Chapter 27
After finishing my training application at the Telema School, I returned to the suburb outside the city walls.
After finishing my last dinner at the inn that had become quite familiar and listening to the not-quite-well-wishes of the owner, who I'd grown fond of, I went up to my room.
That old man, if he was going to give well-wishes, he should have done it properly.
Why did he have to tell stories of those who retired because they couldn't endure the Abyss?
Perhaps that was just how the lives of explorers who ended up in inns in the suburbs outside the city walls usually went.
It's okay, even if you don't succeed as an explorer or mage.
It seemed like that was what he wanted to say, but I felt his approach wasn't very good.
Anyway, as I thought about how this would be the end of my stay in this room where I'd lived for months, the cramped space that had been so frustrating suddenly felt particularly dear today.
"Ah... I should erase this too."
I had roughly cleaned up the summoning circle once, but traces of which still remained.
"Has it only been a month?"
Just a month since I summoned Seir and became a Devil Sorcerer.
So much had changed in that time.
From a street life where I couldn't use a single spell to now being a proper mage and on the verge of becoming a promising explorer.
This must be what they call a dramatic change in fortune.
[That is right. It has already been a month.]
"Were you watching?"
Normally, I would just converse with Sier in my mind, but today, I felt like speaking out loud.
[Of course. I am always watching. The growth rate of my pact-bearer is truly remarkable. Is this what they mean by 'renewing oneself day after day'?]
Is she now trying to master Eastern proverbs too?
How frightening.
[I do not appreciate the jokes, my pact-bearer.]
"I'm sorry."
[Hmph. More importantly, I have some good news for you.]
"Good news? Could it be..."
I didn't even expect to return to Earth.
I knew all too well that it was still far off, having just entered the world of magic and starting to embody mystery.
So, what Seir wants to say is...
"An expansion of the domain of authority?"
That was what I thought it might be.
Among the various authorities Seir possesses, I could only use one.
The authority of movement.
Even then, I could only target myself and objects I was in contact with.
It was a truly meager level compared to Seir, who could freely move any living being or object from anywhere in the world.
It was no exaggeration to say that a Devil Sorcerer's skill depended on how accurately they could implement such devilish authorities and how many different authorities they could master.
If my magical aptitude had improved, I should be able to reach deeper into Seir's authorities.
[Unfortunately, that is not it. The channel has definitely widened, but it is not yet at the level to meet La Traviata's growth conditions.]
"...Please call it Blink."
[Anyway. Let us put aside the growth of La Traviata for now.]
Seir was still adamant about not giving up the spell name she had given.
[Separately from that, your level has definitely gone up by one.]
Seir said that repeated practical experience and continuous training had led to an increase in my level.
[There are three main ways for a pact-bearer to become stronger. Growing on your own, strengthening the authority received from me, and lastly...]
"Forming a pact with a new Devil."
[Correct.]
My heart raced.
A pact with another devil?
I had never even considered it.
I was satisfied with Seir.
Although I teased her sometimes, I had never once forgotten my gratitude.
Since coming to this other world.
Seir was the only one who could unequivocally be called my benefactor without a shadow of a doubt.
Ah, since Seir is a devil, I should say beneficent Devil rather than benefactor.
A Devil who gives grace.
It sounds strange, but that's how I've thought of her.
"...I'm quite satisfied with just you, Seir."
How could I not be satisfied?
She gave me infinite mana.
She created a spell for me directly.
And she did all of this free of charge.
Isn't she doing everything for me?
[Hehe, I know. Although you occasionally harbor irreverent thoughts, I know you sincerely worship me, my pact-bearer.]
"Then..."
[So, would I not want to give more to my pact-bearer?]
This, too, must be Seir's grace.
"If that's the case, I understand."
§
The second Devil summoning initiated at Seir's suggestion.
Having done it once before, my hands moved quite skillfully in drawing the summoning circle.
Even while drawing the summoning circle, I couldn't shake off a dubious feeling.
To be honest, it might not be just because I was special, but Seir might be bestowing exceptional grace by not taking any price from me.
The next summoning might bring forth a Devil from this world, not one of Earth origin or affiliation like Seir.
From my perspective, rather than necessarily forming a pact with another Devil besides Seir, wouldn't it be better to focus on Seir alone and handle her authorities more deeply?
But Seir's opinion was firm.
[Devils have seals that symbolize them. If you draw that seal in the summoning circle, that Devil will surely appear.]
It was a kind of designation system, one could say.
It wasn’t for nothing that Devil Sorcerers scattered summoning circles everywhere and scanned them.
Once they get a proper hit, they intend to milk all the benefits based on that information.
Even if you designate a Devil, there's no guarantee they'll respond to the summons...
On the flip side, there was no need to worry about some strange devil suddenly popping out.
So, which seal should I draw?
As I have said many times, the world was about connections.
And the same went for Devil society.
This summoning depended on Seir's devil network.
[Along the inner border of the main circle, write ELERAI starting from 10 o'clock, then 12, 2, 4, 6, and 8 o'clock, and in the center, draw a slightly left-leaning bow.]
I drew the summoning circle as Seir instructed.
"Is this okay?"
[Excellent. Now, let us place the offering on the altar. Hmm... good.]
"Um... is that really okay as an offering?"
[Of course. This will actually work better. Trust me!]
Does Seir know that raising her voice in confidence only stimulates my anxiety?
But what could be done?
If Seir says it was right, I just had to follow along.
The consulting for this summoning was entirely up to Seir, after all.
"Then I'll start the summons."
[Begin.]
Phew.
It's the second time, but I'm still nervous.
I’m only this because I had Seir's guarantee.
Without it, wouldn't I be trembling with nervousness like when I first summoned Seir?
"I summon thee."
The moment I uttered the first syllable of the summoning.
Unprecedented mana flowed like blood, spilling over the summoning circle.
This was the power of the Devil being summoned.
There was no mistake about it.
At first, I made the embarrassing mistake of mixing the language of this world and Korean for the summoning, which was ridiculous to think about now, but this time, I chanted the spell in Korean from the start.
A familiar light enveloped the space.
A presence similar to Seir's, but slightly sharper, presses down on the space, choking off breath.
After my vision, which had been covered in light, returned.
The first thing I saw was shimmering red horns.
With a quiver on the back and a bow in hand.
Surveying the world with bored red eyes.
Its smooth skin, like porcelain, was pale without any vitality, subconsciously making me realize that the being before wasn’t human.
Green clothes and black pants underneath.
The leather shorts fully reveal snow-white thighs.
If one avoided the thighs and raised their gaze, two high-rising peaks would greet them.
There's nowhere to look but the face.
Naturally, our eyes met.
Eyes so red they felt like blood.
Cold like Seir's icy transparent ones, but with a torrent of intense emotions lurking within.
"Are you the one who summoned me—Ah, what? You're Seir's pact-bearer?"
You know me?
"Yes."
"Hmm, then this isn't Earth, is it?"
Saying that, the Devil turned her head and looked around as if checking what kind of place this other world was.
"Sssss—Haa. The air is good here. The moonlight is thick, and the scent of the forest is strong."
Moonlight and forest scent.
Things that had now become mere romance in the modern world where light pollution covered the night sky and forest development had pushed away the woods.
I felt like laughing wryly at the thought that environmental destruction caused by human greed had driven away even the Devils' habitat.
Right.
The real beings worthy of being called Devils were not entities like Seir or the Devil before me but us humans.
Thinking like that, there was no reason to be stiff in front of a devil.
"Oh... you're quite something."
"I'm Seir's pact-bearer, after all."
"Right. If you're going to summon a devil, you should at least have that much guts. But is this the offering?"
"Ah... um, yes. That's right."
I looked glumly at the offering placed on the altar.
What was on the plate was fruit skewered on sticks and coated with sugar water.
Something called tanghulu.
"Is that so? Well... not bad. I'll enjoy it."
The moment she said that.
The tanghulu offered as a sacrifice was already in her hand.
It was a swiftness that couldn't even be followed with the eyes.
"Mmm. Not bad."
You say that, but you've already finished eating.
"You want a pact, correct?"
"That's right."
"Your rank is sufficient. Enough to contract with both me and Seir simultaneously. Perhaps you have talent, or maybe this place is just special"
Probably both?
...I hope.
I'd like that to be the case.
"Anyway, that's fine. I can make a pact with you as long as I get to see a place like this."
"Then the price..."
"Price? Ah, hmm... hmmmm..."
Her expressionless face gradually filled with emotion, and by the time she covered her mouth with her hand, there was even a furrow between her brows.
"Ah... I don't know. It's been so long since I made a pact. Do I really need anything? It's just troublesome. I think just seeing and experiencing this world is enough."
"Then I'd be more than happy with that."
"Ah, no. I thought of one thing."
Can't it be like Seir?
Still, false hope is a bit too much. As expected of a Devil...
"Speech. Honorifics are forbidden. I don't like that kind of speech."
I take it all back.
You're not a Devil at all.
"That's fine by me."
"That's refreshing. Then..."
Unlike Seir, who had elegantly dropped a blood droplet to form the pact, she pulled out an arrow as if to show that she hadn't brought her bow and arrows for nothing, and stabbed it into her palm.
Thwack!
The blood flowing down the arrow that pierced her palm covered the summoning circle.
Our souls were connected by mixing each other's blood.
"My name is Leraje. The one who shoots and pierces the white leather."
Leraje.
That was the name of my second Patron Devil.
§
The very next day after, Roman applied for training.
Roman packed his belongings from the inn and returned to the Telema School, where he unpacked in the room assigned to him under Mea's guidance.
Hecate was away, saying she had some business to attend to.
Strike while the iron’s hot, as they say.
As they were planning to descend into the Abyss today, Mea and Roman left the school's quarters and went outside.
They first came to the marketplace for final supplies before entering the Abyss.
This was where Mea, as a senior and instructor, should have stepped in to advise on what items to buy, but Mea didn't have that luxury.
How...
It had been just one day.
The time Mea hadn't seen Roman.
Considering that Roman had left in the afternoon and come back early this morning, it wasn't even 12 hours, let alone a day.
How on earth in such a short time...
It's grown. The Devil's aura.
When Mea first saw Roman.
She seriously wondered if there was something wrong with their senses.
Roman's newly added Patron Devil.
That alone could be overlooked.
A Devil Sorcerer increasing their Patron Devils was like any other mage adding another magic system, a common growth method.
But this was too much.
How did he get another noble…?
If 100 people summoned a Devil, only one of them would summon a named Devil.
If 100 people summoned a named Devil, only one of them would summon a titled Devil.
If 100 people summoned a titled Devil, only one of them would summon a high-ranking Devil.
So, Devil Sorcerers who could form a pact with high nobility were 0.0001%.
But having multiple pacts with high nobility?
What on earth is this?
Mea's common sense was being shaken.