In Another World with Absolute Awareness

I found the members of Very Sighed waiting at their usual tavern, talking over a bunch of old, worn maps. At a glance, I knew that they were all maps of the crypt they were going to explore.

They were also quite an interesting bunch.

A Dwarf warrior, an Elf sharpshooter, a Half-Orc berserker, a Human mage, and a Lizardman shaman.

”Isn’t this a template for a in high fantasy?” Muttering these words aloud, I realized how beautiful a coincidence this was.

I couldn’t help but appreciate how surreal this was, seeing it in real life.

So much so that I almost did not want to ruin the magic with my gift.

But alas—

Curiosity will always get the best of me.

[Absolute Awareness].

’Well— Shit?’

I nearly yelped, and the stuck in my sword raised a figurative brow. I think I felt a pinch of pride in his amusement, but I did not mind it.

What I did mind, though, was the adventurer party called Very Sighed.

They were all demons.

All of them!

Demons in the skin of races that aren’t demons!

What the hell?

This was most certainly way behind enemy lines. They were in Walvaskaz! Did they overshoot Laquer and end up here?

Did they miss their stop?

I almost cursed out loud.

But... I guess that just made things a little more interesting, no?

I already had dealings with a demon in hiding. A demon fox named Afla, who needed money, had provided me with the back in Judisc.

Now that I was going to work with a group of disguised demons... Well, it could add a little spice to the marinade.

I wonder what their goals were?

Expending a bit more mana, I peered into their minds.

’Aha~’

So, they craved Necromancy.

Quite an apt technique for the nature of the demon race. Unfortunately for them, Necromancy was not exactly the best strategic choice at the moment.

Demons could already conjure their minion hordes out of malice and blood. To cultivate an army of undead would mean sacrificing the environment that allowed them to grow.

After all...

Demons were still living beings.

The Undead were enemies to all life.

If this group of demons brought back the related relics and knowledge... They could create a powerful weapon, yes... But that would also damage the foundations they’ve built.

Was it because their race was the youngest in this world?

The demons were busy scavenging for anything that could bolster their strength, frantic with their every attempt.

Although the Demon Lord could be considered close to apotheosis... That inch-wide chasm was still deeper than the Abyss they emerged from.

Apparently.

Still, perhaps Necromancy could indeed help him bridge that gap.

I was curious to see how that would play out.

”Hello,”

So, I greeted Very Sighed with a smile, appearing perfectly ignorant of their true identities.

When I walked over, their gazes settled on me, and that allowed me to gaze back at them.

Their intentions became clear.

’So they won’t ambush me or use me as a sacrifice.’ I almost raised a brow. ’They are genuinely trying to work with me? Huh, they’re quite the restrained bunch.’

I couldn’t feel any hint of animosity or savage brutality in their minds. Perhaps that was why they were capable of wandering past every human kingdom there was.

Thus, I looked a little deeper.

Suddenly, it all made sense. They were a demon subspecies with a rather special characteristic:

They sealed all their malice in their weapons of choice, allowing them to pose as other races with ease. The more malice they had, the stronger their weapon, and the more tranquil their psyche.

”Might you all be the members of Very Sighed? I’m here to fulfill the request you posted in the Guild’s Quest Hall.”

I took out the paper bearing the quest.

”It took me a while to locate you all... You did not include a way to contact you. Was it, perhaps, a test?”

Smiling, I once again read their surfacing thoughts.

’...They did not realize they needed to add that in.’

What the heck? Are they slow? How old were they?

Wait.

[Absolute Awareness].

They were barely... three years old...

After learning this, I inwardly sighed at how interesting the demons were as a race.

After all, they were the only race that could reach adulthood in months. They also had a terrifying capacity to learn and grow.

The only problem was their general mental instability.

These , however, seemed to lack that problem, but they were also the slowest to mature among all demonic subspecies.

Hence, their general lack of experience.

’I guess it’s amazing that they’ve made it this far. They’re actually pretty knowledgeable. It’s just that some common sense matters had yet to hit them.’

My question would thus be another valuable lesson in their eyes.

”Ah... Well, you see—we actually forgot to add a communication method.” The dwarven warrior was the first to speak, recovering swiftly from his belated realization. ”On behalf of my Very Sighed party, I’d like to apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.”

”...Mm, I see. No worries, then. When would you like to head to the Skeleton King’s Crypt? I’ve made my preparations to descend. I am confident that I can lead you all through—at least until the room where Kirivan’s skeleton still roams and regenerates, undying ’till this day.”

The eyes of the members of Very Sighed all gleamed with a subtle light.

The dwarven warrior glanced at the human mage behind him.

”This guy isn’t lying about his capabilities. I think we can head out immediately.”

”Excellent!” The dwarven warrior turned back to me. ”My name’s Pulvir. I lead this motley crew wherever the wind takes us. That elf over there is Shima, that half-orc is Ghush, Quince is human like you, and our shaman is Li’lsuo.”

”Please call me Aventine. I’m a simple Info-Hunter—my specialization lies in scouting and information gathering.”

I grinned with a pinch of demonic malice hidden in its depths.

”A pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to our collaboration.”