“Hey, please don’t misunderstand! Just because I felt some masculine charm from you doesn’t mean I like you! It’s like suddenly getting horny while walking down the street; that’s not love, right? It’s the same logic! I guess humans often confuse lust with love, huh? Hmph? Ha! It’s ridiculous!”
“······.”
I was indeed a bit turned on, but you’re just not my type.
I squeezed my brain trying to understand this nonsensical argument that seemed logical yet wasn’t, and eventually gave up.
It’s probably a logic that someone like me, a human, couldn’t comprehend from the start.
It’s probably something only those rabbit demihumans, who are constantly in heat 365 days a year, can relate to.
Racial differences.
For now, I decided to just accept it that way.
“Sigh. Fine, let’s leave it at that.”
“It’s not ‘leaving it at that’, I’m serious······!”
Alicia pouted with flushed cheeks, looking distressed.
But given that her breaths were more ragged, and she was fidgeting like she needed to pee, it didn’t really add credibility to her claims.
Since I decided to believe her, I let it slide.
“First, we need to find a way to clear this misunderstanding.”
“What misunderstanding?”
“The misunderstanding that you betrayed Yerina.”
“A, ah. Right. Yes, that’s true······.”
Alicia clapped her hands, responding after a moment of confusion.
I couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious.
Is this girl really wanting to return to being Yerina’s subordinate?
“I’m going to ask you directly. Do you want to regain Yerina’s trust and serve her again?”
“Of course! My respect for her hasn’t changed a bit······. But since she harbors doubts, it’s difficult to clear that up, so I’ve half given up on it······.”
Since she’s someone who’s close to Yerina, it seems she knows her quite well.
Once Yerina harbors a suspicion, she never retracts it.
Even if she were to accept Alicia back as a subordinate, it would be hard to restore the close sibling-like bond they once had.
Alicia will have to live under constant surveillance and suspicion.
What could I do to clear that suspicion?
I had no immediate bright ideas.
If I knew how to clear Yerina’s suspicion, I would’ve escaped from this game ages ago.
“Hmm. There must be a way to shake off Yerina’s suspicion······.”
“Well, there are things that are pointless to worry about, right? If I can’t return to being her subordinate······.”
“That’s not true. There’s always a way if you look for it.”
“What if! What if! I can’t return to my sister’s side! I could help you instead! I can teach the magic I didn’t get to teach Mi Jeong last time! It would also be quite useful in terms of fighting power! So if you take me with you······.”
While Alicia was earnestly explaining a hundred reasons why I should take her along,
I shut my ears and focused on my contemplation.
I can’t roam around with Alicia.
The physical traits of rabbit demihumans can’t be hidden just because you try.
What’s more, the one pursuing Alicia is Yerina, which only heightens the risk.
Plus, rabbit demihumans tend to have a strong odor.
Of course, the smell isn’t a foul stench.
There’s a certain natural scent unique to demihumans, and for rabbit demihumans, it’s particularly strong.
Even I, who am not sensitive to smell, have gradually memorized Alicia’s scent and can recognize it from afar.
Just coming back from the bathroom moments ago, I could tell, “Ah, Alicia was just here.”
If I can recognize it this clearly, how much more so for Yerina?
Therefore, sticking together with Alicia is absolutely out of the question.
I need to find a way to break off this relationship somehow.
Oh, wait.
Not breaking off, but I need to find a way to clear up the misunderstanding with Yerina.
From my perspective, it’s not just a misunderstanding; it’s a genuine betrayal, though······.
But from the perspective of a rabbit demihuman, getting momentarily turned on is probably not the same as desiring someone else’s man.
“What if I said I was being threatened?”
“Are you saying we should match our stories? I was threatened by you, and I was forced to betray my sister and tell lies······.”
“Exactly.”
“That sounds plausible, but I think the chances of it working are slim. It’s a story anyone could make up, and there’s no way to prove it, right?”
She’s right.
It’s an easy lie to concoct, and while I could explain the betrayal well,
It’s impossible to prove that it’s not a lie.
We need something that can provide evidence.
“Hey, bug.”
“Don’t call me a bug! It’s unpleasant! You keep doing that, and even this can, and the Blood Ghoul all call me a bug!”
“Don’t you know any curses that can restrict or coerce the actions of the target?”
“Do you mean hypnosis or suggestion?”
“I need something more powerful than that. A curse that affects the conscious realm, not just the subconscious.”
“You mean a slave contract kind of curse, right?”
“That’s exactly it.”
A slave contract.
A magic formed under mutual consent that allows for the coercion or restriction of specific actions.
It got that name because it’s usually used to make rebellious slaves obey.
Can’t I just learn and use this magic?
Nope.
A slave contract isn’t a simple magic; it’s a common magic located in the 3rd tier of its respective attributes.
Since I can’t even use a 1st-tier magic of any attribute, it means I would never be able to use this magic.
“Is there such a curse that produces a similar effect?”
“Um… it seems we can make use of the Blood Oath.”
“Blood Oath?”
“Yes. It’s a curse that summons a spirit through the oath of fresh blood. During the duration of the oath, the spirit will remain quiet, but if broken, it will attack the subject.”
“Sounds good. Let’s use that.”
Forming a contract is the same either way.
That’s the curse I desperately needed.
‘By the way, there are a lot of unreasonable things among curses.’
Although a slave contract can also be formed through coercion, it indeed requires at least the conscious consent of the parties involved.
However, the Blood Oath can forcibly establish a contract as long as there’s fresh blood from the other party.
Even if they are asleep, if a curse caster draws their blood, they’d become a slave without a ticket.
It’s no wonder curse casters are despised and suppressed all over the world.
They’re few in number, and training is tough, but when they finally succeed, a curse caster becomes astoundingly powerful.
“How about forming a Blood Oath with you first, bug?”
“Y-yes?! Me? You’re talking about me?”
“Yes. I supply you with life force, and you obey my commands. Sounds like a solid blood oath to me.”
“Are you really planning to make me your slave?! No way! Absolutely not! I’d rather die than agree! I’m offering you valuable curses, yet all you think about is choking me out?!”
The centipede girl jumped around in protest, seeming quite wronged.
Tears were even sparkling in her eyes.
If she really doesn’t want to, that’s fine.
The bond that ties me and the centipede girl is strong enough that we wouldn’t need a Blood Oath.
If news came that the centipede girl harmed someone to absorb their life force,
I would immediately chase after her to the ends of the Earth and kill her.
The centipede girl knows this well, so there’s no chance she’d betray me, even without a Blood Oath.
‘And Mi Jeong probably won’t need it either…’
When I glance at Mi Jeong, who’s clinging to my back, she tilts her head and makes eye contact with me.
I doubt Mi Jeong would need a Blood Oath.
If she were to betray me…
It would surely have some reason behind it.
It’s probably better that there isn’t one.
“Alicia, you first met me in Basel and were forced to enter into a Blood Oath, and that’s why you had to betray Yerina. Would that work as a scenario?”
“Th-that’s right. I didn’t know such a curse existed. Heh, that neatly solves things······.”
For some reason, Alicia nodded with a frown.
She seemed a bit deflated.
“But in this case, won’t it be bad for you?”
“What do you mean?”
“If this goes on, won’t my sister think that you are a treacherous person who uses coercive magic on innocent people? I mean, it would be justified, but it seems my sister still thinks of you as a complete and innocent person. Are you really okay with that?”
“······.”
It’s true.
That does bother me a bit.
Yerina right now has inherited the memories of twelve iterations.
And in those twelve iterations, I perfectly played through a visual novel.
To Yerina, I’m merely a busy but kind-hearted and moral friend.
What would happen if, right after regressing, she found out that man had kidnapped his subordinate and placed her under coercive magic?
“Why are you worrying about me? There’s no problem. It’s fine.”
“Is it······?”
But that’s just the way it is.
The perfect man Yerina remembers no longer exists.
If she was having a sweet dream, she would eventually have to wake up.
Who knows?
Maybe if Yerina realizes my true nature and gets disappointed, she might drop her obsession with me.
Even though that’s a very slim chance, it’s still important that Yerina knows my true self.
Having made my decision,
I nod at the centipede girl, signaling that I’m ready for the Blood Oath.
“I’ll set up the foundation of the curse. You both just fill in the specifics of the oath, and then finish it with a swearing.”
The centipede girl places a small talisman down and starts her explanation.
With demonic energy contained within the talisman, a certain form begins to take shape.
I make a small cut on my thumb and press the talisman down firmly, granting me the authority to write something in the blank space using blood.
It’ll likely fill in the contract details.
“I didn’t write anything. The important part is just the proof that the Blood Oath curse is placed; there’s no need to place any restrictions on you. So don’t worry, just sign it.”
“Okay.”
After checking the clean talisman, Alicia also makes a small cut on her thumb and presses her talisman down.
Just then, the talisman burns away with a soft sound, and a wailing noise filled with resentment echoes, the smoke taking residence within both Alicia and me.
‘Slightly creepy feeling, huh.’
The magic has nestled itself within my heart.
It’s usually a place that can’t be approached from the outside at all.
But since it’s a curse performed with mutual consent, it seems it can dive deep like this.
‘And it’ll likely be hard for anyone to notice from the outside.’
From my experience, unless one were to expose the heart, there’s no way for another person to find out.
Meaning I could weave a tale that this curse had nestled within Alicia’s heart from long ago.
Now, I could pretend the curse was imperfect or that I made a mistake,
And then use that chance for Alicia to escape and break the seal.
After that, if I confess to Yerina that I’ve been betraying her until now due to the Blood Oath, showing evidence of the curse, I’m sure she’ll waver.
Of course, she won’t immediately retract all her suspicions.
But at least I might avoid being treated as a traitor.
I might even prevent the extermination of Evgenia.
In any case, it’s clear this is the best option.
“Phew. Now that I’ve left the traces of the curse on my body, could you let me go? I’ll go back to my sister. I don’t know if it’ll work, but······.”
“Not so fast. We still have something to do.”
“What?”
“Since both a curse caster and a mage are here together, it would be a waste to disperse like this. Let’s tackle one small job together, and then I’ll let you go.”
“Excuse me······. This wasn’t the plan······.”
Looking around once, I can see a power that feels incredibly reassuring.
Even though treachery is common, the competence of the curse caster, the centipede girl, is assured.
And the elite mage, Alicia, is from the Magic Tower, though our fighting power may differ.
It’s the first time seeing these two together.
‘With this power, it might be worth taking a challenge.’
Since we’re at the Northern Region anyway.
It seems I might get the chance to face someone I never dared to imagine in previous rounds.
“We’re setting off tomorrow. We’re heading to the pleasure city of the North, Cheongnan.”
“Who decided that? Why would I go there? I want to return to my sister’s side as soon as possible and regain her trust······!”
Alicia protested vehemently.
Wanting to return to Yerina quickly, huh…
Sorry, but that’s not happening.
She just escaped from Yerina with desperation today.
If I went back right after breaking the curse, it would be obvious that it was a rushed plan.
I’d need time to get our stories straight.
Also, I have to leave stronger traces of the curse within my body, so returning directly would be a bad move.
“Thanks for your help! But I really need to go back now! Since the Blood Oath has no content at all, I can just unbind it myself······ huh?!”
She suddenly stood up and was about to leave the lounge, but then screamed and collapsed.
“Ugh······.”
Clutching her head and groaning in pain, it’s clear now.
The penalty of the Blood Oath has activated.
She likely triggered it while trying to forcibly cancel the curse.
“What’s going on? The contract details were surely empty, though. Why is the penalty applied?”
“Who knows? That’s interesting. How about you try kneeling for a bit?”
“W-what?! Why would I······ urgh?!”
Thud.
Alicia, who was bewildered, suddenly lost strength in her legs,
And in an instant, she found herself in a kneeling position.
Even in that moment, she wore a perplexed expression, completely at a loss as to what was happening.
“Excuse me?! Why is my body moving on its own? When I checked, the contract details were clearly empty······!”
“Are you sure? Was it really empty?”
“Yes?”
“Take a closer look, one more time.”
Kneeling down, Alicia squeezed her eyes shut.
Looks like she’s trying to read the curse that resides in her heart.
“Ah······!”
Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and glared at me as if she were trying to kill me.
Looks like she just made a discovery.
The empty space of the Blood Oath.
In the far corner, there was a tiny phrase written so small that it wouldn’t be seen unless you focused hard.
– Alicia Yebgenia shall absolutely obey the commands of Yoo Jin.
Sure enough, it was written like this.
Alicia’s face flushed bright red, and she started shouting.
“Y-you con artist!!!!!!!”
“Next time, be careful.”
Life lesson number one.
Be cautious when agreeing to terms and conditions.
The tuition is waived, especially for you.
