Chapter 204 – The Demon with the Owl Mask

“Can I count on you two?”

I summoned Nemea and Capella from within the coat and asked. The lion and goat each nodded. Seems there’s no problem.

I took off the Chimera Coat and handed it to Rosemary.

“What an unusual magical creature. What about the decrease in your combat strength?”

“Being able to fight without worrying about my back is more significant.”

“I see.”

Rosemary tore the hem of her dress without hesitation to ensure ease of movement before putting on the coat.

“It doesn’t seem to move according to my will.”

Huh? Both Nemea and Capella are semi-autonomous magical creatures that should move according to the wearer’s will… When I send a command from my side, Nemea pokes her head out and looks at me.

“…Could it be because I’m the one who wears it outside the book? Well, I’ll order them to focus on interception and dodging.”

I’m not putting Rosemary in the vanguard, so this should be fine.

When I turned my gaze toward the castle visible at the city center, Rosemary asked.

“If there’s a guardian, would it be in that castle?”

“Probably. We could charge straight in, but let’s prepare a bit first. If you want to mix something for self-defense, I can do it for you, but what do you think?”

“…I wonder if anything here can be trusted.”

Rosemary frowned, but I don’t see it as much of a problem.

“I think the so-called guardian is actually fair. The reason silverfish exist here despite not being particularly strong is probably because of that.”

“Inside the book, to make us realize?”

She must have been investigating before I arrived, and I think Rosemary had been considering aspects related to the book too.

“Exactly. Normally, you can’t bring weapons or armor in. Yet it’s equal, which is strange. If it’s unavoidable due to the mechanism, then it means we’re free to use whatever’s in the town to compensate for the prisoners’ disadvantage as much as possible.”

And I think this is rather important information. The extent of that fairness makes this world more robust the more thorough it is… and apparently serves as the basis for the guardian’s power.

“Then let’s prepare something. I saw what appeared to be an alchemist’s shop over on that street. We should be able to quickly prepare some makeshift offensive tools.”

Rosemary stood up. Well then, we’ll continue our conversation while moving and mixing.

“If everything existing in this town has meaning… then what about these residents?”

The residents were just wandering aimlessly while letting out painful moans. …And they were running away from the golems too.

“…Victims, perhaps?”

“The souls of those who lost to the guardian? For a trap in a hidden forbidden library, wouldn’t the number of these victims be strange?”

“No. Apparently, magicians summon and contract guardians, incorporating them into spell formulas. So they might have multiple

territories

(

..

)

. In any case, it seems guardians have rules requiring them to fight prisoners.”

I’ve heard that book guardians with multiple territories can travel between them. In that case, the territory would be liberated over time if the guardian is absent, but well, it’s originally an interception trap. It’s not something that happens often – prisoners getting caught here and there to the point the guardian can’t handle it all.

At least regarding this book, if we assume the residents are past victims, then the guardian probably isn’t absent.

It would be better to share information about what’s inside the book. I’ll tell Rosemary.

“I see…”

“Though that’s only if my speculation is correct.”

“Probably, that’s right. After I came here and some time passed, the residents started appearing. The guardian must be carrying them around. In other words, it’s showing off the prey it’s captured everywhere.”

“How tasteless…”

“I agree. All the information coming out just confirms how powerful our opponent is, and it’s getting tiresome.”

When we entered the alchemist’s shop, Rosemary began browsing various items.

“Quite a good selection. With this—”

She arranged materials on the mixing table.

My work simply involved filling a flask with medicinal liquid, pouring in several types of powdered medicine, and sealing it with a cork. Rosemary gathered all the magic stones in the shop and stuffed them into a leather bag.

“What are you making with that?”

“It would be faster to show you. Let’s test it.”

Rosemary went out to the street and tried to throw a magic stone into the flask but stopped her hand.

“…No good. It violates the subjugation magic.”

“Just need to put a magic stone in, right?”

I can have Nemea or Capella help. I had them hold a magic stone in their mouth and drop it into the flask.

“With this, it might work.”

Saying that, Rosemary casually threw the flask, and the moment it shattered on the cobblestones, a rather spectacular green pillar of fire rose up. It seemed to have different properties from natural fire, and I could feel intense magical power radiating from it rather than heat.

“Flames that interfere with the magical power of whatever they touch, I suppose. Considering the material costs, it’s not cost-effective, so it’s practically useless.”

I see… So it’s like a makeshift grenade.

Well then, let’s make some more of the same without getting in Rosemary’s way, then head to the castle.

The castle interior was completely silent. Neither the residents that were in the town nor the silverfish flying around were present. No soldiers came out to intercept us either.

Put conversely. They’ve thoroughly constructed an environment that prevents any interference.

In that case, the guardian is probably neither running nor hiding, but waiting somewhere like the throne room.

“About the guardian’s true identity…”

“Continuing from our earlier conversation?”

This came up briefly while sharing information with Rosemary. Guardians can be spirits, magical creatures, or vary greatly depending on the magician who set the trap.

The only common point is that beings close to psychic lifeforms are chosen.

“The guardian here… no, the lord, I suppose. This one has clear malice.”

…Malice, huh. Certainly. Even though it should be a trap for interception and delay, it goes beyond that by not liberating the victims’ souls, treating them like a collection or trophies. It shows them off to prisoners and delights in it. Despite having such poor taste, it follows the rules. It prepared an alchemist’s shop with such a good selection that Rosemary was impressed. Probably other weapons and armor would be first-class too.

A psychic lifeform that freely travels between multiple territories, even though it should have a contract with a magician. With such a guardian, the candidates naturally narrow down.

“…A demon?”

“I thought so, and prepared tools that seem effective against that kind of non-physical entity.”

The magical flame bottle from earlier.

The Flame Demon of the Blazing Fortress was a being created by the labyrinth… but that one was quite physical.

Original demons are said to have properties close to spirits and cannot exist in this world without incarnation… but here, it’s probably in its true form. They say their intelligence is proportional to their power, so we can’t let our guard down.

That said, in this world I can apparently punch them away, so it’s true I don’t need to worry much about my attack methods, but the same goes for our opponent. In that sense too, it’s fair.

Eventually—we reached a large door that appeared to be the throne room.

When I pushed the door open, it was there in the vast throne room. Wearing a monocle and dressed like a noble, but with the head of an owl. Recognizing our presence, it spoke with theatrical, exaggerated gestures.

“Welcome to my castle, my territory. Are you enjoying yourselves? I am Orzius, the keeper of this book.”

“You’re the guardian of this place, right?”

Orzius narrowed his eyes. Perhaps he smiled at my response.

“It seems our current guest understands the workings of this world. As you’ve guessed, if you destroy me, you can return to your original world. To defeat me, feel free to use whatever is in the castle town. I swear upon my name that there are no tricks whatsoever.”

“Poor taste. You enjoy watching people run around in confusion, don’t you?”

“Kuku. Well, it’s one of my few pleasures.”

…Oh, is that so.

“…Sorry to disappoint your expectations, but this is fine as it is. I can’t say it’s a fair one-on-one since I brought tools from outside, but if you’re going to pretend to be fair, then me fighting with just this staff should balance things out.”

At my provocation, Orzius shook his shoulders and laughed.

“Hmm. I wouldn’t have minded if the young lady behind you came at me simultaneously too. If that’s what you want, very well. I promise to defeat you one by one. First, young man. You’re up first.”

Orzius’s eyes were twisted with delight as he said this.

He probably understands that Rosemary is a non-combatant too. If he just defeats me, he can leisurely enjoy watching the human struggle and despair.

“That’s the situation. I’d appreciate it if you watched from the back.”

“…I see. Even though I went to the trouble of making them, it seems I won’t get my turn.”

Rosemary shrugged her shoulders and stood in the corner of the room.

It’s just a verbal promise… but still, for demons, contracts and promises are absolute. Stray shots might fly her way, but she should be able to protect herself from that much.

In any case, it’s fortunate that I don’t have any worries about my back. All that’s left—is to focus on the battle before my eyes.