After completing my application for training at the Telemachus School, I returned to the village outside the city walls.

I finished my last meal at the inn and went back to my room, hearing some well-meaning advice from the innkeeper, though it didn’t feel very comforting.
That old man, if he was going to offer advice, he could’ve just done it straight. Why did he have to talk about people who couldn’t handle the Abyss and ended up retiring?

I guess it’s because the lives of adventurers who get pushed to an inn like this, in a village outside the city, often end up that way.
It felt like he was trying to say, "It’s okay if you don’t succeed as an adventurer or a sorcerer."
I appreciated the sentiment, but his method didn’t really inspire confidence.

Anyway, knowing that my time in this small room, which I had found cramped and uncomfortable for the last few months, was now ending, it suddenly felt oddly endearing.

"Ah… I need to erase this too."

I had cleaned up once already, but remnants of the summoning circle still remained.

"It’s only been a month?"

It had only been a month since I summoned Seir and became a demon sorcerer.
A lot had changed in that short time.

From being a nobody who couldn’t even use a single spell, living on the streets, to now standing on the verge of becoming a full-fledged sorcerer and a promising adventurer.
I guess this is what they call "a world of difference."

[That’s right. It’s already been a month.]

"Have you been watching?"

Usually, I would converse with Seir in my mind, but today, I felt like speaking out loud.

[Of course. I’ve always been watching. Your growth is remarkable. There’s an old saying, ‘New every day,’ isn’t there?]

Now she’s even quoting ancient proverbs from the East. It’s almost scary.

[Don’t joke, contractor.]

"I apologize."

[Hmph. More importantly, I have good news for you.]

"Good news? Could it be…."

I wasn’t expecting it to be about returning to Earth. I knew I still had a long way to go. I had barely scratched the surface of magic, only beginning to embody its mysteries.

So, what Seir must mean is….

"An expansion of my abilities?"

That must be it.

Out of Seir’s many abilities, I could only use one: the power of teleportation.

Even that was limited to moving myself and objects I was in direct contact with. Compared to Seir, who could move creatures and items from anywhere in the world, my abilities were quite lacking.

As a demon sorcerer, one’s strength is often measured by how precisely they can harness their contracted demon’s abilities and how many of those powers they can master.

If I had developed more magical aptitude, I might have been able to tap deeper into Seir’s powers.

[Unfortunately, that’s not it. While the passage has expanded, it’s still not enough to meet the growth conditions for La Traviata.]

"I told you to stop calling it that…."

[Anyway, we’ll leave the growth of La Traviata for later.]

Seir still refused to give up on the name she had made up for my magic.

[Besides that, you have undeniably grown to a new level.]

Seir explained that my repeated battles and continuous training had led to this growth.

[There are three main ways for a contractor to grow: self-improvement, enhancing the powers I grant you, or lastly…]

"Forming a new contract with another demon."

[Correct.]

My heart raced.

A contract with another demon?
I had never considered it before.

I was satisfied with Seir.
Despite her occasional teasing, I had never forgotten to be grateful.

Since arriving in this other world, Seir had been the one and only being who had truly helped me.
If I were to call anyone my savior, it would be Seir.
Oh, but since Seir is a demon, I guess I should say “savior demon.”
The thought of a demon bestowing blessings seemed odd, but that’s how I felt.

"I’m already quite satisfied with you, Seir."

Who wouldn’t be?
You give me unlimited magic, you create spells for me, and you do it all for free without asking for anything in return.

Seir does it all.

[Hehe, I know. Despite your occasional impious thoughts, I understand that you truly revere me.]

"Then…."

[That’s why I also want to give you more.]

This too was Seir’s blessing.

"In that case, I understand."

The second demon summoning, initiated by Seir’s suggestion.

This time, having already done it once, my hands moved more smoothly as I drew the summoning circle.

But even as I drew, I couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease.

To be honest, it wasn’t that I was special—Seir had simply been extraordinarily generous by not asking for any price.
But this time, the demon I summon might not be like Seir, who’s from Earth, but rather a demon from this world.

I couldn’t help but feel that it would be better to focus on Seir alone and deepen my mastery of her powers instead of forming a contract with another demon.

However, Seir was firm in her decision.

[Demons have seals that represent them. When you draw their seal in the summoning circle, that specific demon will definitely be summoned.]

It was like a calling system.

No wonder demon sorcerers randomly spread summoning circles everywhere and scan for responses. Once they find the right match, they can squeeze every last benefit out of it.

'Just because you call them doesn’t guarantee they’ll respond….'

But at least I wouldn’t have to worry about summoning some random demon.

"So, what seal should I draw?"

As I’ve said many times before, connections are everything in this world.
And that rule applies just as much to the world of demons.

This summoning depended entirely on Seir’s network among demons.

[Draw ELERAI along the inner edge of the circle, starting from the 10 o’clock position and moving clockwise to 12, 2, 4, 6, and 8 o’clock. Then, draw a bow slightly off-center to the left.]

I followed Seir’s instructions and drew the summoning circle.

"Is this correct?"

[Perfect. Now, place the offering on the altar. Oh… yes, that’s good.]

"Are you sure that’s a suitable offering?"

[Of course. In fact, this will be quite effective. Trust me!]

Does Seir know that her overly confident tone actually makes me more anxious?

But what can I do? If Seir says it’s the right thing to do, I’ll trust her.

After all, Seir was fully in charge of this summoning.

"Alright, I’ll begin."

[Go ahead.]

Huuu.

Even though it was my second time, I was still nervous.

If not for Seir’s assurance, I might be trembling with fear, just like when I summoned her for the first time.

"I call upon you."

The moment I uttered the first line of the summoning chant, the magic flowed through the blood I had spilled onto the circle.

Not my power, nor Seir’s, but the power of the demon I was summoning.

There was no room for mistakes.

This time, unlike the awkward mix of Korean and the local language I had used when summoning Seir, I recited the incantation entirely in Korean.

A familiar light filled the space, and a presence, sharp and suffocating, pressed down on the room, even more intense than when I had summoned Seir.

When my vision returned after the light faded, the first thing I saw was a gleaming red horn atop the demon’s head.

She carried a quiver on her back, a bow in her hand, and surveyed the world with languid red eyes.

Her porcelain-white skin was so smooth it almost looked lifeless, signaling to my subconscious that she was not human like me.

She wore green clothes, with black pants underneath, though the leather material exposed much of her pale thighs.

As I raised my gaze higher, I was greeted by two large peaks standing prominently on her chest.

'There’s really nowhere to look but her face.'

And naturally, our eyes met.

Her eyes were a deep crimson, almost blood-colored, radiating a coldness similar to Seir’s icy gaze, but beneath that chill, there was a storm of emotions swirling inside.

"You’re the one who summoned me… Oh, wait, you're Seir’s contractor?"

She knows me?

"Yes."

"Hmm, then this isn’t Earth, is it?"

As if to confirm, the demon turned her head and scanned the surroundings, taking in the new world she had arrived in.

"Ssss… haa. The air is nice here. The moonlight is rich, and the scent of the forest is thick."

Moonlight and the smell of the forest.

Things that had long since become fantasies in modern Earth, where light pollution covered the night sky and deforestation wiped out the woods.

Thinking about how human greed had destroyed even the demons’ natural habitats made me want to laugh bitterly.
Yeah, the real demons aren’t beings like Seir or the one standing in front of me. It’s us humans.

With that thought, I no longer felt the need to freeze up in front of the demon.

"Oh… not bad, you."

"I’m Seir’s contractor, after all."

"Right. If you’re going to summon demons, you should at least have that much nerve. So, this is the offering?"

"Ah… yes, it is."

I looked awkwardly at the offering on the altar.

It was a skewer of fruit, coated in sugar syrup.
A traditional snack called tanghulu.

"Is that so? Well… not bad. I’ll take it."

The moment she spoke, the tanghulu was already in her hand.

I hadn’t even seen her move. The speed was unbelievable.

"Mm. Not bad."

For someone who said that, she had already finished eating it.

"You want a contract?"

"Yes."

"Your level is sufficient. You have the talent to contract with both me and Seir. Or is this place special?"

Maybe both?
…That would be nice.

"Either way, it’s fine. I’ll gladly make a contract, just to experience this world."

"Then the price…."

"The price? Ah, um… hmmm…."

Her previously emotionless expression slowly began to fill with feeling, and by the time she covered her mouth with her hand, her brows were furrowed in thought.

"Ah… I don’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve made a contract. Is a price even necessary? It’s just a hassle. I think experiencing this world is enough for me."

"In that case, I’d be more than happy."

"Oh, wait. I thought of something."

Can’t it be like with Seir?
This is starting to feel like false hope… typical demons.

"Speech. No more polite language. I don’t like it."

Canceled. You’re not a demon.

"If that’s all, I can do that."

"Good. That’s refreshing. Now…."

Unlike Seir, who elegantly pricked her finger to seal our contract, this demon clearly wanted to show off why she carried a bow and arrows. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and stabbed it right into her palm.

Crunch!

The arrow pierced through her palm, and her blood flowed onto the summoning circle.
By mixing our blood, our souls were connected.

"My name is Leraje. The one who pierces the white hide."

Leraje.
The name of my second contracted demon.

The day after Roman submitted his application for training.

He packed his belongings from the inn and returned to the Telemachus School, where Mea guided him to the room that had been assigned to him.
Hekate was absent, busy with other matters.

As the saying goes, "strike while the iron is hot," so Roman and Mea soon left the school building to head into the Abyss.
They stopped by the market to gather supplies before entering.

It was supposed to be a moment for Mea to step in as a senior and guide Roman on what items to buy, but she couldn’t focus.

‘How….’

It had only been a day.
A single day since Mea last saw Roman.
Considering that Roman had left the day before in the afternoon and returned early this morning, it hadn’t even been 12 hours.

How in the world…?

‘His demonic energy has increased.’

The first time Mea saw Roman, she seriously wondered if her senses were malfunctioning.

Roman had contracted with another demon.
That could be overlooked. After all, demon sorcerers increasing the number of their contracted demons was as common as regular sorcerers expanding their magical repertoires.

But this?
This was too much.

‘How did he contract with another noble-class demon… again?’

Out of a hundred demon summoners, only one might summon a demon with a name.
Out of a hundred demons with names, only one might hold a title.
Out of a hundred demons with titles, only one might be of the highest rank.

In other words, a demon sorcerer who contracts with a high-ranking noble is part of the 0.0001%.

And yet, he had contracted with two high-ranking demons?

‘What on earth is he?’

Mea’s understanding of the world was beginning to crumble.