THVS 23

Chapter 23

The underground of the Magic Tower wasn’t particularly special.
It was just a place where failed magical circles on scrolls and artifacts from experiments were discarded—a dumping ground, in other words.

“What on earth was she planning to do here?”

I didn’t know what Layla’s goal was, but there wasn’t much one could do underground aside from disposing of magical items.
Unless there was some hidden secret place like in novels—but the Magic Tower had none of that.
I searched the tower thoroughly as soon as I entered, just in case, but found nothing suspicious.

…Had I come to the wrong place?
Perhaps she had another location in mind and got lost along the way.

“Though, if that were the case, why did she go straight underground?”

Aside from that day, Layla probably hadn’t been to the tower before. Yet, she moved without hesitation, as if she already knew the internal paths.
Honestly, I hoped there was nothing here.
Layla was inherently kind; she acted for others rather than herself.
True to her title as a saint, she never passed by those who were hurt, nor did she discriminate based on status or ability.
She had changed somewhat now, but until a few weeks ago, she had endured harassment from other young ladies without complaint.

“But if there really is something here…”

It would mean that Layla truly knew something related to the original story.

“I hope she doesn’t find out until the end.”

I wanted Layla to remain unaware of how I would die and what terrible things would happen to me.
Knowing the tragic future that awaited her wasn’t something anyone would want.
Of course, knowing might give some advantage to prepare, but if even preparation doesn’t change the future at all, then it would be far worse than ignorance.

I had done everything I could to prepare, using all the knowledge I had.
If events still unfolded according to the original story… I’d have no choice but to endure them.

“I’m ready.”

Having spent twenty years preparing since coming to this world, I wouldn’t regret it.
But Layla wouldn’t be so ready.
I didn’t know exactly what she knew, or even if she truly had gone through reincarnation, but I could tell that lingering regret and hatred for me would follow her to the end.
So I desperately hoped there would be nothing here, and I kept my eyes peeled.

Hundreds, thousands of units of magic intertwined, flickering in the void.
Trying not to be distracted, I concentrated—and then I noticed something, narrowing my eyes.

“Contractor.”

Bael called my name softly, as if he had noticed it too.
It wasn’t easy to spot amid all the magic, but I could sense an empty space beyond one wall.

“…It definitely wasn’t here before.”

A chill ran down my spine.
Was it because I had changed the original story and the law of causality was at work?
Or was it something from the original story that I didn’t know?
Either way, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

The more I thought about it, the worst-case scenarios came to mind, so I quickly cleared my head.

“It seems like this is the place Layla was looking for.”

Ignorance is bliss, as they say.
If something were here, even Layla would have trouble finding it.
Others too, I suppose.
It might be better to leave it unnoticed.

“But if the male leads find it…?”

The worst possible scenario I could imagine.
I didn’t know what was inside, but if that happened, seeing it with my own eyes would be far better.

“…We should go in, Contractor.”

Bael’s voice sounded oddly excited.
I narrowed my eyes and glared at the wall.
If it had been dangerous, he would have told me not to go—our contract meant he would disappear if I died.
Yet he seemed happy instead, which rubbed me the wrong way.

“It’s not a magic circle or anything…”

There was nothing worth hiding here.
Even though it was a dark place, there was no preparation at all.

“Let’s just go in, then.”

Shaking off all distracting thoughts, I passed through the wall.
Contrary to my expectations, the interior was empty.
The chilling air suggested that it had been vacant for years.

“There’s nothing here?”

I was about to sigh in relief, but then I sensed a sinister presence from behind and whirled around.

“…F*ck.”

Why was that here?
I froze as I looked at it, lying on the floor as if discarded.
It radiated a strange presence, as though it were alive.
Red and blue curves tangled across its surface, which seemed polished from human spines, emanating an unnatural aura.

I knew exactly what it was.
I had never seen it, yet I knew.
The description of its appearance when it first appeared was still vivid in my mind.

“Look closely, Layla. I chose this gem carefully.”

A single gemstone was embedded deep at the junction of the hilt and blade.
A raw, uncut, smooth, purple gem.
Lionel pointed to the center of the blade where the gem was set and grinned.

“You should greet it. It’s been a while since you last saw it.”

“…What…?”

Layla, who had been staring at Lionel in shock, slowly turned her eyes toward the gem.
Seeing it up close, she recognized it instantly.
She gasped and shook her head, as if to deny it.

“Tien…?”

“Yes. Being your closest friend, you recognized it immediately. How is it? Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Ugh…!”

“Oh, are tears welling up at this emotional reunion?”

Layla’s gaze was fixed entirely on the sword.
A strange black sword, seemingly made from human spines.
Its irregularly serrated blade didn’t just cut—it looked like it could tear flesh apart.
And embedded like a jewel in it was none other than a human eyeball.

“No… no, it’s not…”

Layla crawled across the floor.
Her mouth denied it, but her mind knew: in the Persent Empire, the only person with that eye was her only friend, Tien Ellopez.

Lionel had set Tien’s eye like a jewel in the sword.
As soon as she saw it, pain struck the corner of her right eye.

“…Why is it here now?”

In the original story, Lionel obtained the sword from a sealed location.
The seal was on the altar of a temple connected to the demon realm.
As I recalled, Lionel obtained the sword in Volume 2—about three years after the current time, before the story even began.
But now, the location was different, and it wasn’t sealed.

“Or did someone seal it in the temple in the meantime?”

I watched the sword warily, then stopped.

“Is this really the magic sword?”

If not for knowing its description, I wouldn’t have recognized it among the trash where it had been discarded.
Who would suspect such a discarded sword was a magic sword?

“Contractor, let’s destroy that old magic sword.”

So that’s why he showed it.
Bael had to know, as a demon sword was involved.
It was Bael who had trapped the previous Demon King, Demos, in the sword.
Given their rivalry for the throne, it was no wonder they didn’t get along.

“I threw it into the human world, but I never thought it would end up here.”

…It was him, wasn’t it?
If that bastard hadn’t trapped Demos in the sword, hadn’t thrown it into the human world, hadn’t left it for someone else to seal at the altar, it would never have fallen into Lionel’s hands.
Then, in the original story, I wouldn’t have lost my magic or died!
In the end, that bastard caused all the events.

I shot my gaze across the space where Bael might be, feeling a strange unease.

“…Huh…?”

In the original, Lionel used the sword to steal Tien’s magic.
But why did I think until now that Bael, who had a contract with Lionel, had stolen my magic?

‘I’ve been possessed for so long that I can’t remember properly.’

I’d need to review my notes on the plot when I returned to the mansion.

Well, it didn’t matter much whether it was him or that bastard.