74. Couldn’t Recognize – 2
As confirmed at the Academy, some demons could evade detection by Holy Power.
Didn’t Crowley come right up to the mansion without anyone noticing?
Of course, Ian told her to keep a low profile, so she was hiding, but still.
That it was possible meant there could be more demons hiding and moving around the continent than anyone thought.
“Isn’t this too hasty?”
“It’s better to finish these things quickly.”
“Then I’ll have to assign support separately.”
He immediately rang the bell.
At the same time, a knight in heavy armor, who had been waiting outside the dining hall, entered.
“This is Roonberg Predisian, the commander of the Predisian Knights.”
“He is also Wildy’s cousin. It is an honor to meet you, Ian.”
The middle-aged knight bowed respectfully to Ian.
Although young, Ian was a renowned powerhouse on the continent.
So, he showed the utmost respect to the strong.
“All the vice-commanders of the Predisian Knights are on standby right now.”
Seventy elite experts could be mobilized immediately with just a word.
“Also, the wizards cooperating with our territory are on standby.”
There were three 5th Circle mages.
Besides them, troops were ready to move at any time.
However, Ian slowly shook his head.
“It’s alright.”
“Of course, I know you are strong, Ian, but it’s also true that you need people to use.”
He spoke with admiring eyes, but Ian still shook his head.
“It’s alright.”
“If you say so.”
Roonberg’s expression showed disappointment.
That was because he wouldn’t be able to accompany Ian, who was among the strongest on the continent.
He looked at Blanche and Wildy with envy before sighing and leaving.
“During missions for the Academy, it should be fine to borrow the power of the territory that requested the mission.”
Crom muttered awkwardly, and Ian grinned.
“Don’t worry, I can handle it without borrowing power.”
* * *
When Ian, who had finished preparing to go to the site, was waiting for the other students in the garden.
Gust jumped down from the second floor.
“Are we leaving right away?”
“We have to. By the way, is Count Crom a Guardian?”
“Not really. We just know each other personally.”
She replied simply and tapped her sword.
“Then let’s go.”
“We have to wait for the others.”
“The Academy students? Will they be of any help?”
Gust wore a slightly dissatisfied expression.
Of course, the upperclassmen of the Academy were quite strong, but they weren’t up to her standards.
“There’s no need to bring those who aren’t Masters…….”
“Master or not, it’s all the same to me.”
“Ha. How great.”
“Now you know?”
“Myaaaaaa!!”
It was then.
Myahen, who was on Ian’s shoulder, cried out roughly, looking towards the bushes.
As Gust looked there with a puzzled expression, a woman in a red dress with a golden tiara on her head walked out.
The face of the quite beautiful woman was distorted with anger and pain.
Towards her, Ian asked indifferently.
“The incident in Tokionel Village. Is it related to the Seven Deadly Sins?”
“Kugh…… Release this first!!”
“This one hasn’t come to her senses.”
Ian snorted as if it were ridiculous and chanted the Geumgoha Spell [a spell that inflicts pain and compels obedience].
As she clutched her head, unable to even scream from the pain, Gust was taken aback.
“What. Is that.”
“Crowley.”
“……That Great Demon?! You really caught her…….”
As Gust admired, she approached Ian and said with difficulty.
“P, Please stop…….”
“Just answer the question I’m asking?”
“It’s related! It’s related! Gluttony! Gluttony is here!!”
Only then did Ian stop the Geumgoha Spell.
Crowley, panting and free from the pain, immediately explained.
“Gluttony has been out in this world for several months.”
“Who summoned him?”
“A group of cultists in this area who were possessed by demons. Descendants of those who followed Doppelgangers [shape-shifting entities] as gods.”
“You can think of them as the tigers of the Baradis County.”
Crowley nodded and continued her explanation.
Worshipping and following Doppelgangers as gods, they summoned Gluttony.
And they sought to revive the now-vanished Doppelgangers by gaining power from Gluttony.
But there was a problem in the process.
“They succeeded in reviving the Doppelganger. And in return, Gluttony devoured all the cultists around him…….”
And even devoured the Doppelganger.
Thus, he obtained the Doppelganger’s ability to mimic and was living in this area.
“Gluttony belongs to the old demons, but he’s a bit different from them. He only thinks about eating.”
As Gust explained, Crowley agreed.
“And he’s also a gourmet. Once he’s fixated on something, he only eats that.”
“So, Gluttony is now dominating the Doppelganger’s body and…….”
“Yes. He turns into livestock and relies on the characteristics of the Doppelganger to eat the insides of the livestock. But…… that won’t last long either.”
Until now, he had been eating the insides of monsters.
That’s why he hadn’t been caught.
Once he moves to the ranch and touches the livestock, he will turn his eyes to humans.
“Gluttony is a big eater, but he’s also a gourmet. He doesn’t keep eating the same thing.”
And if he gets tired of living as a Doppelganger.
He will throw away the mimicry and start eating in earnest.
That could be said to be Gluttony’s own method of destruction.
“That’s why demons are messed up.”
Gust said with a disgusted expression, but Crowley was different.
“Isn’t it better compared to the other Seven Deadly Sins who are moving to destroy the world?”
“Both are trash. Anyway…… both of your words were right.”
Gluttony among the Seven Deadly Sins.
And even Grazin’s Doppelganger theory.
Ian crossed his arms and thought before nodding.
“It’s the same in that he’s a guy who needs to be killed.”
“But catching Gluttony won’t be easy.”
Crowley smiled at Gust and Ian.
As Ian tried to chant the Geumgoha Spell, annoyed by that smile, she said urgently.
“Why do you think Gluttony stole the Doppelganger’s body?”
“Doppelgangers hide themselves through mimicry. They say that mimicry is exactly like the real thing.”
“That’s right. He’s hiding himself thoroughly.”
In other words, even if you do a demon verification, Gluttony can hide himself by putting forward the Doppelganger.
“As a Guardian, you know a lot about Doppelgangers?”
“Why do you think Doppelgangers disappeared?”
Gust smiled, and Crowley frowned.
“Anyway. Catching Gluttony, who is using Doppelgangers, is not an easy task. So…….”
Crowley pleaded earnestly to Ian.
“I’ll find him for you, so please take this off. Huh? I’ll do everything you tell me to do without this…….”
Looking down at her, who was even tearing up, Ian smiled.
“I’m done with you, so go.”
“Are you really going to do this?!”
“Then will you disappear?”
As he spoke, grabbing the hilt of his sword, Crowley finally shed tears.
Gust smirked at her, who was sobbing at her miserable fate of coming to grab his hand and ending up becoming a dog.
“There’s nothing as worthless as a demon’s tears.”
“Damn it. Shut up. Guardian. And…… if the Seven Deadly Sins and the demons of hell are defeated, we’re going to change our race name too. Don’t call us simple demons.”
“Hoo. To what?”
“To the Demon Race.”
Her crying appearance from just now was probably acting.
Her expression turned cold in an instant, and she stepped back.
“Anyway, please don’t use this when you need to call me. It really hurts! It feels like my soul is being crushed!”
“If you really don’t want your soul to be crushed, don’t say useless things and go.”
Crowley reached out into the air.
She held out the red ring that came out of there and said weakly.
“Call me with this instead.”
She placed the ring on Ian’s hand and left through the bushes she had entered.
Gust, who was watching it, gave a bitter smile.
“Is that okay?”
“What. Whether you can be released from Geumgoha?”
“Hmm. Most demons are narrow-minded. She’ll definitely hold a grudge against you for that.”
“If she can break free from Geumgoha herself and attack me, that would be great too. But it’s impossible.”
Even the Great Sage, Heaven’s Equal, was bound by Geumgoha, so how could she break free?
Unless it’s someone who has perfectly mastered the Tripitaka of the Heavenly Court like myself, no one can undo that.
“Ian. Are you ready?”
“Heok. Lord Overlord!”
“I never thought I’d get to see the real Overlord.”
Wildy, Widia, and Blanche came out.
They were surprised to see Gust standing next to Ian.
Regardless, Gust said without paying much attention.
“This matter. Be careful, as it may be more dangerous than you think.”
At her cold tone, the three, especially Wildy, looked at Ian with quite a bit of tension.
“It’s nothing, so don’t worry too much.”
“Gluttony is moving, taking over the body of a Doppelganger, and you say it’s nothing? In the first place, there’s no way to even find a Doppelganger…….”
“I can find it.”
“Ha. Good. Let’s see your skills.”
Ian and his party rode their horses straight to Tokionel Village.
It was not far from the direct territory and was a place with many ranches.
As they entered a village with nomadic people in a wide open space, they headed straight to the ranch where the incident had occurred.
The area around the ranch was gloom itself.
The ranch was as bright as day, with not only guards and knights but also vigilantes.
“I wonder if the cows and horses can even sleep with that?”
“They say the damage has gotten worse because of that.”
Wildy received Widia’s muttering.
Meanwhile, Blanche was looking at Gust with eyes full of admiration.
“Ah. Lord Overlord…… so cool…….”
“I’m even cooler.”
“Mya mya~.”
“No. I see you steadily, so rather than being cool, I feel more familiarity. But Ian, can you really find it?”
“Hmm.”
There are no Doppelgangers here at the moment.
Doppelgangers exist in the village.
‘Did he turn into a person?’
It is confirmed that this is the case.
As Crowley said, it seemed that he had turned his eyes from eating the livers of livestock to something else.
Ian looked around the ranch, took out the relic, and said to those looking for the demon.
“He’s not here, so let’s meet the village chief first. We’ll have to gather the villagers and check.”
“Do you know just by looking? Shouldn’t we investigate more? There’s a Doppelganger search method passed down to the Guardians.”
“I can find it without that.”
As Gust looked sullen, the students who had seen his appearance a lot laughed.
“He’s like that.”
“Ian, it’s not been a day or two since you’ve been special.”
“He just glances and finds everything when he’s monster hunting.”
Gust, who heard their story, looked at Ian with quite a bit of wonder.
Having made that decision, when they arrived at the village chief’s house in the center of the village.
The village chief came out and waited, as if the knight in the ranch had informed him.
“I was going to go to the ranch anyway……. Lords. Please. Please save our village…….”
Before he could finish his words.
Ian’s sword flew off the village chief’s neck.
“It’s him.”