Luke’s words were sincere, not exaggerated.
“Well then, I’ll see you next semester….”
Rumble—It was the ominous noise I had heard before. Even without looking, I could guess what had happened to Luke. I sighed audibly and looked down at the ground. As expected… Luke’s belongings, which I had seen once before, were rolling pitifully on the ground.
“…You should get a sturdier backpack.”
I tapped Kamian on the shoulder as he lowered me to the ground, bending his knees deeply until my feet touched the earth.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to help me.”
…But leaving so abruptly wasn’t very considerate either.
“If all three of us pitch in, we can pick them up quickly.”
As I nonchalantly remarked, Kamian picked up a piece of gold and tossed it up before catching it with his other hand, lightly nudging me with his free hand.
“You can sit on that rock over there.”
He tosses the gold around like a pebble. How did he become so strong? I watched him with a mix of admiration and picked up a book from the pile beside me.
“Can you at least listen when I speak?”
“After going through all that, you expect me to obediently listen to you?”
Kamian set the gold down and lifted me in his arms. He carried me like a piece of luggage, striding briskly towards a spot quite a distance away.
I had no strength to resist, so I simply sprawled my body out. Then, naturally, I glanced at the book I had just picked up and was startled by its blatantly titled cover, “Slaying Demons.”
“Sit here. Unless you enjoy being bound, don’t move.”
“But you were the one who asked.”
Kamian placed me on a sturdy rock and distanced himself. I unfolded the book in my hands, entranced. I skimmed through the table of contents.
The word “contract” caught my attention peculiarly. I unfolded the pages indicated in the table of contents and furrowed my brow.
“What is this?”
Tiny letters, barely a fraction of my fingernail, filled the book’s pages. Leaning in closer, I skimmed through the text as if searching for something.
“Ah?”
However, the contents written were entirely different from what I knew. I blinked my eyes and traced the words with my finger, but once again… the content seemed strange.
“…The demon, in order to bind the soul of the contractor as its possession, makes the contractor drink its own blood.”
I placed the book on my lap and gazed into the empty air. How did this happen? My mind felt as empty as a fool’s. Despite rereading the book’s contents multiple times with both eyes, my mind couldn’t comprehend it. But it’s no wonder, considering that Kamian’s ritualistic period is only 15 years. Fifteen years. What have we been doing all this time?
“You’ve found my book.”
“Ah…!”
It was as if someone had poured cold water on me. Suddenly, Luke, who had approached unnoticed, placed one hand on my knee and extended his hand towards me. I placed the book on his small, bony palm.
“The title is somewhat eerie.”
“Provocative titles tend to catch people’s attention.”
I saw Kamian approaching from behind Luke. Sensing the direction of my gaze, Luke turned his body.
“I’m grateful for today, in many ways. We’ll be seeing each other often once the semester starts.”
“Yes. I hope you arrive safely at the university.”
Luke tensed his gaze and nodded vigorously, as if in determination.
After bidding farewell to Luke, we retraced our steps. Leaning my cheek against Kamian’s shoulder, I used my finger to jot down the content I had just read, as if his back were made of paper, then rubbed it off with my palm and repeated the process.
“If you have something to say, use words. Don’t scribble on my back.”
Luke’s words were sincere, not exaggerated.
“Well then, I’ll see you next semester….”
Rumble—It was the ominous noise I had heard before. Even without looking, I could guess what had happened to Luke. I sighed audibly and looked down at the ground. As expected… Luke’s belongings, which I had seen once before, were rolling pitifully on the ground.
“…You should get a sturdier backpack.”
I tapped Kamian on the shoulder as he lowered me to the ground, bending his knees deeply until my feet touched the earth.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to help me.”
…But leaving so abruptly wasn’t very considerate either.
“If all three of us pitch in, we can pick them up quickly.”
As I nonchalantly remarked, Kamian picked up a piece of gold and tossed it up before catching it with his other hand, lightly nudging me with his free hand.
“You can sit on that rock over there.”
He tosses the gold around like a pebble. How did he become so strong? I watched him with a mix of admiration and picked up a book from the pile beside me.
“Can you at least listen when I speak?”
“After going through all that, you expect me to obediently listen to you?”
Kamian set the gold down and lifted me in his arms. He carried me like a piece of luggage, striding briskly towards a spot quite a distance away.
I had no strength to resist, so I simply sprawled my body out. Then, naturally, I glanced at the book I had just picked up and was startled by its blatantly titled cover, “Slaying Demons.”
“Sit here. Unless you enjoy being bound, don’t move.”
“But you were the one who asked.”
Kamian placed me on a sturdy rock and distanced himself. I unfolded the book in my hands, entranced. I skimmed through the table of contents.
The word “contract” caught my attention peculiarly. I unfolded the pages indicated in the table of contents and furrowed my brow.
“What is this?”
Tiny letters, barely a fraction of my fingernail, filled the book’s pages. Leaning in closer, I skimmed through the text as if searching for something.
“Ah?”
However, the contents written were entirely different from what I knew. I blinked my eyes and traced the words with my finger, but once again… the content seemed strange.
“…The demon, in order to bind the soul of the contractor as its possession, makes the contractor drink its own blood.”
I placed the book on my lap and gazed into the empty air. How did this happen? My mind felt as empty as a fool’s. Despite rereading the book’s contents multiple times with both eyes, my mind couldn’t comprehend it. But it’s no wonder, considering that Kamian’s ritualistic period is only 15 years. Fifteen years. What have we been doing all this time?
“You’ve found my book.”
“Ah…!”
It was as if someone had poured cold water on me. Suddenly, Luke, who had approached unnoticed, placed one hand on my knee and extended his hand towards me. I placed the book on his small, bony palm.
“The title is somewhat eerie.”
“Provocative titles tend to catch people’s attention.”
I saw Kamian approaching from behind Luke. Sensing the direction of my gaze, Luke turned his body.
“I’m grateful for today, in many ways. We’ll be seeing each other often once the semester starts.”
“Yes. I hope you arrive safely at the university.”
Luke tensed his gaze and nodded vigorously, as if in determination.
After bidding farewell to Luke, we retraced our steps. Leaning my cheek against Kamian’s shoulder, I used my finger to jot down the content I had just read, as if his back were made of paper, then rubbed it off with my palm and repeated the process.
“If you have something to say, use words. Don’t scribble on my back.”
