Finding the Devil (2)
The three devils stared at Frondier, their faces pale as sheets.
But soon, those faces were painted with a bluff of smiles.
“Ha! Even if you knew, do you think we'd utter another word?”
“Yes, kill us instead!”
“No matter what pain you inflict, you won't make us talk!”
Their mouths were smiling, but their eyes held determination.
Perhaps they expected to die.
To a devil, individual survival is not an important issue. The fulfillment of desire, the absoluteness of obedience, and the preservation of the entire race are much higher priorities.
Frondier knew this too. He had learned it from encountering devils countless times over the past few months.
So he laughed too.
“I know. That you won't talk.”
“Nonsense! Don't try to twist our words like that—”
“And you've already said enough.”
“……What?”
Frondier put his hand in his bosom. Then he said,
“You admitted there's someone above you. I'm satisfied with that.”
What he pulled out was a triangular ring crystal that glowed with a blue light.
Of course, the devils had no idea what it was.
Even after Frondier swallowed it, they naturally wouldn't be able to tell.
“……Gasp!”
They only realized it was something extraordinary, seeing Frondier’s Mana surge like never before.
“This thing eats up so much Mana that I don't use it when I'm expecting a battle or when I think I'll need to make a decision.”
Frondier’s eyes sparkled. His overflowing Mana seemed to be contained in his very gaze.
“But it'll be fine now.”
Analysis.
Target, devil.
Analysis initiated.
Frondier used the skill 'Analysis'.
In fact, the Analysis skill itself doesn't consume that much Mana. If it's just to grasp basic information.
However, the more the target refuses to disclose information, the more Mana is consumed. Furthermore, if the target's rank is high, the analysis time itself is lengthened.
It took a whole day when he tried to analyze the Weaving skill itself, and when he used it on Ellen in the past, even when he wove and swallowed the Dragon Heart, only one line was revealed.
But the crystal swallowed this time is not a fake, but a real one combined with Frondier's Mana, and it's not such a high-ranking entity.
Therefore,
Analysis complete
Target, devil 'Faride'
Available for viewing.
The analysis was completed in an instant, and
-A devil serving the devil ‘Astaroth’. However, because of his low rank, he has never actually seen his face.
-Currently tasked with investigating the capabilities of ‘Frondier de Roach’.
-A self-destruct device has been implanted in his body. It activates when he utters the word 'Astaroth', but he doesn't know it.
“…..”
Frondier tilted his head as information he hadn't expected popped up.
‘Astaroth…...’
Frondier, who had been acquiring so much information and knowledge recently, was momentarily confused as to whether the name ‘Astaroth’ was newly acquired knowledge or something he knew from his previous world.
But he knew it right away.
‘Astaroth…... Yeah, one of the 72 devils. He was quite famous in my original world too.’
But that was all Frondier knew.
Devils didn't originally appear in the game ‘Etius’, and naturally, the 72 devils were nothing more than something Frondier happened to be interested in.
He just remembered Astaroth as one of the famous ones.
However, one thing.
‘…...Wasn’t he the one who switched places with Belphegor for the sin of Sloth?’
In the previous world, devils were nothing more than word of mouth and records. They don't actually exist.
Therefore, it is ambiguous and uncertain who is in charge of what, what abilities they have, and what rank they hold.
The same goes for the Seven Deadly Sins. In some cases, Lilith, not Asmodeus, holds the seat of Lust.
However, in this world, devils exist. So there can be no such uncertainty. Since Belphegor occupies the seat of Sloth, Astaroth cannot be there.
That was definitely the case until Frondier defeated Belphegor.
‘That’s what Belphegor said. That he would step down from the seat of Sloth and fall. And,’
─A demon whose authority has fallen will step down from that position, and another demon will take the seat of ‘Sloth’. To maintain the Seven Sins.
Maintain the Seven Sins.
In other words, another devil must have taken the vacant seat of ‘Sloth’ that Belphegor had descended from.
Then who is that devil?
‘I don’t know what Astaroth’s reputation is in this world, or what state he’s in. But if you’re talking about the next demon of Sloth, he’s the most likely candidate.’
While Frondier was lost in thought, the analyzed devil, unaware of what had happened to him, shouted.
“Human! Stop your useless thoughts and kill me! An endless procession of devils awaits you anyway—”
“Quiet for a moment, Faride.”
“What…….”
Faride's mind went blank for a moment when his name was called. He opened and closed his mouth, then looked at the faces of the other devils.
Of course, looking at each other's faces wouldn't give them an answer. It would only make the horrifying truth even clearer.
“Y-You, how, could you…...!”
“First, a warning to the three of you. Don't say ‘Astaroth’.”
“What! No, what, that’s…...!”
The devils didn't know where or how to start, spitting out only a few nonsensical words.
Frondier continued, unfazed.
“It’s a self-destruct device. If you say Astaroth, it'll explode. Be careful, it'll hurt me too if it suddenly goes off—”
Ah. At that moment, another thought occurred to Frondier, and he stopped talking.
Devils who don't value their own lives. If they hear this information, wouldn't they rather self-destruct to inflict even a little damage on Frondier? That was his concern.
He had already spoken, so should he respond? As Frondier looked at the devils with that thought,
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
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