“Are you not interested in making a contract with me?”
It was a sudden question.
The unexpected proposal caused Eligos’ face to flush with embarrassment, but he quickly returned to his usual expression.
Of course, he did feel overwhelmed by the monster in front of him.
One arm and two legs.
Even though he had used those limbs to impose restraints, the situation was no different from before.
That sight was an eerie spectacle that would strike fear even in a demon.
However, making a contract was a different matter.
Even if the opponent was someone they could never hope to match in strength, this unwavering loyalty could not be broken.
“Just kill me already. It would be better to die at your hands than betray my master and join you.”
It was hard to even look at the face before him due to the overwhelming pressure.
Summoning every last ounce of strength, Eligos barely managed to look at Riyan, delivering a firm refusal.
He had kept his loyalty, but what awaited him was nothing but a grim end.
That was why Eligos squeezed his eyes shut…
But for some reason, the attack did not come.
There was no decapitation, no stab to his vital organs, and no angry shouting of “How dare you refuse my offer?”—an eerie stillness.
Riyan spoke, as if he were very puzzled.
“I’ve always wondered. Why do you think I’m going to sabotage your plans?”
He said this with an unapologetic tone after wreaking havoc.
But Riyan’s expression was strangely serious.
‘I’m not really your enemy.’
To prove this, Riyan spoke to him.
“If you don’t trust me, I’ll show you proof. Give me your hand. Let’s make a minor contract. If what I say next is a lie, feel free to take my soul.”
Eligos’ left hand remained, and without hesitation, Riyan took it and sealed the contract.
It was a strange proposal: if his words turned out to be lies, he would offer his soul in return.
Riyan’s words were more baffling than the strange act itself.
“I believe, more than anyone else, in His resurrection.”
The contract was sealed.
And the certainty reflected in his eyes was clear.
***
“Lord Gettya will rise again someday and bring about the destruction of the world. No matter what I do, it won’t change. This world is simply meant to end that way.”
Everything seemed to prove it.
Riyan’s words were true.
The new professor had no intention of sabotaging their plans.
From the start, he was certain that the resurrection of their master was inevitable.
No violations.
The temporary contract vanished as soon as the judgment was made.
The professor, having proven his innocence, spoke to him.
“I’ve killed quite a few demons, but I never had any ill intentions. You were the ones who tried to kill me first, so I had no choice.”
He was merely defending himself.
He had no desire to be hostile towards them.
After all, if the Demon King was destined to descend, ‘why would he want to fight against demons?’
“In fact, I was hoping for cooperation. Once Lord Gettya rises, humanity will perish. So, wouldn’t it be better to secure my life early on?”
That was certainly a reasonable argument.
‘Had Riyan seen the future through magic?’ He was convinced the resurrection of their master was inevitable.
The return of absolute evil.
Even he would not be able to escape death.
That was why he would betray humanity and align with the demons.
Nothing in this world was more valuable than his life.
“You’re quite sharp. To figure out the barrier so quickly and use it, I’ve decided you’re capable of handling negotiations.”
What he offered was his life.
He would save Eligos, who was on the brink of death, in exchange for cooperation.
The demons’ animosity towards him was beyond imagination, so Eligos would be responsible for forging an alliance, acting as the mediator.
Eligos would help Riyan fully join the demons, minimizing any friction.
Riyan would be granted the right to enter the new world created by Lord Gettya.
A mutually beneficial proposal.
There was no way this wasn’t something Eligos should accept.
Even if his survival wasn’t on the line, the professor was clearly an extraordinary power.
He would certainly prove to be a tremendous asset.
A contract written in magical symbols in the air.
The contract was presented to Eligos.
For some reason, there was a feeling of unease.
It seemed like he was missing something.
A strange intuition made the demon hesitate for a moment, but…
There was no reason to hesitate, not when the situation was like this.
After all…
“A strong opponent like that would never need to use tricks.”
The demon, now completely unconscious and dazed, was looked down upon by Riyan, who spoke the fatal mistake aloud.
This is why it’s important to assert dominance first.
An opponent who is already intimidated is easier to manipulate.
He was vastly inferior to this demon.
The demon could kill him at any moment, if it so chose.
An opportunity granted by a capricious powerful being should never be wasted.
At this point, the demon had already been defeated.
‘That was a trick I prepared with great care. But I couldn’t even use it.’
When a contract is written in a complicated manner, people usually become suspicious and scramble to find hidden poisonous clauses.
Somewhere, a trap must be hidden.
They need to find the cleverly concealed trap.
If the opponent points out the trap, Riyan would make a regretful expression and present the revised contract.
“But the real trap is the contract itself.”
It’s easy to expect unfavorable terms, but it’s impossible to anticipate that the entire document is fake.
The elaborate illusion magic I devised.
The letters visible to others were different from the actual ones.
This was just a regular slave contract.
A contract that bound everything of the demon to me.
I had just obtained the demon’s rights.
Now, the next step was clear.
I pieced together various scrolls found in the demon’s hideout to create the necessary magic.
First aid was administered before the demon died.
I had to hide it, since I wasn’t sure how the Holy Kingdom would respond if I were openly associated with demons, so I miniaturized it and kept it hidden for a while.
The demon was placed in an empty vodka bottle.
I had planned to dispose of it quietly to avoid attracting attention, but there was no need for any further concealment.
The demon’s blue blood was spilled out.
Its limbs were torn off, and its heart was stabbed and turned to dust.
That was the only way to describe the scene.
With this, the demon’s death was confirmed.
Now, I could use it however I pleased.
There was a small flaw, but it could be used as a combatant, for extracting information, or for research.
It was a major harvest, one that I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Feeling joyful, I was about to return to my lodging…
“I’m really exhausted.”
The accumulated fatigue hit me all at once.
Even potions of courage have their limits.
I had been walking a thin line between life and death, and there was no way my stamina wasn’t depleted.
Sleepiness overcame me, and my eyelids grew heavy.
Well, a short nap would do me good.
Despite the circumstances, I wasn’t going to fuss about trivial matters.
I sat down nearby and closed my eyes.
***
It took less than five seconds for me to lose consciousness.
My head is pounding like crazy.
My stomach feels like it’s going to empty its contents any moment now.
It should have been a refreshing wake-up, but there’s no sign of refreshment whatsoever.
I tried to sleep a little longer, but it was impossible.
Click, click, the sound of camera flashes.
The murmurs from the crowd surrounding me.
I pinch my cheek, trying to snap myself out of the strange situation.
…It hurts.
What lies in front of me is the undeniable reality.
For some reason, the room is covered in blood.
And I’m drenched in that same blood.
The reporters are throwing questions at me.
“How did you manage to defeat such a powerful demon without a scratch? Is it true that you were on the verge of death?”
“Is the fact that you casually slept in this situation a sign of your confidence? Does it mean that even a demon like that is so trivial to you that it made you fall asleep out of boredom…”
Dizziness takes over as the situation becomes overwhelming.
I screamed, ‘asking what in the world I was saying and what exactly was going on, but, just as always, no one believed me.’
Naturally, frustration builds up.
With my previous experiences, it wasn’t difficult to guess what had happened.
I was stumbling around, drunk.
Then, some terrible misfortune struck me again.
A sudden disaster of some kind.
Whether it was lightning from the sky or some fatal disease, the demon died all on its own, uncontrollably.
I, the one who was just minding my own business, would, unfortunately, be blamed for it.
Tears well up in my eyes from the overwhelming injustice.
I lamented my situation with the most pitiful expression I could muster.
‘This is honestly absurd…’
The thought that I killed the demon all by myself.
This kind of slander was beyond belief.
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