Lillian stared at the demon, who was laughing maniacally, with a confused look. Could he be insane? But then, is insanity perhaps a typical emotional state for demons? It was impossible to know for sure.
The demon, however, didn’t care, laughing to his heart’s content. He laughed so hard that he gasped for air before finally wiping away his tears and straightening his back. His face, which had seemed like that of a ferocious beast just moments ago, now had an intellectual gleam in his eyes. Well, it was still the face of a monster, but still.
"Ah, my apologies. It’s been a long time since I was summoned to the human realm, so I just wanted to have a little fun."
Lillian quickly lowered her eyes. Otherwise, she felt like the demon would catch the curse words she was glaring at him with her eyes. At least, she was glad she could manage to keep her expression perfectly neutral. The demon, unaware of anything, spoke casually in a tone that suggested he was at ease.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Saleos. I am one of the 72 demons of the demon realm."
It was definitely a better situation than before. He didn’t reveal his teeth or growl aggressively. He even politely introduced himself. Of course, it wasn’t his real name, but at least it showed he was willing to have a conversation with her.
However, Lillian felt like this situation was even more dangerous. It was a chilling sensation that was hard to describe. The feeling of unease and fear when you see something that is not human but behaves like one. It was probably the same feeling one would get if, on a random night, you went down to the living room only to find a faceless mannequin sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper.
"Now, let’s hear why you summoned me, the one who killed their own family."
Saleos grinned, showing his terrifying fangs, and took a step closer. Lillian flinched and took a step back from him. Although Saleos was trapped inside the magic circle, his overwhelming presence made him intimidating. What’s more, the words he had just spoken pierced Lillian’s heart.
‘Killed my own family?’
It seemed that Saleos had figured out that the person he was trampling on was Lillian’s father. This was proof that, whether he was being polite or not, he was still a demon. Even recalling the description of the demon, Ifos, summoned by Aleina, demons were never to be trusted.
Honestly, Lillian was terrified. As Chae Soyeon, a modern-day South Korean woman, she was now face-to-face with an unprecedented entity— a demon from a fantasy world. He had a terrifying appearance, and his voice was disturbingly hoarse. Moreover, under his feet, Herbert’s corpse was being repeatedly trampled, morphing into a gruesome form.
But even though she was afraid, turning around and saying, "Alright, then, I’ll leave. Please go back," would be the death route. An enraged demon would immediately snatch her up and chew her to pieces. So, Lillian pretended to stay calm and spoke up.
"I summoned you because... I want you to become my contractor."
"My name is Saleos, a brave warrior who leads thirty legions in the demon realm. I can grant my contractor power and the ability to dominate lust. To become my contractor, you must offer your soul to me. You must abandon your gods and serve me from now on. Do you agree?"
Saleos smiled broadly as if he’d been waiting for her to respond, reciting the terms of the contract. From the darkness of his mouth, the flames of hell seemed to rise. If she promised to give her soul, she would likely end up swimming in that fiery sea after death.
Moreover, from vague memories, Lillian recalled that demons intentionally pushed their contractors toward death in order to collect their souls more quickly. With her already short lifespan, she couldn’t afford that.
‘So, I have to make the contract with something other than my soul.’
Lillian closed her mouth for a moment and began to think. Although Saleos wasn’t the demon she had expected, his powers weren’t bad. Power and lust domination magic... it would be useful for her current situation. After organizing her thoughts in her head, Lillian carefully opened her mouth.
"I’m sorry, but I cannot make a deal with my soul as collateral. My soul... doesn’t belong to this world. I can’t stake something whose belonging is unclear in this transaction. After all, I might suddenly return to my original world one day."
"What do you mean by that? Are you trying to pull some nonsense in front of me, Saleos?"
As expected, Saleos was not easily convinced. He growled loudly and stomped on Herbert’s corpse, showing off. The already tattered body was almost split in half. The cruel glare in Saleos’ eyes as he looked at Lillian seemed to warn her: she would become like that next.
Lillian felt a cold chill run down her spine. It felt like his terrifying foot was about to stomp on her back at any moment, making her back ache. Biting her lip, she tried to lift her trembling chin and responded.
"I’m not lying. I’m not from this world. One day, I had an accident in my original world and ended up in this body. I don’t know the reason, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself here."
"...Does that mean you’re a dimensional traveler?"
Strictly speaking, it was more of a possession than a dimensional travel, but well, demons in the book wouldn’t understand that. Lillian nodded to acknowledge it.
"Yes."
For a moment, Saleos was silent. Lillian could feel his burning red eyes scanning her face, and she held her breath. She was so tense that she could feel her nails digging into her palms. After staring at her without speaking for a while, Saleos finally spoke.
"Demons are immortal beings. Therefore, we know many strange things that humans cannot even imagine. I’ve heard of beings like you existing."
"...You believe me?"
Lillian asked again in a slightly breathless voice. Even she, skilled in acting, was nervous at this moment. Her heart was beating so fast that she felt dizzy. Saleos smiled with a meaningful expression.
"Of course, I believe that such beings exist. But whether you truly are one of them, we’ll have to confirm that ourselves."
"Do I need to prove that I’m from another world?"
"Yes. A transaction must be clear. This magic circle is a boundary that connects the demon realm and the human realm. That’s why your soul’s scent and taste cannot be felt here."
Lillian blinked without answering. Somehow, she had a feeling she knew what his next words would be.
"So come closer and prove it. Show me that your soul does not belong here."
As expected, the demon was starting to make his move. A deal with a demon was never like a buffet where you could just pick the parts you liked. Saleos subtly whispered as he reached out toward the frozen Lillian.
"Come here. Let me taste your soul. Enter the magic circle. It’ll be easy."
Saleos’ eyes gleamed brightly as he extended his hand toward her. He had said that the magic circle acted as a boundary, so he couldn’t sense her soul. That’s why he wanted Lillian to step into the magic circle, so he could check her soul.
‘What a load of nonsense.’
Lillian muttered inwardly, irritated. The summoning circle, mixed with the summoner’s blood, kept demons from easily stepping over it. Thanks to that, demons couldn’t harm the summoner at will. No matter how much he growled at her like he wanted to kill her, Lillian could maintain some calm because of this.
But he wanted her to walk into the magic circle herself? Into a place where his terrifying claws and fangs were? Just to let him smell her scent? Lillian’s green eyes darkened with disgust.
‘That’s suicide.’
She’d rather jump off a cliff than do that. But if she didn’t comply with his demand, who knew what the demon might do to her?
In the original story, Aleina was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The demon worshipers who bought her to use her as a sacrifice were all killed by the demon’s hand. They probably didn’t just draw the summoning circle carelessly and die. They were probably much better prepared than Lillian, who wasn’t an expert. Yet, they all died.
There was no such thing as an absolutely safe way in a contract with a demon. So, Lillian held her breath and observed Saleos. He seemed like he wouldn’t give up until she entered the magic circle. His hoarse voice, full of sulfur and ash, urged her on fiercely.
"What are you hesitating for? It’s just the process of smelling your soul to confirm it."
"...Does the confirmation require my body?"
"Of course. A demon can distinguish the scent of the body you inhabit and the taste of the soul that permeates it."
With that answer, Lillian’s eyes sparkled. There was a way. She didn’t have to step into the magic circle to let the demon smell her scent.