"You're too loud. You'll draw troublesome things."
Xis stepped out from the shadows of the trees, his face remaining a mask of emotionless stone as he looked coldly at the two arguing teammates.
"Captain..."
The woman shivered the moment their eyes met. Her legs trembled involuntarily, as if she were staring into the eyes of a mountain predator. Not daring to push her luck, she shot a final venomous glare at Rat and walked off to the side, muttering under her breath.
"...He's become so heartless lately... that look in his eyes is terrifying. What did I even do to him?"
The blonde boy ignored her grumbling. While he also felt Xis had been acting strange—especially with his inexplicable ability to herd such massive groups of monsters like a demon commander—he didn't truly care. As long as the money kept coming in, it didn't matter what Xis became or what he did. He had joined this party for Xis's high-level swordsmanship and overwhelming strength. With a powerhouse leading the way, the risk of high-reward commissions dropped significantly.
Risk and reward were two sides of the same coin. The harder the job, the heavier the coin purse.
"Hey! Once we finish this score, how about you come live a little with me?" the boy asked.
"You? Ha! I have no interest in mixing with a bunch of gambling addicts," the woman spat. She had known the boy long enough to know his private vices. He spent his time in underground dens, addicted to the dice, or wasting away in brothels. It was why his share of the rewards always vanished before the gold could even get warm in his pocket.
"Heh." The boy wasn't bothered by the rejection. His eyes wandered disrespectfully over her silhouette, lingering on her chest with a lecherous smirk.
"Disgusting! Keep looking and I'll pluck your eyes out," she snapped, instinctively stepping back, her anger rising.
"Ho? You think you can take me at this distance?" The boy's taunt made her grit her teeth. She knew that at this range, a warrior's reflex would overwhelm a mage before she could even weave a spell.
"Are you two finished yet?"
A terrifying wave of killing intent washed over them, chilling their spines as if they had been dropped into an ice cellar.
"If you make another sound, you can go die along with the others."
Both of them stared at Xis in disbelief. They couldn't wrap their heads around the fact that such words had come from his mouth, but the sheer coldness in his gaze forced them to look away. That look didn't belong to a teammate or even a human; it was the look a butcher gives to livestock.
Rat swallowed hard, his eyes darting around anxiously. He watched the others with growing dread, and a new plan began to form in his mind...
"He is a demon."
"Hah?" Glenn was the first to voice his doubt. "Look, that jerk isn't winning any personality awards, but calling him a demon without proof is a bit much, isn't it?"
"It's not without proof," Reno said, looking at the group with absolute gravity. "I was planning to observe longer, but back at the Guild, he seemed to recognize me. He likely knows his cover is blown. That ambush on the road was almost certainly his doing. And the reason I am so certain is because... I used to know the boy called Xis."
"You knew him personally?"
"Before I took my post at the Rohguri Church, I traveled with him for a time. Back then, though he was arrogant and rude, he had a heart for helping the weak. Rat, the man in their current party, only joined because Xis saved his life."
He paused, collecting his thoughts. "I first sensed something was wrong recently. I ran into him on my way back to the church and called his name twice. He didn't react until the third time. I thought he might be ill, so despite his protests, I used [Disease Detection Magic] on him. And that's when I realized... he couldn't possibly be Xis."
"Why? Does that spell detect species differences? I didn't see anything wrong with him at the Guild," Theresia asked. If he were a demon, she felt her mana perception should have flagged him instantly.
"It's a high-level concealment spell," Reno explained. "I had performed a checkup on Xis after a battle years ago. When I ran the spell this time, the feedback showed that the internal structure of his body... was that of a completely different person."
Garlan's brow furrowed.
"When I looked up and met his eyes," Reno continued, "there wasn't a trace of human emotion. Instead of the warmth of a reunion, I saw only hidden killing intent. I lied and told him he was as healthy as ever, then made an excuse to leave. But even after I had walked a great distance, I looked back—and he was still standing there, watching me, waiting for me to slip up. Only the fact that we were in a crowded city saved me."
"Then why didn't you expose him in the city? If he's a demon, wouldn't more people make it easier to take him down?" Glenn scratched his head, confused by Reno's roundabout methods. Garlan gave him a silent, exasperated look.
"If no one has seen through his disguise until now, it means he is an exceptionally powerful demon," Reno said solemnly. "An open battle in the city would have resulted in countless civilian casualties. I've been trying to spread the word quietly, but few believed me. I joined your party because I'm betting you have the strength to kill him. 'Black Sword' Glenn, Miss Theresia, and Mr. Garlan... you are all formidable. And honestly, even if I didn't want to drag you into this, it's clear he doesn't intend to let any of us return alive."
Almost simultaneously, the four of them felt it. A massive presence of monsters had suddenly appeared in the surrounding forest, slowly closing in on Windmill Village, as if guided by an invisible hand.
"Looks like we picked up one hell of a commission," Glenn growled, drawing his greatsword. He held it before him, the polished blade reflecting a rare, grim seriousness on his face.
This was only the second time Garlan had seen this expression. The first was when Glenn had been conscripted to fight the Demon King's remnants and had come to drink a farewell toast.
___
There's a few advance chapters on my P@treon
Usually upload 2 Chapters a day in there, Sunday
45 Chapters Ahead, and will continue to increase
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