When I awoke, I was next to a camp fire. It seemed like the wounds from the fight had been almost completely healed.
"Oh, look who's finally awake"
This was the same voice I had heard in the forest. She appeared to be fairly young, and taking a closer look it seemed that she was some sort of mage. She was wearing a set of long green robes with white trimming, and there was what looked like a staff on the ground next to her.
"I'm glad I was passing by, I think another few minutes would have been the end of you"
"Who are you?"
She looked at me with pursed lips
"Jeez, maybe 'thank you for saving my life, you're my hero' or something"
I laughed.
"Yes, thank you. This was my first encounter with monsters like that"
She gave me a look of shock
"And you managed to kill four of them? The sword you're carrying is similar to theirs and one was unarmed. Does that mean you didn't even have a weapon when they attacked?"
"It was mostly luck, I just ended up making the right move"
"How humble can you get?"
"You still haven't told me your name"
"Since you seem so hung up on it, my name is Elena"
"My name is Klein. Are you an adventurer?"
"Yes, although I just graduated from the magic academy in the capital last month. To be honest, if you hadn't taken out those goblins I don't think I would have been able to save you."
"What level are you?"
"What a rude question."
Maybe that was prying, but I was curious. The spell I heard her chant was called '
"I'm level 12. I've been performing quests for the adventurers guild in Calerion for the past month. I came out here to visit my parents in Varillio, I was about to head into town when I saw you."
Oh. I think it's safe to assume she doesn't know what happened, but maybe I can work with her to try to fix it.
"There are some things you should know"
I told her everything I knew about the situation, how the demon had somehow replaced the lord of the land and the residents were acting strange, as if they were cautious of everybody coming into town.
"I see, I hope they're ok. My parents have always been pretty resilient so I think they'd be fine, but if the residents are acting strange there has to be a reason for it. I can't see any way a low level demon would be able to control the minds of the entire town, so I don't believe that's the issue."
It's probably not mind control then?
"How do you want to go about this? I doubt we can fight against him with the strength we have right now."
She stood up proudly.
"I am Elena Scharthschil, granddaughter of the champion Reichard Scharthschil. If a demon dares lay his grasp on my home, I will move forward and destroy it. I am going to town to challenge this demon."
"..."
This woman was an idiot.
Should I stop her or just let her march off to her death? Damn these morals of mine.
I stood up from where I had been sitting, grabbed her staff and hit her over the head with it.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"What was that for? Are you stupid? You want to walk up to a lesser demon and try to take him head on? I'm weak, but at least I admit that. You're level 12, and he's at minimum level 20 with enough strength to take over the entire town and have that effect on them. Now I need to stop you from running off to a meaningless death."
She looked towards the ground. I guess my words got to her. The confidence that had swelled up inside her had disappeared, and now she looked sad.
She began to cry.
"My family is in that town, and I have friends there. How powerless am I after graduating from that horrible academy that I can't even take down a stupid demon"
She was sobbing at this point. I had to stop her, but I'm not the type to comfort people with reassurance.
"If you want to save your family, help me come up with a plan to take down this demon. I have a friend inside the town doing surveillance right now to try and get more information, so please just stop crying"
"I'm sorry I'm so useless, I'll get stronger"
The crying continued, and it seemed she completely misunderstood my point. This woman was hopeless.
After about 15 minutes of this, Bastion found us.
"I see you've made a new acquaintance, Master Klein. A pleasure to meet you my lady."
He said this as he performed a respectful bow.
"I have some interesting information from the town, it would seem that the demon is not a particularly strong one, and probably about the same level as the lady present. The reason the townsfolk are so cautious is because as it would seem, this demon is a doppelganger."
"A doppelganger? Like a mimic?"
"Yes, at first it took the appearance of the town's noble and was caught by an investigator from the guard, but it hasn't been seen since."
It makes sense that the townspeople are cautious of new people coming into town. I doubt it actually benefits them to be wary of new people though, as the doppelganger could easily take the place of one of them. What is it's goal?
It seemed our only option was to venture into town and continue our investigation, maybe the residents would be less wary if a familiar face showed up. Or maybe they would be more wary due to the nature of the issue.
Luckily, I had a unicorn.
Words that just a few days ago I never thought would cross my mind did so like it was nothing. Bastion had the ability to read the hearts of people, so the plan we formulated revolved around him reading every person in town individually to try and find out where the mimic was, and take it down. A simple plan, but I couldn't think of a better one.
Walking through town, we saw a gathering of people in the middle of a wide clearing. We kept a slight distance, but moved close enough to find out what was going on.
There was a man standing on a podium, perhaps a preacher or public figure in the town. He was a handsome middle aged man who seemed to have charisma seeping from his every pore. He wore a black suit with a red tie, and was speaking about the troubles the town was having.
We stopped at the back of the gathering, and I turned to Bastion.
"Do you see anybody suspicious?"
"That's him"
He was pointing at the podium. Were the people somehow fooled into believing this man was the public figure they believed he was?
"That's Father Baldrick, he's the town's priest and one of the most respected people in town. To think that this demon has his grasp so deep. Does this mean that the real father is -"
"Dead. More than likely your priest has been killed. It's unfortunate, but the only thing we can do is try to prevent further things from occuring."
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"Mommy, are those the strange people the nice priest man told us to be careful about?"
This was coming from a young girl as she pointed in our direction. At this point some of the residents began to notice us. As they had before, they began acting strangely. Before long a commotion had been made to the point we could no longer hide the fact we were there.
But what did she say? The priest had told them to be careful of us?
"As I predicted, the face of the deceptive demon has appeared before us in attempt to bring ruin to us all! The Goddess Sofia has guided me to this discovery, and one of his bodyguards has even stolen the appearance of one of our townspeople!"
What...
"We cannot allow him to speak! His lies will brainwash all but the strongest people, and attempt to turn you against the path of righteousness! We must take him and end the scourge that plagues this town once and for all."
"Master Klein, I suggest we run."
"I agree"
Elena seemed to be in shock. Her people were being turned on her and her brain didn't have time nor energy to keep up with it. I grabbed her, threw her over my shoulder, and jumped on the now transformed Bastion as we made our escape.
Once out of town, we built a fire and checked the pitfall traps we had been using for food.
"They were going to kill me"
"They aren't in their right minds, the demon is working to convince the people that all outsiders are enemies."
Elena had tears rolling down her eyes.
"My parents were in that mob, they looked at me like I was a monster."
This girl cries a lot. I guess it's understandable considering the situation, but it's really not productive.
"Master Klein. I am no tactician, but the only approach to this that I can see is to infiltrate the town's church. I would suggest undergoing this effort at night."
I'm very thankful to have the assistance of this man. If it weren't for him we both would dead right now.
This was a good plan, we were past the point of doing anything in the open, especially during the day. However, if we killed the priest, we needed to find some way to convince the townspeople that he was a demon before we became the target of a witch hunt. So that night we packed up our camp and decided to set off to the church.
Bastion stayed just outside of the area to keep lookout for us, as well as act like a getaway van for our crime.
It was a beautiful church for such a small town. Not very large, but not small enough to be considered mediocre. I've never been a churchgoer, but I had always admired the artwork people create for them. The top of the building was a statue of a beautiful woman with wings spread. I can only imagine this is a depiction of the Goddess Sophia he mentioned.
The windows were all a beautiful stain glass, with many different religious symbols and decorations. All of this beauty meant nothing in the hands of the rock that was thrown towards it. The window shattered. Luckily the church was fairly secluded, but that glass breaking may have alerted anybody who may have been inside.
"We need to be careful"
I glared at Elena, who was now regretting her decision to throw a rock at the window.
Just then, I heard footsteps around the corner of the church and pulled her behind a large tree just outside.
Is it normal to keep a roving patrol at a church? This security is strange for a building used only for worship. Time to see if this mage can actually be useful.
"Can you subdue them?"
"Yes, but I need time to prepare.
She began to chant in a slight whisper, and two guards turned around the corner to investigate the source of the noise. Elena had cast illusion magic to make the window seem in tact, so hopefully they would just continue their patrol.
Had we been spotted? They started walking toward us. Maybe because this is the only spot in the area you would be able to hide behind, I had no choice but to prepare for a fight.
"
Elena finished her chant in time, and just as they were about to come in our view.
The two guards collapsed to the ground, and showed no signs of movement. I guess she was reliable after all. I mean she did save my life.
We pulled the guard behind the tree and propped their heads up slightly, then continued into the church. It seemed to be empty, so we split up to search for any evidence of the demon.
There was a small office in the back of the church with a desk inside and a few unlit candles lining the walls. Honestly, I don't know what I was looking for. Hopefully I could find something that could bring the truth to light, but I was doubtful.
Did I hear something?
It sounded like a voice was coming from below, but I must be crazy. Am I?
I went to meet up with Elena again, as she was busy searching through the altar like a thief robbing a jewelry store.
"Does this church have a cellar or basement?"
"I think so, but nobody ever used it when I lived here. It was probably just for storage."
So our objective changed. Rather than searching the church, we began looking for the entrance to the basement. After a few minutes of searching, we found a hidden door under one of the rugs used near the altar.
Slowly, we opened the wooden trap door, and it creaked slightly at the hinges. I went first, sword in hand, followed by Elena. Even though she was stronger than me, magic users are meant to take the backline positions for support, so I had to suck it up and act as a vanguard.
The staircase was longer than I thought it would be, and once we reached the bottom there was a dark sight. Six people were standing at each point of a star on the floor, each holding a candle and wearing a hooded robe. In the center of the star was a man I recognized. The priest of the town, or the demon who had taken over the priest of the town, was performing some form of ritual right now.
He glanced our way, and I saw a look of haste in his eyes.
"We must hurry, the demons are here and they intend to stop the strengthening. Hurry!"
As he said that, the hooded figures pulled something out of their robes.
Knives.
This was a sacrificial ritual, and the people here were probably innocent villagers brainwashed into doing this.
"Stop this now!"
Elena yelled as loud as she could, but it was as though her voice couldn't be heard by them. The hooded figures fate had already been sealed.
I sprinted towards the demon in the middle, fortunately nobody made any intention to stop me. As my sword plunged into his chest, the knives plunged into the stomachs of the sacrifices as well.
Before this, I had asked Elena to begin the chant for a spell I'd heard once in the past. Of course this would be a weaker version, but on a demon of this level it should have effect.
"HAHAHAHA"
The demon began to laugh loudly, my sword still buried in his chest.
I pulled it out and backed off several feet.
"If you morons had arrived five minutes earlier, you might have actually won! I was weakened during the ritual, so it might have been possible to kill me. Now that it's complete and I've achieved this nice boost in power, I'm happy to be able to test it on you!"
"
The demon froze in place
"What is this? Bind magic? You wish to stall for time to make an escape?"
I took a rope I had found earlier and used it to tie his hands firmly behind his back while the bind was in effect. I've always been very skilled with knots, and while he was slightly stronger than before, I didn't believe he could simply rip through this thick rope.
"What are you planning to do?"
As he said this, I stared at the sword I had pulled from his chest. The blood was not red, but black. I looked at him for a moment with hatred in my eyes, and turned my eyes back to my sword.
"What's the most helpless feeling you've ever had? I hope to be the one who takes all the control you ever thought you had from you."
The demon looked at me with absolute terror in his face. As if he was the one staring into the eyes of a demon.
The sword I have was taken from the body of a goblin. It's not exactly dull, but I wouldn't venture so far as to call it sharp either. That being said,
It took several swings to lop off the head of the demon standing before me.
I will never forgive them for what their mind control made me do.
I would have liked to report this to the people of the town, but I had the feeling the earlier hostilities brewed would have been fresh in their minds still. So we left the town for a few days, making sure to leave a path to the basement so the people could discover this scene on their own.
While we were out, we discovered the nest of the goblins that had attacked me. In order to get stronger, I needed to fight.
It was a cave just west of the town, and it seemed to be the home of about 30 more goblins than what we had seen before.
This time was different than the last, I don't know if defeating that demon had somehow made me stronger, but these goblins felt much weaker than the ones I fought before. I slaughtered them mercilessly, and at the depths of the cave we found a few valuable looking items that might be worth selling.
After three days away from the town, we decided to venture in and hope that all was well.
Once again, I rode into town on Bastion. This time Elena was with me, clinging on my back for dear life(She had a fear of horseback riding).
As we got into town, we once again were met with wary looks from the townspeople, and eventually stopped and dismounted in the middle of town.
Kneeling in front of me was a man with a face of strength. The kind of man who you wouldn't assume to bend his knee easily.
"We are deeply ashamed of the acts that we have attempted against you, hero."
So they knew. They must have been nervous, I assume they feel the guilt of what the demon did, and curse themselves for allowing it.
"I am Jeran Scharthschil, the senior representative of the Guard of Varillio. I thank you for taking care of my daughter."
"Daddy!"
Elena ran to the man and hugged him tightly.
After that, we were able to conduct business in the town without issues. We managed to get about 5,000 peli from the trinkets we found in the goblins cave. From the values I've seen so far, that would probably be equivalent to around 500 US dollars. Not bad, considering we started with nothing. We were able to get food and a few assorted potions that would help in our travels. Thankfully, Elena's parents had extra rooms for us in their house. They seemed pretty well off. I took the last 3,000 peli we had left over and took it to the local blacksmith.
"What can I buy with this?"
The blacksmith looked at me with a wide smile.
"You saved this town, and we tried to kill you. I think it's safe to say that each and every one of us are in your debt."
"I only did what I thought was right."
"You'd be surprised how few people are willing to do that."
He said this as he reached below his counter, and pulled out a large trunk from underneath.
"These are heirlooms of the champion Reichard Scharthschil, given to my grandfather by him as his dying wish, along with this note"
He handed me a note.
'These personal effects assisted me greatly in my life, and my greatest wish is that a part of myself can help another who shares my will to achieve their dreams.'
"Consider these a gift from this town, as payment for your efforts."
There was no way I could turn this down, I'm really amazed how humble all these people are.
"Thank you"
The first thing I pulled from the box was a set of light armor, it was pitch black and had a beautiful sheen to it, as if it would glint if the light touched it. To my surprise it fit perfectly, the shoulder cape attached to it felt a bit cheesy, but apparently it was imbued with magical effects, so it was worth it.
At the bottom of the box was a long, thin case. When I pulled it out and opened it, I couldn't believe my eyes. Inside the case was a longsword with a pitch black blade. When I picked it up, I noticed that it was incredibly light.
To test the sharpness of the blade, I lightly ran my finger across it to get a feel of it.
After cleaning the blood, reattaching my finger and drinking a healing potion, I sheathed the sword and attached it to my hip.
"You look so cool!"
The voice came from Elena, seeing me in my new armor as she walked into the blacksmith's store.
We had been in this town for a week, and Elena had asked to travel with us. She was kind of an idiot, but she seemed like a reliable mage, so I agreed.
After saying our goodbyes to the people we had met over the past few weeks, we headed out towards the city of Calerion.