His countenance was like billowing smoke, and I could hardly tell whether it was a man or a woman.
Honestly, it hardly seemed human at all—and that made it deeply unsettling.
I looked around and noticed the other figures around me were frozen, all staring directly at me.
I felt uneasy. This wasn't like the contemptuous looks I'd grown used to at home.
This was something different.
I shivered under their eyeless gazes and gripped the chair in fear.
"No need to be so nervous, Emory. I just want to talk."
The figure spoke my name as if it were a childhood friend.
I felt scared. This was too vivid to be a dream, and my awareness only raised more questions.
"Who… who are you?"
"No need to be so tense, my boy. I'm what you humans have been calling a demon for centuries. Though if you ask me, I'm just a being from another world—stronger than humans, perhaps, but not quite the monster you imagine. My name is Nowa."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. A demon? My family may not have been firm believers in Aegis, but to keep up appearances, we did attend mass once a year.
When children are introduced to the church, they learn about all kinds of things. Demons are infamous—vile beings that feed on pain and suffering.
That fear is a rite of passage, even among commoners. And now, one of them stood in my dream...
"…What do you want? Are you here to kill me?"
Nowa looked briefly puzzled by the sharpness of my tone.
"…I'm just here to talk. I arrived in town recently and heard about the disgrace of House Lucien. The negative emotions swirling among the commoners are delicious—but yours… yours are of a different quality. I was drawn in by your scent and decided to see you for myself. And you didn't disappoint."
My face stiffened. It was one thing to be mocked by my own family, but now a demon—who-knows-from-where—decided to weigh in too.
Maybe there really is no hope left for me...
"Boy, I come bearing an opportunity."
I knew demons couldn't be trusted, but really—what could be worse than the life I was already living?
"…What opportunity?"
"You are no commoner. You were born with the aptitude for mana, but despite years of effort, you still can't use magic. That failure led your family to cast you aside, and your life has been reduced to rubble."
"It's not as if my story is a mystery. Everyone knows it. Get to the point."
Nowa smirked. "I offer you what you desire most—power. That which your own efforts have denied you. That which led to your fall. I'll give it to you, and those looks of contempt you've grown used to... they will change."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was it possible? The one thing I craved but was never able to reach. Even as I bled. Even as I fainted from mana exhaustion. Even as my heart grew cold, and I drowned myself in vice… Was it finally within reach?
"Hahahaha!!"
Nowa looked at me—at my manic laughter—and seemed to question whether I was still sane.
I forced myself to stop and stared at the speaking smoke with a tear sliding down my cheek.
"What do I have to do? I assume you'll want my soul. I don't think I have anything else to offer."
Nowa looked at me with what I could only guess was amusement.
"No need to rush, young Emory. I'll give you power—but not now. As for the price, I don't need anything directly from you. I need your services. This world that abandoned you, that rejoices in your suffering—your own family that turned their backs on you—I want you to respond. Spread the feelings they forced on you. Make them feel what you feel. Spread your misery, Emory. Let it grow in the hearts of the people. That is your payment."
I felt conflicted. Deep down, I knew what he said was true. I wanted to deny it—but there was no argument to make. Still, a part of me hesitated. I would be selling away my humanity to a demon.
But then a thought occurred to me. Wasn't this the very opportunity I'd been desperate for all these years?
I looked straight at Nowa and said, "When do we begin?"
"One week from now. Friday the 13th, Year of your Lord Aegis, 999. Midnight. Draw this symbol in blood and infuse it with mana."
I stared at the runic circle in astonishment. I had researched all manner of magic in my quest to prove I wasn't worthless—and I knew how rare this was.
This was considered lost magic. It was mentioned only briefly in the Church's Canon, something only the Saints could perform—and even they had been taught by Lord Aegis himself.
Was this demon something of that level?
I don't know. Maybe I should just be grateful that something—anything—had finally fallen into my lap.
I focused on the symbol, memorizing it with all the attention I could muster.
…
"I'll be seeing you again, Emory."
I expressed my gratitude and watched as the demon dissipated into thin air.
I woke up in a cold sweat and saw that the sun was about to rise.
A rare, genuine smile spread across my face.
After three years of nothing going right, I finally had hope.
And to fuel that hope, the whole world would become my sacrifice.
Knocking came from the door as my ever-present maid entered.
Claudia noticed the unfamiliar expression I wore but couldn't quite tell where the change had come from.
But it had.
I didn't really care much for anyone anymore… but my feelings for her were complicated.
My decision wouldn't just affect me.
"Claudia, clean my room. Remove all these bottles and get ready to move."
Claudia was taken aback by my uncharacteristic order.
She quickly got to work, afraid I'd renege on it if she hesitated.
I looked outside and saw the beautiful scenery again—but now, it had lost all meaning.