Chapter 42: Chapter 39: Autumn is a Second Spring
"The devil is not as black as he is painted," I answered.
The innkeeper nodded, and he beckoned for me to follow him.
"Wait," I said, showing him Sakimi. "Do you have a way of inhibiting this girl's magic?"
"Not to worry. I have a solution."
The innkeeper took out a stone from an inner vest pocket and cast a spell on it, giving it the same purple runic symbols from the inhibitor cuffs that had restrained me previously. Then, the innkeeper placed the runestone on Sakimi's wrist and cast another spell that allowed him to shape the rock into a bracelet.
"This anti-magic runestone should do the job. I doubt this girl would be able to break it with brute force, but if you ever want to remove the runestone, simply cast any hex removal spell."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. Now, please follow me."
The innkeeper walked into the wall, but instead of bumping his head, he passed straight through it. As I followed after him, the illusionary material felt like a chilly mist that tickled my skin upon making contact.
At that moment, I remembered that Sakimi was almost dead, so I used Rejuvenate to bring her back to full health while I walked.
Once I passed through the fake wall with Sakimi, we arrived at a storage room with inconspicuous housekeeping supplies. On one of the far shelves, the innkeeper turned a bucket, activating a magical mechanism that revealed a hidden passageway in the room's corner.
We went down a staircase, ending up in a decently sized, well-furnished basement complete with a pool table and a bar.
Two individuals sat on the barstools: Marigold and Typhon the Swift.
"I have brought the Hierophant," the innkeeper said.
"Thanks," Typhon replied. "You can head back now."
The innkeeper bowed and exited the room. Then, Typhon stood up from his seat and greeted me with a handshake. That was when I realized that he was the guard who had been escorting me in Thello's colosseum.
Typhon had long turquoise hair, large brown eyes, full lips, and a small nose. He was fancily dressed in a black combat outfit with a white cape, and he wore a skirt that revealed the skin above his thigh-highs.
On top of his feminine voice, an ignorant person could easily mistake him for a girl.
That's right—Typhon was a trap.
In terms of combat, he used a dueling sword and fought alongside his owl companion, Ludwig. He took advantage of his agility and skills to overwhelm opponents.
"It's an honor to be standing before you," Typhon said slightly bowing.
"Same here. Thanks for saving Marigold," I said.
"Indeed," Marigold added. "If it were not for Typhon, we would have all died terrible deaths."
Typhon blushed bashfully, saying, "It's no problem."
Dammit! He's too cute.
Curse traps and how they make me question my sexuality!
"Uh, Ares," Typhon said, raising an eyebrow. "What's with your face?"
"Oh. Sorry."
"Don't mind him," Marigold replied. "He tends to do that when he's deep in thought."
Yes. I was deep in thought, contemplating life's most important questions.
Typhon nodded at Marigold's remark and said, "I see. There is a lot to take in at the moment. First and foremost, I would like to recruit you all into the World Anti-Demon Initiative."
By then, Sakimi had woken up, and she punched my face, interrupting the conversation.
"Hah! Take that!"
She then took back her staff and yelled, "Glaciate!"
No ice appeared.
Sakimi glanced around in confusion.
"Glaciate!"
"It's useless," I said. "You have a runestone bracelet that inhibits your spellcasting."
"Gah! Curse you, Hierophant! I'll kill you!"
Typhon roundhouse kicked Sakimi, instantly knocking her unconscious.
"Ares, why do you have a demon with you?"
"That's Sakimi. She used to be a human, but the archdemon of Rivenvalius turned her into this."
"Ah. That's unfortunate. I hope you can cure her."
"Yeah."
"Anyway," Typhon said. "What do you all say about joining the World Anti-Demon Initiative?"
"What is that?" Marigold asked.
I explained, "The World Anti-Demon initiative, or WADI for short, is an organization that is dedicated to fighting against demons and improving human conditions."
"Correct," Typhon said. "From what I've heard, the Hierophant and his party originally lived in Rivenvalius, but regrettably, Enzo kept a tight hold on transportation between his continent and the mainland. Because of that, we couldn't form a division there."
"I see," Marigold said.
Typhon continued, "Then one day, I heard the Hierophant had killed Enzo, so I immediately mobilized a group to Rivenvalius. Unfortunately, Thello captured you, Ares, and I had to postpone the plan in favor of rescuing you.
Right as Typhon finished his sentence, Sakimi woke up again and pounced on me, pummeling my head over and over again.
"Take that! And that! And that!"
Typhon pried the girl off my body and placed a knife against her throat.
With a smile, he said, "If you don't shut the hell up, I'll be sure you won't be able to speak or move anymore."
Sakimi gulped and saluted, "Yes, ma'am."
Typhon then drop-kicked Sakimi across the room.
"It's SIR!"
"Yes, sir!" Sakimi wailed upon hitting the wall.
"You should calm down, Typhon," I said, half laughing.
"Sorry. I got a little too carried away. Back to the previous conversation."
"I'll be willing to join WADI," Marigold said. "What about you, Ares? You're our party leader, so you get the final decision. Still, I don't see a reason to refuse."
Marigold was right, but I had to be wary.
Typhon held a strong conviction for justice. Even though he may seem friendly at first glance, he was a ruthless hunter when it came to enemies. Typhon would resort to any means necessary, even if it meant turning hundreds of people into zombies.
Even though Thello's demon soldiers should have taken care of the outbreak, Typhon had still killed countless innocent lives. Of course, I hated most of those people since they supported Thello's arena, but murder was nothing to take lightly.
Just like Typhon, I had a strong conviction when it came to protecting the people I cared about. In the end, I chose to kill Hector, after all. Even still, I didn't want to cause massacres. If I joined WADI, I fear that I might have to help Typhon kill even more innocent people. To gain such a powerful ally, I might have to temporarily abandon my morals.
So be it.
I have to do what I have to do.
"Alright Typhon," I said. "I'll join the World Anti-Demon Initiative."
"Great!"
The two of us shook hands, sealing the alliance.
"But first, I have a favor to ask of you, Typhon. Consider it a down payment for me helping you."
Typhon raised an eyebrow. "What is this? Are you a hired mercenary now?"
"No, I need some things to help in the fight against Thello."
When I first fought Thello in Rivenvalius, he was in his Iago disguise, and I was barely able to defeat him during that fight. I didn't know if he was holding back, but I had to assume that his full power could easily defeat me at my current level.
Luckily, Thello was foolish enough to keep me alive. Now, I could level myself up and gain the strength to kill him with ease.
That stupid archdemon thought he had me in the palm of his hands. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when I saw him again.
"What is it that you want for payment?" Typhon asked. "Is it money?"
"No. It's only a couple of things: Soul Weaves and a Resurrection Potion."
A Soul Weave is a special item that could allow me to ascend my gear and increase their level cap. It would take a while to get one for each armor piece and my weapon, so two should be fine for now. As for the Resurrection Potion, I needed that to cure Sakimi.
Typhon glanced upward in thought. "I can help you get Soul Weaves, but I don't know about the Resurrection Potion. Do you know the recipe?"
"Yes," I replied. "Blood from an archdemon, the heart of a human, the tears of the first spirit, and the bone of a cursed weapon.
Usually, a player could only learn the recipe if they defeated Thello. Luckily for me, I still remembered all the ingredients.
The blood and the heart were self-explanatory, but the tears of the first spirit referred to a certain boss that I would have to fight. As for the bone of a cursed weapon, it meant any weapon that had been used to kill 1000 innocent lives.
"If you can't find another cursed weapon," I said to Typhon, "your sword should suffice."
Typhon reluctantly nodded, saying, "Understood."
As I said before, Typhon had stained his hands with the blood of countless innocent people. His sword must have been cursed multiple times over.
"Your weapon is cursed?" Marigold asked.
"Yes. I used to work as one of Thello's assassins. I hope this doesn't break your trust."
"It's fine, as long as you are now loyal to humanity."
"Thank you for your empathy."
It was a clever excuse for Typhon to say that he worked as one of Thello's assassins. But that was only a half-truth.
"It's been a long day," I said. "Is there a place for my party and me to rest?"
Typhon nodded, pointing to a hallway. "There are multiple bedrooms in that section. Feel free to make yourselves at home."
"Thanks. Tomorrow, we'll get the Soul Weaves."
"It'll be a pleasure working with you, Ares."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Epyonnn
Epyonnn Adding a trap character is mandatory for every good story.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone