Chapter 17

Samael, a high-ranking demon and the direct lieutenant of Maltiel.

His visit to the Enker Plateau wasn’t motivated by anything particularly grand.

His liege, the Archduke Maltiel, had suffered devastating losses during the recent battle with the Sword Saint, most of his mutated forces annihilated.

Therefore, Samael was searching for suitable materials to replenish his master’s ranks when he caught wind of rumors of a young dragon descending upon the Enker Plateau. He’d come with little forethought, simply to investigate and perhaps claim the creature.

And upon reaching the dragon’s nest, he found *that* young mage, the very one his master had risked everything to kill.

*“If you see a white-haired mage, flee. He is not an opponent you can hope to overcome. His talent is truly chilling.”*

The words his master, Maltiel, had uttered upon returning to the cave echoed in Samael’s mind.

‘This is bad… very bad.’

What’s worse, the white-haired mage wasn’t alone.

Not far off, he sensed an old mage radiating considerable power, and an elite infantry unit stood ready to support them.

Samael, on the other hand, hadn’t brought a single mutated beast to serve him.

He’d moved a great many soldiers, but, fearing to draw the eyes of the Allied forces, he had left all the Variants back at his nest.

“What… you.”

Samael felt as if he’d been struck by a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

He had to escape.

That single thought consumed him.

Yet, even that action was not easy.

To turn his back carelessly before the boy who had silenced the dragon with a single blow was to invite the certainty of being reduced to ashes.

“…A, a demon! Demon detected 700 meters ahead! A type never before confirmed! Judging from the size of its wings, estimated to be a high-ranking demon!”

“Wh, what… move! Protect General Bean! Everyone, formation two!”

Not far off, an infantry unit began to mobilize.

Suddenly arrived misfortune slowly began to tighten around Samael’s throat.

* * *

‘What in the world is this now?’

I quietly glared at Samael, the high-ranking demon above me, whose face was ashen as he scanned the surroundings.

I struggled to hide the bewilderment on my face, but I was just as thoroughly taken aback as he was.

If my memory served me right, that demon, Samael, was a direct adjutant of the Archduke Maltiel. A monstrous being, level 70 or higher at the very least.

Though he didn’t measure up to the Archduke, the demon Samael still possessed terrifying power.

Even if I was covered head to toe in high-level equipment, grimoires, and accessories, I couldn’t dare challenge that monster in my current state.

My skin could feel it. If I foolishly charged that thing, my head would be lopped off before I could even react.

In this current battlefield, the only one capable of fighting that monster was the former Archmage and the 8th Circle high mage, Alter Heindel.

Why, oh why, did such misfortune descend upon me so suddenly? I exhaled a heavy sigh, my head dipping slightly.

In that instant, a single character flashed through my mind.

[Luck: 1]

…Yes. If I must, I will consider this a choice I’ve made.

This is truly as wretched as it gets.

“Damn it, things have become far too tangled.”

Samael clenched his jaw, his fingers twisting and untwisting in nervous repetition.

Why are *you* delivering my lines?

I raised my head, beginning to analyze Samael’s expression as he glanced between Alter and me.

His face was etched with bewilderment and fear.

Fear?

Fear, you say?

Where could a monster exceeding level 70 possibly be experiencing fear?

‘Judging by his expression, by his demeanor, it doesn’t seem he anticipated our arrival here…’

I began to wrack my brain, seeking the root of this bizarre phenomenon. Surely, the answer to escaping this uncomfortable encounter lay hidden somewhere within it.

‘He’s taking an extremely defensive posture. I should be a relatively valuable life among the demonkin, this defensive stance is profoundly illogical. Even Maltiel, who was an Archlord, charged at me, resigned to his death…’

I began to unravel each thread of this preposterous tangle.

Thanks to being born with the [Calm] trait, even in this insane situation, my brain didn’t shut down, but continued to function at full capacity.

‘…Could it be he believes he can’t win… against me? That monster?’

Unable to comprehend why he might think that, I began to retrace my self-assessments one by one.

The Grand Duke staked his very life, demanding this sorcerer be killed.

A sorcerer who traded blows with the Grand Duke and walked away with all limbs intact, even nearly landing a fatal blow.

A sorcerer so talented that the Sword Saint immediately recognized it and invited him into his party.

A sorcerer with such immense potential that he was assigned a former Archmage as a personal tutor.

…Reflecting on it all, it felt more bizarre that they *wouldn’t* be afraid of me.

Besides, Samael witnessed me precisely targeting a young dragon’s vital point, killing it in a single strike, right before his eyes.

He’d witnessed firsthand that all those titles preceding my name were no mere illusions.

‘…It’s not just that he can’t win. He suspects he couldn’t even scratch me, even if he attacked with everything he has. There’s no other explanation for that attitude.’

Once I reached that conclusion, I immediately formulated a plan in my mind and set it in motion.

“…Think you can escape?”

I flashed Samael the same arrogant smile I’d shown Maltiel, putting on a show.

Damn it all, I never thought I’d be doing this crap again.

“I only came to deal with a troublesome dragon, but an unexpected prize has rolled right into my hands. Samael, isn’t it?”

“How do you know my name…?”

Samael seemed genuinely flustered, his sharp-feathered wings flapping erratically, causing him to falter in the air.

“How do I know? Well… isn’t that the least of your worries right now?”

I tried my best to maintain an indifferent, cold expression, gently grating on his nerves.

Samael didn’t respond to my words, simply clamping his mouth shut.

Indeed.

This guy is properly terrified.

A level 70 monster, speaking to a pathetic, level 1 mage with a broken build.

…Perhaps I’ve found a way out of this sudden misfortune.

I turned my head and waved at the soldiers and Alter Heindal, who were rushing towards me.

“I’ll handle this quickly, just wait there.”

The soldiers and Alter Heindal wore puzzled expressions, shouting to ask if I was alright.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I can handle this much alone.”

I waved them off with a casualness, like someone going to throw out the trash.

If they knew the truth, it wouldn’t be funny, but rather, a pathetic display of bravado. But right now, this was the only way I could survive.

The soldiers who had been frantically rushing towards me abruptly stopped their feet and stood there for a moment, silently watching the conversation between me and Samael.

They looked at me with awe, seeing me so relaxed even in the face of a sudden appearance of a demon.

“Are you just going to keep flying around like that, making people’s necks hurt? If not, why don’t you come down. I have no intention of harming you.”

“How can I trust those words?”

“If I tried to kill you, you would surely resist with all your might. And that would force me to completely incinerate this entire area with lightning magic… this place is a major breadbasket, responsible for seventy percent of the continent’s wheat production. If that happened, the damage to the continent… to humanity… would be immense.”

My heart pounded like crazy, and my mind kept going blank, but somehow, I was able to find a justification for why I wouldn’t attack Samael.

“Well, it’s up to you. Fight me here and die, or plan for the future. If you choose the former… it would be a major setback for your race. Suddenly losing a high-ranking demon like that.”

Right now, the important thing was momentum, and an imposing presence.

He was on a ship in a sea of ​​misunderstanding, making him unable to accurately judge what was right and what was wrong.

I had to take advantage of this situation.

I question why this situation unfolded.

Regardless, the helm of the ship filled with confusion was in my hand.

A crucial key I absolutely couldn’t afford to miss.

‘The location’s bad, should I just let him go… No, that’s a terrible idea.’

If I let him escape with a friendly smile, Samael might think, ‘Huh? Why is he letting me go so easily? Maybe he’s not as strong as I thought? Should I test the waters?’

If Samael started testing the waters, he’d quickly realize I wasn’t as powerful a mage as I seemed…

And if that happened, I’d surely die by Samael’s hand.

“Fight if you want. Killing you would be quite beneficial in its own right.”

I suppressed the immediate urge to flee from that monster and maintained my arrogant smile.

So, how could I make this high-ranking demon believe in my strength so completely that he’d run from this place?

…The answer I found was ‘extortion.’

As if I were some neighborhood thug, I had to extort the high-ranking demon Samael.

I had to threaten him to give something in exchange for his life.

I don’t know if a fledgling mage who’s only just begun to learn the basics of magic should be doing this to a high-ranking demon…

‘But if I don’t, my head’s going to fly off… I have to, what else can I do?’

“Why don’t you come down and have a little chat with me? Or should I just lop off your head right now?”

I spoke, cracking my neck back and forth as if my patience was wearing thin.

Thankfully, thanks to my [Composure] trait, the turmoil in my heart didn’t seem to be showing on my face.

“…Things have gotten awfully messy.”

Samael contorted his face in a humiliated expression and then slowly descended onto the dragon’s corpse.

Demons are always designed to act only for the benefit of their race.

Of course, emotions like shame, resentment, and pleasure existed, but they considered such feelings insignificant, prioritizing and acting for the benefit of the entire demon race.

Therefore, for Samael, a high-ranking demon, to lower himself and bow to humans was undoubtedly humiliating, but it was something he absolutely had to do for the sake of the entire demonic race.

If Samael were to die here, the 300 demons under his command and the tens of thousands of Variants would become like toy robots with dead batteries.

“Given the… venue, I don’t particularly *want* to fight here. That being said, I can’t just pretend I didn’t see a high-ranking demon, either.”

“…State your business.”

“First, why don’t you produce the contract? Surely you weren’t planning on conducting these negotiations verbally?”

I finished speaking, then tilted my head towards Samael, maintaining a blank expression.

*You have it, right? You have it, don’t you? It’ll be a disaster if you don’t. If you don’t have it, this whole negotiation is off. This table gets flipped, and I die. Please, just say you have it.*

Soon, Samael, his lips pressed tightly together, tore open his own skin and pulled out a yellowish-green piece of paper hidden beneath.

“A Demon Contract. Fitting for a high-ranking demon.”

I suppressed the inner voice currently screaming with delight as much as possible, responding as if I had fully expected it to appear.

A Demon Contract.

A special magical tool that forcibly ends the user’s life if the terms specified in the contract are not met.

High-ranking demons typically use these contracts to enslave intelligent beings with exceptional minds—beings too valuable to be turned into mere Variants.

They would use high-ranking mages as magical researchers, or outstanding commanders as operational advisors…

This time, however, it was going to be used for extortion.

And by a human extorting a demon, no less.

*It’s a good thing he carries this around. Otherwise, there would have been no negotiations, just chaos.*

Gazing at the sole piece of luck amidst the waves of misfortune crashing down, I swallowed a smile.

“I’ll let you live. But in exchange, you’ll leave something equivalent to your life behind. How does that sound?”

Samael didn’t react to my provocation, instead lightly biting the tip of his finger with his sharp fangs. Immediately, toxic, bright blue blood seeped from the wound.

Samael began to evenly distribute the blood flowing from his fingertips across the entire yellowish-green contract.

The vibrant blue blood danced upon the yellowish-green paper, as if ready to transform into script at any moment.

“…Enough with the pointless prattle. State your desire.”

Samael ground his teeth, glaring at me.

“Hmm, what would be appropriate…”

I feigned composure, pressing my fingertips, which crackled with static, against my temple.

…Yet, contrary to that gesture, my insides were burning away, as white as ash.

The remaining duration of the Bloom was barely two minutes. Within that time, I had to quickly find something suitable, complete the contract with this monster, and banish him to some distant place.

Something too light wouldn’t do. He might sense something amiss.

Conversely, a demand too heavy was impossible.

If I uttered something like “Reveal the location of the Archduke,” he would likely choose to fight to the death rather than grant such a request, and a riot would ensue.

If the weight wasn’t right, either way, my life was forfeit.

‘…It should be something of slightly less value than the life of a High Lord. Only then will this b*stard accept my demand without much complaint.’

A drawn-out negotiation was the worst-case scenario.

If too much time passed while haggling over conditions, the Bloom’s duration would expire, and I would lose consciousness.

“I demand the withdrawal of all demons and mutants occupying the Akiliptus Forest region.”

This was the conclusion I reached after a brief deliberation.

The Akiliptus Forest region, where the spirit of lightning slumbered. Not only a strategically advantageous stronghold, but also a place where the spirit of electricity resided, making it a vital location for upgrading my specs.

Not only would I seize a strategically important area without bloodshed, but I would also gain the opportunity to receive the lightning spirit’s blessing—a choice that killed two birds with one stone.

“…To surrender that region so easily. Enraging. How many mutants did I have to create and lose in order to seize that place?”

“If you refuse, you can just die here, at my hand. And lose every last one of your demonic legions and aberrations besides. Not as significant as an Archdemon, perhaps, but still a considerable blow to the demonic armies.”

“……”

Samael clenched his fist, fixing me with a gaze overflowing with murderous intent.

Huh? What’s with him? Did I push too far? Hey, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize, so let’s just sign the damn thing amicably…

“I accept.”

Samael, his face like he was swallowing stones, stained the Devil’s Pact once more with his blood.

“My demands: that you release me from this place. And that, for at least three days, you shall not engage in any act of pursuit against me.”

“I accept.”

I drew out the quill I’d been carrying, meant for my studies within the carriage, and used its tip to draw blood from my own finger, marking the offered contract with it.

The contract, now drinking of our blood, tore into two sheets, each clinging to our wrists like bracelets.

These bracelets would remain attached, watching over me, until the contract’s terms were fulfilled. If, in the coming 72 hours, I even feigned pursuit of that monstrous brute, it would instantly unleash its power, crushing my brain and heart.

Of course, the thought of actually pursuing that monstrous brute was… well, it was utterly out of the question.

To stalk a demon I couldn’t even hope to defeat was nothing short of suicidal.

*Whoosh!*

The moment the Devil’s Pact had bonded to each of our wrists, Samael spread wide his razor-edged wings and ascended into the heavens.

The monster melted into the stars above, into a night that had fully descended, and I could only watch his retreat while exhaling a profound sigh of relief.

“Damn it… should have invested another 10,000 points in luck…”

I never wanted to experience an insane event like that again.