The First Contract (3)
I was lucky.
I had been rescued by Surda and lived a good life.
“Even if I died and came back, that would be reason enough to be grateful.”
But that was the wrong impression.
“But why the hell is it a demon?”
I was the unluckiest creature alive.
“Even if I’d been an ordinary human or a bug, anything but a demon….”
I turned around.
Bat wings sprouted from my back.
And two stone-like lumps stuck to the top of my head.
Those had to be horns.
Shiny and gleaming—there was no mistaking them.
“The suit… isn’t bad, actually. It looks sharp.”
Denial was pointless.
I was a demon now.
“Lord, why are you testing me like this? Is this truly your will?”
If I had been an ordinary person, none of this would have mattered.
But I was a believer.
A believer from a devout family! The eldest son!
“Hah… let’s calm down first. Right now, the priority is figuring out the situation.”
I took a deep breath and looked around.
I was sitting on a black pyramid.
It was red and sticky—blood? How gross.
“Ugh, I got it on my clothes. Where did this suit even come from?”
I glanced at the surroundings next.
Grey pillars encircled the pyramid.
The style was quite luxurious. Maybe it was an old temple?
No, it couldn’t be a temple. If it were a demon-worshipping shrine, maybe.
And the last thing—the one that bothered me most.
If I tried to leave even a little from here…
—zzzzzt!
“Ouch, it burns!”
[Seal is active!]
[You cannot escape until the duration expires or it ends early!]
…So that’s how it was.
“I know, I know. I was just checking.”
The blue text blocking my path.
It floated in the air—nothing special to look at.
But the content was unbearable.
“This must be that internet thing. I’ve only lived in the countryside, so I don’t know anything.”
I finally realized how vast the world really was.
Floating text in the sky—technology had come a long way.
“So I’m supposed to just sit here? There has to be a way out before I can investigate.”
I was trapped.
Inside this disgusting place.
The atmosphere wasn’t even that bad, yet it only made me more irritated.
Maybe it was the backlash of becoming a demon. Damn… I missed Dad.
The cold air made me long for that warmth.
“Sigh… but it’s freezing. Should I just light a fire—”
—fwoosh!
“Aish, damn it.”
What the hell is this?
***
Magic.
A technology that artificially creates supernatural power.
In the Bible, it was sealed as the power of evil spirits.
“But why is it coming out so naturally, like it’s obvious?”
I don’t know.
The years of being a believer felt like they were slipping away.
I guess I should say my conscience was stinging.
“Where do you even see a priest using magic in the world…?”
It was troubling.
Should I try escaping first?
Or just wait?
“……Lord, please grant me this one request. Just this once, allow my rebellion.”
In the end, I decided to use magic to turn the situation around.
I’m sorry, Lord.
I’ll confess properly after escaping.
“This… I guess I need to catch the flickering sensation?”
While meditating, I felt something move inside my body.
A power that moved at will even though I had never felt it before.
Fitting for a demon’s body.
I guess I should like it… anyway.
“If I think about wanting to light a fire from here,”
—fwoosh!
This power moved according to my wish.
A power that manifested what I desired.
It really could be called magic.
“Then this seal thing… I want to break it.”
[Not enough Magi available!]
But it didn’t seem like a power that could do anything.
Not enough Magi meant not enough power.
Probably the principle that the energy needed increased in proportion to my wish.
The seal looked like it needed more power, but that was fine.
I wasn’t even trying to break it completely.
“Good. Then let’s start.”
I extracted the energy directly from my original form without any separate process.
The moment I pulled it out, the disgusting energy poured out abundantly.
Ssssh—
“This is way too overtly dark, isn’t it? Honestly, I did aim for this.”
The disgusting energy was exactly what I had targeted.
The direction wasn’t great, but the fact that it was noticeable was clear.
It was the perfect way to announce my location.
Pshwooo…
“Slowly… stretching out thin and long…”
I shaped the energy like gas, then sent it flowing through the air.
This time the seal didn’t react.
It probably didn’t block me unless I was its true master.
“Lord. Even though I became a demon, I have no shame… but please shine a light on my path.”
Now there was only one thing left.
I waited for someone who had seen the signal to come rescue me.
If possible, I hoped the helper would be someone I could also help.
Receiving help without giving any back felt shameless.
“Honestly, I’d be lucky if I didn’t run away scared.”
Well, just wishing was fine.
After all, everyone could have a wish.
***
I believed anyone could have a wish.
—Dada da—
“Find the Saintess! She probably hasn’t gone far!”
“That stubborn girl! With that weak body of hers, where exactly is she running to!?”
Everyone just wanted freedom and happiness.
Was my wish too much for them?
“Haa… haa… hurry… even faster…!!”
I couldn’t stop here.
Even though I was panting, even though my ankle hurt, I kept running.
I absolutely could not be caught.
‘How did I end up like this? Where did I go wrong…?’
There was no time to think about stopping.
I just focused on running. Put everything I had into escaping.
“Saintess found! Direction is southeast!”
“No need to capture! Kill on sight!”
Otherwise, you’d die.
“Submit quietly, Haley von Lischt! Do you think you can shake off the Holy Knights’ pursuit?!”
“If it were you… hah… you’d give up, right!?”
“Yeah, keep running! That’ll only make your suffering worse.”
The Holy Knights. An elite group that protected high officials of the Holy Kingdom.
Even though that was the case, they were chasing the Saintess. They weren’t ashamed.
Those guys had chased me relentlessly.
—Tadak!
“Kuu… I have to get up quick—”
“Don’t move. You don’t want to turn into a porcupine in an instant, do you?”
That was when I tripped over my own foot by accident.
A swarm of blades closed in without missing a gap.
“You really ran stubbornly, Saintess. Do you even imagine how far this is from the Holy Kingdom?”
“……You, of all people, are the one who keeps following me so persistently, Ain Torua.”
Among the pursuers, the one who spoke to me was Ain Torua.
Knight Commander of the Holy Kingdom and my former direct guard.
“Aren’t you afraid of his punishment? How do you plan to endure something like—”
“I’m not afraid. It’s the will of heaven. How could I be afraid?”
Not now, but…
“In the end, you’ll pay back for it. The goddess will not overlook this.”
“I hope that happens. Meeting again in the afterlife would be fine.”
—Slling—
Ain drew his sword calmly after murmuring a short phrase.
‘Is this really the end…?’
There were still many lives I hadn’t saved.
If I disappeared, countless people would die.
‘Please, please help me.’
If anyone is watching, please save me.
Help me so I can help more people.
‘Even if it’s a demon, it doesn’t matter….’
“Cough!? Damn it! What is this…!!”
…Huh?
“Sir! Kuu, it’s Magi! High-density Magi is obstructing us!”
“Saintess, find her quickly! Kill her right now!”
—Srrrk—
The blade swept past me.
‘Ugh! What? No way, it’s Magi…?’
I was startled and took a deep breath, and pain exploded inside my lungs.
‘The forest should be outside the Holy Kingdom’s influence. How did Magi get here?’
It wasn’t just here.
The entire forest was polluted by thick Magi.
We were too busy chasing each other to notice.
‘Anyway, this is an opportunity. I have to hide while they can’t see me.’
Just running like before would get me into the same trouble.
Now the appropriate method was concealment.
I needed a place where I could hide so they wouldn’t find me.
And the most suitable hiding spot right here was…
‘The place where Magi is thickest….’
Right in the center of the Magi.
Because of the Magi’s property of blocking human vision.
The thickest place would be the best.
‘And because I’m Haley von Lischt the Saintess, I can resist Magi better than anyone.’
Humans normally stay away from Magi, but…
I am the Saintess Haley von Lischt.
I could proudly claim my resistance to Magi was the highest.
‘No more hesitation.’
—Tatak!
“Damn, the Saintess is running! Chase her quickly!”
Ain and the other knights snapped to attention.
It really meant time was up.
I ran toward the direction of thick Magi.
‘Direction east, deep into the forest.’
How far had I run?
“Haa… that’s a temple, isn’t it?”
I discovered a temple overflowing with flowing Magi.
It flickered so thickly that it was visible to the naked eye.
—Kiiik—!!
I immediately opened the door and rushed inside.
“You’ve finally come. I thought I’d die of boredom.”
“……Ah.”
There I faced it.
“Even though you’ve only been alone for a little while, it’s this lonely already. I guess I really can’t live alone.”
Crimson hair flowing down to my waist, and horns piercing through it.
Gorgeous wings fluttering behind my back.
Externally polite, yet that smile seemed to hide something I couldn’t quite read.
“Demon…!!”
“Yes, a demon.”
He was licking his lips while looking at me.
The demon with red eyes.