At the same time, on the upper floor of the fort.
“Everis, regarding the funding for ‘Project C’…”
René, holding several documents, sneaked into Everis’s laboratory and stumbled upon a scene where someone she had never seen before was talking to Everis.
Facing the witch with a seductive charm as always was a delicate-faced young man with a faint strawberry blond bob haircut.
He stood tall in a sharp black tuxedo, slightly taller than René.
His gaze carried a hint of melancholy, reminiscent of the colors of a twilight autumn day. He seemed like he might commit a double s*icide if left unattended for a moment. Not that it mattered, but his eyelashes were long.
“…And who might you be?”
Since Everis had a straightforward preference in appearances, René initially thought she had brought in another handsome young man for experimentation, but it seemed odd.
This young man’s presence was indistinguishable between human, undead, or demon. He seemed to be something much more powerful and abnormal.
Upon noticing René’s presence, the young man bowed at the waist. René worried if his body might bend and break.
“I bid good tidings to the acting Lord of the Fallen Kingdom of Ciel-Terra. My name is Zalema Mirelis. I am the Devil contracted with the Witch Everis.”
With a melodious voice that resonated pleasantly in the ears and a smile like a blooming lily, the young man introduced himself.
Devils, in a sense, were the lowest-ranking gods on the side of evil. They corresponded to angels in the realm of the greater gods.
The higher gods rarely showed themselves to humans, so it was the duty of angels and devils to descend to the earth, bringing various miracles and revelations.
Angels and devils were generally considered beautiful since their purpose was to interact with humans. While angels were usually ascetic and restrained, devils, whose job was to tempt people (and sometimes even monsters), often took the form of exceedingly beautiful men and women, to the point of being captivating.
Presumably, Zalema Mirelis’s appearance was tailored to Everis’s preferences.
“A contract with Everis?”
“To put it simply, the creator of the Great Witch Everis. Many centuries ago, I had no power whatsoever until I made a contract with this one to gain magical abilities. A contract to offer my soul in forty years. …Well, it’s structured in a way that allows me to extend it indefinitely by continuously paying the price of souls other than my own.”
The Witch casually confessed to nefarious deeds, but René didn’t particularly dwell on it.
“I didn’t become the Great Witch just by being complacent with the power I received from him. I continued to train diligently. Ultimately, it’s because I, originally a human, can use curse magic, thanks to him acting as a conduit.”
“Why is that devil here?”
“I hadn’t seen him in over a hundred years, but recently, I had him lend a hand to poke around that ‘hidden village’. Mystery begets mystery, you know?”
“Is that so? I must express my gratitude for your assistance on that occasion.”
Recalling memories from her past life, René offered a deep and businesslike gratitude.
It was customary for rulers to readily lower their heads in gratitude, as it could affect their reputation. However, René judged that it wouldn’t be an issue when dealing with a god. Even when looking at the history of Earth, kings sometimes faced gods as both generals and priests.
“It is an honor and a regrettable compliment… I have only fulfilled my duties based on the contract with her.”
“Princess, don’t let your guard down around this one. Devils, regardless of whether they are human, witches, or undead, are all inherently deceitful and wicked, always looking for opportunities.”
“My, my, such harsh words. As a legitimate contract devil, I always strive to be faithful to the contract and the contractor.”
“Even if you’re faithful to the contract, you devils always try to do as you please as long as there’s any room for interpretation. There’s even a saying, ‘If you want a devil to clean your room, you need a 300-page contract.'”
Despite facing a handsome young man of her own taste, Everis was harsh.
It almost seemed like they had a close relationship in a roundabout way.
“So, I plan to enlist his help in the next operation as well. Since it involves a bit of divine intervention, he’ll serve as a messenger for that purpose. He may not be serving a specific deity, so there’s no discount, but he’s flexible in return.”
“It would also be my duty to convey everyone’s wishes to the gods.”
Zalema Mirelis smiled gently and pulled out a whistle from somewhere.
“All units~, move forward!”
As the young man gave the command and blew the whistle, small figures started emerging from every nook and cranny of the cluttered room.
Mice with a dingy fur color streamed out in droves, lining up evenly in front, behind, to the left, and to the right, starting to march to the tune of the whistle.
Soon, an overwhelming number of mice filled the room, assembling in front of René and the others.
“All units~, stop!”
“Oh, how adorable.”
“They’re the operational unit.”
At the head of the aligned mouse battalion, a mouse wearing what looked like a white vest and a military cap stood up on its hind legs alone and skillfully saluted.
