"Excuse me," she asked softly, "is this the table for the group posted on the enthusiast boards?"

The silver-haired lady spoke with a careful tone as she offered an innocent smile.

The four people seated at the table turned to look at her.

For a brief moment they studied her appearance as if judging her demeanor and making a decision as to whether she truly belonged here.

There were three women and one man.

"Fiona, was it?" an elderly woman with thin lips finally said.

Her hair was tied neatly behind her head, and her posture was straight despite her old age.

"Take a seat, dear."

Fiona let out a small breath of relief and nodded.

"Yes, thank you madam."

She sat down, placing her bag beside her chair as the tall man behind her took a seat behind the group, ordering a drink as he let his mistress do as she pleased while still guarding her.

The others greeted her with polite smiles.

One of the women, spectacled and cheerful, offered a friendly wave.

The second woman, thin and pale, sat quietly in the corner, her hands folded on her lap.

She glanced at Fiona once before looking away again.

The elderly woman clasped her hands together.

"Since you're new, I think it would be best to begin with a proper introduction to our studies."

She said calmly.

The only man at the table—young, well-groomed, and undeniably good-looking—smiled and nodded in agreement.

"That would be helpful," he said.

The elderly woman inhaled slowly, as though choosing her words with care.

"Throughout the years demons have always plagued humanity."

She narrated, her voice lowering.

"The word demon itself comes from ancient roots, meaning an unseen force that interferes with mortal lives. In old times, people believed demons were nothing more than evil spirits sent to torment the weak."

She paused, letting her words be processed.

"But belief is often shaped by fear. And fear, more often than not, blinds people to truth."

Fiona leaned forward slightly, listening closely.

"Demons are not merely monsters that appear from nowhere," the elderly woman continued.

"They are not born from stories alone. They exist because humanity exists."

"They follow us, grow with us, and reflect us."

She tapped the table lightly.

"Now here is a question many fail to ask..." Her eyes sharpened.

"Why is it that demons are rarely summoned directly from hell, yet so many are birthed among humans? Why is it that sins within our bodies can lead to demonification after death? Is it because sin itself is inherently evil?"

She shook her head.

"No."

The elderly woman replied to herself.

The group remained silent.

"There was once a group known as the Human Concord, who believed that sins are not inherently evil."

"Rather, sins are inherently human...."

"Desire, anger, envy, pride— these are not foreign concepts. They are emotions born from living."

Fiona felt a faint chill run down her spine.

"The Concord believed, that demonification occurs not because of sin alone, but because of influence... External influence."

The old woman continued.

"When a person dies, if the sins in their body have not been cleansed or purified, that spiritual residue acts like a beacon. It draws in a corrupting influence from outside our world. This force twists the remains, giving birth to a demonic entity."

The thin, pale girl shifted slightly in her seat.

"These influences, come from beings far older and far greater than any demon we commonly encounter."

"They are the bringers of corruption, the architects of madness..."

The elderly woman said, lowering her voice.

She let the name linger before speaking it.

"They are whom we call the Ars Goetia."

Fiona hesitated, then raised her hand slightly.

"May I ask something?"

The elderly woman smiled faintly.

"Of course."

"I've heard that name before," Fiona said.

"But… why do people avoid saying their real names?"

The good-looking man answered before the elderly woman could.

"Because it's a safe word," he said.

"Not their true names, but a shielded one. They are called the 'great corrupters,' and they embody what we understand as madness and evil."

He folded his hands together.

"After years of contact with them, witches learned that speaking their true names invites curses, attention, or worse. So a substitute was created for a way to speak without being influenced."

The elderly woman nodded in approval.

"Through the sacrifice of many demon enthusiasts, the branch of knowledge known as demonology was developed."

She breathed before continuing.

"People died, and people were lost. But through those losses, a system of knowledge was formed."

She leaned back slightly.

"Demonology allows us to categorize demons, understand their nature, and interact with them safely. Through it, we can contact intelligent demons, trade with them, purify them—even without possessing witch powers."

Fiona's eyes widened.

"It also allows us to protect ourselves," the woman added.

"Knowledge, after all, is the greatest defense."

She raised one finger.

"Over the decades, demonology has split into many branches."

"Spiritology, which deals with lingering souls. Contractology, which governs demon pacts. Purification studies. Even applied theology."

The man chuckled lightly.

"Because there are simply too many kinds of demons out there."

"Exactly," the elderly woman said.

"And not all of them are hostile. Not all are mindless. Some think, some reason, and some even regret what they are."

She folded her hands once more.

"That is why we begin with the basics."

She glanced at Fiona.

"You may have heard the saying: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

Fiona nodded slowly.

"It is not just a proverb," the elderly woman explained.

"It is in fact a principle in demonology. Do not gaze directly at demonic symbols unless trained. Do not listen to whispers you cannot identify. And never speak words whose meaning you do not fully understand."

Her tone grew firm.

"Most demon-related deaths are not caused by strength, but by ignorance."

The pale girl in the corner finally spoke, her voice quiet.

"People think curiosity is harmless."

"And it never is," the elderly woman replied gently.

Fiona nodded, her expression a mix of fascination and fear.

The man gave her another reassuring smile.

The red-haired woman pushed a simple diagram of protective circles toward her.

Seth finished his drink as he quietly listened in on the conversation through [Null Presence].

The group was earnest, but they were playing with fire...

The Ars Goetia, external corrupters, demonification from sin… it was a coherent, logical system, which made it all the more dangerous.

Seth quietly glanced in their direction.

For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that the rather good-looking man, sitting casually with the group, seemed familiar.

He was sure he had seen him before, but the memory was just out of reach hence he could not quite pin point the familiarity...

The old lady continued her lesson.

"Through the study of demonology, we have learned that many common things in our lives are actually the work of powerful demons. These beings have shaped parts of our world without us even realizing it."

She said.

She was about to give an example when she paused.

From a small pouch, she carefully pulled out a few paper talismans.

Three of them had the word "Secrets" written in dark ink, and two others bore the word "Protection."

She placed them carefully on the table between the group members.

"These will ensure our safety before we go deeper into our topic."

She explained with a soft smile.

"It'll create a small, quiet space around us, so our words are hidden and our spirits are guarded..."

She said as she adjusted one of the "Secrets" talismans.

"Now, for our first example: why do we have nightmares? As it turns out, the very word 'nightmare' is linked to a high-ranking demon known as 'The Mother of Sleep, Mara.'"

"She does not just give us bad dreams, in fact she feeds on our fear and fatigue, and her influence is what twists ordinary dreams into visions of terror."

"Some say she is the reason sleep can sometimes feel like a prison."

She raised another finger.

"Another example is obsession. There exists a lesser-known demon believed to influence fixation and repetition."

"When someone cannot let go of a thought, a person, or an idea, even when it harms them, demonologists believe such entities may be involved."

The pale girl in the corner shifted again, her expression tightening.

"And lastly..." the old woman said.

"There is despair. Not ordinary sadness, but the deep, numbing kind that strips a person of hope. This is often associated with ancient demons tied to decay and stagnation."

She exhaled softly.

The old woman gathered the talismans back into her pouch.

"Some of these great demons have existed for so long that we do not know if they are still alive. Of course, it is best we do not try to contact them to find out."

She gave a knowing look to the group.

"However, some still give us proof that they exist."

"For example, as long as humanity still suffers from nightmares, that is proof enough that the Mother of Sleep, Mara, is still very much alive and continues to feed on the fear of humanity in their sleep."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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