episode_0163

“You don’t seem to understand. This is my choice as Emperor. Daniel is perfectly capable of fulfilling his role.”

“This isn’t about whether we trust Daniel or not! Losing you here—”

“Enough.”

As if unable to bear our argument any longer, El cut in.

“Though this conflict between humans was unlike anything I’d seen before, so I waited a little longer to observe…but it seems it wouldn’t end on its own, so I stepped in. Was I rude?”

‘This conversation…isn’t over.’

‘Good. She cut it off well.’

“What now? Are you tired of watching humans grovel and just planning to kill us quickly?”

“I never imagined the existence of a demon would inspire such revulsion in humans. How sad. Nevertheless, my desire to establish friendly relations with you remains unchanged.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Was that not sincere?”

Elia staggered to his feet. Despite having collapsed several times, Elia’s pride refused to acknowledge it. Whenever he intended to act, he stood boldly as though he held the upper hand. His usual bravado worked in most situations, but unfortunately, it had no effect on El.

How could she fear such bravado when she couldn’t even understand it?

“That contract—can it be undone?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t play dumb. If you truly valued me, you shouldn’t have given me every single ritual.”

“Elia? What are you talking about? Can the contract be undone?”

This was news to me too. The whole reason I orchestrated this elaborate scheme was to determine whether the contract I’d entered was truly foolproof. If there actually was a way to undo it, all this effort would have been for nothing.

With hopeful desperation, I pressed Elia:

“Then…could you undo my contract?”

Elia shook his head.

“It’s not that simple. If it were something I could dissolve so easily, there’d be no reason for that being to resort to such methods in the first place. Once this contract is formed, it inherently binds both parties. That is, unless one dies.”

“Then there’s no point in undoing it!”

“No. While nullifying it is impossible, altering the contract is feasible. Specifically, changing the principal subjects involved. Of course, mutual consent is required.”

Only then did I realize what Elia was getting at.

“No. Absolutely not. That’s even worse than having none at all.”

If Elia planned to become the new contractor in my stead, I’d rather bear the burden myself.

But El, seeming intrigued, turned her gaze toward me.

“Oho… If you fulfill my wish, then—”

‘What are you thinking? Wasn’t me being the contractor enough?’

‘That lady… In Eric’s memories, she had lots of money. More food. Yum yum.’

‘No…’

Of all the reasons I expected, something so simple never crossed my mind. Then again, given El’s nature, maybe this was inevitable.

‘You’ve been doing great so far. You followed my lead flawlessly, acted far better than I ever expected. Whatever you’re imagining now—I can stuff you so full you’ll forget about it. Just focus and don’t get distracted. Trust me, you wouldn’t be happy if Elia became your contractor either.’

‘Why?’

‘He’ll be busier and more overworked than I ever was. Emperor of humans? Forget lazing around like you do now—you’d be lucky to scarf down meals between duties. Might even end up choking down nutrient bread like Elia.’

Of course, Elia probably wouldn’t actually do that, but from El’s perspective—filtered through my memories—Elia was absolutely the type who would. I’d seen him live like that for years, up close.

‘Ugh…’

‘Think carefully, El. Have I ever let you go hungry? I’ve always fed you till you’re full. If we pull this off, you’ll get to pick your own snacks straight from the stalls.’

‘I get to choose?’

‘Yeah. What skewers to eat, how to season them, which colored candies to pick—all up to you.’

While El and I negotiated mentally, Elia glared at El.

“You were after me from the start, weren’t you? Undoing the contract and changing its principal is difficult, but if I help, it becomes possible, doesn’t it? Besides, you’ve been looking for a way to blend into the human world. In that case, I’d be far more useful than Eric. Not just in hiding among humans—but in terms of raw capability too.”

“Stop it, Elia. Nothing you say will change my mind.”

I shut it down firmly.

‘Fine. I’ll give up on her. I’ll stay with Eric.’

‘Good. You made the right call. Just keep doing like you are now, and I’ll let you eat all you want.’

‘Okay.’

I’d convinced El. But regardless, I never intended to let Elia shoulder my burden. Even if the contract itself couldn’t harm me, the vital clauses—shared life and magic—were undeniable facts.

I refused to leave Elia’s fate in another’s hands. El’s case arose from my goodwill, so the responsibility was mine alone.

Of course, she had no way of knowing my thoughts.

“Eric. Stay still. This is your chance to save your life. Don’t worry. That demon seems more rational than the ones we know. Maybe we can learn more about the contract. If we do, I won’t have to be threatened by—”

I gripped Elia’s shoulders tightly.

“How long would that take?”

Elia was undoubtedly a magical genius. With just the contract sigil El tossed at him, he’d already discerned a loophole. But that was only because the contract was designed that way. If his solution merely exploited an existing backdoor, what we needed now was to smash a hole straight through a wall.

“You’re ignoring me?”

“I’m not ignoring you. I’m telling you to face reality. Say you do weaken the contract or find a way to resist that thing—how long would that take? A day or two?”

Elia didn’t answer. She probably knew better than I did.

“I’ve told you before. I always choose the best way to survive. That’s why I picked you all—why I decided to carry this contract. What I’m doing now is my best chance.”

“That demon could kill you anytime it wants. Or inflict something worse than death.”

“I know. I’ll…try to get used to it.”

‘From now on—NO sudden arm-severing or whatever!’

“Eric. You don’t have to go this far. After everything you’ve lost, there’s no reason to hand over the last thing you have left!”

“Because that ‘last thing’ is the least useful to me. And I’m doing this precisely to keep it. Better the disgraced Duke dies than the Emperor.”

I turned to meet El’s eyes.

‘Are we done?’

‘Yeah. I’ll handle the rest. Remember the signal? Disappear on cue. After that…’

‘Home promised treats.’

‘Do demons starve like they’re cursed or something?’

After a brief exchange, I flicked my fingers lightly.

-Snap-!

Instantly, the space around El warped grotesquely.

“Pleasure meeting you, humans. Let’s save the fun for later.”

“Sorry, but I’m not having fun right now. Raincheck.”

“Hmm. Understood. Few can accept their own death so readily. Truly, I’m lucky those who passed my trials are like you.”

“Shut up.”

I raised my hand high. The air distorted violently—

“Let’s meet again where you least expect. Hehe…”

-Snap-!

With that, El vanished. Elia and I finally returned to the alley where we’d begun.

Though it had been a carefully staged act, our exhaustion was real. The moment we made it back, all strength left my body.

“Eric. What was that just now?”

“Nothing special. Just the bare minimum of resistance I could muster.”

“Resistance?”

“That thing’s magic and mine are linked. So if I use magic, it affects him too. Of course, for me, it’s just getting siphoned one-sidedly. This time, luck was on my side—but it was a crude trick, easily countered with a bit of focus.”

“Eric.”

“What?”

“You’re really going to… No, never mind. My words would only disregard your resolve.”

Elia turned his back and walked ahead.

“Let’s return. What a fruitful, joyous expedition this was.”