Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 76

The viscount’s funeral was held privately, with only close family in attendance.

This was unusual for a noble, but it had been his explicit wish, as he had already reached an old age.

Of course, we had informed His Majesty, who arranged for clergy to be sent.

Though the ceremony lacked grandeur, it was exactly what the viscount had wanted.

Former Duke Horneld, once a guardian figure, had already fallen from power.

The surrounding territories were still in turmoil.

As a result, the number of mourners was kept to a minimum—another fulfillment of the viscount’s wishes.

Instead, Shifa and the people of this land gave him a heartfelt farewell.

And with that, Shifa awakened the skill “Advanced Demon Search.”

This meant we could finally track down Disemna.

But what about our combat strength?

I might be able to defeat it with my magic and skills alone—

Or I might not.

The dungeon administrator had dismissed Disemna as unremarkable.

But it had been free for a long time now.

Could a mere insignificant demon have survived on the surface for centuries?

I found that hard to believe.

Disemna had escaped through the Stampede.

It had spent years, possibly centuries, operating undetected, manipulating people from the shadows.

It must have accumulated power.

Perhaps even obtained new abilities.

Humans gained strength through experience and new skills.

Why wouldn’t demons be the same?

Before searching for Disemna, we needed to find the Warrior.

Our current lineup consisted of:

• • Sage – myself

• • Mage – Claire

• • Guardian – Michelle

Michelle had already confirmed her skill, “Key of the Watcher.”

It was already black, meaning it was active.

“I have identified the conditions and effects of ‘Key of the Watcher.’”

“You said I’d know when the time came.”

“Well, don’t be so stubborn. I thought I’d share since I’m here.”

“Would you tell us?”

After examining Shifa’s skill, the dungeon administrator turned to Michelle.

Michelle looked intrigued.

Claire, on the other hand, seemed irritated—but at least she didn’t try to interfere.

The skill’s requirement?

To protect someone for ten years.

She had already fulfilled the condition by protecting me—

And later, Shifa.

I was genuinely grateful to Michelle.

And I wished Riofendarl’s bloodline could have inherited skills through gentler means.

Claire, however, looked even more troubled.

She was carrying a weight of guilt.

Shifa reassured her it wasn’t her fault,

But Claire still couldn’t shake it off.

But we couldn’t afford to remain idle.

We didn’t know what Disemna would do next.

With the “Advanced Demon Search” skill, we might summon demons other than the Ruin Demons—

And those could be far more dangerous.

We had to find the Warrior—

The most crucial piece in the battle ahead.

“We haven’t been able to track down the Wandering Warrior… but I’m certain they’re in this kingdom.”

“What do you know?”

“I’m tired of this… I don’t want to carry more guilt.”

“No matter how much I try to fix things… no matter how much I try to stay out of it… it just gets worse.”

“It’s my responsibility.”

Claire’s voice trembled.

Her expression was on the verge of breaking.

I wasn’t about to blame her.

But…

Why hadn’t she told us everything already?

What was still holding her back?

I had no idea.

“We’re going to the royal capital.”

Claire’s expression was resolute.

It was too sudden.

“Why? Is there something there?”

“…”

But she didn’t answer my question.

There was definitely something off about this.

Could the royal family know something?

“If you don’t give me an answer, I can’t just say, ‘Sure, let’s go.’”

“…I want you to trust me. But if I can’t say anything, that’s impossible, isn’t it?”

“Hmm…”

She hadn’t told us anything—her reasons, her past, even her abilities.

Nothing.

“Can you at least tell us your objective? If you turn out to be working for Disemna, then—”

“That’s not true! Absolutely not!”

“Hmm…”

To be fair, I didn’t truly suspect her of that.

But she had appeared out of nowhere.

She hadn’t stopped Jikil’s plan to throw me into the deep layers.

She had done nothing to stop Eranda’s schemes.

She had even become the lover of Jikil and Alessandro.

Then she fled during the Stampede.

And despite all that, she later casually rejoined our group—

Now wielding high-tier magic and fighting demons like it was nothing.

Her abilities remained a mystery.

My appraisal couldn’t read her.

She refused to explain anything.

So tell me—

What exactly am I supposed to believe?

“…I swear. I am not your enemy. I am not a demon. The royal capital is…”

“Advanced Demon Search.”

“Huh?”

Claire struggled to force the words out—

And Shifa cut her off with a spell.

A powerful detection magic, aimed directly at Claire—

Nothing happened.

“At the very least, she’s not a demon.”

Shifa turned to me.

Well…

We had no leads.

And at the very least, we now knew Claire wasn’t possessed by a demon.

So in the end, we decided to head for the royal capital.