“Ta-da! We shall commence the ceremony here.”
Late at night.
We built a suitable building far off in the West to eliminate any unforeseen variables. It was a structure reminiscent of an ancient Greek temple that you’d see in textbooks from long ago.
We didn’t have to go all out like this, but it’s definitely better than performing the ceremony in an empty open space, without the scorching sun beating down on us.
If it came down to it, I planned to blow up the temple’s pillars we so grandiosely constructed and let it all collapse down. I might get hurt in the process, but it’s only polite as a summoner to offer a little gift.
“This really makes me feel like a cultist!”
“I know, right? Who would have thought I’d be part of a ceremony to summon a demon…”
“Sounds fun!”
“So, what’s the plan?”
At Merlin’s question, I pulled out an old magic book.
“This magic book has exactly three wishes built into it. I plan to summon Harpas using it and a catalyst.”
The plan was simple. Figure out how to summon Harpas using this book’s functions, summon him, and then use this book as a substitute offering. With the terrifying magical power that resides within, I should be able to summon a demon without needing an actual sacrifice.
I didn’t even consider the variable that Harpas might refuse to respond.
Being a demon, he should respond without question, and there was no way he would ignore such an interesting summoning.
I moved to the center of the temple and sat down at the chair in front of a table that I had prepared in advance. Made out of clay, it was a bit uncomfortable on my backside, but better than nothing, so I placed the book on the rock table nearby.
“I will now begin the ceremony. Please remain quiet. Any interference could lead to unforeseen results.”
…To be honest, doing it alone would be the easiest, but just in case of emergencies, I decided to have observers watching the ceremony from three different directions.
There might be a chance that the summoning method requires cooperation from multiple people.
“Well then, I’m starting.”
I carefully opened the book. What I saw was a book with nothing written in it. Naturally, the way to make a wish with this book is…
“That blood is…”
“It’s the blood of a witch.”
“What?!”
At my words, Principal Merlin was taken aback, almost approaching me before remembering my warning and planted his feet back on the ground, asking, “You met a witch?”
“I was quite lucky.”
“Ho ho, you’ve got a lot of secrets.”
Feels like I’m revealing too many of my secrets. But since these people are all close to me and collaborators, I had no choice but to share.
Honestly, being forthright is less suspicious than half-heartedly hiding things.
I carefully placed a vial on the table and finally pulled out a pen from my pocket.
The way to wish with this book is to write the wish down.
Let’s see… How should I write this?
To ensure I lose nothing, while also getting this mechanical magic book to grant my wish…
[Describe in detail the method to summon the demon Harpas over two pages. The method must utilize the Book of Wishes and one drop of witch’s blood as offerings, and no additional sacrifices should be needed. Also…]
I filled nearly a whole page with all sorts of conditional statements.
Due to the mechanical nature of the Book of Wishes, if I didn’t detail it, it might grant my wish in a bizarre way. To avoid such a disaster, it was better to write a long description.
…This should be good.
I closed the book, just like in the original story, and quietly waited.
About a minute went by.
[Contractor, the magic from the book stirs…]
Is it done? I waited for about 30 more seconds before opening the book.
“Success.”
I checked the magic circle drawn on the page after my wish, then called out to Principal Merlin.
“Could you draw the magic circle for me?”
I don’t know much about magic circles. Principal Merlin took the book from me and began to draw the magic circle on the floor next to the table using magical dye. Was that what he went to get?
“All done.”
“Thank you!”
“But what about the two remaining wishes?”
“I used all my wishes.”
“What?!”
“I wrote down three wishes.”
“What wishes did you make?”
“To avoid any potential problems, I won’t say. You’ll find out naturally when Harpas is summoned.”
“Hmmm… understood.”
Principal Merlin returned to his place and watched me.
[Pour the witch’s blood into the center of the magic circle. Wait for it to pool, then recite the incantation. Ensure the content of the incantation is not incorrect.]
I slowly poured the witch’s blood into the center of the magic circle, then placed the vial back in my pouch.
Preparation complete.
Now it’s time for the ceremony?
I made eye contact with the two old men looking at me with tense expressions, then began reciting the incantation at a pace neither fast nor slow.
“Hocus Pocus Tidibus. Hocus Pocus Tidibus…”
I recited the incantation written densely in the book. I didn’t understand a single meaning, but had no problem reciting it.
It took almost three minutes to finish the incantation.
“If Esut Enim Korp Meum…”
Even with a sore throat and a shivering feeling, I couldn’t afford to stop.
Stopping midway would only bring about a more horrifying consequence.
“…ni.”
[Contractor, step back from the magic circle!]
I stood up and moved outside the magic circle at Rue’s command. A sinister magical pulse flowed,
As I finished the long incantation; the magic circle began to glow black.
Is this the true encounter with Harpas? I recalled the image of Harpas from the game as I waited for him to appear. After about a minute, I looked up at the massive raven that appeared in the magic circle and spoke.
“Nice to meet you, Harpas.”
“Oho.”
I felt a gaze filled with curiosity. Must be interesting for him to know that I summoned him. I locked eyes with Harpas, who exuded a terrifying presence.
A constricting pressure surrounded me. The shadows reflected in his eyes. The chilling, slimy energy touching my skin.
I didn’t shy away and asked, “Do you know who I am?”
“I do. I know you wiped out the minions I sent through some miraculous method.”
He was indeed watching. I tapped the table with my hand.
“Care to take a seat?”
“Of course.”
Suddenly, the massive raven’s body was enveloped in darkness. The darkness wrapped around him gradually shrank, and when it faded, a dapper old gentleman appeared, dressed in a suit.
Is this shapeshifting?
In the original story, he only appeared as a giant raven, so this was quite fascinating.
“It’s awkward to talk while standing, so let’s sit at the table. Do you happen to have a phobia of chairs?”
“Certainly not.”
Harpas and I sat down in our chairs and looked at each other. The surroundings were quiet. Was Harpas doing something?
Or was he just following my lead to remain silent?
I couldn’t determine which. I was fully focused on conversing with Harpas.
“Is there anything to drink?”
“Regrettably not.”
“Hmmm, I was curious about human tea.”
“Honestly, it might not taste great.”
“Yet sometimes savoring a unique flavor isn’t bad. I hope you’ll treat your guests properly next time.”
“Will there even be a next time?”
“Who knows… isn’t it unclear what the future holds?”
We exchanged trivial banter while exploring each other’s motives.
A battle of who reveals their true intentions first.
The reason I was conversing like this with Harpas was because there was something I was unsure about.
The influence of the true ending DLC had been changing the story.
I needed a deep conversation with Harpas to find clues about that story.
So now was the time to throw out the bait.
“Harpas, would you like to play a simple game with me?”
“A game? Asking a demon to play a game? I like your guts. If you had joined our cult, you would have become the leader immediately.”
“Unfortunately, I detest cults.”
“That’s unfortunate. So what’s the game about?”
We’ve moved smoothly up to this point. It seems like the second empty wish is being applied properly. I deliberately rested my chin in my hand and cautiously recited the rules of the game.
“We’ll take turns asking each other questions, and you must answer honestly. Repeat that. If you can’t answer or lie, you lose. How does that sound? Simple rules, right?”
“Hahahahahaha! A masterpiece! I’ve never met someone as audacious as you! If I had known of your existence sooner, things would have changed!”
His bizarre laughter echoed around us, impossible to guess his age or gender. I patiently waited until he stopped laughing and then said, “May I start?”
“Sure. I’m really looking forward to your first question.”
“Then here’s my first question. Are you a demon?”
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