Chapter 16 …
“Well, let me see. You’re my first contractor since Solomon. And you’re the first long-term female contractor I’ve had. Even setting that aside, you’re the first human I’ve met who’s this… businesslike.”
Basago spoke with an indifferent expression. I stared at him for a moment, then decided to focus not on his detailed past, but on the topic we’d been discussing before.
<At the very least, I’m confident that whoever described your personality as ‘gentle and virtuous’ was not a magician. There were a lot of accounts like that when I looked into you—but in short, they must all have been frauds.>
“Are you insulting the name ‘Basago, the Demon of Gentleness’?”
Basago replied playfully. While chatting, I somehow managed to finish my science notes for exam prep. Before answering him, I flipped through the pages to review them and slipped the notebook into my bag. The true value of summarizing lay in the process itself. Next up was social studies.
“Would you like some help?”
<Basago. If you’re going to keep being noisy, could you disappear back to the dormitory? Stay quiet.>
Basago laughed as if he found that amusing. This time, however, he obediently shut his mouth.
Thinking it was strange, I looked up. Uncharacteristically, his expression was no longer playful but rather serious. Resting his chin on his hand, he absently rubbed at the corner of his mouth while glancing out the window. His dark red brows slanted sharply, creasing into a frown.
Staring into the pitch-black outside, Basago spat out coldly,
“Impudent.”
At the very least, it wasn’t directed at me. Basago might treat me carelessly at times, but he never truly lost his temper with me.
In short, to him, a contractor seemed to be someone deserving of utmost courtesy. That was why I usually treated Basago politely as well—but he was far too bothersome a presence to keep around while studying. He was a demon fundamentally incompatible with students.
Still, something had clearly happened. Watching his reaction, I lifted my head and caught sight of his chilly profile, then followed his gaze out the window.
Recently, Basago had spread his presence across the entire school, just to be safe. It seemed an evil spirit had entered that range. Which meant it had ignored Basago’s aura entirely—an outright slight against him.
<Calm down.>
“Yes. I’ll be back shortly. Please continue studying.”
<No. I noticed it at the cemetery last time—if I let you go alone, there’s a risk you’ll damage school property. Let’s go together once evening study ends.>
“Doesn’t it end at nine? There’s still an hour and twenty minutes left. My adorable contractor, Sola. In that time, the evil spirit will target people.”
For something said by a demon, the intent was surprisingly noble—but he seemed to be overlooking an important fact. I stared blankly at him, then wrote my reply in my notebook.
<Wouldn’t the first target actually be me, the one carrying Solomon’s ring?>
The moment he read it, Basago scowled.
“Look at this—do you really think this is the time to be saying something so calmly?”
<Still, there’s no reason to leave an obvious risk unresolved. Fine. Just wait a moment.>
Skipping out midway through evening self-study for one day would be fine. Honestly, my first high school report card worried me—but I could just turn on the small desk lamp clipped to the top bunk in the dorm and finish the rest there. Basago would block the light, so it wouldn’t bother Jieun.
It was probably the highest utility one could get from a demon—but even so, raising a demon was, in itself, an overall nuisance. The cost-benefit ratio wasn’t great. I sighed and raised my hand.
The supervising teacher, who had been sitting at the lectern doing paperwork, noticed me and approached with a puzzled expression. I must have frowned without realizing it, because the teacher’s eyes widened when she saw my face. I quickly relaxed my expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“I, um… I think my stomach hurts. Would it be okay if I went back to the dorm first? I was planning to study a bit more under the covers. I think it’d be better if I lay down.”
“It’s not too bad, is it?”
“No, sorry. I didn’t want to skip evening study already.”
“When you’re sick, managing your condition is important too. It’s fine to rest well tonight instead of studying.”
“Uh… yes. I’ll do just a little and then sleep. Thank you.”
As I packed my books into my bag and headed for the door, my eyes met Asel’s. He looked at me with concern, so I lifted the corners of my mouth in a rough smile and mouthed that I was okay. Then I opened the classroom door and slipped out into the empty, dark hallway.
Basago shot Asel an annoyed look as he brushed past him, flicking at his collar. He clearly found Asel uncomfortable and avoided him, and because of that, I’d been spending less time with Asel since Basago came along.
Well, my philosophy was that a smooth life plan required at least two or three close friends of the same gender. It was about time I made friends besides Asel. At least from my perspective, I was nearing a socially dangerous level as a social animal.
After stepping into the hallway and lightly tying my hair back, I grabbed Basago’s arm.
“Which direction was breached?”
“The east. Then, excuse me for a moment.”
Despite asking for permission, he didn’t wait for my response. He abruptly pulled me closer and swung one hand toward the end of the corridor. The bricks in the school wall began to spin like a bizarre puzzle. They twisted, crossed over one another, and slammed back into place, opening a passage in a thoroughly uncanny spectacle.
Before long, the wall at the end of the corridor opened outward as if it were a door. I frowned at the gaping opening, then looked up. I could already guess what Basago was about to do.
“Don’t do that to my perfectly good school. We could just go down the stairs normally.”
Even as I said that, it was obvious the demon would do whatever he wanted regardless. I decided to prioritize my own safety. As I clutched Basago’s shoulder and wrapped my arms around his neck, he chuckled lowly and wrapped an arm around my waist. Then he lifted me in one swift motion.
“A wall will return to normal soon enough, so don’t worry. It’s just that the impudent intruder is moving faster than expected.”
Without finishing his explanation, he lightly kicked off the polished hallway floor.
“I think we should pursue immediately.”
At first, the walls and windows twisted rapidly, smearing like wet paint. Then, suddenly, cold night air slammed into my cheeks and throat.
Flap—like the frantic beating of wings, a noisy sound burst from the hem of Basago’s robe. Bang—and when I came to my senses, a centuries-old tree in the corner of the schoolyard was swaying beneath our feet.
“Basago, seriously, this is way too hi—”
The instant I opened my mouth, icy air rushed down my throat. I fumbled out my complaint reflexively.
“S-So cold.”
It’s freezing, damn it… I didn’t finish the sentence. Instead, I fiddled with the ring and buried my face against Basago’s neck. His skin carried no human warmth, so it didn’t help much.
It wasn’t just the cold—my stomach tickled like it did on a roller coaster. Amid the roaring wind, we plummeted from the sky toward the ground in an instant. Then—thump—another sharp gust tore through my hair.
As I curled up, Basago wrapped me tighter in his robe and let the wind slide us sideways, changing direction.
But even after reaching our destination, he didn’t stop. He changed directions repeatedly, circling more than half the school grounds before finally frowning and landing in a secluded spot. There was nothing unusual there either.
I scanned the area with a lukewarm expression, then looked back at Basago. He was surveying the surroundings with an ominous look.
“Basago, what are you doing?”
“This is unusual.”
He spoke in a cold tone, narrowing his mismatched eyes as he set me down. Still wrapped in his robe, I ended up standing so close that I had to look up at him from just beneath his chin.
“Unusual how? Did we lose it?”
