Could it be because I used the Information Guild for the first time while risking DeB's absence?

Thanks to the token, entering wasn't difficult. But I couldn't help wondering what kind of battle DeB had been fighting all this time.

It wasn't a joke; I was 100% serious. The true face of the Information Guild we experienced was just that beyond imagination.

"What truly vulgar people. They have absolutely no manners."

"Haha..."

I mean, even in the game, the people affiliated with the Information Guild were rude bastards, right?

There were individual differences depending on the city, but they commonly tried to rip you off or screw you over without crossing the line.

But this... here... it wasn't just at that level...

"Still, we got what we needed, didn't we?"

"Do you mean... the fact that nothing has particularly changed? Or the fact that they themselves don't know where the vegetables come from because the source is unclear?"

Hah. Never mind. There was only one thing certain: our Meat Dumpling was simply a god.

"Sometimes, a lack of information becomes information in itself. Even if the path isn't visible yet."

"Is that so..."

"Do not be too impatient. They say the Magic Tower's investigation team, sent to obtain samples of the beasts that consume divine power, has also just arrived in Camberer, so the search will gradually pick up speed as well."

"... Yes!"

"More than that, I wonder if his mood has improved..."

The Archmage, who was at the very front of our group, opened the lodging door. CREAK. Through the open door, I saw the Berserker and DeB sitting at the dining table.

DeB, in particular, was rolled up in a blanket, drinking soup.

"You're back?"

I was at a loss for words at the sight. Was I dissatisfied that the kid had recovered enough to eat? Of course not.

Looking at his still gloomy expression and the Berserker watching over him with her arms crossed, couldn't anyone see he was eating half-willingly and half-forced?

But the reason I lost my words was...

"Good timing, Priest. Heal this for him."

"Pardon? What else... Y-Your neck?!"

It was because I was wondering how he already had handprints on his neck when his cheek had just healed.

"Don't tell me he was attacked again..."

"T-That's not it."

DeB, whose neck injury was forcibly revealed by the Berserker, rolled his eyes around and swallowed his soup.

Was it because he was strangled hard enough to leave red marks on his skin? I could see him wincing every time he swallowed the soup.

"Enough, hold still."

"You don't have to heal it..."

"Get healed, Hunter."

"Let me heal you."

Eventually, the Inquisitor snatched the soup bowl away, set it down, and placed her hand on the grumbling DeB's neck. Perhaps because it was an area that rarely came into contact with others, DeB flinched.

FLASH.

A light that was repulsive only to me illuminated the room. The redness faded immediately.

"Who was it."

"I'm telling you, it's nothing."

"We need to know who it is so we can respond."

Right after, the Archmage's interrogation began.

What, DeB didn't do anything wrong, so 'interrogation' is the wrong word choice? Who cares. Hiding the situation from us is exactly DeB's crime.

"I'm really saying it's nothing—"

"I said he strangled himself. While sleeping."

"B-Boss!"

But we had a reliable watcher named Berserker.

The three of us who learned the truth were appalled, and DeB looked at the Berserker as desperately as a heartbroken lover.

Naturally, she just picked her ear.

"What did you just say?"

"I said he strangled his own neck. The Berserker barely managed to wake him up to stop it."

"N-No I didn't?! This is just..."

There was no way the Berserker would lie about something like this, so this was ultimately the truth.

Crazy bastard. Not even I strangle myself in my sleep. Just how severe is his depression? No, is this even a behavior that can be explained by the word 'depression'?

"Ugh, fine! I did it. But a person can do that while sleeping...!"

However, the moment DeB decided to take the route of a brazen thief turning on the victim, the Inquisitor, who had been trembling in the back, stepped forward.

Then, she cut off DeB's ridiculous excuse and grabbed him by the collar.

"You stupid fool!"

"...?!"

Perhaps it was because they were of similar height. Dragged by her force, DeB's forehead and the Inquisitor's forehead bumped together with a THUD.

"A person can do that while sleeping? Nonsense! My leniency ends here. If you're going to make that kind of excuse, you might as well keep your mouth shut!"

"... Y-You're the ones who kept asking when I kept my mouth shut..."

"Don't nitpick! You slacker!"

DeB must have been startled by the close distance, pulling his head back.

The Inquisitor followed right after, closing the gap. Their noses were practically touching.

"I may be dense, but I won't fall for such an obvious lie!"

"L-Lie..."

"Inquisitor, that word is..."

"Are those two kissing?"

"Being considerate has its limits! I don't know what you're hiding, but cut it out!"

"I, I..."

When the Inquisitor dropped her hands with a SMACK, DeB stumbled two steps back. He barely kept his balance, but his shadowed eyes were holding back an overwhelming amount of something.

"Either spit it out or take other measures. Anyway, do something instead of just suffering in silence! Continuously hiding it won't change a thing!"

But that pent-up feeling soon transformed into a single emotion. Anger, or perhaps...

"You think I don't know that nothing will change?!"

"...?!"

"What do you even know—!"

"I don't know! I'm telling you to speak because I don't know!"

"Fuck, you'll despise me if I tell you!"

"...!"

"Just like you do now, despising me as a criminal when you don't know a damn thing! No, even more than now!"

DeB yelled with a reddened face. At that, the Inquisitor's complexion instantly turned pale. It was because the very thing he pointed out was an undeniable, obvious fault of hers.

"That's—"

"I don't need your excuses. I'm not going to listen."

Thus, the Inquisitor deeply bowed her head, and DeB huffed as he turned his body. His destination was likely the door out of the lodging.

BANG!

DeB, having passed by me, slammed the door shut and disappeared beyond it.

The Inquisitor, left behind, bit her lip tightly. As someone with zero social experience and seemingly zero peer relationships, this situation must be quite difficult for her.

"... Oh dear."

The Archmage massaged her forehead at this total disaster.

The Archmage had been acting much like a nursery school teacher lately, but it seemed even she had no confidence in handling a situation like this.

"... The food I bought for the young hunter to eat has all gotten cold."

The Berserker displayed her own kind of distress. She sullenly stared at the food she had bought with the intention of comforting DeB.

I knew there was a reason such a feast had been laid out.

"..."

What should I do now?

I moved sluggishly, alternately recalling the gloomy atmosphere of the room and DeB's expression, which I had only caught a glimpse of.

CLACK.

The footsteps of military boots broke the silence and crossed the living room. The destination wasn't the exit, but the room assigned to me.

CLATTER.

I entered my room and closed the door.

CLICK.

I also slid the lock into place, which wouldn't serve much practical purpose but would definitely convey the message: 'Do not enter.'

Now, then. I should head back out.

CREAK.

I opened the window and jumped out. Since it was the first floor, it didn't make much noise.

CLACK.

Just in case, I closed the window again. I didn't have the ability to lock the inside latch from the outside, but it wouldn't be noticeable from the surface.

My footsteps swiftly and stealthily left the Temple.

Deathbringer walked aimlessly through the town.

He wasn't walking on the streets. Setting aside the risk of getting into a fight, he didn't have the confidence to dare face them.

He had no right to look the people of this city in the eye.

So he crossed over the rooftops, looking for suitable shade. The hood without ear holes was incredibly stuffy, but he didn't complain. It was a burden he deserved to bear.

"Huu..."

And right when he found some decent shade, he flopped down onto it. A cold wind blew, unusually chilly for this region.

"..."

Deathbringer suddenly found himself missing Skylar. He missed that person who was too distant to be called family, yet too close to be just a business relation.

That was the case even knowing she would scold and reprimand him rather than comfort him.

He didn't need comfort right now. He needed someone who would itemize his sins and get angry for him, but who wouldn't abandon him.

No, he didn't actually care if he was abandoned. What he truly didn't want, what he couldn't tolerate, was...

["The 'sins' discussed by those who have only ever enjoyed privileges and never had to look at the bottom. Isn't it just so annoying?"]

"...!"

Deathbringer urgently took a stance. His suddenly raised body stopped at an ambiguous height, looking as though he could spring away at any moment.

"You!"

["Why so surprised? You're acting like this is new."]

When had it approached? He chewed on his lip as he looked at the entity standing in front of him.

As if mocking his anxiety, the other party softly wore a faint smile.

["Like I said last time, I'm merely trying to help you."]

'Will I die? Will I be able to make it back alive this time?'

Deathbringer unconsciously weighed the possibilities before startling. 'Make it back alive'? Was he even allowed to dare have such a thought? How dare he, how dare he.

["There are far too many people in the world who run their mouths without knowing a thing, aren't there?"]

His thoughts were forcefully cut off. It was because the entity, having approached right under his nose before he knew it, grabbed his chin.

SWISH. The silver silk it wore floated in the air like a fish swimming underwater.

["Sure, it would be a different story if they were victims or people in the same position. It's so unfair when they carelessly add their two cents without ever having experienced the same absurdity."]

"What are you—"

["Isn't it true? Do we not know that this is a sin? Do we not feel guilty towards the people harmed by it? No. You don't. You're the kind of person who would rightfully accept it if they screamed that you must be punished. It's just that, even knowing that, it was the only choice you could make. Because you have no power."]

"...!"

The snake wrapped around the other party's neck slithered over to him. Thanks to the snake's body pushing back his hood, the blinding sunlight poured straight down.

["Yes! Because you had no power! Because you had no money, no authority! It's truly unfair for bastards who can't even understand that you had no choice because of that single reason to criticize us!"]

It was just like that moment in the past. It was sunlight that filled the world with nothing but a halo of light.

["The only thing making you all clean and noble is ultimately just the fact that you were lucky enough to be born into the privileged class!"]

It was that damn sunlight that made even that noble bastard look divine right at the moment he was killing someone.

That fucking sun.

["It's not about denying the sin. It's not about not wanting to be punished. But being criticized by them is unpleasant. It's just annoying that those guys, who were merely lucky, point fingers when they don't know a thing."]

"... What are you, talking about."

The light was so bright, it felt like tears would fall. That was probably it. It was likely because of that.

Deathbringer let out a heavily strained voice. The other party beamed.

["You feel it too, don't you?"]

He simply couldn't deny it.

"... You sure talk a lot of useless nonsense."

["That's my pride, you see. This black tongue is my everything."]

"So, what do you want me to do? Tell me to betray them?"

["Betray? Haha, hahahaha!"]

Still, he wouldn't fall for a demon's tricks. Deathbringer opened his mouth with that resolve, only to be gifted with the other party's uproarious laughter.

["Betrayal is only betrayal when there's a bond in the first place."]

A corner of his heart was stabbed.

["You know it too. The only reason you can be with them is because they don't know your past. The fact that nobody actually considers you special."]

Perhaps it wasn't just a prick, but a deep plunge.

["Because in the end, you're nothing but a replaceable puzzle piece."]

The temperature of the snake crawling over his neck was far too cold.

["But I'm different. I can make you special. I can give you the power to crush those hypocrites who were simply lucky enough to be born into the privileged class. You'll be able to slaughter the evildoers you wish to execute without walking on eggshells. As long as you wish for it, if you want it."]

Deathbringer bowed his head, looking down at his shadow. It was a shadow rendered invisible because it belonged to the shade.

"And in return, I become your dog?"

["I don't treat my contractors recklessly. To me, a contractor is a sort of comrade."]

"Hah, I guess you really are a demon."

["Well, did you think I was human?"]

RIIIIP.

The sound of something tearing rang out.

["Think carefully. Your companions cannot understand you like I do. They won't be able to empathize with you either."]

"... Why? Why do you think they can't?"

["Are you asking that seriously? Do you think the Priest who has been a Hero since birth, or the Mage who naturally ascended to the privileged class through innate talent, can truly comprehend you?"]

"..."

["Even if they tried to understand you, how much could they really grasp? I'm sure they would start with 'I understand how you feel wanting revenge' and ultimately finish with 'but that wasn't right'. How many people could possibly bring harm to them? And even if there were, they are the kind of people with the power and authority to legally plunge their opponents into the abyss."]

Even so, the black tongue inside the white shell did not stop.

["Oh, of course, the Fighter, who doesn't care what anyone thinks, won't say anything to you. She might even say you did well. But... you know, right? That the positions between her and you are worlds apart."]

It was as if poison had been smeared on its tongue instead of its fangs.

["You, who crawled on the bottom and rolled in the mud just to barely kill a single person. You, who had to run and run to survive without even a moment to feel relieved after completing your revenge... Will that strong warrior truly understand you? Could you really gladly accept that Fighter's understanding?"]

Engraving itself formlessly onto his soul.

["The Demon Knight goes without saying. He's the most similar to you, the most alike... but he ultimately grasped power, at least. Even though you both struggle just the same, he can achieve more, a deeper revenge."]

The kind of poison for which not even an antidote exists in this world.

["In the end, even the two people who might understand your heart are not on equal footing with you. Because they have abilities. Because they are the kind of people who don't wander the bottom like you, and can act however their hearts desire."]

"..."

["Because they have the power to do so."]

Deathbringer squeezed his eyes shut.

"... Bullshit. Even you, saying all that, are stronger than me, aren't you?"

["Haha, that's right. I'm much stronger than you. In fact, I'm stronger than most. I, too, am ultimately a being from above."]

"And yet you spout such nonsense—"

["But I'm also the only one who can give you power, aren't I?"]

"...!"

["There may be rare beings out there who could take revenge on your behalf, hand you authority, or pour out overwhelming wealth before you. But that's not what you want, is it?"]

The other party let go of his chin and, taking the snake back as well, retreated one step, then two.

The silk, resembling fish scales, scattered, revealing a wondrous sight beyond it.

["Power. The most primal, barbaric, and fundamental essence of the world: 'power.' This is exactly what you want to possess, isn't it?"]

WOOOO. A massive whale cried out right behind the entity.

["Even though God has turned away from you, I am looking straight at you."]

Honestly, it was a sight that a piece of his heart couldn't help but be seduced by.

["So make a contract with me. Choose me. Discard those fools who will never understand you."]

Ah, in the end, even this was just proof that he was a weak person.

"... Before we contract, I have a few... questions. Can I ask?"

["Humans sure are full of doubt. Alright. Ask away. I'll answer whatever I can."]

"First... who are you? I know you're a demon, but I want to know exactly who. I need to clearly know who the demon I'm contracting with is."

["Ah, did I not say?"]

Deathbringer cautiously asked about the other party's identity. In response, the other party answered in an exaggerated yet dry tone.

["The world calls me Moby Dick. The seat the King bestowed upon me is Envy. I am one of the seven Great Demons you all so revere and fear."]

He had expected it, but it was a real Great Demon.

Deathbringer instinctively swallowed a groan.

"Then next... why doesn't someone as great as a Great Demon forcibly take my body? It's easier to just steal it entirely like the Demon Knight. Plus, honestly, I'm so weak that making me a contractor would be basically meaningless."

["How foolish. From my perspective, there isn't much difference between you and other humans. And do you think the kind of guys who are strong enough to be meaningful as contractors would ever make a contract in the first place?"]

"... I suppose you're right. Is the reason you aren't taking over my body also because I'm weak?"

["Of course. There is absolutely no advantage to taking over a fragile body like a human's. Unless they're lowly pests without proper physical forms or those who have lost their bodies."]

"It seems demons can lose their bodies, too. If I make a contract, can I live when I lose my body?"

["You're a human with big dreams. But, yes. It's not impossible. Anchoring a soul to the earth with immense power and breathing it into a new physical body is what resurrection is."]

"Then putting that as a condition in the contract is..."

["That won't do."]

"Ah, it won't?"

Deathbringer clicked his tongue, saying it was a shame. Separately, the other party was raising its hand as if to say it had answered enough.

Along with an afterimage that looked like gathering water droplets, a piece of paper materialized in its hand. It was very high-quality paper.

["If you write your name on this contract with your blood, the contract is established. If you don't know how to read or write, speak your name. I will teach you the letters."]

"... Do I really have to say my name?"

["Because that is the start of the contract."]

The other party held out its hand as if telling him to take the paper. But Deathbringer couldn't readily accept it.

"Just a little... give me a little more time to think."

["Oh my... I thought I gave you plenty."]

"Just a little, a little is all I need."

["... Alright. I am generous, so I shall allow it. However, don't think about playing petty tricks."]

With that, the snake flew at him as a substitute.

["Knowing a name doesn't mean I can force a contract to proceed, but someone of my caliber can still manage a provisional contract."]

CHOMP. The snake's fangs tore into his neck.

["I call it a provisional contract, but it's closer to a curse."]

At the same time, an incredibly cold chill, like flowing ice, spread throughout his body through his veins.

["I'll enhance your body slightly. In exchange, you must not tell anyone about our meeting or the conversation we had. You also must not call my name in the presence of others. Those are the conditions."]

It was a sensation that made him wonder if this was what burning pain—no, pain caused by freezing—felt like.

["For your information, resolving to die and leaving it in writing isn't allowed either. You're not the first human to try and be clever like that."]

'Ah, dammit.'

["Well, there's no way those Temple bastards will look kindly on you now that you've formed a provisional contract anyway."]

'And here I just wanted to sneakily extract some information.'

["So, do your best. It'd be nice if you called for me soon."]

It seemed he really was hopeless.

Deathbringer's eyelids collapsed shut.