74 – On-site Investigation

I opened the door to see a disheveled Mia and grim-looking Lars. Thankfully, there had been enough time for me to change my clothes. Or should I say, just as planned? I was feeling great right now, but didn’t let it show, instead adopting a slightly concerned look.

“What’s going on? I thought I heard bells ringing?” Said alarm had stopped by now, but it had actually been faintly audible from my room when I’d rushed back. That was with my enhanced hearing, so normal people probably wouldn’t have noticed. My room was on the opposite side of the manor.

“A runner just came from town. There’s been an incident. A fire, plus suspected demonic activity.”

My face hardened into a frown. At times like this, being as pale as I was had its benefits. It meant I didn’t have to fake blood rushing from my face. Which I was actually capable of, on second thought. I already knew I could blush on command too. Don’t get sidetracked!

“Is it under control? Did people die? What do you mean ‘suspected demonic activity’?”

“The fire appears to be contained. A man has been taken under watch, though he’s reportedly unconscious from blood loss.”

“Self-inflicted?” My frown deepened.

“That’s what I was told. No others have so far been shown to be involved. Neither victims nor accomplices.”

“Is Tristan aware?”

“He’s been told. I was going to ask – what are your orders?”

Good question. On learning of something like this happening, old Kalin would definitely have commanded Lars to stay close to ensure his own safety. Again, I wasn’t him though.

“Let’s go and check the situation. If something happens, the two of us and priest Tristan are the only ones who might be able to do anything about it.” I paused. “Oh, maybe Maximilian and my sister as well. But honestly, I don’t trust them enough to ask. Post some guards near their quarters for now. To ensure their safety, of course.”

“Of course.” He nodded. “It will be done. I’ve already taken the liberty of waking the healer. Unless you’re opposed, he’ll join us.”

I considered the matter for a moment. “Alright. But keep him safe.”

Orders given, we quickly set out, alongside Theodore and a quartet of guards. Mia also accompanied our little group, though she was clearly anxious.

“You don’t have to come along,” I told her. She almost pouted in response, then sighed.

“I’m worried about my family. Also, next to you is probably the safest place right now, ha.” Her laugh was a bit forced, but I got the feeling she was being serious. The trust she showed was nice. It was true, in the first place. Lars and I were most of our fighting force.

A few tense, silent minutes later, we arrived in town. It was, to my great displeasure, quite bright for what had to be some time after midnight.

People with lanterns or torches walked around everywhere. Checking for other damage or making sure everyone was alright. Even civilians were keeping watch with increased alertness. Guess I’ll have to squint again, I sighed internally.

At my presence, many reacted with shock before quickly bowing to the best of their abilities. An undercurrent of fear and unease spread with my appearance. Was it more or less than I expected? It was hard to tell, Kalin’s last public appearance was long ago.

Reaching the house, we were greeted by a large detachment of guards. Almost everyone assigned to the town tonight was gathered here. A large portion of them were arranged around the bound, unconscious carpenter, weapons at the ready.

Near the center of this grouping, Anders was doing his best to control the surroundings. When he wasn’t speaking, he glared down at a half-burned, soggy piece of parchment in his hands. I could see him silently mouth words one letter at a time, his frown deepening ever more. On being made aware of my presence, the man saluted with a fist over his heart, as did everyone else. Then, Anders rushed forward.

“Lord Steelheart, you should see this! This letter was part of the fire, but luckily not burned up completely. If I read this right, that man was a spy!” He passed me the scrap of writing. As he’d claimed, this was part of the spy report I read earlier. I was keenly aware of everyone in earshot – including several civilians – perking up at the exclamation, and suppressed a smirk. Thanks for the unwitting help, Anders. Time to perform a bit.

After quickly skimming the contents, I scowled down at the unresponsive body lying to the side. “Damned traitor! Spying wasn’t enough, so he had to turn to demons?!”

Glancing around, I asked, “Was anyone else hurt?”

Anders’ expression brightened a bit at my question. “No, lord. It appears whatever ritual was attempted failed, thank the gods. Also, the fire was caught early enough to prevent any major damage. Not to mention before all the evidence could be destroyed.” He motioned at the letter in my hands again.

It was at this moment that Tristan exited the building, flanked by two concerned-looking guards. The man was pale, with maybe a trace of green on his face? It was hard to make out through all the light.

“Ah, priest Tristan. What have you discovered?” This time, the concern in my voice wasn’t an act. The ritual should have been fake, so why does he look like that?

“Greetings, Lord Steelheart. As far as I can tell, no demon was successfully summoned, thank the gods.” His sash shimmered dimly. Many people around us echoed his words in quiet, relieved voices. “I’m far from an expert on the subject, but the ritual appeared amateur at best. Like someone simply throwing random symbols together.”

Wow, that’s a pretty accurate reading of what it actually is. I didn’t have any actual knowledge of demon summoning, so I’d just made the spy create something vaguely looking like a ritual circle.

That doesn’t explain his expression, though… “I’m sensing a ‘but’.”

Tristan grimaced. “Despite the shoddy quality, there are indeed traces of corruption sprouting from the circle’s center. Some has also touched this fool of a man, though mainly surface-level. It’s almost as if the summoning very nearly succeeded. A spark that didn’t take properly, if you’ll forgive the comparison. We can only count ourselves lucky and thank the grace of the gods that it failed in the end.”

That statement actually stunned me for a moment.

Holy shit, I just made that guy go through the motions, but it nearly summoned a real demon?! He wasn’t even fully conscious for it! I’d held a tight leash on his mind through the process, though I wisely distanced myself.

“Do you know why this nearly went so wrong?”

“Well, as I said, I’m far from an expert. But it could be related to a specific demon paying special attention or having a closer connection to the location or whatever ritual was attempted, lowering the requirements.”

Oh. That made some sense. The demon I’d had the spy call out to was, of course, Melchiadazal, or Mel for short. That guy did indeed have a special connection to this place.

I was quite glad I’d vacated the premises before the ritual proper had begun, or else I might have gotten a whiff of corruption myself. What a way to implicate myself that would have been. Being overly careful when it came to this had paid off, big time.

“I appreciate that you went to assess the situation. Would you be willing to accompany me inside once more, so I can see the place for myself? I don’t want to impose too much on your well-being by straining you, but I’m worried about that of the town.” The last part was a bit louder. I gave the best apologetic smile my scrunched-up face allowed. Damn light.

Tristan visibly gathered himself with a deep breath, before he nodded. “I will do my best to assist. Mere lingering traces of corruption like this shouldn’t be too hard to shield you from. I agree, you should gain a better overview of the situation, my lord.”

He took a short moment to pray in a low voice, following which a nearly invisible rainbow-hued sheen covered both Lars and me before fading from view. It felt slightly itchy to my skin, but that was it, physically. There was a significant portion of silvery-white in what I saw before it disappeared.

Thanks again, Noctin.

Much more interesting to me was the sensation of the foreign power that enveloped me. It was unlike any I’d experienced in my short experience with mana sense. Which didn’t say much by itself, since ‘most’ was mainly made up of ambient mana that I couldn’t really detect and my own mana, which obviously had a different feel to it. Plus fruit – or blood – that just tasted extra amazing before releasing some mana into my stomach.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

This felt a bit like a fragment of an unfathomable existence gave me a full-body hug. The mere glimpse afforded to me through this small manifestation transfixed me for a moment. Like a momentary view at the boundless universe through a keyhole.

I didn’t understand what exactly the blessing did, but it did give me a massive boost of confidence that I’d be safe.

Is this what it feels like for priests themselves too? If so, I can see the appeal. What about other mana-sensitive people?

Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve interacted with divine blessings since beginning my magical training. I wonder what another mage’s spells would feel like? Later. There’s more urgent things to do.

Doing my best to ignore how the moonlight suddenly felt more intense, I followed Lars and the priest into the building. Anders joined us, with an explanation that he already received a cleansing blessing due to his close contact with the ritual while putting out the fire.

Inside, the guard explained in detail about what had happened earlier. I already knew most of this, since I had both set up the situation and later watched it unfold through Anders’ eyes via our bond, but I listened attentively nonetheless.

Reaching the bedroom door, I saw a charred pile of debris, soaked in water. The bed had been moved away from the door by now, to allow easier access to the room.