Rustle, rustle.
I was currently frantically searching through the dark magic book in the basement of Duke Denaves’ residence.
“There’s nothing much here…”
I thought there would be more information about people who had made a direct contract with a demon, but there was hardly anything. Just:
[Those who will fall into hell.]
[Those who will never be forgiven.]
It only indicated that, but there was nothing written about what had happened to them or how much power they possessed.
“Let’s see, oh. This is…”
Then something caught her eye.
[Spell to turn back time.]
“…”
It seemed like it could be related to my regression. I looked more closely at that part.
“By borrowing the power of a demon, one can turn back time, but what exactly, how much, and how far back cannot be determined. It’s a forbidden magic that requires you to entrust your life to fate…”
I examined that passage closely. Could this be related to my regression?
However, judging by what was written, it was likely different from what I was experiencing.
[This spell can only be used once.]
It was also written like this. It seemed to have a different nature than my continuous time regression.
“Anyway, that’s not the important part. The contract with the demon, the contract…”
[Black magic that curses others.]
[The method to turn a dead person into a living corpse.]
[A potion that inflicts pain immediately upon consumption.]
I rummaged through all the books in the basement, searching and searching for information about those who had made direct contracts with demons.
After several hours of searching, I discovered a suspicious book on the shelf.
It was a book with no title on its cover, and as soon as I flipped through it, I saw a magic circle filling two pages.
I realized at a glance that this magic circle was extraordinary.
Perhaps Ariadeline’s body, which knew a bit about black magic, sensed something. I pressed down on my pounding heart.
“Let’s see…”
I slowly turned the pages.
And then I saw a story about people who had made a contract with a demon.
[Making a contract with a demon is not difficult.]
I had a question about that sentence.
“It’s not difficult to make a contract with a demon?”
Offering sacrifices, giving one’s soul or sacrificing one’s heart—these were all difficult things that I had thought of, so this was an unexpected fact.
[Demons are beings that deceive humans. They will give power to those who desire it.]
“It seems a bit dangerous.”
I thought that if this fact became known to the public, there might be many who would seek to make contracts with demons.
[All you need to do is draw a magical circle to convey your voice to the demon and summon it. The demon will respond without asking for any compensation.]
They say that demons do not initially speak of the price. I recalled modern stories of demons as I continued reading the book.
[Their curses possess particularly strong power, and the way to dispel that curse is…]
“What’s the method?”
I turned the page to read the next passage.
[The only way to lift the curse is for the caster to die or cancel it themselves.]
“…What?”
I was flustered and flipped through the book back and forth, reading the sentences. While voluntarily canceling made sense, the death of the caster was another matter entirely.
I began to search the book further. However, it only mentioned that those who made contracts with demons became temporarily vulnerable to divine power after casting black magic, which was a minor weakness.
“So, in order to lift the curse on Princess Dorothea, I need to catch the caster.”
I started to ponder about the caster. Who could have cursed Princess Dorothea? And even made a contract with a demon.
Honestly, the first person who came to mind was:
‘Princess Yermondi.’
All the incidents related to black magic that had occurred until now were connected to her.
But even she had only used black magic related to curses until now.
Yet suddenly, she had used such powerful black magic, even going so far as to make a contract with a demon.
It didn’t even seem like she intended to pin that on me.
“There must be a reason for it…”
I recalled the invitation that had come to me. The one related to the birthday celebration.
And amidst this, Dorothea collapsed. If Princess Yermondi had indeed attacked Dorothea, it was possible that she was planning something big at the birthday party…
Suddenly, my eyes widened.
“Oh no, surely not…”
I chuckled at the thought that rushed into my mind. There was no way Princess Yermondi would do such a thing without losing her mind.
But something inside me was ringing an alarm. The fact that this would indeed happen.
In the end, unable to ignore my intuition, I threw the book aside and hurriedly went back above ground. As soon as I arrived, I searched for Carlothian.
“Carlothian!”
I burst into the office, slamming the door open, and he naturally turned to look at me. I rushed to his desk and slammed my hands down on it, saying,
“I need to meet the High Priest.”
“The High Priest?”
Suddenly? I nodded at his face, which seemed to question my urgency.
“…I think Princess Yermondi is plotting something unmanageable.”
“What is she plotting?”
“I can’t say for sure, so I can’t go into details. But can you arrange for me to meet the High Priest?”
“If that’s the case, of course.”
He nodded and quickly wrote a letter to the High Priest. I took the letter and headed to the temple.
As soon as I arrived at the temple, I presented the letter stamped with the seal of the Duke of Denaves, allowing me to access the High Priest’s room as if it were a free pass.
“It’s been a while, Ariadeline.”
Seeing my brightened face, the High Priest smiled warmly. But this wasn’t the time for me to be modest or hesitant.
“I have something to discuss, High Priest.”
“What is so urgent that you jump straight to the point?”
“I need help from the temple.”
“Help? What do you mean?”
He looked puzzled. I decided to start by slowly explaining Dorothea’s condition.
“This is a matter that must not leak outside.”
“What’s going on?”
I lowered my voice significantly. I needed to be serious to earn his trust.
“Princess Dorothea has collapsed due to a powerful curse.”
In an instant, the High Priest’s face turned pale. He opened his eyes wide and said,
“W-what do you mean, Dorothea has been cursed!”
“Shh.”
I brought my finger to my lips. At my gesture, the High Priest placed his hand on his chest, as if trying to calm himself.
“This is currently a secret even within the palace. You understand that there’s a reason I’m sharing this with you confidentially, right?”
“…Is that story true?”
I nodded.
“I’m speaking to you in secret because I need help from the temple.”
“What kind of help could you possibly want that you would tell me this?”
I slowly inhaled. Then, I began to gradually release the divine power sleeping within me.
At first, the High Priest’s face was filled with doubt, but it soon turned to shock.
“T-this divine power is…!”
“Yes, I can now use divine power. Only Princess Dorothea and a few others knew this fact.”
“H-how…?”
“I can’t provide the exact details, but…”
I decided to tell a small lie here. People often can’t distinguish between a slight lie and the truth.
“I gained this power while repenting for my sins.”
“Ah…”
He let out a sound of disbelief.
“For now, you can confirm the situation regarding Princess Dorothea with His Highness Crown Prince Luciano.”
“I see…”
His expression became serious.
“So, what is it that you want help with?”
I sighed and looked him straight in the eye as I said,
“I would like to borrow a relic.”
“A relic?”
His expression hardened instantly. However, I didn’t avoid his gaze and nodded.
“Is it to treat the Crown Princess?”
“Yes. And…”
I clasped my hands tightly on my lap and continued,
“It is to prevent a great disaster that is about to come.”
