episode_0139

I heard what happened that day from Victoria’s perspective.

She gave a chronological account of the events from the time she left the school dormitory to when she returned to the port.

During the conversation, Beatrice didn’t believe it at first. But when Victoria calmly said that Saha-Gin’s behavioral patterns were simple, she changed little by little. It seems that she understood that Victoria was talking about her own experiences.

Her expression gradually became distorted, and when she heard that Saha-gin had stabbed her thigh, she hung up forcibly and checked Victoria’s condition.

“So, if you were kidnapped by Saha-Gin, you should have run away. Why did your goal suddenly change to eliminating the mastermind?”

“I told you that my side felt strangely uncomfortable and when I touched it, scales were coming out, right? And Sahagi’s document. I vaguely expected that if I messed up what I was doing, it would get better since I could read a little bit because of the class on learning other races’ characters that I learned as a liberal arts subject.”

So that’s why Sahagin changed his career to butcher.

When I told her that I was becoming a Sahagin, Beatrice was really surprised.

I quickly calmed down when I saw Victoria, wearing a thin, low-density tank top-like outfit that showed off her side profile.

Did you wear such thin clothes on purpose?

No, looking back, it was summer so I just wore what I normally wear.

anyway.

Beatrice rubbed her eyes with her hand as if she had a headache. When I first saw her, her eyes were already dark with fatigue, so she looked very haggard.

And then he pointed at me.

“Those monsters summoned a god, and that was Belle?”

“Yeah. But he said he wasn’t the god who should have been summoned there.”

Both of their gazes turned to me and I nodded.

At least Daegon was like a god in the world he was born into.

“So you made a contract with Bell and survived when your life was in danger.”

“Yeah. I no longer turn into a fish, and I also gained this ability. Again, if I didn’t have this ability, wouldn’t it be strange if I died there?”

A liquid of a dark brown color rose into the air from Victoria’s teacup. It changed shape here and there in various symbols, and then splashed back into the teacup.

Then Victoria grabs the ends of her hair that are tied to one side and shakes them towards Beatrice.

“This hair wasn’t dyed, it was contracted. Your skin turned white, too. Even the scar from when you got hit while riding a bike as a child is gone!”

Victoria lifted her left leg up with a smile, then carefully lowered it as Beatrice looked at her with a sharp gaze.

Beatrice looked straight into my eyes and asked me a question in a low voice.

“This kid says this, so why did you sign a contract with him?”

As if he wouldn’t allow lies.

But what can I do? It’s already too late.

The river of no return has already passed, so I decided to tell the truth in an easy-to-understand manner.

“In front.”

In reality, there was only one living creature.

Because they were all swept away by the security device that Daegon had prepared.

Victoria blinked at my words.

That’s why I think it’s strange that he signed a contract with me.

“Oh, that’s why you saved me?”

“Those who were summoned lost their lives because of a mistake in summoning, and you were the only one left.”

It’s all true.

He died before he could do anything.

“Tell me the details of the contract.”

Then Beatrice asks a sharp question.

It wasn’t that difficult, I just recited the contract.

Beatrice frowns upon hearing the contract.

“It means that you will receive everything from your daughter.”

“No, Mom. If I hadn’t made the contract back then, I would have become a fish and been swimming in the rain forest over there?”

It seems like he doesn’t think about the fact that he stopped it with his own powers. Even if he turned into a fish, he would have died there.

If you think back to the body that first entered you, torn in half as if it had been ground up in a grinder, you would have known that you would not be safe.

“He looks like a devil who wants to take my daughter’s soul.”

huh.

He actually thinks like that and glares at me hostilely. I can feel his enthusiasm to get it back at any cost.

But you can’t get it back. The contract has already been completed, and the warmth can be taken away at any moment.

So, I need to reassure you by telling you only the truth.

“I’m not interested in the soul. I just go there when I die, take the last warmth, and that’s it. This contract is just the first contract I made, so I’ve been using it ever since.”

Actually, that’s true.

If you use a different sentence and it doesn’t work, it’s a problem. If you modify the contract and you can’t obtain the descendants’ right to rule? right to survive? like last time, it’s a problem.

I know this is why old systems stay in place and fail to keep up with the times.

There’s no reason to risk changing it.

“Then, how about I sign a contract too?”

Beatrice asked me a question, looking at me blankly, with a look of caution, suspicion, and murderous intent.

If she said yes right now, the gun in her hand would shoot.

It won’t kill you though.

There are also Soo’s last words, and we’ve already produced five harvesters, so let’s take a step back here.

“Put that aside.”

“Postpone?”

The doubts deepen. Yes or no. Instead of choosing to hold off, it becomes yes in the long run.

Let me add an excuse here.

“A contract can only be made once per creature. At the moment of making the contract, all wounds will be healed, but if you are wounded and die after making the contract, you can only watch as before. Therefore, think of a contract as an extra life.”

Does this seem like a sentence full of good intentions?

But for me, if I can get some warmth, that’s a success. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

If the situation is friendly, it is better to maintain it.

The five people who attacked me were quickly charmed and signed a contract after I said a few words to them while pretending to be religious, right?

If anyone asks about the contract, they’ll remember me as a nice guy.

Even if they have the power and do dirty things, I can defend myself by saying that they chose to do it themselves.

Stand on the edge of truth, don’t lie, and practice falsehood.

Beatrice looked at me with a complicated expression at my explanation, then asked me a question as if my thoughts had been sorted out.

“Anyone. Is there someone you lost because you couldn’t help them?”

I was silent.

It’s not like I couldn’t help it.

Just, be a little bolder, step forward and take the fresh attacks and twist them.

“Okay, I got it. Bell. Are you a god?”

I can answer that question with certainty.

“No, it’s just a monster.”

I answered with a feeling of “Meow.” That’s about it. I’m not a god who can do anything or get anything.

Far from being perfect, it is a beast that shivers in the cold and yearns for warmth.

“Okay. Then, next question. Why did you follow my daughter?”

“Victoria brought me here.”

“What?”

Beatrice’s head suddenly turns to Victoria. I can see that she is forcing herself to hold back her swear words, even though they are falling from her eyes.

“But Mom. What he said to me was, ‘I don’t want to go home.’ ”

I said that. I really don’t want to go back to the bottom.

“Mom! I’ll raise you properly!”

Should I really say meow?

Beatrice’s expression is distorted. The words that are bothering her keep coming out, and the feeling of wanting to beat you up is seeping out.

“Are you out of your mind or not?”

“He’s not that bad of a person.”

I’m sure I’m not the only one who hears it translated as “not a bad beast”. Beatrice has the face of an adult looking at a child who suddenly comes in and says he wants to raise an animal from the street.

“Our house is big anyway! At least during the vacation, okay?”

The house is actually quite large. Of course, it is not in a luxury residential area, but it looks like a well-lived house.

“Yeah. Only during vacation. Sigh, what should I do about this? Yeah. Tori. There’s a guest room, so you can use the bell there. I thought you brought a friend with you when you came back from school… … .”

Beatrice took a deep breath, stood up from the table, walked over to Victoria, and banged her head against hers.

“Mom! Thank you!”

But Victoria doesn’t feel any pain and hugs Beatrice.

Beatrice came towards me, pushing Victoria away, feeling disgusted by the hug.

The story has been sorted out.

I stood up from my seat.

“The total number of years lived as a human is less than three digits. The true identity is a monster.”

“That’s the question from earlier.”

Beatrice held out her hand with a bitter smile, hesitated for a moment, and then held it out again. I took it.

“But why don’t you tell me your exact age?”

Then Victoria intervened. I let go of Beatrice’s hand and said,

“I don’t know what to use as a reference point because the cycles are different.”

“Period?”

“Orbital period. In simple terms, how many days are there in a year?”

“It’s day 318 here?”

“One place is 365 days, one place is 415 days. The last one is 639 days.”

I spoke of the times in my faded memories and the days of two sparkling worlds. I think the second world was probably as far away as Mars.

Not that it’s that important though.

“Is one year different in other worlds?”

“Yes. It varies from world to world. I’m not smart enough to calculate your exact age, so I can’t tell you the details.”

Looking at Victoria’s memories, she doesn’t know much about space yet. Of course, there are people here who know more.

Because people have been looking up at the sky since very long ago.

But that knowledge isn’t universal, at least not to Victoria’s knowledge.

“A monster?”

“What do you think of monsters? It’s because they’re monsters. Back to the story, Beatrice Betts.”

I pushed Victoria aside and said hello to her.

“I’ll be in your care for the time being. Please take care of me.”

Beatrice heard my greeting, looked at Victoria, and said:

“She’s better than my daughter.”

“Mom!”

Victoria got angry and ran at me, asking what was wrong with me.

It’s exactly the same as when I was with Soo-oh in Cho-seol’s body.

As I thought about that, I took a step back and watched the two bickering.