Lila tried to figure out where she’d made a mistake to get caught. However, she couldn’t think of anything. She’d been so careful lately. How had her identity been revealed? Yet, here she was, with a crazy demoness right in front of her… she couldn’t get away, because as soon as she started to chant she would definitely get stopped. She’d even tried to disguise it, but somehow she was still recognized.
She thought… maybe there had been a trap? Yes, that was right. There was a magical ward she disabled. It wasn’t very hard, but underlying that had been something else that was hidden. She only briefly saw it before she fell unconscious.
The red-skinned demoness grinned. “So, why are you here, little spy?” Lila was surprised that this demoness spoke Ostanan. It even was almost unaccented. She shivered. “Not going to talk? I know you’re not mute. Don’t worry, as long as you aren’t trying to use magic I won’t have to hit you.” The demoness grinned even wider, in a terrifying manner.
“Just kill me.”
“That would be no fun. Well, to be honest, I don’t care why you’re here. I’m more interested in why you can chant without a formula. Who taught you that?” The demoness waited for a few moments as Lila glared silently. “Oh, don’t even pretend that you can’t. I already know how it works. Let me demonstrate.”
So she did, even chanting an Ostanan chant… but instead of lightning, she launched a fireball. Not at Lila… but right next to her head. Lila swallowed.
“Not going to talk? I don’t want to have to get mean. I really just want to know who taught you. Did you come up with it yourself? Not many people know how to do this.”
“My teacher…”
“Yes?”
“He taught me.”
“Okay, who is this teacher?”
Lila shook her head. She wasn’t going to betray William. This demoness was powerful, and she wasn’t going to give anything away. However, she had to stall for time, to somehow figure out a way to escape… or to die.
“This is no fun. Fine, you don’t have to tell me who they are. Why are you here?”
Lila remained silent.
“There’s not much reason to be spying…You just killed him recently and he won’t be back for a while. The Demon King, that is.” Lila couldn’t help but react slightly at the mention of the Demon King. “Oh, it’s about the Demon King is it? You know he reincarnates, right?”
That question already had no doubt in it. Lila decided this would be a fine time to answer. “Yes.”
“See, that’s why this is silly. There’s no way to kill him for real. He’ll just keep. Coming. Back.” The demoness emphasized each word by poking Lila in the forehead.
Lila glared. “Unless we destroy his soul.”
“Oh? Where did you hear about something like that?”
Lila trembled. She hadn’t meant to say anything.
“Your teacher?” Lila couldn’t help but look away. “Fascinating. There are actually humans trying to work for that?” The demoness stuck her face right in front of Lila’s. “No? Maybe not many.” The demoness paced in a circle around Lila. “This would be a lot easier if you would just talk.”
“So you can get information and kill me faster?”
The red-skinned demoness shrugged. “I don’t have to kill you. Or torture you, or anything. Honestly, I don’t have much reason to bother with humans, but you’ve been causing some waves here. You’re not really subtle.” Lila couldn’t deny that. “That said, I’m perfectly willing to torture you to save some time, I just don’t think the answers will be as good.” The demoness smiled. “Let me just be honest here. I just want to know what you know. I don’t plan to do anything about it or tell anybody.”
Lila couldn’t help but stare. It didn’t sound like she was lying. However, that might have just meant she was a good liar. “What?”
“Did I speak unclearly? I just want to know about this wizard teacher of yours. He sounds interesting.”
“He’s… not exactly a wizard.”
“What?” The demoness grabbed Lila’s chin. “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, he can’t use magic. Or at least, he couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t? Until when?”
“He just… got a better staff.”
The demoness sighed. “Oh, he just wasn’t very good. Still, he actually noticed a few things. Nobody seemed to be paying attention. Or maybe they didn’t care. So, is this fellow a professor at that wizard’s guild they have in Canta? Ah, I thought he might be. Still, that place is so mired in tradition that I’m surprised they let him research alternate magic possibilities.”
“Ah, they didn’t, exactly-” Lila caught herself. Why was she speaking? Was it some kind of magic? She didn’t see anything, but demons might have ways.
“They didn’t? Well, I suppose it’s not that hard to do such research on your own. You helped him?” The demoness nodded. “Of course you did, he’s bad at magic… and you’re definitely not. So, what led him to think of the possibilities?”
“Umm… I don’t know.”
“Oh. This would be so much better if I could talk to him. Hmm, I suppose I have some free time.” She returned to her uncomfortable close position, carefully watching Lila’s eyes. “So, what were you here for? Just say it. It’s easier.”
“… Soul Magic.”
“Oh? So you’re serious about that? Hmm… well…” The demoness pulled out a scroll case and a scroll and quill and ink. Then she wrote something on it. Lila was confused as to why she always had such things on her. “I can help you humans out, but I want to meet this teacher of yours. Give him this.” Then the demoness cut the ropes binding Lila, and put the scroll case in her hand. “Well, go on, get going. I don’t have what I need with me, so I’ve got to go get it. You make sure to deliver that to your teacher, okay?” The demoness pushed Lila, as if to get her started walking. It worked, and Lila started walking in a daze. She wasn’t sure what had happened.
—–
On the way, Lila checked the scroll case for any kinds of magic. There was nothing on the case… or on the inside. The scroll itself was normal as well. It didn’t seem like a trap, at least not itself. In the end, the whole situation was strange. Lila hadn’t really thought about it, but it was quite something that William had figured out new things about magic at six years old. Though he didn’t hide much of anything, there was still some mystery there that she didn’t understand. He had interesting intuition. Lila had some as well, and hers told her to give him the scroll. Not to trust the demoness, but to trust what William would do.