Days passed in an almost idyllic routine.

Morning lectures, afternoon training sessions, followed by physical reinforcement and magic control practice.

But now, a new habit had worked its way into my daily schedule.

After the afternoon training, during the personal time we were given, I had started visiting the library to read.

At first, I visited the library to fill in gaps in my knowledge about this world—learning about its common sense, customs, and history. But lately, I had become engrossed in one subject in particular.

Magic.

I placed the books I’d collected on the table I’d made my usual spot. Across from me, Leaf raised her head, curiosity piqued.

"What books are you reading today?"

"Basic Magic. Techniques for Contract-Based Mana Control. The Relationship Between Demons and Magic."

"Ugh... sounds boring."

"Can’t disagree."

Recently, the books I had been reading were all along these lines: What mana is, how magic works, the nature of contracts with demons...

In comparison...

"Are you reading that again?"

"Ahehehe."

Leaf held her book up to hide her face. As if I could see her face in the first place with that hood on.

Unlike me, she was reading a novel—one of those typical romance stories about a girl from the countryside who sneaks into the capital city and meets a prince who enjoys going undercover in the commoner districts. Of course, their love was challenged by the harsh reality of their different statuses. But, in a twist, it turned out the girl had noble High Elf blood, which let her overcome the class barrier and achieve her happy ending with the prince.

The reason I knew the entire plot? Leaf wasn’t reading the book for the first time. She’d gone through it so many times I’d practically memorized the story by now.

"Aren’t you tired of it?"

"Nope. It’s fun every time I read it."

But I knew the truth.

There were only a few romance novels in this library, so Leaf had no choice but to reread that one over and over again.

On the first day, I thought maybe she’d study with me.

Turns out she’s really not the academic type. Every morning, she shows up to class just to sleep. She doesn’t even try to hide it anymore.

Honestly, if she liked studying, I wouldn’t be stuck wading through dead knowledge to figure out how to use magic on my own. I could just ask her directly and save myself the trouble.

But when I asked for advice, Leaf’s answer had crushed my hopes.

"Magic? How do I use it? Um... I just call out to my friend, and they come and help me."

That’s when I remembered that Leaf, like me, was a clicker—a spirit summoner.

'A kid like Seir...'

[Excuse me? I provide great help, don’t I?]

Jeez. Couldn’t she give me a little warning before showing up?

Apparently, whenever I so much as thought of her name, my contract with Seir automatically sent her a signal.

'Okay, I get it.'

[So show some respect, Contractor.]

'Of course, I always worship you, mighty GOAT...'

[GOAT? As in... a goat? The symbol of demons, sure, but not me. I ride a Pegasus, remember? Hello? Contractor?]

I guess she wasn’t familiar with modern slang. Looks like Seir still had a lot to learn about current human culture.

I entertained her banter for a bit, offering up the usual praise before refocusing on my reading.

"Is this right?"

Following the instructions in the book, I moved mana within me. Not Seir’s magic, but my own native mana.

My first attempt to cast basic magic using Seir’s power had failed, which made me realize the necessity of mastering my own mana.

Indeed, demon magic felt fundamentally different from the regular kind.

So, I started practicing what is often considered the most basic spell—light magic.

I conjured a small orb of light, maneuvering it around in my hand.

Not long after, my mana reserves depleted.

Since I had only recently begun accumulating my personal mana, my reserves were still quite small. Not that it mattered—my primary source of power would always be the mana I gained through contracts with demons.

I closed the book I’d been reading and decided to take a break, turning to Leaf for some conversation.

"By the way, is Rei still avoiding us?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

Since that day, Rei had been distancing herself from us.

She only spoke during group activities, like team exploration exercises or combat drills, and even then, just the bare minimum necessary for cooperation. It wasn’t enough to criticize her for it, but it was clear she was keeping her distance.

"How about we try talking to her on our day off?"

"Yeah, that might be a good idea."

We had a day off every week—our "day of rest."

Even though it was technically a rest day, the training facility was actually busier than usual, with all the repairs and maintenance happening. They even shut down the dining hall on that day.

Which meant we had to go out to eat.

Maybe if we took Rei out, got some fresh air, and enjoyed a nice meal, she’d open up a bit. It sounded like a reasonable plan, except...

'I’m broke.'

I had already planned to have my meal at an inn where I could get credit until payday.

But I didn’t have to be the one paying, right? I could always... borrow money.

"You’ll come with us, right?"

"Uh... I actually have plans."

"Just me, then?"

"Hehe..."

She tried to laugh it off.

Unfortunately for me, it worked.

"Alright, I’ll go. I’ll talk to Rei tomorrow."

"Yay!"

"But what are these plans you have tomorrow?"

"Ah... well..."

She looked uncomfortable, so I let it go and turned back to my second book.

'I really need to make progress before the exam.'

The quiet rustling of pages was the only sound in the library as I resumed my reading.

Day of Rest

Birds chirped outside my window, and warm sunlight filtered in, tickling my feet.

How long had it been since I slept this well?

Most days, I woke up feeling stiff and tired, but today, my body felt light and refreshed.

Maybe all the exhaustion from the past week had finally caught up with me—the late nights spent reading, experimenting with mana, and squeezing in extra training sessions.

'Alright, time to get up and... oh.'

A cold sensation ran down my spine, cutting through the warmth.

Then, I threw off the blanket and bolted out of bed.

"...Crap."

I glanced at the clock on the dormitory’s first floor.

1:20 PM.

I had overslept.

I quickly got dressed and rushed out.

As I suspected, Arthur and the others were already gone by the time I reached the dorm.

Running outside, I dashed through the training facility’s gates, barely registering the taste of freedom in the open air as I sprinted toward the city center of Les Rimen.

The training facility was located just outside the outer walls of Les Rimen.

Beyond the outer walls was the "Suburb," a district where people who couldn’t afford to live inside the city resided. The inn where I usually stayed was located there.

The Suburb was a chaotic place, with narrow, twisting alleys and buildings crammed together. It wasn’t a planned area, so the streets were a mess, and the local crime rate was high. People wearing hoods were common here.

Which meant finding Rei would be next to impossible.

I muttered to myself in frustration, "Great... now what?"

I didn’t have any magic technique to track her down, no fancy sixth sense for detecting mana signatures or anything like that.

With nothing else to go on, I just wandered aimlessly through the streets.

After walking for what felt like hours, my stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten since last night.

'Maybe I’ll just grab something at the inn.'

The area around the city gates was much more orderly. Unlike the rest of the Suburb, this part was regulated by the city’s officials, who were quick to demolish any unauthorized structures.

The familiar creak of old hinges greeted me as I entered the inn.

The innkeeper, sitting behind the counter, turned his head toward the door.

"Hm?"

"It’s been a while. I’m here for a meal. I’m a bit late, but I assume that’s not a problem?"

The sound of my spoon scraping the bottom of the bowl echoed in the empty inn.

"So, what’s this? Did you get kicked out of the training camp?"

The innkeeper greeted me in his usual gruff way, but his tone was oddly comforting.

"What are you talking about? It’s our day off."

"Oh... is it?"

"Yeah. You could probably tell, what with the lack of customers."

"You didn’t hear, then?"

"Hear what?"

The innkeeper’s expression grew serious, and I paused mid-spoonful, waiting for him to continue.

"Slave traders are in town."

"...Slave traders?"

I was surprised at how calm my voice sounded.

Slavery.

The very thought made my skin crawl, but it wasn’t enough to send me into a panic. I forced myself to stay composed and asked again.

"That’s nothing new, though."

"True. They come around often enough."

Les Rimen may have been a city of magic and mystery, but it also cast a long shadow—a social darkness as deep as the magic that it was known for.

The citizens inside the city’s walls were protected by city law and the council. But outside, in the Suburb, things were different. Crime ran rampant, and slavery was a common practice. Human trafficking was just one of many issues plaguing this area.

"But this time, it’s on a bigger scale."

"How big?"

"I’m not sure, but it sounds like they’ve spread out all over the area."

"And the city council is just letting it happen?"

"Probably got paid off."

The innkeeper shrugged as if to say, "How would I know?"

Les Rimen was well aware of the slave traders who came to the Suburb, either to buy people who had fallen into debt or to capture runaway slaves. The city was a beacon of freedom, after all, attracting runaways like moths to a flame.

In Les Rimen, there was an old saying: Stadtluft macht frei—"The air of the city makes you free." Any slave who lived in Les Rimen for a year and a day would automatically become a free citizen.

It was an ironclad rule.

Anyone who violated that principle was essentially declaring war on the city itself, and no one—no matter how powerful—wanted to provoke Les Rimen.

As a result, Les Rimen tolerated the slave traders, but only to a point. If they overstepped their bounds, the city’s law enforcement would take action.

"Even if this is the Suburb, the city guards will step in if the slavers get too bold."

"Who knows what deals they’ve made behind closed doors."

"Yeah, probably."

I finished my soup and set the spoon down, then looked at the innkeeper.

"Thanks for the meal. Charge it to my tab."

"Don’t worry about it. I’ll give you this one on the house. So, how’s training going? You’ve got a test coming up soon, right?"

The upcoming midterm exam was on my mind—both a graduation test and a provisional license exam. We’d be tested on both academic and practical skills, and passing meant earning a provisional magic license.

"The academics are fine, but the practical exam might be tricky."

"That’s where most people struggle."

"No, I’m confident in my own abilities, but... it’s my teammates."

"You got issues with them? Did you have a fight?"

"Not exactly."

I was about to tell the innkeeper about Rei and our strained dynamic when a commotion outside interrupted us.

"Get him!"

"If we lose him, we don’t get paid this month!"

"Request backup! Contact Malevris! We’ve got him in sight!"

Loud shouts rang out in the street, and the sound of running footsteps echoed past the inn’s door.

The innkeeper clicked his tongue.

"Chasing after a kid like that... grown men, all of them. What a disgrace."

"You saw it?"

"Yeah. It was a small one."

A bad feeling crept over me. I stood up from the table and gestured to the middle of my chest.

"About this size?"

"Yeah, somewhere around there."

"Wearing a hood?"

"Of course. What runaway wouldn’t cover themselves up?"

"...The hood wasn’t gray, was it?"

"Huh? You saw it too? You really are becoming a mage."

"..."

I stayed silent for a moment, my expression hardening.

"Hey, you... that kid wasn’t..."

"Shit!"

Crash! Bang!

"Whoa, Roman!"

"Sorry! I’ve gotta go!"

Ignoring the innkeeper’s shout, I bolted out of the inn, heading in the direction the slavers had gone.

Even as I ran, doubts and second thoughts bubbled up in my mind.

'Is this really Rei?'

'What if it’s not?'

'I don’t even know what’s going on.'

But then, other thoughts surfaced.

'If I can mess with those damn slavers, that’s a win.'

'What about the exam if Rei’s gone?'

'And what about the bet?'

Conflicting ideas swirled inside my head, creating a storm of hesitation.

But then, I remembered what I had said before.

'We’re a team.'

As soon as I recalled those words, my feet began to move faster.

"Doesn’t matter how long I’ve known her..."

In that moment, I pushed myself harder, sprinting with all my might.

Rei was a teammate.

Even if I hadn’t seen her face, I wasn’t about to let someone I knew be dragged away by slave traders.

As my resolve solidified, the doubt and hesitation faded away, leaving only one thing: focus.

'Neither of them knows this area well.'

As I mentally mapped out the chase, it seemed clear that both Rei and the slavers were running without much knowledge of the terrain. But I trusted Rei’s instincts more than anything.

She had never been wrong during our exploration training. If anyone could find the best escape route, it was Rei.

'I just need to predict her path...'

There was no way I could catch up to Rei at my current pace. So instead, I would anticipate her movements and intercept her.

I unfolded the mental map of the Suburb and plotted out Rei’s most likely course of action. Then, I ran toward a spot where I could cut her off.

As I rounded a corner, I saw a gray hooded figure dart past me.

Reflexively, I called out.

"Rei!"

The small figure stopped in its tracks.

I had hoped it wasn’t her, but...

"...What? Why are you here?"

"I followed you. Now what the hell is going on? Let’s talk after we get out of here."

Relieved, I took a deep breath and walked toward her.

Rei stood there, clearly agitated, unsure whether to keep running or let me join her.

"Look, I don’t know why you’re here, but just go."

"Come on, I followed you all this way."

When I didn’t back off, Rei clicked her tongue in frustration.

"Tch, just leave me alone."

Suddenly, Rei lunged at me, her hand grabbing my collar and yanking me hard.

It was then that a shadowy hand passed through the space where I had just been standing.

"What... the hell is that?"

The magic was both foreign and strangely familiar. It didn’t belong to Rei or Leaf, but it had a similar feel to Seir’s demonic magic.

Yeah... that was demon magic.

"Go. I don’t need your help. I’ll hold them off while you run."

"What?"

Before she could explain, I didn’t need to hear it.

The reason became crystal clear when I saw him.

A sorcerer cloaked in black, with strange symbols stitched into his robe.

It was obvious to anyone looking: he was a demon sorcerer.

'Seir.'

[I’m here, Contractor.]

For the first time, I was face-to-face with another demon sorcerer.

And I immediately called for Seir.

'This is an opportunity.'

If I could learn from his magic, it could help me understand my own powers better. Not just for myself, but for Seir too, since I was her first contractor.

"What is this guy?"

"Same as you."

"That’s not what I meant."

"He’s after me."

I quickly sized up the situation.

Once Rei let go of my collar, I regained my balance and prepared for an attack.

But the sorcerer seemed calm, even relaxed as he spoke.

"As expected. Beastkin are so troublesome... their instincts are too sharp."

A chill ran down my spine.

This guy was the real deal.

Not like the magicians we’d faced during our training exercises—he was someone who had killed before.

His voice, cold and metallic, was filled with malice and murderous intent. And then, his gaze fell on me.

"I was going to deal with this nuisance first."

"He's not involved. Just let him go."

"Oh? Well then..."

Without a moment's hesitation, the sorcerer made his move.

His hand shot out like a crossbow bolt, aiming directly for me, but Rei was faster. She kicked his arm mid-strike, deflecting it with a crack like metal on metal.

A grotesque sound followed as the sorcerer’s hand exploded into pieces, scattering flesh and bone across the ground.

In contrast, Rei’s leg was encased in shimmering silver magic, completely untouched by the attack.

The sorcerer chuckled softly.

"Impressive. An unfair magic, isn’t it? To break magic with magic itself."

Despite his words, he didn’t seem troubled.

He reached into his robe and pulled out a severed finger. As he channeled mana into it, a new shadowy hand formed, identical to the one before.

And he had more than one of those fingers.

"Damn it."

More shadowy hands appeared and lunged toward Rei.

It was clear now—his first strike at me had only been a test.

It was like a pitcher throwing a fastball to gauge the batter's range.

He had been testing whether Rei would protect me, and whether I was any threat to him. Once he realized I wasn’t, he focused entirely on Rei.

'You’re ignoring me?'

Fine.

I didn’t mind being underestimated.

It just made things easier for me.

But what about Seir?

[Such an insult... Contractor, teach him a lesson.]

Looks like Seir wasn’t feeling quite so lenient.

Alright, then.

Time for him to pay the price.