A Real Human Being ( Frieren )

***

The passage of time is a merciless thing.

Of course, I kept track of the days; it's hard not to with how many records I have to produce daily. I knew exactly how many years I spent in Tiefholz; my memory wasn't faulty.

But knowing and feeling are two different things, I suppose.

I've left Tiefholz many times. Mainly for supplies in the neighboring villages, but I even traveled to the closest town once or twice, searching for more grimoires when I felt like I was ready to integrate more spells into my repertoire, and looking for lesser commodities I needed in my household.

However, I never ventured too far from the accursed woods, not beyond the outskirts. I also tended to travel quickly and be rather inattentive due to the pain. I only visited settlements with my horns removed, but the pain of lacking them never quite ceased until they regenerated. I believe it has something to do with the horns being a sensory organ; they amplified my innate demonic mana sensitivity… or, to be more precise, they were the source of that aforementioned sensitivity. Horns functioned not unlike the antennae, from what I could tell without conducting a proper study.

In any case, I never was in a state to sightsee when I left Tiefholz; I tended to be irritated and laser-focused on acquiring what I set out to get. The pain is a terrible distraction; it affects you constantly, makes you more prone to impulsive actions, which, in my case, is dangerous to the humans around me.

Focusing on a pre-determined goal, ignoring all besides it, and interacting with people as little as possible was my way to decrease the risk of snapping and doing something regrettable.

This time, I was leaving for real. With my horns intact, if safely hidden under the hood, I traveled lightly, or as lightly as I could afford to. With only a few weighty bags behind my back, and a self-made staff in hand.

Originally, I decided to make a real magician's staff purely for disguise; however, as I worked on it, some useful functions were added to it. For one, made out of Tiefholz's magical and very durable wood, it made for a good club.

The outskirts of Tiefholz were much calmer than I remembered. I noted it before, of course, the fact that monster encounters in those younger woods became rare, but I never paid it much thought.

And then there were the villages I passed on my way. When I first started living here, they were walled-off, weathered outposts, barely scratching by with hunting and gathering. Those villagers were bigger now, had proper fields that needed space and land, land that the villagers had to painfully claw away from the surrounding woods. The fact that the villages managed to acquire more space for their fields was a big tell of how much the region was transforming.

I passed those villages by a wide margin, sparing a glance or two; otherwise, I kept to the road, not even for ease of travel, but because even I could easily get lost here.

I left the outskirts within two days. only to find more fields and villages. I passed them by, and eventually even passed the town, Lichttal, the very same one that I had visited a few times before.

Lichttal marked the furthest point where I ventured since making Tiefholz my home.

Eventually, I reached the lands that I hadn't seen in decades.

I remembered the rocky valleys and empty verdant hills, but when I passed through them this time, almost all of the areas I remember as barren were now villages and farms, and besides, I walked on a road paved with stone, not a treacherous dirt path I remembered from decades ago.

It felt quite surreal. I knew whole generations had changed amongst humans, but subjectively, it didn't feel like a long time to me. Not quite a blink of an eye, but it also didn't feel like a lifetime, though for some humans, I am sure it was.

I wondered what the catalyst was for those changes around me, as I traveled. Perhaps my constant culling of the monster spawns in Tiefholz played a role, but it couldn't have possibly been just me. I kept track of the big news, looking out for the war with the Demon King; so far, there was nary a whisper of it. But outside of it, I wasn't interested in the politics of this world. It felt redundant to try and invest myself in such things when I had better things to study and train and only so many hours in a day.

Still, I was sure the change in the region must have been related to some grander happenings across the kingdom. I only hoped that my disappearance and the monster's return to their normal activities wouldn't be too much of a problem for this region.

I am sure humanity will manage.

On my way, I encountered some merchants and travelers, which only made sense, after all, I walked a rather important road, it was the only path connecting Tiefholz to the rest of the Central Land.

I passed by those men and rarer women without much issue, sometimes with a shallow greeting, sometimes silently, I looked the part of the mage, and most assumed I was. Not that this is untrue.

Normally, I would avoid a road like this one. I vowed to keep human contact as limited as I realistically could after that incident, as long as it wasn't detrimental to my research, morality, or well-being. Partially out of caution for my impulses, but also because, frankly speaking, it was easier for me to keep myself apart from humans.

The fewer things that could distract me from my studies, the better.

However, I didn't have much choice on my journey from Tiefholz, mostly because this area of the continent was separated from the rest of the central lands by the marshes. Marshes were terrifying enough on Earth; they do not get better in this world, monster-infested as they are. While I had decades worth of practice fighting for my life, this only left me more aware of my limits. Fighting in a terrain that would limit my sensory abilities, such as smell and sight, and my mobility due to the treacherous terrain, against possible unknown monsters, is tantamount to suicide.

Which is why I made the decision to walk the paved road, the infestations of monsters along the road was cleared at least once a year, more often when it was needed, and it was also a solid and maintained path across marshes where I wouldn't have to wonder if the next step I take will suck me into a quagmire.

The last time I crossed those marshes, when I originally headed to Tiefholz, I tried to brave them on my own, before quickly giving up and going back to the road. That is, after some giant brown sludge monster who was annoyingly fire-resistant and didn't care at all for my claws, almost sent me back into the arms of God.

I imagine I am a much more dangerous combatant now, but there is no reason to tempt fate and choose a harder path for no reason.

I didn't quite realize when the landscape morphed. The road had wound through rock-strewn hollows and open hills for days; dry country, high and clean, with little but wind and birdsong for company. But as I kept on, the land began to change, slowly but surely.

The hills flattened, spreading into wide, open ground that offered little shelter from the sky. The wind quieted. The grass grew taller, denser, less tame, with patches of it rippling in strange patterns, as if stirred from beneath. Trees began to appear again, not the hardy, wind-bitten kind that clung to the highlands, but soft-barked things with thin branches and silver leaves that caught the damp. They leaned inward over the road in places, and the light grew mottled.

The earth under the stone paving stayed firm, but the edges of the road told another story. The ditches had turned dark and slick, sometimes holding stagnant water that reflected the sky like a dull mirror. Reeds and water-loving plants began to cluster there, growing thicker the further I went. The smells changed, too. I picked up the first hints of vaguely familiar dampness.

I hadn't reached the marshes yet, but it wasn't hard to see what the land was transforming into as I traveled.

This was why I was quite surprised to see a bonfire by the roadside with a pair of armed and armoured people by it, who waved at me to come closer, the moment I was spotted.

On my end, I sensed them a while before I saw the bonfire. I felt the mana of both of them, and I could immediately tell they weren't normal farmers or traders. There was the quantity of the mana, but also a 'texture', so to speak. The mana of those who made use of it often had a different feel to it. Those two certainly did.

As I came close enough for them to wave towards me, and seeing their gear, I was able to sense more.

Enchanted armour and weapons. Not powerful beyond belief, I've met monsters whose hides had more powerful enhancements, both in structure (from what little I could glimpse from afar) and sheer volume of energy, but the enhancements were still a threat. This was the armour that could stop my claws and lessen the impact of some of my spells, and weapons that would be able to harm me. There was also that single horse behind them, which was to a normal horse what a wolf was to a chihuahua.

The beast was clearly a monster, not the true monster with a core, but a mutated animal. It was bigger than a normal horse for once, and was covered in muscles. I could also sense that its hide had some sort of mana-flow indicative of a passive enhancement, probably durability. It looked to me like a magically enhanced destrier-analogue, which wasn't something I considered before, but it makes sense in hindsight.

"Good day, stranger! Come on over - road's been quiet, could use some company!"

The one hailing me was the shorter of the pair, who initially waved me in. She was also decisively a woman, judging by the voice and her face. She was a tanned woman with relatively short dark hair, a small scar from claws crossing her cheek with three downward lines. Aside from that she was pretty, definitely not the most objectively beautiful woman I've seen in this world, but definitely above the ordinary.

Her eyes were brown, or perhaps dark green, it was hard to tell from the distance even with my enchanted senses. They were also sharp, she was keeping track of things around her - and of me.

I considered them for a moment, pausing my stride. Of course, I have already decided that I will approach.

Both of them seemed to be warriors and probably experienced ones, yet, even their horse didn't seem to be alarmed by me. The mana concealment seemed to finally be paying off after decades of practice. I was presenting my mana signature as that of a decently powerful mage.

The camp itself was a simple thing, but obviously used by many travelers before. Tracks on the soil and fallen logs around the campfire, big enough to fit ten or so people, were telling, as did other less subtle signs of human presence.

"Good day to you both as well," I answered as I approached, gently tapping my staff against the paved path a bit more firmly, like someone tired from carrying it around the whole day and finally resting against it.

The small, magically sensitive crystal on top of my staff briefly ignited. This wasn't on purpose; the truth of the matter was that the crystal was mana sensitive, and the wood of the stuff that housed it had residential mana, a little shake tended to ignite it briefly.

The moment the crystal shone dimly, both warriors twitched.

I could tell how long it took them to react, to tense their shoulders, bracing for a sudden assault. That reaction time was more telling than their mana, because they reacted decently fast. That reaction time in their body language was instantly dissected in my head. From their reaction time and how fast their bodies responded, I could extrapolate how fast they can be without applying any additional spells to themselves. Such an analysis isn't a conscious effort for a demon; it's instinctive.

Around five meters. That's how far I needed to stay away from them to not be at risk of being cut down before I can react.

The final tap signified my stop, still on the paved road, but just next to their camp. I pretended not to notice their reaction, simply tilted my head a bit to express my curiosity.

"Are you waiting until morning to cross the marshes?"

By the time I asked my question, the pair had relaxed a little bit. To begin with, the crystal lighting up didn't make them scramble to unsheath their weapons; it just made them tense up a little. By now, there was no hostility or overt tension, nothing that would signify a possible attack.

Yet, I didn't approach closer.

"It would be more apt to say that we were hoping for a companion," The man said instead, as he reached towards the pot of some sort of stew cooking over the campfire, and with a practiced gesture stirred it.

I was a little bit surprised by the admission, but didn't have the time to voice my next question.

"Perhaps you have not heard, but a merchant expected two days past in Steinbach Village... never arrived." The woman said she clearly wanted to say something else at first, but corrected herself, as she returned to maintaining a rather sizable greatsword positioned on her knees, "Probably monsters, would not be the first time. The thing is, someone will come around only in a few days at best to try and hunt whatever is responsible." The woman said, shrugging easily, before looking up at me. Her lips scrunched up a little as she studied me.

"You a mage?"

"Obviously," I simply nod. "I am Albert."

"I am Gluck." The woman nodded back slowly, before gesturing to her companion. "This is Hans."

The man glanced towards the woman, but due to the armour, it was hard to judge the more subtle body language. However, on his face, there was some fond exasperation.

"It is Hanseln von Muckenstern, thank you very much," He said, shaking his head a bit, amusement clear in his voice, as he too glanced at me. "What Gluck probably meant to ask is, do you wish to join hands while we cross the marshes, Albert?"

The question didn't particularly surprise me. There was an odd etiquette in this world about such things. Dangerous areas on the roads tended to bring travelers together to temporarily join into bigger groups before trying to pass through them. Almost always, this rule applied when monsters were involved. Supposedly, there was always a risk of some of the less savory types trying to pull something; bandits conducted all sorts of plots to lure in travelers. Bandits, however, tended to operate far from the monster-infested areas; they valued living after all. Which made bandits a relatively rare breed, to survive for longer then a week, they needed a place where monsters weren't rampant, yet, where the local Lord didn't enforce his rule on the roads properly.

Which, in practice, meant that bandits were a common disease of the war-torn or downtrodden regions.

Those two also had a bit too many possessions to be bandits out to do a job. It's in the bags they carried around. I could sense some magical items. Not very strong ones, seemingly minor grimoires with simple spells that don't require complex matrices, and some basic magical items. Nothing on the level of their gear, but noticeable to my senses.

Considering how many possessions they had with them, the state of their weapons and armour, and that mutant horse that probably costs like a good set of enchanted armour and a sword, it didn't seem like they would be a danger from that side.

Enchanted armour and weapons were a thing of luxury in and of themselves. I tried to enquire about this over a decade ago, most blacksmiths aren't able to enchant items and don't have a mage on speed dial to work those miracles. Also, the gear should specifically be created to be enchanted. In essence, that meant that any enchanted gear was a custom job for artificers, expensive, and such masters tended to have sizable queues for orders. Adventurers of some renown, nobles, including knights, and other people who were in need of gear like this were mandated by the crown to get priority.

The secrets of enchanting were also rarely sold on markets and magical shops; most of them were very much staying in guilds and passed from masters to apprentices.

But even if I didn't know how to apply enchantments like this, I could roughly tell what they served for. Both the man and the woman had similarly enhanced gear. I could make out the familiar durability enhancement, magic-dampering effect I am familiar with from some of the more dangerous monsters and…

…why is this segment so similar to that dust-cleaning spell I knew? Are their armours self-cleaning?

"I do not see why not," I finally admitted a bit distractedly, as I was trying to make sense of the weave of enhancement on the man's chest.

The truth was, while I was somewhat uncertain how wise it was for me to travel with them with only my hood to conceal my horns, I also didn't wish to face the danger alone, or let other people face it alone while I could easily help.

To me, the question was one of morality, and the moral choice would be to accompany them and help.

"Then come on in, warm up by the fire," Gluck invited, gesturing for me to come forward. "Today we will not be able to cross the marshes before sundown, so we should set out tomorrow, come first light."

Nighttime wasn't an issue for me, but I understood full well that to those two, not being able to see was very dangerous. Having the daylight fade on us when we are halfway across the marshes is dangerous.

I nodded and took a step forward.

My instinct screamed. That sword on the woman's lap, she can cut me in two, and she probably could reach me before I could form a spell to defend myself if I only take another step…

…and another step, and then another, until I approached the campfire, and sat opposite to those two, with my back towards the road. "Some stew?" Hanseln offered with a welcoming smile, his armoured hand picking up a bowl, while another lifted up the ladle from the pot suggestively.

"Yes, please," I said, forcing my shoulders to relax.

I didn't eat for two days, and was getting a little hungry.

***

"...so what, you are saying you have never even heard of the reconstruction of the Wehrheim Region?" Gluk asked, and privately, I thank god that she ceased trying to pat me on the shoulder or otherwise physically interact with me.

Not that the woman was indecent in her behavior, nothing of this sort. But she definitely was a physical person, taping someone on the shoulder, leaning into her boyfriend as she spoke, or even hitting him softly in the chest when he says something she thinks is dumb.

The issue was that when she taped my shoulder the first time, I tensed up and, despite myself, was prepared for a life-or-death fight. I held back without much issue, mostly because she moved with the speed of a normal person, so I saw the movement long before feeling the contact.

She probably noticed how I tensed up and decided not to do it again.

"That is correct," I confirmed simply. "I never went to the region in search of coin. Is it so strange?"

"Hell yes!" Gluck immediately said, throwing her hands up. "No." Hanseln said almost at the same time, and seeing his partner's look, elaborated, "It is not odd by itself that a mage is pursuing his own goals near such a magical place. It is just odd how you apparently managed to miss all the job postings in practically every village."

Gluck nodded along to his words, pointing at me with a half-eaten apple still in hand.

"Right, that. Wehrheim region gives out the best jobs right now, the local Lord is investing a lot into the expansion of villages and his lands, and purging monsters, he probably gives out the most jobs to mercenaries and adventurers in the last three years out of all the other regions. At least not counting the bastards in the Klingenfurt Region." She finished without much enthusiasm.

Even as isolated from the politics as I was, I heard about the troubles in Klingenfurt. A war between local lords that started at least… seven years ago, I believe?

I also noticed how Hanseln gently placed a hand on Gluck's shoulder, his hand squeezing it gently in reassurance.

"We worked with quite a few mages over the last year," The man said, nodding towards me, "Most of them were here very much for the coin."

"Mage is a very broad term," I said simply, "The ones you are most familiar with are probably those who specialize in combat. You can meet many of them picking up jobs as adventurers, mercenaries, or even working directly under nobility in some regions, not unlike regular soldiers they employ," Except mages were rarer. It took decades of education to acquire basic competency in combat magic. "There are also those who work mainly as craftsmen, you probably encountered them too, considering your gear," I added, before shaking my head. "There are also those like me who try to pursue magical research of some kind. A lot of research can be done at home, at least if you merely work on making new spells. But if you need to study a phenomenon or a being you can only encounter in the wilds, you have to move your operations there." I explained the obvious.

"Cannot say I know much about that." It seems my words managed to only interest Gluck more. "Edel, the mage we worked with before… well, before we got our job here, seemed to constantly be in his books, you know? And he was a terror in a fight."

I simply nodded.

"He likely was studying new spells, or perhaps making some minor corrections to the ones he already learned. Even if you specialize in combat, you have to do such things, at least if you are competent," I explained simply, "To push yourself to be stronger, as a mage, you need to study and work on your spells." At least in this era, before the knowledge of the most important spells was centralized, any mage had to do their own research to make a well-rounded kit of spells.

"Besides," I continued, leaning back on my log, "A mage can specialize in something, but still dabble in other areas. I mainly specialize in my research, but due to my research requiring me to catch monsters to see how they work, I have a lot of combat experience." After Tiefholz, decades worth of it.

"You study monsters?" Hanseln asked curiously, perking up a bit. "Like migration, patterns and such?"

I shook my head. A conservative movement to not disturb my hood overly much.

"I study how they work. I catch them and dissect them live; it is a little difficult to explain." I was glad I was questioned on a subject that wouldn't make me lie. "In short, are you familiar with the concept of a monster's heart?"

Hanseln nodded.

"You mean the weak point?" Gluck asked, her curiosity piqued.

Neither of the two humans were in the least disturbed by the gritty implications of my work.

"You probably know it as such. It is usually referred to as the heart, I personally call it 'core' in my studies," I explained with a small smile, feeling genuine pride just thinking about my work. "Essentially, everything a monster is is recorded there. Their organs, brains, all of it is not functional, if it is a monster with the 'core', all from its instincts and primitive thoughts, to the information about its body is held in the core." I gently patted the staff lying on my lap. "You can argue that the monster is the core. Everything else is just a shell around it. I study what the core is, and how it does what it does."

Gluck seemed excited. Hanseln looked intrigued.

"What did you discover?" He asked, and I simply shrugged.

"Nothing I could explain easily. Some things I believe may help mages to apply illusions and simple mental magic, also some things about the core's internal workings. But nothing groundbreaking yet."

Hanseln nodded in understanding. Gluck did too, but she did seem a bit disappointed.

"I barely visited the villages near Tiefholz, for the most part, I lived very close to the cursed woods, so I have easy access to monsters," I explained simply. "That is probably why I heard nothing about jobs being offered." That, and when I visited human settlements, I was specifically going down my shopping list, never allowing myself to be distracted by matters unrelated to it.

"Well, from what you are saying, you must be pretty strong at least." Gluck said, as she stretched a bit with a yawn, "Which is good to know, considering we are probably going to fight something nasty tomorrow. Having a decent mage on your side is always neat."

"I cannot say I had the honor of fighting side by side with trained warriors before," I said politely in response.

"Eh, I am not exactly following any established school." The woman grinned, pointing a thumb at herself. "I was a mercenary most of my life; whatever I learned, I learned in battle or between them. It is Hanseln there who is the fancy golden boy who was trained from birth," She clapped the man on the shoulder, half-hugging him as she grinned.

The man looked resigned, but a small exasperated smile on his face betrayed his true feelings.

"I am a knight errant," He explained simply, "My grandfather was knighted, but received no lands. It is true that I was trained from a young age, but most of my skills revolve around mounted combat." He said, shrugging. "Do not let Gluck fool you, she may not have technically trained officially in warrior arts, but she picked them up over the years nonetheless. In battle, she is quite a terror."

"Such flattery!" The woman laughed, softly tagging him with her elbow. "But right, Albert, you can rely on me to keep the frontline, and Hanseln will be our shock cavalry. Range support is on you!"

"That is fine by me," I agreed. They behaved like this from the moment we sat down to talk, it was not hard to see that they were a couple.

Especially because after spending some time around Gluck I could feel something else too. There was another source of mana in her. Somewhere in her belly. It was weak and almost indistinguishable from her own, but there was no mistaking it. The woman is pregnant.

The pregnancy is recent, there is no belly, or if it is, it's hidden well by the plated armour she wore.

I was a bit curious about how this odd pair ended up together, but I saw no reason to pry. In either case I won't ever see those people again.

"We should probably retire for tonight," Hanseln offered, after the silence, which I can only assume was comfortable, started to linger.

"Good call," Gluck said, nodding, and turning to Hanseln, "Hans, you mind cleaning the pot? I will take the first watch."

The man frowned, shaking his head.

"No, we will split the watches with Albert. You go sleep." She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but the man just kissed her briefly.

Pretty sure Gluck blushed.

"Whatever," The woman said, shaking her head, as she stood up and headed to their bags, most of which were still on the horse.

"My apologies for this," Hanseln addressed me apologetically, "It is just that she genuinely must be exhausted today, it is better if she gets as much sleep as she can."

I could see that he was not entirely honest, but I did not particularly care.

"It is fine, do not worry," I simply said, shaking my head. I set my stuff aside and reached into one of my traveling bags before taking out the knitted blanket. "Wake me up whenever it is my turn." I requested.

"I will," The man simply agreed, his eyes already trailing towards his woman, who was grumbling as she was digging into one of the bags.

***

We woke up early, with first light, and after fixing a light breakfast, went ahead to cross the marshes.

The most challenging part of traveling with humans turned out to be small talk.

As long as I can ignore humans around me, I can function almost normally. But when they demand my attention with small remarks or questions, every time I have to acknowledge them, think about what I was going to say and why I am saying this, before answering.

A minuscule amount of intellectual effort and willpower, to react how I want, and not how it would feel right, but it adds up over time.

Hanseln wasn't that much of a problem; the man understood what my curt responses and overall disinterested silence signified.

His woman, however, didn't. No, she probably did, and still wanted to chat. She was a bit of a chatterbox, now that she warmed up to me for some inconceivable reason.

When attempts to make me talk about myself failed, she went straight into talking about anecdotes from her own life, while asking questions from time to time. Not all rhetorical, some in vein of 'did you ever encounter stuff like that, Albert?'.

Infuriating woman.

Still, overall, I knew this was simply my unreasonable anti-social nature doing its part.

Interacting with people was a chore; I had to keep track of my body language, tone, and the content of my responses, so in truth, I could only somewhat enjoy a conversation when it served a point. I imagine most demons don't have problems of that sort.

Marshes themselves were just as I remembered them. A sprawling expanse of waterlogged terrain that stretched beyond the horizon in every direction. The paved road cut through them like a raised stone bridge, elevated perhaps half a meter above the surrounding wetlands. The stones were old and weathered, with moss creeping up their sides and gaps between the blocks where marsh grass had taken root.

I could not imagine a crossing like that being built without magic.

On either side of the road, stagnant pools of dark water reflected the overcast sky. The water was still, broken only by the occasional ripple from something moving beneath the surface. Between the pools, clumps of yellowed marsh grass grew in irregular patches, their sharp blades rustling when the wind picked up… and sometimes with no wind at all.

The air was thick and humid, carrying the heavy scent of decomposing vegetation. It was not entirely unpleasant - more earthy than foul - but there was an underlying smell of stagnant water that made it clear this was not a place where things dried out easily. Mist hung low over the water in patches, never quite dissipating even as the morning progressed.

As expected, my sense of smell had problems discerning scents amongst the strong smells surrounding us. Marshes also were anything but quiet; the sounds were constant but subtle. Water lapped quietly against the stone foundations of the road with each small wave. Somewhere in the distance, bullfrogs called to each other in deep, resonant tones. Insects hummed in clouds that were felt more than seen, their drone rising and falling in waves. Occasionally, something larger would splash in the deeper channels that wound through the wetlands, though what caused these disturbances was never visible from the road. The mosquitoes specifically were a blight. And sometimes, the wind picked up strongly enough to make all the surrounding grass and moss produce a cacophony of sounds.

In essence, I could only rely on my mana sense and sight.

But sight didn't help much. Between the fog and the remnants of dead or sickly trees scattered throughout the marsh, the blackened trunks of which were jutting up at odd angles, trying to spot anyone or anything was proving challenging.

The road itself showed signs of the marsh's persistent encroachment. Green stains marked the lower edges of the stones where algae had taken hold. In several places, the mortar had cracked and eroded, allowing water to seep through and plants to sprout from the gaps. The surface was perpetually damp, as if the very air deposited moisture on anything solid enough to hold it.

There were subtle changes in the landscape as we traveled, but they weren't anything grand. Marshes kept being marshes.

Hanseln rode atop his horse, though he did offer Gluck, and afterwards me, to ride with him. Supposedly, his horse had remarkable stamina and wouldn't be overly troubled by another rider.

Gluck refused, citing that she would only be able to properly react to danger on foot. I just refused without elaborating, which, for some reason, cheered the woman up.

Hours passed with no monster in sight, nor could I feel anything that didn't immediately retreat once it crept close enough to sense us.

"...you have to visit Warm at least once! It's a beautiful city, I tell you, and the food there is just incredible!"

I wish I could ignore Gluck. But zoning out and not comprehending words was simply beyond a demon's brain. I couldn't help but discern her speech for meaning and prepare responses, even if I didn't wish to.

"...I was only there for a few days, when our company was moving from the Southern Lands, but…"

This was the second or the third hour, and nothing was out of the ordinary. I kept on the lookout, but saw nothing. My mana sense also picked up nothing. 

A second, when there was nothing worth mentioning. 

And then there was.

Ice flooded my veins, as I froze in place, I sensed the brief but powerful ignition of mana and…

"Schutzschild," I only had the time to place the barrier in front of me, on the path of the attack. Schutzchild was the very basic shield, pure mana shaped into a barrier. Crude and heavy, I usually visualized it like a shield from the round robots in Star Wars. It lingered, it wasn't overly expensive to maintain once cast… and it tended to blunt the attack, if not block them outright, at the cost of its durability.

The shield materialized in front of my outstretched staff, blocking impressive, blackened claws that would've sliced clean through my neck. 

I had an instant to get a look at the monster. It was over two meters tall with unnaturally elongated limbs that seemed to stretch and bend like marsh reeds swaying in the wind. Even as it struck me, its pose wasn't that of a striking human; rather, its boneless limbs were stopped mid-swing as they rocketed towards me, frozen like a pendulum at its descent. Its body appeared translucent and watery, with a surface that ripples constantly like disturbed, murky water, filled with moss, mud, and garbage. 

It had no face. Instead, within 'it's head' I saw a distorted reflection of me, eyes cold, expression frozen, but it was twisted. As if through a… funhouse mirror made of dark water.

The monster tilted its head, puzzled. 

The barrier shattered, but it stopped the monster's momentum for a brief moment.

That was enough.

"Bastard!"

In the next instant, a great sword cut straight through it, parting its neck from the body. I saw it almost in slow motion, the sword cutting it with some resistance, the head flying off, and the furious and enraged face of Gluck, who attacked the monster from behind. 

The rest of the body simply collapsed down and into itself, liquid flushing from it, leaving behind a humanoid-shaped moss. 

I simply stared at it for a moment, or so it must have appeared. I saw it die, magic dimming in its body, even in the water, as it was part of it.

Something was wrong.

"Welp, that was easy," Gluck said, placing the sword on her shoulder, but glancing around wearily.

I ignored her.

I couldn't sense anything or anyone else. But the fact that it managed to attack me in the first place meant that the monster was proficient in concealing its presence. An ambush predator. 

"Albert, do you sense anything else?" Hanseln asked, his voice steady, as he directed his steed next to us.

An ambush predator would never attack a single target, leaving itself vulnerable to being killed by others.

The monster left behind a pool of water, dirty and full of its remains. Just briefly, while the humans scanned the surroundings, I glanced into that pool.

Amongst the murky remains, within the murky puddle of water, next to my own distorted face… I saw the same monster.

"Back away!" I shouted, but as I did, I felt the mana stir. A clawed arm broke the reflection of the muddy pool, reaching towards the closest target.

Gluck.

A spell was formed even if I didn't have time to shout its name. Donnerschlag.

And then there was thunder. The spell produced an enormous shockwave, capable of throwing a man away. It was fast to cast, even if it required a fair bit of mana, but it had one downside.

It required me to properly prepare myself and redistribute my weight, as the impulse acted on me too, even if I only experienced a third of the spell's impact compared to what the target felt.

Gluck didn't have the time to react. She only started to turn towards me as I screamed my warning, and tensed up seeing the attack, never having the time or the presence of mind to start defending herself.

My spell hit her like a truck, launching her back despite her armour's defence, well outside the hand's range.

It also launched me backward. Not having a magical armour to absorb some of the magic of the attack, I flew back three or four steps, landing on my back wordlessly.

"Gluck!" Hanseln reacted, making his horse turn around on the narrow road, and galloping to the woman.

I slowly stood up, looking around desperately, even as I screamed my warning.

"Reflections! They can travel through reflections! Keep away from still water!"

Yet, all I saw around in the marshes was disturbed water, normally too muddy for me to see a reflection. But puddles of water were everywhere.

Countless portals for it to use.

"G-got it," Gluck said, getting on her feet too, though she looked a bit dazed. Not surprisingly, the spell was normally strong enough to crush bones when hit point-blank like that. I didn't weaken it, afraid her armour would absorb too much of the magic for her to make distance otherwise. "Hans, Al, form up! Back to back! Get away from the edges of the road!"

I understood immediately, as I had the same thought. We are surrounded by water after all.

"Aschewind," I whispered, a small fireball manifested at the tip of my staff, it shot out into the remains of the first monster, and with how little mana I put into it, ignited into a tiny fireball, that evaporated the water and lingered for a few long seconds.

At the same time, I started to slowly jog towards them, keeping to the middle of the road, and careful to check around me, not trusting my mana sense.

"Al, you are a monster expert. What in the Demon King's damn name is this thing?" Gluck asked as I stood by her side.

"Don't know," I said simply, looking around the suspiciously quiet marshes that surrounded us. "I am an expert on monsters I met, not obscure ones. You two seen anything like this?"

"No."

"No."

Two immediate responses.

A brief movement behind my back, and I sensed with the displaced air, more than I saw, how Hanseln got off his horse. 

Smart. I am the last person to underestimate cavalry, magical or mundane, but we only had this small road to work with, and he wouldn't be able to leverage any benefits of his mount here. It will only make him more clumsy. 

"The path forward is blocked. Bastard has prepared." Gluck said, her voice tense. For a moment, I glanced where she was looking, and I understood immediately.

The road further down was one giant puddle. It was flooded. As if it rained recently, but I knew it didn't, mostly because the road we walked through before was relatively dry. The road itself also had in-built rainfall runoffs; the monster must have been manually plugging the runoffs with mud to make a puddle like this.

In practice, it meant it could manifest itself right under our feet if we decided to run.

Something is wrong.

"Al, you can throw around fire, can you deal with this?" Gluck asked tensely, meeting my eyes for a moment, before we both returned to scanning the surroundings.

"No, aschewind spell ligners for a few moments, and I don't have enough mana. It will just strike us from somewhere else when I tire out." Which was the truth. Aschewind fundamentally is an area denial spell, not an attack magic, despite what its creator was saying in the grimoire.

"Why didn't it attack later, when we walked across that huge puddle?"

Hanseln words made me freeze. He was right. Why didn't it? Its initial attack was from one of the puddles below the road, it manifested, immediately rushed me, the most magically powerful. I didn't sense a thing. If it truly could attack while being completely undetectable magically, it should have waited to strike from literally under my feet. Then I would've likely been dead.

Monsters are dangerous. 

After decades of life in Tiefholz, I grew to learn not to underestimate them. I slaughtered many, but that only made me more wary as I understood more of how they operated. The truth of the matter is that monsters are not stupid. They had intelligence at least on the level of an animal. They could assess threats, they would retreat once seriously injured or overpowered, and they could use some tactics or strategies. Most of said tactics and strategies are instinctive, but this is the monster baseline. 

The monster is a beast composed of magic, and it acted, for the most part, as a beast. And only someone who was unfamiliar with the wild would think a beast to be stupid. Monsters weren't agendaless creatures that simply rushed you and died. They, too, tried to be clever. They, too, learned. 

However, not all monsters are equally intelligent. Some were decisively more so than others. 

This monster was too intelligent for a mere beast.

I glanced towards the place where the remains of the first monster were. The hand of the second monster breached the surface when my spell pushed Gluck away… When exactly did it disappear?

"GLAURSHH–KKK!"

The sound rang out as if everywhere around us. It was a mix of the squelching, a roar, and a groan that appeared as if from everywhere simultaneously.

"Well, seemed like we pissed him off," Gluck commented, grinning, as all around us, from murky water, rose the monster.

The water wasn't even disturbed by its appearance. 

"It probably just got tired of waiting," Hanseln answered, likely looking at his own third of the marshes. "Albert, any ideas, or do we just cut them apart until they run out?" His words were said with some grim humour, but I could tell he was nervous. Sensed it. It was barely there in his tone, but he smelled like fear and stress. Gluck did too. With them so close, I sensed it easily.

 "Thinking," I replied briefly, "Need to check something. Cover me."

I stepped back inside our formation and saw Gluck's back immediately was shielding me from the sector that I had previously taken to defend myself.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes, and trying my hand at a spell that I didn't truly claim mastery of. And I couldn't just cast it. I needed to put a lot of power into it.

"Glasscherben," I whispered under my breath, as my mana was soaked into the stone below. Slowly, the stone broke down with a strange, screeching buzz…

I raised my stuff up, deep in concentration, and clenched my teeth. Weaving magic was akin to muscle memory, and now I was trying to weave one fast, while operating with very thick 'mana threads'.

I felt something click as the spell took hold.

I opened my eyes to see the stone pavement around us dissolving into glass shards, which immediately started to circle in a wide area, some struck the previously undisturbed water, right beneath us, some circled further still.

A tornado of shards in constant motion.

One of the monsters approached the spinning glass storm, shoving its hand into it. It was torn apart in moments.

The monster tilted its head, and its hand was slowly regenerating already.

But I barely paid that any attention.

"Good job, Al, at least we have some breathing room now," Gluck said, honest relief in her voice as she tapped me on the shoulder.

I didn't pay it any attention to that either, staring at the disturbed water beneath our feet, where shards periodically impacted.

"We need to think of a plan. There must be some trick to this, with monsters, there always is." Hanseln said, his voice tense, as he stared into the storm of countless shards that surrounded us.

"Trying to figure it out may cost us, though," Gluck said simply, her voice serious, if a bit joyful, "Wasting energy and attention on it can get us killed. No matter the monster, they all only have so much energy to throw around, just like normal mages. The two of us can cut them down while defending Al, and when we are out of breath, he can create this storm for us to rest. I figure the monster will get tired first."

"...maybe," Hanseln said after a long second, probably considering it. "But I am not sure we can protect him. There are a lot of them. I can count at least two dozen on my side."

"Thirty on so on mine. The bastards are fast, too." Gluck grunted, not even bothering to argue, "Al, how many times can you pull this trick again? Especially if you have to spend mana defending yourself?"

I finally tore my eyes from the water beneath our feet, meeting Gluck's and Hanseln's questioning eyes.

"No need, I figured it out."

Both of them blinked, clearly confused. I simply pointed beneath us.

"None of them attacked us from below," I explained, pointing at the water. Below us, from both sides, there were relatively big puddles, one on each side. Both were frequently hit by some of the shards. The reflection never formed in the water because it was constantly disturbed. "And the second one to attack us also disappeared when my shockwave disturbed the water."

I could see the eyes of both humans light up as the realization began to appear.

I didn't pause my explanation; we were short on time.

"Each one of those monsters is roughly just as powerful as the others. Initially, I assumed they use reflections in water as portals to travel, but it seems they aren't moving through portals; they are just clones. Otherwise, their mana level couldn't have been this identical. They also can't spawn from disturbed water. This is why they didn't attack us as we went further down the road, it's one big puddle, our footsteps would have prevented them from spawning, so the best they could do was to use them as scare tactics."

I said, raising a single finger up.

"The monster that was hit by my donnerschlag spell only had its arm and part of its torso out when the water was disturbed. But the arm and part of its body weren't just cut off; it disappeared. Meaning either the spawning itself could be disturbed… or the clones are connected to the source of water that spawned them."

Both warriors just stared at me for a moment before slowly nodding.

"How do we know which it is?" Hanseln asked, his voice steady, and some of the tension from his shoulders clearly went away.

I smiled. It was a small, cold expression.

"Simple."

I raised my hand, and around me, twelve spheres of condensed mana ignited.

"Kraftstoß." They flew out like a spread of bullets towards the group of monster clones to our right. They flew straight through the glass shards, destabilizing fairly strongly, but not breaking yet.

Some of the monsters managed to dodge, some were hit, and as the balls of condensed mana detonated with pure force, like small shardless grenades. The monsters that were hit got torn apart, but that didn't matter.

A few balls hit the small puddles and marshes with still water, breaking the surface, and I saw at least two monsters just… deform into water, mud, and moss for no visible reasons.

"The clones are connected to the water sources," I said simply, ignoring the other roar the collected monsters let out.

I still couldn't imagine beating an enemy like this in the marshes. Not with this uneven terrain, where small puddles can be hidden anywhere. Not against the opponent with so much mana, that each of its clones was comparable in terms of energy to the warriors around me. That would make the monster's true mana capacity like ten of mine. 

Then there is its speed and power, which wasn't insignificant. Defending myself from it will require real effort, disturbing the water sources or not. I can focus on only one thing at a time, after all, and this is how this monster will inevitably beat me. 

If I had a flight, I might have stood a chance. But as I am now, I am outmatched. 

However…

I turned to the two human warriors.

"I have a plan."

Even if it's counterintuitive and still echoes as odd in my mind, I am not alone. If I rely on them fully…

…there is a chance. 

"I will need the two of you ready. I can probably destroy all the clones at the same time, but it will require my full concentration. If there is a real one amongst them, I need one of you to strike them down immediately when I destroy the clones. I will be too busy casting the spell, so I will leave it all to you two. You will only have a small window, and this one chance. This monster is way too smart to show itself again if we fail."

Both warriors nodded, glancing at the blizzard shards around us. By now, the cyclone was getting thinner and thinner.

This had nothing to do with magic running out, but rather, the inherent weakness of the spell. The glass shards collided with each other in the air, which produced a sharp buzz around us. The glass shards broke into smaller shards, and into smaller shards still, until they became tiny enough that the spell couldn't have a grip on them anymore, and a harmless white dust started to drift in the air.

I could see some of the clones walking into the cyclone and making a few steps through before being cut to shreds.

The monster all this time wasn't idle. It was testing the barrier in every way imaginable. One even tried to throw a stone through the swarm of shards.

All of them stood around the boundary my spell created in awkward and inhuman poses, which I am sure humans would've found eerie.

"Don't worry Al, we gotcha," Gluck said, giving me a thumbs up and a wide grin.

"Do you need one of us to defend you?" Hanseln asked with… honest concern?

"You can't afford to," I said simply. "The real one can be on either side of the road; you have to rush immediately before I cast the spell, across the marsh. It will be a small miracle if you can make it in time, and that's only if the real one is even around."

The humans exchanged a glance.

"It is," Hanseln said firmly after a moment, "There is no such thing as an unbeatable spell. It must have a weakness. The monster must be around."

I didn't share the optimism, but strangely, Gluck just smiled wider at the man's words, throwing him a passionate glance.

"Prepare yourselves," I said, noticing how the glasscherben was wearing out.

Both of the warriors nodded as they moved to the edge of the glass cyclone, on both sides of the road.

The most surprising part was how calm the horse was before Hanseln jumped on it in a fit of supernatural agility.

For a moment, I wanted to ask how it was a good idea to make a horse jump half a meter down into the marsh, but we had no time, and Hanseln likely knew what he was doing.

"On the count of three, I will release the glass storm. After two seconds, I will destroy the clones."

"Got it,"

"Understood."

I nodded at the terse replies.

"Three…"

"Two…"

"One…"

"Go!"

It happened in an instant. The storm of glass simply disappeared, not the glass itself, but the force that propelled it onwards. Because it circled us as a cyclone, the remaining glass shards shot out like shrapnel, shredding some monsters, disturbing some water…

This wasn't enough.

Both humans jumped down.

Some of the monsters stayed on the road when my spell was active, merely standing outside of my spell's range. Three in front of me, two behind. I could sense and see them. While other monsters focused on the human warriors, those ones' focus was entirely on me.

Those of them that didn't disappear and weren't hit too badly by the dispelling storm of glass rushed towards me.

I placed my hands on the paved road.

Then, for the first time in two decades, I dropped the concealment of my mana. Right here and now, I needed everything.

The road across the marshes wasn't built like a bridge. Rather, it was more like a wall, constructed out of a huge and tall swath of displaced stone, and the travelers walked for miles across that road. It meant that it had a foundation.

It was also the most solid thing around.

I shaped the familiar spell, which for the last few decades was my bread and butter. The truth is, most spells can't simply be fed more mana to be stronger. I knew only a few spells that acted this way. Most spells, like Aschewind, had a natural threshold. Push more mana into it than the threshold allows, and the spell becomes more unstable and starts unraveling earlier. Which is never a good thing.

Some spells, however, were just too simple to have such a limitation.

The clones that rushed me froze just for a fraction of a second. Not surprisingly, even amongst monsters, no one concealed their magical power in battle itself. For monsters, flaring your energy was a good way to avoid conflict altogether 'Look how strong I am, it's not worth picking a fight'.

Flamme was right. This moment of hesitation is enough.

I reinforced my body with mana to the limits.

"Donnerschlag."

Shockwaves are a fascinating thing. They move through solid stone far faster than they ever could through air or water.

And they spread. The energy doesn't just vanish - it transfers, molecule by molecule, outward and onward.

I fed nearly all my mana into the stone beneath my feet.

Not into the air. Not toward the enemy. Down.

The stone road, half a meter above the marsh, carried the shockwave like a struck bell. It shot through the foundation, faster than any scream could travel.

And when it ran out of stone?

It dove into the mud and standing water.

Every pool, every stagnant channel within half a kilometer shivered - a tremor of dark ripples spreading like veins across the marsh.

A tiny earthquake. 

The power of the spell launched me into the air, the bones in my arms creaking and possibly fracturing. Pain flowed through my body as a shockwave traveled through it. The stone beneath me immediately is covered in cracks, and starts to collapse downwards.

The noise is terrific, not akin to thunder, but a deafening roaring rumble.

I only have time to clench my teeth, the pain and the impact made me lose track of everything for a second.

And then…

Pain.

I didn't realize how it happened. Only that there was a clawed, inhuman arm sticking out of my stomach. 

I looked down and only saw my twisted reflection in the tilted head. The monster was staring at me. As if curious. I was impaled on its hand as I was falling, and my feet still didn't touch the ground. 

Then it twisted its arm, and the pain somehow became worse. 

My face didn't twitch.

I heard someone screaming, but at the moment couldn't even acknowledge it. 

I didn't have time to think about how this is possible, how the real one could've possibly attacked me. 

I simply gripped his hand with mine.

Resonant Soul. 

Out of all my spells, there is no other than my curse that I can apply with such speed and precision. The spell bound the monster. I could feel it take hold of its soul, and then its body. I could feel the monster freeze instead of widening the wound more.

My claws lengthened, and with a single strike, I plunged my hand into its chest, where I knew its core was. The moment my hand wrapped around it, I squeezed.

The monster fell on the ground, breaking into water, mud, and moss, just like the clones.

I landed on my feet by its side.

"Al!' I glanced up, seeing Gluck jump on the bridge, just ten or so steps from me.

I caught her eyes, and immediately realized something was off. The way she was looking at me. The caution, the subtle signs of fear, the tension…

My hood was off, I realized.

"Take a step closer and I will attack," I said, my voice emotionless, as I jumped back, using my reinforced agility.

I stood straight, holding onto my staff, and never taking my eyes off the two warriors.

"You are a demon?" Hanseln asked the obvious; his horse, too, leaped onto the road, and he still sat atop it.

They were within perfect distance. My mana is exhausted. For some reason, they are hesitating, open. This is my only chance. 

If I don't attack now, I die.

I didn't want to die. I wanted to live. I can't kill. I can't attack.

Conflicted feelings rose in me. I wanted to howl. I wanted to howl and for it to release the conflict in my chest, and not simply be an empty sound.

"I am," I said simply, my voice empty of any emotion, my body tenser than ever before in my life, as I bought myself time.

Out of all my spells, only schattenklinge will be able to cut through their defences. If I form the blade from their own shadow, they won't react in time. Every other offensive spell I have at best will cause light injuries, and they will be able to push through them.

Out of all my binding and denial spells, only Resonant Soul may work. But after seeing them move in battle, I know I won't be able to apply it.

I need to kill them now. A quick attack into their blind zones. Those two are tanks, capable of shrugging off my spells and running me down; this is the only way for me to be safe.

"So that's how it is," Gluck said after a moment, just like Hanseln she seemed unsure.

She wasn't anymore. She decided, I could see in her body language. Ǐ̵̢̘̤͗̑͒̈́̂͛͛̅͛̃̚̚̚ ̶̪̉n̴̢̰̝̻͉̣͉̭͉̖̖͑̔̿̂̉̏̕͘͝ę̵͉̞̬͍͉̳͙̟̳̂̿̉͘ͅͅe̷̡͕̲͈̥̠̗͑̿̀̽̀͗͒́̒́̕ď̷͔͌̾̽̽́̅̀͋̾̒͊͛̽͛̚ ̶̤͔̭͉͛̽̌͒̄͝ṱ̷̨̨̭̺̱̙͉̟͚̱̤͓̈o̵͇̻̠̪͎͑̔̿̂̒̂̈̓͛̾́̕͘̕͠ ̷̧̢̨̡̘̝̪̣͎͓͈̹̜̟̰̤̒̋͛͊̄̍̋̔͆̏̆͘s̷̨̗͓̦͚̭̜̠̳̥̖̄́̋̿͐͑̽́͂̍͊͋̂̕͝͝t̴̨̝̯̼͎͕̭̠̂̆͒̓̓̀̒̾͑̈́̕̚r̸̨̘͇̯̞̘̰̥̳̠͕̤̞͍̗̩͋̀̋̎̏̋̀͂̔͆͒̃͊̒͊͂̈ḯ̵̜̪͕̼̱̫͇̘̺̦̩̬͚̳̈̈̈̃͆͋̓̕͜͝k̸̝̬̞͕̝̩̟͈͇̪͕̓̍͛̎̿͋͜e̸̢̘̗̥̭̮̘͙͚̳̘̎͒̀͛̓͊̚͜͜͜͝ ̷̼̄̎̊͑ņ̴̢̡͎͎̬̯̞̮͖̺͉̝̞͕͚̈̒͊̍͜ȍ̴̧̡̠̻͕͖͙̙̽̏͒̒̔̔̉̕̚ͅw̵̢̛͓̣̘̮̠̻͙̤̰̳̭̲͌͜.̷̧̢̥̙̼̙̙̦̤̣̳͍͒͌̈́̓͝ 

"I never really believed in most of that Goddess stuff anyway," She said, throwing the greatsword on her shoulder. "Besides, we fought side by side. I'd be a shitty person to cut you down for a pair of horns when you just saved our hides."

The spell half-formed died, being let go of my control.

For a moment, I couldn't comprehend.

It wasn't the words. It was the body language. The tone. The very pose she took, which left her wide open.

She let herself stay open before a demon.

I was a quarter of a second away from piercing her heart with her own shadow.

"Glu," Hanseln asked unsurely, never quite taking his eyes off me, "You are going to just let him go?"

"There were no rumors of a demon in the region, no missing merchants or devastated villages." She said.

I didn't understand, just staring.

"I guess you are right," Hanseln said after a moment, "Albert, how is it possible that no one heard of a demon around Tiefholz?"

"Because I kept myself hidden," I answered almost automatically, before my mind finally caught up to the absurdity of the situation. "The two of you… you know what I am. You are just going to let me leave?"

There was no disbelief in my words. Neither was there any in my emotions. But there was confusion. I did not understand.

"You saved my life," Gluck said, and it might have been easy to miss, but for a moment, her hand almost went to her stomach, "And then saved both of us afterwards. Did you know there were three monsters here? Out of the two on Hans's side, one even escaped when he heard me shouting and running here." She winced, scratching her head awkwardly, "No way we were outlasting them. So demon or not, you saved our lives. 'Sides, you weren't all that terrible, don't look like the type to eat babies, no matter what the priests say."

I tilted my head in honest bewilderment.

"I am a demon," I repeated again. Seeing no understanding on their faces, I finally realized something: "The two of you… have you ever met demons?"

Gluck chuckled. Hanseln was still tense, but he just shook his head anyway.

"I never saw a demon, and never met anyone who did." Hanseln said slowly, "Most of what I know is from books, and what priests teach. But Gluck is right, you had plenty of opportunities to kill us. You took half of the night's watch, too. I… don't see you lining up with what I know of demons. So I don't see anything wrong with letting you go."

I glanced at the woman, but she just nodded along to her man's words.

"Yeah, you don't have to be so tense," She said simply, "We get it, relax, you can just leave."

Something in my head clicked, as pieces of the puzzle connected.

"You two are idiots," I finally realized, and suddenly things became clear in my mind.

The pair blinked. Like a pair of retarded possums that were blinded by a car about to run them over.

I felt a touch of anger at the sheer ignorance…

…then stopped myself.

I should just leave. Turn around and use this chance.

But if those two come across another demon while thinking like this…

"We, demons, don't feel the same emotions you humans do," I said simply, feeling a bit sick from having to do this. "The concepts such as compassion, pity, camaraderie, are foreign to us. It's a biological matter. This…" I gently tapped with my finger on my chest, "My core, it does not allow me to experience these emotions. I and you look similar, but we are fundamentally different."

I met their eyes once again, carefully making sure for a second that they were listening.

"Demons are good at lying. Normally, the demon will push on your empathy, trying to get into your good graces, make you relax, and then murder you. We feel an urge to kill and consume the flesh of humans; there is no logical reason for it." I explained simply, "Demons are the most dangerous monsters to your kind. When a human and a demon meet, one almost always will die."

Hanseln looks at me oddly, as does Gluck. But it is the knight who speaks up first.

"And yet, you did nothing of that sort around us."

"We can prioritize." I said simply, "But no, I did not. My circumstances are different from other demons…" I paused, making sure to look at them both again, "Which is also what every demon would say in a situation like this. The details aren't overly important. What is important is that the two of you must kill every demon you ever meet on sight. Don't even listen to them speak."

The pregnant woman actually had the gall to laugh at me.

"Never met anyone trying to die so badly!"

I just looked at her, my expression empty. Eventually, the amusement disappeared from her face.

"I am likely the only demon who won't harm a human if I can help it. My situation involved magic beyond your understanding," And my own too, as miracles of God likely aren't magic to begin with. "Any other demon is a danger. If you can kill a demon, do so. Never allow yourself to drop your guard if you value your life..." I nodded towards her, "Or the life of your child."

The woman froze for a long moment.

I turned around. Luckily, the side of the road I was on led away from Tiefholz.

"I would appreciate it if you would tell no one of this encounter. But if I were you, I wouldn't do what the demon asks. May the grace of the almighty be with you two,"

I didn't wait for them to say anything or ask any more questions. Reinforcing my body, I started to run across the road.

Mana preservation wasn't important anymore. I need to get away and pull myself together.

I need to pray.

Today, I almost killed three people who showed even a demon mercy.

-------

Made some reference material for myself when I was writing the last few chapters. I decided there is no reason for me not to share it here.

---------------------

Current repertoire of Albert's combat spells:

ATTACK SPELLS:

Kristallspeer (Crystal Spear) - Rapidly crystallizes moisture from the air into sharp projectiles. Extremely precise and can pierce most armor, but becomes weaker in dry environments. Requires concentration to maintain crystal stability. A sniping spell that leaves Albert immobile when used.

Donnerschlag (Thunder Strike) - Releases a devastating shockwave of sound and force in a set direction, in around 90 degrees. Can shatter bones and rupture organs through armor, but is short range. Albert must brace himself or risk being knocked down by his own spell.

Schattenklinge (Shadow Blade) - Manifests cutting edges from shadows that can slice through most materials. More shadows available = more powerful attacks, but becomes nearly useless in bright light or open areas. The blades dissipate if the shadow source moves.

Kraftstoß (Force Burst) - Launches concentrated orbs of pure magical energy. Reliable damage regardless of environment or target type, but has limited range and consumes significant mana. Each orb requires precise aim and can't penetrate multiple targets.

BINDING/AREA DENIAL SPELLS:

Aschewind (Ash Wind) - Creates lingering clouds of fire that continue to damage anything within. The flames can be dispersed by strong winds or water magic, and aren't overly powerful, for the most part they are mundane flames.

Steingriff (Stone Grip) - Animates existing stone and earth to grasp at opponents' feet and legs. Extremely effective on rocky terrain but can't affect areas without stone or packed earth. The animated stone is brittle and can be shattered with sufficient force.

Glasscherben (Glass Shards) - Transmutes sand or small stones into razor-sharp glass fragments that circle like a cyclone in an area, cutting anyone who moves through. Requires existing mineral matter to work with and the shards become dull over time.

Magische Fesseln (Magic Bonds) - Creates invisible chains of pure mana that bind targets in place. Requires the target to be hit with a bot of magical energy that moves with the speed of an arrow. Works consistently regardless of environment, but the bonds weaken over time and can be broken by sustained struggle or magic. Requires constant concentration to maintain.

DEFENSIVE SPELLS:

Erdschild (Earth Shield) - Raises protective barriers of stone and packed earth. Excellent against physical attacks and most magic, but slow to form and vulnerable to water magic that can erode the structure.

Windmantel (Wind Cloak) - Surrounds Albert with high-speed rotating air currents that deflect projectiles and weaken incoming spells. Effective against ranged attacks but provides no protection against area effects or persistent magic.

Spiegelwand (Mirror Wall) - Creates reflective barriers that redirect magical attacks back at attackers. Powerful against offensive magic but useless against physical attacks, and sufficiently powerful spells can overwhelm and shatter the reflection.

Schutzschild (Protection Shield) - Forms a translucent barrier of condensed magical energy around Albert. Provides moderate protection against all types of attacks consistently, but each impact drains the shield's power and it must be renewed frequently. Cannot block area effects that surround him.

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From the recently added entry to the Grand Monster Encyclopedia. (about five years since events of Chapter 8)

Spiegelgeist (Mirror Spirits)

Appearance: They stand nearly seven feet tall with unnaturally elongated limbs that seem to stretch and bend unnaturally. Their bodies appear translucent and watery, with a surface that ripples constantly like disturbed water. They have no fixed facial features - instead, their "face" shows a distorted reflection of whoever is looking at them, like a funhouse mirror made of dark water. All of their movement are exaggerated and odd to the human eye.

Abilities: Spiegelgeist can manifest perfect physical duplicates of themselves from any body of still water. These reflections aren't illusions - they're fully corporeal and can fight independently with the same strength as the original. However, each reflection is bound to its "mirror" - if the water surface is significantly disturbed, that duplicate immediately dissolves back into ordinary water.

Tactics: Spiegelgeist are patient, methodical hunters. They position themselves carefully around the marsh's numerous pools, using their flowing movement to remain nearly invisible among the reeds. Once they've surrounded their prey with reflective surfaces before committing to an attack.

Behavior: Unlike mindless monsters, Spiegelgeist display an eerie collective intelligence. They communicate via unknown means. They seem fascinated by their opponents' reflections and actions, often pausing mid-combat to study how their enemies move, learning and adapting their tactics accordingly.

They're drawn to areas with multiple water sources and avoid combat during heavy rain or in fast-flowing streams where their reflections would be unstable.

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Author Notes: Did I cook?

I feel kinda happy about the chapter, took a lot of time, but I think it's really good. It bloated beyond the proportions I intended, but I think it's fine. Would be really interested in seeing what you guys think.