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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 27: The Sunset that Doesn’t Set (1)
I lay in the mansion's garden, staring up at the sky.
Tomorrow was the Foundation Day Festival, wasn’t it?
A few days had already flown by since I met that woman.
I’d thought a lot about her, but nothing seemed conclusive.
Was I just being overly sensitive?
Or perhaps she had a hidden agenda, a thought that wouldn’t leave my mind.
Nothing special had happened in the meantime.
The only difference was that I had started recovering, thanks to the necklace I’d managed to obtain from the Crown Prince.
I touched the necklace around my neck.
‘A trinket is still a trinket.’
Its efficiency was lacking.
It took about 10 units of mana to get just 1 unit of healing power back, enough to help my body recover.
But it was better than nothing.
My mana reservoir was substantial, built up through years of practice and growth.
For now, I was content with having acquired such a useful item.
“Pharos, you really do love sunsets, don’t you?”
Aria, who was sitting beside me, said this out of nowhere.
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Isn’t it true? You come out every evening to watch the sunset. I understand how you feel,” Aria said, smiling as sweetly as a rice cake.
“When the sky is painted by the sunset, clouds look like strawberry cotton candy floating around. Imagining eating them makes me so happy, and I feel like I’m really a princess of the Cotton Candy Kingdom!”
“I thought you switched to the Cheeseburger Kingdom?”
“I’m doing both!”
An undercover agent, are we?
I sighed at her lack of loyalty.
And for the record, I don’t look at the sky for something as trivial as that.
“I’m looking for signs.”
“Signs? What do you mean?”
“If I don’t watch the sunset, I might miss it.”
It wasn’t a complicated explanation.
I was simply doing everything in my power to leverage what I knew.
— That day, the sunset lasted unusually long. Many people realized it was different, but most just thought, ‘Sometimes, things happen…’ We all did, including myself.
My elder sister had once told me that such a long sunset was a sign of an event caused by Beatrice.
— After the incident, the investigation revealed a chilling truth. The red sky wasn’t just because of the sunset. A demon had descended upon this land, spreading its vile aura across the city.
Since I returned to the past and understood that I needed to stop the heralds of the Golden Age, I’d researched every bit I could find about demons in the royal archives and my own library.
The “forbidden providence,” they called it — the demon’s mana.
It emanated a crimson glow, and when a demon descended to our world, it spread through the air, creating an environment fit for the demon’s existence.
“If the sun disappears while the sky is still red, then a demon has descended.”
That was how the old manuscripts described it.
Ever since completing my research, I had been checking the sky daily.
I wasn’t sure which year the woman would cause trouble, but I had cleared my schedule each evening to catch any minor changes.
That aside...
“By the way, Princess, shouldn’t you return to the palace?”
“It’s fine if I’m late today!”
“What?”
“There are lots of guests in the palace today! It’s bustling with noise, and my brother would be troubled if I were there! Because I’m a good girl, I told him I’d have dinner with you tonight!”
How thoughtful.
Starting tomorrow, the Foundation Day Festival would open royal dances every night in the capital.
And it wasn’t just our neighboring countries attending.
‘Other races are coming too.’
A thousand years ago, we fought with all we had, but now the neighboring non-human races had agreed to peace, more of a “let’s not destroy each other” deal than any true friendship.
Their participation in the Foundation Day Festival was a reminder of that truce.
‘There’s bound to be chaos, then.’
Unfortunately, Aria’s reputation was still troubled.
From the Crown Prince’s standpoint, keeping her out of the crowds was probably the safest choice.
With nothing better to do, I was willing to watch over her.
“So, what would you like for dinner?”
“A cheeseburger!”
“You had one for lunch.”
“Oh…then cotton candy…!”
“That’s not dinner.”
“Hmph! Stop being so mean, Pharos!!!”
“Ugh!”
Aria grabbed a handful of my hair.
This mischievous girl was becoming more and more of a handful by the day.
I was about to stand up and get her to let go when…
Thud.
I froze.
“Huh?”
“Pharos? Are you really that mad? I’m sorry… Was I too naughty…?”
Her words barely registered.
My vision was filled with the sky, an unsettling sight.
The sunset was gone.
Since when?
Since when had the sun disappeared from the sky?
There had been no change, no subtle shift in color; I just looked up and realized it was gone.
My heart began to race, tension filling me.
What if something had already happened in that brief moment of complacency?
I took a deep breath, steadying myself.
…Stay calm. I prepared for this.
I focused on what I needed to do.
“Pharos?”
“Princess, there’s something urgent I need you to do.”
“Huh?”
I looked Aria in the eye, my expression serious.
“The Cheeseburger Kingdom is in grave danger. It’s a crisis too big for us to handle alone.”
Aria froze, her face going pale.
“W-what?! What kind of enemy?”
“There’s no time to explain. I need you to go back to the palace right now and gather the Cotton Candy Warriors. The sooner, the better.”
“O-okay!”
As she started to dash off, I grabbed her by the back of her neck.
“…You should know where to call them, don’t you?”
“Oh! Where do I call them to?”
“The Magic Tower.”
“Got it! I’ll summon Brother to the Magic Tower!”
Repeating the words to herself, Aria disappeared.
I tapped my sword at my waist.
The Magic Tower is north of the capital.
If I ran, how long would it take? Could I make it in time?
…No.
Boom!
I activated my body with mana.
Running will be faster.
Bam!
With that decision, I dashed toward the Magic Tower.
* * *
In the grand hall of the Magic Tower, Beatrice stood, looking over countless unconscious magicians.
A large-scale sleep spell.
Hastily prepared, but embedded into the very space, ensuring no mistakes.
It was fortunate that it had been scheduled for tonight.
Tomorrow was the big reveal, so the core staff of the Magic Tower had gathered here for rehearsal, with the Tower Master absent.
As the caster, no one had questioned her mana.
Her eyes held no emotion as she surveyed the magicians.
If only there had been more time.
Had she been given more time, she could have prepared more thoroughly.
A pact with a demon required a strong will and an environment filled with despair and screams.
But there hadn’t been time for all that.
The summoning circle was imperfect.
She wouldn’t have been able to hold them off if they had resisted.
So she put them to sleep to ensure they couldn’t interfere, their souls ready for sacrifice.
No time.
The Foundation Day was tomorrow, and men would be asking Rebecca to join the festivities.
She loved such things, so she’d likely accept without suspicion.
This had always been a risk, but recent events only made it worse.
The Pharos scion.
He was a threat to Rebecca.
To take her outside in such a dangerous time was unthinkable.
Beatrice took a deep breath.
The souls are here.
She’ll use chanting to substitute for screams and despair.
The deal will go through.
She had gathered research on pacts from numerous sources, even dating back to the age before humankind.
Demons are bound by contracts.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!w
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With a perfect pact, they can’t defy the summoner’s will.
There was precedent for this, so she wasn’t worried about the summoning itself.
She was only looking forward to the glorious future ahead.
‘Now, it’s all over. We can finally be together.’
Beatrice’s eyes trembled, a small smile forming on her lips.
Her gaze shifted to the elders of the Magic Tower, and their words resurfaced in her mind.
—Beatrice, you are the future of the Magic Tower. You can become anything you wish.
—If you ever face hardship, let us know. We’ll support you as much as we can.
—We’re proud of you.
Beatrice's brow furrowed.
‘Lies.’
Their smiles were insincere, fabricated for their own benefit.
Their words were ultimately about the glory of magic, and the favor they showed her was just attachment to a useful tool.
Otherwise, why had no one comforted her, no one truly cared about her well-being?
She was different, though.
Only Rebecca had held and comforted her, easing the suffocating pressure on her.
—It’s okay. It’s okay even if you can’t do it. I’m here with you. You can cry right now.
Beatrice remembered that moment vividly.
‘It was a starry night. I was on the terrace, and Rebecca held my head in her embrace.’
She wished the sky had been darker, so nothing could have illuminated her.
In that moment, something shielded her from the heavens.
‘A cone hat…’
Then, all of a sudden—
Throb—
A sharp pain stabbed through her head.
Beatrice winced and shook her head, dismissing the thought.
‘I’ll think about it later.’
She knew she had to.
After all, there was something more important to focus on.
Beatrice pulled out the materials she had prepared.
The ingredients for the summoning ritual began to be assembled in the grand hall, forming a massive circular gate powered by life itself.
Crackle—
As mana adhered to the structure, a twilight hue began to gather inside the circle. Beatrice smiled.
‘It’s done.’
The mirror of the contract.
Easily completed, and the true beginning was yet to come.
Beatrice channeled her mana.
The remarkable control, once hailed as a divine gift, arranged the necessary mana for the summoning without the slightest waste.
Finally ready, Beatrice continued without hesitation, forming seals and chanting.
“O you who harbor desire, I summon you. Answer my call.”
Crackle—
Within the circle, a dark red glow thickened until it obscured anything beyond it.
A voice echoed.
[What name do you seek?]
A voice struck her mind, bypassing her eardrums and making her understand its meaning despite her unfamiliarity with the language.
The voice was chilling.
It was a demon.
The oldest intellect on this earth.
A transcendent being observing the world.
A surge of excitement at her success flooded over her, and Beatrice replied immediately.
“I call upon Desire.”
[How do you name Desire?]
A hint of amusement laced the demon’s voice.
Beatrice understood.
If she addressed the demon by any other name, her body would be taken.
She answered clearly.
“…Amorio. You who bind with boundless love, I know you.”
At that moment—
Boom!
A sinister energy swept through the space like a bolt of lightning.
Nothing was visible, but a twilight aura in a human form flickered in front of the mirror.
The form felt its own body, then spoke in a trembling voice.
[Ah, it has been so long since I’ve come to this plane.]
Beatrice felt a wave of tension.
No matter how perfectly she had prepared, this was a demon—a near-transcendent being.
‘No mistakes allowed.’
Swallowing, Beatrice spoke.
“…Amorio. I’ve called you for a contract.”
[Indeed. Why else would you mortals summon us if not for a contract? If not, you wouldn’t even look our way.]
“Enough small talk. I won’t be swayed so easily.”
[Oh, what a pity.]
A seductive feminine voice slithered through her.
Each word carried a chilling aura that prickled Beatrice’s skin.
She held her breath, recalling Rebecca’s face to steady herself.
The demon Amorio asked.
[So, whose heart do you desire? Tell me the name, and I shall carve yours into it.]
“What’s the price?”
[Ah, I see you came prepared. A strong soul. There may be no screams or despair, but that’s fine. I can extract them myself from that soul. Since it’s been so long, I’ll overlook it.]
It was exactly as planned.
Screams and despair could be extracted later as components, and the soul would suffice.
Filled with a brief joy, Beatrice envisioned Rebecca’s face.
“Rebecca. Engrave my name in Rebecca’s heart.”
[Let’s see…pink hair, green eyes. Is that girl in your mind Rebecca?]
“Yes, she is.”
[And it’s her heart you wish to inscribe your name upon?]
“Exactly.”
[There is no error in all of this?]
“None. Not a single one.”
[The contract has been established.]
At that moment, the twilight aura plunged into Beatrice’s heart.
It was a natural reaction to the contract.
There was no reason to be afraid.
‘We’ll meet soon. We’ll truly be together now.’
A radiant smile bloomed on Beatrice’s face.
They would be together now.
Nothing would scare her anymore.
She could see a future like that—
Crack!
“Ugh?!”
Everything shattered.
Thud!
Beatrice collapsed, panting, staring up at Amorio.
[…Hmhm.]
It made no sense.
A demon could never harm the summoner in a contract, as long as the contract terms were met without error.
“H-how…?”
The answer that came was something Beatrice couldn’t possibly understand.
[Didn’t I ask you? If there was no mistake in what you desired. I gave you a chance, and you failed to take it.]
The twilight aura drew closer.
The demon seemed to be enjoying itself immensely, laughing before feigning a playful anger as it continued.
[You lied. You deceived the contract terms.]
“What…?”
[Your terms were to inscribe your name into that girl’s heart. I only fulfilled that request.]
Yes.
Those were the terms, and she had prepared the price.
Yet, why was it pressing down on her so relentlessly?
As fury surged, an answer came.
[Listen well. I said I would write your name in her heart. I never said I would “rewrite” it. The equation does not balance.]
Beatrice’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart.
Rewrite.
She didn’t even fully comprehend it before—
[Since you deceived me, I’ll collect my due.]
The last thing Beatrice saw was a shadowy, sensuous hand extending from the twilight aura.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!w
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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