Chapter 36: Traitor (part 1)

After defeating the high-ranking demons and collecting their by-products, the party continued pursuing the demons attacking the fortress wall.

Perhaps the demons hadn’t expected the higher-class ones to be defeated, as those at the rear were struck by surprise and fell one by one. Even without Ian and his party, the remaining demons could have been handled by the Duke of Eritz’s vassals alone.  

Once the environment allowed the four 3-star summons to rampage freely, the complete annihilation of the demons didn’t take long.  

Stella, who had climbed the wall, approached the vassal overseeing the defense and asked,  

“What about the casualties?”  

“Three seriously injured, seven with minor injuries.”  

“That’s not many.”  

Given that most of the castle’s main forces were on an expedition, blocking the demon attack with only a single injured summoner and a handful of minor injuries was an impressive feat.  

“Not a single death? That’s a great achievement—worthy of being recorded in history.”  

“I’d love to throw a festival right now, but…”  

“You can’t. I understand.”  

While stopping the attack was crucial, it was just as important to follow up. They needed to form an investigation team immediately to trace the demons’ infiltration route and block it off completely.  

“Take a bit more time,” Stella instructed.  

“It’s no trouble, My Lady.”  

With that, the vassal gathered the remaining summoners and formed a scouting party, mainly selecting those with flying summons.  

As they organized the team, Stella turned to Ian.  

“…Ian.”  

“Yes?”  

“Do you have anything to say?”  

“Yeah, but… this isn’t the place to discuss it.” Ian smiled faintly, sensing the tension.  

“…Let’s head back to the castle.”  

With that, Stella led the group toward the lord’s chamber.  

***

The lord’s study was the heart of the territory, it was also a place where the most sensitive matters of the territory were handled.

It was where the lord spent most of their time, and naturally, it had the highest security measures in the region. 

It was fortified against every possible threat—soundproof, fireproof, waterproof.  

“Go on, speak,” Stella urged as she entered the chamber.  

As if it were no big deal, Ian extended the back of his hand. From the pattern on the back of his hand, flames flickered, and a woman materialized from the fire.  

“Master, do you need me for something?”  

Theresia, the summoned figure, scanned the room briefly and, seeing nothing amiss, addressed Ian calmly.  

The other cadets, witnessing Theresia’s sudden appearance, stared in disbelief.  

“…It was real,” one of them murmured.  

“What?”  

“You have a second summon.”  

On the continent, only two people in history had ever summoned more than one creature—one was the Emperor, and the other was Noah. Now, Ian had joined their ranks.  

“How… did you do it?”  

In Noah’s case, people assumed she had the same talent as the Emperor, and a few had even witnessed her summon creatures at the temple. But with Ian, there was no such explanation. There was no temple nearby—traveling to the closest one would take hours by horse. There was no way he could have snuck out.  

Which meant Ian had summoned a creature without a temple’s aid—a feat thought impossible.  

“It’s… complicated to explain,” Ian said.  

“…You don’t have to explain if you don’t want to. Only we saw it.”  

“No, it’s fine. I trust you.” Ian paused, thinking fast. He needed to spin a story that sounded believable and convincing. Fortunately, he had an idea.  

“Do you know the Origin Art that Anna possesses?” Ian asked.  

“How would I know that?” Stella responded.  

“It’s a divine blessing.”  

Summoning was typically done through temples because summoned creatures were considered warriors granted by the gods. Every summoner, in essence, was also a priest with a divine connection.  

“‘Take my sword; take my shield. Defeat the enemy in my name,’” Ian recited solemnly.  

“…What are you talking about?”  

“It means I’ve been chosen as a warrior by the gods.”  

Of course, it was all a lie. But invoking the name of the gods wasn’t something anyone would take lightly in a world where divine beings clearly existed.  

“Theresia is a summon connected directly to the gods,” Ian continued. “That’s why I don’t need to visit a temple to summon her. She is always with me, no matter where I am.”  

“Do you expect us to believe that?”  

“You don’t have to believe it if you don’t want to. I’m not forcing you.”  

With that, Stella, Noah, and Senior Dinua remained silent. In a world where gods existed, those associated with divine beings were treated with utmost seriousness.  

And so, Ian became known as a saint—a warrior commanded by the gods, the one who would save the world.  

All of it was a lie, but it worked.  

***

Time passed.

The Duke of Eritz’s retainers investigated the demons’ infiltration and discovered a series of tunnels they had dug.  

Tracing the tunnels revealed that the demons had been preparing for this invasion for several years. Further exploration uncovered several other similar tunnels.  

Stella gathered all the reports and studied them over a map. She let out a heavy sigh as she stared at the layout.  

“…What is this now?”  

“What’s wrong?” Ian asked.  

“Look.”  

Without a word, she handed the map to Ian, who studied it closely. 

After a moment, he groaned.  

“Wow… What ‘is’ this?”  

The tunnels stretched beneath the entire Eritz estate. Though carefully hidden, they were extensive. If the demons had continued digging just a little further, the entire territory would have been at risk of collapse.  

“This wasn’t done in a day or two,” Stella muttered.  

“They’ve probably been working on this since before I was born.”  

“If we had waited any longer, it would have been a disaster,” Ian added.  

“Yeah. If we weren’t here, it would’ve been catastrophic.”  

“Why do you say that?”  

“Think about it. What would’ve happened if their raid had succeeded?”  

“…The entire territory would’ve been destroyed.”  

“And it wouldn’t have ended there.” 

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***

Things are Not Looking Good:

Yes, things are not looking good. As you know, translation requires a lot of time and energy. I translate, edit and proofread the chapters on my own. I will be honest here, I started translating as a hobby, then it evolved to a hope of earning a living by doing something I enjoy. 

However, I suffered a chain of misfortunes during and after the pandemic, and earnings from FSM and RTV helped me a lot. It became a significant part of my life. As long as my monthly income bordered around $200, I could make the time to translate in the middle of other works. Then RTV ended, and the earning decreased. Now, it has decreased to around $90-$100. And with PETTV nearing completion, that would decrease even more. A*dsence gets me about $ 0.50 per day, and you can’t get the payment until it reaches $100, so I can’t depend on that either. 

It wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances, but it matters a lot to me since I am still dealing with a lot of financial troubles. I am currently looking for a job, and will have to invest my time and energy in it once I get it.

Long story short, if you enjoy reading this novel, support the translation if you can, either by becoming a Patron in Patreon, or sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee. You can also take some time to watch a*ds to increase the revenue on A*dsence. Grains of sand together can form a desert.

FSM supporters has been supporting me from the start no matter what, so I would continue to translate FSM as long as I am alive. But for the other projects, I now desperately need your support so that I can spend the time and energy to serve them to you all. That’s all. Thank you.