MTLNOVEL Chapter 7 Part 6
I finally got off the train and, without a moment’s rest, chased after Ted.
To avoid losing sight of him, I closed the distance between us as much as possible.
With this crowd, even if he noticed me, he wouldn’t find it suspicious.
Unlike the last time we met, I didn’t feel that unpleasant sensation from Ted.
It must have been because I carelessly touched the brand back then.
That mistake had made me more sensitive to the presence of demons.
But now, with time passing and my senses returning to normal, I was able to get this close.
I, who could grab filthy rats and cockroaches without a second thought, had once bolted in fear.
The presence of a demon was so vast, so terrifying, that it was like drowning in the very essence of fear itself.
Once I confirmed Ted had entered the company building, I turned to Carbuncle.
“Alright? I can’t go any further than this. The rest is up to you.”
“Kyui.”
“Good boy.”
After patting Carbuncle’s head, I cast a spell.
Constructing magic with my fingers would produce light and attract attention.
In this case, I had no choice but to chant.
“Order of logic, manifest. Grant this being a hollow form, shape it as I seek.”
Carbuncle’s form began to shrink, morphing into a small mouse.
I wanted to give instructions immediately, but an overwhelming sense of awe welled up inside me.
Why, though?
“No way… I did it in six verses?”
A spell that should have required twelve verses had activated in only six.
I see. It’s about input and output.
I had been practicing how to clearly visualize the structure of magic and the flow of mana, then bring it into reality.
The deeper my understanding of a spell, the more efficiently I could construct it within myself.
That’s why I was able to shorten the incantation.
Saying it aloud makes it sound easy, but this is an incredible feat.
For an ordinary witch, reducing a spell by just one verse would take ten years.
Yet, I had just shortened mine by six all at once.
It was astonishing.
My training was taking shape.
These past few months had propelled my growth at an extraordinary pace.
“Squeak…”
Carbuncle, now in mouse form, nuzzled my cheek, snapping me out of my thoughts.
This wasn’t the time to be lost in amazement.
“I need to hurry.”
I cast a visual-sharing spell on Carbuncle and released him toward the building.
Technically, I could have just gone home at that point.
But my magic was still imperfect—if the distance became too great, I wouldn’t be able to maintain the shared vision.
So, while Carbuncle followed Ted, I stationed myself at a nearby café to monitor things.
“Alright, let’s see.”
Through Carbuncle’s eyes, I observed Ted inside the company.
He was friendly and hardworking.
Not at all the kind of man who would offer his own daughter to demon worship.
If I wasn’t careful, I might forget he was a demon contractor altogether.
That said…
“He does seem a little… sidelined.”
Despite being sociable and diligent, there was a sense of him spinning his wheels.
People treated him normally, but there was an unspoken distance.
His boss, too, seemed a bit harsher on him than necessary.
Fiine had mentioned that Ted’s business had failed.
So, he must have run his own company before and only recently started working here.
If that was the case, he still hadn’t fully adjusted to corporate life, and his work performance likely wasn’t great either.
Waking up in the morning, squeezing onto a packed train, feeling out of place at work.
But at home, he had a loving wife and a precious daughter waiting for him.
“Why wouldn’t that be enough for him…?”
Several hours passed.
I moved from one café to another, continuing my surveillance.
As the sun began to set, I regrouped with Carbuncle and the white owl.
“Good job, Carbuncle. You too, White Owl. Thanks for the recon.”
“Kyui.”
“Hoo.”
In the end, I found nothing suspicious about Ted.
There was nothing unusual about him at work.
That was my conclusion.
It was nearing evening.
All that was left was to follow Ted on his way home.
If he didn’t stop anywhere, it would confirm that the altar was inside his house.
Just as I thought that, a familiar voice called out from behind me.
“Well, well.”
My body tensed at the sound.
I knew this voice.
It was Ted.
“Aren’t you… from Lord Faust’s place?”
“Ahaha, well, fancy meeting you here! I’m Meg Raspberry.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Just running a little errand for my master. And you, Mary’s father? Working late?”
“Ah, my office is nearby. I was just about to head home. If you don’t mind, would you like to walk together?”
“Gladly.”
Phew. I played that off well.
And for him to invite me himself?
This was perfect.
You can’t catch a tiger’s cub without entering its den.
This was the best move I could make.
Unlike the crowded train ride earlier, the train home was relatively empty.
We must have missed the worst of rush hour.
“Do you always work this late?”
“Yeah. I’m still new, so I haven’t quite adjusted. Honestly, today’s an early day for me.”
“New?”
“Yes. I used to run a web business, but it never really took off. So, I became a salaryman. Sales, though—it’s not really my strength. But I can’t afford to be picky when I have a wife and child to support.”
“Must be tough being the breadwinner.”
His expression carried a faint weariness.
It was clear he was exhausted after a long day.
“But are you sure you want to be here with me? Don’t salarymen usually go drinking with their colleagues?”
“There’s that, but I always go straight home. Jill—my wife—makes dinner for me, and Mary loves when the three of us eat together.”
“You’re quite the family man.”
By tailing him all day, I had realized something.
Ted didn’t seem like the type of man who would sacrifice his daughter to a demon.
A lackluster employee, but a loving husband and father.
That was the impression I had formed of him.
Maybe I had been mistaken all along.
Maybe I had mixed reality with a bad dream.
My conviction wavered so much that I started to doubt myself.
That’s why—
As we talked, my guard slipped.
“Man, this was my first time experiencing rush hour. It’s pure hell.”
“Even if you’re used to it, it’s awful. Just going to work drains me.”
“Life as a family man sure is tough.”
“Well, just a little longer.”
“A little longer? What do you mean?”
I tilted my head.
Ted gave a quiet smile.
“Oh, I’m thinking of quitting soon. Actually, my web business isn’t shut down yet. A big contract is about to come in. Once that happens, we should be set for a while.”
“That’s great news. Hope it works out this time.”
Then, I saw it.
The eerie aura that had been absent all day flickered across his expression.
“Yeah.”
Ted’s eyes weren’t smiling at all.
“This time, it’s guaranteed to succeed.
After all, I’ve obtained wisdom.”
That’s when I realized.
The face I had been watching all day was just a mask.
This—
This was his true face.
“An unfailing, ultimate wisdom.”
The smile he wore was that of a demon itself.