episode_0153

“……”

“If we don’t run, it’s dangerous.”

El’s voice snapped me back to my senses. Right—I’d already known for a long time that my abilities were far from enough. There was no point in being disappointed now.

“Can you run?”

“No need to run. We’re moving directly.”

“Moving? You don’t mean spatial leap, do you?”

A nod.

“You’re going to perform a spatial leap without an incantation or a predefined path? To where?”

“Home.”

“Home?”

It was the best possible location. My room in Grave Manor was warded to the point where even Chris couldn’t enter without my permission. If we hid there, we’d have enough time to cover El’s tracks. And given the level of skill El had just demonstrated, breaking through Grave Manor’s barriers wouldn’t be an issue either.

“Fine. Then I’ll leave it to you, El.”

“Give me your hand.”

I gripped El’s hand tightly.

“Like this?”

“Tighter.”

The moment El tightened her grip, I opened my eyes—and we had already leaped.

A suffocating heat. Screams echoing from all directions. Flesh melted beyond recognition rolling on the ground with every turn of my gaze.

I was in the demon realm.

“We’re here. Now we’re safe.”

“Safe? Here?”

“Yeah. This is home. Here, we’re safe. Demons don’t kill each other.”

Sure. Because killing one another would be no different from murder—unless you were human, like me.

“Did you bring me here knowing I’m human?”

Just as I began to doubt whether El was truly not the Demon King, she spoke first.

“To me, home is here. So now you tell me. What kind of place is your home?”

“Grave Manor. The leftmost room on the second floor.”

“Grave Manor?”

“Uh… Well, it’s—”

I tried to explain the manor’s location in detail, but without any landmarks, describing it was easier said than done. Eventually, I sighed and muttered quietly.

“The largest manor in the capital.”

“Oh, I know where.”

El reached for my hand again, and when I opened my eyes, the familiar sight of my room greeted me.

“Haah…”

The moment I confirmed we had arrived, all the tension drained from my body, and I slumped to the floor.

“Eric?”

“Just… give me a moment. I need to clean up first, then we’ll talk. You know human magic, right?”

“No.”

“Damn it. Fine. Just circulate your mana and shift its structure like this—”

Though my explanation was a bit clumsy, I managed to convey the gist of the spell to El.

“Clean.”

“Good. Now wait here—no, actually. Hide inside that closet. It won’t take long.”

“Okay.”

After hiding El in the closet, I quickly showered and changed. Even if my magical resistance was absurdly high, blood was still just blood—it washed away under running water.

Of course, since I’d been drenched in it, the stains weren’t completely gone, but my uniform was at least restored to a passably blotchy state. Chris knew my circumstances anyway—if I claimed I’d coughed up blood again, he’d probably buy it.

Once dressed, I pulled El out of the closet and sat her down on the bed.

“Alright, let’s talk properly now. Aside from your name, I know practically nothing about you. Who are you? And what exactly is this contract we formed?”

“I told you. A . I don’t like repeating myself.”

“Sorry, but I don’t even know what that Egg… whatever even is. What is it?”

I’d accepted the contract to survive, but I had no idea what it entailed.

“Oh, you’re human. Sorry. A is a demonic contract formed in the demon realm. The first one to create it was—”

“Just the important parts. Main terms, penalties for violation, that kind of thing.”

I was already burdened with enough filthy conditions. If another strange contract got piled on, I might have to rethink my entire plan from scratch.

“Contract terms: Mutual mana sharing. Violation condition: Betrayal. Cost of the contract: Your life.”

“What?”

“That’s the simple version.”

“No, what the hell did you just say?”

“To survive that forest, we needed mana. My mana is superior to Eric’s, but I didn’t have enough left. So we made a pact.”

“You—!”

“You’re alive because of me too. And since I shared some of my mana, it’s not like you’re at a loss.”

“Your mana? In me? But—”

“Hey, listen. Aren’t you understanding me much better than in the forest?”

“Huh?”

Only then did I realize I’d been speaking in demonic tongue this entire time. Sure, I’d always known it to some extent, but never fluently enough to hold a full conversation without stumbling.

“Demonic tongue is the language of demons. Words have power there.”

“Power? Like dragon speech?”

Of course dragons existed in this world too. Each was a powerhouse capable of rivaling the Demon King or a hero, which was why they rarely interfered in mortal affairs. And every word from their mouths carried the destructive force of a high-level spell.

“Right. A fraction of the power, but yes—words infused with mana. The demon realm is the homeland of—”

“So sharing mana through the pact and visiting the demon realm made me fluent?”

“Yeah. You catch on quick.”

“Fine. Let’s move past that. Who are you? Until I know what you are, I can’t promise you anything. For all I know, I might end up dragging you down with me.”

“What’s your real identity? Why did you appear before me?”

“I don’t know.”

“You could tell me you’re here to kill me, and I wouldn’t blame you or run. So don’t worry.”

“I really don’t know. If I don’t know something, I just say it. The moment I opened my eyes, everyone wanted me dead.”

“Everyone? In the demon realm?”

El nodded.

“I’m not a complete idiot. I know how to talk, what contracts are, everything about the demon realm and demons. But nothing about myself.”

“So what happened to you?”

“I was strong. Stronger than the others who tried to kill me. That’s how I escaped.”

“Right.”

If she insisted this much on having no memories, pressing further was pointless. I switched tactics.

“Then why approach me? Even if you fled the demon realm and came to this continent, you had options. Why the Empire?”

“I didn’t know the human language. If I spoke demonic, I’d die. I knew that much. So I picked a country where even mute people could survive.”

“And that was the Empire. Makes sense. The Empire wouldn’t bat an eye at an extra mute or two, especially in the capital. Then how’d you live?”

“I watched humans. They live, fight, and die under their own order. And when they do, thick traces of mana linger. I fed on that.”

“You survived on mana alone?”

Another nod.

It wasn’t impossible. Mana was the life force flowing through all living beings.

Whether using spells or wielding swords, everyone possessed it—its abundance and efficiency determined strength. Hence, figures like Chris and Elia existed, who could subsist purely on mana potions when too lazy to eat.

But surviving on nothing but mana? That went beyond humans or demons.

“Was it really my strength you needed? How’d you even get into the Academy?”

This was frustrating. Playing interrogator alone had its limits. I wasn’t skilled enough for confession magic or leading questioning, and turning her over to those who could wasn’t an option.

She knew the continent’s dynamics, communicated perfectly, yet remembered nothing about herself—and after a series of coincidences, she appeared before me?

“Humans wear many clothes. Among them, those dressed like now receive kindness. So I shaped my mana into this uniform. And…”

“And?”

“The only memory I have left. I don’t know if it’s real, but it’s vivid.”

“What is it?”

Maybe it was a clue. I leaned forward, focusing entirely on El’s next words.

“Humans trying to kill me. One of them wore the same clothes as now. And Eric, you were among them.”

Me?