A Regressor's Bucket List Chapter 145

“I don’t know.”

“……?”

Contrary to her serious expression, the words that came out of her mouth were a rather irresponsible answer.

“You don’t know?”

“No.”

“……”

A shameless answer without a hint of hesitation.

If she didn't know, she should have said so from the start; after making me increase the output because it was too faint, it was a dumbfounding moment.

“How on earth am I supposed to explain this……”

But with her subsequent addition, I realized that the meaning of her words was a little different from a simple ‘I don’t know.’

“……”

Muttering as she cupped her chin with her thumb and forefinger, she fell silent for a moment as if organizing her thoughts.

Then, with a low exclamation of ‘Hmm…,’ she slowly began to speak.

“Originally, things like mana patterns aren't something a low-ranking member like me would know about… but as you said, each Demonic Species does have a slightly different feel to them.”

“……”

“It’s not like we classify and learn them like humans do, but…”

“……”

“We can distinguish them instinctively.”

Until now, the dark circles drawn deeply under her eyes had only shown a look of fatigue.

But for the first time, a different emotion flickered in her eyes as she explained.

Curiosity.

It wasn't just empty words; it seemed she too had definitely identified something unfamiliar in the mana pattern I had shown her.

“…What should I say. It feels like it’s imprinted in our genes?”

“……”

“Anyway, just by looking at the traces left by the mana, we can clearly tell that this one and that one are different. That’s why, unlike others who find it difficult to distinguish, the Demonic Species can recognize each other at first sight.”

…It was something I had already guessed to some extent, even without her telling me.

After all, the moment I saw Loxy, I knew she was of the Demonic Species.

It wasn't on a knowledgeable level, like I had known from the beginning, but I could actually feel a unique sensation different from that of an ordinary human.

How should I put it?

It was like… if everywhere else was in color, she alone appeared in black and white.

It wasn't that she actually looked that way, but it was something I could recognize the moment I saw her, in a realm of intuition beyond the five senses.

…In the first place, she had also said she felt a different sensation from me, so while I didn't know for sure, I thought we probably had a similar intuition.

“…Well, just because we can recognize each other doesn't necessarily mean we get along.”

“……”

“After all, among the members who risk their lives to enter the Orders’ Territory, there are hardly any precious ones. Only lowly beings like me come in.”

It was a very realistic side of the story.

‘Infiltration of the Orders’ Territory,’ one of the roles of the Demonic Species in the War against Demons.

This so-called ‘spying’ was not something those of high bloodlines would do. Unless one used a powerful enough Artifact, it was difficult to suppress the mana of such a being.

No matter if one had the Demon's Singularity, the inherent size of a being's mana could not be hidden, so they were bound to be discovered quickly.

Those big shots with large masses of mana became targets for confirmation, regardless of whether they were friend or foe.

In the end, in most cases, it was low-ranking Demonic Species like her who infiltrated, and at most, they were Named-level.

No matter if they were of the Demonic Species, once they became a Titled Demon or Knight-class, infiltration was impossible.

And as would be the same in any organization, the lowest-ranking members of different groups didn't get along very well.

Of course, one might think at a glance that they were like a family united under the bloodline of the ‘Demon King.’

But it was hard to see it that way, as the distinction between races within the Demonic Species was quite strict, and those dispatched on infiltration missions with the goal of achieving merit were clear competitors.

They couldn't know what missions the others had received to infiltrate, and it wasn't uncommon for them to be dispatched on the same mission.

Perhaps it could be explained as a relationship between low-level sales representatives from the same industry targeting the same clients.

In fact, there were frequent cases of Demonic Species being discovered by Exorcists while competing with each other, so Loxy's words were close to an undeniable truth with nothing to refute.

“Anyway, so, I have met other Demonic Species a few times before, but…”

“……”

“This is the first time I've seen all the patterns overlapping like this.”

Staring at the pattern once more, she tilted her head and muttered as if still finding it strange.

“It looks this way and that way… For now, every feeling I've ever seen is contained within it. Besides that, it seems like many more varied things are engraved together…”

I thought I had a rough idea of what she meant.

There was an image that came to mind as I listened to her explanation.

An optical illusion picture where you can find two shapes in one image.

It felt like dozens of those had been layered on top of each other.

…It was just that instead of a picture, it was the mana patterns of countless Demonic Species.

“This is all I can tell you. I don't know exactly how something like this is possible either…”

She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

A gesture that truly meant she didn't know any more.

“…I understand for now.”

“Then I can go, right? It’s originally my bedtime now…”

Nod—

I couldn't quite comprehend why broad daylight, with the sun high in the sky, would be her bedtime.

But the shadows under her eyes, where dark circles were deeply settled, negated everything.

I nodded, signifying that she could go, and let her leave.

And.

‘…I’m glad I asked.’

An old memory surfaced in my mind.

* * *

Countless mana patterns were engraved layer upon layer.

The ability to recognize other Demonic Species.

Her explanation merely confirmed what I had vaguely guessed, and it was certainly an ambiguous explanation to say it had told me something special.

But it was definitely helpful to me.

It wasn't that an amazing application immediately came to mind.

But as soon as I heard her expression, a fragment of a conversation I had with that Louis fellow before my Regression popped into my head.

『…I do not understand it either. Why she would say such a thing.』

『…….』

『If she had just remained silent, I am certain it would not have come to a death sentence… Why on earth did she say that the Vatican was full of demons?』

『…….』

『Why on earth were there traces of mana from all sorts of Demonic Species left on the body of her, who was more sacred than anyone?』

“…The Saintess.”

After hearing Loxy’s explanation, my thoughts naturally turned to Louis’s mention of her.

Traces of mana from numerous Demonic Species.

And her statement that the Vatican was crawling with demons.

Judging from those two things, it seemed that the symptoms that had appeared in her and the symptoms now appearing in me had some points of correspondence.

The execution of the Saintess carried out by The Order was done so secretly that only the highest echelons within The Order knew about it.

Because the database managed by The Order was destroyed when the Vatican was invaded, I couldn't confirm the exact circumstances and factual data, so I didn't know the details either.

But there was no reason for him to lie to me, and seeing as he was also one of The Order's highest-ranking members, if I assumed it was all true.

It certainly seemed the Saintess had been in a situation similar to mine.

“Hmm…”

It wasn't something to be taken lightly.

In the first place, the Saintess was also a person who existed on my bucket list.

Even if not for that, she was an important person who could influence the development of the entire War against Demons.

‘…….’

She, who was called the ‘Black Saintess,’ was a person who held great significance for The Order, both in a negative and a positive sense.

『Agent of God.』

In the days before the modifier ‘Black’ was attached to her name.

That is to say.

Back when she had just earned the title of Saintess, along with the doubly meaningful nickname, the ‘Woman Lower Than Anyone,’ for having the lowest Demonic Nature value.

She went around performing impossible feats, called ‘miracles,’ and wielded greater influence than anyone.

The most telling example was the ‘Quark's Source Stone extraction’ that Louis had asked of me, something no one before her had ever managed to do.

And besides the extraction of Quark's Source Stone, she had accomplished several other equally unbelievable feats.

Therefore, without any exaggeration, the Saintess was a person who wielded influence over so many people that she was more revered than the Pope at the time.

Her very title, ‘Agent of God,’ infringed upon the Pope's authority, but even the Pope could not treat her carelessly and was cautious.

There was no need to explain just how powerful the positive influence the Saintess had at that time was.

And.

After that, when the Saintess earned the title ‘Black Saintess.’

When the Saintess was detained by The Order under the pretext of being a ‘reactionary.’

After she was virtually stripped of her title as Saintess for the reason that she could no longer perform miracles, she was chosen by The Order as the most dangerous person in its history.

The gap between those two periods was so immense, and all the data had been lost.

The Suicide Squad before my Regression had even investigated the case, calling it the ‘Black Saintess Incident.’

But even then, it was a matter that had not been fully uncovered and remained something of a mystery.

From my perspective of having to lead the War against Demons to victory, the mere fact that she had influence, whether positive or negative, made her worth encountering.

Well. Even if it wasn't for that, it was a significant matter in the sense of confirming the unscheduled variable that had occurred to me.

The ‘effect of swallowing Quark's Source Stone,’ that is.

…Besides.

『A little gift is heading your way soon, junior.』

『…….』

『It was supposed to take a bit more time… but I wanted to see how you'd react, so I moved it up a bit. Hope you receive it well.』

It was something I had been keeping an eye on anyway because of Isaac's comment.

It felt like its significance was gradually growing.

Well.

Perhaps her symptoms were just the same as mine, but with a completely different cause, and even if the cause was the same, there was a high probability that she also didn't know the solution.

But it was something I had to do anyway.

And what should I call it… I had a hunch.

A strong hunch that my Demonic Species ability, gained from swallowing Quark's Source Stone, and she were somehow connected, in one way or another.

“…Should I do that next?”

I had thought about moving up the timing of the task, but I hadn't pinpointed exactly when.

But if it held this much meaning.

Valencia.

It didn't seem like a bad idea to handle the Saintess's case first, right after finding the princess of the Beastkin Nation.

“…First, I need to get used to this.”

Saaah—

Practicing hiding the unique traces left by the Demon's Singularity, I organized my thoughts once more.