Chapter 269: The King of Pill Bugs
“Lord Jean, could you elaborate on the situation where you are ‘giving magic power in exchange for stopping’?” The Butler asked with a cheerful smile.
“When I was exploring the ruins, I came across something that looked like the King of Pill Bugs—”
“The King of Pill Bugs.” Dean echoed back, but it can’t be helped since it was there.
“When I poked it, it seemed to submit, so I made a contract.”
“…”
“…………”
The Butler remained frozen with a smile, while Dinoss lowered his head, tucking it between his knees.
“You…” Karn rubbed his eyes.
“Why didn’t you defeat it?” Retze inquired.
“It was amusing to see it curl up.” Dean answered.
“No, I thought maybe I could contract with a Demon Beast?”
“That would be after you made it submit.”
“Just a misunderstanding.”
Dean’s probing was relentless.
“Note?” Dinoss called out, still looking down.
“That’s outside the range. Please keep it within the city of Kanum at least.” The Butler smiled brightly.
“…Retze, are you not going to accompany him on this solo journey?” I called out to Retze this time.
“Impossible. If I take my eyes off him for even a moment, I’ll die.” Retze replied without hesitation.
That’s just terrible.
“I have Shiva and the others with me—”
“I ultimately can’t interfere with this one’s wishes.” Karn interjected over Dinoss’s words.
“In my understanding, making contracts with Demon Beasts and Black Spirits is considered dark magic and is taboo. What is the current status?” Karn asked.
“It can be used in lands where war has persisted for a long time, but it is still considered taboo.” The Butler answered Karn’s question.
“From the name alone, it sounds like a wicked magic.”
“That’s you, you. Don’t act like it’s someone else’s problem.” I received a painful squeeze on my temples from Retze, who was pinching my head between his fists.
That’s just terrible.
“You did this! Don’t make a face like a cat that just had its claws trimmed!”
“Wait, do they trim cat claws here too? Doesn’t that make it hard to catch rats?”
I thought the cats here were working cats. Isn’t it bad to cut their weapon-like claws?
“Noble ladies trim their cats’ claws so they won’t scratch.”
“Speaking of which, Retze, you were once burdened with cat-sitting during a noble’s request, weren’t you?” Chris chimed in.
“Wow.”
They’re doing all sorts of things.
“That’s not relevant right now, okay? Normally, no one thinks about trying to contract with a Demon Beast, right?”
The squeezing resumed!
“Well, well, let’s just hear the story. What kind of contract did you make with the King of Pill Bugs?” The Butler interjected.
“It’s impressive that you can say ‘King of Pill Bugs’ with a straight face.”
“…”
The Butler froze for a moment at Dean’s words.
“The King of Pill Bugs just made it so it wouldn’t actively attack people. However, it seems to get hungry, so I promised to give it magic power. Apparently, it has good fuel efficiency, so it’s fine as long as I give it some when I see it.”
For some reason, it hasn’t come near me since I poked it.
“Can you distinguish between the Pill Bug you saw and the one you contracted with?” Chris asked curiously.
“Not really. They all seem the same? There might be groups, but probably like the Green Circle attached to Ash’s bracelet, they might be the type that increases in number as they gain power. They’ve been around since the era of the Fire Spirit, so they seem to have spread quite a bit across the continent. There was one that had a unified will, and I met it in the ruins.”
I definitely can’t tell them apart aside from that one.
“A Pill Bug that seems to have conquered the continent…”
“Even though it’s a Pill Bug…”
Dinoss muttered, and Dean continued.
“Contracts with Demon Beasts are seen as dangerous, so be cautious. If you’re not careful, you could be persecuted.” Retze said, placing a hand on his forehead.
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is!”
I thought familiars and such were acceptable in fantasy, but apparently not.
“Sometimes I feel like my understanding is more skewed than yours, considering I’m the one left behind…”
“It’s not just a feeling; it’s a fact!” Chris replied to Karn.
I think it’s understandable since my time living in this world is still short.
“Contracts with Demon Beasts can lead to mental illness over time. While harm to people can be minimized, Jean won’t be sacrificed. Is there no way to annul it?” Ash said with a serious expression.
He’s worried about me. Lately, that occasionally scary face of his has started to look endearing.
“Ah, I’m fine since I have the Mental Resistance granted by the Gods. However, it does affect the spirits I have contracted, so I’m adjusting to keep the contracts with Black Spirits fewer than with regular spirits.”
“Wait, hold on. A Black Spirit?”
Dinoss looked up at me.
Oh no. This is going to get me scolded again!