Undead Summons and the Binding Contract

It was early morning in the dining room. After finishing his shower and changing into clean clothes, Joyeon sat down to eat breakfast with the boss, who was fiddling with his smartphone.

"So, you snuck out because you wanted to try out the magic you'd secretly learned from a forbidden book."

"Yes..."

"And you tried to hide it because it was black magic."

"Yes..."

"......"

"......"

For a while, neither of them spoke. Only the sound of bread being sliced and fingers tapping on the smartphone screen filled the silence.

Scary!! What kind of punishment is he planning by staying so quiet?!

-I'll handle it. You and May should escape, Master.

That's way too extreme!

-If he tries to harm you, I'll protect you.

Enough already. If you two show up now, it'll only make things worse.

"From now on, if you're going to hide something, do it properly. Otherwise, just tell me the truth. I don't want to waste my time worrying about you for no reason."

"...Yes?"

"Handle things thoroughly. How do you plan to survive in this world acting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so carelessly?"

"...You're not angry?"

"Why would I be?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm asking why I should be angry. Did you try to kill me?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Did you try to run away?"

"No! I came back properly, didn't I?"

"Then why would I be angry with you?"

"W-well... because I left the hideout without saying anything and read the forbidden book you told me not to..."

"Leaving is your choice. As long as you don't intend to run away, it doesn't matter. If I was going to punish you for that, I would've scolded you the moment you left yesterday afternoon. Did I ever once tell you not to go outside?"

"...No, you didn't."

"And I told you not to read the forbidden book because you could die. You're the only modern person in our bandit group... no, our trading company now. You can't die yet."

"That's the reason..."

"Basically, as long as it doesn't harm me, I don't care what you do. Want to go out and play? Go ahead and film everything. As long as you're confident you won't die if monsters attack you. Forbidden books? Read them if you're sure you won't die. I don't care. It's not like I can read them or sell them anyway."

Joyeon realized the boss was far more calculating than he'd thought.

-He lacks humanity, but he's someone worth learning a lot from when it comes to survival, Master.

-I think I understand why you're staying by his side.

...It wasn't by choice, but I suppose meeting the boss was lucky in its own way.

"But I should still take a look. Black magic often has negative effects on the surroundings."

"Ah, yes."

Right. Since it's come to this, I might as well ask the boss, who knows a lot about magic, about various things.

"Come out. Jack, May."

Crack. The dining room floor warped and rose as if something was pushing up from below, and two pristine white skeletons crawled out.

The boss, who had been looking at his phone, froze completely at the sight unfolding before him.

"Oh, the floor went back to normal. That's a relief. Boss, these are Jack and May, the ones I made from corpses last night."

Clack. Clack. Jack and May gave a simple greeting in response to Joyeon's introduction.

"...Skeletons?"

"Yes. Skeletons. I did say it was black magic."

"You just summoned them now?"

"No, I made them last night, like I said."

"At night?"

"Technically, it was early this morning?"

The boss stood up with a puzzled expression and approached Jack and May.

"Are you maintaining the summons?"

"No. Unless they take massive damage and disappear or I dismiss them, they just stay once summoned."

"Skeletons with semi-permanent duration? How are they being maintained?"

"Maintained? Uh... I'm not exactly sure either, but maybe it's because '!%##@'..."

Joyeon recited the contents from the Book of the Dead.

"Stop. I clearly told you not to recite the contents of the forbidden book."

"Ah, sorry. So, in simple terms, would it be okay to say it's because souls reside within them?"

"Souls? So it's not ordinary magic?"

"I guess not?"

Clack.

Master, as far as I know, ordinary undead summoning magic doesn't grant intelligence like we have, and they disappear after a certain period of time.

"Really? I didn't know that."

When Joyeon spoke while facing Jack, the boss's eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you doing? Are you talking to that skeleton right now?"

"Yes. Jack says ordinary undead have a duration limit. Can't you hear what Jack is saying?"

"How would I understand what an undead is saying? All I see is its jawbone moving and clacking."

"Now that you mention it, yeah."

Maybe the language translation doesn't work because they're beings from the same magic world.

The boss stared at Jack and May for a moment, lost in thought.

"Intelligent, permanently sustained undead... A dangerous but powerful magic."

"Is that so? I still don't really get it."

Aren't they just regular skeletons? In movies, they die pretty quickly.

"You think it's not good when it's much more effective than the other magic you have?"

"Of course not. It's really good magic."

Well, it is pretty good if you can beat beasts with your bare hands.

At ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the boss's words, Joyeon quickly revised his thoughts.

"Magic you can use thanks to the forbidden book... Can you make more?"

"Yes. Well, there's no limit on the number. But I don't have enough mana, so I pass out every time I use it. I can't even activate it at a proper scale."

It was an ability that could get him killed if used carelessly outside of truly safe situations.

"Wait here for a moment."

The boss said that and left the dining room, leaving Joyeon behind.

"Where's he going?"

Clack.

Master, let's finish eating first.

"Yeah. Doesn't seem like I'm getting scolded, so I can eat in peace."

Clack.

The menu here is too nutritionally unbalanced. If I could use proper ingredients, I'd prepare a delicious breakfast for you, Master.

"You can cook too?"

Clack.

I was a maid in a noble household, after all. I can handle cooking, cleaning, laundry, and all other chores.

"Ooh, nice. I'll have to ask for help with my laundry later."

Joyeon ate his bread with a light heart, looking forward to a more comfortable life ahead.

Joyeon stared blankly, unable to understand the boss's words.

Clack.

Master, may I take a look?

"Huh? Sure."

Joyeon handed the contract in front of him to Jack.

"...Can that undead read as well?"

"Yes? Of course. He was a butler in a noble household before he died."

"A butler? Of where?"

Come to think of it, if it's a nearby noble, the boss might know.

"Lalala... no, I think it was 'Larasian' or something."

"Larasian?"

"Do you know them?"

At Joyeon's question, the boss gave a small nod.

"Just a noble family I know by name. One of the many houses in the kingdom of Shun where I used to live. A small family with nothing particularly special about them, from what I know."

Clack.

Master, there are some parts I don't understand, but the contents don't seem unreasonable.

After finishing reading, Jack handed the contract back to Joyeon.

"Your skeleton says there's no problem."

The boss had keenly noticed what Jack had done.

"Yes. He said it was well written."

"Of course. For someone who does business, trust is everything. I wouldn't play tricks first unless the other party tries something."

If he wanted to trick or screw someone over, he could do it easily...

Joyeon read the contract he received from Jack himself.

With a mix of unfamiliar and difficult words lined up that were hard for the nineteen-year-old Ju Joyeon to understand.

"Hmm~"

Unfamiliar with contracts themselves, Joyeon scratched his head as he read through the worm-like letters.

Realizing Joyeon was struggling with the contract, Jack gave his master a simple explanation.

Clack.

From what I understand, the man named Ryunoa Sirius is asking that in exchange for helping you grow, you don't attack him with that power. In short, he's demanding a symbiotic relationship.

Clack.

I think the same.

"Umm~ The name written where it says Party A..."

"It's my real name. Writing the contract under my bandit... trading company's name would mean I'd have to give you too much. I intend to make this a personal contract between individuals."

"Giving too much means...?"

Clack.

That probably refers to the clause about not being able to provide unreasonable capital and opportunities. With something as large as a company, most requests wouldn't be considered unreasonable.

"Really?"

Clack.

That's right. And you should definitely keep in mind the part about contract termination...

"Stop. Got it, Jack. So this is a proper contract? Or not?"

"It's proper. Besides, even though it says I'm Party A, you're the one who benefits more than I do."

Clack.

I agree with him as well.

"Hmm-"

If Jack says it's fine, then it should be okay?

"I just sign here?"

Joyeon began acting as thoughtlessly as always. He wrote his name and signature below the boss's already signed name.

Fwoosh!

"Uwah!"

The moment Joyeon finished signing")). the contract burned away as if set on fire.

"Come to think of it, what's the punishment?"

"It's nothing much. The contract magic I use allows me to set the punishment. It applies equally to both sides."

"What's the content?"

"In my case, I've set it as cardiac arrest. You can survive if you prepare in advance, but since it completely incapacitates you in that moment, the other party can kill you if they decide to."

At Sirius the boss's chilling explanation, Joyeon broke out in a cold sweat, his face turning pale.

"C-cardiac arrest..."

Clack.

It might seem a bit harsh, but for matters requiring contract magic of this level, this degree of punishment is only natural.

"Don't worry. As long as you don't attack me, the punishment will never be administered."

"Right..."

Was this really the right choice...?