Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Crown Prince Alondre (2) - Deal with the Demon
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Lucidra was a grand demon who had once spread infamy across the entire continent long ago.
Unable to tolerate her actions of seducing countless people, corrupting them, and leading them down the path to ruin, the heroes of that era banded together to seal her away. She had spent endless ages trapped in a stifling book.
"...So, you're saying you'll grant my wish? Right now?"
But that was all over as of today, and Lucidra smirked inwardly.
Of course, she didn't forget to maintain a gentle, kind expression on the surface.
"Yes. If you just make a contract with me, I'll fulfill any wish you have."
"Hmm."
The young man who had discovered the grimoire containing her seal showed signs of contemplation, making Lucidra feel an itch of impatience.
She knew that showing eagerness in a contract was a mistake, but even knowing that, it was hard to hold back because the young man before her looked so delectable.
Golden hair, blue eyes. A stunning beauty that made the term "young noble" feel insufficient.
A solid build evident even through his neatly tailored clothes, and the vast, high-quality mana naturally emanating from him.
And above all, his young age—still naive to the ways of the world and easy to deceive!
For a demon whose profession was seducing and corrupting humans, such a feast was rare.
Especially for Lucidra, who had endured forced fasting for ages in the cramped book, he felt like violence incarnate.
How could she resist when the finest delicacies were laid out on the table, wafting their intense flavors and aromas to tempt her!
"Come on, tell me. Wealth? Fame? Power? Or... a woman?"
As she uttered the last word, Lucidra twisted her body seductively, gazing at the young man.
In any case, among human desires, the one easiest to exploit for corrupting them was none other than lust.
And finally, the young man's mouth opened.
"Can you give me a vacation?"
......
.............
..................?
"Huh?"
Lucidra doubted her ears for a moment.
Was it because it had been so long since she'd conversed with a human that something was wrong?
But the young man seemed to interpret her "Huh?" in a different way.
"Ah, my apologies. I wasn't clear enough. The vacation I mean is a real, genuine one where I can rest with peace of mind. Not the kind like 'You'll have extra work tomorrow for what you skip today, but it's still a holiday' or 'Sorry to contact you on your day off, but this urgent matter can't wait—please just handle this one thing.' A real vacation, without any of that deception."
"N-No, that's not it. I understand what you mean."
"Please! If you guarantee my free leisure time, I'll grant anything within reason in return! Money? Fame? Power? What do you want?"
No, that's what I just said to you.
Why is the demon's line coming out of the human's mouth directed at the demon?
Only then did Lucidra realize something she had overlooked in her excitement.
To the naked eye, the young man's appearance was impeccable, his skin showing no flaws.
But viewing him through the eyes of the soul, she could see enormous dark circles and fatigue around his eyes.
And the madness flickering in them.
Normally, eyes brimming with desire were like beautiful jewels to her.
But this... well.
'That's a bit scary.'
Lucidra broke out in a cold sweat.
She felt like she'd poked something abnormal, but she couldn't back out now.
The seal binding her had broken, but at this point, the only area she could freely move in was this small room.
Outside, countless barriers still lingered, and the mana emanating from the people wandering the building was far from ordinary.
If she tried to slip out alone in this state, she'd be detected by the barriers immediately and surrounded by the powerhouses who would swarm in.
The prime Lucidra at the height of her infamy across the continent might have managed, but in her current weakened state from the long seal, she honestly lacked confidence in winning a direct confrontation.
It would be too pathetic to revive only to be exorcised right away.
She had to form a contract with this man before her somehow and secure his cooperation to open new opportunities.
"Vacation, huh. Alright then. I'll enchant those forcing work on you. Make them think you've done the work without actually doing it, right?"
"Would that work? It might fool them temporarily, but the work itself would still pile up, so holes would appear somewhere."
"Then have them do your work instead?"
"Hmm, that's not quite right either. That would mean decisions get stamped with my name without my review. If something goes wrong, cleanup later would be a hassle."
"...If things go wrong, I'll take the blame and shift it all to someone else as a service."
"Tsk, pulling tricks like that just brings karma back eventually. Doesn't sit well with me."
Lucidra thought.
Does this human even want to rest?
No, how does he plan to take a vacation nitpicking every detail like this? Now I see—he's the one attracting all the work himself.
But admitting defeat here would wound her pride as a demon.
"Fine, how about this? I'll teach you magic to create clones."
"Clones? That would just be intangible illusions, right?"
"No, different. They have bodies, substance, and can even use a portion of the original's abilities. Seat one in your place, and you can do whatever else you want."
Lucidra didn't miss the young man's eyes lighting up.
"Do the original and clone share memories? How do you control it?"
"Basically, one consciousness. It's like moving your right and left hands separately—controlling two bodies at once."
"Duration and mana cost?"
"Practically the same thing. More mana means longer duration for the clone. Conversely, flashy mana use by either shortens it."
Lucidra wasn't lying.
Creating multiple bodies and manipulating each endpoint freely was possible for demons like her, but for ordinary humans, it imposed enormous mental strain—a minor issue she omitted. Anyway, she'd explained the principle correctly.
There was also the rebound damage to the original if the clone was destroyed, but since he hadn't asked, she didn't mention it.
"The contract's price?"
"Let me stay by your side. If I wander alone like this, I'll hit the barriers. Hiding in your shadow should let me avoid that."
"Is that enough?"
Lucidra inwardly sneered at the young man asking in surprise.
He probably thought it a simple price now.
But once he used the clone magic, he'd fail to handle the massive information processing and fall into confusion and exhaustion.
When he couldn't even control his own body and writhed like a bug on the floor, she'd propose again.
Any other wishes?
Cornered and muddle-headed, he'd have no choice but to accept an unfair contract.
Anticipating that sight, Lucidra flashed a beautiful smile.
"Of course. You're the one who freed me, after all. Gotta give some service."
"Good. Let's make the contract."
As Lucidra clasped the hand he extended, a portion of her knowledge flowed into him through it.
A demon's magic, incomprehensible and uninterpretable to ordinary humans.
But just as someone ignorant of sword-making could still swing one, he would now instinctively know how to use this magic.
Right after the young man closed his eyes and drew up his mana.
A clone identical to him appeared at his side.
Lucidra cheered inwardly.
Soon, he would show an unspeakable disgrace.
"Hm. So this is the feeling."
"A bit awkward, but I think it'll be fine once I adapt."
"Mana consumption is manageable. For daily activities, it could last semi-permanently."
"Structurally, it splits off part of the soul temporarily, so clone destruction would heavily damage the original. But for such groundbreaking magic, that's a risk worth taking."
"Ultimately, real-time control of both means it's not 'rest' in the usual sense, but having a separate body for leisure is something!"
"Yeah. Sleep on a magic circle anyway to recover physical fatigue quickly. Mental fatigue was the issue, and this solves it."
"Thank you, demon whose name I don't yet know."
Lucidra's face froze like stone at the two young men calmly expressing gratitude.
"Wha? Huh?"
As she uttered a dumbstruck sound, the young man reached out his hand.
"Alondre Arcanelle Eisen. Imperfect as I am, I'm the crown prince of the empire. Pleased to work with you henceforth. What's your name?"
"...Lucidra."
"Right, Lucidra. You wanted to get out of here? Then let's hurry. I said I'd keep things quiet, but staying holed up in the archive too long might draw suspicion from someone."
Lucidra had much to say.
She desperately wanted to ask how he was so fine.
But asking that here would be tantamount to confessing she'd tried to screw him over.
In the end, she had no choice but to nod, her cheek twitching.
Her body melted into red mist and was absorbed into Alondre's shadow. He glanced at his shadow amusedly, restored the now-empty book to its original state, and slipped out.
Several days later.
Lucidra was still hiding in Alondre's shadow, following him around.
Her powers hadn't properly recovered due to failing to force an unfair contract on him, and above all, she felt defeated for not manipulating him as she wished.
And she realized once more.
This human really is abnormal.
"Hm, good. This looks excellent. What do you think, Lucidra? The very picture of a dashing adventurer, isn't it?"
In Alondre's private quarters.
Lucidra was speechless at Alondre, who continued cheerfully with his clone before him.
And for good reason—the clone's appearance was completely different from before.
Unlike Alondre's golden hair and blue eyes, the clone had red hair and brown eyes, with a slightly younger, plainer face.
If Alondre resembled an ancient statue of masculine beauty, this one was a fresh-faced young man, handsome enough by village standards.
Wearing rough cloth clothes and leather armor instead of Alondre's ornate uniform, no one would recognize them as the same person.
But what truly shocked Lucidra wasn't that.
Altering a clone's appearance somewhat wasn't hard for a demon of her level.
The problem was.
Alondre's modifications to the clone went beyond the exterior to overhaul its very contents.
"...What did you do while creating the clone?"
"Well, being a clone, its overall specs were lower than the original's sum. So instead of leaving it half-baked for everything, I specialized it outright. This one's focused on swordsmanship functions. Physical abilities, body reinforcement efficiency, aura. Of course, no magic use at all."
Did this man even grasp what it meant to freely disassemble and use a demon's magic?
Or had the world changed so much during her seal that this was now commonplace?
'Either way, better to stick by him for now, gathering info instead of rampaging about my revival. His original stays in the palace, but the clone will roam outside, so I can observe the world that way.'
Having decided her course, Lucidra asked.
"So, what's this clone's name? You won't use your real one, surely."
The crown prince grinned and replied.
"Bern. Adventurer Bern."