Fortunately, Eunha was not the kind of unreasonable person who would fly into a rage over a child's minor slip of the tongue. Even viewed person to person, not just as a mage, she fell on the side of being quite a person of character.
“It’s not aunt, it’s sister, Amelia. Call me sister.”
Eunha said, lightly tapping Amelia’s head. Amelia let out an “Awww” sound and nodded.
“Yes, Sister…….”
“Yes, Amelia. Come in. I’ve prepared snacks and dessert separately, so let’s eat them together after the meal.”
“Wow! Dessert! Cookies? Or cake? Bread?”
“We have macarons, chocolate cake slices, freshly baked cookies, and ice cream. Is there anything you like among these?”
“All of them! I like all of them! Sister is the best! The greatest!”
Amelia grabbed Eunha’s hand and jumped up and down. Then she darted into her house.
Something the usual Amelia would never do. But now that she had regressed to an infantile state, things were different. Because her mental age had dropped to that of a kindergartener or early elementary school student, the current Amelia was quite impulsive and boisterous.
At least, it wasn’t a pleasant sight for someone with no connection to them to see.
Ian smiled bitterly and offered a light apology.
“I’m sorry. She’s not usually like this, but circumstances are a bit special right now…….”
“It’s fine. It reminds me of my younger brother, which is nice.”
She said with a faint smile. Ian tilted his head.
“You had a younger brother?”
“I did. Not anymore.”
“……Ah.”
“Fufu, don’t worry about it. It’s all in the past. Everyone has their circumstances, don’t they? Sympathy, pity—I’ll pass on those sentiments. Receiving such looks isn’t exactly pleasant either.”
“……I understand.”
“Yes. Now, Ian, please come inside. It’s hot outside.”
And so they did.
Taking off their shoes and entering the living room, a familiar sight came into view.
Overall warm-toned wooden-style floors and ceiling. In the corner, a turntable had a vinyl record on it, though it wasn’t playing.
Ian sat down, looking at the candle with purple flames flickering on top of the desk she appeared to use regularly.
“The light of that candle is unusual. Is it an item used for rituals?”
“Yes. You said you needed demon blood, so I prepared it in advance.”
Eunha answered, approaching the desk. As she approached, the flame grew fiercer.
But as if she didn’t feel any particular heat, she moved part of the flame onto her finger with a nonchalant expression. The blazing flames danced above her hand.
“You didn’t say you specifically needed greater demon blood, so I was planning to summon an appropriate lesser demon.”
“Ah.”
“Do you need a greater demon?”
“No. The type of demon doesn’t particularly matter.”
“That’s a relief.”
Eunha smiled faintly and contained the flame in a glass bottle. The purple flames writhed as if they would shatter the bottle right away, but when her pupils drew near, they stopped moving as if by a lie.
“Pitiful demon, tremble not before your master. I hold your leash, so know that your life hangs in my hands.”
Screech.
Her pupils flashed gold for a moment before turning black. And then they changed to mint.
The golden gaze was Solomon’s gaze, and the mint-colored gaze was Baal’s gaze. Either way, to a lesser demon they were symbols of terror, so the purple flame trembled violently and no longer blazed as crazily as before.
“Hoo…….”
Eunha let out a long breath and lightly bit her finger with her molars.
A small drop of blood oozed out from the wound. She smeared it continuously along the bottom and middle of the glass bottle. Instead of flowing, the red liquid fixed in place, motionless.
“Be reborn in flesh and house the soul. May thy living flesh serve as my aid.”
As she chanted the spell, the remaining flame on the candle went out with a whoosh. At the same time, the bloodstains on the glass bottle’s surface all began to seep inward at once.
Creak…….
The blood passing through the bottle in real time took over the interior. The flame panicked, and Eunha placed the bottle on the corner of the table.
Before long, the bottle was completely dyed red. As if familiar with this, she took a bandage from a drawer, stuck it on her wound, and sat across from Ian.
“It’ll probably take about three hours for the demon’s flesh to be completed, then we can extract the blood.”
“Do lesser demons not have bodies of their own?”
“Some do and some don’t, but most don’t. So I usually create demon-specific flesh with my blood like this. Solomon also commanded lesser demons in this way.”
“Hmm…… When you extract the blood, is there any chance it’ll be your blood?”
“There isn’t. I’ve tested it many times.”
Rustle.
She opened the bag on the table and set out kimchi stew, rice, and steamed eggs. Ian helped as needed.
Amelia sat quietly in the seat next to Ian, her eyes sparkling. Eunha looked at that and gave a faint smile, then handed Amelia a spoon and chopsticks and continued speaking.
“Demons are beings that cannot survive without parasitizing something. Greater demons are the exception, but lesser demons must establish their existence through something that becomes their host.”
“……”
“The types of hosts are more diverse than you think. Fire, trees, water, etc. They can be concepts existing in nature, or they can be humans.”
“……”
“Or they can be blood. However, the blood of a Lemegeton owner has the property of changing into living flesh that binds the demon to reality the moment it becomes a host for a lesser demon.”
“Hmm.”
“That living flesh follows the demon’s identity exactly, so extracting the blood won’t draw my blood. From the moment it becomes a body that binds the demon, my blood has done its role and disappears.”
Clatter.
Eunha lifted the lid of the kimchi stew. Steam rose in tufts, and meat and kimchi floated atop the boiling broth.
“How was that, did the explanation make sense? Sorry, I’m a bit clumsy at teaching…….”
“No, I understood perfectly. You’re quite good at explaining.”
“Really?”
Eunha smiled shyly and raised her spoon. Ian smiled back at her.
The meal continued in a peaceful atmosphere. Ian and Eunha conversed intermittently, while Amelia just ate diligently.
“Delithious!”
Thus the meal ended, and the three waited for the demon’s flesh to be completed while drinking the tea and coffee Eunha had prepared, along with dessert.
“Once I receive the blood, I should stop by the Owl right away.”
Ian said. Eunha tilted her head.
“The Owl?”
“Yes. I need many things. Demon blood is nearly impossible to obtain no matter how much money you have, which is why I contacted you, but I should be able to get everything else there.”
“Ah…….”
“Once I have everything I need, I’m planning to perform the ritual immediately. There’s no reason to dawdle.”
As Ian said that, he took a sip of coffee.
The coffee Eunha brewed herself was slightly bitter yet sweet, with a very clean finish. It was exactly the taste Ian liked.
“……Mmm.”
Eunha looked down at the teacup in her hands and let out a murmur. Her black hair swayed along with her gesture.
“……Ian.”
After quite some time, Eunha set down her teacup and cautiously opened her mouth. Ian moved his eyes.
“……? Yes. Please speak.”
“That place called the Owl, would it be alright if I came along?”
With eyes that seemed to have made a certain resolve, she stared at Ian and pursed her lips.
For Eunha, whose average time spent outside over the course of a month amounted to about ten hours, it was quite a courageous statement.
However, Ian didn’t know Eunha’s circumstances well, so he didn’t think much of it and nodded nonchalantly.
“Ah, yes. I don’t mind. I’d actually prefer it.”
“……Really? That’s a relief. I was secretly anxious, thinking you might refuse.”
“Why would I refuse? There’s no reason to.”
Ian let out a hollow laugh. Eunha smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“No. Just in case. Then I’ll get ready to go out right away. Rather than waiting for the demon’s flesh to be completed, it would be better to go and come back in the meantime.”
“Do as you’re comfortable. I don’t mind either way.”
At Ian’s words, Eunha wore a small smile.
Click.
With a small sound, she disappeared into the dressing room. Ian stared for a moment at where her back had lingered, then chuckled and picked up a cookie to eat.
“Mmm.”
The cookies Eunha baked herself were indeed salty.
She must have mixed up sugar and salt in the middle.
“Bleurgh.”
Amelia spat out all the cookies.
*
At a time nearing three in the afternoon, Ian opened the door of the used bookstore and entered with Amelia and Eunha. Then a cat sitting at the counter yawned lazily and tilted its head.
“Meow?”
Pleas.
She continued acting like a real cat while borrowing the cat’s body. Then, upon confirming Ian’s face, her eyes widened.
“M-meow! It’s Ian, meow! Is your body okay, meow?! You left so suddenly yesterday, I was so worried, meow!”
Hop.
Pleas skillfully jumped and settled on Ian’s shoulder. Ian curled up the corners of his mouth.
“It was nothing. It was at a level Amelia could handle.”
“Th-that’s not the point, meow! The fact that there was an attack itself is important, isn’t it, meow?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Ian chuckled and stroked Pleas’s head. Pleas let out a purring sound and closed her eyes.
“Hehehe…… Your petting skills are art, meow. Pet me more, meow.”
“Hearing that while knowing your true form gives me chills.”
“What do you mean, meow? Where in the world is there another pretty girl as cute as me? You need to respect me more, cherish me, find me cute, pretty me, anyway do that, meow. Hmm.”
Pleas rubbed her head against Ian’s cheek. Amelia saw that and jumped up and down.
“Ooh! Brother, brother! Me too, cat! I want to pet the cat too!”
“M-meow? Why did Amelia’s speech get so dumb, meow……? Hup! H-meow! C-could it be you hit your head fighting yesterday, meow?! Fucking hell, meow! Which bastards dared to turn our Amelia into a retard, meow!”
“I’m not a retard, Meow!”
“Kyaak! Don’t curse with Amelia’s face, meow! And don’t call me Meow!”
Amelia stretched her hands out and Pleas hissed.
“……”
And a short distance away, Eunha tilted her head with an expressionless face.
“You seem close.”
She muttered in a chilly voice. The Lemegeton in her bosom spoke in a serious tone.
[Eunha. Control your emotions. Your jealousy is too severe right now. You’ll end up getting bewitched by the demons.]
“……It’s not that bad.”
[It is that bad.]
“It’s not.”
[It is.]
“It’s n—”
[It is, just look at you. That woman is a pretty girl. Why is she close with Ian’s disciple. Why is she getting physical with Ian. Why is she being petted by Ian. Why is she worried about Ian. Why does she know what happened to Ian yesterday. Why is she, why is she, you.]
“……”
[Those are the thoughts that crossed your mind in less than ten seconds. Shall I go on?]
“……”
Eunha pressed her lips tightly together.
“Meow?”
Then, Pleas, who had been bickering with Amelia, glanced at Eunha.
“……”
“……Nya-hang.”
The two’s gazes clashed in the air. After a moment, Pleas, having sensed Eunha’s emotions, grinned and stuck out her tongue. The cat’s barbed tongue came out and spun like a bamboo-copter.
“……”
Creak.
Eunha clenched her fist tightly.
[Eunha! Eunha! Hey, bitch! Hold it in! Hold it in! You can’t kill her, damn it! This bitch can’t control herself because it’s her first time feeling jealous! That’s why I told you to try dating! As long as you don’t have sex, it’s fine!]
“Shut up.”
[Lower your killing intent! You remind me of my 67th wife, it’s disgustingly foul!]
Lemegeton clamored.
“Be quiet.”
Regardless, Eunha vented her anger by smacking the grimoire’s cover repeatedly.
At that moment, Ian turned around while holding Pleas by the scruff. Eunha jumped in surprise, her shoulders trembling, and immediately placed her hands neatly in front of her lower abdomen.
“M-meooow! What are you doing, meow! Let me go, meow!”
“This is how you hold a cat. Eunha, this is Pleas. She’s the owner of the general store at the Owl, and currently also serves as the Owl’s doorkeeper.”
Ian said. Eunha nodded with a composed expression and slightly bowed her head toward Pleas.
“Nice to meet you, Lady Pleas. I’m Yu Eunha.”
“M-meooow! It was a crazy bitch using honorifics, meow! Let me go, meow! Let me go, meow!”
Pleas struggled. Eunha kept her head bowed, her expression completely hardening.
[Eunha...... What on earth is butterfly soup......]
Lemegeton whispered.
Smack.
Eunha smacked the grimoire with her palm.