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MP : 64 Contract
🕑 Added 2024-11-16 16:00:02 +0000 UTC[Geis Contract
[Contractor: Roy and Touko Aozaki.
[Contract Details :
First, the Grand Magus, Touko Aozaki, must settle in Tokyo for the next three years as a guardian for Shiki Ryougi.
Second, during the duration of the contract, the contractor Touko Aozaki must do everything in her power to ensure Shiki Ryougi's safety, avoiding any danger to her.
Third, during the contract period, Touko Aozaki is not allowed to make any threats or harmful actions towards Shiki Ryougi, whether directly or indirectly.
[Swear an oath to the Root and Soul; it must not be violated.]
Touko Aozaki glanced at the three stipulations written on the parchment by Roy, furrowing her brows as she looked at him, then carefully examined the contract.
The contents of this contract were very clear, with no loopholes in the wording.
As payment for her employment, she would receive a precious jewel containing the principles of true magic, along with a promise from the Magician of the Third Magic in the future. In exchange, she had to be responsible for the safety of the little girl named Shiki Ryougi for three years.
Such a deal was clearly not equitable.
No matter where she stayed, settling in Tokyo didn't mean any loss for her. After all, the idiots from the Clock Tower would never extend their reach to Southeast Asia to capture her in such an ostentatious manner.
However, this contract that seemed to benefit her so much made Touko Aozaki uneasy; she couldn't fathom the intentions of the person in front of her.
Was this demand made solely for the protection of the girl? Did Shiki Ryougi possess some kind of special potential that equaled or even surpassed these conditions?
To be honest, she was very curious.
What could this girl, protected at such a cost by the Magician of the Third Magic, possess that was so extraordinary? If possible, she really wanted to investigate further.
However, rubbing the white jewel in her hand, she quickly calmed her mind. She didn't believe she was qualified to confront a magician head-on.
Compared to the well-known Magician of the Second Magic and the Magician of the Fifth Magic she had seen with her own eyes, the Magician of the Third Magic was the most mysterious and unpredictable. Even she could potentially falter. Though her magecraft was powerful and wondrous, it was certainly not invincible... Touko Aozaki knew this well.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been defeated by Aoko.
"For me, while the three conditions you proposed do impose some limitations, they are negligible compared to the cost you are paying. I have no reason to refuse such a deal."
"So you accept?"
"Yeah, I can accept." After carefully considering Roy's conditions, Touko Aozaki took a puff of smoke, slightly furrowing her brows as she asked, "But what is your purpose? Why propose such unequal conditions? Are you saying…"
Her gaze fell on Shiki Ryougi, who had been silent beside Roy.
"This girl is very important to you, isn't she? Is she your illegitimate daughter? Or perhaps your lover?"
"Pfft!"
Such shocking words caused Roy, who was drinking coffee, to lose his composure, staring blankly at this absurd woman spouting nonsense.
Shiki Ryougi's expression stiffened suddenly, casting a wary glance at Roy.
Could this guy really be a perverted lolicon?
"Of course not!"
"What on earth are you thinking, woman? How could I have such a large illegitimate daughter? Besides, I don't look like the type to be interested in school girls, do I?"
"Isn't it? Willing to pay such a price for her, the only people who would do that are parents or lovers. Could you possibly be siblings?"
Touko Aozaki raised an eyebrow.
"Stop with your wild imaginations or this meaningless probing, Miss Aozaki."
Roy raised his hand to stop her.
"As the employer in this contract, I have no obligation to explain the specifics to you. You only need to answer me one question, Do you accept these conditions and agree to form this contract?"
"Trading three years for a jewel containing the principles of the Second Magic and a promise from the Magician of the Third Magic is an incredibly generous deal... you must realize this. So there's no need to continue with these pointless probes."
Roy easily saw through Touko Aozaki's attempts at probing.
"Tch, that's really annoying. Your smug face reminds me of that idiot."
Touko Aozaki clicked her tongue, then ceased her probing and raised her hand to sign her name on the parchment.
[Touko Aozaki]
"However, the contract is established, and I have accepted this commission."
"Then, may our cooperation be pleasant."
Seeing Touko Aozaki sign the document, a smile appeared on Roy's face as he also pricked his finger to sign his name.
[Roy]
Witness - Root
Collateral - Soul
The contract is hereby established.
Just like when he signed the geis with Kayneth for the first time, at the moment both signed their names, a strange magical power and connection descended upon their souls, marking the contract's activation.
However, this time felt a bit different; he didn't feel any particular sense of binding.
Was it because his body was made of Root energy?
"Keep this safe, Shiki."
"You want me to take this?"
Shiki Ryougi glanced at the contract pushed in front of her by Roy, momentarily taken aback.
Although she didn't understand the magus world over there, from the conversation just now, she could still see the significance of this contract and the purpose of its signing.
It was for her sake.
She might face dangers in the next three years, and this man named Roy wanted to protect her.
So this man she had never met before had signed this contract with that dangerous red-haired woman for her.
But why? Why was he helping her to this extent? How did he know of SHIKI's existence when they first met? No, he mentioned that he had met him once before. When exactly was that? When she was younger?
At this moment, her mind was filled with questions.
"Don't think too much, just keep it well."
Roy rubbed the head of Touko Aozaki and said, "The woman in front of you... no, I should say this Onee-san... may not seem very reliable, but her strength is absolutely impeccable."
"After I leave, if you encounter any difficulties or strange things in the future, just go to her. She can help you solve them. And be careful; for a while, you might attract the attention of some unfriendly characters, so remember to stay cautious."
"And you?" Shiki instinctively asked.
"As for me?"
"I have some things I need to do and can't always stay by your side, and you have your own life. I can't take you to the Clock Tower. I can only entrust this person to protect you."
After saying this, Roy glanced at Touko Aozaki, who was sitting opposite him.
Touko Aozaki was a proper Grand Magus of the Clock Tower. Due to her terrifying natural talent, her teacher had proposed that she be sealed away, resulting in her becoming Sealing Designation subject to the Clock Tower's most absurd sealing regulations.
Therefore, her strength and magical prowess were beyond question; with her help, any difficulties Shiki faced would be trivial.
"Clock Tower? You're from the Clock Tower? How come I didn't know that the Clock Tower suddenly had a Magician of the Third Magic? But since you possess this jewel, it means you've had contact with that magician, which makes things easier to explain."
Listening to Touko Aozaki's reasonable explanation, Roy didn't rush to refute it but quietly listened as she continued to deduce.
"If someone else had said they would help me deal with Aoko, I would have definitely thought they were trying to deceive me. But since it's you, I might as well look forward to it; I want to see your strength as a Magician of the Third Magic."
"Then, as you wish."
"Hey, little girl over there. This is for you. If you encounter any difficulties, just open this envelope. It contains my contact information; I'll come to visit you in a few days."
Touko Aozaki took an envelope from her pocket and handed it to Shiki, then extinguished the cigarette between her fingers, picked up her suitcase, and got up to leave.
At that moment, Roy also raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
He lifted all the suggestion magecraft in the room and left with Shiki.
...
As night fell.
In the courtyard of the Ryougi Family in Tokyo.
Time unknowingly passed to the evening. In the Japanese-style courtyard, the cold moonlight fell across the yard, with the moon's reflection faintly visible in the pond.
Next to the tea table in the main courtyard, two cushions were laid out, along with two servings of hot tea and hot food, and two figures were sitting at the tea table.
Roy and Shiki faced each other, drinking tea, but neither spoke, and the atmosphere became somewhat silent.
Due to Roy's suggestion magecraft, the memories of the two bodyguards remained as if they had escorted the young lady home and then left, while Shiki had casually found a reason to deceive her family upon returning home.
As for Roy, he walked in as if it were a vacant space, doing so openly without anyone noticing him.
"If you have anything you want to know, you can ask me now, Shiki."
Roy savored the hot tea in his cup and broke the silence first.
"..."
Currently, the personality dominating the body was still Shiki. Since their meeting in the afternoon, SHIKI's consciousness had not reappeared, and Shiki remained in control the entire time.
Compared to SHIKI's somewhat carefree boyish personality, Shiki's demeanor was much colder, lacking the accommodating nature of SHIKI's essence, and her affinity with Roy was not particularly good.
"Um... Have we met?"
Shiki stared at Roy seriously and asked, "I'm sure I haven't seen someone like you before, or else I would have some impression. I also don't think anyone in my family would know a person like you well enough to allow you to do this."
"For example?"
After hearing this, Roy nodded, tacitly acknowledging her guess.
"Making a deal with that woman."
Shiki's expression became serious. "Although I have no evidence, my intuition tells me that the woman named Touko Aozaki is very dangerous; she may be carrying the weight of many lives."
"Is that so..." Roy smiled slightly.
"Your intuition is indeed sharp. As you suspected, Touko Aozaki is not an ordinary person. As I mentioned before, she is one of the most dangerous people in the entire world."
Roy nodded and continued, "But you don't need to worry about this. Since she is willing to sign a contract with me, it means she will definitely abide by the agreement, and under the coercive power of the geis, the contract is guaranteed."
"Similarly, don't you think I'm dangerous too? Being able to engage in a transaction with her on equal footing means I'm not a simple person either, right? Perhaps I could be an extremely dangerous individual. Aren't you afraid?"
"..."
After a moment of silence.
An extremely dangerous guy? No, even though Roy was full of secrets and came from a world she was not involved with, Shiki's intuition told her otherwise.
Roy was definitely not a dangerous person; rather, she felt an inexplicable familiarity and closeness with him. This feeling was shared by SHIKI as well, which is why she could negotiate with Roy in such a short time.
Thus, after just a brief encounter, Shiki could let down her guard against this stranger, allowing this mysterious figure to enter her home.
This feeling was indeed strange, but she couldn't pinpoint what was odd about it; it was as if things were meant to be this way.
"Then, Shiki, do you have any other questions for me? If you're curious about anything, feel free to ask. If it's something I know, I can answer."
You can answer, huh...
Upon hearing this, Shiki's eyes blinked slightly, as if she had suddenly thought of something. She suddenly turned her head toward Roy and asked, "So, have you killed anyone?"
"Ah?"
It must be said that the topic had abruptly shifted from casual chatting to this subject, which felt quite strange. This unexpected question left Roy somewhat puzzled.
He originally thought she would care more about her origins and the relationship between them, but he didn't expect Shiki just to ask a question and suddenly shift the topic to whether he had killed anyone.
This question really is…
Glancing at Shiki, who was staring at him seriously, Roy shook his head.
"Because… of him?"
After a brief moment of contemplation, he probably understood what was going on and why Shiki would ask such a question.
The reason might be that persona. So, Roy answered her question with care.
"I have killed, but I can also say I haven't."
"Hm? What kind of answer is that? Are you playing charades?"
Shiki frowned, her expression subtly showing her confusion, clearly dissatisfied with Roy's answer. To say you have killed is to have killed; to say you haven't is to not have killed. An answer like killed but also not killed makes no sense at all.
"My situation is very special." Roy shook his head and then clarified her confusion.
"I can say that I recently killed someone, but they actually can no longer be considered human. One of them was a reanimated corpse that had abandoned their dreams and parasitically clung to the bodies of others, struggling to survive in the dark for five hundred years. That old worm could no longer be considered human; it was merely a lingering parasite in this world. So, I ignited its soul with flames to allow it to find true liberation."
"So, Shiki, do you think someone who has abandoned their identity as a human and is merely a parasitic residing in another's body can still be considered human?"
"Uh…"
After thinking for a moment, Shiki shook her head and replied, "If such a being truly exists, then it indeed cannot be considered human. It could only be compared to a bug."
"Yes, just a bug. Letting it burn to ashes in the flames is already the greatest redemption."
"Would you like to hear the second story? It's about a hopeless scoundrel."
Shiki nodded, intrigued by the story Roy was about to tell.
"Alright, then listen carefully."
"A while ago, a murderer appeared in the city where I lived. He was very young, not even twenty years old, and he targeted acquaintances or good-natured people because they were more vulnerable and easier for him to kill."
"He committed murder merely to showcase what he deemed the beauty of death, moving from city to city, taking the lives of dozens of innocent people, including both women and children. Until I caught him, he was still pompously explaining that nonsensical art to me. He showed no fear or remorse, not even realizing that his actions were wrong. So, Shiki, do you think such a guy can truly be considered human?"
"...A coward who bullies the weak. Such a person cannot be considered human; even a villain wouldn't be worthy of that title."
After hearing the story of Ryuunosuke Uryuu, a look of disgust appeared on Shiki's face.
Such a person could easily be called a demon.
"So you killed him?"
"No, that would be too easy for him." Roy shook his head.
"When I caught him, I directly broke his limbs and interrogated him about his motives, which were about that so-called art. Then, following the steps he described, I let him bleed, turning him into what he claimed was art, while still preserving his last breath. I threw him in front of the victims' families. I don't think I need to explain his ending."
Roy remembered how he had resurrected Ryuunosuke Uryuu. That guy was still shouting about so-called death art until he had his limbs broken, remaining unaware of fear or remorse.
So, he made a small adjustment to his soul using the Third Magic. He amplified Ryuunosuke Uryuu's perception of pain several times, then bled him, dissected his body, and dragged him in front of a mirror to appreciate the art created from his own body. Just before he died, he was healed and the cycle continued until he begged for mercy.
In Roy's view, dealing with a naturally evil scoundrel like Ryuunosuke Uryuu, who had no conscience and didn't even know he was doing evil, required targeted measures.
"Since you enjoy that nonsensical death art, I'll make you become art. A true artist must be ready to dedicate themselves to their art; since you pursue the art of death, I'll help you turn your life into art."
"I've talked about my story quite a bit. Now, Shiki, you should go back and rest. You have class tomorrow; it's not a good habit to sleep late and wake up late and neglect your studies."
Shiki asked, "Are you leaving?"
"Yeah, but at this time tomorrow, I'll come back here to see you."
"Will you tell more stories?"
"No, although I've arranged for Touko Aozaki to protect you in Tokyo, before I leave, I will also teach you some skills and help you train so that in the future, even when facing a certain being, you won't be caught off guard."
"...Is that what you refer to as magecraft?" Upon hearing this, a rare interest appeared on Shiki's face.
After all, at this age when middle school students are the most curious and in the most rebellious stage of their lives, no boy or girl could refuse something mysterious and cool like magecraft.
Even Roy had been happy for a while after the Count called him a magus not long ago.
"Yes, it's magecraft. Not only will I teach the suggestion magecraft I promised to SHIKI but also some fundamental enhancement magecraft. I will teach you all of it during this period. In short, study hard; this will be very beneficial for your future."
At this point, Roy stood up and looked at Shiki, who was still deep in thought. After considering, he added, "By the way, Shiki, there's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"If one day you feel that SHIKI has killed someone, just contact me directly."
"This is a special familiar I created; it can help you contact me at any time and can also detect some dangers that might go unnoticed, such as sensing magical power."
As he spoke, Roy raised his hand and used magecraft to outline a light blue butterfly in mid-air, then tapped its eyes with his index finger to bring it to life.
"Go, fly over to Shiki."
Following Roy's instructions, the light blue butterfly slowly circled in the air, then finally flew to Shiki's hair, quietly resting there, resembling a special hair ornament. It complemented her well, adding a touch of coldness to her demeanor.
"I understand."
Shiki touched the blue butterfly resting on her hair.
"I see, then I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow, Shiki."
With a rustle...
The evening breeze blew through, leaves falling, and the figure in the small courtyard had already vanished, leaving only the girl still sitting quietly at the tea table, gazing at the night sky.
At the same time, at a place where the intersection of spatial cracks lay, The Old Man of the Jewel, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, tapped the table, a meaningful smile spreading across his face. He then uttered the same words as that existence known as Shiki Ryougi.
"Interesting."
