256: The Artifact

Apart from the Human World where we lived, the world of Noblesse Oblige contained another realm.

It was the "Demon World," the domain of the Demon Race and their ruler, the Demon King.

Naturally, that world was home to many nations as well. Monsters roamed the wilds, and Demon World Inhabitants lived their lives there. At the top of it all sat the Demon King, the sovereign who had unified the entire realm.

These beings would cross over into the Human World for the sake of sheer pleasure, attacking—and in some cases, devouring—the people they found. But at the core of their motivation lay a desire to bring this world under their thumb as well.

Suppose you were a king who had unified every single country in your reach. If there was even one tiny, glaring omission, wouldn't you want to fill it? That was the Human World to them. The one missing piece in their collection.

In the Original Story, the enemies Allen faced weren't limited to the Demon Race. Our protagonist was destined to clash swords with the Demon World Inhabitants as well.

That had been one of the more interesting aspects of Noblesse Oblige. As the worldview expanded, a catharsis was born from the intertwining of new enemies, new allies, new races, and increasingly complex relationships.

Of course, when that "expansion" happened in reality, it was nothing but a massive pain in the ass.

"So, assuming this 'Demon World' actually exists, how do you know about it, Weiss?"

We weren't exactly in an outdoor classroom, but we were gathered atop a building discussing the nature of the Demon World. Duke’s airheaded question came flying my way.

In addition to the members who had been there moments ago, Carta, Olynn, and Tura had joined us. It was a "full cast" sort of situation. Normally, no one would believe a word of this. But these guys were different.

Before I could answer, Cecil spoke up to back me up.

"Allow me to supplement his explanation. It seems the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Ostrava are already aware of this. In the first place, don't you think the sudden appearance of monsters is strange? One theory suggests they are coming from the Demon World. Though, by now, they are likely breeding within the Human World as well."

I knew the truth because of the Original Story, but Cecil had managed to dig up information on the Demon World entirely on her own. In the game, there was a pivotal episode where an Artifact was stolen. That was why I intended to take the initiative this time, just as I had with the Large-scale Invasion.

Shari spoke up next.

"So, in short, these Demon World Inhabitants are coming to steal that Artifact? And you want to stop them?"

"Exactly. It’s not a certainty yet, but according to Cecil’s Intel, they’ve already started probing."

"Probing?"

As Shari tilted her head, Cecil provided the answer.

"The Artifact is an item I won at auction at Fansent-kun’s request. Its formal name is 'Recall of Memories.' It’s a magical book used to recover forgotten events—a very ancient relic from the era of the Dark War. I’ve discovered a group currently investigating its whereabouts."

"Why would the Demon World Inhabitants want that?"

I took the lead on Shari’s question.

"The Demon World Inhabitants are essentially underlings for the Demon Race. The ones who actually want the book are likely the higher-ups. It’s said that the reason Pseudo-Demons have such short lifespans after being resurrected is due to a memory issue. Humans rely on their past as a vessel for their existence. By using that book to make those memories take root, the demons intend to turn them into true humans."

Allen, who had remained silent until now, spoke up with a start.

"Is the Demon Race—or the Demon World Inhabitants—planning to use people from the past to create soldiers? No... an army?"

"Most likely."

The legends of the past possessed power far greater than anyone alive today. When you lived in a state of constant war, you became strong whether you wanted to or not. The Demon Race was cunning and efficient; they had likely judged that it would be much faster to recruit ancient villains than to try and trample the Human World through sheer numbers.

They were trying to revive humans even more powerful than the ones I remembered from the Original Story. In a way, our own increased strength might have been what was jacking up the game's difficulty level.

Still, as imprudent as it is, my blood is starting to pump. To think that legendary great sages or master swordsmen might stand in our way as enemies...

Cynthia suddenly addressed me.

"Weiss, in that case, wouldn't it be better to simply destroy the Artifact? Or perhaps we could cast it into the depths of the ocean?"

"I tried to destroy it. I couldn't. Artifacts were created using the concentrated wisdom of ancient mages. It’s likely a feat impossible even for Senior Eva. Furthermore, it emits a very peculiar mana. We could hide it and pray to the gods, but I’d rather ensure our safety by driving them back with our own hands."

Indestructible items weren't exactly a rarity in games. In fact, that was exactly how the Artifact was categorized.

Unlike the Human World, the Demon World was in a constant state of war. They didn't have the luxury of peace; they fought for their lives every single day. Naturally, their intelligence was high as well. I had known they would eventually trace the Artifact back to Cecil after she won the auction.

I planned to use that against them. I just didn't expect the timing to be this bad.

Lilith seemed to realize the gravity of the situation as well. She let out a heavy, sorrowful sigh.

"Of all the times for this to happen... Teacher Milk and the others aren't here, and neither is Senior Eva. They won't be back from the School Trip until next week."

"Yeah. Though, I honestly don't know if Eva would have helped us against an opponent that wasn't part of the Demon Race anyway. If anything, if she heard that great figures from the past were being resurrected, she’d probably switch sides and become our enemy. I can practically see her face lighting up and calling it 'interesting.'"

Everyone gave a solemn nod. They knew exactly what I meant.

"More importantly... are you guys really okay with this? This isn't a school exam or a training exercise."

I had only asked because I was already working with Cecil, but there was zero benefit for the rest of them. Unlike me, they weren't trying to avoid a 'Ruin Ending.'

And yet, Allen stood up.

"I’m just doing what's natural. After we saved Sophia-san, so many people were happy. I’m sure this will be the same."

There he goes. The typical protagonist. I honestly couldn't tell if this guy ever thought about the consequences of his actions or not.

"I’m sorry, but I have no interest in the Demon Race or these inhabitants," Tura added, standing as well. "However, I do love a good fight. More than that, I love helping people. I shall lend my strength as well."

"Me too," Olynn said. "Besides, if I'm with everyone, I'm sure we can overcome any hardship."

"...Me too," Carta whispered. "Resurrecting people from the past just to force them to fight is... it's pitiful. If we can stop that, I'll help."

I was amazed at how easily they believed such a preposterous story, but I suppose for the inhabitants of this world, the "mysterious" was an everyday occurrence. In a world where magic existed, the word "impossible" probably didn't carry much weight.

Repulsing them this time might end up being meaningless in the long run. But Sophia hadn't been attacked in the way the Demon Race had predicted. If this world followed game logic, preventing an event once meant it wouldn't trigger a second time.

If that was the case, then by altering this destiny, the entire outlook of the coming war would change.

Just you wait, Demon King. Eventually, I'm coming for your head.