“Phew, I’m exhausted,” I said, stretching my arms above my head. Next to me was the Demon Queen, a thin blanket wrapped around her body. Is she asleep? But when I looked over at her, I saw her staring up at me.
“Hey, Eugene?”
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“Stop calling me that. I told you to call me Eri when we’re alone, didn’t I?”
“Yes, yes, understood. Would you like something to eat? All I’ve got is bread, ham, cheese, and wine, though.”
“Yes, I would. Bring the red wine.”
“Roger that.”
I took the food out of the basket and placed it on a plate before handing it over to the Demon Queen Erinyes. She worked her way through the various items, popping them into her mouth one by one, while I simply watched her exquisite profile. The sultry atmosphere from earlier had vanished, and now she was more akin to my pet cat, who was still in my childhood home.
“Are you thinking something rude?” she asked.
“O-Of course not,” I stammered. She’s got sharp instincts. Even sealed away, she’s still a Demon Queen.
Eri said nothing for a moment, then sighed. “You were so much cuter before!”
“By before, you mean a year ago?”
Eri had suddenly woken from her centuries-long slumber more or less the moment I enrolled in Lykeion Magic Academy. Perhaps she’d still been sleepy, but she had been in a foul mood and rampaged without ceasing. Worried that she’d break the seal, the headmaster had panicked and ordered that many offerings be delivered to the Demon Queen.
Thanks to my talent in Barrier Magic, I could enter her cage, which was why he’d chosen me as the delivery boy. She’d focused on me rather than the headmaster’s gifts and taken my essence by force. Sure, I’d been in a self-destructive mood after the shock of my breakup, but it had still taken me aback.
“I like you!” she’d said. And since she’d made a direct request that I continue visiting her, I couldn’t escape from this task.
Ever since then, I’d had to offer the Demon Queen Eri my services every week. The schedule left my body feeling heavy. Giving her my essence never stops being taxing.
“I should get going,” I said. “I still have to check out the other cages.”
“Stay until morning!” Eri whined in a cute voice.
“I have school tomorrow...” Unlike a certain Demon Queen who’s on vacation every day.
“Oh, pooh. You’re so mean to me, Eugene,” Eri said with a pout. Then she wrapped her arms around my back and whispered into my ear, “Hey, don’t you think it’s about time you freed me from this place?”
She looked up at me through her long lashes, taking advantage of her adorable appearance even as she made that terrifying request. We’d had this conversation dozens of times before.
“I already told you, I can’t break the seal here. The headmaster is the only one who can,” I said.
The seal on Eri’s cage was a special one, and the headmaster personally took regular trips down here to recast it. I, a mere student, could never hope to break it.
“If you sign a contract with me, then you’ll get my mana, you know? No one, not even the headmaster, can defeat you if you use the Demon Queen’s mana. Just kill him and rule over this place in his stead.”
It took me a second to find my words after hearing that. “You say some really scary stuff like it’s nothing, you know?”
I had my fair share of complaints about the headmaster after all the trouble he’d dumped into my lap, but I was still grateful to him for all the help he gave me. I could never kill him. Besides, even with the Demon Queen Eri’s mana, I doubted I could defeat him. That man was a true monster.
“But if you gain power, you’ll be able to get back at that childhood friend who tossed you aside,” Eri said.
I couldn’t respond to that. Some time before, I’d let slip my grievances about my past—both the bitter memory of my selection exam and the agonizing pain of Airi, my childhood friend, breaking up with me.
“You never know,” Eri continued. “She just might fall for you all over again and want to get back together with you.”
It was a long while before I could say, “Not interested.”
That was a lie. Even now, dreams of my breakup with Airi haunted me, so that I frequently shot awake in the dead of night. Pathetic as it was to admit, that incident had left me traumatized.
Eri giggled. “But you’re unsure if turning me down is the right choice, aren’t you? Sign a contract with me and this Demon Queen will help you regain everything that you’ve lost.”
She gave me a sultry smile. These were the sweet words of a demon... No, this was a fallen Angel’s temptation, and any man who fell for it would be dragged into the depths of sin. So, in other words, just an ordinary conversation between the two of us.
“All right, I’ve done my duty, so I should head out,” I said as I rose from the bed.
“Wait, wait, I was kidding! It was just a joke!” Eri cried, grabbing onto me.
✦ ✦ ✦
“Stop saying weird things.”
“But I’m booored!” Eri kicked her feet to let out her frustration. Her dignity as a Demon Queen was long gone.
“If you’re bored, then just use the Satellite System over there to see what’s going on in the Dungeon,” I said, pointing at the giant screen inside her cage.
Though the screen was currently dark, this magic item could show what was going on outside if the user channeled mana into it. That being said, it could only display the inside of the Last Dungeon, Babel.
“I’m already tired of it!” Eri complained. “It’s only ever the same people going inside! I’ll watch it if you go, though.”
“That reminds me, I haven’t gone dungeon exploring in a while.”
I’d considered working as a dungeon explorer and making a name for myself that way. But my lack of offensive magic had forced me to give up on that plan; the handicap my white mana imposed on me was far too restrictive.
“You should do it! I’ll cheer on your exploration efforts, Eugene,” Eri said, giving me a smile so sweet that I found it hard to believe she was a Demon Queen.
“Unfortunately, I’ve only ever reached the 9th Level.” A swordsman who couldn’t deal any damage would have a hard time exploring the more difficult levels of the dungeon.
“If you use a magic sword, you can challenge the Boss of the 10th Level, right? Why don’t you?”
“I stopped training with a sword, since I can only use Barrier Magic and Healing Magic now.”
In the imperial military academy, I’d majored in swordplay. I’d even attained full mastery over a style of swordplay that was said to be the most powerful on the Eastern Continent. My dream had been to become a Magic Swordsman and wield a magic sword to protect my childhood friend and my country. But ever since that fateful exam, I’d never touched a sword. I did, however, still practice with a wooden stick; I couldn’t fully let go of my dream even now.
Eri’s alluring voice reached my ears. “If you sign a contract with me, you can use a powerful magic sword whenever you want.”
She was still trying to sell me on the idea of a contract, and in truth, her offer was a tempting one. A contract with the Demon Queen could solve a lot of my problems. But...
There’s no breaking the rules of a demonic contract. You absolutely had to hold up your end of the bargain or the demon might take your very soul.
Eri’s goal was to escape from this cage into the outside world. In other words, the price of the power that tempted me was to free the Demon Queen who’d ruled over the Southern Continent a thousand years ago. Nope, no way. Absolutely not.
“I’m heading out now. If there’s an emergency, call me with that magic bell over there.”
“Oh, phooey, you’re such a square.” The Demon Queen Erinyes pursed her lips in an adorable pout.
“I’ll come by again next week.”
“See you then! ♡” She waved at me, smiling brightly. It was hard to reconcile this kind of behavior with the image of a Demon Queen.
After I left, I checked over the other magical beings in the underground prison. All of them were fast asleep thanks to the seals on their cages. Eri had been the only one awake and full of energy. It only took me about an hour to finish my rounds.