Red Blood (2)*

Lily pondered Frondier's words. Despite being a devil herself, her encounters with other devils during her time in the human world were limited. Her experiences stemmed primarily from her position as a Zodiac and her significantly longer lifespan compared to Frondier.

In the silence, Lily reminisced about her past encounters with devils, most of which weren't pleasant. As a Zodiac, she was naturally opposed to them.

"I can't distinguish them immediately," Lily finally admitted.

Just as humans couldn't differentiate between humans and devils at a glance, the same held true for devils. This was precisely why Lily could engage in combat with them. If devils could recognize her as one of their own upon sight, she would have been exposed long ago.

"Does that mean you can tell if you take your time?"

"It's not about time, but rather the conditions," Lily clarified, raising a finger.

"As you know, the most significant differences between devils and humans are their 'wings' and 'aura.' So, if I can see either of those, I can confirm whether they are a devil or not."

"...Both are difficult, unless it's a combat situation."

"Exactly. Especially with wings, anyone, not just me, would recognize them as a devil. Naturally, devils would never reveal their wings."

"Then that leaves the aura. If you see their aura, can you tell if they're a devil?"

Lily tilted her head at the question.

"...I think I could."

"That's reassuring."

"Auras vary greatly even among humans! Finding common ground among devils amidst that diversity isn't easy, you know?"

Indeed, human auras were far from uniform. This was what made identifying devils so challenging. Frondier himself could sense auras and mana within his range using his 'sixth sense,' and he could identify individuals he knew to a certain extent.

Someone like Elodie, with a mana level that was on an entirely different scale, was even easier to recognize.

Therefore, the difficulty lay not in distinguishing individuals but rather in grouping them. It was about finding the unique characteristics of 'devils' among the diverse colors and sensations of individual auras.

'If Lily had known that beforehand, I thought it might have helped my sixth sense as well.'

Judging by her reaction, it seemed Lily didn't have a clear understanding either.

"Anyway, you're saying that if their aura or mana manifests, you can confirm whether they're a devil?"

"Yes. Probably."

"Can you please stop adding that uncertainty to the end of your sentences?"

"Because I'm not sure! You've encountered hundreds of devils in the Imperial Palace! Did you manage to grasp the unique characteristics of 'humans' among them?"

"...Now that you mention it, no."

Frondier nodded in agreement with Lily's sound logic. Then, he suddenly sensed something odd and asked,

"...Hundreds?"

"Huh?"

"Lily, you referred to them as hundreds of 'animals,' not hundreds of 'people.'"

From Frondier's perspective, they were absolute enemies, and honestly, no different from beasts. So, whether he called them people or animals didn't matter. But could Lily do the same?

Lily chuckled and said, "Ah, Frondier, it seems your battles with Satan and Belphegor have confused you a bit."

"What?"

"Don't you remember what those hundreds of devils looked like or how intelligent they were?"

Recalling the past, Frondier remembered the countless devils he faced in the Imperial Palace. They mostly uttered things like:

─There he is! That's the one!

─Throw him down! Throw him down!

─Throwing him down is hard! Kill him! Kill him!

─Killing is easy!

─Kill him! Kill him!

"...Indeed, they didn't seem very intelligent."

Compared to Satan and Belphegor, their words were excessively simple and repetitive. It was a stark contrast to the relatively small variations in intelligence among humans.

"They were low-ranking devils. Devils of that level are practically monsters. Their faces, physiques, and thought patterns are almost identical. To human eyes, cows and pigs all look alike, right? It's similar."

"There's that much difference even among devils?"

"To be precise, they're not 'the same kind of devil.'"

Frondier pondered this for a moment.

"...Then the devils hiding among humans must be high-ranking ones to avoid being discovered."

"Exactly. Otherwise, their intelligence would give them away, and they all look alike anyway."

"As devils, they each have their own 'desires.' What happens if they can't fulfill them?"

From Frondier's perspective, Ria Lis's 'desire' was akin to 'possessiveness.' Bringing in handsome men was one thing, but her unusual fixation on Frondier among so many men seemed to stem from a longing for something she couldn't have.

Ria Lis maintained a precarious balance with human society, although Frondier thought she had crossed the line a bit. Still, she somehow managed to fulfill her desires.

But how did devils whose desires were incompatible with human society endure? What happened if they continued to suppress them?

Lily thought for a moment before answering, "Nothing happens if they can't fulfill them. They don't die. Well, there might be some physical issues, but it's comparable to human sexual desire."

"...Ah, is that so?"

Just as Frondier was about to feel relieved, Lily added,

"But they wouldn't even consider not fulfilling them, right? As I said, their sense of morality is weak. For devils, contemplating 'can I do it?' takes precedence over 'should I do it?' So if they can do it, they will."

As she spoke, Lily's expression turned grim. After all, she hadn't considered the possibility of numerous devils, besides herself, hiding in the human world. As she explored this idea further, a sense of foreboding crept in.

"There must be devils with desires that would be considered criminal by human standards."

"Unfortunately, those devils are far more common. My desires aren't exactly noble either, you know?"

Lily stated her lack of noble desires with a sense of righteousness.

"Hiding in human society, wanting to fulfill their desires, but also not wanting to be discovered..."

Frondier continued his train of thought. Previously, he had acted based on a wealth of existing information or clear clues from past experiences. However, this time, information was scarce.

Therefore, he gathered the fragmented pieces, as thin as threads.

"...They would need money."

"Indeed. That much is certain."

"And a lot of it."

"Absolutely. There's no room for argument there."

Lily's agreement bolstered Frondier's confidence in his deduction.

"...They would need a lot of money, a space to hide their secrets, and collaborators who understand their situation. In other words, someone with their own wealth, their own land, and an organization they belong to."

"...Aha."

At that moment, Lily understood Frondier's point.

"A low-ranking noble wouldn't suffice."

* * *

And now.

Frondier was currently carrying out knightly duties that allowed him to attend gatherings of nobles as much as possible. The higher the noble's rank, the better, and if they had something to hide, even better.

Of course, Lily was the one who arranged these opportunities, but Frondier had mentioned to her that connections to the 'Imperial Palace' would be particularly beneficial.

Lily assumed this was because it would bring him closer to high-ranking nobles, but Frondier had another thought in mind.

'...Satan.'

Frondier harbored a suspicion that he hadn't yet shared with Lily, as it was still unclear.

'I don't think that guy just left like that.'

The countless devils that appeared in the Imperial Palace.

Frondier, who had faced them head-on, found them utterly pathetic.

Among the Seven Deadly Sins, Satan was the epitome of devils. Even from a human perspective, his notoriety rivaled 'Lucifer.'

Yet, the devils Satan unleashed upon the Imperial Palace were easily handled by Frondier with minimal effort.

Initially, he attributed this to the limitations of the gate. However, the appearance of Mizonas, who had fought against Azier, seemed peculiar.

Moreover, Satan had instantly sent Mizonas back to the demon realm using his own power. Would a being with such extraordinary power only command low-ranking devils, even if they were numerous?

'...Back then, Satan ostentatiously retrieved those devils in front of me, including Mizonas.'

Satan had proclaimed it as an act of apology and a preliminary step towards a deal with Frondier, making it sound plausible.

...But what if that wasn't the case?

'What if Satan didn't retrieve 'all' of them?'

What if the devils summoned through the gate weren't just low-ranking ones, and devils of Mizonas' level or even higher had already crossed over?

What if they weren't retrieved and remained here even after the gate closed?

'He might have initiated some kind of plan from that moment.'

Frondier, while guarding his charge, Sophie, discreetly surveyed the banquet hall with a keen eye.

Today's gathering was attended by high-ranking nobles and members of the royal family. Moreover, it was a celebration of the victory against Manggot.

Of course, there had been similar banquets immediately after the war ended, but this particular social event was merely a pretext for the war victory and was exclusive to high-ranking nobles and royalty.

'If I were Satan, and if I had planted my devils in advance, I would consider this the perfect timing, with Belphegor's defeat.'

As Frondier scanned the room with this thought in mind, he spotted someone completely unexpected.

"...Ah."

He uttered a soft exclamation.

Her orange hair was neatly and elegantly tied, and her lake-like eyes opened and closed languidly, as if trying to conceal boredom.

Among the many beautiful women gathered in one place, the girl's presence stood out distinctly.

Upon seeing her, Frondier simply thought,

'...Come to think of it, that's right.'

The girl's bored gaze lit up with a smile whenever she encountered approaching men, but the boredom remained.

Her eyes, as if seeking an escape, landed on...

"...Frondier."

She had found him.

Frondier, with a sense of inevitability, raised his hand in greeting.

─Hello, Elodie.

The words remained unspoken, his lips moving silently.

Frondier couldn't leave his post. He was Sophie's knight for the day. Unless he discovered a devil right now, he had to stay put.

Therefore, it was both natural and surprising when Elodie strode towards him and stopped right in front of him.

As she approached, Elodie assessed the surroundings and then directly addressed Sophie.

"It's an honor to meet you, Sophie von Meyer. I am Elodie de Rishae."

"...Oh my!"

Sophie was about to respond reflexively when she recognized Elodie and exclaimed in surprise, her face beaming with delight.

Elodie had omitted the word 'Inies' from her introduction. Including it would have completed her full name and been more polite, but she disliked it.

However, during her brief greeting to Sophie, her fleeting glance at Frondier conveyed a mix of concern and nosiness, characteristic of Elodie.

─What are you doing?

─You're not up to something dangerous again, are you?