【Black Raven’s point of view】
My sense of values changed a lot after I was beaten by that mage.
All this time I wanted to be number one in the ‘leader’s’ eyes. I swung my blade day and night for the leader.
As the leader of the Purgatory Slaughter Squadron, I offered my life to the leader, who was the center of my world.
But my sense of values was shaken a lot by my defeat to that mage.
My thirst for vengeance is overwhelmingly greater than my devotion to the leader. All I think about is that mage. Just remembering that creepy laugh is enough for my bloodthirst to boil.
I want to see him admit defeat to me, and grovel for his life.
Not to mention that this mage broke what to me is an unforgivable taboo.
My real name is Infa, but no one except the leader has ever uttered it.
In my country, Rinin, one’s name is as valuable as their life. Only people you truly open your heart to can use it.
I was humiliated as a warrior and a woman. It’s utterly unforgivable.
The only thing that can wash away this humiliation is my victory over him. I can have no future without it.
I need to beat him. If nothing else, I have to have that.
◇ ◇ ◇
It’s been a month since I came to the capital.
The magic energy shackles prevent me from kneading magic energy, because the magic energy in my body is sucked into them.
But in the end, people are shallow in their thinking.
A trick like this would never work on a superior demon like me.
I take in magic energy like air from the atmosphere, and then I focus my magic eye, and unleash its power.
The next moment, a shock wave bursts around me, completely destroying my shackles and the metal bars meant to lock in criminals.
They’re completely bent, revealing the corridor full of debris.
Too easy, but escape always is.
I just purposefully didn’t do it.
I stayed to reflect on my arrogance.
I should have died there. Fainting before an enemy is equal to death to a warrior.
Even if I got careless, a loss is a loss. I know that much at least.
I accepted this humiliation to realize that his naivete is what kept me alive.
Then I control the magic energy in the atmosphere to turn it into fibers that reconstruct my clothing. Now I’m wearing my usual black outfit instead of a prison uniform.
This suits me best.
The guards rush my way after hearing the explosion. There’s over twenty of them, and they turn pale after seeing me stand completely serene.
“What is the matter guards? This is an emergency happening before you.”
I say with a smile.
The guards are all beaten to unconsciousness seconds after I speak.
I don’t kill anyone, because I have my own rules as an assassin.
The one I want to kill is that mage, and no one else matters.
I leisurely leave the prison, and head to the urban area of the capital.
This is where I’ll look for him. Surely the mage who defeated me is famous!
◇ ◇ ◇
Sure enough, he is very famous.
Loyd the exclusive mage, is who he is.
However, he isn’t famous in a good way.
He’s seen as an incompetent, useless mage.
Hearing him be called incompetent is like an insult to me, because I lost to him, and very frustrating.
I want him to be the best mage in history.
And no one believes me when I try to prop him up and say he’s very strong. Just how unpopular is this guy?
Some interesting things reach my ears when I collect information.
The alchemist that was with him has gone a little crazy. After having a lot of trouble finding a new exclusive mage, the one she eventually found annulled the contract on the first day.
She’s been holed up in her atelier, and doesn’t offer a single word of apology as her requests expire.
I have no interest in her, but I’ll keep her in mind nonetheless.
It might give me clues about Loyd.
The atelier is surprisingly easy to find.
It’s on a road a little off the main street, and I see a luxurious wagon parked in front of it.
The entrance isn’t locked, so I go in silently.
And after I hear voices coming from the closest room, I peek in and see a man and a woman arguing.
“That is a problem, Lord Alchemia. Her majesty wishes to speak to you, but you still insist on refusing?”
“My stomach hurts. I can’t step outside the atelier.”
“I’m tired of that excuse. It is not elegant to keep her majesty waiting.
If your stomach hurts, can’t you make medicine through alchemy?”
“Are you telling a sick person to make medicine!?”
“That won’t do. You refuse to take medicine made by other alchemists, and refuse to make it yourself.
What should I, a messenger of her majesty, do about this? You are causing a lot of trouble by keeping her majesty waiting for three weeks.”
“S-shut up! I can’t even perform alchemy because that Crowley abandoned his job and left me without the ability to collect enough materials!
I’m not the one you should be complaining about!”
“Lord Alchemia, how many times have I said this? That is one of the things her majesty wishes to discuss with you.”
From what I can gather, the red-haired woman having a tantrum is Ruby.
She’s arguing about not going to see the queen, but I honestly couldn’t care less.
I silently approach the man from behind.
“Excuse me for a second.”
“Uu!?”
I chop him in the neck, rendering the messenger of the queen unconscious, so he doesn’t disturb me.
“You are Ruby the alchemist, correct?”
I say while flashing a sword I swiped from a guard.
“W-what do you want with me!?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I will take your life if you don’t answer to my demands.”
My target is Loyd, so this threat is false. I have no intention of hurting her.
“I-I will have you know this atelier is not open, and I reject every request.
And since I have no exclusive mage, I can’t make anything even if you order me.”
“Do not worry, as I have no business with you from the start.”
“Ah?”
She sounds angry, but it’s the truth.
“Do you know the exclusive mage called Loyd? Tell me all you know about him.”
“Do you have a grudge against him?”
“I only wish to face him as a warrior.”
It’s been a while since he left, so I don’t expect recent information. But since they were childhood friends, I might find a clue.
But what Ruby says goes against my faint hopes.
“Even you are praising that incompetent mage?”
“What?”
What’s she talking about?
“I don’t understand the meaning of your words.”
“It’s exactly what it sounds like. The mage called Loyd is incompetent.”
“Regardless, I wish to know where he is.”
“I’m so much more brilliant than that guy!!!”
She yells over my response.
I don’t think she’s all there in the head.
She’s not making sense, and her eyes look crazy.
I should get this over with and leave.
“I will ask one more time, do you know where he is?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself! He left my atelier! He ran from me without permission! That worthless man!”
This is getting nowhere. It’s just a waste of time.
After reaching that conclusion, I turn around to leave, but then…
The woman named Ruby does something unexpected.
“Yes! I have a good idea!
I’ll make it seem like the atelier was attacked, and hide for a while!
Her majesty will forget about the request if I let some time pass!”
“Eh?”
Make it seem like the atelier was attacked?
I get the part about the atelier being attacked, since I’m holding a sword, but the rest is completely out of my understanding.
She runs past me to the first floor, and I follow her, because I’m curious.
What I see shocks me.
There’s a big alchemy cauldron in the middle, and Ruby is standing right next to it.
She has a staff in hand that’s about as tall as she is. She holds it, and swings it down hard against the cauldron.
All of a sudden, she’s destroying the cauldron that is supposed to be the tool of her trade.
Bam bam bam bam!!
She keeps hitting it like a mad woman.
“Break break break break break break!”
She keeps saying it like a curse.
W-what is with this woman… She’s crazy.
I’m not one to talk, but she’s bad news.
I’ve never seen a human as ○○○○ as her.
The woman in front of me scares me, so I run from the atelier without thinking.
I just saw something terrifying. I never thought humans could go that crazy.
I want to find Loyd quickly. I will be the one to defeat you.
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Yep, only humans can scare demons by just being weird~