"...What nonsense are you talking about? Demons?"
Bella made an incredulous expression.
"Gerhard!"
Luina was also startled by the sudden escalation. But Gerhard paid no attention.
"Luina, leave this entirely to me."
"...You're saying you can tell just by looking once?"
"I've found definite evidence."
"Really?"
"No, what are you two talking about right now?"
"Bella Hoenne."
Gerhard's voice dropped lower.
"I understand this is confusing. Demons, being possessed by demonic energy. It sounds absurd."
Bella's gaze grew increasingly fierce, as if questioning whether he truly understood.
"But you need to trust me completely."
"That's such nonsense..."
"If you can't trust me, trust your friend, Luina Berchef. Has she ever harmed you or told you meaningless lies?"
"...Well, that's true."
Demons.
Bella suspected that her good friend might have fallen for Gerhard's serpent-like tongue and was saying strange things.
Honestly, that seemed most plausible.
"No."
"What?"
"I didn't brainwash Luina."
"...How did you...?"
"That's right, Bella. Am I the type of person who would fall for such things?"
"That may be true, but demons... My head is full of demons? It's strange. How can someone say such things boldly without being insane?"
Although demons had not appeared for a thousand years, causing humanity to forget much about them, they were still objects of fear.
Monsters that nearly destroyed the continent.
Evil beings warned about by the first emperor.
The Judges, who remained even though they had become nominal, were proof of this.
"I say it boldly because I think your head is full of demons."
"You must both have gone mad. There's no other explanation, right?"
"Whether we're mad or not can be determined at the temple."
"Why go to the temple, of all places...!"
"Because the temple's magicians are more sensitive to demonic energy than anyone else."
The holy power that appears in novels and plays, said to be the antithesis of demonic energy, didn't actually exist.
However, the Dragon Faith Order had crossed an irreversible river with demons over the position of mastery in magic, and a thousand years ago, they were more zealous than anyone in eradicating demons.
That stance continued to this day, and they had steadily developed artifacts and magic to search for demons. If asked to name those who could best find demons in this world, Gerhard would definitely choose the Dragon Faith Order.
"If they find demonic energy in your body, we're right. If not, you're right."
Then I will formally apologize. Gerhard declared.
"I stake the name of Gerhard Goldenheim on it."
"...Isn't the head of a person who claims to apologize too stiff?"
"Because I haven't done anything wrong yet."
"..."
"Bella, just once."
"Luina..."
Honestly, Bella couldn't understand the current situation at all. Everything was out of the blue and ridiculous.
She was told she'd made a contract with demons when she'd never even seen one.
'Could this be a demon's prank?'
Maybe she was actually sleeping in bed, and everything was a nightmare created by a demon.
Bella unconsciously pinched her cheek.
"That won't make it a dream."
"...Unnecessarily perceptive."
Rubbing her sore cheek, she asked.
"What will you do if demonic energy is really there?"
"Purify it. There's no other way, and I don't intend to hand you over to the Judges. Ah, we'll need to investigate your activities though."
"My activities?"
"We need to know where the demonic energy seeped in to deal with it."
"Haven't you already investigated?"
"Shh, Luina. Being quiet in times like this is helping."
"...I see."
'...When did these two become so close?'
Bella let out a hollow laugh at the sight of the two whispering loud enough for all to hear, like a comedy duo.
Despite the seriousness of the conversation, honestly, it didn't feel real.
How could anyone easily believe that demons and demonic energy, which had been absent for the past thousand years, would suddenly appear?
"...Fine. Let's go. I have nothing to hide. But if nothing is found, you'll need to apologize to Luina too."
"To Luina?"
"Yes. For seducing innocent Luina and getting her involved in your strange actions."
"There's a slight discrepancy in your words, but if that's what you want, I will."
Screech, Bella roughly pushed her chair back and stood up.
"Well, is there anything more to drag out? If you want it so badly, let's go right now."
"Wait a moment."
"What now?"
Gerhard pointed to the half-filled cups.
"Even if we're leaving, finish what's left. This coffee is made with the finest beans from Mount Argond."
Slurp, he savored his coffee.
***
"Was what I saw really correct?"
Luina was following behind Bella, keeping a slight distance alongside Gerhard.
"Yes. You saw correctly, and your friend is contaminated with demonic energy. Of course, it's extremely faint, so it's not like Veriana's case where she lost her sanity."
Nevertheless, traces of demonic energy remained. This was because, unlike Veriana who had resolved everything, it was accumulating gradually.
"If it's true, then Bella..."
"That won't happen. She didn't make a direct contract with a demon; she was infected without knowing. That's also why we're going to the Order instead of the Judges, to prepare for any eventuality."
While there was room to negotiate with the apostles of the Dragon Faith Order, it wasn't the case with the Judges.
Those who existed to destroy demons had become nominal because demons didn't exist, but they were capable of doing anything to regain power.
There were even precedents where Judges had fabricated fake demons.
If Bella was taken to the Judges and demonic energy was discovered, she would definitely be a dead person.
Naturally, this would sour relations with Luina, and Aint would be added to the mix.
From Gerhard's perspective, that was something he wanted to avoid.
'Bella must live. She must live, discover the demonic energy, and serve as evidence.'
For Luina, for Gerhard who needed Luina's favor, and for the continent.
"...Thank you."
"There's nothing to thank me for."
"Stop whispering, you two. Is this really the right way?"
Bella stopped walking, folded her arms, and asked bluntly.
"You said we were going to the temple, but why are we suddenly visiting all the places I usually go to first?"