章節 11: A Deal
The Wandering Devil
Chapter: 11
Pa/ t reon details at the bottom of the chapter if you're interested I'll keep posting regardless.
(A Deal)
The red light that surrounded me faded, leaving me standing in the middle of a small dining room, which was extremely small in my opinion, but for mediaeval times, this was probably considered typical housing. Unless you were an adventurer, which came with its own risks, or if you weren't a pure-blooded Devil from another world.
A short man stumbled back at my arrival, a familiar piece of paper clutched in his hand.
"It worked?!" he questioned, looking completely taken off guard by my arrival.
He fell flat on his ass and stared up at me in wonder.
"It did," I replied, taking my time to look around the room, hands in pockets.
He stared at me for a while as he seemed to think about how to approach the admittedly very weird situation. It was not every day you summoned a literal Devil to make a deal with.
My first contractor.
Memories surfaced of all the times I had been tutored on this particular subject during my Devil tutoring. There were meant to be rules that were heavily enforced and checked on.
Unfortunately for them, I had a rules per world policy, which meant I wouldn't be abiding by them at this time.
During a contract, you could technically ask for anything. This is why Devils used to trade for souls or other such things with humans, which hadn't been well-received with the angels and fallen angels.
This is why there were rules stipulating that I was technically only allowed to ask for physical items. For example, without any rules, I could write a contract to take his ability to speak or transfer a portion of his stamina to myself.
It was a pretty broken system and another perk of being a Devil. I had been eagerly anticipating the fruits of Bell's hard labour all day. Unfortunately, the timing was less than ideal.
The willpower needed to pull away from Hestia had surprised even me. For once, my Devil instincts had helped. Though they urged me to claim a literal Goddess, the call for potential power was even stronger.
"So- uhm hello." He greeted me nervously.
"Hello," I replied.
He shifted uncomfortably as I stared at him passively.
"So- the flyer here said that I could wish for anything?" he asked uncertainty.
"Of course, in exchange for something else," I affirmed with a nod.
"I don't have any money, well a bit but I can't afford to give it to you." He replied, looking extremely downtrodden.
"That's okay, my services can come in many different forms of costs," I responded with an innocent smile.
Okay, yes. I was purposefully acting mysterious. I didn't know how I was supposed to act in these situations beyond my tutor always telling me to watch out for crafty humans.
There was no real set formality beyond making a deal and abiding by the rules. It may have something to do with the fact Devils didn't like following rules.
So I was mostly letting him talk so I could get a read on him.
"What costs?" he asked warily.
"I've got a very particular set of skills, Mr?" I probed.
"Vander, sir." He replied somewhat respectfully.
"Mr. Vander- nice name. These skills allow me to make deals beyond just physical pay. Depending on the level of the wish you want to make, it will correspond to what I ask for you. Naturally, I'm up for debating the price," I told him calmly.
He looked thoughtful.
I hadn't outright told him since I didn't want to overwhelm him too quickly.
"So, what is your desire?" I questioned.
I doubted such a normal-looking man would have a massive task. I already started thinking of the payment he could give me. Perhaps five percent of his overall stamina? I doubted he had magic.
"I need you to kill someone for me," he said determinedly.
Well, a lesson was just learned. Don't judge a man based on appearance.
He was staring intensely at my facial expression. As if he was worried I was going to be appalled at his request.
"So you do. Who is that someone you wish me to kill?" I asked carefully.
I had certain boundaries. I wasn't going to kill just anyone, especially when this would be my first time killing. Which I felt oddly apathetic to. I'll blame it on Devil instincts.
"An adventurer."
Okay. A bit better.
"Why exactly do you want this person dead?" I asked, my eyes focused on him.
He scowled, face darkening.
"The bastard ruined my family. He killed my brother and his wife just because they owed him a bit of money and then they had the gall to say the debt was transferred over to me. I'll give you anything, please just kill him," he said, falling to his knees and looking up at me pleadingly.
A displeased frown crossed my face.
I can work with that.
"You know murder is quite the task, it's going to cost you," I informed him.
"I'll pay whatever it costs, it's not like I'm living much at the moment anyway," he replied with a hollow chuckle.
My frown deepened.
"What's this person's name and what familia is he a part of?" I questioned with a sigh.
"He is from the Soma Familia and his name is Jason," he quickly sputtered out, looking up at me with an annoying amount of hope.
Ah, the Soma Familia. That made more sense.
Isn't Lili a part of that Familia too?
Maybe this was a chance to get our little Porter out of that abusive bunch. I knew they had abused her and caused her to become so distrusting along with other brash adventurers. Which was reason enough for me.
This would be a good chance to finally get her as our official Porter. Sona himself just didn't give a shit beyond making wine so I didn't feel much remorse for them.
I would have to think about it more and do some scouting. This Jason though probably wasn't a high level. I would start with him first.
"I accept," I announced happily.
He beamed.
"Now let's talk about the price," I said with a Devilish smile.
He faltered.
"Do you possess any magic?" I questioned and he shook his head. "How about you agree to give me twenty-five percent of your total stamina and strength? Considering the risk I am taking with provoking an entire-"
"Done!" he replied. "I don't know how this is supposed to work and I admit I'm confused as to how someone could have a power that allows someone to trade with that sort of stuff, but it's a deal."
Well, okay then.
I could have asked for more, but that was too scummy even for me. He could regain his strength by training and so could his stamina.
I took out a paper that already had a basic contract written up, only needing to write in the details of our agreement as he watched me from the side curiously.
This contract was different from the one that you just needed to sign. You could call it a more advanced variant that isn't meant to be used. It allowed me to do more than just basic binding agreements.
I had only drafted two of these advanced contracts, as they were significantly harder to create than the simple binding oath contracts, which were only good for everything physical.
This was why these advanced contracts required willing blood from both participants.
Pricking my finger, I let a single drop of blood fall onto the parchment, binding the contract. Taking his hand, I asked in a formal tone of voice, "Do you willingly give me a drop of your blood to sign this contract, Vander?"
"Uh, yes," he agreed.
I pricked his finger and let a drop of his blood fall onto the contract. It began to glow a vivid crimson, much brighter than the simple contracts.
"Done," I announced.
"Done?" he questioned.
"Yep, once I fulfil my end, the contract will activate and I shall be given what was promised," I replied.
"Oh-ok."
I gave the man a pat on the back and walked towards his front door.
"Remember to summon me if you ever want anything else done. Also, tell all your friends about me. I wouldn't mind the promotion," I called out over my shoulder.
Not waiting for a response, I stepped out onto the road.
This hadn't been what I had expected for my first contract. Admittedly, I had been expecting something more along the lines of "make me rich," which I could technically do, simply trading it for stamina or strength that they would never need.
It was a good business model but murder was certainly something. I guess this was a mediaeval world, so I shouldn't be too surprised. I wouldn't make a habit of doing this though. I wasn't an assassin, and I didn't want to go around killing innocent people.
Only due to the circumstances did I accept. I didn't know if what he said about his brother and his brother's wife was true, but I would do my own little investigation. Even so, the Soma Familia was filled with crooks, so I wouldn't be surprised.
Now.
I planned to complete the deal tonight. I was eager to experience the effects of absorbing someone else's stamina and strength.
Though I knew the boost wouldn't be massive since it comes from an ordinary human, it will still be an enhancement and open a new path for gaining power.
I was confident in my ability to scout and kill some crook adventurer. If he was stooping to robbing normal civilians, I could assume he wasn't that strong. I would be cautious and scout him out anyway, but the job shouldn't be too hard.
A small frown appeared on my face at the thought of killing. I had never taken a life in both lifetimes. I had been subjected to a rough childhood in my human lifetime, but that didn't mean I went around killing people.
Luckily, my rough childhood, combined with my Devil side's memories and instincts from my Devil instinct, made the thought far less troubling than it otherwise might have been.
In Devil society, killing wasn't regarded as seriously as it was by humans. While it was taboo to mindlessly kill fellow Devils, the act of killing was sometimes considered a necessity, especially for purebloods who often had to eliminate stray Devils within their territory.
I would treat it with as little care as I could. Then I could finally get back to my sexy Goddess. The thought made me walk just a bit faster. I'll have to make up
Now.
I looked at the relatively quiet street.
Where am I?
-Scene Break-
Slinking in the shadows, I watched my target. Discovering who Jason was hadn't been as difficult as I'd anticipated. Simply claiming I owed him money to a few of his fellow Familia members led them to point out his location to me.
The two I had asked wore nasty smiles that made me want to punch them when I initially questioned them. Even now, I watched them harass people walking by, using their status as adventurers to intimidate.
Being an adventurer came with a lot of perks, one of those being you could get away with a lot of shit compared to the normal people of Orario. Of course, there were certain boundaries such as murder, and it wasn't all adventurers who acted like this.
Only the scummy ones.
I didn't consider myself good or anything even closely resembling it, but even I didn't go around picking on anyone I could. It was pathetic.
Jason wore a dark leather tunic over a simple white linen shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A sturdy belt cinched his waist, from which hung a short sword in a well-worn scabbard. His trousers, made of brown fabric, were tucked into weathered leather boots. He had messy black hair and dull green eyes. He was always drunk as all hell.
I suspected he was a level one or level two at best. He had a decent build, as most adventurers did, but beyond that, he didn't seem like anyone special. He had three guys with him who were presumably his friends.
Annoyingly, I had to wait. I couldn't just walk into a tavern, kill a man, then probably be forced to incapacitate or kill his friends, and leave with so many witnesses watching.
Three hours had passed, and I found myself getting impatient as I was forced to watch them party. The sky was pitch black by the time they finally stumbled out of the tavern.
I stalked behind them from a safe distance, the disposable green cloak covering my upper body to hide my distinctive hair and eyes.
Stealth wasn't my strong suit; normally, I was bold and hard to miss. Had they been sober, they would surely have sensed something amiss. They finally went through an empty street, and I decided to strike.
"Who the fuck are you?" he growled, stepping into my personal space.
My target and the other two turned around in surprise.
"Hello there," I greeted, turning towards Jason. "Do you happen to know a man named Vander?"
He blinked, then grinned. "Yeah? What about him?"
"Well, funny story. He told me you killed his brother and his brother's wife. Is that true?" I asked.
This might have been a stupid approach, but Jason was drunk and probably confident enough to brag about his dirty little secrets. I'm sure I could have probably gone a better way about this, but whatever gets the job done.
His smirk grew. "Oh, he told you about that, did he? Good. Gives me a reason to raise his debt. You'd think he'd learn after I made an example of his brother, but no. I guess he's just like him."
I stayed silent, letting him speak himself into a hole.
Jason's smirk widened into a harsh, crooked sneer as he leaned in closer, his confidence bolstered by the snickers of his friends. One leaned casually against the wall, while the other pulled out a knife.
"You know, it wasn't just a simple kill. I made sure his brother suffered. And his wife? She begged for mercy. Pathetic, really," he said, a taunting look in his eyes.
He wanted me to start something so he had an excuse to mug me. Not that he needed one; he would probably attempt it either way.
I knew they were nasty, but this was on another level. Instead of outright killing them, I couldn't help but question him further. Perhaps it was curiosity. I never could understand needless acts of cruelty.
I maintained my calm demeanour, my eyes cold and calculating. "So, you enjoyed it, then? Inflicting pain on them?"
Jason chuckled darkly. "Oh, hell yeah. You bet your ass I did. There's something satisfying about watching the light fade from their eyes. Just makes you feel powerful, you know?"
I nodded slowly as if I understood his thoughts, my expression unreadable. "I see. And Vander? Are you planning something similar for him?"
His grin twisted further. "Vander's overdue for a lesson. I think I'll make it a public spectacle this time. Really drive the point home."
"Interesting," I replied, my voice steady.
"You must really think you're untouchable." I chuckled. It was stupid; he was a typical bully.
He scowled. "The fuck you laughing at? No one can touch me. Not Vander. That's what being an adventurer is about."
I took a step closer. "Sure, buddy."
Jason's laughter died in his throat, confusion flickering across his face. He couldn't say anything as I drew a blade across his throat, blood spurting out.
My first kill.
I stared him in the eyes, watching in morbid curiosity as emotions flickered through them wildly.
Shock, anger, regret, and fear.
He stumbled back, clutching his throat as his friends watched on in pure shock.
"You fucking bastard." One of them roared, charging at me with a speed that was roughly around the middle of level one.
Feeling nothing, I spun and decapitated him in one motion.
I raised my hand to the side, forming a bolt of ice that shot toward the one who tried to run away in the next moment. The icy projectile struck him, pinning him to the wall and encasing him in a small frozen cocoon around his neck that left him unable to breathe.
The difference between levels was huge, and my Devil physique alone put me multiple levels above them.
My target was still trying to stumble away from me.
The last guy looked unsure of himself, a dagger in hand. He had sobered up from the threat of being killed.
"Hey, I don't want any trouble. I'm just his friend. I don't know anything about this Vander guy," he said, raising his hand up in surrender.
I stared at him coldly. I felt strange.
Without a care, I raised my hand, and a blade of wind sliced toward him, giving him barely any time to react. His body was shredded by the powerful, uncontrolled wind.
I turned to my target, who was leaning against a wall and trying to escape me.
"P-please," he gasped out.
I watched as he dropped to the floor, feeling a disturbing lack of emotion. All I felt was a mild disgust for the sheer vileness of his actions.
His eyes glazed over, and a moment later, the contract in my pocket glowed red, and I felt an influx of strength. It wasn't much, but considering it came from a baseline human, it was still impressive.
The increase for me had been about 0.3 percent in terms of strength and 0.5 percent in terms of stamina. I also got the residue boost in demonic energy by completing a contract.
The deal was complete.
Now for the cleanup.
I gathered all the bodies into a single pile and flicked my hand, releasing a controlled wave of fire that consumed them.
By cleaning, I meant leaving no evidence. Dragging their bodies into the dungeon would have been nearly impossible since the entrance was always watched.
The unusually hot fire only took a few minutes to burn them to ashes, in which I watched them burn with a frown.
I don't think I'm going to make a habit of accepting these kinds of jobs. The reason for the request will be the determining factor.
Something shifted in the corner of my eye just as I went to leave, and I spun around to find a cloaked figure watching me. Their body half-blended in with the dark alleyway they were watching from.
Shit. When had he arrived?
I only hesitated for a moment, which gave the figure enough time to turn and start running down the long alleyway. I didn't hesitate a moment longer as I gave chase.
Even with my enhanced speed, I couldn't catch up to the hooded figure, leading me to suspect they were an adventurer. Why were they spying on me?
I had noticed cloaked figures trailing me before, but they had become less frequent as I took measures to stay hidden around Orario, especially with my teleportation abilities. Fortunately, they never followed me into the dungeon, allowing me to explore it unrestrained.
Raising my hand, I imagined the earth rising to create a wall, cutting off the alleyway. The hooded figure had led me through a labyrinth of alleys in their attempt to escape, and I was barely able to keep up.
The figure seemed momentarily taken aback by the display of magic, but quickly recovered, charging toward the wall and leaping over it. A door opened up for me in the wall of earth with a flex of my will and the supply of my demonic energy.
Waving my hand and grimacing a bit at the excessive use of my demonic energy, a cold most followed behind me as I ran. Four ice spikes formed from thin air.
They hovered beside me as I sent an ice spike flying toward the hooded figure, who narrowly avoided it with an annoying burst of speed.
Realising that single attacks wouldn't work, I quickly launched the rest of the spikes at their cloaked back.
The figure glanced back and then leaped onto the top of a building, causing me to scowl as all my attacks missed completely. I followed him up, watching him gain distance as he jumped from one building to the next.
Aiming my finger, I decided to try something I had been holding back. Lightning crackled around my hand, the sound catching the attention of the cloaked figure, who glanced back and began to run even more frantically.
As I watched the lightning build up, I released it. My eyes widened as the sheer force of the attack sent me stumbling back. A deafening crackling boom echoed as the lightning demolished the spot where the hooded figure had been standing. A shower of wood raining down from the explosion.
Oops, somebody was going to need to get some repairs.
Hissing in pain, I noticed my hand had turned an angry shade of red. I need better control if I want to use attacks like that more often. Scowling, I walked up to the impact zone.
The hooded figure was gone.
They had escaped.
Annoyingly, they technically shouldn't know it was me, but there was a chance they did. I hadn't wanted any witnesses.
There was no proof it was me. The sword I was using was disposable and also stolen. They hadn't seen my face either. I should be clear but I would proceed with caution.
What a troublesome contract.
-Scene Break-
Entering the abandoned church discreetly, I was greeted with Hestia. Who looked slightly tired as she turned to me with an excited smile.
Did Gods even need sleep? They were in mortal bodies so probably. I felt a little bad that she stayed awake to wait for me.
"Zeph, you're back." She said, looking at me with only a bit of hesitation.
Bell was asleep on the couch, completely unresponsive to my arrival.
Dropping my robes, I walked up to my sexy Goddess and picked her up. Hestia quickly wrapped herself around me like a koala. I moved to our bed, pulling the privacy curtain that separated our bedroom from the living room.
I kissed her deeply, which seemed to wake her up sufficiently. She reciprocated excitedly. Her enthusiasm made the kiss all the more hot.
Seriously, these lips were perfect. I may find myself getting addicted to them at this rate. We ended up on the bed cuddling and kissing each other. With my hands admittedly wandering around her insane body.
I think this made up for the shitty night.
-END-
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