"Hold," Renaud said, squinting his eyes in unease as the group came to a stop. Here, before them, laid the spire's sole treasure; all they needed to do was reach out and take it. What would happen afterward? Well, Lucius had his suspicions, and none of them were good.

>[Main Questline (To the Domain of the Beast Lord) has been completed!]<

*(NEW!) 1500 Cosmic Coins

*(NEW!) Skill Rank-Up Card

You have traversed through mire and mountain, rain and scorching heat, and even the wilds of the Beast Lord's Domain. Everything has been for this very moment — at last, the object of your search. It is the source of this region's demonic spread. Take it, grasp it, and claim it as your own. Witness with your own eyes of the secret lost to the Stars. Only then may you stand a chance against your ultimate foe: the Demon King.

Lucius appreciated the rewards and all, but something about the message window seemed quite peculiar. Normally the system chose to maintain an impartial tone, albeit emphasized at times to resemble a grandiose epic, but its language now was different as if purposely urging them to take the page from the pedestal.

Well, it wasn't as if they had any other choice. There was nowhere left to go, nothing else to claim. Before the group committed the inevitable, though, Lucius quickly used his Skill Rank-Up card.

Skill [Flowers' Best Friend] has ranked up to D!

[Rank D] Flowers' Best Friend (Passive, Growth Type): Whenever you encounter a new species of Flora, you will feel greater affinity towards it. You will also be given a list of any harmful effects it may contain. Positive aspects, however, will not be included unless studied yourself.

How would this skill help him at the current moment? The answer: not one bit! But the gentleman felt satisfied nonetheless in watching his steady growth.

"Guys, are we really doing this?" Mili whispered to Lucius and the other players. Miss Rhodes and Mister Cain joined them in a group huddle as the Franks discussed amongst themselves within their own circle. "The system's definitely goading us to nab that thing."

Harper put her hands to her waist and sighed. "Damned if we do and damned if we don't. That page's probably the whole reason the system wanted us to come here in the first place, but I don't know… I'm getting a real bad omen. We take that? Nothing good's coming our way."

"Eh, we came here expectin' as much," Marco said. "Hell I'd say this is better than usual. At least this damn window's giving us time to prepare. Last time, that Demon of Eyes or whatchacallit just popped up outta nowhere."

The players shuddered at the memory. Mister Bernardi was correct, though. No matter what came next, at least they wouldn't be caught unaware.

At least, that was what they thought.

"Hm?" Miss Rhodes, the seamstress, turned around and pointed at one of the Franks. "Now what's that feller doin' over there, ya think?"

Lucius watched on, intrigued, as a paladin broke away from their group and shuffled toward the page. They behaved quite oddly, dragging their leg, muttering, reaching their hand out as if bewitched. It wasn't just one. Soon, both the paladins and the priests began to lurch forward without any acknowledgement of their surroundings.

Even the Peers looked possessed. Unlike the others they merely stood in place, but a strange, cloudy haze settled in their eyes. Maugris shook and grunted; he tried to fight off whatever influence had taken him now, but the best he could muster was a pained cry as he fell to the floor, kneeling.

Sir Renaud on the other hand was silent. He did not move an inch — his skin remained sickly pale as he continued to stare at the pedestal, the old worn page, the shadows whirling in a seductive, enchanting dance.

There was no helping them now. The only ones who could act were the players.

"That ain't looking good. Hey, git away from that! Goddamn." Before one the paladins could reach the page, Mister Cain ran up and pushed them away with a hardy shoulder tackle. The paladin crashed onto the ground effortlessly, but it didn't take long before they rose up, body limp, and staggered forth once more. "Aw, hell. Ain't seen anyone like this 'cept for the coked up privates out on first deployment. Can y'all give me a hand? Got a funny feeling we shouldn't let them touch this thing."

The players rushed to his side and faced the bumbling remnants of their former allies. It wasn't difficult to push them back; they didn't have the coordination nor the ability to cast their spells, and instead trudged mindlessly. Mili tried whacking their heads with her guitar, see if a little dose of pain would knock them back to their senses, but unfortunately it did little other than stunning them for a few seconds.

Harper, on the other hand, summoned her fire hydrant and pushed them back with a blast of water. The wet floor helped to trip them up, make them stumble, but alas they remained the same. The Franks were utterly spellbound.

Something about the cold water did help one person, however. Sir Renaud snapped awake with a grunt, and he looked down on himself, disgusted both by his sudden vulnerability and the soggy fabric clinging to his body.

"... Is that it, then?" he muttered to himself. "Am I of such frailty that even this hex can be so easily broken? I know not whether to laugh or wince."

The Peer shook his head and turned his attention to the still-struggling Maugris. "Hm, at least I am better off than you. Compose yourself, fool. I know you are stronger than this." Renaud raised his walking stick and then smacked the side of Maugris's cheek. The man fell over, but unlike his fellow he was still bound by the spire's control. "Apparently not. Well, remain that way if you wish. I on the other hand will resolve this situation myself."

With that, Renaud turned to Lucius's party and tried to join them, but no sooner did he take a step forward that he suddenly stumbled back and gripped his head. "Stars be damned, have I not escaped this curse completely, yet? No, I see now. It is that thing! That thing covered in shadow…"

"Are you alright, Sir Renaud?" Lucius asked whilst pinning a rogue priest to the ground. "Forgive my lack of aid, but I am quite busy at the current moment, as you can see."

Renaud grunted and waved Lucius off. "Do not concern yourself with me. I am fine, but the others will not be so for long."

"What would you have us do?"

The man pointed at the pedestal. "That is the source of our bewitchment. I know not what it may be, but it whispers to us. Begs us to make it whole. You otherworlders are the only ones who can claim it with sane mind. If us of Frankish origin were to lay our hands on it, I fear of what shall come next."

The players looked amongst each other, uncertain on what, or more precisely, who should be the one to seize the page. Its mere presence is enough to drive the Franks to madness. The players may seem immune, but would that be the case during actual, physical contact?

Amidst their silent war of nerves, only one man chose to take responsibility and approach the pedestal: a certain gentleman, unafraid, and most of all curious. Just what was writ upon this faded paper that was so important? Hidden in this vast forest, away from the eyes of man… a secret the Demon King wished to bury.

There was only one way to find out.

Lucius held out his hand, and he touched the page. No sooner did he do so that a flood of emotions rushed into his heart. It filled him with glee, joy, and discovery. It showed him a memory long lost to obscurity, and so it was that the spire disappeared, along with the players and the Franks and everything around him. It all vanished, paving way for a bright purple sky and an endless expanse of wheat to stretch out far into the horizon.

Lucius felt the wind brush against the skin. He took a deep breath of the fresh, sweet air, and looked out around him. This world was beautiful. The grass, the meadows, the flowing brooks with water surging past. It resembled the surroundings just outside the capital of Francia, the natural splendor of a land unconcerned over demon or conflict. Here, there was only innocence: untouched and full of wonder.

———

When I first stepped beyond my home of marble, I saw with my eyes a field of blinding gold.

The mountains and plains I had ever only read in storybooks, the flowers thriving in woodland rather than potted dirt,

It was beautiful.

I laughed, and danced, and treasured this feeling deep in my heart,

For I thought then that I was finally free.

Stolen novel; please report.

Free to make my own decisions,

Free to explore this vast world,

Free to become my own person.

In time, I came to know these wishes as exactly that, the youthful, naive desires of one still yet to escape childhood.

But no matter the years that passed, nor the duties that would soon become mine,

I would return to this memory, to hold it close and cherish that which couldn't be again,

Of the first time I beheld the starry sky.

———

In truth, there were no words on the page. Nothing was written; it was simply blank, as if the original contents had been erased from existence. But even so Lucius could feel the will of the writer clearly contained within. It manifested as a young voice, one longing for an age that would never return.

*(NEW!) Obtained the Demon King's Fragment: A Happy Memory

Description: The first of three. The final remains of what once was. The Demon King has forsaken them, but the past never disappears no matter how much one wishes otherwise. Collect the other fragments. When all has become whole, the link of divinity will weaken, and the Demon King will become mortal once more.

After Lucius lifted the page from the pedestal, the Franks began to return to their senses. Some collapsed from the strain whilst others swiftly cursed themselves for their inadequacy. The most stricken of them all, however, was Sir Maugris. The man looked at his trembling hand, and then to the page in Lucius's hand. He gazed at it, beheld it with a hunger separate from the spire's curse. No, this yearning came solely from his own heart.

"What… is it, Sir Lucius?" the priest asked him. "Never in all my years have I felt such… such peculiar energy. It is not the power of God, or magic, or even demon. No, it is far above that. It is—"

"Knowledge," Lucius replied for him. "It is knowledge from a realm neither you nor I can know. Well, at least in our current states that is…"

The gentleman donned a sly grin and slowly walked over to the good Maugris. He drew near until the two were but an arm's length apart and then held the page before him. He goaded him with this treasure he couldn't obtain, with a secret only the otherworlders could ever glimpse.

"Do you wish to see?"

The man hesitated, but there was no hiding the deep, ravenous craving in his soul. He wanted to reach out. He wanted to seize that which was forbidden to him.

But before he could, Sir Renaud stepped in front of him and motioned for Lucius to back away.

"It is better in your hands than ours," he said, still shuddering before its presence. "The curse remains, albeit weakened without the spire's influence, but it is a danger nonetheless. Guard it with your fellow otherworlders until we return to the capital."

Lucius replied with a bow and dutifully stowed the page away in his suit pocket. "Very well. Let us return to the others, then."

Lucius regrouped with the players and the other Franks. Maugris, meanwhile, stayed silent for a moment, brooding over his lost opportunity, but eventually he stood back up and followed after. Everyone was recovered and in tip-top condition. All that was left was to descend the staircase.

Of course, Lucius didn't need to be a prophet to know what would come next.

>[Emergency Quest!]<

You have successfully retrieved the Demon King's fragment! However, the danger doesn't end here. The fragment is the spire's core: without it, this structure and even the surrounding corruption will eventually disappear. You must escape, and quickly, lest you and every one of your allies crumble along with the spire. But beware, the demons will not take kindly to having their treasure stolen…

Success: 500 Cosmic Coins, increased reputation with the Frankish Empire, and + 5 unallocated status points.

Failure: Death.

"Figures." Mister Cain reached into his pocket, pulled out what appeared to be an orange lollipop, and then stuck it in his mouth as he approached the exit. "Look alive, troops. We've got company."

From the bowels of the spire, faint laughter came rising up: bubbly, joyful, and full of glee. Those here knew full well what those noises were, and with each passing moment, it grew louder and louder as the chaotic choir ascended to a crescendo.

It was not from the outside they originated from, but the walls. The black oozing walls split apart and made way as all sorts of hideous demonic beings emerged with a crooked smile. They crawled over each other with a snicker and a sneer. They celebrated from top to bottom, for what else could bring such cheer?

They ascended the staircase faster than their nonsensical bodies seemed capable of. In one second, no, two… no, three! They'd breach the entrance and overwhelm them all before the group could even see.

But there was just one problem, for their ascent was not without resistance. A certain soldier whipped out his gun and obliterated them all out of existence.

"Eat lead, dirtbags!" Mister Cain yelled as their surroundings became filled with the sounds of gunfire. Mili rushed over to help him and strummed her electric guitar, calling forth her thunderbolt and blasting a smoky hole right through the demonic clump. But it wasn't enough. Where one demon fell, another soon came to close the gap. Forget about escaping — the group didn't have the chance to even leave the room.

"Damnit, I gotta switch to stronger firepower. Hey, lady!" Mister Cain said to Miss Rhodes. "Let's do that thing we planned."

"You betcha, hun. Stay strong!" Miss Rhodes took out a needle, thread, and then stitched together a quilt faster than what should have been humanly possible. Soon, a large blue-patterned cover was made, and she threw it over the entrance, blocking the demons from entering. Despite its appearance, it stretched wide and then hardened like metal. A small opening in the center allowed Mister Cain and the other ranged attackers to fight back the surging horde. At this rate, though, the spire would sooner fall before the demons.

"Mm, this does not bode well," Renaud said, deep in concentration as he searched his head for a solution. "What of you, Maugris? Are there any spells that can pave us a path?"

The priest shook his head. "Not whilst in such an enclosed space. If it were merely descending from greater heights, I would be more than capable of doing so. But I see not an opening bereft of the demonic forces."

"So an opening is all you require?"

"Well, yes, but—"

"You should have said so from the beginning."

Renaud turned to Harper and Marco. "You brutes have sufficient strength, yes?" The two players looked at each other for a moment, confused, but then eventually nodded. "Good." Renaud pointed at the wall. "Get to work, then."

Harper narrowed her eyes. "You want us to…?"

Renaud threw his hands up in annoyance and then beckoned for Lucius to come over. "Explain."

"Very well. If I am assessing the situation correctly, Sir Renaud would like for you to break the wall and create an opening that we may jump out of. If demons are all that await us below, then we simply need to flee through a different path."

Marco rubbed his forehead and muttered some Italian euphemisms to himself that weren't all that polite. "Okay, and that Peer fella couldn't just tell that to us directly because…?"

Renaud scoffed and turned away. "Lucius, tell them I do not converse with fools."

"Sir Renaud says that he would rather exert his energy in discussions with those of more intelligent temperaments."

Harper and Marco gave up trying to understand the Peer and did as he commanded. With a quick blow of axe and a sharp crunch from gauntlet, the two broke through the walls and were met with the open air of the outside. They were, very much so, high above ground — so high in fact that they could touch the clouds! How fun. Lucius would have liked to enjoy the view a little longer, but alas their pursuers left no opportunity for pleasure.

"Is this enough?" Renaud said to Maugris.

"It shall have to be."

Without another word, the priest leapt out of the spire and called for the others to join him. "Do not hesitate, jump!"

Some of them did, in fact, hesitate (even some of the Franks), but eventually they decided that risking death by falling was much more agreeable than being ripped apart alive by the demons. Soon, Sir Renaud, the other players, and the last of the Franks all rushed and found themselves free falling through the air. Lucius of course went last to ensure everyone was safely out.

They weren't the only ones, though. The demons, in their mad lust for flesh, poured out of the hole as well; however, they weren't nearly as aerodynamic as man and thusly plummeted with a splat onto the ground — a fate that also awaited the group should nothing be done.

Maugris scrunched his face deep in concentration and hurriedly invoked his godless magic. It didn't take long before a surge of leaves floated up from the uncorrupted trees below. They wrapped around the party and clung to their backs in crudely made imitations of wings, but the form was stable just enough to allow them to descend at a brisk pace. It was actually quite fun if one disregarded the urgency of before; and the group let out sighs of relief as they watched the spire break apart for good.

No longer would this land suffer from the demons' corruption. Lucius looked on, satisfied, as color and life slowly returned to the forest. It was not instant. Perhaps the beasts would need weeks, nay, months of tending to the groves before it could fully heal. But that was fine. A certain Lord was here to watch over them, after all.

That very being patiently waited for them now as the group, one by one, landed back to the comfort of solid ground. The other expedition members soon flocked over to check their safety; Mister Crowley and Pierre both regaled Lucius of their worries after having witnessed the spire crumble; and those of Sir Renaud's faction quickly helped him into a makeshift medical tent, along with the other paladins and priests.

Once the commotion died down, the Beast Lord slithered over to Lucius and gave him an acknowledging growl.

"Manflesh has… triumphed… as expected," the ancient wolf centipede said to him. "I sense the… seed of corruption… still with you. Take it and leave. As promised… the beasts will not… harm you… even those of distant lands."

With that, the Beast Lord vanished into the woods. It was a shame that the gentleman couldn't acquaint himself with the good sir more (when else would one have the chance to have a tea party with such an interesting being?) but perhaps such an outcome was inevitable. The Beast Lord had its own pack to tend to, just as it was the gentleman's duty to help the Franks set up camp for the evening.

>[The Emergency Quest has been completed!]<

*(NEW!) 500 Cosmic Coins

*(NEW!) 5 Unallocated Stat Points

*Your reputation with the Frankish Paladins has increased.

Oh yes, the quest rewards. Lucius put the points into his new Nova stat. Now it was at seventy one! Though slowly, his so-called divinity was rising ever closer to those enigmatic Stars up high.

But though the quest had been completed, there was still one last matter Lucius had yet to attend to.

He smiled and touched the fragment hidden in his pocket. A certain someone would love to get their hands on this. And who knows? The night was still young. Amidst this great forest, newly freed, it wouldn't be surprising if a lovely blasphemous flower were to bloom.

The stage was set. Now, it was time for Maugris to choose. Would he accept the truth within him?

Or would Francia need chronicle another tragedy?

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