How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 4

by Yukiya Murasaki

  “Thank you.” An expression of relief crossed her face, and she breathed a sigh.

  As if she was reminded of something, Lumachina also asked: “There is something called the ‘Death Knell disease’ here, right? Something that causes ‘X’ marks to appear on those afflicted.”

  “That’s correct. Once nine marks appear, their life is forfeit. It is a truly terrifying sickness.”

  “Sickness? Do you think of it like that as well...?” Lumachina asked, a dubious look on her face.

  “What do you mean?” Batutta cocked his head to the side.

  “That is not a sickness, but a curse, is it not?”

  A chill ran up Rem’s back. Goosebumps covered her skin, and the fur on her tail bristled.

  —A curse...!?

  Batutta put a hand on his forehead. “It can’t be... Are you sure that isn’t some sort of mistake?”

  “No, I have heard the voice of God, and that is no disease. I could also smell water, and the only thing that comes to mind for water in this town is the lake.”

  “That is true...”

  “I have also seen a darkness lurking deep underground... It seems there is something beneath the town.”

  “I see... So you’ve seen that much.”

  “There is a large-scale curse threatening the people of this town, Batutta. We must find a way to deal with it as soon as possible.”

  Rem kicked off the bed, leaping forward. “Why didn’t you tell that to Diablo!?”

  “Huh!? Eek!”

  Rem yanked Lumachina out of the chair, dragging the priestess behind herself as protection. At the same time, she sent out her Shadow Snake.

  At this Summon’s level, it wouldn’t even work on someone like Saddler, which is why she wasn’t expecting it to be able to “Bind” Batutta. But this would give her time to call forth one of her more powerful Summons. Even if he managed to defeat one of her mid-tier Summons, it should still be able to cause a considerable uproar.

  —Then Diablo will be sure to notice what’s going on...!

  But then, Shadow Snake managed to wrap around Batutta’s body; it hadn’t been destroyed.

  “Hm.”

  “What!?”

  The Bind was successful, leaving Rem bewildered. Batutta looked at her, curious.

  “What kind of nonsense is this, Adventurer?”

  “...Based on what Lumachina has said, if there really is someone putting a curse on this town, then only you could be the culprit,” Rem asserted.

  Lumachina let out a gasp in shock.

  “...For the love of...” Rem raised her voice. “Are you supposed to be smart or idiotic!? You have too little regard for the greed of other people!”

  “Huh?” Lumachina let out.

  “Just who benefits from having the curse spread!?”

  “Wha? B-Benefit...?”

  “The people suffering from the Death Knell disease are the ones offering donations to the Church!”

  “Ah...!!”

  Lumachina’s eyes opened wide. It seemed she never imagined the reason behind the curse was for gathering donations; but how could she? That pure innocence was exactly why she was the High Priest.

  The expression on Lumachina’s face said she couldn’t believe what was going on, so she turned to look at Batutta for answers.

  “What...does this mean?”

  “This is all just the ravings of that Adventurer over there. Me, using curses? Impossible! If it truly is a curse, then it’s most likely the work of someone who bears a grudge against the people of this town.”

  “Someone who bears a grudge...?”

  “Yes. A person’s hatred can be frighteningly unimaginable at times.”

  Rem shrank back.

  —He’s a tough one...

  She thought him to be the main perpetrator, but she couldn’t say anything to refute his excuse.

  “Person...” Lumachina wore an unhappy look on her face.

  “Hm?”

  “Why did you think it was a person doing this?”

  “Ngh...” Batutta was speechless.

  “All I said was that the Death Knell disease was a curse. Why did you think one of the races is the caster?” Lumachina asked again.

  Batutta gave a wry smile. “That is—how should I put it... After hearing it was a curse, my first instinct was to suspect it was the work of one of the races, that’s all. This is the former Demon Lord’s Domain, so of course there is the possibility it could be the Fallen. Forgive me, I merely jumped to conclusions.”

  He still continued to reject their suspicions. For him to keep denying it after coming this far almost made Rem think this could just be a misunderstanding on her part.

  Lumachina joined her hands together. “Is that true? Can you swear to God?”

  “Of course. I swear to God I am not taking part in any curse.” Batutta joined his hands together as well.

  “Very well... Then I shall believe you.”

  “I’m relieved to hear your understanding.”

  Rem was conflicted. Of course it would be for the best if he was someone they could trust. She didn’t want to think someone this strong in a position like this was the perpetrator in such an incident.

  —But he was all too suspicious.

  That said, if Lumachina trusted him, then there was nothing that could be done. Even though she finally managed to Bind him, she had to call off her Shadow Snake now.

  “Now then, call Sir Diablo and Shera here, if you please,” Lumachina said with a smile.

  Batutta was stunned. “Why would you want to do that?”

  “We are all going to visit with the victims of the Death Knell disease. You said they still line up in front of the tents even at night, correct? If we were to heal all those people, I am certain I would be able to receive even more tidings from God. With a curse that strong, we are sure to find where it is coming from in no time at all.”

  “I-Impossible!”

  “Do you think I am not capable of doing so? Batutta, the one standing before you is the High Priest.”

  “Mngh...”

  “What is the matter? Would there be trouble calling for him...? Never mind, we will go ourselves. Rem, let’s get ready to head out.”

  “Heh... Just as I would expect from you, Lumachina, you sure can get things done when they need to be.”

  Rem was on high alert. Her fingers slowly reached toward her pouch where she kept her Summon crystals.

  “I see,” Batutta let out a sigh. “So you can do even that... You have surpassed my expectations.”

  He fixed his glare on them.

  Rem’s vision wavered.

  —What’s happening...!?

  She was overcome with an intense drowsiness. She fell to the floor, hands first, and Lumachina quickly collapsed behind her. Her concentration was severed, and the summon spell for Shadow Snake was broken. It turned into a crystal, falling to the floor with a thud as well.

  —What’s going on!? I have to hurry and use my next Summon...!

  Rem managed to grab another crystal, but couldn’t gain the focus needed to complete the summoning.

  —Just what is happening...?

  Rem lost her fight with Saddler when he used his Subtle Chant on her; because of that, she had Diablo instruct her on their journey here to take countermeasures against it. Even if she couldn’t see magic energy, she trained herself so she could sense when someone was using a spell.

  “E... Even though...you haven’t done, anything...”

  “You’re right, I haven’t. I did manage to slip you some sleeping drugs, though.”

  —The candle on the table. He must have done something with the oil it used, and made it so it wouldn’t work on himself. His strange excuses were just a way to buy time, to render them powerless without raising a commotion.

  “Ngh...”

  —I hate this...

  Batutta came closer. He stood over Lumachina, who was already unconscious, and stomped on her head with his leat
her boot.

  “Insolent girl!”

  “St... Stop...” Rem said with a whimper. She reached out and grabbed Batutta’s ankle—but that was just about all she could do.

  Batutta glared down at her. “I will not kill you here. Your magic energies are strong, and you have a sense of justice as well. You are both very promising.”

  “Ngh...”

  What does he mean by “promising”...?

  Without getting the chance to ask him, Rem fell into a deep sleep...

  Chapter 4: In Hot Pursuit

  Diablo was dragged out of his slumber by something shaking him.

  “Mmngh...?”

  “Diablo, someone’s here... Hey, wakey-wakey~”

  His brain was still muddled.

  “Mmgh... I already said I wasn’t going... And my stomach hurts, and stuff...”

  “Wait, it does!? Are you okay, Diablo!?”

  The high-pitched voice worked its way into his consciousness like sand. The fog cleared from his head, waking him up.

  —What the hell did I just say!?

  “Whoa!?”

  Diablo jolted upright, and Shera’s eyes went round.

  “Waah!”

  “O-Oh, it’s you.”

  “Does your stomach hurt?”

  “Urk... Um, no... Th-That was...an expression from my world...! I don’t know how you heard it when I said it in this world’s language! I guess it just kinda came out!”

  “Oh, gotcha! Thank goodness.” Shera smiled in relief.

  The light of an oil lamp flickered in the corner of the room. The window was shut, and there was no light coming through the gaps.

  “It’s still night, no?”

  “Yeah, it is... But it looks like there’s someone else here.”

  “What?”

  Shera pointed toward the roof. A small, shadowy figure was perched on top of one of the beams.

  —They’re inside the room!?

  It felt like he would freak out at any second, but he feigned a calm composure. A Demon Lord never panicked.

  He picked up Tenma’s Staff from the side of the bed. “Hmph... So you look down on me. You must have a strong desire to be turned to ash, don’t you?”

  “Wait, wait! It’s me, boss!” The person waved their hands frantically.

  The shadowy figure clambered down from the darkness of the ceiling, standing on the floor in the light of the oil lamp. It was the Grasswalker, Horn. Diablo kept his staff pointed at Horn, not letting his guard down.

  “Just who are you?”

  “Aw, don’t be like that! I said I was an Adventurer, right?”

  “Oh? Do Adventurers around here go exploring in other people’s homes, is that it?”

  “No, you got it all wrong! I came here to meet with you, boss!”

  “He’s got curry smudged on the corner of his mouth!” Shera pointed out.

  “Oop—” Horn wiped his mouth.

  “You were absolutely stealing right now!”

  “I-I just happened across some leftovers in the kitchen when I was looking for your room, that’s all! No harm in snatching a quick bite to eat, right? Ahaha...”

  “You’re not exactly inspiring confidence in me. I’m not going to any dungeon, not until things settle down first.”

  Not to mention, if the newly discovered dungeon was Diablo’s personal area, it would have all the rare items he stockpiled from Cross Reverie inside it. Judging by the sub-standard equipment he saw everywhere else, his treasures were powerful enough to throw the military balance of the world into disarray. If they were to go there together, he would have to give Horn a share of the rewards. He didn’t think he needed anyone else’s help, anyway.

  “Leave. Now.”

  “Just hold your horses, chief... I’ve got another killer story, just for you.”

  “And just what would that be?”

  “I saw Paladin Captain Batutta load up your friends on a sand skimmer.”

  Diablo’s heart pounded against his chest.

  “What...was that...?”

  “Are you talking about Rem and Lumachina!?” Shera’s eyes were wide open as well.

  Horn puffed out his chest proudly. “It’s not every day you see a female priest and a flat-chested, black-furred Pantherian, so it’s gotta be them. Mm-hm-hm, so you didn’t know, did you! See? I can be pretty useful after—”

  Diablo leapt out of bed and advanced on Horn. “When was this!?”

  “A-About thirty minutes ago. It all looked kinda against their will since he was using the Paladin Brigade, so I thought I should let you know about it...”

  “I’m tearing you limb from limb if you’re lying, you got that!?”

  Grabbing Horn by the arm, Diablo burst into the hallway. Two maids where out there, wearing expressions of shock on their faces.

  “Wh-What seems to be the matter? If there is something you need, then we—”

  “Move! If you don’t want to get hurt, then stay out of my way!”

  “Eek!?”

  He ran through the hallway, dragging Horn along with him. Shera chased after the two, begging them to wait up all the while.

  The members of the Paladin Brigade had formed a wall in the middle of the hallway.

  “Beyond here lies the sleeping quarters for the High Priest! We will not allow you to pass, no matter who you are!”

  “I’m only here to confirm her well-being!”

  “We will not allow you to pass if you do not have Sir Batutta’s permission! We have this place firmly under our protection, so leave this to us!”

  “Don’t think for a second you’ll make it out unharmed if you get in my way!”

  “Boss, above you!” Horn yelled.

  There was a hole in the ceiling of the hallway, with Paladin Brigade members lying in wait inside of it. They jumped down, swords drawn.

  “Yeeeeargh!!”

  —You fools!

  “《Air Block》!!”

  Diablo unleashed a spell in which the air itself turned solid as concrete, forming an invisible barrier. Those who dropped from the ceiling crashed into it, their swords breaking with a high-pitched clang. Their faces took a good beating as they smacked into the invisible wall, teeth flying everywhere.

  “Ngwah!?”

  The other Paladin Brigade members drew their swords.

  “All right, he shouldn’t be able to use another spell right away! Kill him!!”

  “Just who do you think you’ve made enemies with, you fools! 《Freezia》!!”

  Unlike the other Elemental Sorcerers here, Diablo could rapid-cast mid-tier spells up to level 99.

  As Freezia activated, a shock wave of cold spread throughout the hallway. The entirety of the Brigade was frozen on the spot.

  “Woooooargh!? Guh, gah...!?”

  The white wave of frost even enveloped Diablo and the others, stinging their cheeks and ears. The walls shattered from the radical drop in temperature, slanting the building, while the crystals of ice formed a bud, which bloomed into a frozen flower. Diablo thought freezing everything would have been better than causing a fire, but this may have turned into a bigger disaster than he hoped for.

  —Well, it’s fine. I guess. As long as they’re still alive, they can get the priests to heal them.

  “We’re going!”

  “R-Right!”

  Dragging Horn along with him while Shera shivered from the cold, they all headed deeper inside.

  He kicked down the locked door—

  The beds were empty, and there was a crystal on the floor. One of the chairs had been knocked over, and an oil lamp still burned on the table, some sort of flowery scent coming from it.

  Diablo clenched his fists. For Batutta to carry off a Summoner of Rem’s caliber without making any kind of disturbance...

  “You’re better than I gave you credit for, Batutta...”

  “Wh-What do we do!” Shera’s shoulders were shaking. “Are Rem and Lumachina gonna be, k-kill—!?”

 
“If he just wanted to kill them, there would be no reason to take them away.”

  —He also would have done it sooner.

  According to Diablo’s theory, Batutta wasn’t a part of the Cardinal Authority. He had so many chances: back on the sand skimmer, when they were eating, when they were changing... Of course, Diablo had been on guard for that, but...

  “If he was going to make some kind of move, I would’ve thought he’d do it a bit later. I didn’t want to stir up trouble yet, either.”

  “What do you mean, Diablo?”

  “First, I needed to recover... Not to mention the Death Knell disease.”

  “Huh?”

  “It’s no disease, but a curse.”

  “Whaaaat!?” Both Shera and Horn raised their voices in shock.

  Diablo had seen a curse that caused the same effects during a limited time event back in Cross Reverie where “X” marks would show up on NPCs. If players didn’t destroy the enemy stronghold within a period of nine days, a great deal of people would die. It was a serious plot line that he remembered the message boards getting all worked up over. Players would tackle the specified dungeon and defeat the event boss there, which would fill the “event gauge.” The plot of the quest line would change as they filled the gauge.

  It should go without saying, but Diablo completely cleared the event, of course, snagging himself a “Death Knell Disease Charm” as a reward.

  —It didn’t have any effect in battle, but was just an item that got you an in-game movie of all NPCs thanking you...

  According to the quest in the game, the curse was the work of the Fallen, with there also being a dungeon located underneath the church. But in this world, the church was closed off by the local guards, so there was no way any Fallen would be lurking underground there. Not to mention that, in-game, the governor of Zircon Tower wasn’t a woman with such a “colorful” personality like here.