Chapter 2
Close to Belial Manor, Belial Territory
Ethel Paimon let out a long sigh as she leaned on the window of the stage coach.
She was a beautiful young girl, approaching fourteen years of age soon. She had light blue hair tied into an elegant upsweep, along with long two side bangs framing her face. Along with her hair colour, most of their clan possessed pointed ears as an iconic trait.
Despite her family holding the rank of Archduke amongst the Underworld's 72 Pillar Clans, as per tradition, it was considered rude to suddenly teleport into another clan's territory. And this was ignoring that most noble estates or cities had magical defences to block incoming teleportations. While for most Devils below High Class, one either needed to pass through an official teleportation station or receive permission to teleport into a territory, if not they would be issued fines.
Thus, Ethel and her family's entourage needed to first physically enter into the Belial Clan's territory or else they would lose face.
Ethel had thought this rule was ridiculous and wasted everyone's time.
Yes, from an early age she was strictly taught everything a proper lady of a Pillar Clan should know, from etiquette to politics. The Paimon Clan was also renowned for being deeply tied to the underworld's military, especially since the Civil War and siding with the New Satans. So learning warfare, logistics, and tactics was necessary for any Paimon.
Usually Ethel was a filial daughter. Studious in her studies, upkept the image of a proper lady in public, and took her duty to the clan seriously. However, Ethel could not help at times but long for a sense of change. So her red eyes stared out into the forest covering the mountain side.
"Daughter. Don't be like that, and remember your posture." Said a middle aged man.
"Yes, father."
Sitting across from her in the stage coach was her father and the Head of the Paimon Clan, Lord Vincent Paimon.
Lord Paimon was a middle-aged but dignified man with a moustache and a sharp glint in his red eyes. He was tall and had a well-maintained body from years of military service, and wore a simple matching black waistcoat and tailcoat. Notably like Ethel, he also had pointed ears and sweptback light blue hair with a few gray streaks. Which was odd for Devils, as most chose to use magic and their minor shapeshifting ability to retain a youthful look well below their true age.
Ethel thought it was perhaps her father being burdened with the duties of the military, as he held the rank of General, just below Satan Falbium Asmodeus who was in charge of the Underworld's Military Affairs.
The stage coach bumped a bit on the mountain side road as Lord Paimon went back to reading a newspaper from Devil News Today. In front and behind their coach were infantry units marching along, and further behind were wagons filled with requested foodstuff and medical supplies.
Ethel turned away from the window. "Father, why did we even come to Belial Territory?"
While she had come with her father, her older brother was busy with his own duties and her mother was managing the family estate. At first she thought this was a chance to get away from clingy servants and followers, but so far she found it bland.
Vincent licked his thumb before turning to the next page. "Well if you were listening earlier, we came here to meet with Lord Belial to investigate the mysterious plague that has been ravaging their lands of late. As well as to bring the relief aid that Lord Belial had requested."
Ethel paused in thought.
That was very thoughtful of Lord Belial, considering other Pillar Clans would have ignored the problem or refused to ask for aid so blatantly. Although it made sense, considering the Belial Clan's refusal to raise the taxes of their subjects, they were similar to the Gremory clan in terms of treating their subjects well.
"And, it would be a good exercise for you to learn." Lord Paimon glanced over his newspaper to his daughter.
Ethel crossed her arms and pouted. "It's boring."
Vincent sighed and shook his head. "Just don't cause any trouble, okay?"
Minutes went by as a calm silence had settled between them, until the stage coach came to a halt.
"Looks like we have arrived." Vincent ruffled his moustache and put away his newspaper.
"Finally…" Muttered Ethel.
A moment went by, the sound of drums and marching and men getting into position. Followed by a knock on the stage coach door.
"M'Lord, we have arrived. Lord Belial awaits you."
The door was opened by the coach's personal driver.
Vincent adjusted his cuffs and stepped out, followed by Ethel who gracefully held onto her dress.
In front of the Paimons on both sides were men and women standing at ready while saluting. To the side was the coach's driver, one of Ethel's father's personal butlers, bowed along with an entourage of household servants.
On the far end, standing in front of the large mansion were Lord and Lady Belial, and their son, Diehauser Belial.
This was not the first time Ethel had met the young heir. Like last time, he gave off a polite but timid presence. Diehauser was a young boy a few years younger than Ethel, he had a graceful face with gray hair and eyes that he inherited from his father. He currently wore a matching navy waistcoat and tailcoat, and white stock tie.
Lord Paimon looked intensely at Lord Belial for a moment, which caused the young Deihauser to fidget.
A moment passed, and Lord Paimon smiled.
"At ease, men. To your stations." Lord Paimon calmly waved to his soldiers.
"Yes, General!" The ranks fell and went about unloading the cargo they had brought, while the servants followed behind Lord Paimon and Ethel.
Walking up, Lord and Lady Belial bowed. "Welcome to our estate Lord Paimon, and thank you for bringing your aid in these troubling times."
Ethel noted it was wise of them to bow first considering their lesser rank of Baron.
Also if she looked carefully, their manor was grand compared to any human's estate but compared to other Pillar Clans, the difference in wealth was obvious. This might be another reason why they requested aid.
Regardless of their financial status, the Belial Clan possessed a powerful unique trait called [Worthless] that allowed the user to nullify all abilities of an opponent and their items as long as they understood their properties. Their clan ability made them very useful officers in the army, and along with their cooperative stance on providing levies for the army, they were in my father's good books.
Lord Belial smiled as he gestured towards the manor. "Shall we discuss inside? We have prepared refreshments."
"That will do." Vincent nodded and turned to Ethel. "Ethel, while we are busy, why don't you say hello to young Diehauser here."
Ethel bowed while performing a curtsy. "Yes, father."
Lord Paimon nodded and turned to Lord Paimon. "Did you prepare any coffee?"
The chattering of adults echoed as most of the servants followed behind their lords into manor. While Ethel and Diehauser, along with their assigned maids, stood in the courtyard as soldiers went about moving crates.
Breaking the ambience, Diehauser spoke first.
"So um…Miss Ethel. Is there anything you want to do? I could show you around…"
This brat could barely hold a sentence together. How dull.
If Ethel was honest, she had no desire to stick around here. Instead a devious plan came to her mind and a clever glint showed in her eyes.
"W-what is it?"
"Actually, Sir Diehauser. Could you show me to your gardens? Preferably one near the boundary of the estate." Asked Ethel as she flashed her long eyelashes.
"Um…sure. Follow me."
Diehauser then led her to one of his family gardens. It was filled with pleasant plants common to both the Overworld and the Underworld. The garden also had a nice view, overlooking the mountain valley where in the distance she could see a large town and various villages.
"Is this fine?" Asked Diehauser.
Ethel stood there, hands on her hips and enjoyed the view. This was perfect for what she had in mind.
"Indeed. Thank you, Sir Diehauser."
Ethel's comment seemed to comfort Diehauser a bit.
Now it was the time to act.
Without giving an explanation, Ethel let out her Devil wings and flew into the sky, over the cliff's edge and beyond the barrier's sensors.
Ethel turned to a confused Diehauser and scrambling servants but it was too late. She smiled while giving another cursty. "Now then, I will be back before dusk."
And Ethel disappeared into motes of light as a magic circle engulfed her.
Somewhere in Belial Territory
The magical light died down as Ethel appeared in the middle of a forest. Looking at the sky, it appeared to be almost midday now.
It was a random location she had used for her calculation, but it was exactly what she wanted.
Ethel slowly raised her arms to the sky.
"Freedom!"
Demonic animals disturbed from their idyllic trance fled away from the young girl.
She only had so much time until they sent servants to come find her. So with a wide grin, Ethel ran in a random direction. Wherever her heart fancied.
Eventually, she heard a loud noise echoing throughout the woods.
BANG!
Ethel jumped. "What was that?"
It felt like someone nearby was using Demonic Power. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she decided to follow the signature.
Eventually she came to a large forest grove, it had a stream running through it and overall was a scenic place within these mountain woods.
But what caught her eye was a young boy in the middle of the clearing.
The young boy appeared to be around her age, maybe younger by a year. He was notably shorter than her, but with muscles more toned than they should be for someone his age. He had shaggy dark blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. He wore a white cotton button shirt and brown trousers held by suspenders. By his dress, she assumed him to come from a Low Class family, maybe from one of the local villages.
Ethel snuck closer and hid behind a bush at the clearing's edge to get a better look.
He was a bit cute but nothing else felt noteworthy as she continued to observe him. But why was he up here in the mountains?
Before she was about to leave, her question was answered as the boy started to build up his Demonic Power.
Ethel's eyes flared open as she watched keenly.
His Demonic Power continued to ramp up until sparks began to fly off and a blue aura formed around him
It was absurd! How could the boy be Low Class when his Demonic Power was already larger than hers!? Using the common power ranking levels, his Demonic Power was approaching High Class!
Next the body entered a fighting stance, raising his fists, and then he shot forward like a shot bullet.
It was hard for Ethel to follow his movements, but she saw his fist break through the large tree's bark and once inside, the trunk of the tree exploded with the sound of thunder.
BANG!
"W-what-!" Ethel yelped as the sound echoed out again.
Her voice had caught the attention of the boy, and she tried to get away but it was too late. Ethel did not notice that she was leaning too far forward and when her hand came down, she slipped.
Gravity took hold of her as she fell and rolled into the clearing.
After her tumble finally stopped, Ethel stood and patted off her dress which was now slightly dirty and she quickly removed the branches from her hair.
In her mind, Ethel was worried. Did the boy notice her tumble…?
Ethel fixed her posture and noticed the boy's sparkling blue eyes were looking right at her.
Her heart sank.
He totally saw her! This was so embarrassing!
The boy said nothing yet as he continued to stare at her with confusion.
Ethel's cheeks flushed with a tint of rose, as her mind scrambled to think of something. Until finally, she got an idea.
She huffed, placing a hand on her hip, and pointed at him.
"You didn't see that!"
In a forest outside of Riverton, Belial Territory
"...What?"
The sound of a tree fell over with a thud.
"Eep!" The strange girl in front of Memphis jumped again, startled by the sound.
…And she jumped right into the stream.
Breaking him out of his stupor, Memphis could not help himself and laugh.
"Haha! What are you doing?"
After getting a good laugh out of his system. Memphis collected himself as he looked at the little princess in front of him. She was shaking herself off from the stream, her dress slightly wet, and her cheeks began to glow bright red.
Then an earlier thought registered in his mind again. "Actually, how did you get here? This is pretty far up in the mountains for most people."
The little lady with a flash of magic dried off her dress.
"Woah. You can do that?"
The little lady glared at him, her blush slightly lessened as she collected herself. Her posture upright, she tried to give off an elegant image. "Yes, it's a simple trick of magic. Any household servant can do it."
"Huh, that's pretty neat! Can I learn that!?" Memphis jumped up from his spot energetically.
The blue haired girl paused in thought until her face became inquisitive. "Maybe. But first, who are you! And how did you do that!?"
"Memphis. Memphis Themos. And did what?" Memphis introduced himself while scratching his head. "And you, Miss…?"
"I've never heard of that name before…" The blue haired girl muttered for a moment before pondering on something. "Ethel. You can call me Ethel."
Remembering his manners, Memphis made sure to use proper titles in case this "Ethel" came from any big family. He smiled and waved "Well, nice to meet you Miss. Ethel."
After introducing themselves, Memphis' attention turned towards the tree that had fallen.
He casually went over to the fallen trunk and pushed Demonic Power into his hand, it glowed with a blue aura. Raising his hand he chopped down into the truck and began cutting the tree into smaller logs as if hand was like a sword.
"That! Exactly what you are doing right now!" The girl pointed at the fallen tree, and then hurried over and began watching curiously at Memphis' technique. It looked like she was calming down.
"Uh. I don't know. I just build up my Demonic Power and then move it around." Memphis honestly shrugged. He began stacking wooden blocks into a wooden frame. "I've never had a teacher before. So I just get advice from my Dad and the folks at the garrison, and then try ideas up here."
Memphis paused for a moment as if suddenly getting an idea, he turned to Ethel with stars in his eyes. "Could you teach me!?"
It seemed Ethel was analyzing his explanation, until a smug smile grew on Ethel's visage. "I don't know. I tend to not bother myself with dumb boys who play in the woods."
"That's not fair!" Memphis bickered until he saw blood on her hand.
Without thinking much, Memphis grabbed her hand and began pouring his Demonic Energy over her the bleeding cut.
"Hey-! What do you think you're doing?"
Flustered. Ethel tried to call out but stopped when she quickly noticed her injury being healed and Memphis' intense focus on her hand.
"...How are you doing this?" Asked Ethel who was flabbergasted once more.
Again this strange boy had performed an advanced form of healing magic, on top of his other unusual techniques. Techniques and magic that not even her magic tutor had yet to teach her!
"Mm, I try to imagine my Demonic Power becoming 'warm and gentle' and then adding enough usually heals most small injuries." Seeing the cut stop bleeding, Memphis let go of her hand and grinned. "There it's done!"
Ethel withdrew her hand. She did not know why but suddenly she felt very shy. "Thank you…"
While walking over to finish stacking the logs onto the wooden frame, Memphis casually waved his hand. "It's no problem, Miss. Ethel."
With the logs stacked, Memphis lifted the frame onto his back. "Humph. Okay, that's it for today. So Miss. Ethel."
Ethel blinked, then shook herself from her thoughts after being called. "Yes?"
"Well, if you don't have any plans here in the woods, you could cover over to my house to bandage up that hand of yours."
Approaching Riverton, Belial Territory
After descending the mountain side, Memphis guided Ethel to his village down into the valley. As they approached the village, the sound of gentle river rapids could be heard. Fields of wheat, local vegetables, and grazing demonic cows became more frequent as they got closer to the village.
Occasionally, farmers would wave at Memphis and return to their work. While some were startled by the young lady next to him but didn't comment on it.
While walking Memphis had told her many things about his hometown of Riverton and daily life.
"So, a bit ago I asked my parents if I would have a younger sibling one day, but they said 'we're trying!'. Apparently our Devil fertility is so low that it makes it hard."
"That's true. Devil fertility is infamously low and a reason why the New Satans had created the Evil Pieces System."
"Oooh! So that's why." Said Memphis as if suddenly he understood.
While the two were talking, Ethel noticed that many of the farmers looked visibly drained and tired. Some had heavy bags under their eyes.
Eventually she became curious again on why this boy spent so much time in the mountains.
"You're very hardworking for someone your age. Usually most Devils would not bother training so hard, and would rather rely on their Demonic Power to grow with age or their inborn traits. So why is that?"
Memphis beamed at the comment, and his pace almost became a skip. "It's because I'm training to pass the High Class Promotion Exam, so that one day I can compete in Rating Games!"
Ethel gave him a look. "Rating Games? I heard those have become the rave recently."
"Yeah, it's my dream! I love Rating Games! Ever since I saw my first game in person, I've been following every match I could from the local newspaper and the reelbox. And if I become a High Class Devil, I can get enough money to take care of my parents too."
Ethel smiled at the boy while he spoke with a bright glint in his eyes. "That's a nice dream. I wish I had a big dream like yours, Memphis."
Feeling generous, Ethel had thought of some advice to give. "Here's some advice to achieve your dream; you should join the army. With your natural talent, you could rack up enough achievements to qualify for the examinations."
The boy had an incredibly fast growth rate for a non-Pillar Clan Devil. His growth rate was just too strange, it was hard to believe.
At the moment Ethel did not have her own set of Evil Pieces. If she did, she likely would have offered him a position in her Peerage, but she did not. Satan Beelzebub was in high demand making Evil Pieces for all the demanding nobles, and it would be a while until she got her own set.
Although Ethel did have to admit, due to the pragmatic attitude of her family that raised her, despite his humble origins he had the potential. If he wanted to pass the High Class Promotion Exam, it was possible…but he would face a lot of resistance in the future without any proper backing.
"Really? I didn't know you could do that. Thanks, I'll look into it."
Turning a corner, the two young Devils had arrived in the village.
Ethel had noted the village was quite quaint. It had warm looking houses made from a mixture of stone and wood that lined the streets, while the roads were not built in any notable systematic order.
If Ethel had to guess there were less than 10,000 Devils living here.
However, taking a closer look, she noticed many more people who looked either lethargic or carried rags over their mouths.
Was this the illness that her father mentioned?
From what she recalled, doctors who were currently studying the strange disease confirmed it did not spread by airborne fluids or touch. While a cure was unknown, the symptoms so far were coughing, fever, a continuous loss of energy, and in severe cases red lines spreading across the body and lastly…eventual death.
Seeing it up close was different than reading about it from a report. Ethel hid her thoughts, but she acknowledged this was a serious disease. Already the death toll was approaching 20% in some villages…
Soon, the two had arrived in front of a particular house.
Taking out a key, Memphis unlocked the door and held it open. "Welcome to the Themos household!"
"Thank you, I will be in your care." Ethel nodded and stepped inside.
Ethel looked about the house. It was comfy. It had enough light and wooden floorboards that complimented the stone walls. A kitchen area to the side, a dining table, a set of stairs up the second floor, a hearth, and a living room with a set of chairs around a reelbox.
Immediately Memphis turned a corner and placed down the stack of wood. Next the sound of several drawers were opened and closed in quick succession. "Here it is!"
Memphis came back around the corner and before Ethel could say anything, he wrapped a bandage around her hand and held it by a pin.
"Oh…thank you, Memphis." Ethel held her bandaged hand softly. "You didn't have to, it's mostly healed by now."
Suddenly footsteps could be heard from upstairs and the sound of a door opening.
Cough. Cough.
Heavy coughs echoed out before followed by a hoarse but feminine voice. "Memphis …Is that you?"
Memphis quickly responded. "Yes, Mom! I brought a friend with me. Her name is Ethel, she's really nice!"
A moment passed. Faylen responded back with a weak voice. "That's great dear…when I'm feeling better, let me meet her."
"Of course!"
Ethel gave Memphis a look, but didn't say anything.
"You two have fun now…cough cough…I need to rest now." And slowly a door upstairs closed.
"Memphis…" Ethel looked at him expectedly for an answer, but she lost her words.
For a moment, Ethel saw a grave look on Memphis' face that made her heart sink. Eyes devoid of hope. His fists clenched in frustration until they turned white, and then they were released as if it didn't happen, and his face cheered up.
"Sorry about that. My Mom is ill at the moment. So we need to keep our voices down."
It was odd seeing the cheerful boy she had just gotten to know make a face like that. He was one of the most friendliest and innocent Devils she had ever met. If she could choose, she never wanted him to make that face again.
"It's okay, I won't be too loud." Said Ethel as she tried to give a comforting smile.
Like a switch, Memphis moved his attention onto the reelbox. He pushed a button and the metal box came to life as light was projected from a screen, and magical steam was puffed lightly into the air.
While Memphis was rapidly moving some bent metal wires, the image on the screen would fade in and out, various sounds and blips blurted out until a black and white image came into focus.
"Hello everyone this is Devil News Tod-"
"We just received news that South Sea Company stocks plummeted by-"
"This is Princess Leviathan! Here to cast some-"
"Okay, that should do it."
Memphis then jumped across the living room and landed onto one of the chairs. "Oh nice, the highlights from the last game are playing!"
"And Ruval Phenex dealt the final blow on the opposing [King]. His rank is now ever closer to reaching the Top 10 Charts!"
"Nice! Let's go."
While Memphis was listening to the match highlights, Ethel looked at the reelbox then back at Memphis.
Memphis, feeling like something was wrong, turned his gaze away from the reelbox. "What's wrong?"
Ethel looked at the reelbox and her lips thinned. "I already spend a lot of time inside watching shows on the reelbox at home…Is there anything else we could do?"
Ethel looked at Memphis expectantly. Please, anything other than staying inside all day, she thought.
Memphis stood up from his chair, walked over and turned off the reelbox. The entire time, he thought of ideas.
"Hmm…In Riverton? Well, there's not too many exciting things happening around here but…"
Memphis rubbed his chin in thought, until an idea came to him and he snapped his fingers. "Oh! I know something we could do."
Riverton, Belial Territory
Leaving the house, Memphis had led Ethel to the storefront of an odd looking shop. A sign made of metal hung in front and written in glowing Devil Script it read, "Vandek's Clockwork Emporium".
"This is the place!" Memphis declared as he pointed towards the shop.
Ethel deadpanned. "Here…? Why at an artificer's shop? I've already been to an artificer's shop before."
If anything, Ethel had already seen the impressive workshops of the military's artificer department.
With rising boredom, Ethel was getting increasingly impatient.
"Yes, but my friend's family runs this shop and my friend is really smart! And he's been working on something very interesting lately." Spoke Memphis as he flared his hands dramatically in front of the store.
"Oh?"
Stepping inside, a wacky whirling sound went off informing the owners of browsing customers.
The first thing that came to Ethel's mind to describe this place was "eccentric".
The place was filled with moving trinkets, bopping gizmos, and shiny bobbles. Whoever had made these contraptions was clearly of some genius caliber. It made Ethel wonder why someone like this was running a shop in a countryside village, rather than the high streets of Lilith or Lucifaad.
Looking around, Ethel and Memphis appeared to be the only ones in the shop. It must have been a slow day.
"Yes, how can I help you?" A distracted voice called out.
Popping up from behind the counter, a boy similar to Memphis' age appeared.
He had messy auburn hair and yellow eyes. Over a thin body, he wore working overalls, gloves with Devil Script carved into them, and goggles on his forehead. He appeared to be the same age as Memphis.
He seemed to fiddle with something while barely glancing up. "Oh, Memphis? What brings you here?"
Memphis gave a proud grin. "Hey, Sidmen. I made a new friend today!"
"You did? That's nice. Who did you meet-"
Finally looking away from his device, Sidmen froze as soon as he made eye contact with Ethel.
Sidmen's eyes widened with increasing panic. His head darted back and forth between a grinning Memphis and Ethel who raised an eyebrow at him. Until his head finally landed on Memphis.
So many questions ran through his mind like a flash of lightning, but one question glaringly stood out the most.
"Why did you bring a noble here!?"
Ethel glared at Sidmen who tried his best to hide, while Memphis only scratched his head. "Honestly, I forgot about that."
"Memphis stop being an idiot. We could get in trouble!"
Memphis just shrugged and waved him off. "She's my friend, and she's nice. Anyway, I came here to show her something interesting. Did you finally finish that thing you were working on?"
At the mention of his project, Sidmen's eyes became excited and laser focused as if he had forgotten his earlier worries. "Yeah, I actually finished it just now!"
"One second." Sidmen bent behind the counter again, tossing and throwing random things until he felt satisfied with something. "It's ready!"
Sidmen walked around the counter to the front of the store. Putting his hands on his hips, he called out a command. "Mr. Sparky. Activate!"
Memphis and Ethel looked really confused for a moment, until the sounds of beeps and boops sounded out. Then with a slow methodic march, a small metal creature appeared.
The metal creature was the shape of a saucer, its entire body was covered in smooth metal plating, had four metal spider-like legs, and two large googly eyes.
"This is Mr. Sparky All-Terrain Companion Mark 1. Or you can just call him Mr. Sparky for shorthand."
Ethel stared at the clockwork machine as it bounced and occasionally emitted magical steam. Never in her life had she seen a machine appear so "alive". It also kind of reminded her of the golems that some magic users sometimes made.
She would say it again, this Sidmen was truly a genius.
Actually, why was this countryside village filled with geniuses?
Ethel turned to look at Memphis, who also was staring at the machine in awe. "So, what else can it do?"
In the streets of Riverton, Belial Territory
Memphis, Ethel, and Sidmen laughed as they chased after Mr. Sparky through the streets of Riverton.
Adults parted away, startled by both the flying machine and the running teens. Each one yelling out commands to the small robot. The small clockwork device had two whirling blades that allowed it to twirl and dance in the air.
"Mr. Sparky. Do a flip!"
However as the last command was given, it began to lose control and dived down towards the ground.
"Nooo! Mr. Sparky!" Sidmen cried out but it was too late. The small robot had crashed into the village's granary.
"It's okay Sidmen. We'll just go in and out, so the adults won't get mad at us." Memphis reassured his friend.
It was a bit sad that Sidmen's machine had broken but turning to look at Ethel, Memphis was glad the girl could relax and have some fun.
Finally running up to the granary. They saw the gate was closed by a chain lock.
"How do we get inside?" Asked Sidmen.
"It's okay, I got this." The chain did not look too thick, so it would be manageable. Memphis, using his Demonic Power coated his hand in a blue aura, and swiftly slashed through the chain.
Before Sidmen could complain about fixing the metal chain, the group ran inside the building.
Inside was a large poorly lit room large with a high ceiling walkway, and lining the inside of the granary were many large grain silos.
"Just in and out…" Whispered Sidmen, as he scanned the warehouse for his device. It was not too long until he quickly found it spinning on the floor. "Hey guys, I found it!"
While with Memphis and Ethel, they suddenly stopped. On top of the walkway, they found a cloaked man pouring a red powder from a sack.
Why was he pouring that strange stuff into the village's grain?
Confusion and annoyance flooded into Memphis' mind.
"Hey, Mister! Why are you doing that?!"