Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Thoroughly Check the Contract
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My all-out performance. I put on a dumb, innocent face like I was completely blameless, but the response was merciless.
Is this what reality is like? It was so cold.
"Liar."
"Seong-hoon. You beat Isia, didn't you? Why are you lying?"
"See? She agrees too!"
Just shut up already. You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? On purpose?
As I held back tears and pressed down hard on Raphael's head, she resisted, spouting things like, "Why?! Why have you been doing this since earlier?"
If you really don't know, there's something wrong with you.
"Exactly. A black-haired guy walking around with a blonde beauty! And they say his speech is annoyingly irritating—spot on!"
"We've barely exchanged two words? And it's still irritating? Doesn't that just mean my existence annoys you? Huh? You picking a fight right now? Yeah?"
"Wow. How do you reveal your true self by the third sentence? Are you an idiot? Doing it on purpose? If that's acting, you'd win Best Actor. Congrats. The year-end awards are your stage, Seong-hoon."
This one's picking a fight too? Should I try it? My title recently changed from 'Man Who Can Hit Women' to 'Man Who Can Knock Out Women Too'?
As I locked eyes with Raphael, Yang Min-ji approached with quick, pattering steps and looked up at me.
Meeting her petal-like eyes sent chills down my spine. No matter how I looked at it, those eyes showed interest.
Dangerous. This is dangerous.
More dangerous than Isia. With Isia's issue, I could play dumb or pass it off to someone else, but this girl was different.
She's the main heroine, close to the true protagonist. In web novel terms, the character on the main cover.
In light novel terms, the one gracing the first volume's cover.
What that means is she's at the center of almost every event in the novel alongside Kim Tae-hyun. Like the eye of the storm. Get near her, and you're bound to get swept up.
Unlike the Magic Association's internal squabbles, events centered on her—or rather, on Kim Tae-hyun—escalate in scale. How big? Think humanity-threatening crises.
The center of an event where all humanity's lives are at stake? Just kill me instead.
Those are events for Kim Tae-hyun to handle. Has nothing to do with me. Please, keep it that way.
I'll just mess things up quietly from the shadows.
"What's with that face? Like a dog desperate to poop."
Shut up. Be quiet. Ignoring the damn blonde picking fights without reading the room, I looked ahead.
Pink eyes staring at me with her hand on her chin, groaning like she was pondering something—probably assessing my abilities.
Fitting for a guild master's daughter, she had the skill to evaluate people. Was her first meeting with Kim Tae-hyun drawn by some unfathomable power too?
If she's checking my stats, her reaction would be—
"Whoa. How'd you beat Isia? You look sub-average no matter how I slice it. Barely any mana, how'd you even get into the academy? You some rich kid? Nah, I'd know if you were!"
"Pfft!"
"...."
This is picking a fight, right? Can I get mad? Should I? I'm scary when mad? Even if you make that clueless face, I'm the guy who can still get angry?
Sensing my glare, Yang Min-ji beamed and said,
"I had high hopes, but you're really nothing special!"
"Puhaha!!!"
Good. Let's throw down. Come at me.
Anyway, after that, Yang Min-ji asked a few more questions, got disappointed on her own, and left. A huge relief for me. Disappointed means no more interest in me, right? Thank you very much.
"People really do get disappointed when they expect something. Look at me. I have zero expectations for you, Seong-hoon, so no disappointment—give it here. Give it back. I'm always expecting something from you. I always remember you're my benefactor who'll send me back to the Heaven Realm."
I handed back the snack bag I'd snatched from Raphael and scanned the surroundings. Cats had swarmed in, wolfing down the feed. Calico, tabby, whatever—cats of every type gathered.
One cat stood out especially. Unlike the others, it approached with dignified steps and rubbed against me.
This all-black one knew rubbing against me meant more treats. I grinned and pulled from my inventory the ultimate cat lure, irresistible even to the coolest felines.
The mighty churu. I peeled it open and held it out, and the black cat went wild, lapping it up frantically.
Looks like watching a certain angel chow down.
"Eubopbeoeuhha!!"
"Finish eating first."
Ignoring the angel who somehow knew I was insulting her and got mad mid-bite, I turned to the cat. It had emptied the tube already and meowed for more.
I smiled benevolently and offered another.
Slurp slurp. Lap lap.
Listening to the satisfied sounds, I stroked the black cat's glossy fur. It tolerated my hand, as if knowing this was payment for the churu.
Is this the cat lady mentality? I get it now.
Nodding, I stroked its fur and spoke.
"Tasty? Lachesis?"
Freeze.
The cat halted mid-lick. It looked up at me with a creaky turn, but I just smiled kindly.
"Who's Lachesis? I'm Raphael? Got early-onset dementia already?"
"Oh, my bad, wrong name. But do you know what a spirit beast is?"
"What out of the bl—"
Cutting off Raphael before she could finish, I spoke loudly enough for anyone nearby to hear.
"Spirit beasts are long-lived animals deified by ancient people. They were unique existences, but long ago, in a dimensional war, they absorbed mana and gained special powers."
"I know that too?"
Not talking to you. Stay quiet.
"Each has unique abilities and strengths. But times changed. Faith in gods faded, and spirit beasts fell from grace. Know the difference between monsters and spirit beasts?"
—Nya, nyaaang~
I grabbed the black cat trying to slink away in cold sweat and plopped it on my lap. Still smiling, I continued.
"Whether they harm humans or not. Harm humans, they're monsters. Coexist, spirit beasts. But that's old news now. Would we really leave beings that could attack humans anytime alone?"
Ignoring Raphael's 'has this guy lost it?' face, I watched the cat sweating bullets on my lap, avoiding my eyes and meowing pitifully.
No 'I don't know' gestures gonna work here.
"How long you gonna play dumb? The girl I was just talking to is the daughter of Korea's top guild, Dawn Guild's master. You think she doesn't know tracking tech these days? Spotting a long-lived spirit beast like you—"
[Wh-what do you want, nyaa?]
Finally speaking up.
Lachesis.
The black cat who plays with threads of fate. The world's only spirit beast that can subtly meddle in others' destinies.
A 999-year-old beast one step from divinity.
And such a being was perched in the corner of my dorm room. 'How does a cat sit like that?' you might ask, but she's in human form now.
The black cat form was gone; now a silver-haired beauty with red eyes occupied the spot. Cat ears too, which felt kinda tasteless, but hey, it's a cat? Original form's a cat? Not my thing.
[So what do you want, nyaa. Spit it out.]
She glared at me with a pouty, sulky expression. Legs crossed, looking up—it'd seem haughty beauty at a glance. But reality was...
"Eat this first."
[Ack! Snacks, nyaa? In cat form, no one gives me any, so I had to steal them—]
Food-loving idiot. Did she just confess to theft? Feeling sorry for the convenience store owner who'd been robbed, I rummaged through my inventory.
"What's that? Why's she eating my snacks? The dorm room's already cramped for two, and adding another person? Think about the residents."
Raphael grumbled sullenly as she approached. Probably mad I wasn't giving her snacks but this newbie.
But this is my room. She's the illegal squatter? Snacks are mine (snatched from Isia). Huh? Isn't she useless? Like my old self, freeloading off parents' setup?
"Wanna leave?"
"Huh? Why's your brain going there?"
Satisfied with Raphael's alarmed flinch, I pulled a single sheet from my inventory. A contract.
Online shopping's great these days. Order, and magic delivers instantly—no waiting. Paid with Raphael's [God's Bank Account] or whatever. If she held it, it'd be gone in a day. Better with me.
[God's Note] says monthly living expenses for two are deposited. Suddenly nice—kinda creepy.
Anyway, I held out the contract.
[What, nyaa?]
Lachesis tossed the empty snack bag aside and asked. Licking snack crumbs off her fingers—kinda gross.
"Contract. Lend me your power. Not a taming contract, so relax."
Taming contract. What summoners use to subjugate monsters via magic, binding them with one-sided will. Terrifying stuff.
Not using that scary thing.
Hearing me, Lachesis scoffed. Legs crossed, now arms too—real attitude.
"So cocky. Should I kick her out? Coming to someone else's place, eating their snacks, tossing the bag anywhere!"
Angry about that part? I held back Raphael and listened to Lachesis.
[Just threatening me with a contract, nyaa? That won't work on me, nyaa. How many years have I lived—wait, what's that, nyaa?]
Lachesis drooled, eyeing what I held. Not snacks.
Steaming hot, bought earlier and stored in inventory. Greasy scent, salty, crispy outside, juicy inside.
"Chicken!!"
Raphael lunged, but I dodged lightly and set it before Lachesis. Set it, but smacked her hand every time she reached.
Definitely hitting her hand, but mine hurt.
"Wanna eat? Sign the contract."
[As if I'd yield to food. Like I'd—]
"Not just food. Think about the future. What's in a year? Safety guaranteed. Two people to call you. Just one year. Lend your power for one year, and you'll have unlimited food in a safe, indulgent life."
Lachesis echoed: [Un-unlimited?], [In-indulgent?]. Eyes shaking—she was half-sold.
999-year-old spirit beast. To reach 1000 and become divine, needs someone to call her with 'awe.' Came to Justitia seeking that, meets her master in the story.
Fuzzy details. Anyway, evolving to divine beast is her biological destiny. Can't refuse.
Plus food and safety? Hard to say no. Especially with oily chicken right there. How to resist?
[....]
Lachesis gulped. I slid the contract closer slyly.
[N-not lying, nyaa?]
"Worried? Write the terms yourself. What I just said."
[.....]
She extended her arm. I stared like 'no seal yet?' She bit her own arm, splattering blood on the contract.
"What the?!"
[Nyaa? Contracts are all blood pacts, right, nyaa?]
Wasn't planning that. But if she insists, thanks. Blood pacts are stronger than normal. Irrevocable link via blood. 999-year-old granny doesn't do modern contracts, huh.
"Too easy."
[Nyaa?]
To Lachesis tilting her head like she misheard, I grinned and fetched a kitchen knife, lightly slicing my hand.
Hand trembled, but eyes closed, it was doable. My blood dripped onto the contract. Hers and mine soaked in, forming letters.
Soon, red thread emerged, linking me and Lachesis.
My wrist and her neck. Cringe middle-school pattern appeared.
"Not taming, but master-servant must be clear. Contracts? Check and read thoroughly. Got it?"
[Nyaa?]
She still clueless, tilting head. I pointed obviously at my wrist's red mark. Collar-like on her neck.
Her overzealous blood made it a mutual-consent master-servant contract, not one-sided taming.
Costs 200,000 won, by the way.
Mutual consent makes it stronger than taming. Blood-based? Case closed. Unwanted gift thanks to her.
Innocent of the world, she wouldn't know master-servant, let alone blood pact.
My wrist mark glowed. As it did, my mouth opened.
"Sit."
[Nyaa, our contract's equal—GYAAAAAHHH!!!!]
Lachesis clawed her glowing red neck, rolling on the floor. Looked painful from the sidelines.
"Won't stop till you sit. Hurry."
[You tricked me! Human! GYAAAAAHHH!!]
She lunged once pain subsided, but attacking your master in master-servant? Basic no-no.
"Tricked? Making me the bad guy? Listen up, Lachesis. Suckers are the fools. You made me bad. But with my magnanimity, forgiven this once. Be careful next time. Now, lesson on who's boss. Call me [Master] or [Lord]."
[No—GYAAAAAHHH!!]
She resisted a bit, but eventually she'll submit. Night's young.
"Wow. Total scum."
Wish she'd say that without eyeing the chicken. I joined her by the chicken, munching while continuing.
"Sit."
[GYAAAAAHHH!!]
"Stand."
[GYAAAAAHHH!!]
"Sit."
"Sit. Stand. Sit. Stand."
Until she obeys perfectly.