Chapter 15
AFTER THEY LISTENED to everything that Etoto had to say, quite a few things became clear.
The first was just how many monster-repelling amulets had been created.
Checking this number against the amulets they’d recovered, they deduced that they were only missing a single one.
However, they managed to quickly cross this one off the list, as it happened to be the one that Etoto always carried with her in her bag.
This was because it was safest to always keep one with her. Or at least that was what the traveler had told her, and so she’d held onto one for her own personal use.
Taking this amulet from Etoto, they now had the exact number of amulets that’d been created.
Having recovered each and every one of the amulets, Mira and her companions let out a collective sigh of relief.
That said, it wasn’t time to celebrate yet. They still had yet to deal with the amulet Etoto had carried, as well as the ones the merchants had bought up that day.
“…All right, then I’ll grab those!” Meilin said, volunteering for the task.
“Hrmm, I’ll leave it to you, then,” Mira answered.
Quickly running off, she left to get the monster-repelling amulets from the merchants.
Figuring she might as well kill two birds with one stone, Meilin took the proceeds from the amulets and, playing up just how much she was trying to help, dashed through the ruined doorway.
That said, considering Meilin’s speed, the trip wouldn’t likely take her very long. Additionally, should anything happen with the amulets, she could undoubtedly handle it. And so, one could argue that she was, in fact, the ideal candidate for the task.
Having seen Meilin off, Mira and her companions then began their next task.
With the girl’s consent, they began searching every nook and cranny of the cabin.
According to Etoto, the cabin had originally been vacant, but the traveler had fashioned it into a place for creating the amulets.
Given this, there might very have been some evidence left behind by the traveler…or rather, the dark demon.
“Okay, how about we split up?” Wallenstein said, as they began their search for evidence left behind by the dark demon.
He could indeed attest that he’d found a good many dark demons, whom he’d then restored into being light demons. Taking out some specialized magical tools, he began investigating one end of the room, looking very much like a seasoned professional.
Barbatos followed soon thereafter. That said, he was investigating in a somewhat unique way. He held his hands over the area where he stood, then moved elsewhere and repeated the process.
Since he was a demon himself, he must’ve been able to figure out something that way. He taught Marchosias how to do this as well, and they began investigating from the area opposite Wallenstein.
Mira and Bruce, meanwhile, were standing in front of a cupboard.
“Um, this is everything that’s left over!” Etoto exclaimed, opening up the cupboard.
Inside were the tools she used to make the monster-repelling amulets, the remaining amrute crystals, and fragments of the Monster-Ruling God’s sword.
She still had yet to make them and, what’s more, she explained that the traveler had provided her with all of them.
This meant they’d quite likely left some very definitive traces. Thinking as much, Mira first summoned Woofson to check whether any scent remained of the traveler.
Following her lead, Bruce summoned Cat Sith, who, with their spot-on intuition and observational skills, was the natural choice to assist him.
When it came to investigating and whatnot, there was no more reliable pair.
That said, Woofson and First Pupil didn’t get along with each other one bit, so much so that Mira wondered if it might be explained by some kind of enmity between their respective species.
But that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Would you happen to be the young legend from the Cu Sith world, meow?! You’re the wonderful detective, Master Woofson, are you not, meow?!”
“Indubitably. You must be pretty sharp to know my name, woof,” Woofson answered.
“Meow would I not know it?! After all, Master Woofson, you were one of the central figures who masterfully solved the case of the tree of stars withering, which was a crisis of the greatest magnitude for the demi-fairy world, meow!”
“It’s good to know that there are respectable folk among the Cat Sith. So, shall we get to work?”
“Sure! It’s an honor to be working alongside you, meow!”
So, the two went on, apparently getting along particularly well.
First, they checked for any scents that might still be hanging in the air before scrupulously looking over each item in the cabin to make sure they didn’t miss anything. Though they’d only just met for the first time, Woofson and Cat Sith were a fantastic team, and so they went about their work with great efficiency.
From time to time, the fragment of the Monster-Ruling God’s sword would emanate a malevolent aura, but Mira and the Spirit King were quick to suppress it.
Meanwhile, Bruce was making his way around the perimeter of the cabin, thoroughly checking that there weren’t any magical traps cast on or around it.
And so, with everyone going about their respective duties, they finished their investigation of the cabin and the area surrounding it without issue.
“Hrmm, we didn’t pick up anything,” Mira lamented.
“Not even with my nose… A shame, woof.”
In the end, they hadn’t come across any clues.
What they knew was that the dark demon who’d been involved in all of this had been extremely cautious, and they had ostensibly eliminated any traces that might lead back to them.
What was their reason for doing so? They must have foreseen that someone might come to the cabin to poke around.
In other words, they’d even considered how, after the magic contained in the amulets was activated, an investigation would be sent to the cabin to determine what’d happened.
What’s more, considering how they’d advised Etoto to carry an amulet as well, they’d also planned on getting rid of her once she was no longer of any use.
…What a despicable trick!
Had they not discovered the amulet in her possession, then it would’ve likely spelled the end of innocent little Etoto’s life.
And yet, they had discovered it. That alone made their trip to the cabin worth it.
Indeed, while they still didn’t know much about the dark demon who’d orchestrated the whole operation, there was no helping that even skilled investigators such as themselves couldn’t find any evidence that’d lead them back to this demon. While she was trying to boost her spirits with this mindset, Mira heard a voice call out.
“They were most definitely a crafty one, but they didn’t anticipate a group like us to show up. I got some solid evidence,” Wallenstein said, as he and his companions returned after expanding their search beyond the house to the entire perimeter.
“Well, they probably hadn’t anticipated that members of the same race…or rather, demons with the same powers would be trying to track them down. It seems that they didn’t put too much effort into concealing themselves. And so, we were able to find traces of power characteristic of demons,” Barbatos continued with a cool look on his face, as well as a hint of pride.
He said they’d found things around the cabin that only someone capable of wielding demonic power would be able to detect.
And by following this power, they’d managed to determine where the demon who’d gotten Etoto to make the amulets was.
“So, let’s go over there right now!” Marchosias said, getting ready to rush off as soon as they finished talking.
“Hrm, yes, we can’t let them get away!” Mira said.
Enraged that the demon had thoughtlessly trampled upon the tenderhearted girl’s feelings, Mira rose to her feet. Utterly livid, she declared that she’d make the demon pay for what they’d done a hundred times over.
“Now, now, let’s cool down first,” Wallenstein said, gently urging the two, who’d gotten to their feet in preparation to stand up for Etoto, to slow down.
“I feel the same way you do, but first, let’s deal with the issue that sits before us,” he continued, reasoning that since they’d caught the demon’s trail, they’d figure out pursuing them later.
And so, before that, they ought to figure out what to do with Etoto.
Because they knew of Etoto’s circumstances, their emotions had gotten a bit away from them. “Good point. Yeah, you’re right,” Mira said, having realized as much. She took a second to regain her composure.
Just like Wallenstein had said, their first priority right now was Etoto’s safety.
“So, what should we do?” Mira asked.
Then, subtly glancing over, she saw Etoto hanging her head like a criminal waiting to hear their sentence read out. Though she hadn’t known what was going on, she seemed to feel guilty about what she’d done. Not attempting to run, she simply shut her eyes as if willing to accept whatever punishment she was handed.
And yet, she was a tad hasty in assuming this, as Mira and her companions weren’t discussing how to punish her, but rather what to do with her.
Needless to say, they couldn’t leave her there to continue making the amulets. And yet, knowing the truth about them, she wasn’t likely to make them anymore anyway.
And yet, this was precisely the issue. If Etoto stopped making the amulets, sooner or later the dark demon who’d tasked her to do so would discover as much.
Even if they managed to take care of this dark demon, they had no way to be sure that someone else wouldn’t step in to exploit her yet again.
This was because dark demons believed half demons were quite easy to use and exploit. This was especially true when it came to a kind-hearted girl like Etoto. They would certainly have no qualms maliciously taking advantage of her.
And so, what Etoto needed right now was protection that could shield her from such malice.
“You have a mom, don’t you? Considering what happened this time, something bad might very well befall her too,” Wallenstein said.
Etoto wasn’t the only one who needed protection. Dark demons were both cruel and cunning. When it came to manipulating Etoto, they’d undoubtedly try to use her mother as a bargaining chip.