Chapter 11

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 11

Chapter Title: Second Employee

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"A truly audacious man."

"Quiet."

With my entire body soaked to the bone, I brushed off the silver-haired woman's grumbling complaints while aiming the [High-Pressure Cleaner] at her. Every time she tried to manipulate the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blood, I washed it away, and she must have gotten tired of it because she finally raised both arms in surrender.

"What an intriguing power. Is it holy water from that wench Eukrasia? To neutralize my blood magic so effortlessly..."

"I've satisfied your curiosity. Now, let me ask you a few things."

Even though she'd surrendered, her expression remained remarkably calm, so I kept the [High-Pressure Cleaner] trained on her and seized the chance to fire off the questions I'd been holding back.

"Where is this place? Do you know anything about the 'Demon God's Ruins'? Why were you sleeping here? And also..."

"Hmm. Well..."

This woman had been sleeping in the mysterious place where I was trapped. Maybe she knew something about my situation, so I unleashed a barrage of questions. But her face took on a troubled look as she listened.

"...I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"My... memories are unstable."

"...?"

What kind of ridiculous excuse is this...?

"I-It's true! For us Blood Demon Tribe, blood is our very essence! You purified all the blood left in my body and the blood I spread throughout this space! That's why my memories are all jumbled up right now!"

"What does that even..."

"I-It's true! Surely you've heard of the Blood Demon Tribe!"

No, how would I have heard of something like that...?

"Rio, is this for real?"

For some reason, she seemed to be telling the truth, so I cautiously asked Rio, who had approached. But Rio shook her head.

"...I've never heard of any demon tribe called the Blood Demon Tribe."

"See?"

"Argh! That's just because this little Red Demon Tribe girl is too young to have heard of us! Hmph. Any living creature on the continent, human or demon, should tremble in fear at the mere mention of the Blood Demon Tribe...!"

Ha... whatever.

"Hmm... My memories are a mess, and some are lost, but I do remember suffering a grave injury and sleeping here to recover. However, I have no recollection whatsoever of what this place is."

"...What about Earth, or the Cleaning Game... uh, 'Super Wash Simulator'? Or the 'Demon God's Ruins'?"

"Those are all names I've never heard before. And 'Demon God's Ruins'... Do you mean a ruin containing the Demon God's power? Something like that exists?"

Damn it. She really knows nothing? Just the fact that she was sleeping in this place—whatever it is, Demon God's Ruins or not—proves she's deeply connected to it somehow.

She's not just lying, is she?

'Just finish her off...!'

-Click.

My frustration and rising anger made my grip tighten unconsciously on the [High-Pressure Cleaner]. The silver-haired woman's face grew urgent.

"W-Wait a moment. Surely you're not thinking of harming a captured prisoner?"

"Prisoner my ass... You were trying to kill me just a bit ago."

"I never tried to kill you! I admired your bold spirit in saving a child during a crisis, so I merely intended to drain a little blood...!"

...Is she serious? Come to think of it, she watched my attacks without dodging and, after I saved Rio, tried to bind me with blood instead of killing me outright.

Still...

"I have no reason to believe that."

"Argh... You were the one who arbitrarily purified my essential blood in the first place! I'd gathered just enough to recover immediately upon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠waking...!"

Damn it. Who knew that scattered blood belonged to someone? And if she wants to complain about that, she should take it up with whatever mysterious entity dragged me here against my will.

"I also don't buy this memory loss story."

I've already nearly died three times today, so I'm on edge as it is... How can I trust something like that? Maybe it's better to eliminate the potential threat...

"W-Wait! I might be able to recover my memories!"

"...What? You just said you lost them, and now that you're about to die, something conveniently comes to mind?"

"That's not it! My memories have gaps because I lost blood, so if I consume enough blood, I can restore them!"

...Tch. It sounds like total bullshit. She just claimed she couldn't remember, and now she's saying something else because her life's on the line...

"I-It really is true! I swear on my own blood! For the Blood Demon Tribe, a vow sworn on blood is more sacred than any other!"

"Tch... Fine. So what are you trying to say?"

"...S-Spare me."

"......"

She's honest, at least.

"Ugh... You really expect me to make a contract with these terms?"

"Don't like it? Then..."

-Click!

"A-Alright! When did I ever say no?!"

The silver-haired woman—no, Erzsebet—made a miserable face but hurriedly recited the contract terms I'd prepared in advance when I shoved the [High-Pressure Cleaner] against her head.

Her pre-drawn blood then danced through the air, forming a small ring that flew toward her heart.

"Ugh... To think I'd be forced into such a humiliating contract..."

"Humiliating my ass."

The contract I made with Erzsebet was nothing special, really.

'Until your memories return, obey my commands.'

That was the demand I made to Erzsebet, who desperately insisted she could recover her memories to prove her usefulness. Of course, a verbal agreement alone wouldn't mean much...

"Sigh... To end up bound by a 'Blood Contract' of all things..."

The contract we'd just formed wasn't ordinary. It was one sworn using 'blood,' the very essence of a Blood Demon Tribe like Erzsebet.

"Hehe... We Red Demon Tribe have something similar."

The idea for the 'contract' came from Rio, who'd been listening from behind. As Erzsebet pleaded for her life and touted her potential value, I was agonizing over whether to trust her or just kill her—then Rio suggested it.

Races like the Red Demon Tribe or Blood Demon Tribe, born with special powers like 'fire' or 'blood,' have contracts sworn on their origin essence. The 'Blood Contract' Erzsebet just made was one such unbreakable type.

It tied into what she'd said earlier about 'vows sworn on blood.' Stronger than a mere promise...

In exchange for sparing her life, Erzsebet agreed to obey me until her memories returned and to answer all my questions once they did.

'Good thing.'

Honestly, for all my talk about eliminating threats and having to kill her... I didn't have the confidence to actually take a life with my own hands.

The hunters I encountered earlier? I put holes in them, but instinctively avoided vital spots.

"Sigh... No point dwelling on spilled milk. How a victor treats the vanquished is their right, after all..."

Erzsebet kept muttering complaints, but to confirm the contract was real, I lowered the [High-Pressure Cleaner]. She showed no signs of attacking.

"Anyway, looking forward to working with you. Master."

"Hm? Master?"

"You demanded my obedience, so naturally, you are my master, no?"

".......Just call me by name."

"Hm? Name?"

Oh, right. I've never told her my name.

"Eugene. It's Eugene."

"Eugene... An unusual name. Doesn't sound like a demon's. Did human parents give it to you?"

Both my parents are human...

"I think it's a cool name, Unc—... Master!"

You can call me uncle, so don't call me Master. I'm not some Dungeon Master, so why does she keep using it...? No point asking the kid.

For now, I'd managed to defeat Erzsebet and make her a subordinate... but a problem remained.

"So, where the hell are we?"

"As I said earlier, that's not in my memories either. If I consume enough blood, they might return..."

"Do I have to give you mine?"

"One person's worth wouldn't even come close. Unless it's properly refined essential blood, I'd need to absorb hundreds... no, thousands of people's worth for any chance of recovery."

In the end, my situation hadn't changed. I was still trapped in this unknown place—Demon God's Ruins or whatever—and the one person I'd found here turned out to be an empty shell...

"...I sense something unpleasant, Master. Were you cursing me inwardly just now?"

"I told you to call me by name..."

"How could a servant dare address their master by name so casually?"

Did I make this contract for nothing? No, I specifically conditioned it on obedience—why doesn't that extend to her speech?

"Hmm......"

Actually, beyond her speech, there was something else bothering me...

'Tch...'

The system message that appeared after forming the 'contract' with Erzsebet. Just like when I registered the injured Rio as an 'employee,' it offered to register her as one.

With Rio, I'd had no choice to heal her injuries... but...

'Hold on. Could this also recover her lost memories?'

If so... I could restore them right away and get my answers!

'Let's try it.'

I made up my mind and consented to the system message, registering Erzsebet as an [Employee].

'Wait, how much?'

Damn what? Ten thousand points? I only got twelve thousand from selling Baikal... That's almost my entire fortune!

'Hold on. How many stars?'

'...Whoa, what the...'

I was dazed for a moment over the massive point drain, but then I let out a gasp of admiration at Erzsebet's [Employee Management] screen.

'...This is the ultimate employee right here.'