The spirit, Pien, emitted a brilliant, multicolored light. The knife fell from Estribal’s hand to the floor. Seeing this, Pien’s light shrank back to a small size.
–Ugh. The vessel of the contractor is so small, it’s hard to do anything.
Pien grumbled. Estribal looked at Cello and Pien alternately with a face of disbelief.
“Could it be…Lord Serpiente?”
–Yes. I didn’t want to get involved, but it looked like we were all going to die.
The snake inside the bead, Pien, sighed deeply.
–So, I came out myself. You, what on earth are you doing?
Estribal swept back his hair and let out a bitter laugh.
“Are you saying you made a contract with this insignificant woman? Even if that day comes once every 300 years, the day Serpiente…”
–That’s the flow of destiny. You can’t harm this child.
Cello raised her head, trembling.
“What…what are you talking about?”
–Yes. Because he…
Pien hesitated to explain and flew between the two. Watching him, Estribal opened his mouth.
“I will explain it myself.”
–Well… go ahead.
The snake inside the bead comfortably curled its tail.
“Spirit Serpiente. Lord Pien is working for the emperor of this country, and I am dedicating my power to Lord Pien. So, I have to take Lord Pien.”
–You…seem to have omitted something important?
Pien asked in a strange way, but Estribal answered firmly.
“It’s not important.”
–Well, that’s not wrong…
Pien grumbled and sat down on Cello’s shoulder.
–Cello, the day you entered the treasury is once every 300 years, the day when my power is the greatest. Thanks to you unsealing me that day, I was able to make a contract with you.
“The seal was broken?”
At Estribal’s question, Cello cautiously opened her mouth.
“Well, my colleague thought the sword stuck in this bead was a treasure and pulled it out and ran away. But I somehow felt this was more important…”
“Why did you think so? Did the client explain to you what Serpiente looks like? If so, why didn’t your colleague know?”
At Estribal’s harsh interrogation, Cello mumbled nervously, clenching and unclenching her hands.
“Well, that’s…the client said he didn’t know what it looked like. He only told us the location of the treasury…”
“Explain properly.”
Pien stuck out his tongue at Estribal, who was fiddling with the gun holstered at his waist.
–Oh, you…you can’t harm this child. Anyway, how did you, a mere human, know that the stone was real? That’s something I was curious about too.
Cello, who had been hesitating, opened her mouth.
“The smell of money.”
“What?”
–What did you say?
At Cello’s words, Pien and Estribal looked dumbfounded. But Cello was confident.
“I’m a professional. No matter how I look at it, that black thing looks like a trick, and the smell of money is pouring out from here, wouldn’t I know that?”
Pien clicked his tongue.
–How dare you talk about the smell of money to a sacred spirit, you insolent…
“Look at this. No matter how rushed you were, with this woman…”
Estribal, too, shook his head, touching his forehead as if he shared a similar sentiment.
“So what does it mean that the Duke can’t hurt me?”
Cello asked, watching the two’s reactions. Pien opened his mouth.
–He is bound to me, meaning he can’t harm you, who made a contract with me.
“Really? But how…”
“Let me show you.”
Estribal drew his knife. And without hesitation, he swung it down at Cello.
“Kyaaak!”
Cello covered her face. There was a sharp sound, but not a single hair on Cello’s body was hurt.
Cello squinted her eyes through her fingers and looked down at the floor. On the floor, the knife that Estribal had swung was rolling around, split in two.
“Oh my…”
Cello licked her lips and looked up at Estribal with desperate eyes.
“So…so, I’m not going to die?”
“As you can see, I can’t do anything to you. Unfortunately.”
At Estribal’s words, Cello slumped down.
She wasn’t going to die. At least she wasn’t going to be slaughtered here. As the tension eased, tears welled up in Cello’s eyes.
“I’m not going to die. I’m not going to be beheaded, I’m not going to be burned at the stake…”
As Cello began to sob, Estribal and Pien, who were flustered, met eyes.
–You should have done it moderately…
“No, what did I do so…”
Estribal sighed briefly and gave Cello an order.
“Get up. Let’s talk inside.”
Cello got up, sobbing, and followed behind Estribal. When Estribal entered the room where Cello had been staying, he frowned.
The room was a mess. The window was open, letting in the wind, and below it, the curtain cord stretched out long was a sight to behold. Above all…
“There should have been a candlestick here.”
“Well…here.”
Cello took out a candlestick from her pocket with teary eyes. Estribal crossed his arms.
“Where is the vase?”
“That’s here too.”
“What about the quill and ink…sigh.”
Estribal looked at Cello’s bulging pocket and touched his forehead.
“…Just take everything out at once. I remember everything that should be in this room.”
Cello wiped her tears and took off her coat with a sullen face and shook it on the bed. All sorts of trinkets poured out onto the blanket. As she took off her indoor clothes one by one, Cello’s body became thin as if a person had shrunk.
“I thought you looked bigger than when I first saw you…Wait, what is this?”
The wallet of Duke Trepe, which had been hidden deep in the coat, was lying on the bed. It was something she had hidden to sell slowly, avoiding the eyes of the security guard.
“Ah, oops.”
Cello awkwardly raised the corners of her mouth.
“Well, maybe you left it in this room originally…”
“Anyway, it’s not something that should come out of your coat.”
Estribal sat down on a chair far from the bed with an incredulous expression.
“Anyway, I want to cut off your head right now and take Pien…”
At his words, Cello’s eyes turned as red as her hair again.
“Can’t you stop saying that?”
“That’s funny. Your job is not to hear only nice words.”
“But I still hate it. You might not know because you’re a high-ranking person like a Duke, but I can’t get used to that.”
A long silence passed. Estribal sighed and opened his mouth.
“Since you’re a contractor anyway, you can’t do that.…Bring it.”
When Estribal gestured towards his back, servants carrying a food tray appeared. A pile of food was placed in front of Cello in no time. Cello’s eyes widened.
“Is… is this for me to eat?”
Estribal nodded his head. Cello hesitated for a moment, looked around, and put a cookie in her mouth. At the sweet taste, the corners of Cello’s mouth rose slightly. Estribal, who had been looking at her with contempt, opened his mouth.
“Terminate the contract. I have to return Pien to his original place.”
–Wow… You’ve been talking very ambiguously since earlier…
Pien flew around next to Estribal, flicking his tongue. Estribal hardened his expression.
“Lord Serpiente.”
–Yeah. Yeah. Don’t interrupt. You two do well.
Pien looked at Cello, wagging his tail as if it was fun. Cello swallowed the cookie in her mouth and spoke cautiously.
“Well…I don’t want to.”
Estribal raised his eyebrows threateningly. Cello protested with a whimper.
“If he’s not here, you’ll… you’ll tear me apart like wrapping paper!”
Estribal nodded his head calmly.
“That’s not wrong.”
“Look, look! And this ability is useful to me too.”
At Cello’s words, Estribal crossed his arms.
“What do you plan to do with the ability to turn back just 10 minutes? If you’re really thinking of becoming a healer…”
“First, go to the casino!”
Cello clenched her fist. Her grey eyes sparkled. Estribal responded with a stunned face.
“Don’t you know that there’s a magic restriction zone installed in the casino? A spirit contractor will be detected from the entrance. It would be fortunate if you’re not suspected and dragged to the emperor.”
“Ugh…”
Cello pouted her lips and glared at the cake in front of her.
–What a pity, I thought I’d see something fun.
Pien chuckled as if he was having a great time. Cello, who had been pondering for a moment, cut a big piece of cake, swallowed it, and shouted.
“Then I have to go to my client! I’m a thief with a sense of duty too.”
“What kind of duty does a petty thief who thought of a casino first have…tsk.”
Ugh. Cello made an embarrassed face and mumbled at the cake. Pien intervened.
–Right. How much was the body price promised by the client? I’m a little curious about that.
Cello hesitated for a moment and then answered.
“He promised to pay off all my debts.”
“Debt?”
Cello nodded her head.
“I have a lot of debt. It’s rare to live without debt in this field…but I really have a lot. Really.”
Cello lowered her gaze with a gloomy face.
“Tell me.”
“…30 million gold.”
Pfft.
At that moment, Estribal and Pien both let out a hollow laugh.
–Wow… I’m worth 30…
“30 million gold…”
Estribal stroked his chin thoughtfully. But Cello, not noticing their reaction, bit her lip hard to hold back the tears welling up.
It was the first and last job for a back alley pickpocket to repay such a tremendous amount of money.
3,000 in one shot. The thought of missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime right in front of her twisted her stomach with resentment and tears welled up.
Estribal, staring intently at Cello’s trembling head, opened his mouth.
“300 million gold.”
“Huh?”
Cello raised her head. A gaze of the same color as gold flew into Cello’s grey eyes, which were dripping with tears.
“Of course, I will provide a separate maintenance fee for your dignity while cooperating. I also guarantee safety after the work is over.”
Estribal continued to speak calmly. Cello, who understood his proposal a beat late, opened her mouth wide. Seeing her expression, Estribal raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.
“With this much, you can give up your great loyalty to your client, right?”
