The Author's POV

"So you're saying that you defeated her and in doing so convinced her to sign a mana contract with you?"

Douglas's clear voice echoed throughout the room.

"That's correct."

I replied with a nod.

Since the cat was out of the bag, I came clean about Angelica.

I told Douglas and Waylan everything that had happened between Angelica and me, from how I defeated her to how I made her sign a mana contract with me and how we came to the current working relationship.

I, of course, altered a few of the details about the story. After all, I couldn't just tell him that I defeated her through the use of the red book.

All I told him was that Angelica was heavily injured before fighting me, and that was how I was able to defeat her.

"…I see."

Stroking his beard, Douglas looked at Waylan, who looked back at him.

"Do you have a copy of the mana contract with you?"

Waylan asked from the side.

"I do."

"Can you let us see it?"

Turning to face Angelica and seeing her nod her head, I nodded back.

"No problem."

Tapping on my bracelet, an old-looking scroll materialized in my hand.

Unraveling the scroll, I took a brief look at it.

「Mana contract」

[Term 1]

Party A and Party B are prohibited from harming each other, regardless of means. If either party has any intention of harming the other party, the contract breached will suffer the consequences.

[Term 2]

If Party A is in danger, and Party B has the power to help, he/she must provide support to other party.

[Term 3]

The contract between the two parties will dissolve in five years. After five years, the two parties will no longer be bound by the terms of the contract.

[Term 4]

Parties are prohibited from harming each other's self-interest.

[Term 5]

.

.

.

"Here you go."

After taking a good look at it, I proceeded to hand it to them.

"Thank you."

Taking the contract, Waylan and Douglas unscrolled it and took a good look at it.

The silence that ensued after that felt almost suffocating.

But I remained calm.

I had gone through too much shit to get fazed from something like this. At the end of the day, given Douglas's personality, there shouldn't be any worries.

...I hope.

"How long do you have left in the contract?"

Douglas suddenly asked.

"How long?"

Frowning, I mused.

'If we're talking about time, counting the eight months I spent at the Monolith, the four months I used to get here to Henolur, and the additional four months that I spent with her before the Monolith incident, it should be about...'

my head,

a little over

face each other, Douglas stroked his beard and once again looked through the

you can

proceeded to hand me back

"Thank you."

the contract from Douglas's hands,

was a subtle uncomfortable silence that was soon broken by Douglas, who's face returned

a good look at the contract, I can tell that what you were

Douglas looked at Angelica with

get a count ranked demon to

"I was lucky."

Angelica was not even a Baron ranked demon was when she tried to fight Kevin and

was downgraded to that of an untitled demon, and that was how Kevin and

had gone from Baron to Count in a mere two

it seems like we've taken enough of your time.

Angelica,

turn

I nodded my head.

should still be

"I see."

tea re-heated instantly at Douglas's touch.

so for now. Her

out of Angelica's body suddenly stopped, and a small

took a small

does leak demonic energy from time to time. It was because of these subtle traces that I realized that she was a demon. This little protection I added should be able to hide her presence even better.

Pausing, Douglas frowned.

been caught till now was probably

put the

I think about it, cases in which demons have worked with other races aren't all too rare. If you had explained it to the dwarves before coming here, she

"You have a point."

spoke up from the

his chair, he

demons working together with the dwarves. So it's not that strange. What's

me, Waylan pointed at

a demon in

"...Right."

that I thought about it, what Waylan was

I had Angelica with me. Everything would've been resolved if I had just shown them the

factor that I failed to take

Waylan

of the bag, are you planning on telling

and staring in his direction, I shook my

if her presence still

"Oh? Why is that?"

Douglas curiously asked.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I tapped on the

"Why?"

from the corner of my eyes, I calmly opened

her presence to our

***

I made my way towards the utility center. I needed

looks of approval. Be it dwarves, elves, or even orcs, whenever I went, they would nod

it, dwarven technology was quite advanced. It wouldn't be hard for the others to see clips of how

quite pleased with

a sign of acknowledgment. It meant that

I walked

Ci Clank—!

by the

seeing me, he greeted me with a somewhat cold

here, human. How

"...Not bad."

Malvil, the first thing I noticed was the unpleased look

probably saw

decided to

fight the whole

"Tsk."

of Malvil's tongue clicking

with his hands behind his back, he silently walked

my chance at getting a sword

helplessly muttered to myself as I stared at Malvil's

of expected this outcome. I did, after all,

want to make a sword for someone that refused to listen to his instruction, but at the end of the day, I did not regret

sword if

development, but it's not like I could force him to make a

just have to find

ye doing? Follow

"Huh?"