NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 45
– 1 –
“I’m curious about your choice.”
[The ‘blessing’ has flowed to those unworthy of it.]
Sonia remembered the first words Libertus spoke when she came to understand her own nature.
Blessing.
It was a statement that offered her a new perspective, a perspective she had only viewed as a curse throughout her life.
[If you had been aware of this ability and had honed your power, you would now be the most capable mage among young people your age. But you missed that opportunity.]
Sonia couldn’t shake the memory of that hand gently patting her head while she knelt.
That hand, imbued with an unusual ‘interest.’
[… But it’s not your fault, Sonia. A child unprepared. And in the utterly miserable environment. How can you take responsibility for all that?]
Libertus, who spoke those words, remained indifferent and proud, yet Sonia could sense the bittersweet weight of the moment.
This conversation only strengthened Sonia’s judgment of her.
Libertus was ‘humane,’ and what events needed to happen to be humane as a Dungeon Lord?
And what was it that she needed to do?
To put that into practice…
“I… want to keep this power as it is, Master.”
“That’s an excellent choice.”
Upon hearing the answer, Libertus smiled rarely.
As if that was the correct answer.
Like an older sister or a mother caring for a child.
– 2 –
A contract with the Demon World.
To be precise, the conditions and price of the contract.
This was the means by which I could extract characteristics from Sonia.
As a Dungeon Lord who mediates contracts between humans and the Demon World, I could exact a price from human contractors. Simply put, it could be seen as a ‘commission.’
You might think, how can there be a commission while forcibly contracting humans with the Demon World and even owning them?
‘That’s not my concern.’
That’s just how the system works.
And there may even be those who voluntarily contract due to power and strength in this world.
No, there probably are, like that Alexis.
“But… you haven’t used this method until now, have you? With Senior Leonis or Mr. Daniel…”
“Is it necessary to strip them of optimized power? I intend to use them highly after all.”
“But…”
“Even if they find a way to break the contract and point blades at me, I’ll just crush those blades thoroughly.”
I couldn’t hide the smile that naturally appeared.
It was simply because I was satisfied with Sonia’s choice. I didn’t know what she wanted, but at least her attitude of not just waiting to drown appealed to me.
『Attributes – Endurance 2, Skill 6, Toughness 4, Magic Power 32, Resistance 8』
『Attributes – Endurance 7, Skill 11, Toughness 16, Magic Power 34, Resistance 27』
Before formally entering into the contract, I double-checked Sonia’s condition.
The first thing that caught my eye was the dramatically increased ‘Toughness’ and ‘Resistance’ in just two months. This wasn’t solely due to her body’s regained natural recovery ability.
It was achievable because the enhancement of sacrifices applies to humans contracted with me.
Humans who make contracts with the Demon World become bodies capable of accepting the Demon World’s magic power, in exchange for their inherent growth potential being stunted.
‘Was it about 30? I certainly had quite the feast.’
To cultivate her needed resistance to magic power, I sacrificed a total of about thirty orcs. The effectiveness of enhancement is even lower when used on humans.
Since all the residual magic left on the corpses was used for the dungeon, it wasn’t an unprofitable investment, but if it had been fully used for the dungeon, it would have brought about a greater growth, so it was still an investment.
And now it was time to reap the fruits of that investment.
“「Soul Contract, Inscription」.”
Sonia’s personal details and soul’s markings were elaborately drawn atop the contract.
Maria’s was like a quietly boiling flame, Daniel’s or Leonis’s were cold, but Sonia’s was a blue symbol reminiscent of the colors of spring.
It stated that the contractor would belong to the Demon World, guaranteed by the Demon Lord, and that the contract would only end when renewed with another contractor or at the time of death.
Beneath that contract, an additional clause not present in other contracts was inscribed in the language of the Demon World.
『… Contractor Sonia pays the characteristic ‘Magic Power Over-adaptation’ to the contract mediator Libertus. A portion while alive, and in full upon the contractor’s death. And…』
『… this contract is guaranteed by the ‘Demon Lord.’』
“From now on, you will no longer be a creation of the goddess, but a servant of the Demon Lord. Are you ready?”
“… Yes.”
Sonia nodded at the final question.
Her expression still bore a fleeting air, but her eyes held a resolute will that had found something to do.
Whether that will would pierce me like a blade or wave a flag to achieve something, I couldn’t tell.
Even if I heard her explanation, trusting her was a different matter.
‘This is a world where even the closest family members hurt and abandon one another.’
It would take a long time to build trust with her.
The faith I currently placed was merely a seed or sapling. I could only hope it would return with good results while doing my best.
My best would differ fundamentally from that of a human.
“Then, prepare to show respect.”
“To whom…?”
“To the Demon Lord.”
If the main body were to appear, Sonia would surely faint, and her soul would undoubtedly suffer, but there was no need to worry about that.
Such an event happening again, akin to when I first executed a contract, was quite rare.
Still, I couldn’t let my guard down.
The Demon Lord is an absolute being.
Wherever his avatar exists, and wherever his power extends, it should be seen as being within sight even if I wasn’t focusing on it.
“「Contract Established」.”
Bang!!
Slowly rising from my seat, I turned to face Sonia, who was bewildered and confused, as the hand of the Demon Lord came up from the ground, grasping the soul that floated above the contract.
– Gryyyyy……
Unlike before, the figure was distinctly translucent, and the presence emanating from it was weak, very weak.
Both indicated that the master of this arm was not present here.
“Ugh…!”
Was that alone too much pressure for Sonia to endure right now? Instead of kneeling or bending her waist, she leaned backward instead.
The attributes must have been far less than my own endurance or resistance from the first contract, yet such a difference must stem from some other reason.
Whether it was because I was a Dungeon Lord, or maybe something even more fundamental.
In any case.
Evil…!
“T-thank you…”
“You’re welcome. Just bend your waist.”
Just before she would fall backward, I embraced her waist, channeling strength into her and spreading it throughout her body; Sonia’s consciousness, which had been on the brink of fainting, jolted awake, and she barely managed to orient herself respectably.
In ‘Mill Don 1,’ a mechanism was put in place where stacking would lead to a debuff in the dungeon if the number of times ‘respect is not shown’ piled up.
I had no idea what would happen if that became a reality, so unless it was a pressing situation, it would be wise to show respect for each contract.
– The contract has been completed. From now on, you, the human child Sonia, have become a great servant of magic. I look forward to the upcoming ritual.
“What is this ritual?”
Well.
I’ve heard this story frequently, but what it actually means has not been known since old times. However, if I were to hazard a guess…
“Simply put, it’s to see how many people you can kill.”
“That…”
“It’s just a formal expression, so you don’t need to worry.”
I knew well from past experiences that humans making contracts this way could be locked away in corners for long periods without any issues arising afterward, so there was no need to worry.
What truly mattered was the characteristics.
『Characteristic – … Magic: Absorptive Plant, Magic Power Over-adaptation』
『Characteristic – Necromancy, … Specialization: Fire Magic, Advanced Specialization: Curse, Magic Power Over-adaptation』
Sonia’s heroic-level characteristic of Magic Power Over-adaptation had branched into two. The advanced one remained with her, while the rare one came to me.
When I diverted my gaze from the characteristic information, I found Sonia patting her belly in wonder.
Her expression improved greatly compared to just a moment ago.
“How do you feel?”
“… I used to always feel bloated and nauseous, but that’s gone now. My magic… listens to me much better now. Truly…”
With this characteristic, if it were advanced, it could yield 2 magic power per year, and 5 if rare. While notably less compared to the heroic level’s 12, it was still an exceedingly good characteristic.
I heard that the amount of magic power growing automatically when she was young was significantly less than now, so this characteristic held promise for her future.
“I haven’t erased it. That blessing still remains within you. You will still be able to grow stronger than your peers as a mage.”
“You’re the only one who has ever said anything good about it like that throughout my life, Master. And… it genuinely feels like you have turned it into a real blessing.”
“If you’ve come to feel that way, then that’s truly delightful.”
Sonia’s gaze upwards was filled with a whirlwind of complex emotions.
The feelings of hatred still remain. And…
Compassion from some unknown source.
Just because we’re connected by the Soul Contract doesn’t mean I can trample over her feelings. When such intense emotions are felt, I might get a glimpse of fragments of that sentiment.
Yet Sonia quickly quelled even that, making it impossible to discern the source of her feelings.
‘I’m curious about what you’re thinking, but…’
I tore my attention away from those fleeting thoughts and spoke the words I needed to convey to Sonia.
“From today, you may enter the ‘Library.'”
“The Library… what?”
The newly created ‘Library’ was a place where all the books purchased from humans and the Mammon Trading Company were stored.
Most of these were, of course, related to various forms of magic or sorcery from this world.
It wouldn’t be systematic since I just haphazardly tossed them in, but I thought the quantity of knowledge would be quite substantial.
“However, it would be best not to recklessly attempt to learn anything inside.”
“Learn? What do you mean?”
“Of course, you should learn. But while I’m not around, look for things that might be useful. When I can personally guide you like today, I’ll help you learn those things.”
“Could it be… magic?”
Sonia looked up with a hint of timidity, as if she finally understood the situation.
I nodded in response to that unspoken question of whether she understood correctly.
“Of course. What else would you think?”
“When I was at the Guild, magic was always displayed based on its rank. I would never have thought I could see it all like this…”
“I see. Here, feel free to see whatever you want. It’s okay to uncover what you want to know. I will tell you if it’s beneficial to you now.”
Though the title was reluctantly acquired, I was now her ‘Master.’
I had been preparing to fulfill a role fitting for that title all along, actually building my capabilities and knowledge along the way.
“Then let’s go. I’ll show you where the Library is.”
“Ah… yes!”
“The entrance on the outer corridor should be convenient, right? Let’s head that way.”
Thus, as I moved alongside Sonia,
Tap!
– …!
I turned my gaze toward the presence I had sensed earlier.
In the distance, at the end of the corridor, I saw reddish-brown hair briefly appear and vanish.
That familiar color undoubtedly belonged to Maria.