In the East District, inside a separate room that seemed to have been converted from a tiered classroom, the gathering organized by old Mr. Eye of Wisdom had already begun.
As the last person to enter—and late at that—he received everyone's attention.
Old Mr. Eye of Wisdom calmly reminded him:
"Find a seat. Don't be late next time."
"Mm." Cyril nodded lightly and explained, "I ran into a little trouble on the way."
A plump person seated near the curtains, wrapped up so tightly that not a trace of skin showed, suddenly sighed.
"Trouble? Don't tell me you were that unlucky bastard who got attacked by a Spirit World creature on the street earlier?"
Cyril glanced sideways at the person. They were wrapped too thoroughly for him to glean anything useful, but judging from the tone, they seemed to be secretly relieved. Perhaps they had been nearby at the time, or even on that public carriage.
After a pause, he shook his head slightly. "That was pretty unlucky, but what I ran into wasn't a Spirit World creature. It was a Demoness."
He did not want to expose his identity. After all, he had not disguised himself on the public carriage earlier. If anyone had truly been nearby and bothered to investigate, his real identity would be easy to uncover.
"A Demoness? What's that?" the person who had spoken to him earlier asked in surprise.
Old Mr. Eye of Wisdom, seated at the very front, also turned to look at him in surprise before offering a reminder.
"Demonesses are always accompanied by Catastrophes. It's best to be careful when dealing with them, especially their strange and hard-to-guard-against black magic."
"They are exceptionally skilled at curses. It's best not to leave behind things that can serve as casting mediums, such as