29 – Dragon? Slayer

[Slave Soul Binding Contract]

A contract that permanently obliterates the soul upon violation of its terms.

Note that this contract, because it proceeds with the soul as collateral, cannot be undone by any means unless both parties declare its termination.

‘And that’s why it was so incredibly rare and difficult to obtain.’

When I told Dominic Carsaril, the head of the Carsaril family, that I wanted this as compensation for the reward I didn’t receive last time…

Dominic Carsaril spent a fortune to give it to me as a reward, so acquiring it wasn’t particularly difficult.

‘Anyway, the important thing is that if I use this contract, it will be impossible for Dale to get rid of it, no matter how desperately he struggles.’

I decided to use it to enslave Dale, placing the contract on the desk.

“… Hrrrk.”

He still hadn’t regained his senses, likely from repeatedly hitting his head, a state that catches my eye.

…It seems the unending pain has driven him mad.

I looked at Dale, tapping the desk, and said,

“Sign here, and I’ll release you, and give you the treatment you so desperately wanted.”

“……”

At those words, Dale only rolled his eyes to look down at the contract.

Even after all that persuasion (physical), he still seemed to think there was a way to escape this place, judging by his hesitation.

Reluctantly, I grabbed the hammer to persuade him with a little more force, but just as I was about to continue…

“W-will…do…”

Dale mumbled, slurring his words, telling me he would agree to the contract.

I nodded at Dale, as if to acknowledge his good choice, released his hands, and handed him the quill.

Of course, it was entirely possible he was agreeing simply to make a final, desperate attempt at escape.

So, I gestured to Lorraine to strike him on the head if Dale tried anything foolish, and then pointed to the contract.

‘Even with just this much, there’s absolutely no way he can escape.’

Not when Lorraine of all people is watching him.

No matter how desperately he struggles, he won’t be able to get out of here.

Dale seemed to know this too, as he froze in place, staring blankly at the contract.

“Just put it here.”

“…”

What made this contract so terrifying was the clause that ‘whatever you did to the other party before the contract is irrelevant.’

In other words, even if you coerced them into signing through threats, once the contract was inked, not even the Emperor himself, not even the Pope, could nullify it.

‘So, if you exploited this, you could forcibly seize someone and use them as a slave, then,’ I mused.

In my case, I’d managed to secure the contract peacefully through persistent persuasion, but I’d heard that some people used it cruelly, which naturally led to significant issues.

Of course, it wasn’t all advantages.

The exorbitant price and the inability to form other binding contracts while an Soul-Binding Contract was active…

These drawbacks existed, but the contract’s binding power was overwhelmingly potent, making them comparatively insignificant.

“…I… did it.”

I nodded, watching Dale sign his name on the contract.

The most fundamental step was complete, so it was time to move on to the next.

I entrusted Lorraine with my protection and proceeded with about ten more contract procedures.

*

In conclusion, the contract was successful.

Aside from Dale trying to escape midway in a desperate flurry, there weren’t any significant problems.

Repeated persuasion, I believed, was undeniably effective, and I gazed at Dale who was sitting before me.

“Heh…”

I wasn’t sure if one could use the term ‘broken’ for a human, but Dale was broken, despite not being used for long.

Looking at him, I pulled out the healing potion from my bosom and fell into contemplation.

‘It would be best to give it to him now, wouldn’t it.’

The terms I had written in the contract specified that the potion would only be given ‘once’.

If I made him experience the effects temporarily, he might become desperate and keep asking for more.

That way, I could elicit motivation that I couldn’t obtain through the contract.

Thinking it wasn’t a bad investment, I unhesitatingly made Dale drink the potion.

Then, as I poured the potion over his head to treat his wounds, a sudden question blossomed in my mind.

‘If potions can heal all wounds, why is it impossible to cure impotence?’

Starting with that, questions like ‘Why does the healing potion only last for one day?’ swirled in my head.

But since the objective of the healing potion had been achieved, they weren’t particularly important issues, so I lightly dismissed them.

*

Even after pouring the potion on Dale, his condition didn’t improve much.

Just in case, I offered him the tea, and to my surprise, his condition improved drastically.

I hadn’t expected such a miraculous ability, so it was rather astonishing.

Considering what was in the original story, this alone was supposed to allow even the frailest person to endure harsh training, so in a way, it was an expected result.

‘I benefited greatly too.’

The more I saw, the more amazing I found it, watching Dale’s retreating figure and recalling what had just transpired.

‘That aside… an extra.’

The word ‘extra’ itself isn’t really the problem.

The problem is that Dale called *me* ‘just an extra,’ clearly knowing Damian had been just an extra.

That one phrase made all the lingering questions finally coalesce into a single answer.

‘…Likely a transmigrator or a reincarnator.’

It was an absurd idea, but, comically, both were possible.

Setting everything else aside, *I* was a transmigrator, so I knew such things existed.

Of course, I couldn’t be certain with just this alone.

But my intuition kept telling me he wasn’t the Dale from the original story, so I was half-convinced.

Therefore, I decided to act with the assumption that he was a transmigrator or reincarnator, and I began to ponder how I could make use of Dale.

* * *

The next day, Liana visited my quarters with some information.

“The Council has decided to select Dale as a hero.”

Premature, but it was the natural course of events.

Besides, with Dale under my thumb as a slave, there was little to worry about.

“However, they say his achievements are insufficient for him to be chosen as a hero, so they’ll be making him undergo some kind of trial.”

The trial itself was never part of the original story.

But since the Council had already decided to make Dale a hero, they’d somehow make him pass no matter how badly he messed up, so Dale becoming a hero was practically guaranteed.

As I listened, nodding, Liana suddenly asked me a question.

“By the way, did you give Dale the remedy?”

Judging by her asking whether I gave it to him, it seems Liana didn’t have anything planted in the private room I had used.

I took note of this and nodded, and Liana let out a stifled laugh, saying,

“Heh heh. Ah, ahem. Good job.”

“…?”

“That remedy does work, but it heals in a… slightly different way… Ahem. I see.”

There was something a bit peculiar, though I couldn’t place it.

I considered digging deeper, but it didn’t seem critical enough. I was about to dismiss it when Liana spoke to me again.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you brew me another cup of that tea you gave me last time? I tried it yesterday, and the effect was just remarkable.”

It wasn’t a difficult request, so I handed her the tea I had prepared for Loreine (who growled at this), and Liana accepted it with a small laugh.

“The moment I drink it, my mind clears instantly, and it even lifts my spirits. It doesn’t seem like ordinary tea at all.”

I agreed, nodding in affirmation.

Liana continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone.

“Liquids like that often have addictive properties, so I had it analyzed. But it turns out that’s not the case.”

I had just offered her a drink, and she was already having it tested. I stared at her with cold, disappointed eyes.

Liana subtly averted her gaze and offered an explanation.

“When you’re in the Information Guild, you get a lot of assassination attempts like that…”

“…”

“Anyway, it’s absolutely incredible. To put it mildly, in terms of mental enhancement, it’s almost comparable to an elixir.”

Loreine nodded, seemingly in agreement.

I, too, often partake in it and concurred, but I wondered if placing it on the same level as an elixir was truly accurate. While I was pondering this,

Liana continued, her face perfectly calm.

“So, I tried making it myself the other day.”

She must have been watching me during my daily life in the North, including how I made the tea.

She probably applied her abilities to the teapot, the pot, or even something like my clothes. I regarded her with a sharp, disappointed gaze.

Liana, seemingly possessing a conscience after all, gave an awkward laugh and looked away again.

“I made it exactly the same way, but it had no effect whatsoever.”

No effect? That couldn’t be right.

Confused, I looked at Liana, who crossed her arms and continued speaking.

“I’m not sure, but perhaps it only had that effect because you, Damian, made it.”

Hearing those words, the time I went to obtain the sun spirit Daisy suddenly flashed through my mind.

Back then, Fenrir told me I had a scent that spirits found appealing.

Perhaps, like that, there was some difference from the original, some alteration that I couldn’t see. I was still pondering this when

Liana nonchalantly waved her hand and said,

“It’s absurd, I know. But in a world where there’s a potion to become a woman, maybe it’s possible that only the tea you make, Damian, possesses an elixir-level effect.”

At the mention of a potion to become a woman, I gave Liana a sidelong glance.

Liana, wearing a face of utter innocence, continued to speak to me.

“So… if it wouldn’t trouble you too much, could you perhaps give that tea to the Saintess? She’s been having a particularly difficult time lately…”

The request wasn’t a difficult one, so I nodded.

Liana subtly pressed herself against me.

“Then, I too…”

“You’ll get yours when you bring me good information.”

“Aww… you’re too much.”

“Wouldn’t you say it’s your conscience that is a bit ‘too much’?”

“I apologize.”

I chuckled at her reaction and let it slide.

Now that I had the information, I was about to start formulating a plan when…

Siren, who had been gazing out the window, called me with a blank expression.

“Demian.”

Wondering what was wrong, I turned to look at Siren, who spoke to me with a hesitant look.

“Dale is coming this way. But… something is off.”

I needed a more detailed explanation, and upon asking, Siren spoke with a complex, somewhat bewildered expression.

“…It’s definitely Dale. But he’s… a woman.”

At those words, Liana, who had been sitting, suddenly started coughing violently.