Chapter 31

### Chapter 31: Contract

"Completely burned it white…."

"I don't think I could do it again if asked…."

Wow.

Sitting in the makeup room of the Public Relations Department, I looked at myself in the mirror.

To be honest, I'm really sorry, but I can't really tell what's changed.

"Everyone will be shocked, I think."

"Go on out. I can already picture the president and the foreign students' surprised faces. Hehehe."

"Ah, yes."

When you boost me like that, my confidence really goes up. Am I really that good-looking?

Is it just a magical makeup that looks good only to women?

I straightened my clothes neatly in the mirror and left the dressing room.

On the sofa in the Public Relations Department, an angel sat naturally.

No, it's not an angel, it's Ellis.

The scene from the game where Ellis first appears suddenly came to mind.

"Staring at people like that is a bit creepy."

"A, ah. Sorry."

Without realizing it, I had been staring at Ellis intently.

"Do you have something to say?"

"Um… You look really good."

"…Thanks. But why are you the same as when you came in?"

Didn't you say it was a mess? Big sisters.

Or maybe you're just not showing it because you're embarrassed.

"Um, well. It could be."

"If everything is done, come out quickly. The president is waiting outside."

Ellis left the Public Relations Department after saying that.

If that's acting, she could switch careers to be an actress.

Damn, it took over an hour just for makeup. What a waste of effort.

"…Junior, you really look amazing."

But the reaction from Sulin, who was waiting outside, was different.

"Hey, you look the same as usual. What are you talking about?"

"Really, I don't know how to describe it… You look amazing! Just, you know."

Indeed, am I this good?

Feeling uplifted by Sulin's praise and sparkling eyes, I said, "Let's take a photo with the student council as the background!"

A cheerful-looking male photographer suggested taking a photo.

I made a V sign with my left hand, looking a bit awkward.

"Hey, the male student is so tense. His face is pitiful."

"Sorry, sorry."

Tap tap.

When someone tapped me from the side, I looked over to see Ellis making eye contact with me.

"Follow me."

Ellis crossed her arms and turned her body about 45 degrees to show me her back.

Ah, that pose.

I also turned my body about 45 degrees and pressed my back against Ellis's back.

"Ooh, good pose. You look confident!"

Click click.

"Amazing, it came out really well. Let's move to the next location!"

*

"Alright, let's take the shot."

Click click.

"Next, we'll move to the Academy Library~."

I don't know how many times we've moved now.

Sulin, who was looking around the student council, disappeared, saying she had a lot to do. From what I saw, she probably just ran away because she was annoyed.

Ellis also looked a bit tired. She must be mentally exhausted, even if she's physically healthy.

"Let's do a shot where we're both holding books and sitting in chairs, reading!"

Really passionate. Is she getting paid a lot?

Click click.

"Alright, next… Oh, it's already this late."

Finally, it's over! A three-hour shoot…

"Lunch, and meet back at the Victoria Academy central fountain by 1 PM."

Damn it.

The shooting team left, laughing and heading for lunch.

Ellis and I looked at each other in the library like abandoned ducks.

"Do you have any plans after this?"

"Not really."

"Want to have lunch together?"

"…Sure."

At least she's willing to eat with me.

Ellis answered in short sentences and walked ahead.

*

Ellis walked ahead and entered some restaurant.

I quickly followed her.

When the waiter came to take our order, I looked at Ellis, who sighed deeply and said, "I'll have the same as her."

What? I should have said that too.

The waiter left, and I quietly looked around.

I thought of the steakhouse I went to in my 20s, determined to try it.

It was really good back then, but the atmosphere here is different.

The air itself feels so high-class, it seems like they could charge for it.

Nom nom.

Ellis, sitting across from me, was quietly eating the pre-meal bread, seemingly used to the place.

Hmm. I have nothing to do, so should I try starting a conversation?

Praise can make even a whale dance. Let's try some praise.

"But you really look good with makeup. I was really surprised earlier."

"Why the sudden flattery?"

"Um… I was just saying what I felt… Sorry."

"No, no need to apologize… Sigh. Just eat quietly."

"Okay…."

Why are you so prickly? Are you mad at me?

I also felt a bit awkward and quietly ate the bread.

Soon, the meal came, and we finished eating.

We occasionally talked about topics Ellis likes.

Fortunately, we hit it off talking about a classic movie that came out a few days ago.

'Studying Ellis's tastes was a good idea.'

I don't know when I'll meet Ellis again, so I've memorized news about her favorite author's new works and classic performances.

Somehow, we finished lunch and left the restaurant.

It took quite a while to eat, so it's almost time for the appointment.

"Surprisingly, it took a long time. It's already 12:50. Let's hurry."

"It's because you kept talking nonsense. It's polite to focus on eating when you're eating, you know?"

"Still, it was fun. Don't you want to see Figaro and the Pirate?"

"Well, yeah… Sigh. I'm tired. The afternoon schedule will be over quickly, so just follow me. Let's get it over with."

Ellis looked around and walked straight ahead.

"Hey, that way? It's not the right direction, is it?"

The central fountain is on the opposite side of the store.

Ellis either didn't hear me or ignored me and kept walking.

Can't she hear me?

*

"Alright, that's it for today's shoot. Good job, everyone!"

"Good job, everyone!"

"Good job!"

The afternoon shoot was definitely over quickly. We moved locations twice, which is pretty good.

It would have ended even earlier if we hadn't taken a detour because of Ellis.

"If you didn't know the way, you should have said so."

"…It could happen. People aren't always perfect."

"True, I felt good seeing your human side. I didn't expect to see the outer wall of the Academy while heading to the central fountain, though."

"…"

"Keh."

Ellis's surprised expression when she faced the outer wall was really cute.

It was also funny when she glanced at me, her face turning red, and then quickly walked in the opposite direction.

"…Lee Ho Yeon."

Ellis called my name in a low voice.

Damn, she must be mad.

Then, she walked up to me and poked my chest with her index finger.

"You, there's a limit to how much I can tolerate your rude behavior just because you're good-looking."

Ellis gave me a warning and then fled the scene like she was running away.

"This is what I learned from you, you bitch…."

And you said I looked the same before and after the makeup, but I really do look better. What's up with that?

*

"I don't want to get up."

I used up the whole Saturday for the shoot, so I should rest on Sunday, but I have something to do.

I need to go shopping.

Not at a large supermarket, but at the black market.

"I have a chance to make money, so I should take it."

Normally, to check an item's information, you need to use the [Appraisal] magic or an appraisal scroll.

But with my ability to see the equipment status window, I can just look at it to see the information.

This is clearly telling me to go to the black market and pick up some fake items.

I decided to definitely do this over the weekend, but it's hard to get up.

"Ah, might as well go early and rest later."

I'll put off today's work until tomorrow. It's my motto, but I've already put it off enough.

Starting from tomorrow, I'll have classes, so I'll have even less time.

I forced my eyes open and got dressed in casual clothes, heading to the Academy's commercial area.

The emergency stairs of the Samro Department Store. The route to the black market underground.

The same big guys and others were guarding it.

When I showed them a coin, they quietly moved aside, so I slipped through.

"It's been a while since I came here after the pharmacy. It's been quite a while."

I should stop by the pharmacy. There might be some unexpected finds.

There were stalls set up all over the underground, selling everything from monster byproducts to vials full of blood and live fish.

It's a truly amazing sight to see in person.

Of course, there are occasional lucky finds among these people, but most are the losers of the mainstream.

The black market is a place everyone knows about but pretends not to.

The state and the association aren't fools; with all kinds of capable people, they can't miss the flow of money and goods.

Ultimately, this is a relatively weak black market for the relatively weak.

The 'strong black market' is hidden away, accessible only to VIPs.

There, you can find everything from human trafficking to human experimentation, rape, and monster arenas, all filled with illegal elements that cross the line.

Even if the location is identified, the amount of lobbying money is so high that they often turn a blind eye.

In any case, this is a low-level 'weak black market'.

But because of that, there might be hidden treasures.

The riffraff in the 'weak black market' can't have a good eye for treasure.

"Looks like something you'd find here."

A shop that openly displays antiques.

It's a good sign that it's a shop and not just a stall.

I lifted the cloth covering the entrance and went inside.

The musty smell of old items. The smell of money.

"New face. Welcome."

An old man sitting behind the counter greeted me with a smile.

His clothes were tattered, and he was missing a few teeth, not a very good impression.

"Looking for something? I can help you pick if you want."

I didn't answer and quietly looked around. The old man didn't seem to expect an answer, so he closed his eyes and fanned himself.

'Garbage. This is also garbage. Cigarette recipe? This is also garbage.'

It was a literal feast of garbage.

It's not like finding a needle in a haystack; it's like a treasure hunt in a pile of garbage.

"Hmm…."

As I was checking the items one by one, the old man opened his eyes and looked at me.

What's he doing? Is the old man senile?

I ignored his intense gaze and kept looking for items.

After about 30 minutes of searching through the antiques, I found something.

────[ Contract for Summoning Hell's Rascals ]────

▶ Grade: Supreme

▶ A summoning contract filled with the magic of Hell. The quality of the summoned beings is poor, but the magic itself is a super high-level spell, making it a supreme contract.

▶ Allows the summoning and contracting of rascals from Hell who are considered useless.

-────────────

What is this ambiguous item? Good or bad?

I picked it up and checked it, and it turned out to be a contract for summoning rascals from Hell.

"Unbelievable."

I was so surprised that I forgot about the old man and muttered to myself.

Fortunately, the old man didn't pay much attention. He must have trained his mental fortitude by dealing with crazy people during his time running the antique shop.

'Ah, this is annoying.'

Rascals, useless. These words are really irritating, but it's a supreme summoning contract.

There's something that stimulates a man's heart.

'No, I need to find something more definite now.'

I forced myself to look away from the [ Contract for Summoning Hell's Rascals ] and looked at other items.

"…"

*

"Good choice. I don't know what this scroll is, but I bought it from a man in a robe 10 years ago. I hope it helps you."

"Sure, sure. Thanks for your hard work."

Damn, I bought it.

I don't know what it is, but it's cool!

Excited to try the summoning contract, I rushed back to the dorm.

Click!

After confirming that the dorm door was locked, I took out the summoning contract I had carried in my chest.

I placed the summoning contract on the floor and slowly infused it with mana.

Whoosh-

Light poured out of the summoning contract, filling the room.

When I opened my eyes after the light, something appeared in front of me.

————————–

Are you the one who summoned the rascals of Hell?

Choose one of the four rascals.

1. Meat-obsessed butcher demon Lucifer

2. Hell Academy's Adabomber, Golden Sun Incubus

3. F-class mercenary for 20 years, undefeated veteran Centaur

4. 50-year-old spinster, web-spinning master Succubus

—————————

"…What the hell is this?"

A system-like window with choices appeared in front of me.