The Third Research - The Archdevil Lucifeles (2)
“You just need to sign here, young viscountess.”
“If I really sign here, will I gain magic power?”
“That’s correct. Once the signature is complete, you will awaken your own magic power, young viscountess. And not just any power—the infernal magic that mortals could never possess!”
With his cunning eloquence, Lucifeles successfully closed the deal with Belladia. His words were so sweet that she quickly forgot even the warnings her master had given her about devils.
That was easier than expected.
Belladia was a sharp girl, but Lucifeles was an archdevil who could corrupt even the most devout holy knight. When he set his mind to deception, no one could stand against him.
Heh heh. Now I just get to enjoy the sight of this naive little girl screaming and begging for her emotions back.
The contract was simple. Lucifeles would grant Belladia the magic power of Gehenna. In exchange, Belladia would pay with love—or more precisely, the capacity to feel and give love.
Contracting away your love in exchange for power is a mistake rookie mages make all the time. Those spell-slingers pride themselves on their intellect, thinking they can live just fine without love…
But humans cannot live without the ability to feel love. Could a life where you cannot share your honest heart with others even be called a life?
Once she experiences it, she’ll realize how impossible that is!
Love was an addictive emotion. Even orphans from the slums who grew up without parents spent their entire lives craving affection. So what kind of despair would a count’s daughter—who had grown up bathed in love—feel once she could neither give nor receive it?
Naive little girl! Only after your heart turns as cold as stone will you understand! Love was the very foundation that made humans human!
…Yet a strange thought occurred to him. Could the Lore Master Tellorian really have failed to predict his actions?
…
The most logical conclusion was that [Tellorian had set a trap]. Any pure-blooded devil prince would have thought the same.
You let your guard down, Tellorian!
But Lucifeles was a cambion, born from the union of human and devil. While he surpassed his half-siblings in decisiveness when seizing opportunities, he lacked the willpower to control himself. The illusion that his desired situation was right before his eyes made it impossible to restrain his greed.
You probably believe you wouldn’t care what happens to your disciple’s soul. But you can’t do that. Because you have that clumsy little conscience of yours!
Conscience was humanity’s innate weakness. Even a serial killer cherished his own children, and even a bandit king who enjoyed slaughter couldn’t abandon his sick elderly parents.
And you’re the ultimate pushover who even forgave the mentor who tried to kill you. Yet you’d stand by and watch your disciple suffer a horrific fate?
Heh heh heh!
Absolutely impossible!
At first you might grit your teeth and pretend not to notice. But you know exactly what kind of torment humans captured by devils endure. In the end, you won’t be able to look away.
Thanks to that, Lucifeles fell into the delusion that his plan was perfect. He smiled as he watched Belladia sign the contract with blood-red ink.
“I’ve signed it.”
“Then once I sign, the deal will be complete.”
Lucifeles stamped his seal on the scroll made of infant human skin. The power of the Seven Hells, confirming both parties’ voluntary consent, enforced the contract. A portion of the magic power Lucifeles possessed flowed into Belladia, and a pure white ray of light streamed from her heart.
Heh heh.
The devil smiled.
I’ve corrupted many heroes before, but this is the first time I’ve stolen a noble lady’s love. I wonder what color a young girl’s fresh, innocent love will be? I’m dying to find out!
The ray of light flowed into the flask Lucifeles had summoned. That was Belladia’s love.
“…?”
What was this?
Why was the flask empty?
“Wow! This power is truly overwhelming!”
On the other hand, Belladia was reveling in the boiling magic power surging throughout her body. Awakening magic for the first time in one’s life was an incredibly intoxicating experience.
“It makes me want to burn everything to the ground, you know?”
…Something was wrong. Humans who had lost their capacity for love could never smile. Because parental love, friendship—everything would turn to ash-grey.
“Oh. That’s right.”
Yet.
She was smiling.
The human before him.
“Actually, I have a confession to make to Your Grace!”
With a bright, sunny grin.
“…Please speak, Lady Belladia.”
“I think I like you, Your Grace!”
“…?”
“Whenever I look at you, I feel nervous.”
The Archduke of Gehenna’s expression crumpled. It was unpleasant to learn that a lowly human lusted after him. But there was something even more unpleasant. The target had been stripped of all forms of love. So how could she possibly feel sexual desire toward him?
“Was I too honest?”
“….”
He narrowed his eyes and stared at Belladia intently. The devil examined her from head to toe and gained a new insight.
“…You never had love to begin with.”
“Hehe. My master said the same thing.”
That was not a person.
“But my view is different. I always get nervous when I meet handsome men. That’s why in the past I used to preserve their heads and collect them on display shelves… but these days I don’t do that anymore.”
She was simply a beast.
Wearing the flesh of a human.
“It was rude of me to speak my true feelings so bluntly. Still, I thought it would be all right to open up to you, Your Grace. After all, you’re from Gehenna, aren’t you?”
The doll-like beautiful girl wore a chilling smile as she slowly removed the golden ring from her right index finger. The color of her soul began to change. From grey to red, from red to crimson…
A crimson soul.
Aggression. Murderous intent. The extreme of lust.
“·····You weren’t even human to begin with!”
He frowned at the stench of debauchery that stung his nose. Evil deeds were not such unrestrained outbursts of desire. What a primitive beast!
“Oh my. My earlier words were rude, weren’t they?”
“How utterly disgusting! A whore risen from the Abyss pretending to be a refined lady──!”
The girl smirked.
“How rude of you. Unlike a cambion like you who reeks of sulfur, I am a noble pure-blooded human. I am the heir to the Harrington County.”
…A pure human with a soul filled with nothing but malice? That was impossible! It was a phenomenon the laws of the universe would never permit!
“My friend.”
Tellorian’s voice rang out. The sound of firm footsteps striking the marble floor followed.
“The multiverse does possess certain regularities, but randomness is just as significant. In the end, the universe is a space born from the constant collision between the forces of stability and change, order and chaos.”
Universe Lore
Experience +5
Lore Points +1
Progress to Level 13: 65/100
Current Lore Points: 14
Even Tellorian’s calm explanation caused Lucifeles’s face to flush red with rage. It wasn’t a metaphor—his skin was literally turning red.
“Now do you understand what a mutant is?”
“Thank you. That was truly an excellent lecture!”
“To be honest, I prepared this lesson specifically to enlighten you.”
He exhaled smoke from his pipe.
Using the thick tobacco haze to hide his mocking smile.
“Cambion. The world does not always flow according to your plans. This is a lesson you could never learn in Gehenna, where every event unfolds in perfect order. So please, treasure this lesson.”
Archdevil successfully infuriated!
Experience +5
Progress to Level 13: 70/100
Current Lore Points: 14
“And there is also the bill you must pay.”
“Are you asking me to pay tuition?”
“You entered into a contract with a human through my mediation. Therefore, according to the laws of Hell, you must pay a brokerage fee. It’s written in the legal code.”
With a rustling sound, the mage opened the unholy law book.
“Diabolic Codex, Article 7, Clause 12. A devil is obligated to provide appropriate compensation to the mediator of a transaction. The criteria for determining appropriateness are as follows. First…”
The more the mage read from the law book, the thicker the sulfurous stench emanating from the archdevil became. It was a threat that he would overturn everything with force if necessary, but Tellorian didn’t even blink as he recited every single clause that could be used to his advantage.
“…Based on the above provisions, you are obligated to pay me one hundred aetheria of magic power. Alternatively, goods equivalent to one year’s income of a human emperor.”
Infernal Jurisprudence
Experience +10
Progress to Level 13: 80/100
Current Lore Points: 14
“…My, my.”
Lucifeles, who had been radiating fury, returned to his human form and feigned composure. He wore an unnatural smile that felt distinctly unsettling.
“It seems I must reflect on myself today. I had no idea my old friend was so well-versed in the laws of Hell.”
Many mages had tried to deceive devils using the infernal legal code, but very few humans had ever succeeded. The copies of the Hell law books that had leaked to the surface were unfortunately defective versions with incorrect clauses or missing sections.
“How did you obtain a complete copy?”
“What do I gain by answering your question?”
“Fair enough! You have no obligation to answer my questions! As expected, you truly understand infernal law!”
Lucifeles now looked at Tellorian with an intrigued expression. At first he had been angry, but now he was so dumbfounded that his rage had faded.
A human obtained the complete edition of the infernal legal code?
Impossible.
And he translated it into the common tongue?
That was also impossible.
Even if he translated it, did a human intellect truly understand the legal principles of Hell? The infernal code is something that drives anyone who tries to glimpse its true nature into madness.
It was clear that Tellorian was a mage of incredible talent. If he devoted himself to training for about a hundred years, he might reach the realm of a Transcendent. But right now he was nothing more than a twenty-year-old brat…!
“When do you plan to pay the brokerage fee?”
“….”
“I trust you have no intention of violating the Diabolic Codex. If a prince of Hell were to break an imperial decree, it would be impossible for His Majesty to maintain his dignity.”
That’s right.
You’ve won, you insolent mortal.
“Of course!”
With a gentle smile, he put on an act of kindness.
“You have the right to demand a brokerage fee according to the decrees of Hell. And as the Archduke of Gehenna, I have the obligation to comply with your demand.”
With a flutter!
The nobleman produced a contract.
“Since you’ve read the Diabolic Codex thoroughly, you must already know this. The archdukes of the Seven Hells have the authority to insert special clauses within reasonable limits when fulfilling the Codex.”
New special clauses were inscribed on the contract in flames. The newly added provisions still acknowledged Lucifeles’s obligation to pay Tellorian the brokerage fee. However—
“There is an added clause stating that my obligation to fulfill this duty will only begin after three hundred years. It’s not that long a period, so it’s a perfectly reasonable adjustment.”
Three hundred years! To humans, that was enough time for an entire dynasty to rise and fall, but to devils it was no more than an instant. Therefore, under infernal legal principles, three hundred years was interpreted as a reasonable adjustment.
“…But aren’t you my old friend? Considering our long friendship, I could adjust the special clause for you. In exchange…”
The devil,
revealed his white teeth as he smiled.
“Since you treated me to a feast, I would like to invite you to Gehenna and treat you to one as well. If you accept my invitation to Gehenna, I will pay the brokerage fee immediately. Three times the promised amount, in fact.”