Needless to say, the tea party came to an abrupt end that day.
It seemed everyone was doing everything in their power to investigate who had planted the poison. Noah and Gazel had even formed a united front, vowing to hunt down the culprit who had targeted them no matter what.
It was good that the relationship between the two had improved to some degree, but...
"Even so... Grimo, huh?"
I had returned to my room and was listening to Jiriel's report.
"Yes! I saw him acting quite suspiciously while we were preparing for the tea party. It was undoubtedly his doing! The proof is that he's vanished into thin air even now!"
Jiriel ground his teeth in frustration. It was true; I couldn't feel Grimo's presence at all currently. Thinking back, the magic density in the hand housing Grimo had felt a bit low since this morning. He must have left only a fragment of himself behind while I was sleeping, while his main body slipped out. Even the voice I heard at the tea party had sounded like it was coming from somewhere far away.
"But even if that's the case, why would Grimo poison those two? He has no motive."
It was Grimo's first time meeting Noah and Gazel, and their reaction toward Grimo while he was acting as my double hadn't been bad. In other words, he was handling things well. I couldn't see any reason for him to try and kill them.
"...Actually, late the other night, I saw Grimo slip out of Master Lloyd's body. I followed him secretly, wondering where on earth he could be going at such an hour, and I witnessed him having a secret meeting with a mysterious man."
Jiriel gulped. Before I knew it, his shoulders had begun to tremble.
"T-That man is dangerous! It was dim, so I couldn't see him clearly, but his body contained a mana that was both immense and evil! He was undoubtedly a Demon! A high-ranking Demon at that!"
—Demon. They were the aristocratic existences of the Demon World. They reigned as the rulers of all Majins, possessing power so vast that even a horde of Majins could not hope to match them. I had fought one once before, and I recall it being quite a formidable opponent.
"Yes. A Demon was likely lurking within this academy, and he must have coerced Grimo into joining him. A mere Majin can't possibly defy a Demon, after all. Having betrayed Master Lloyd on that Demon's orders, Grimo must have been the one to poison those two. ...Ugh, if only I had warned Master Lloyd sooner, it wouldn't have come to this..."
Jiriel ground his teeth with regret. Despite their bickering, those two were actually on decent terms. He probably wanted to believe his suspicions were just his imagination. Come to think of it, Grimo had been absolutely terrified when we faced a Demon before. It's an instinct carved into the very soul of a Majin. Given that, he would likely do whatever he was told if threatened.
"I see. I understand now. In short, all I have to do is defeat the Demon who is the root of all this."
I've researched various things since that last fight and expanded my repertoire of magic. This is a perfect opportunity to experiment to my heart's content on a resilient high-ranking Demon.
However, Jiriel fell silent at my words. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. After a long, heavy silence, he answered slowly.
"There was one more reason I hesitated to speak. The mana that Demon possessed... I felt it was far greater than even Master Lloyd's. I feared it might be dangerous, even for you..."
◆
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! I told you to make sure you poisoned those brothers properly, didn't I!?"
In the darkness of the backyard, a man's voice rang out. He had flaming red hair and was wrapped in a jet-black cloak. Perhaps due to his irritation, his sharp eyes tilted upward even further, looking as distorted as a crescent moon.
"Are you listening to me, Guricass!?"
The man used his long leg to stomp on the black goat groveling on the ground. The black goat—Grimoire—let out a pained "Guh" but kept his forehead pressed against the floor.
"Y-Yes, Boss Vilfrey! I certainly put the poison in, but..."
"Idiot! Telling you to 'put the poison in' obviously means to kill them with it! Don't give me those pathetic excuses!"
"It hurts—!?"
The man called Vilfrey stomped on Grimoire's head repeatedly with the sole of his boot.
"The descendants of the clan that repelled the Demon King's Army's advance... I didn't think there was any need to worry so much about mere humans, but I went through the trouble of using a tedious method just to be certain... Why are you wasting my consideration, huh!?"
With a particularly heavy thud, Grimoire was kicked away. He rolled across the ground, hit a wall, and lay prostrate as Vilfrey looked down at him coldly.
"Well, you've been a piece of trash since the old days. Despite the fact that I, Vilfrey of the Scarlet of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Army, have been keeping an eye on you for centuries, you haven't grown a single bit."
Vilfrey sneered while hurling insults.
"When I first picked you up, you were so, so weak, doing nothing but crying. Well, that pathetic weakness is what makes you good for a laugh. Kuku... honestly, I never expected to find you acting as a familiar for some mere human when I saw you again after all this time. You're a disgrace to the name of Majin, you know that? And you even lost a serious fight to a human. You're beyond pathetic. Aren't you ashamed to be alive? Hyaha!"
The fight with Lloyd a few days ago had also been carried out on Vilfrey's orders. Fight him seriously, or I'll kill you. That's what Grimoire had been told.
"Well, it's true that brat had a decent amount of mana for a human. He's a kid, but his rank seems reasonably high. Maybe I could use his body as a vessel for me while I'm here?"
"B-Boss Vilfrey! That's not what we agreed...!"
Seeing Grimoire's panicked reaction, Vilfrey grinned widely.
"Pfft! What are you getting so desperate for, Grimoire-chan? That was obviously a joke. No matter how much mana he has, do you really think I'd entrust my precious magic body to a mere human? I just teased you a bit because your face was so priceless."
"Ugh... w-well, as long as that's the case..."
"Besides, my current state is more convenient for carrying out my work. I have no interest in a brat's body like that to begin with."
As he spoke, Vilfrey's aura shifted.
"...But you, you just looked blatantly relieved, didn't you? You've grown quite attached to a mere human, haven't you? Eh? Hey!"
Vilfrey stomped over to Grimoire and hoisted him up by his body with one hand. He glared into Grimoire's eyes with his crimson gaze—intense, cold, and predatory. Grimoire froze under the sheer pressure.
"Let me make one thing clear, Guricass. There will never be any master for a weakling like you other than me, Lord Vilfrey, for all eternity. I'm feeling generous, so I'll let your past transgressions slide, but if you betray me again—I'll erase you."
Grimoire nodded frantically, again and again. Sweat poured from his entire body, and he forgot even to swallow as drool spilled from his mouth.
Vilfrey stared at him for a moment longer, then tossed him aside like garbage and turned on his heel. Finally released, Grimoire breathed heavily as he watched the figure melt into the darkness.
"Hah... hah... Haha... As expected, Lord Vilfrey is incredible. That tremendous torrent of mana... it's not even comparable to that guy. So this is the power of a high-ranking Demon. There's no one who could defy him. ...Hehe, I knew that. So why was I obeying a mere human? A magic-obsessed brat like that... someone who's just insolent and acts only on curiosity. Hehe... hehehe..."
Grimoire's dry laughter echoed. They were words that sounded as if he were desperately trying to convince himself.
"...Well, I won't be seeing that guy again anyway. This Hidden Side deployed by Lord Vilfrey is a special barrier that only a select few even among the Demons can create. No matter how great a mage he is, it's impossible for him to get here. Besides, once Lord Vilfrey's scheme succeeds, it's the end for the humans. Kuku... serves them right. Sealing me away like that... and then breaking the seal for his own convenience, housing me in his palm, working me like a slave, involving me in all those dangerous things..."
Memories of his time with Lloyd drifted through Grimoire's mind. Countless moments surfaced and then vanished. Before he knew it, tears welled up in his eyes and began to fall in heavy drops.
"Damn it... I won't... be able to see him anymore, will I..."
Leaving behind a faint murmur that seemed ready to fade into nothingness, Grimoire also melted into the darkness.