Chapter 3: 1.2 — antithesis.

The mouthwatering aroma surfacing from the platter I balance on my palm fills the small kitchen of my room, its smell too potent that I could not help but look at the cloaked woman eagerly fidgeting with her fingers as she sits politely on a wooden chair facing the empty table suspiciously.

“Ingrid?” I call out, my tone unsure. I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate the name I address her, but I don’t really want to seem too weird. I mean, I had acted like I worship the ground this woman walks on earlier! 

Ingrid looks taken aback, meeting me with her confused inquisitive eyes. “Huh?”

Before I could elaborate, she startles, speaking in a more certain manner. “I-I mean, yes?”

“I think your illusion is elevating the aroma of the food.”

She looks up at me blankly as I draw near, senses more focused on the food on my hands at this point. “What?”

Instead of repeating myself, I hold the dish up before putting it down in front of her, giving her a beam. “I made Omurice!” Her eyes widen— an endearing sparkle within them so innocent that it manages to drive the beat of my heart to a cliff so that every thump echoes greatly.

To make standing still even harder to maintain, her hand grasps the utensil, breaking of a piece so eagerly that I was almost creeped out when she stops just shy of eating a spoonful of the dish.

I thought it would be suspicion of me putting poison on the food I prepared or even a question on the quality itself but… “These are, ah, from chickens, right?”

The bewilderment must’ve been obvious on my face as the queen of demon-kind scowls, pulling a determined expression. “Those fat animals who are small, loud, and edible?”

Looking at spoon she waves around in the air for emphasis and more specifically, the piece of the Omurice it cradles, I slowly reply. “I believe so?”

Ingrid looks relieved, finally free of her odd worries enough to confidently scarf the whole thing down.

As she enthusiastically eats, I am taken back to what happened earlier, on our ‘journey’ that mainly consisted of me struggling to sneak her inside the village. 

When we had reached the outskirts of the city, the festival was still in full swing and both citizens and visitors clutter the main roads. Alleyways on the other hand were overpopulated with stalls so nearly the entire area was impossible to navigate through undetected.

That did leave us with spirit-weaving as our main method of passing by. As I had exhausted my pre-crafted glyphs dragging us out of the woodland of mirrors and for a reason she promises she’ll make clear by tonight, Ingrid was hesitant on using her own illusions, that meant fabrication techniques where we could manipulate people’s perception of us were not doable. That was the first hurdle, and it was already an intimidating height.

Exploitation techniques which are made possible by drawing power from the elements found within the surroundings would’ve been tricky, but could’ve made our excursion easier to manage. Except I am only knowledgeable but too hesitant to apply the lessons in critical situations and again, Ingrid has her own demons to battle.

And so, that led us to generation techniques. Though my numen was worn-out from the continuous spirit-weaving all day, I was able to utilize the flames I produce our advantage. It’s no doubt going to be talked about and investigated by day, but a flame-like barrier traversing through roads with unrivalled speed loses to an enemy of the kingdom casually touring the streets in terms of notoriety, right?

I encase my head in my palms at the thought. Ingrid merely tilts her head at me before going back to her food.

Oh, spirits, there is a DEMON in my room.

Does this count— Who am I kidding?! This is literally harboring a malefactor against humanity! 

“That was a deep sigh.” Ingrid remarks uselessly after pouring herself another glass of water.

“Can you promise me you won’t eradicate the whole kingdom?” I ask instead, also uselessly.

Ingrid mirrors my sigh before pushing her finished plate forward, facing me. “Okay, I think I need to clear this up right now before anything else.” 

“I like guessing games.” I say drily. “Does it have to do with your intentions with me? A mindless thrall at best and a corpse at worst—”

“Ooo-kay, slow down, superstar.” What is she saying? She ignores my confused look and continues her words. “Look, this is one of those situations where thinking only leads to… Self-deprecation.” 

“What am I supposed to do then?” I whine. I know I need to slap the seriousness back in me as this is quite possibly the most solemn moment I’ve been thrown into but when I think I’m out of options, well, I’d rather be doomed and free to express myself without having to be stuck in the confines of the strict rational persona I shove out to my perceived reality too, right?

The horns on her head glimmer at the light as she abruptly stands up, pointing at me. I tense up at how intimidating she suddenly looks. “Stop seeing me as Ingrid.” She intones, her contentious eyes glinting outright menacingly.

“Y-you won’t flay me alive when I do what you say?” I spit out as a knee-jerk reaction, influenced negatively by her natural numen.

“Carmen, I’m serious!” She grouses, immediately crossing her arms and sulking. I take a relieved breath when it removes its grip on me to match its owner’s tempo. “How do I prove I’m not who you think I am? Quickly!”

“For starters, how do you know my name?” 

Ingrid pauses, looking thoughtful for a moment.

“I… Lost substantial memories but gained some new information.” She carefully says.

“What does that mean?”

“Well, when I say ‘I’, I mean this body of mine.”

I try not to get too lost at my thoughts in an attempt to make sense of what she is saying, but alas, I am confused and human. “And… What does that mean?”

“I don’t—”

“Are you implying that you gained some form of amnesia?”

“Kind of amnesia, but not just that.”

“Elaborate.”

“I’ve… Experienced a particular set of events in this world before, but through a unique medium. That’s the source of the information I have that even allowed me to know your name. As for losing memories… They aren’t mine to begin with?”

“Confusing and vague. Sounds interesting! I’m in. I’ll hear you out now.” If I focus any more, I could see my brain melt, evaporate, and flow out from my skull to the opening of my ears.

The ruler of demon-kind forces the thoughts back in as she asks her question obliviously. “Wait, you trust me?”

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“I don’t.” I say honestly, smiling at the way frustration rolls off her. “But I’m going along with this because it’s either you’re telling the truth or I’m the pre-destined cause of a full-fledged invasion.”

Ingrid exhales. “Demoralizing. But good enough for me.”

I could only nod. As I watch the cloaked woman sit back down, I do the same, resting my arms on the table, looking at her fully.

We didn’t say anything, both too caught up in thoughts of the future. As the distant sounds of the enduring festival fills in the vacant air, I think to myself all of what I’ve read about her and all of what I’ve see now. I wonder, what is more terrifying for me to learn wrong?

Later, tomorrow, we speak our convictions. But tonight, empty words are sufficient.

· · ──────────── · ◑●◐ · ──────────── · ·

“Good morning!” I was still rubbing my eyes when Ingrid greets me in a chipper voice. As my vision brightens, I halt at the state of the living room.

Clutter everywhere. Crumpled pieces of paper seem to be at every spot of the area, mocking the sight of it a day earlier. But most eye-catching of all is the taped parchment I have of the biggest size, filled with crude drawings of… Stuff and words with interesting calligraphy. Sighing, I face her. “What happened here?”

“I was up all night thinking of the easiest way to show you my truth. Then, I figured, I’ll simply share the information I have of you! Then you’d realize that it’d be impossible for me to know this stuff because, well, what use is it to a ruler?”

“Manipulation tactics?” I offer unhelpfully, flopping down on the cushioned seat in front of the strange presentation. I give my surprise visitor a look-over and sigh at her current outfit— still the cloak despite my offer last night of spare apparel.

Manipulation tactics or demon-kind had made another monumental discovery— reading minds.

The thought makes me shiver. Hopefully not. Or else I’d have made a fool out of myself last night.

“You are Carmen Kawakami, only child to two funeral artisans, born in the town of Azpel.” She raises her chin as she speaks the words out, waling around with her hands clasped behind her, making me shrink to my seat.

Is this gonna be focused on only me?

“On your first year in Caligo, you accidentally made a forest slime your summon but managed to hide it from everyone until you found away to reverse the incantation without hurting it.”

Just as I was starting to move on…

“You sell pre-crafted glyphs anonymously due to your institute prohibiting it and have no choice but go for lower prices to avoid unwanted attention.”

How is the previous one kind of wholesome and then this?!

“The only reason you established your own school club is to have access to restricted areas of the institute reserved for a select number of students. When you were elected part of the Caligo student-representatives association, you outright abolished your position in the club.”

These are very specific information. I didn’t even notice Ingrid stepping closer until she is only a foot away. I look up to her, slightly dreading what she’d say next.

“You wanted to one-up your peers and so decided to hone your efforts in gathering info on the demons to stand out. You succeeded in getting something out of it, but also managed to become infatuated with Ing- me.”

“O-okay, that’s enough!” It’s one thing to be in love with a megalomaniac but it’s another to witness her call me out so openly.

“Thoughts?”

“Mortifying. Just mortifying.” I reply from the hands hiding my face, muffled and defeated.

And heavily red in the face.

“Do you need any more proof?”

“Unless I can read your mind like a book, I have no choice but to simply accept this.” What else can I do? A human, a student too, thinking of confronting one of the strongest beings that Gaia has to offer. How laughable. My only chance depleted the second I offered my hand to my temptation and led her away from that forest last night.

“But—”

“So, I only hope you are what you say you are. Not what you look like.”

“This is a hard pill to swallow. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you, right now.” A hard pill to what? “I have to earn your trust, I suppose. Until then, I’ll guide you well, you who blindly follows.”

Ingrid lends her hand to me.

“Call me Meg. The truth is— I am not from this w—”

“Carmen!” We both jump at the sudden urgent shout outside my door. I recognize the voice immediately and stand up, motioning for Meg to stay quiet.

Leading her to my bedroom, she gets the hint and jumps in, closing the door on her own.

After making sure there isn’t any significant changes she had done to the place, I force the door outside open and at once, Mr. Iregai, the innkeeper and my stand-in father the few years I’ve been staying here steps in.

“You’re unharmed, thank the spirits.” He mutters, breathless and rugged. Straight away, I could tell something had happened. “Mr. Ire, what—”

I am momentarily silenced at the huge gash on his leg, so drawn-out I was surprised I didn’t notice earlier. 

“Fret not about that, child. No, I should be the one fretting over you! You were the only one from my clientele missing when that demon attacked last night. I genuinely thought you were away when it happened!”

What?

“W-what demon, Mr. Ire?”

I look back at my locked room and take a deep shaky breath. My fault for having an inch of a trust at a being born from the comfort of bad faith and lies.

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