The moment the clock struck noon, the news about demonic cultists—and their accomplices—living in human society, ended up on every article and news report hologram floating in the empire. It's not usually this widespread as people need to actually buy newspapers or go to locations where the holograms would show up.
It happened so fast, the empire's citizens quickly forgot about the news from the previous day.
The people stared in horror at the hologram screens, looking at a man who many looked up to, as he was in handcuffs. Multiple scripts and letters appeared on screen, showing the methods he used to communicate with his accomplices, including the demon cultists.
A news report flashed on screen after all the evidence was revealed, with a reporter discussing what happened:
--This morning, the Knight Order arrested Raul von Whetsome during a banquet in Horvine City. Charges include: Aiding in domestic terrorism, aiding in the development of illegal narcotics, conspiring with demonic cultists, among many other horrific crimes, some of which violate human rights. Mister Whetsome has denied all accusations despite one of his associates being examined with magic to determine that what he said was true. Through video footage, we were able to capture the exact moment Raul von Whetsome wrote down all the names of his associates. This was possible with the power of Arnold von Berkley's special ocular ability, said to belong to only dragons, the Draconic Halo. Investigators found no meddling with the suspect's memories through the use of a dream shaman who could peer into his subconscious.
--The identity of the whistleblower is being kept secret as part of the plea deal to expose the entire operation. The drug, populated by students of various academies, was identified as Demon Punch, a highly dangerous substance that has not only led to the deaths of countless abusers, but permanently altered their brains to the point where they had to be submitted to mental asylums, no resemblance of their former selves. The last reported use of this drug was 60 years ago, however, it is now more widespread than ever before. Archmage Freya had something to say on the matter.
The hologram switched perspectives:
-(Freya)To those who was exposed to the drug, whether by your own volition or you escaped from one of their secret facilities, please head to the nearest temple to cleanse the drug from your body. As long as no mutations occurred in your body, you can still be saved. The temples have agreed to make all checkups free until every case of this drug has been eliminated. If your child shows even a few signs of the symptoms, take them immediately.
--I would like to thank all the information guild leaders and the press who came to the private press conference to hear this story and cover it. While not everyone can be as brave as the Student Disciplinary Committee of Ardark Academy, your voices will be enough to demand change to the lax laws we have today. If there is more than one demonic cultist in our midst, there is something wrong with our system. If there is a demonic cultist in our government, the government itself is poisoned. I vow today that I will come after every single one of you. There is no use hiding.
The hologram then changed again:
-The imperial court has said that they will be transparent about everything going forward and will update everyone if something were to happen. Now a message from our information guild—please look after your children. The academy students were not only involved in the drug trade, but actively contributing to it for their own reasons. Take care until next time.
Arnold's name quickly spread throughout the crowd.
"Arnold von Berkley... the man who was disowned by his family?"
"I heard he was a tyrant who'd kill anyone who offended him. Weren't there even rumors that he led some criminal syndicate?"
"The part about killing is true. But so far he's only killed like two people and they were apparently justified…"
An elderly merchant shook his head. "Rumors or not, that man just dismantled a demon cult. He was also the one who stopped the attack in Eswick Valley. If he's truly working with them, he's doing a poor job of it."
Another man folded his arms. "It could still be some kind of trick."
"For what purpose?" the merchant replied. "Half the town was covered in corpses and the other had people—no, monsters roaming around. There are families mourning their dead even to this day. If this was all an act, he'd have sacrificed far more than he'd gain."
The surrounding crowd fell silent.
It was then that a woman carrying a young child frowned.
"...Now that I think about it, wasn't the Hero absent this time as well?"
Her question immediately caught everyone's attention.
"You're right," another citizen said after a moment's thought. "I haven't seen Arthur anywhere."
"I waited all morning believing the Hero would arrive to give some grand speech about how he'll join the effort. Instead, it was Lord Arnold and the student disciplinary committee in the academy. Even ignoring that, he didn't participate in the church's work."
A young man clicked his tongue in frustration. "That bastard wasn't there during the first attack either. Don't tell me it's going to be a pattern where the one with the Holy Sword hides like a coward while the rumored tyrant of the empire fights for our people!"
A noble dressed in expensive robes stepped forward, clearly offended.
"Watch your words. His Majesty determines where the Hero is deployed. Lord Arthur may have been carrying out another mission of greater importance."
The blacksmith standing nearby laughed bitterly.
"Greater importance than a demon cult murdering imperial citizens in broad daylight? I don't know about you but if my family member was taken by the demon cultists to use in their crazy experiments, I am not standing with the bastard who hid in the imperial palace."
"You know nothing of military strategy."
"And you know nothing about burying your own son."
The noble's face stiffened.
"My boy joined the city watch six months ago. He died protecting people today," the blacksmith continued, his voice shaking with restrained anger. "If common guards are expected to risk their lives every day, why should the Hero be treated differently?"
Several nearby citizens lowered their heads.
"My husband died during the Eswick Valley incident," one woman whispered.
"My brother never came home either…"
"My apprentice lost an arm after he was caught by demon cultists in that town and injected with some kind of serum..."
Their grief slowly transformed into frustration.
"Why does it feel like he's the one answering every disaster while the Hero is nowhere to be seen? Instead, Arthur is stuffing his face with fancy foods and being attended to by high-class noble ladies."
"I know the Hero can't be everywhere," an older man admitted, "but neither can Arnold yet he's done so much more for us. It's great that there are so many reliable people by his side as well, like the Oracle and Archmage."
The comparison spread naturally through the crowd.
The hologram above flashed again after the report ended, showing the people who led this operation. Aside from Morwenne, of the Valeblanc noble household, there were the other members of the SDC as well.
But everyone's eyes went to the portrait of certain young man, possessing a handsome face that knew no imperfections, dark blue hair and blue eyes.
Many standing here today were in the Eswick Valley and saw how valiantly he fought. Knowing that man was from their homeland filled them with a sense of pride. He was born and raised in this very empire, and now possess god-like power that he's using to protect his country.
A young girl tugged on her mother's sleeve and pointed toward his picture.
"Mom... isn't that the man everyone said was evil?"
The woman recalled seeing him fight that Kaiju, his armor on the brink of shattering, and taking the power of the titan's blows and never giving up—
"...I don't know anymore," she answered quietly. "I think... I'd rather believe what I just saw with my own eyes."
The murmurs grew louder with every passing moment.
Not everyone agreed.
Some still defended Arthur, insisting the Hero must have been carrying out secret imperial orders or preparing for a greater threat. Others argued that the emperor wouldn't keep humanity's greatest weapon hidden without reason.
Yet even those defenses sounded increasingly hollow.
◊◊
Freya paused her activities with Justice and decided to stay in the empire for a few weeks or until they can root out the corruption in the continent. She wasn't naïve enough to think they'll be rid of them once and for all but it would be enough to make things to back to how they were, when these cultists were too afraid of coming out of the shadows.
"—That's about all we've found so far, ma'am." A priest finished his report to Freya about recent cultist activities as she stared at her office's ceiling absentmindedly.
There was so much information being given that Freya began to suspect the cultists were deliberately revealing themselves. Perhaps that's the point.
She dismissed the priest then muttered what he reported, "Hundreds of bodies ending up in a lake west of the capital city with strange engravings on their bodies—it's without a doubt the work of the cult. That lake is a popular tourist spot so they were dumped there for the sole purpose of being found."
"If they're being so open about their activities," Morwenne, sitting across Freya, spoke, "it might mean they're getting ready to move."
"Yes, all the information we received is most likely a distraction to pull our attention away from what really matters. Some of them might even be among the resistance group."
"That's what I'm afraid of… But we currently don't have any way of stopping the rot from infesting our ranks."
"You're right. Since you were able to plant a spy in their organization, do you have a suggestion for rooting them out?" she glanced up at Morwenne after closing the many reports of supposed demon sightings.
Of course, she had to ignore all of them no matter what her heart was telling her. Her mind told her not to act as that's exactly what they'd want.
"Apologies but I'm not experienced enough for that."
Freya made a small smile, "Well, it doesn't matter now. While we're gonna have to be careful with what information we exchange and to whom, the worst of it is over. To think even my lifelong friend and a dean of the academy, was helping these people. I looked up to Raul and Jenlak, you know? They were the reason I wanted to pursue magical science as a second job. They've contributed so much to our society and yet…" she clenched her fists, "they betrayed humanity… I'm scared to find out how many more of them walk amongst us."
"Uhm, Lady Freya, do you think the academy is going to function normally next week?"
"I'm not sure. We can only hope nothing bad happens during this peace and silence." Freya stood up and packed away her things, "It's been a stressful few days so I think both of us need some rest. I'll treat you to dinner—there's some things I want to discuss as well. You and your fellow SDC club members' rewards, for one."
The two walked down the hallway together after leaving the office. The academy building was quite empty since all of the staff were being investigated and told to stay home. Even the cleaners were suspected. That janitor that helped them infiltrate the ring, was let off with a light punishment due to his contribution but there's no telling how many others worked for this drug ring.
"Thank you for the offer but… I promised my cousin I'd return home the moment I get the chance to." even if she was tired and sleepy, Morwenne wanted to see how Rachel was doing no matter what.
She's been shut off in her room all this time, as she needed the rest.
Morwenne was quite worried Rachel wouldn't be the same person anymore.
"Ah, that girl. There are no side effects, I hope?" naturally, Freya knew about Rachel's case now.
"Fortunately, no. My mother sent a message saying Rachel is also eating her food now and going into the garden. Those are good signs, but I'm worried she won't want to fit into society anymore…"
"If it's Arnold by her side, I'm sure she'll recover," Freya said as they descended the staircase. "Strange, isn't it? Lately, every time humanity finds itself cornered, he somehow ends up standing between us and disaster."
Morwenne gave a helpless smile.
"...Please don't phrase it like that. People will think he's behind all these incidents."
Freya laughed softly.
'…She's not wrong…'
Whether fighting a Demon King, saving millions of people from a genocide that could've happened due to a curse, or fighting the demon cultists—he was always the wall that protected humanity.
He had no obligation to protect the empire that deemed him a tyrant, the family that disowned him or the people that wished for his death and stood between him and his revenge.
Yet he stood unflinching, as if nothing could break his resolve.
Morwenne clenched her hand to her chest, feeling her heartbeat quicken as she thought about him.
'…What is this feeling…? Whenever I've thought about him over the past few days, it feels warm in my chest…'
Freya gave a knowing smile, recognizing that flush on Morwenne's face and the passionate glint in her eyes.
She raised an eyebrow the next moment, hearing footsteps ascend.
"Hm? I thought I told everyone to leave for the day. They've been up for several days helping us."
Freya slowed to a stop.
Several academy workers were climbing the stairs toward them.
A clerk.
Two janitors.
One of the cooks.
Another few figures emerged from the stairwell above, silently blocking their retreat.
Morwenne frowned.
"...Lady Freya."
The situation felt wrong.
None of them greeted the Archmage.
None bowed.
They simply stared.
One after another, they reached into their pockets.
Glass vials caught the light.
Freya's pupils contracted.
"No—!"
The stoppers were pulled free.
Each of them tilted their heads back and inhaled.
The effect was immediate.
Their bodies spasmed violently.
Bones cracked beneath skin.
Their limbs twisted at impossible angles as dark veins spread across their bodies like roots.
Several dropped to all fours, screaming as their backs swelled grotesquely.
One man's jaw split apart until it reached the sides of his face.
Another's stomach ballooned outward, stretching his clothes until they tore.
Their eyes rolled back.
Only guttural growls remained.
"...Get behind me!" Freya thrust a hand forward, and a second later a crimson barrier expanded around herself and Morwenne. Freya's expression changed as she sensed the danger despite not knowing what it was.
The monsters didn't lunge.
They merely continued swelling, their flesh stretched tighter.
And tighter.
The nearest monster burst apart, a thunderous explosion swallowing the stairwell. The shockwave slammed into the barrier hard enough to send cracks racing across the surrounding walls.
Before the smoke could even clear—
Another exploded.
Then another.
And another.
The staircase disappeared beneath fire and pulverized stone.
The tower lurched violently as pillars snapped, almost collapsing the stairwell completely. Chunks of masonry crashed downward through the floors below as the chain reaction continued. Screams came the magicians and knights patrolling below.
Freya planted both feet.
Mana surged from every direction into the barrier as she reinforced it again and again, faster than it could break.
"Such destructive power…! Is this pure concentrated demonic energy!?"
The crimson dome groaned under the relentless bombardment.
The explosions echoed through the academy like rolling thunder before, at last...
Silence.
Only the sound of falling debris remained but thankfully the tower still stood due to Freya sending her mana through every crack she could to reinforce the building. That being said, there was still significant damage.
When the crimson barrier dissolved, dust poured through the ruined hallway down below.
Nearly half the outer wall had vanished, exposing the sky beyond.
"T-Thank you..." Morwenne coughed, leaning against a cracked pillar as she steadied herself. "W-What... what were those things? They just... exploded..."
Freya didn't answer immediately.
She walked to the shattered opening and looked over the academy grounds below.
The guard were already flooding into the courtyard.
Fortunately...
No more explosions so she breathed a sigh of relief.
Had she hesitated by even a heartbeat, the blast would have ripped through several floors of the tower.
"...A warning," she said quietly.
Morwenne looked at her.
"They wanted us to know they can hide among ordinary people."
Freya's gaze remained fixed on the city beyond the academy walls.
"They warned us that they're comingsoon. Yet we have no clue when or how they'll show themselves."
The realization settled over both women like ice.
If even academy staff could become weapons...
Who could they trust now?