59
Chapter 59
My ancestor Lucifer, Aru the Wolf King, Beatrice—the knight who will soon contract with me—and then there's me, perfectly ordinary.
It's a strange combination, but the meeting makes sense. After all, I'm the one who brought them all together.
Angel Uriel, with her six wings, is nowhere to be seen. Aru must not have summoned her yet. Or maybe she's in the middle of it.
That's for the best. Uriel has nothing to do yet. At least, 'not yet.'
"Um! Why don't we all start by introducing ourselves? Or do you all already know each other?"
"My Lord... why is that devil here...?"
"So you are the one who summoned me. But I wonder why our contractor is with the summoner...?"
"You might know each other, but you seem awfully awkward! Alright! Let me introduce you! This person here is my ancestor, the Fallen Angel Lucifer! A long time ago, he got all cozy with my family's Matriarch and founded our lineage!"
I said, pointing to Lucifer with both hands. Beatrice looked absolutely horrified.
"O-Oscar, your ancestor is Lucifer...? Then I... th-then I've sworn my oath of loyalty to a descendant of Lucifer...!"
"And! This is my reliable knight, Beatrice Constantino! She just decided to become my knight! She's usually overflowing with energy, but she's got a few scratches right now, so she's hitching a ride on my back! Please be understanding!"
"You're my descendant? That would make you a demon of the Lucifer Family in the Demon Realm... Hmm, looking at your energy, that seems to be the case..."
After introducing Beatrice to Lucifer, who seemed more interested in me than her, I turned to the last one, Aru.
"And finally, this is Aru! My family's little mutt!"
"Grrr! I'm not a mutt!"
"What's this mutt talking about!"
"Bark! Woof woof woof!"
"Ack! Ouch! It hurts!"
I think I'll need to give Aru some strict discipline soon. Her temper has been wild since she hit puberty; she just bites anything that annoys her.
Huh? You're saying I just shouldn't call her a dog?
True. But I won't surrender to some wolf. Why should a demon, the pinnacle of all creation, cow down to a mere wolf?
Crunch-!
"Aaaack! Ouch! Aru! Stop it!"
"Grrrr! Bad demon! Bad demon!"
"Al-Alright! I'll take it back! Aru isn't a mutt! She's the Wolf King!"
"Woof woof. You should've said that from the start."
Ha, this disrespectful brat of a dog is actually biting her owner.
I'm only putting up with it because I have things to do. I am definitely not scared of a dog.
"Anyway... let me tell you why I've gathered you both here."
"Summoner, are you saying you didn't summon me because of some dream you wish to achieve?"
"I'm a firm believer in achieving my dreams with my own two hands. Let's put that aside and get to the point. The Demonic Contract between you, Lucifer, and Dame Beatrice. I need you to nullify it."
"...."
Lucifer narrows his eyes at my words. Beatrice gasps. Aru calmly scratches her ear beside me.
"Dame Beatrice is my knight now. Naturally, her contract should be with me."
"Nullify the Demonic Contract... do you actually think that's possible?"
"Why not? A contract is something that can be voided at any time through mutual agreement between the parties involved."
"That's not incorrect, but there is no reason why 'we' would void the contract without cause."
By saying 'we,' Lucifer was including Beatrice in the decision.
"Why 'we'? How would you know if Dame Beatrice wants to void the contract or not, ancestor?"
"Because if she severs the contract with me, the eternal life and power granted to that knight will vanish."
Lucifer answered my question without a hint of fluster.
Beatrice remained silent, whether it was because she lacked the strength to speak or she was simply too shocked.
"The power gained through my contract elevated that knight to the level of an Absolute Strong One. In other words, if this contract is broken, she becomes nothing more than a slightly strong Holy Knight. If she had never known such power, it might be different, but once one has tasted absolute power, it is impossible to give it up."
He was right. Power and authority are sweet things, the very things humans refuse to let go of even in death.
"And as for eternal life... that goes without saying, does it not? My contractor does not face a natural death unless killed by external factors. Aging does not touch them, for they share my life. They would die if I died, but I am the greatest devil who lives eternally. Thus, as long as she maintains the contract, she can continue an immortal existence."
Nothing but sweet talk. Perfect for luring in foolish humans.
Just like my ancestor. Perhaps because he takes after me, he's quite the silver-tongued speaker.
However, there is still a loophole.
"That's how a typical human would feel. But our Dame Beatrice is different from those common fools."
"Different in what way?"
"She's already realized how dangerous a Demonic Contract is through firsthand experience. Power and lifespan aren't things that are given for free, right? Dame Beatrice, am I right?"
I tapped her thigh to get the attention of Beatrice, who was blankly staring at Lucifer from behind my back.
Beatrice gave a slight nod.
"...You are correct, my Lord."
"Is that so? However, there is no need to worry. A devil no longer feels interest in a contractor from whom despair has already been extracted. Having already paid the price of causality, she only needs to receive the benefits I provide."
In other words, he's saying he'll do a losing deal, so don't try to void the contract?
That's a pretty extraordinary offer. I don't know if Lucifer will actually stick to his word, though.
I wondered for a moment why he'd go that far, but I quickly dismissed the thought after remembering Lucifer's circumstances.
"That makes even less sense."
"...What do you mean?"
"Dame Beatrice hates you, ancestor. Deep in her bones. After all, you were the primary reason her father died."
"...."
"Would Dame Beatrice really want your power and lifespan? She probably finds the very idea of sharing a life with you disgusting and foul. And your power? Well, that goes without saying."
Lucifer fell silent for a moment at my assertion. It seemed he had something to consider.
I didn't really want to push my ancestor into a corner like this. But what can I do? Letting your knight be someone else's contractor is a blow to one's pride.
"You know one thing, but you're ignorant of the second."
Lucifer paused before speaking. He was talking about me, wasn't he? Saying I'm ignorant?
"Because she loathes me, hates me, and resents me... your knight will find it even harder to reject me."
"Excuse me?"
"Because she needs power. Because she seeks revenge. To pay me back for the death of her father. She cannot give up the power I grant her. Isn't it ironic?"
"Uh... um..."
"You say she will contract with you? Are you stronger than I am? Can you grant her a longer lifespan? Can you give that knight the power to kill me?"
"Not right now, haha."
"Not right now...? Regardless, that knight absolutely needs my power. Only then can she avenge her father. The power transferred through the contract only shares my nature; the control is hers alone, making it possible for her to kill me. Of course, I won't go quietly. In this situation, would your knight sever the contract with me to receive your power?"
Uh, he's right. I can't even argue.
Though I'm weaker than Lucifer for now, telling him I'll become a monster that eats him for breakfast in 500 years wouldn't convince him.
...This is a real problem. How do I solve this?
"...No."
While I was racking my brain over this unexpected obstacle, Beatrice interrupted our conversation.
Lucifer and I both turned our heads. Beatrice spoke with a detached expression.
"I don't hate you enough to want to kill you, Lucifer."
"...?"
Oh, what? Did Beatrice suddenly become a saint? Is she planning to forgive Lucifer with a generous heart?
"Four years have passed since the day that tragedy occurred... For those four years, I've replayed that day millions of times."
"And the result of that repetition is a dulling of your murderous intent? I don't understand."
"...Because in the end, everything was a result of my own choices."
Beatrice closed her eyes. Her brown pupils vanished behind her smooth eyelids. When they reappeared, they held a nobility that wasn't there before.
"Choosing to accept the devil's power, using it to save the Holy Nation, escaping from prison, and ultimately slaying my father. They were all my choices. Even if someone coaxed or pushed me, if I was tempted, it is my own fault for being tempted."
There was a strength in her voice. A statement befitting a former Holy Knight.
"By my choice, the Holy Nation was saved, and by my choice, my father left this world. Accepting the devil's power was also my choice."
"However, Holy Knight. Do you not remember how I infiltrated your comrades and helped you escape that prison? If I hadn't, your father would never have died."
"Did you threaten me, Lucifer? Did you say you'd kill me if I didn't escape?"
"...."
Lucifer was the one being overwhelmed now.
"You simply gave me a choice. I chose to escape because I wanted to prolong my own life. It was the same when I killed my father. I craved life even if it meant killing him, and my father, recognizing my will, sacrificed his own life to save me."
A devil can only lure those who are immature. A human who has reached a certain mental 'orbit' will not fall for a devil's sweet talk.
It was the same reason I couldn't make a move on the Saint when I was in Tartarus. The Saint wasn't the kind of person who would fall into corruption just because someone like me opened their mouth.
"Do you still not understand? The emotion I've nurtured for the past four years was self-loathing. Not murderous intent toward you. On that day, after my father died, didn't you appear before me and say that 'I' was the one who killed him?"
"...Hah."
"Make no mistake. It's not that I don't hate you. You are evil, vile, and you toyed with me. Naturally, I loathe you. But not to the point where I'm blinded by bloodlust. In fact, the very idea of being linked to you is unpleasant. If I could sever the contract with you, I would do it a hundred times over."
"Heh heh."
Lucifer laughed bitterly after hearing Beatrice's calm recollection. His schemes had failed to work.
"Cough."
Perhaps she spoke too much, as Beatrice began to cough. A small spray of blood splattered onto my shoulder.
"It is difficult to reach such mental maturity alone. Who was it? Who saved you?"
Regardless of Beatrice coughing up blood, Lucifer asked the question with an intrigued smile.
Neither of us answered, but Lucifer, after carefully scanning Beatrice's surroundings, finally looked at me and smirked in understanding.
"I see, my descendant. I wondered why you seemed so unusual. It was your doing, wasn't it?"
"That's right. I'm the one who educated Dame Beatrice."
Actually, I didn't do a thing; she figured it out on her own.
Still, it's best to bluff when you can. The more the opponent overestimates me, the more influence my words will have.
"...Ahem, regardless, how do you intend to persuade me? Even if your knight wishes to void the contract, it's all for naught if I do not permit it."
"I don't intend to persuade you."
"What?"
"I'll just make you withdraw it yourself, ancestor. Aru! Is the Uriel summoning ready?"
"Woof! Ready!"
"Good! Summon her!"
In a remote corner of the warehouse lay a piece of paper. Hidden in the darkness where no one could see, it was the summoning array for Uriel that I had given to Aru.
Standing before the array, Aru spoke in a practiced voice.
"Woof woof. O thou who receivest the most holy grace. Woof. O noble flame who servest the Lord of all creation, woof. Thou who believest in good and the Lord, woof woof. I call thee to this place."
"Hey, memorize it properly. Why do I keep hearing dog barks?"
"Grrr...! I-I can do it! O thou who receivest the most holy grace! O noble flame who servest the Lord of all creation! Thou who believest in good and the Lord! I call thee to this place! Archangel Uriel, wielder of the Sword of Truth! Respond to the summoning array!"
Aww, Aru's a quick learner. She really is smart. I guess the royal bloodline isn't just for show. To memorize all that after hearing it once.
"W-Wait! What did you just say? Archangel Uriel? That light... could it be...!"
Sensing a sudden turn of events, Lucifer shouted urgently. Since Uriel is essentially his arch-rival, it's only natural for him to panic.
"Uriel...? My Lord, are you actually trying to summon Uriel...?"
"Ahaha, this is Dame Beatrice's first time seeing Uriel, right? You must be quite nervous to see Uriel, the Holy Knight of the angels, in person."
Whoosh-!
As Aru finished the incantation cleanly, the piece of paper finally began to glow. A divine radiance erupted from the paper, filling the warehouse. Lucifer, the natural enemy of divinity, recoiled and covered his eyes. His black wings singed slightly.
You might wonder why I'm fine while my ancestor is struggling. As an apostle of the Lord, why would I shrink away from seeing Uriel, the Lord's Holy Knight?
"An aura of sinister darkness... a cunning and despicable aura... a tainted pure white aura... a ferocious wild aura..."
The paper expanded, and a sphere of light rose from within. A heavy voice dominated the interior of the warehouse.
A woman appeared. Her neatly groomed blonde hair flowed down to her feet, and she wore an Ancient White Garment. A sword was gripped in her right hand, while a blazing flame flickered in her left. Six snow-white wings spanned from her back.
Rays of light emanated from her, illuminating every corner. The glare was blindingly sharp. I opened my eyes wide to see her more clearly.
"Which of you four... called me to this place...?"
The gatekeeper of the Garden of Eden, one of the four great angels in charge of the north, the apostle of the Lord who wields the Sword of Truth and ignites the Eternal Flame of Judgment.
This is Archangel Uriel.