LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 58: Beyond Comprehension
It has been roughly two weeks since Jake and his entourage re-entered the capital, the adventurer party that had accosted them at the start showed up quickly after arrival again, but they mostly seem to be observing vigilantly for now... as well as participating in the magic academy. In that two week time, the paranormal division has been re-establishing like only insane madmen could. Esstrey is no exception, even if her only following is a village worth of kobolds currently in hiding. However, a following matters little to Esstrey if she can't be absolutely certain of their loyalty, the kobolds may seem loyal, but she knows that illusion will end if they ever find out she is not actually draconic, her methods are just draconian.
"Esstrey, what in Mortimer's name have you done to my room? Why here?" Naturally, the person that got the paranormal division here is incredibly stressed as he believes they will be found out any moment now, that and he isn't very happy with Esstrey appropriating his room for a ritual.
"Your room is the safest location I can think of, furthest away from... prying eyes. Here, hold my shovel." Esstrey throws her shovel lazily toward Jake, who fumbles with it slightly but manages to get a good grip on it anyway.
"What kind of ritual are you even doing? And what's with the helmet?" Jake has already given up on actually stopping anything the paranormal division does, these people only ever sided with his Eliana for the resources, they didn't exactly sign up to follow orders like some sword-wielding schmuck. She's also wearing some kind of metal helmet with a bolted on visor made of thick glass, there's a special spot at the sides where her ears can stick out, but the clearly incredibly thick faceshield covers for this weakness.
"Demon-summoning ritual, I need something most easily acquired by a demon. The helmet is for protection, an orichalium Altyn helmet, how does it look?" For some reason Jake still had better expectations than Esstrey treating a new helmet as a more important matter than a demon summoning ritual in his room.
"I-what... you know what? You look like a fucking juggernaut." Even Jake has his limits it seems, but that won't make him go up against the mermaid who is currently pointing a crossbow at the center of the summoning circle.
The circle begins to light up as it gathers power from its surroundings, and a form begins to take shape in the center. The form of a busty woman that wouldn't be found out of place in a brother if it wasn't for her red skin horns and tail. She isn't clothed scantily opposite to Jake's expectations (and a little his hopes) like the demons he heard of from Ronald's endless tirades that should really get him written up for sexual harassment for talking about it alone. No, she is instead clothed in a black business suit with a tie and rectangular glasses, she holds a folder of sorts, but it's clearly all decorative considering her smile.
"Why if it isn't my favorite costumer, pointing a crossbow at me again it seems. Tell me dear Esstrey, what kind of juicy deal do you have for the Infernal Host this time?" Zha'klos takes a quick note of the kid holding the shovel, sizing him up, and quickly identifying him as the child of the woman who's backing a cult on this planet, typical. She just as quickly as appearing turns her eyes back to the proverbial monster in the room.
"I heard demons are experts at energy and matter conversion, I would like you to transform this wooden figurine into something that is more receptive to spatial magic." Esstrey puts down a figurine of... herself. Specifically, her full equipment of the time she fought Magnus. Despite the eldritch armor, flaming blade and ornate buckler, anyone that has met Esstrey can still see how that's her beneath the armor.
"That request is surprisingly common, but...well, let's say that normally there are rather large restrictions on spatial material conversions because of our highly competitive market. However, considering it's a figurine of yourself and..." Zha'klos trails off as she inspects the figurine in earnest.
There's something Zha'klos is familiar with within the figurine, a pulsing of power with exactly the same signature as those buckets of royal's blood she gave her. A figurine meant to represent Esstrey, full of blood that Zha'klos knows comes from a royal being.
"You motherfucker..." The helmet makes sense now, a minor security measure in the eyes of most, but if she so freely uses her own blood... she must be a blood mage as well. She had actually tricked a millennia old being, if even only for a while, by blinding the demon with desire for something. A tactic demonkind is all too familiar with. Usually, the blood of royals from the 'civilized races' loses its royalty factor once said royal is no longer recognized as such, but Zha'klos knows for certain that no one on this planet recognizes her as royalty from information bought from the local cult cell. Either someone somewhere else still recognizes her as such, or the definition of monster is much more literal, is she even a mermaid?
"You fuckeeerrr." Zha'klos rubs her forehead, which is it? Hidden following or monster? She doesn't know, the millennia old being doesn't know. The thing stuck in her back answers a few of her questions, Esstrey is clearly not of this world, probably not even from [The Veil]. She's not immortal, doesn't act enough like one, that means somewhere out there, there is a civilization both foolish enough and advanced enough to produce a mind like Esstrey's.
"I-I want a copy of that helmet, or the blueprint. I also want to copy your clothes." The shovel is too simple in design, and the crossbow doesn't seem too foreign, but the helmet has some overly foreign quirks. Getting the design would get the Infernal Host insight on this interdimensional traveler, and more importantly, the civilization that produced her. The same goes for the clothes, now that she looks closer the material seems too... precise. A demon's senses are excellent, but the clothes have no marks on them from faulty tailorwork, the only marks on the clothes is overly crudely patched up damage.
"Deal." Esstrey slowly backs up to a cabinet and starts rummaging through it while keeping her crossbow aimed at Zha'klos, she finds the blueprint she gave that blacksmith, and throws it towards the demon. Next, she inspects herself a bit, before stabbing herself and using her blood to hold the crossbow while she strips. Jake looks away red-faced at the display, and Esstrey throws her clothes along with the wooden figurine at Zha'klos. The demon uses some sort of magic to turn the figurine from wood to some kind of burning rock, and creates a spectral image of Esstrey's jacket which solidifies after a small bit, afterward she gives a small bow, and leaves with the blueprint and the copy of the jacket.
Esstrey picks up the jacket, and puts it back on while Jake stares slack-jawed.
"Where were the protective enchantments in that circle? And why didn't you sign a contract with the demon to make sure she would hold up her end of the bargain?" Jake doesn't know much about demons, but even he knows that much.
"Protective enchantments? Contract? You can do that stuff?" Esstrey however, never learned how to enforce her will by using magic. She's just been applying her social manipulation capabilities as much as possible.
