Chapter 18 …
Anyway, just because one or two demons appeared didn’t mean I had a reason to slack off on my presentation. It wasn’t a particularly important event, but it was the first one after entering the school. At least one important person would surely attend. My goal was to make an impression.
I was a student receiving not only the church scholarship but also the school’s scholarship. To go about school life comfortably, I needed to show that the investment in me was worthwhile.
I didn’t need to be exceptional, but at least I had to leave the impression that I had prepared sincerely. After all, even though I would receive the scholarship, one should show a minimum level of effort.
“Ah, my dependable contractor.”
He teased me politely, tapping his index finger on the spellbook with a faintly cryptic expression, but I completely ignored his gaze and brushed off the eraser dust. Then, I started adding the finer details.
“By the way, it seems Balsego has been moving around quite actively these days.”
“I’ve noticed as well. He doesn’t stay in one place, and after lights-out, he disappears. It seems he’s focusing on hiding. Of course, it’s natural since he came in knowing I was here.”
“Assel often stops mid-path and goes around instead. He just doesn’t want to take that route. I didn’t notice until he mentioned it. Lately, when he seriously stares at one side or suddenly stops and I ask why, he simply answers, ‘I don’t like that side.’”
“Indeed, that boy is remarkable.”
“Before I summoned you, the elder even suggested asking him for help… so I’ve been making a point of being attentive lately. Ah, I’ve roughly set everything. Shall we practice? Balsego, let’s go to the computer room.”
“You’d think the heir of Solomon could afford to be a bit more relaxed.”
Balsego said teasingly as he smoothed his robe and stood up. I held the script in one hand, scanning it with my eyes, and replied casually.
“Being Solomon’s heir doesn’t put food on my table.”
“Ah, you really are an exceptional contractor.”
We started heading toward the computer room. Balsego let out a sigh, seemingly to himself—but was he really?
Becoming Solomon’s heir had gained me nothing but a slightly troublesome pet demon and less sleep. Hmm… I also had to consider the small elderly spirit, roughly the size of a fist, though it wasn’t here at the moment.
“And that doesn’t secure my future income. Balsego, you can ensure my safety in front of demons, but you can’t guarantee my earnings in society. Conversely, I’ve suddenly taken on the duty to feed a demon too.”
“Such a hopeless statement.”
“That doesn’t mean I want to rely on your magic. Achievements are meaningful because we earn them ourselves. My goal wasn’t personal glory or simple success. What matters is achieving something in a way my grandfather would appreciate. A life where a demon achieves everything for me wouldn’t please him, so it would be meaningless.”
“Hmm.”
Balsego replied lukewarmly. He seemed to smile faintly as he passed by.
At my age, having a dependent (a demon) was not exactly something to laugh about, yet he seemed rather cheerful.
I tilted my head, staring at him. Balsego gave a slight smirk as if nothing had happened and pulled out a chair to sit.
“Someone else might think the chair moved on its own. Can you be a bit mindful of people around us?”
“I take care of those minor details. Contractor, don’t worry—just focus on studying.”
“I didn’t realize. Thanks for considering my studies.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Could you help me practice the presentation too? I’d really appreciate it.”
“I haven’t agreed to help yet.”
“Here, take my script first. Thanks.”
“This contract will surely be talked about for a long time…”
Balsego didn’t give a positive response, but eventually took the script. I turned on the computer and displayed my presentation materials as slides. Then I carefully flipped through the pages and began explaining.
After practicing a few times, I marked the parts that weren’t smooth and corrected them. The presentation was a few days away, but I wanted to finish it now before Balsego—or Balsego-related interruptions—took up my time.
While I checked the script and practiced ad-libbing quietly, Balsego was leaning behind me, fingers brushing my hair.
“Your hands are cold. Move them.”
I snapped at him, and he finally withdrew his hand, though still fidgeting with the hair tips. Balsego spoke in a melodic tone.
“Few humans use demons the way you do.”
“What do you mean by ‘the way I do’?”
“Humans usually summon demons to achieve what they themselves cannot—steal what isn’t theirs, take more than they should, or commit worse deeds. They summon demons as a tool to satisfy their inner, flawed desires.”
“Only a very few have goals like that.”
“It’s easier than you think for a powerful human to fall. No matter how admirable their character. Demons are born of darkness, yes, but sometimes they bury themselves in it, serving only the evil desires of humans…”
Balsego trailed off, smirking faintly, then continued slowly.
“Most problems start with humans. By merely granting a request, someone with strong spiritual sensitivity could end up becoming a demon. Humans are convenient and irresponsible, aren’t they?”
“Did you do that, Balsego?”
I asked impulsively, recalling the young boy I had seen beyond the illusion when forming the contract. Balsego immediately closed his mouth.
What was that reaction? I stared at his violet-and-green eyes, then returned my attention to the script. It seemed pointed, but I wasn’t particularly curious. Even if I were interested, I wouldn’t ask—demons’ pasts or private lives are none of my concern.
As long as my contractor fulfills their duties, I didn’t need to know more.
“Never mind then.”
Balsego remained silent. He still toyed with my hair a little, then withdrew his hand and simply watched me work.
“Hmm.”
Finally, he replied after a long pause.
“Hmm.”
“Sometimes, that happens too.”
“Hmm.”
I let out a disinterested exclamation, blew away the eraser dust, and replied calmly.
“You seem to find me fascinating, but it’s really not that special. I don’t particularly like or dislike much. I don’t want interference in my decisions, but that’s a basic right, not something extraordinary. So honestly, I don’t quite understand your reasoning or behavior.”
Balsego quietly listened.
“Trying to achieve something you didn’t accomplish yourself won’t lead to good results, yet you attempt it anyway. And if I do something my grandfather would dislike, it inverts priorities. Maybe other people don’t see our grandfather as important as I do—that could be the difference.”
Balsego, blinking leisurely after hearing me, smiled oddly.
“Now I see why the ring chose you.”
“I just inherited it. Didn’t I say that when I was young, grandfather—”
“No, the ring chose you.”
His tone was unexpectedly firm. After reviewing the last line of the script, he twirled a pen between his fingers and looked up, smiling a couple of times before lowering his eyes and whispering politely.
“Perhaps not just as Solomon’s heir, but as the new master of Lemegeton.”
“The ring chose me?”
“Merely holding it does not make you the master. The ring is merely a means and a process.”
“Well… maybe it would’ve been better for someone like Assel to have it. He’s already brilliant without a ring—imagine how much better he’d be with one.”
“You have absolutely no understanding of the contradictions in the human mind.”
“No, I understand. Even I sometimes don’t understand myself. I don’t particularly desire anything, but to not waste what grandfather has done for me, I feel I need to have more. I know it’s not exactly rational, but I’ve understood one more thing too.”
I had been socialized enough not to say it out loud, but personally, I was skeptical of relying entirely on a ‘demon,’ a species whose very name is untrustworthy.
Of course, this applies not only to demons. Every choice in the world carries traps. That’s why I try to follow the well-trodden, ‘orthodox’ path. I didn’t want to fall into traps, especially in repaying my grandfather.
I added a little note while typing the revised script in Word.
“I’ve decided it’s better not to have Balsego do anything I couldn’t handle myself. Fighting demons is unavoidable, but achieving something should be my own work.”
Shoving tasks I dislike or can’t do onto others isn’t really an ‘orthodox’ path, nor is it something grandfather would approve of. While sealing demons might require some reliance, demons aren’t part of everyday life. I could afford to be self-reliant in daily matters; otherwise, I’d meet an early, untimely end.
“Truly a wonderfully independent contractor.”
Balsego laughed, sounding exasperated. I glanced at him—he didn’t look unhappy. In fact, he seemed quite cheerful.
Hmm… truly an incomprehensible demon. I observed him briefly and concluded I wouldn’t care about his attitude either way.
After finishing my work and printing it, I turned off the computer. He reached out his hand, and I instinctively took it, standing up.
“All right, with the presentation ready, let’s properly investigate.”
“You’ve been half-hearted until now.”
“No, I’ve been observing. Since that night, there’ve been 17 thefts and 23 losses. That’s just what I’ve identified. I also have a plan.”
“A plan?”
“A way to corner them.”
Balsego smiled, intrigued. Then I realized something else. I immediately let go of his hand and walked briskly toward the dormitory. He followed, puzzled, asking why a few times.
“First, I need your understanding. I forgot about the English assessment, so let’s do that first. It’s due Wednesday. The presentation is Friday—I completely forgot.”
“Sola.”
“Sorry, Balsego. Just this one thing. Three days, and it’s done.”
“……”
“Be good, wait.”
“I’m not a dog.”
Balsego let out a deep sigh, full of emotion. But it couldn’t be helped. As I said, summoning demons and fighting them wouldn’t guarantee my future income or put food on my table.
