She looked at Ssyla with sympathy. "The fact that this is happening here, to this specific conflict, is extremely troubling. There are remnant cults—worshippers of the First Demon Lord who believe they can resurrect him through sufficient blood sacrifice. They've been trying for centuries, but the major demon lords and the Hero's Guild have always crushed them before they could accumulate enough power."
"You think this village was chosen as a sacrifice site?" Satou asked, his mind already racing through the implications.
"More than that," Freda said grimly. "This entire conflict was probably orchestrated to create the maximum amount of death and suffering in a concentrated area. Think about it—two tribes that were previously at peace, suddenly at war. Both sides suffering heavy casualties. The land itself being corrupted into a wasteland. And now one side has been enhanced with forbidden magic, turning the conflict into a one-sided slaughter."
