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The Demons’ Domain – Part 02

Translator: Kell

Gemma, the captain of the Northern Expeditionary Force of the Knights Templar, had only recently turned nineteen.

In addition to being fair, upright, and honorable, she was also skilled enough to be chosen by Eudwright, Commander of the Knights Templar, to lead the expedition. Overall, she was a splendid individual.

After her father died thirteen years ago, she followed his footsteps and eventually joined the Knights Templar. It was a tale that would have moved me to tears, but unfortunately I was the one who killed her father. I could not even manage a bitter laugh.

We had to march through the demon-infested northern part of the continent to save a bigshot of the Church in the far north.

Then we needed to kill Zero’s Master, who was apparently hiding somewhere up north, to save the world.

We were supposed to be working together with the knights, but they didn’t seem to trust a witch and a Beastfallen duo in the slightest.

But those issues paled in comparison to my personal problem.

“Be careful what you say and do, Witch,” I said. “If anyone finds out, there will be more than just a little trouble.”

“Worry not,” Zero replied. “No one will approach us.” Stretching, she spread some straws and lay down in the hurriedly-built carriage, covered only by a canvas to keep out the rain. “This precious, shabby carriage does not even have a driver.”

“I know, but still.”

Through the gap in the canvas, I saw a horse without a rider to pull its reins. Common sense told me there was not a single person from the knights who would want to drive a carriage carrying a witch and a Beastfallen.

Gemma tried to use her authority to pick a driver, but Zero refused, saying, “We can handle the horse ourselves.”

Horses are smart. Even without a driver, they plodded along the road on their own, and stopped when there was danger.

Zero, the extraordinary witch, controlled the horse as a familiar, and the carriage moved forward smoothly.

While it was indeed handy, even I, who was used to witches, found it creepy. I could easily imagine the disgust of the knights.

The Knights Templar selected for the expedition to Knox Cathedral numbered more than ten thousand. It was a huge battalion, considering that the other groups headed for the other cathedrals only had around four thousand troops each.

The flag bearer marched ahead of the long column of knights, their flag fluttering in the wind. Our carriage, however, leading all of them, bore no banner.

Maybe we should fly the banner of Wenias? Or create a new crest? But I’m not sure what kind of emblem is appropriate for us.

“And?” Zero said while I was busy mulling over trivial matters.

I shot her a questioning look, and Zero jerked her chin toward the troops.

“Did you do it?” she asked. “Or is it simply a false accusation brought about by your infamy?”

Oh, she’s talking about Gemma’s father.

“I did, unfortunately.” Sighing, I let my ears droop and lay down the straw. “I clearly remember killing a bigshot from the Knights Templar who had the same skin color as the commander.”

“You only have his skin color and position to go on. How can you be so certain?”

“An emblem of a moon and a black cat.”

Joining the Knights Templar required one to abandon their family name and renounce all inheritance rights. The only thing you were allowed to bring was a familiar weapon, which usually bore the family’s crest.

The man I killed wielded a one-handed battle axe with a black cat and moon emblem engraved on it.

Gemma’s weapons were also one-handed axes bearing the same emblem of a moon and a black cat. I couldn’t be mistaken.

“If it happened in the midst of battle, then you are not to blame. Warfare is kill or be killed, is it not?”

“Not when we were on the same side.”

“What?” Leaning on her elbow, Zero straigthened up. The fact that I had killed an ally came as quite a surprise to her.

“I’m not gonna spare you the details,” I said. “It’s a sickening story.”

“You are such a bore.”

“Did you think I was fun?”

“Hmm.” Zero crawled across the straw to sidle up to me.

“What?” I said.

“I thought that by becoming closer physically, our hearts would come closer as well, making you more willing to talk.”

“It’s not gonna work.”

“I am on your side. If you have ever killed an ally, don’t you think I have a right to know the details?”

“Unfortunately for you, I’m a mercenary who kills for coin. I also received hush money to keep my mouth shut. Nothing you say can make me talk.” For once, I was unwavering.

“What a bore.” Zero pouted. “Then I will take a wild guess. If you were paid to keep quiet about the matter, that would mean someone hired you to kill the commanding officer. Were you bribed by the enemy? But you are a beast warrior. You are too conscpicuous. You would cast suspicion on yourself if you made contact with the enemy. I doubt you are fit to be an assassin either.”

“Shut up. Stop prying into my private life.”

I opened my hand wide and grabbed half of Zero’s face, covering both her nose and mouth. She didn’t struggle, and instead looked at me with reproachful eyes as though saying, “I’m going to suffocate.”

The look on her face suggested I could stay like this for hours and she would not even suffocate. I was tempted to see how long the witch could go without breathing, but a sudden neigh of the horse cleared the mischievous thoughts from my head.

“Did you stop it?” I asked.

“No,” Zero answered. “The horse noticed something.”

Zero and I cut our jabbering and peered through the gap in the canvas. The first thing we saw were three dead bodies hanging from branches. One of them had a signboard hanging from its neck that bore words written in blood.

“Demon territory up ahead,” Zero read. “Welcome, humans.”

I didn’t know whether I should laugh or be scared.

“Hey, Witch. Can demons write?”

“Lesser demons do not even have a sense of self, but demon kings possess knowledge far greater than that of humans.”

“What’s wrong?!” A horse came galloping from the group behind us. “Why did you stop?!”

I pointed to the corpse with the sign and the road that stretched beyond it. The soldier instantly stiffened. He managed to swallow the scream that rose to his throat.

I’ll give him props for that.

The hanging corpses seemed to serve as some sort of a boundary. The scenery beyond it—in the Demons’ Domain—was nothing short of bizarre.

The trees along the road were all gray and dead, their tops plunged into the ground in an eerie arc. They were like ghastly greenery arches. Normally, the wooden frames would be decorated with lush leaves and brightly-colored flowers, but these were a little different.

The endless rows of gates were decorated with human corpses. Intestines hung among the woods like red-dyed cloth, and a human head sat perfectly on each arch. It was beyond gruesome. It was like a scene straight out of fiction, the beginning of a nightmare of an artist who wished to die.

It was only the first day of our expedition, and we were already met with a situation too intense for powerless humans.

“Soldier,” Zero said. “Go get the captain. From here on out, it is quite literally demons’ territory. We need to brace ourselves.”