After his energetic training, Louis donned his artifacts and left the village for the forest. Making sure no one was around, he gathered energy into his gloves and pointed. In an instant, a terrifying beam of impure energy pierced the ground nearly a foot deep. The next moment, he thrust his leg forward, igniting the glowing energy dagger that shimmered. He closed his eyes, imagined the body of the exorcist woman, then opened them and struck where the heart would be, then the head. He pictured the blood flowing and sheathed his blade. He breathed heavily.
Once he was sure he had mastered the artifacts and they were functioning properly, he went to Cleppé, warmly welcomed his friend, and was introduced to the exorcist. They signed a contract and began inspecting a few places in the village.
"I don't see anything particular here either. Of course, there's a bit of it everywhere, but nothing unusual for a village under assault from demonic creatures."
"I've heard of demonic creatures taking on specific forms, and seeing them in all sizes, I'm always afraid that some little beast could corrupt me."
She looked at him indifferently."I can use it on you if you want."
Louis agreed, and she placed her hands at his sides, sliding them up to his heart with the indifference of a doctor.
"Do you feel anything?" Louis asked, somewhat uneasy, as pure energy flowed through his body, followed by impure energy, as if scanning for any fluctuation.
"Not at the moment," she said, focused.
"How long does it take?"
"It's almost done," she replied, exasperated. Louis gave a knowing look.
'Status.'
[Louis VinirlmoOwner of the administration system.Strength: Veteran (Intermediate) → Veteran (Peak) with artifactSkills:-Foresight (Passive): you predict the future more easily.-Energy Zoning (Active, Role): you can change the role and management of space – only works in Nirl.]
Louis tried to detect any fluctuation from the other person, visibly annoyed by his questions, ready to activate his artifacts at any moment. He saw no difference. But then, as he glanced at the information window that had appeared before him, a thought struck him—one that deeply unsettled him. He did his best to remain calm and asked:
"The demoness didn't leave anything behind in the village? The missi dominici are going to come."
"As if demons would take their failed creations with them."
They continued inspecting the village, both convinced that the mission was already complete after examining Louis's body.
"Hmm… I do detect something after all." She pointed toward the Church. "Did she come this way?"
"The demoness was stopped before, I think. She couldn't get this close."
"Then why ask me to inspect you, or the village? Tsk..." She nonetheless examined the area carefully. "Then perhaps someone here has a link with demonic creatures or rather... these don't feel like demonic creatures, but demons themselves? I sense a very similar energy."
"You can sense energy that precisely?"
She ignored the question, and they continued the inspection, Louis refraining from asking again. Only the Church seemed infected. They entered and arrived in the room Emilie had used.
"There are different kinds of energy being used... Here, the demonic energy seems to be mixed with another… or even several others?"
Once the source was identified, Louis paid the person handsomely and even added a bonus to the contract. She was already far more expensive than a regular exorcist, but the price seemed extremely worth it to Louis. He cheerfully bid her farewell, but once the exorcist vanished, his expression changed radically, and his face turned pale.
'Status.'He examined it again, and the terror only grew.
[-Foresight (Passive): you predict the future more easily.]
"This isn't a skill I'm supposed to use. It's a skill that's always active..." he thought. "Could it be that the stories I imagine have some kind of connection to reality?"
He thought for a long time and concluded that the risk of using the system outweighed the risk of ignoring it. He resolved to research energy perception and how to avoid detection of energy disturbances. As a precaution, he would use the artifact only after the missi dominici had passed through. All that was left was to wait and prepare. He had already waited so long; the wait would feel brief, and he could revisit his plans if Alain and the others returned.