so? Thank goodness."
I was truly relieved. For a moment, I thought I had done something irreversible.
"They will not return here as they are."
"Eh?"
They can't return?
My face stiffened.
"W-What will happen to them?"
Will they be destroyed? Was it a mistake for me to send them? Could it be that I did something I shouldn't have done? As a priest, I firmly believed I had to send them off...
"Please rest assured. They are simply returning to the world where they originally belong."
"Is that so? Thank goodness."
I was truly relieved. For a moment, I thought I had done something irreversible.
"This is not the so-called world of the living. It is the Interstice. We were mandated with this duty here in exchange for obtaining lives nearly eternal like the Demon Race. That duty is finally about to be fulfilled."
The Interstice... Like the opposite side...
The seven heroes were apparently deciding here, while consulting with Diana-sama, to whom they should grant Light magic. That's why he knew about me.
"Why was it me?"
That's what I wanted to know most.
"It is because, Bishop Jeanne, you are a child who is chosen."
A child who is chosen? Usually, wouldn't you say 'the chosen child'?