CHAPTER 57 — The Devil Beneath the Hood
Zodac's eyes widened as the young lady's words pierced through the room like an unexpected blade. He slowly turned his head toward her, crimson irises narrowing in disbelief. The man in the white garment beside him also froze, eyes stretched wide open as though he had just been struck by lightning.
"Are you sure… about what you just said?" the cleric asked, voice trembling ever so slightly.
The young woman nodded once—slow, certain, steady.
Zodac expected outrage, perhaps even a hostile command to seize him or cast him out. He braced for scorn, ready for threats—but what came instead sent a jolt of cold astonishment through him.
The cleric lowered his head further. Not just a nod. A bow.
"I'm graced to have you in our presence," he said almost in a whisper, a tone dripping with reverence rather than fear.
Zodac blinked. The words felt unreal, absurd even. His jaw tightened and he shifted his gaze to the young woman—Vanessa, the one who had recognized him.
"How are you sure?" the cleric repeated, looking to her for explanation.
Vanessa reached into her pocket with slow, hesitant movements, as if retrieving something sacred. A crumpled sheet of paper emerged, old and worn. Her hands trembled as she carefully unfolded it.
The moment the parchment spread open, Zodac felt something in his chest twist. Drawn upon it was a startlingly accurate sketch of his face. Sharp jawline. Cold eyes. Even the faint scar near his brow. And beneath the image—lines of text.
Accusations.
"The Elemental Wood Hero has been found guilty of attempting to defile Princess Mira of Sundara. He is declared armed and dangerous after an attempt to—"
"Bullshit!" The word tore out of Zodac like a thunderclap. His composure shattered, voice echoing against the wooden walls. He slammed a hand onto the table, breaths uneven, rage simmering like molten metal beneath calm skin.
He turned sharply to Vanessa, eyes burning.
"Well? Aren't you going to send me away? Cast me out of your town like the poster demands?"
Vanessa held her ground, though her eyes flickered with uncertainty.
"I was going to," she admitted. "When I saw you enter, I recognized you immediately. But there were too many people—panic would have erupted. Instead, I stayed silent and watched."
Zodac's fists loosened, just slightly.
She continued, voice firm but gentle.
"When you offered help, I almost spoke up. But I needed to be sure. if we sent you away, all those people you healed today—" she swallowed, guilt flashing in her gaze— "they would have died. Their blood would be on my hands."
She lowered her eyes, then in one swift motion tore the poster in half, ripping the lies across Zodac's drawn face. Pieces drifted like dead leaves, falling soundlessly to the floor.
"But after everything you did today," she said quietly, raising her gaze to meet his, "I no longer doubt you for actions… actions speak truth."
Zodac stared at her. No emotion visible—his mask an unbroken wall.
"There's a condition then," he murmured.
Vanessa smiled faintly. "Not a condition. A belief. You healed strangers. You stayed to care for them. A guilty man wouldn't do that."
Zodac exhaled through his nose. A faint scoff.
"You see goodness in me?"
"I see a man—more than what the world paints him to be," she answered.
Silence swallowed the room. Thick, heavy, almost suffocating. Even the crackle of lantern fire seemed distant. Zodac stood motionless, unreadable as stone.
Then finally, the cleric spoke.
"You can help us."
Zodac slowly turned to him.
"If you want my help, then tell me everything. How did this pandemic begin? The fog, the illness—start from the beginning."
"How did this pandemic start" He asked,
"Pandemic?" Vanessa echoes his words clearly not understanding it's meaning.
Zodac sighed, patience thinning.
"How did this plague start?"
The cleric nodded and began.
"It started months ago," he said, voice low, as memories returned like a haunting tale told by firelight. "A dragon lived atop the hill north of town. It descended whenever it pleased—burning crops, stealing livestock, devouring cattle. We prayed daily for deliverance. We lived in fear for so long… until days ago, a hero arrived. He claimed to be the Water Elemental Hero."
"Doma," Zodac muttered internally.
"Of all fools… it had to be him."
The cleric continued.
"He and his party marched up the hill. Explosions shook the mountain for hours. Roars echoed through the valley. When dawn came, they returned—bloody, tired… but victorious. The dragon was slain."
Zodac folded his arms.
"And that should be good news. Yet here we are. What happened next?"
A look of shame crossed the cleric's face.
"Our town's head saw opportunity. Instead of burning the corpse, he turned it into spectacle—to draw travelers, to profit from the glory. People came from far and wide to witness the fallen beast."
"Disgusting," Zodac said bluntly. Greed Is always the root of rot.
"So where is the town head" He asks
Vanessa lowered her gaze. "He passed recently."
Zodac showed no reaction.
The cleric resumed, tone darkening.
"One day, an adventurer visited the corpse. He simply approached it, only to collapse moments later—dead before anyone could reach him. Since that day… everything changed. A strange fog rolled down the hill. Slow at first, then thicker each dawn. Illness struck like wildfire—coughing, fever, blackened veins. People died. Families fled. Soon… only those too weak or loyal remained."
"Miasma," Zodac thought. "A dragon's corpse steeped in mana decay… its essence poisoning air , but it's shouldn't cause this fog is it some sort of reaction"
He spoke calmly, almost too calmly.
"I understand, this plague is the aftermath of your ignorance."
He stood from his seat.
"I'll take care of it. Tomorrow, by noon."
Relief washed over both of them, hope lighting dim eyes.
"Thank you—truly," Vanessa breathed.
"But…" Zodac raised a hand, tone cool as winter steel.
"It will cost you."
The cleric straightened. "How much?"
"Four hundred and fifty silvers."
Vanessa nearly choked. "Four hundred and—!? That's— that's robbery!"
"What about those you healed" Vennessa said
Zodac did not flinch.
"The people I healed? I treated their symptoms. Not the disease. They will fall ill again within days unless the source is removed. Do not misinterpret charity as obligation."
Vanessa's face tightened, frustration simmering. To her, he sounded heartless. And Zodac didn't care.
He turned toward the door.
"Have my payment ready by tomorrow evening," he said coolly, beginning to walk past them.
Vanessa scoffed sharply, unable to restrain her tongue.
"You heroes were the cause of this to begin with! And now you want payment to fix what your kind created? Heroes…" she spat the word, bitter and resentful.
"You're no better than opportunists."
Zodac stopped.
The room froze as if the world itself held its breath. The flames dimmed. The air thickened—heavy, suffocating. An aura radiated from him, oppressive and cold like the shadow of a beast. Vanessa paled. The cleric trembled.
Zodac slowly turned his head, eyes glowing like smoldering embers—crimson.
"Hero?" he repeated, voice dangerously quiet.
He turns and took one step back toward them. The floor creaked like it feared him.
"What is a hero?" he whispered.
Another step.
"Do I look like I give a goddamn fuck about carrying such a title?"
Vanessa's breath hitched.
His voice deepened, layered with something ancient, powerful—like the growl of a demon beneath human skin.
"I am not the savior they speak of. I never claimed so."
He leaned just enough for the light to catch his eyes fully—cold, wild, divine yet cursed.
"I am no Hero."
A smirk—feral.
"I am the Elemental Devil."
Silence swallowed them whole. Not a sound. Not a breath.
Zodac's gaze locked onto Vanessa like a predator onto trembling prey.
"Do. Not. Mistake that again," he said quietly—almost gentle, yet terrifying.
Then he turned, cloak shifting like a shadow unfurling, and walked into the night.
The cleric hurried after him, leaving Vanessa frozen, heart pounding against her ribs.