In a dark and humid underground location, more than ten people were gathered around a round table.
“... Ugh, it’s dark in here. No one thought to turn on the lights until now, with so many people gathered? Are you all out of your minds?”
Clack—
Correction.
It was a very bright, slightly damp underground space.
More than ten people were seated there.
“Ahhh! My eyes!”
“It’s not my fault for buying such a bright luminescent stone! Even if I wanted to turn it on, it’s too bright to even think about it!”
“It’s ridiculous to set up a base underground! Ugh, what are we going to do about this humidity? The light should at least help get rid of the musty smell!”
“Stop making excuses, Libya. You’re the one who loves bright things and bought that piece of junk luminescent stone, aren’t you? You’re such a foolish firebug...”
“Yeah, yeah! At least I’m better than the incompetent Sephir, who couldn’t bring in a single manifestation bearer!”
“... What did you say?”
On the surface, they might have seemed somewhat lacking, but they were not to be underestimated.
After all, they were all high-ranking officials of the Lemegeton cult.
In fact, most of them were faction leaders. Although they were usually very busy, today they had gathered for a meeting.
As Sephir and the woman named Libya continued their argument, another figure stepped in to mediate. It was a man known as the Fourth Faction Leader.
“Enough of the bickering; let’s start the meeting. So, was the person we encountered in the forest the one we expected?”
“Indeed. He acknowledged it without hesitation when I explained it to him. His personality was a bit unexpected, but...”
Sephir recalled her encounter with him for a moment.
He had an incredibly striking appearance, contrasting with his rough speech.
The fact that he was a 'man' was surprising, and combined with his unique aura, he left a lasting impression.
“How interesting. I expected he might not be in the city, but I never thought he would be living in such a dangerous forest.”
“Right? That alone proves his strength. He’ll definitely be helpful.”
“But why didn’t you recruit him?”
“That’s because he rejected us so firmly...”
Sephir trailed off.
She couldn’t bring herself to say it was because she didn’t want to be devoured by Seere. That reason was far too crude.
And then it happened.
Libya, who had been quietly listening, suddenly chimed in with a bright smile.
“That’s because Sephir is so boring~ Who would follow a wooden woman trying to recruit them?”
“Shut up, Libya...!”
This was quite common. Among the officials, there were many with strong personalities.
When such unique individuals gathered, conflicts often arose.
Still, the meeting continued.
The topic was naturally about recruiting Yor.
Of course, he had already declined once, but they couldn’t easily give up.
To them, manifestation bearers were precious, and those who had grown to adulthood were even more valuable.
Especially since he had skill, it was only right to recruit him.
Many opinions were voiced in the meeting.
Some, like Sephir, suggested persuading him to join voluntarily.
Others argued for forcibly recruiting him and gradually acclimatizing him.
There was even a hardliner who suggested simply using him as a sacrifice if he didn’t comply.
The debate that had been going in circles came to a temporary halt with the assertion of one woman.
“Then, I’ll go see him next time.”
This woman held the title of ‘team leader.’
Given that most of those present held significant ranks, it was absurd for her to speak so casually.
Yet, no one dared to point that out.
“If I go as one of my kind, he might be more inclined to trust me.”
That was because she was a manifestation bearer, highly regarded within the cult.
They worshiped a demon and were among the very few who faced oppression in the world.
So perhaps that was why no one countered her statement.
“Certainly... it would be easier to persuade him if you’re a fellow manifestation bearer.”
“Hmm, I agree. I acknowledge that.”
With that, she was confirmed as the one who would go next.
A few days had passed since that strange faction leader had visited.
Surprisingly, during that time... nothing significant had happened.
I hadn’t moved my base nor had I aggressively prepared to leave.
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Of course, I had burned the goblin's house again to reinforce my defenses, but that was about it.
Unlike the last time when Im Ha-neul had caught me, I didn’t cause a ruckus.
That time, the situation had been quite different.
It wouldn’t have been unusual for the knight order to come storming in. If Ha-neul had spoken up, the knights would have gathered.
But now, while I had encountered more familiar faces, there was no concern about the knight order invading.
That faction leader had said that the Lemegeton wanted to recruit rather than exterminate.
Of course, I couldn’t take the words of those cultists at face value...
‘Let’s just watch for a while.’
She had said she would come again next week, so I thought I’d wait until then.
And to be honest... I didn’t want to go deeper into this situation.
I had built up my infrastructure here over several years; why should I have to start from scratch?
It was uncertain whether there were caves as vast and deep as this one, and whether I could fully protect my life there.
After all, that place was rumored to be crawling with mountain beasts.
‘As long as the knight order doesn’t come, I’ll hold out.’
That was my current thought.
As long as my life wasn’t hanging by a thread, I would stubbornly endure.
Unless it was the imperial knights or priests, I felt the beings in the depths were likely to be more dangerous.
Time passed.
To say I wasn’t anxious would be a lie. It had been an incredibly nerve-wracking week.
Then, on the day of the appointment, a cult member finally arrived in the forest.
“Hey, where are you? Come over here!!!”
She spoke in a somewhat aggressive manner, her voice ringing throughout the entire forest.
“What a crazy woman...”
I muttered a curse under my breath and hurried toward the source of the noise.
If she kept this up, she would attract not just people but monsters as well.
Upon arriving at the place where the shouting came from, I saw a woman standing there.
She had blonde hair and a somewhat fierce expression.
Just as Sephir had mentioned, it seemed another figure had come this time.
“Oh.”
As soon as we met, a short exclamation escaped her lips.
“How impressive. I only knew you were a man, but I didn’t expect you to be this remarkable.”
“Why are you here again, when I’ve already said no?”
“I can’t comprehend that statement.”
Was she insisting on recruiting me again?
“Let me introduce myself first; I am Niki Tanesia.”
Upon hearing that, I widened my eyes for a moment.
The presence of a surname indicated a noble status, and in this world, having a surname usually implied nobility.
That raised a question in my mind.
‘So what does this mean?’
Was she a noble?
And here she was, choosing to join a criminal organization like the Lemegeton, even though she was a noble?
Why would she give up her status to make such a choice? My curiosity was briefly piqued.
“And...”
Fortunately, those thoughts didn’t linger for long.
Suddenly, she stripped off her top right in front of me.
“!”
Caught off guard by her bold action, I couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed at her.
With a flick, her thin t-shirt came off, revealing her curves.
A cute white bra entered my line of sight. ...Sadly, her chest seemed a bit on the smaller side.
While it would be quite embarrassing for someone to strip in front of another, she bore an expression of utter calm.
When I thought about it, this was a world turned upside down; showing off one’s upper body was not that strange. It was only weird if you didn’t have the courage.
As I continued to watch her for a moment, she pointed to her right side.
“Look here, do you see the marking? I’m a manifestation bearer, just like you.”
Only then did I confirm what was on her side. Unlike mine, which was plain, she had a tattoo of five crimson claws inked on her skin.
Seeing that, I finally understood why she had joined the Lemegeton.
‘As expected...’
She must have been cast out.
Individuals like us, manifestation bearers, had nowhere else to go.
The only place that accepted them was the Lemegeton.
With that thought, I felt a moment of pity for her.
“I don’t know what you think of this place, but it’s not bad at all. Here, being a manifestation bearer is actually a benefit. Everyone looks up to me and treats me well.”
“...”
Certainly, it wasn’t a bad choice.
After all, I was a human who couldn’t live a normal life and always craved someone to converse with.
Even if they worshipped demons, it was a reasonable decision for manifestation bearers who were ostracized from society.
But why was it?
“... I’m sorry, but no.”
I felt a sense of rejection welling up inside me.
“... Why not?”
The frown on her face deepened at my refusal.
“I honestly can’t understand. What’s so great about staying in this forest? Is there something good here? Or do you have any lingering feelings?”
I could only be taken aback for a moment. I hadn’t expected her to get so offended by my rejection.
How should I explain... I hesitated for a moment, choosing my words carefully to explain my reasons for refusing.
And then it happened.
With a rustle, a figure burst out from the nearby bushes.
To my surprise, it was someone I recognized.
A person who had been visiting my forest frequently lately.
“Uh... Yor?”
It was none other than Im Ha-neul.