Chapter 8 – Summoning My First Familiar and Entering Alchemy (I)

[Romani Oyama]

"Money… the good old scent of corruption."

It might be my ⟨Greedy Constitution⟩ talking, but my love for that medium of exchange, used to buy goods, services, or labor, was genuine and pleasurable.

With an indolent smile, I counted the stack of bills in my hands while lounging on the living room couch, watching the first episode of Dragon To-Ball, which I had managed to get from Otaku-kun after completing the contract with him.

That guy had an impressive collection, with countless animations stored in boxes. Some were a little... questionable. Some covers featured a blond-haired, bronze-skinned guy squeezing the breasts of a schoolgirl while some generic Japanese guy stared at them, visibly aroused and in profound despair.

I was beginning to question the rather dubious taste of my contractor.

But...

It was a little unbelievable that Dragon To-Ball was this world's equivalent of the legendary Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball. Either way, the contract with Otaku-kun had been completed without the slightest issue.

He was a pretty easy guy to please.

A few tentacle-related tricks were enough to get him absurdly excited.

Though his last request had been somewhat strange. Why on earth would a middle-aged man want to find himself wrapped in tentacles? Not that I judged other people's eccentricities, especially since, all things considered, he was a pretty decent guy.

It was impossible for someone who handed me 200,000 yen (1,250 USD) to be unpleasant. Even if it was a high amount, it didn't come anywhere close to the sum Francesca had left behind.

1,500,000 yen (9,560.00 USD)...

For a simple service, the girl, who seemed completely disconnected from reality, appeared quite satisfied.

Well, after completing the job, since I had absolutely no knowledge of teleportation magic, I unfortunately had to walk back to Kuoh Academy on foot, which honestly wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience, especially considering my body's complete lack of enthusiasm for any physical movement.

But the important thing was that Rias seemed satisfied with my work. She was genuinely acting like an older sister, letting me keep all the money without taking a single percentage. Though, most likely, money wasn't exactly a problem for her.

She was the princess of the Gremory clan. I couldn't even begin to imagine how rich she was.

1,500,000 yen must be pocket change to her.

The curious thing, though, was that before dismissing me for the rest of the afternoon, she had certainly noticed something strange about me. Thanks to the white-haired girl, she had probably picked up on the Sacred Gear's aura emanating from my body.

Since she hadn't asked anything, I hadn't said anything either, which was a fine arrangement for both of us.

Not to mention that the only thing I knew about this Sacred Gear was that it seemed to have some kind of connection to Francesca's supposed master.

Who was Francesca's supposed master? I have absolutely no idea, brother.

Either way, I had absolutely no desire to talk about the Francesca who had intercepted my summoning and presumably hypnotized Otaku-kun, dumping him in the bathtub of his own home.

Given the girl's insanity, the fact that he hadn't been killed already struck me as a victory.

It was obvious enough, but I also hadn't told my red-haired boss that my client had supposedly been hypnotized. In a way, I trusted Rias, but not enough to reveal my affairs to her. Even if up until now she had been a warm older sister and had even given me a DevilPhone connected to the supernatural side's internet, I maintained a certain reserve toward her.

Browsing the DevilNet, I discovered some interesting things. For instance, harems were quite common for male Devils, but not for female ones. As long as they were strong enough, they could have a legion of demonic women or even creatures from across the supernatural world without anyone daring to object. I won't lie, as a man, that definitely caught my interest.

But what caught my attention was that Rias Gremory had a fiancé.

Riser Phenex...

That name was listed as her fiancé in her encyclopedia.

That seemed problematic.

Nodding to my own thoughts, I simply chose to ignore that part, continuing to browse through the demonic information network.

However, the more I explored the DevilNet, the more I realized just how different and hierarchical the devil world was.

Devils were categorized into four distinct classes: Pure-Blood Devils, Reincarnated Devils, Mixed-Heritage Devils, and Half-Devils.

Pure-Blood Devils were the elite of demonic society, born from the lineages of the original Four Great Satans and the first generation of the 72 Pillars and Extra Devils. They were the ones who occupied the highest positions in the hierarchy, controlling and dictating the rules that governed the devil world.

Reincarnated Devils represented an ingenious solution to the population crisis that had struck the underworld. Humans and other supernatural creatures were transformed into Devils through the Evil Pieces system. Their social status depended entirely on who their king was, ranging from respected servants to little more than disposable tools.

Mixed-Heritage Devils were the product of unions between pure-blood Devils, a category that had grown significantly after the Great War. Although they carried legitimate demonic blood, the blending of different lineages frequently resulted in unpredictable powers. Some were as powerful as pure-bloods, while others could barely access a fraction of demonic power. Their social position was ambiguous, not as prestigious as pure-bloods, but generally superior to that of reincarnated Devils.

Finally, Half-Devils were perhaps the most marginalized of all. Born from the union of a devil and another species, usually humans, their power varied drastically depending on the strength of their demonic progenitor and how well they could access that heritage. Many lived in the human world, hiding their true nature, while others sought acceptance in the underworld, frequently facing prejudice.

Each category had its own advantages and disadvantages. In the end, though, the devil world followed one simple and immutable rule: power spoke louder than any classification. A sufficiently powerful reincarnated devil could rise through the ranks and become high-class, acquiring the right to hold a peerage. He could ascend from the lowest ranks to the highest, which was the dream of many low-class Devils.

Another important thing was that reincarnated Devils were genuinely not slaves, though the way they were treated depended entirely on their kings. Even so, every member of a peerage held their rights, thanks to the four great satans who repudiated any atrocious treatment of reincarnated Devils.

On the other hand, a devil was expected to obey their king and remain within their peerage. Otherwise, they were considered a stray devil and would be hunted down by the pure-blood Devils.

As interesting as the idea of being hunted by every devil sounded, I was nothing more than a small fly in this world. Either way, I was home now, and it was time to put my ability to work.

Smiling, I lazily raised my hand.

The sensation of my demonic energy being drained passed through my body once more. In the same instant, small purple crystals began to form over the palm of my hand.

⟨Ice Devil Slayer Magic⟩.

Magic that allows me to manipulate, create, and shape demonic ice.

Shaping the ice fragments, I formed a one-meter-long purple spike that floated above my palm. Ironically, even though I was a devil myself, this magic dealt critical damage to the very race I belonged to.

Pretty ironic, huh?

Manipulating the ice spike, I swung my hand and fired it toward the wall. It cut through the air with a sharp hum before colliding hard against the surface, punching through it and opening a hole several centimeters wide, leaving a freezing trail through the opening.

"..."

Something tells me that firing a magical ice spike inside my own home wasn't exactly my smartest decision, was it?

With a dry smile, I rose from the couch and rubbed my forehead in resignation.

⟨Ice Devil Slayer Magic⟩, without a shadow of a doubt, would be my central ability. I would certainly need finer control over this magic so that the consumption of demonic energy would be lower and my mastery would increase to a level where I could even freeze time. Okay! Maybe that last part was a slight exaggeration on my part.

But...

For now, I was interested in another welcome gift I had received. The time had come to summon my first familiar in this world.

With a more animated expression than usual, a golden tome materialized over the palm of my hand.

It was the second time I had summoned the ⟨Endless Codex⟩, but even so, I still had a little difficulty not admiring that tome bathed in golden light.

I ran my finger over its cover and simply opened it to the first gold-laminated page.

I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them, and without the slightest hesitation, my demonic power began to circulate through my body with some difficulty. The next second, the golden tome simply began to devour my magical energy, like water slowly filling an empty well. Gradually, symbols carved themselves into the page, accompanied by a voice that seemed to echo inside my head.

=======================

Magical Contract

Registered in the Infinite Pages of the Endless Codex

Between:

The Bearer of the Endless Codex, hereinafter referred to as Master

And:

The Apprentice Archmage of the Arcane Chaos Lineage,

Disciple of the Black Mage,

Known as Dark Magician Girl, hereinafter referred to as Familiar

Clause I: Upon speaking the familiar's name while holding the Endless Codex and offering sufficient demonic energy, the bearer establishes the first bond between the parties.

Clause II: The Familiar commits to:

First: Answering the Master's call whenever summoned, provided that sufficient demonic energy is offered.

Second: Employing their spells and knowledge to protect the Master and fulfill the agreed objectives.

Third: Guiding the Master in the use of black magic, preserving its principles.

Fourth: Not acting against the Master, except if they gravely violate the terms of this contract.

Clause III: The Master commits to:

First: Treating the Familiar with respect, affection, and kindness.

Second: Guaranteeing freedom of thought and expression during the summoning period.

Third: Offering stable energy during the summoning period.

Fourth: Allowing the familiar's growth, whether through battles, study, or the accumulation of magical experience.

If You Wish to Establish This Bond, Speak Your Familiar's Name

=======================

All the contract information, along with the familiar's name, was engraved in my mind.

With an eager smile forming on my face, without the slightest hesitation, I parted my lips and exclaimed:

"Contract accepted: Dark Magician Girl!"

Author's Note: Yes, the first familiar Romani summoned is Dark Magician Girl. Judge me all you want, but she's the best monster girl in Yu-Gi-Oh!

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