Chapter 35
The question of whether or not Zeth should bring a Hellfire Ritual circle along with him when he went to meet with Erza had been the subject of endless back-and-forth thought. On one hand, he still wasn’t sure whether or not the man suspected him of being a Blood Mage, and in the case he did know, Zeth would definitely want some sort of protection to fight back against a potential trap. But on the other hand, if Erza didn’t know, bringing a ritual circle along with him was one surefire way to get found out.
Ultimately, with what he’d seen that guard woman do to detect his mana residue in the shed, he decided carrying a piece of potent magic around a powerful mage was likely more risk than it was worth. However, just because Erza might notice if he had a Hellfire Ritual when they met didn’t mean he couldn’t use one to protect himself.
As he walked into town from his base in the woods, he carried in his pocket a scrap of cloth with a Hellfire Ritual painted onto it. Just having it on his person as he navigated the streets filled him with anxiety. Every time he saw a guard glance over at him, every time a passerby brushed against his shoulder, a shudder ran down his spine. But with the now dozens of hours he’d spent around the terror-inducing demons, he’d learned well how to control his facial expressions when confronting intense fear.
As he walked to the tavern he’d agreed to meet them at, he glanced around, looking for a place to stow it where nobody would go looking.
He spotted a barrel that looked like it’d gone at least a few weeks without being touched sitting in front of a small shop right by the tavern. Perfect. He walked up to it, pretending to simply be catching a break in the shade the building created as he leaned against the barrel and slid the cloth in a crack between two of its boards, on the side facing away from the street. Hopefully, the inconspicuous little square would draw no attention from the people passing by, hidden from most peoples’ sight, while he’d still be able to return here to retrieve it in case of a crisis.
Aside from that, his other piece of safety preparation had already been completed and was currently on standby—off somewhere in the woods, he’d asked the demon to hang out nearby. He’d set the demon up with some strict standing orders while in the woods to avoid a crisis. Primarily, the demon was explicitly not allowed to attack or kill anything under any circumstances, and in the case he was spotted, he was simply to dismiss himself immediately.
The demon was far away from town, too—just barely in earshot. They apparently had good enough senses that if Zeth screamed, even as far away from each other as they were, the demon would be able to hear. And, considering how fast they could run, help would be here in no time.
Not that doing such a thing would be very subtle; if he shouted for help and a demon showed up, he’d be announcing to everyone around that he owned an illegal Class, and every guard in town would be on their way to execute him. It was a last resort measure for sure. But having something he could do in the worst-case scenario was far better than simply resigning himself to die.
Though, his final preparations would hopefully help with that issue. Walking through the streets, Zeth had on a simple, loose-fitting tunic and some cheap patchwork pants—what he usually wore. But underneath, he had on an outfit he’d spent the last few days preparing.