I looked at Yuria.
Yuria had erased her expression and was slightly frowning as she stared at the entrance of the tent.
'There's no reason to refuse. And I'm also curious why Bella is so interested in Yuria.'
I trust that Yuria will handle the situation well.
I whispered to Yuria.
"Yuria. Talk to Bella. I'm curious why she's so interested in you."
"Yes. Understood."
Seeing Yuria nod, I turned to Bella.
"Yuria says it's fine. Should I leave the tent so you two can talk?"
"No, it's alright. Young Master Eugene, you're not in good health, so rest well in the tent. Yuria and I will talk a little further away."
I handed Yuria wireless earbuds, a camera, and a listening device. The wireless earbuds can be hidden in her hair and won't be noticeable. Even if she's caught, Bella, being from this world, won't know what these things are.
"But is it really a conversation that has to be private?"
"It's a personal topic, so yes. It's not a serious conversation, so don't worry."
"Is it something I shouldn't know about?"
"Hehe. You can ask Yuria later."
Yuria, now equipped with all the devices I gave her, opened the tent entrance and stepped outside. I sat on the bed, pretending to be weak, and waved feebly at Bella.
"Oh, I'm sorry for disturbing your rest."
"It's fine. My body isn't feeling well today, so I need Yuria's care. Will the conversation be over soon?"
"It should be done within 30 minutes."
"Young Master, I'll be back soon."
Bella and Yuria left.
I immediately pulled out my laptop. The camera was secretly attached to Yuria's waist. As they walked, I could see Bella's back. They were heading deeper into the forest.
"Yuria, were you surprised when I suddenly called you out in the middle of the night?"
"Yes, I was surprised. I never dreamed Lady Bella would call me out like this."
"I didn't expect to meet you today either. I was really surprised when I saw you."
"...We've never met before. What do you want to talk to me about?"
Is Bella connected to the Helbrit Duke family? As far as I know, Bella and the Helbrit Duke family have no connection.
Of course, my knowledge isn't perfect. I'm not the author of this world. There might be hidden settings I'm unaware of.
"Isn't this far enough? If we go any deeper, it'll be troublesome to get back."
"No, Yuria. Let's go a little further."
They walked for almost 10 minutes, moving away from the base camp.
Bella stopped walking. She turned to face Yuria. The warmth on Bella's face was gone. She looked at Yuria with a cold expression. This was Bella's true face.
"We've come this far, so there's no need to hide."
Bella's tone had changed.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Lady Bella."
"I understand. We have to hide. If our true identities are revealed, we'll be ostracized and eventually hunted down. The only ones we can trust are ourselves. I was so happy to see you because we're the same."
"…Lady Bella, you're mistaken. You and I are not the same."
"No, we are. We're comrades."
As she said this, Bella began to remove her dress. Her extravagant dress fell to the ground. My eyes widened. She was wearing only a pair of panties, no bra.
'Pink nipples! G-cup!'
Her breasts were overwhelmingly large. Her waist was incredibly slim compared to her chest.
'I can't believe she's stripping here. Is she a seductress?'
Bella grabbed her right breast and lifted it up. The area hidden beneath her large breast was revealed.
'It's a magic circle.'
A green magic circle was drawn there.
It was proof that she had made a contract with a demon. Those who contract with demons have a magic circle drawn somewhere on their body. It's proof of the contract.
"Look. This is proof that you and I are comrades. You must have a magic circle drawn somewhere on your body too. Show it to me."
"I have not made a contract with a demon."
I shifted uncomfortably.
I thought Bella might try to kill Yuria. How strong is Bella right now? Can she properly use the demon's power? Can Yuria successfully escape from Bella?
Various thoughts swirled in my mind.
"Don't lie. Hefl told me. He sensed the scent of a demon and impure mana on you."
"Hefl. The Plague Demon."
Hefl, the Plague Demon. A top-tier demon recorded in various books.
'…I see.'
Now I understand why Bella was so interested in Yuria. Bella's demon must have sensed the impure mana and the scent of the low-level parasitic demon, Saphin, that Yuria carries.
'When I smelled her, all I could sense was Yuria's sweet scent.'
It's called the scent of a demon, but it's probably more like the aura of a demon. Yuria still occasionally tortures Saphin, after all.
"Lady Bella, you're mistaken. I have not made a contract with a demon."
"...You don't trust me, your comrade?"
"I've said it multiple times, but I am not your comrade."
"That's too much. I was so happy to meet you, Yuria. But if you're going to act like this… I might get a little angry."
The green magic circle on her body began to glow faintly. Bella let go of the breast she was holding. It swayed heavily before settling back into place.
"Yuria, I'll say it one more time. We're comrades. Show me the proof on your body."
Dark mana began to swirl around Bella's body. It was the power of a demon. Similar to impure mana but different—it was demonic energy.
And behind Bella, the form of a demon appeared. Hefl, the top-tier demon Bella had contracted with.
I urgently spoke to Yuria.
"Yuria, play along. This is both a crisis and an opportunity."
Bella is a witch who has contracted with a top-tier demon. If she uses her power properly, Yuria would have a hard time dealing with her. Even if I intervened, there's not much I could do.
In that case, it's better to lie.
'And maybe we can use this to get a foot in the door with Pantheum.'
The demonic organization Pantheum. We might be able to continuously gather information about these troublesome individuals.
"Lady Bella, I'll tell you the truth. I have not made a contract with a demon yet."
"…Yet?"
"I'm preparing to make a contract with a demon. I actually summoned one, but it was a low-level demon, so I postponed the contract. I want to contract with at least a mid-level demon."
I nervously watched Bella on the screen. Would she buy it?
"I see. I understand. Summoning a demon isn't easy. If it weren't for my family's treasure, I wouldn't have been able to contract with Hefl either."
She bought it.
I let out a sigh of relief. The demonic energy flowing from Bella's body also dissipated.
"You said you sensed impure mana… How did you get it?"
"I made it myself. I heard demons really like impure mana."
"That's right. Demons love impure mana. Impure mana can even become a demon's power. But even demons can't easily create impure mana. You're amazing, Yuria."
"If you'd like, I can give you some impure mana."
"Really?"
Yuria pulled out a glass bottle filled with impure mana from the shadows.
Bella looked surprised at Yuria's magical abilities.
"…Yuria, you're truly extraordinary. It's hard to believe you haven't made a contract with a demon yet. Any demon would gladly contract with you."
"Summoning a demon isn't easy."
Bella took the bottle from Yuria. She opened the cap and held it up high.
Behind Bella, a green-skinned demon appeared. Its skin oozed an unknown slippery liquid, its head resembled a fly, and it had three mouths.
The Plague Demon, Hefl, revealed itself and clung to the bottle, greedily sucking up the impure mana.
[This is definitely impure mana! It's delicious! But the quantity is a bit disappointing.]
The demon cackled.
"Yeah. I can feel my power increasing, even if just a little. Impure mana is truly amazing."
[That's right. So you should strive to obtain more impure mana. Stop playing around with your noble games.]
"It's not a game. There's no status more convenient than being a noble for proper activities. And our goal is to dominate the continent, right? Being a noble is also good for gaining experience in ruling."
[Anyway, don't get too absorbed. You have to keep offering humans to me.]
Then the demon looked at Yuria.
I couldn't see Yuria's expression. But I could guess. Yuria was probably expressionless. I doubt she's afraid of demons.
[I can smell the demon on you strongly. You. Did you summon a low-level demon and kill it to eat?]
"I've never eaten a demon."
[Keke. Really? You're not denying that you killed one. You're an interesting woman. Bella, teach this woman how to summon demons. She has talent.]
"Got it. Hefl. I think so too."
The demon disappeared.
Bella put her dress back on and began teaching Yuria how to summon demons.
"To summon a demon, it's best to first create a ritual altar. When summoning, killing someone under 20 years old makes it easier to call forth a demon."
I shook my head as I listened to Bella. I couldn't understand the exact magical terms she was using, but I could tell it was a horrifying method.
"Understood."
"Yuria, how about coming to the Huitress family with me? I'll help you as much as I can. I also want to learn how you create impure mana."
"That's not possible. I have duties to fulfill in the Pruckus family. I'll teach you how to create impure mana. First, find a suitable prison and then…"
"Wow… So that's how you make it. It might be too difficult for me."
"You'll get used to it with practice."
They finished their conversation and returned to the tent where I was.
"Did you have a good talk?"
Bella smiled brightly at my question.
"Yes! It was a really enjoyable time. I'd like to talk with Yuria again sometime."
"If it's alright, why don't you visit my territory next time? I'd be happy to welcome Lady Huitress."
"Ah. You said you'll become the lord of Tebura next month. Can I really visit?"
"Of course."
"You better not take back those words. I'll definitely come visit."
"I'll look forward to that day."
"Well then, I'll take my leave now. Have a good night's sleep, Young Master Eugene. And you too, Yuria."
"Yes. Good night, Lady Bella."
Bella left.
I immediately grabbed Yuria's wrist, pushed her onto the bed, and climbed on top of her.
Yuria's eyes stared at me without a hint of wavering. I reached out and touched her soft cheek.
"I was worried, Yuria."
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Master."
"You're lacking? No way."
I pulled down the fabric covering her chest with my hand. Her pale breasts and pink nipples were revealed.
"You don't need to make a contract with a demon. They're not to be trusted. They play tricks with contracts."
The idea that demons value contracts is a story from another world. In this world, demons treat contracts like garbage.
My left hand slipped under her skirt. I touched her thigh-high stockings and then slid my fingers under her panties, touching her privates.
"Yes. I won't make a contract. Ah…"
"Let's use Bella Huitress for now and then kill her later. The power of the plague she possesses is dangerous."
It might be difficult to use her. If she's deemed too dangerous, we'll have to kill her without hesitation.
"Haa… Master…"
Yuria let out a hot breath.
Squelch!
A lewd sound came from her privates.
***
The next day.
We set off at dawn. Not long after, we reached Huitress City, where we parted ways with the Huitress siblings.
Before leaving, Bella secretly handed something to Yuria. It was a book detailing demon summoning rituals, contracts, and other information about demons. If this book's existence were revealed, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar.
There was no need to burn it. We could take it to the real world or store it in Yuria's shadow space. Yuria's shadow spatial magic can't be detected from the outside.
And a little past noon.
We finally arrived at Hughes Snow Mountain.
***
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