novelraw Chapter 111: Binding Successful
Chapter 111: Binding Successful
After Fischer's simple question, the atmosphere in the cramped utility room turned unmistakably awkward.
At that moment the basement door swung open and Old Jack emerged, dragging two bags of rubbish. He cast a casual glance into the utility room. The instant he saw that Eliog was awake, his expression hardened.
"So you're finally up. I'm the owner of this tavern. You haven't paid your tab. Pay up and then go find somewhere else to sleep — I don't shelter drunks here, especially not demi-human drunks."
Fischer turned back to the demon named Eliog. He had expected at least a blush, or perhaps an excuse. Instead, she cupped her chin, thought for about one second, then gave up and flopped flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling with a look of supreme indifference.
"Ugh, what a pain... Sorry, I used up all my travel money. I'm completely broke. You can do whatever you want with me. On the bright side, this means I don't have to go to work. Wonderful."
"You—!"
Even Old Jack was rendered speechless by this demon's surpassingly nihilistic attitude. He was about to speak when Fischer pulled several Nario bills from his bag and paid the tab on her behalf.
"Old Jack, let me cover her drinks. She interests me."
Old Jack looked at Fischer, then at the demi-human lying flat on the floor — perfectly still, utterly indifferent to the fact that someone was paying for her, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He accepted the money with a sigh.
Then he pointed at the peculiar horns and tail on the demon's body and said."This one looks too strange. She might pass in Serpent's Head, but be careful if you take her anywhere else in Saint-Nazareth."
"I know."
"Right. I'll get back to it, then. Taking care of this one for two days has been a headache."
Old Jack rubbed his whitening hair and shuffled out with the rubbish bags. The utility room — reeking of booze and sulfur — was left to Fischer and the demon on the floor.
Turning back, he found the supine demon watching him with apparent interest. She propped her head on one hand. The flame-tipped tail curled around her toned midriff, but the fire seemed illusory — it made no attempt to singe her skin.
"Hey, you paid for my drinks, so clearly you want something from me... Now that I really look at you, your body is pretty strong for a human. Are you a crossbreed between human and some other race? Let me guess... angel-kin? You don't look the part. Dragon-kin? Hmm, that feels a bit closer. Still, your mana circuits are a lot thicker than most humans'. How'd you manage that?"
Eliog's body remained motionless as she lay there. Her nimble tail, however, poked Fischer here and there like a finger. The phantom flame at its tip had no warmth whatsoever, swaying back and forth with each flick.
Rather than answer, Fischer reached out and grabbed the mischievous tail. It was remarkably elastic, hairless, reminiscent of smooth rubber. Something solid ran through its core. Squeezing it was oddly satisfying.
Having her tail captured didn't bother the demon in the slightest. She didn't even twitch. Fischer was beginning to realize this creature was so lazy she simply refused to move — as though she intended to lie here until the end of time.
But Fischer's mind had snagged on a term she'd used. She had mentioned something called "angel-kin" — sounding like a demi-human species he had never heard of or encountered.
"What are angel-kin? Some kind of demi-human?"
He looked at Eliog quizzically. She pursed her lips. Unable to use her tail, she raised a finger and sketched something in the air — something that might have been a chicken or might have been a winged humanoid — and said.
"Oh, basically bird-people with wings and a ring of light over their heads. They hate you humans the most. After the war ended, nobody knows where they went and hid. Not my fault I was asleep during the fighting."
Eliog drowsily let slip a cascade of secrets, then turned the question back on Fischer.
"All right, out with it. You paid for my drinks, so what do you want from me? If you don't answer, I'm going back to sleep. I'm exhausted."
She yawned enormously. Through the stretch of her open mouth, past her small tongue, Fischer glimpsed the inside of her body — her stomach roiling like a lake of molten lava, continuously exhaling a pungent sulfurous stench.
"...I'm a scholar who studies demi-humans, and I find you extremely fascinating. Consider the drinks my treat. In return, may I study you?"
Facing a creature he had never before encountered, Fischer suspected the demon-kin might be a long-lived species. Some demi-humans had shorter lifespans than humans; others lived vastly longer. The being before him might well have existed for a very long time, so he chose his words with care.
He was also genuinely eager to learn about this species of demi-human — and to understand why she had suddenly appeared in Saint-Nazareth.
According to her own account, she was hunting a sinner.
Fischer could not yet judge whether that was true.
"Oh? You're interested in me?" Eliog's drowsiness receded slightly. She appraised the human before her with fresh curiosity. "Now that's a rare type of human. What exactly would you study?"
"Basically measuring your physical data. And if possible, I'd like to learn something about the demon-kin."
"Eh, measure my body all you want. But don't ask me about our dynasty — I basically don't know anything. Oh, and I'm out of money. If you pay me extra, I can coach you in combat."
'Dynasty?'
Fischer latched onto yet another unfamiliar term.
The moment she said that, she sat up with genuine enthusiasm, rubbing her chin and studying Fischer's physique.
"Your body is like an uncut gemstone — resilient, but lacking the technique to wield it. You've got a long way to go before you can call yourself a warrior. But the first step is finding a good teacher. Someone like, say... me."
Now it was Fischer's turn for bewilderment. Her pitch reminded him of the scam artists who crawled out of the woodwork at year's end in Naris. How was this demon any different from a con woman?
At the mention of money, Fischer's tone grew noticeably more cautious.
"How much would you need?"
"A hundred thousand of your currency!"
She held up all ten fingers with a swaggering air, as though a hundred thousand Narios were nothing but loose change.
"I think I'll stick to just studying you."
"Hey, at least haggle! Don't you know how to do business?"
Eliog pouted. Ten fingers became seven. She looked at Fischer, testing.
He looked at Eliog. Didn't even blink.
Seven fingers became five. She looked again.
Still not a twitch.
"Hey, don't push it. My instruction is incredibly valuable. Members of my own clan would beg for it and still couldn't get it. Don't take it for granted."
Fischer studied her for a moment. He suspected her clanmates' inability to find her had less to do with access and more to do with the fact that she was perpetually asleep. Even if they found her, they probably couldn't wake her. Fischer still had no idea how he'd managed it.
"Thirty thousand. Take it or leave it."
Fischer shook his head and named a figure. The stinginess left Eliog momentarily at a loss for words. She blinked, let out a resigned sigh, and said.
"A generous spirit is an essential quality in a warrior. Clearly, you have a lot of work ahead of you. But fine — thirty thousand it is."
He wasn't truly counting on picking up any extra combat prowess from this demon. Offering mere bar money as the sole compensation for studying her wasn't realistic either — he would have offered more sooner or later regardless. Since she'd raised the topic herself, Fischer simply went along with it.
That said, he'd actually been considering whether to train with Saint-Nazareth's martial artists. Until now he'd relied entirely on magic. After gaining dragon-kin–level physical enhancement, he found he could do little more than throw punches. Beyond improved health, his new body wasn't performing anywhere near its true potential.
Fischer let her remark pass and pressed on.
"So we have a deal? Thirty thousand Narios — I'll pay you once my salary comes through in a few days."
"Arooo, fine by me. Shall we head out? Fair warning, though — you're covering all my meals and drinks for the duration, human."
"..."
'Why do I feel like I've just been swindled?'
She yawned yet again. Only after the bargain was struck did she slowly haul herself to her feet. That was when Fischer realized the demon was nearly his height. She straightened her cloak, hiding every trace of her inhuman form beneath it.
The study wouldn't take long. Fischer planned to bring her to his lab near Saint-Nazareth University — a spacious, isolated area with no one around. After he finished, he'd let her go.
Decision made, Fischer prepared to leave with the demon.
"Old Jack, we're heading out. Send Karma and the girls my regards."
"Mm. Be careful out there."
At the tavern door, she tugged Fischer's sleeve and asked if she could take some drinks along. Fischer was dumbfounded into silence, but it was Old Jack — with a dark look on his face — who shoved two bottles into her arms, calling them a gift. He couldn't wait to be rid of the obnoxious demon.
Eliog hugged the two bottles of rum to her chest, beaming, and walked out with Fischer into the quiet streets of Serpent's Head. From the distance came the murmur of the underground river. Fischer glanced at her and asked.
"How did you get to Saint-Nazareth?"
Her heavy cloak completely concealed her inhuman figure. She looked like a mysterious explorer from the early frontier days. That slender, arrow-tipped tail had been tucked away somewhere out of sight.
"Came up the underground river. The boats there rock forever and take ages. I napped through several good sleeps before I finally arrived. Then I just wanted a drink, but it seems like someone stole my money while I was sleeping."
She said it as though having her money stolen was of zero consequence — not a shred of anger or frustration in her voice. Fischer, on the other hand, detected a distinct note of wistfulness when she said "sleeping."
With this unknown demi-human in tow, Fischer didn't dare take the tram. He hailed a carriage on the roadside and they both climbed into the back, destination: the outskirts of Saint-Nazareth University.
The moment she sat down, she settled against the cushioned seat and went stock-still, cradling the two bottles Old Jack had given her as though they were treasure — apparently entering nap mode.
Fischer glanced at her heavy cloak. He didn't take out the Handbook, but phantom text began drifting before his eyes.
【Please select a research subject. Available subjects: 0/1】
【Eliog — Duke Demon】
Yes — Fischer intended to bind this newly appeared demon as a research subject and extract whatever gains he could.
The centaur girl was simply too busy; studying her was impractical. Demon-kin was a species Fisher had never encountered before. He wanted very much to understand what they were.
His gaze sharpened. Without hesitation, he touched the binding text with his consciousness. The instant he did, bone-crushing pain erupted from the Handbook in his chest and radiated outward. Fischer clenched his eyes shut, not uttering a sound, and leaned back against the seat — mirroring the napping demon beside him.
As the carriage swayed, a fine sheen of cold sweat appeared on Fischer's brow. When he finally opened his eyes, the demon was still resting. The carriage was still moving.
The binding was successful.