Editing Sorcery Hacker:Volume1 Phase3 (section)

===Part 3===

“So, so, so.”

The legs in those zipper-covered pants rudely fidgeted below the counter.

Ayato and Henrietta were not interested in eating anything, but that First Prince reached for the assortment of cheeses laid out on the counter. Unlike the uniform mana light trapped in artificial crystal, the gentle orange light of the lamp was reminiscent of a campfire and that may have made the food look more delicious.

“…”

Henrietta tugged on his sleeve from the side.

It was an oddly weak and childish action for that adult woman in armor and a tight skirt. It did not suit her at all, but she could not help but wonder if this was possible and if this kind of plotting really was carried out on a daily basis in the light castle that stood above the knights.

She must have always trusted the information given to her by her allies.

She would not want to believe that some of the criminals she had arrested in the past were actually good people or that she had assisted some bad guys who had worked their way into the groups meant to carry out justice.

“But what is the truth of the matter really?” The Minotaur licked the surface of his glass. “Even if the shrine’s door did open by random chance, would that really have fully released Nirvelphany? I have to imagine she had a curse charm on her forehead, mana-conducting silver chains binding her body, ''and all sorts of other defenses applied to her since the regional king at the time couldn’t kill her''.”

“Which means…”

“Yes, he could have just stopped.” The reddish-brown bull man drained his glass and grabbed a piece of strong cheese. “Maybe when that old man called Thomas saw the sealed Demon Lord, he only saw a woman who could laugh and cry just like a human and he couldn’t help but reach out a helping hand. So he removed that charm on her forehead and the chains binding her.”

There would have been no real reason for it.

If he had been blinded by the Demon Lord’s charisma or wanted to sign a contract with her to turn his life around, Nirvelphany would not have been this fixated on him.

He had done it without thinking.

Truly without thinking.

That old man had simply reached out his hand like a small child opening the birdcage by the window despite knowing the small bird inside would never return.

And he had released her of his own free will.

That had been deemed a crime.

One worthy of death.

“In that case, Nirvelphany has no reason at all to hold back.” The First Prince slammed his empty glass down on the counter. “I doubt the peerless Demon Lord would rely on a human-made sorcery gun. We’re talking about someone who comes up when you discuss ''who it is that supports the power of magic in the first place.'' Why is a VIP like that relying on puny human tech? I imagine ''this'' plays a role there.”

The enormous Minotaur stroked one of the holsters at his hip. The guard of the sword was shaped like butterfly wings and it glowed with a faint magical power.

Yes.

Unlike the lamps and candles in this restaurant, this was an artificial magic light.

Something happened in that moment.

That bull man had no injury on his head. Or he had not before. Yet the others saw an illusory black liquid oozing from the top of his head.

“An attack taken by the Hero can only be healed by the Hero.”

“…”

“Heh heh. This hurts like hell. Even after the injury itself has been forgiven and sealed up, it sticks with you for a good long time. There’s an illusion of a dull and heated pain similar to pus and it saps your body of strength.”

Yes, it was no more than an illusion.

The symbol of a leaking fluid vanished along with the magic light from the sword in his holster.

“If she was defeated and sealed, it’s only natural to assume she was injured as well. But the Demon Lord is walking around despite that weakened state. If she just wanted to regain her former power, she would be better off staying put. Now, Ayato, you’re a clever boy, so here’s a question for you: what could explain this contradictory situation?”

“You don’t mean…”

“I don’t know if that old man is aware of it or not. After all, even the lowest estimates put it at more than a thousand Comb-Years ago. That was so long ago that no humans or even demons remember what the Demon Lord looks like.”

The bull man twisted his oversized jaws in his best imitation of a smile.

“But it is possible this old man named Thomas carries a secret. A secret power in his blood. …If that kind old man ''really and truly saved Nirvelphany'', then he would hold great meaning for her. She wouldn’t want to wait to recover her strength even if she only has just 1% of her original ‘breadth of possibility’. She would feel a need to challenge that impregnable castle all on her own.”