The Dark Pact and a Desperate Plea

Since she had been appointed a Royal Guard Knight, Faein was assigned to live on the same floor as me in the palace.

Her suite was located at the very end of the corridor, directly opposite my own.

This particular room had always been reserved for the Princess’s Captain of the Guards, though it had remained vacant until now.

Upon returning to my room, I took a bath and then collapsed onto my bed, feeling utterly drained.

So much had transpired over the past few days, yet now that silence had descended, a strange emptiness settled within me.

Following Faein’s instructions, I had already deployed spies throughout the various factions of the Underworld, tasking them with gathering information on Yukino.

However, the Underworld was vast beyond measure, and there was no telling when any news might surface. Faein, it seemed, had simply retreated to her own quarters, leaving me to my devices!

‘I had truly expected her to constantly try to exert some form of control over me! Did she just cast me aside once her objective was achieved?’

‘Oh? I wasn’t actually anticipating it! How could I? It’s much better this way! I can finally—get a good night’s sleep!’

Perhaps my delicate body was simply too exhausted. Even if she truly came to seek me out, I feared I wouldn’t have the strength to deal with her.

Lost in these thoughts, I gradually drifted into a hazy sleep.

****

‘Save us, save us…’

In my dream, the faint, sorrowful voice of a young girl reached me, broken and intermittent.

‘Was it merely a dream?’

No, that wasn’t right. The voice was so incredibly real, and with it, certain memories within me began to stir.

This was no ordinary dream; it was a Dark Pact! A Dark Pact summoning a high-level demon to descend!

I slowly opened my eyes. Someone was willing to pay a considerable price for my manifestation.

Regardless of whether my strength had fully recovered, as the sovereign of the entire Underworld, my rank was exceptionally high. The fact that I could sense this meant the summoning maiden possessed a commensurate sacrifice.

Of course, I could choose to respond, or not.

Naturally, given my noble status as the Underworld’s Guardian Princess, it was utterly impossible for me to appear in person, even if it were only a projection of my consciousness. If it were a trap, revealing my true appearance to an enemy would prove troublesome.

Therefore, with a flick of my hand, I summoned Beth Daisy.

“Princess Royal.”

“I have sensed a summons from the human realm. This is a magical rune-seal of mine. Inlay it into one of the demons raised in the deepest layers of the Underworld, and let it represent me in responding to the summons. Ascertain the precise nature of the request,” I instructed, a shimmering rune-seal, bearing my exclusive mark as the Dark Princess, appearing in my palm before flying towards Beth Daisy.

I had Beth Daisy implant the rune-seal in my stead because I had no desire to descend into the filthy, reeking dens where demons were bred.

A short while later, a peculiar fluctuation emanated, and I felt myself take control of the demon.

“Summon Seth, Suriya, and Faein to the War Council Chamber!” I commanded Beth Daisy.

Summoning a demon’s physical form was both complex and perilous, but summoning only its will was considerably easier. This particular summons belonged to the latter category.

Several minutes later, we had all gathered in the War Council Chamber. Faein’s hair was damp, indicating she had just finished bathing.

I connected the rune-seal’s feedback to a crystal ball, which then projected a swirling darkness—the demon currently wandering within a dimensional rift.

“The summoning fluctuation has been located.” With a thought, I manipulated the demon, sending it soaring towards the source of the ripple.

Boom!—The projection showed towering black smoke and sparks. From a short distance away, the coughing of a girl could be heard.

This was a cluttered basement. The visual field was quite elevated, clearly indicating that even the demon’s illusory form, with only half its body surfacing, was enormous.

I saw a girl in red armor lying before a magic circle, evidently stunned by the demon’s sudden appearance.

Beth Daisy brought forth a black stone disk.

As I infused a surge of Dark Primordial Force into it, numerous magical scripts and symbols materialized upon the disk.

Upon seeing these characters, I immediately recalled them as the ancient and noble ancestral script of our Aryan demon race.

My nimble fingers began to tap out words on the stone disk.

The demon, in turn, began to speak the words I typed, its voice deep and profound: “I am Coolie Rombein Aryan XVI from the Abyssal Underworld. Mortal creature, is it you who summoned me?”

The petite girl, seen through the demon’s eyes, appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen. Judging by her armor, she seemed to be a female swordswoman. Though visibly terrified by the demon, she bravely suppressed her fear, appearing utterly fearless of death.

“It is I, Leona Shalien, the swordswoman of Redfang Keep, who summons the great Coolie Rombein Aryan XVI, sovereign of the Underworld!”

Suriya, growing impatient, stomped her foot, crossing her arms. “So, Princess, you called us in the middle of the night just to watch you play summoning games?”

“Suriya! I am the sovereign of the Underworld; those who are unaware of the cost of summoning me cannot even register in my senses. What could possibly compel this young girl to summon me, humanity’s ultimate foe, at such a tremendous price? It requires a resolve to abandon everything, and I sense that the matter at hand is far from ordinary.”

I spoke as I continued to tap the stone slab, causing the demon to articulate my words.

“Do you know, Leona, the price of summoning me? And that, whether I assist you or not, this price must be paid? You may gain nothing at all.”

“I know.” Though Leona’s face could not conceal her fear, her eyes held a determination rarely seen in a girl of her age.

“State your wish, then, you must understand that the nature of demons is to be faithless. Whether I help you or not, I will ultimately claim your virgin soul.”

“I know that demons are always treacherous, but at least you never deny it,” the girl said, her eyes glistening with tears.

“Hm? State your wish!”

“I want you to rescue my beloved!”

“Leona, what kind of beings do you take us for? To save mortals—have you perhaps mistaken the object of your prayers?”

“I… I know, I know demons cannot save people, but… but I have no other choice! The gods do not hear my prayers, and the Emperor of the Empire will not listen to my pleas. I… I simply have no other choice!” The girl’s tears flowed freely as she spoke.

“Oh? One abandoned by gods and by your own kind? Interesting. Let me hear it, then. Who is this person you wish to save?”

“The only person I love in this world, the kindest, purest, noblest, and most sincere person—her name is Asta, and she is a witch.”