episode_0112

“Don’t get it wrong! Just because I felt a masculine charm from you doesn’t mean I like you! Just because something catches your eye suddenly doesn’t mean it’s love, right? It’s the same principle! Do the humans often mistake sexual desire for love? Huh? Ha! It’s ridiculous!”

“······.”

It may catch my eye, but it’s not my style.

I squeeze my brain trying to understand this seemingly fallacious yet not fallacious argument, but soon give up.

It’s a logic that I, as an Injuk, cannot comprehend.

365 days a year, 24 hours a day, it might be something that rabbit beastmen who are always in heat can relate to.

It’s a racial difference.

For now, I decide to accept it that way.

“Ugh. Fine. Let’s just go with that.”

“It’s not just going with it, it’s the truth······!”

Alisha pouts as if feeling wronged, blushing slightly.

Of course, even if she acts all tough, constantly fidgeting like she’s in desperate need to pee, it lacks credibility.

But since I’ve decided to believe her, I’ll just let it go.

“We need to find a way to clear up this misunderstanding.”

“What misunderstanding?”

“The misunderstanding that you betrayed Yerina.”

“Oh, right. Yes. That’s true······.”

She seems confused at first, then finally claps her hands in agreement.

I’m starting to doubt.

Is this guy really willing to go back to serving Yerina as her subordinate?

“I’ll ask you straight. Do you really want to regain Yerina’s trust and loyalty as her servant?”

“Of course! My respect and admiration for Unni haven’t changed at all······. But once she harbors doubt, it’s hard to erase it, so I’ve half given up on it······.”

Since he’s close to her, he seems to know Yerina well.

Once Yerina harbors doubt, she never lets it go.

Even if she were to accept Alisha back as her servant, it would be difficult to restore their close sisterly relationship.

Alisha will have to live with constant surveillance and suspicion.

What could be a way to erase that doubt?

I can’t think of a sharp solution right away.

If I knew how to dispel Yerina’s doubt, I would have left this game a long time ago.

“Ugh. A way to dispel Yerina’s doubt······.”

“Well, you know, there are things that are not worth worrying about. If I can’t go back to being Unni’s servant······”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“If! If! If I can’t return to Unni’s side······. Maybe I can help you while being with you? I can teach you the magic I didn’t teach Mijung last time! I can be quite helpful in battle too! So if you take me with you······.”

While Alisha enthusiastically explains the 100 reasons why she should take him with her, I close my ears and focus on my dilemma.

I can’t travel with Alisha.

The physical characteristics of rabbit beastmen cannot be hidden.

Moreover, the fact that Yerina is chasing Alisha makes it even more dangerous.

And rabbit beastmen have quite a strong scent.

Of course, it’s not a foul odor, but there’s a unique scent similar to body odor that beastmen have, and rabbit beastmen have a particularly strong one.

Even though I’m not sensitive to smell, I can now recognize Alisha’s scent from afar.

I can even tell that Alisha was here just by going to the bathroom.

If I’m like this, how would Yerina feel?

That’s why I can never travel with Alisha.

I have to find a way to somehow dispel Yerina’s doubt.

Oops.

Not dispel, but find a way to clear up the misunderstanding with Yerina.

Actually, from my perspective, it’s not a misunderstanding but a real betrayal.

From the perspective of a rabbit beast in heat 365 days a year, it’s not a big deal to have a momentary attraction to someone else’s man.

“If someone says they were being threatened by me, what would you do?”

“Are you trying to make me admit that I betrayed my sister by lying to you because I was being threatened?”

“That’s right.”

“It may seem plausible, but I think the likelihood is slim. It’s a story that anyone can make up, and there’s no way to prove it.”

That’s a valid point.

It’s an easy lie to make up, and while I can explain the betrayal, it’s impossible to prove that it’s not a lie.

You need some kind of evidence.

“Hey, bug.”

“Please don’t call me a bug. It’s unpleasant. Just because you keep calling me that, doesn’t mean you can call this tin can or vampire bug too!”

“Do you know of any spells that can restrict or compel someone’s actions?”

“Are you talking about hypnosis or suggestion?”

“I need something more powerful. A spell that works in the realm of consciousness, not the subconscious.”

“Are you looking for a slave contract spell?”

“Exactly.”

A slave contract.

A magical contract formed by mutual consent, capable of compelling or restricting specific actions.

It’s mainly used to control rebellious slaves, hence the name.

If it’s magic, can’t I just learn it and use it?

It’s impossible.

The slave contract spell is not a neutral magic, but a common magic located in the third tier of each attribute.

As someone who can’t even use a first-tier magic of any attribute, I can never use this magic.

“Is there a spell that can produce such an effect?”

“Um… Using the Blood Oath Potion might work.”

“Blood Oath Potion?”

“Yes. It’s a spell that summons a spirit through a fresh blood oath. As long as the oath is kept, the spirit will remain calm, but if broken, it will attack the target.”

“Good. Let’s use that.”

Making a contract is the same.

It’s the spell I needed.

“By the way, there are really a lot of unreasonable things in magic.”

While a slave contract spell can be formed through coercion, some level of conscious consent is still required.

But with the Blood Oath Potion, as long as there is fresh blood from the target, forcing a contract is possible.

I realize that magic users are not oppressed and persecuted worldwide for no reason.

The numbers are small, and the training is difficult, but when successful, magic users are too powerful.

“Why don’t you just make a Blood Oath Pact with yourself, bug?”

“M-me?! Me, you say?”

“Yes. I’ll supply you with energy. You’ll obey my commands. It would be great to have this kind of blood pact.”

“Are you really trying to make me a slave?! I don’t want it! I refuse! Even if I die, I don’t want it! I wanted to offer you valuable magic, why are you only thinking about chaining me up?!”

The girl jumps around as if she’s unjustly treated, tears glistening in her eyes.

If she doesn’t want it, there’s nothing I can do.

The girl and I are already bound by a relationship so close that we don’t need a Blood Oath Pact.

If news were to spread that the girl harmed someone to absorb energy, I would immediately chase her to the ends of the earth and kill her.

The girl knows this well, so even without a Blood Oath Pact, this guy won’t betray me.

“Even Mijeong… she probably doesn’t need it.”

Looking at Mijeong hanging behind me, she tilts her head and meets my gaze.

Mijeong probably doesn’t need a Blood Oath Pact either.

If this guy betrays me······.

He must have his reasons for betraying me.

It’s probably better if he doesn’t exist.

“Alicia. You first met me in Basel, and at that time, you were forced to form a blood contract with me and were inevitably betrayed by Yerina. That’s the scenario, right?”

“Y-yes. So there was such magic. Hmm. It’s being resolved quite neatly······.”

Alicia nodded her head with a somewhat troubled expression.

She seemed a bit despondent.

“But if this happens······. Wouldn’t it be bad for you?”

“What do you mean?”

“If this happens, won’t your sister think of you as a dangerous person who forcibly uses magic on innocent people? Of course, there may be some truth to that, but she still seems to think of you as a completely flawless and virtuous person. Are you really okay?”

“······.”

Indeed.

It’s a bit worrisome.

The current Yerina has inherited the memories of the 12th iteration.

And in the 12th iteration, I conducted a perfect romance.

For Yerina, I would be a busy but kind and moral person.

But how shocked would she be to find out that the man had kidnapped his subordinates upon regressing and enslaved them with magic?

“Why are you worried about me? There’s no problem. It’s fine.”

“Is that so······.”

But that’s inevitable.

The flawless man that Yerina remembers no longer exists.

If you’ve had a sweet dream, you have to wake up eventually.

Do you know?

Will Yerina know my true nature and be disappointed, abandoning her obsession with me?

It’s a very low probability, but in any case, Yerina needs to know about my true self.

I make a decision.

I nod to Jinnyeo, indicating that the blood contract is ready.

“I’ll lay the foundation for the magic. You two can fill in the specific details of the blood contract, and when you finish, you can swear an oath.”

Jinnyeo explains as she lays down a small talisman.

As magic fills the talisman and takes shape, I slightly cut my thumb and press it firmly on the talisman, granting me the authority to write something with blood.

I guess I’ll write the contract details here.

“I didn’t write anything. The important thing is that the blood contract is in place as evidence, I’m not trying to restrict you in any way. Just press your thumb without worry.”

“Okay.”

After confirming the clean talisman, Alicia also cuts her thumb and presses it firmly on the talisman.

Then, the talisman seems to melt away.

A scream filled with resentment echoes, and the smoke seeps into both mine and Alicia’s bodies.

‘It feels a bit eerie.’

The magic is embedded in the heart.

Normally, it’s a place that can never be accessed from the outside.

But since this magic is performed with mutual consent, it seems to be able to penetrate so deeply.

‘And it would be difficult for others to notice from the outside.’

I realize as I write it myself, unless I show it by opening my heart, there’s no way for others to know.

So, even if I were to lie and say that Alicia’s heart has had a blood contract all along, it would be acceptable.

Then, the magic would be incomplete, and I could pretend to make a mistake and take advantage of that to release Alicia and let her escape.

And then, I would confess to Yerina that I had been betraying her due to the blood contract all along, showing the traces of the magic. Yerina would surely be shaken.

Of course, not all suspicions would be dispelled immediately.

But at least I might avoid being treated as a traitor.

I could even prevent the annihilation of Evgenia.

In any case, this seems to be the best course of action.

“Hoo. Now that I have left traces of magic on my body, will you release me? I will go back to my sister now. I’m not sure if it will work, but…”

“But before that. There is still something to do.”

“Yes?”

“Since both the sorcerer and the magician are gathered here. It would be a waste to disband like this. Let’s do one thing together. Then I will let you go.”

“Um… This is a different story…”

Looking around, there is truly an unmatched combination of power gathered here.

A sorceress as competent as she is unassuming, Jinnyeo.

And an elite magician from the Ma Tower with unmatched combat skills, Alicia.

It’s the first time seeing these two together.

“If it’s this combination of power, it’s worth a try.”

And being in the north as well.

Facing someone I never even dared to imagine in previous encounters seems possible.

“Let’s leave tomorrow. We’ll head to Cheongnan, the pleasure city in the north.”

“Who said you could decide? Why should I go there? I want to go back to my sister as soon as possible to regain her trust…”

Alicia vehemently protests.

She wants to go back to Yerina quickly…

But I’m sorry, that’s not possible.

She came to me today desperately trying to escape from Yerina.

If she returns immediately after releasing the magic, the hastily made plan will be revealed.

Time is needed to prepare and leave traces of magic in the body, so going back immediately is a no-go.

“I appreciate the help! But I think I should go back now! Since the contract is empty anyway, I can release it myself, right… Huh?!”

Suddenly standing up and about to leave the lounge, Alicia screams and collapses.

“Ah…”

Clutching her head in agony, it’s clear that the penalty of the contract has been activated.

Probably trying to forcibly release the magic triggered it.

“What, what is this? Since the contract was empty anyway, why is the penalty being applied?”

“I don’t know. It’s strange. Should I kneel down?”

“What? Why should I… Ugh?!”

Thud.

As the strength leaves Alicia’s legs, she quickly kneels down.

Even in this situation, Alicia looks puzzled, not understanding what’s happening.

“Hey?! Why is my body moving on its own? I checked and the contract was definitely empty…”

“Are you sure? Was it really empty?”

“Yes?”

“Take a closer look.”

Kneeling down, Alicia closes her eyes tightly.

Seems like she’s reading the magic entrenched in her heart.

“Ah…!”

Then suddenly opening her eyes, she glares at me as if to kill.

She finally discovers it.

The empty space in the contract.

In that corner, there are tiny, densely written words that are barely visible without concentration.

– Alicia Yevgenia (party) shall obey the orders of Eugene (host) without question.

I definitely wrote it like this.

Following this, Alicia turns red and blue in the face, then shouts.

“You damn swindler!!!!”

“Be more careful next time.”

Life Lesson 1.

Agree to terms and conditions carefully.

No tuition fee will be charged.