Evil Duchess Summons Me, the Heavenly Demon

Ephre’s infamy was so great that piercing gazes arose from all directions when we arrived at the classroom.

Actually, it started from the moment we entered the school building, but shamelessly, there was not a trace of shame or humiliation on her face.

Instead, she held her head high, pushed out her chest, and walked with dignity in every step. As if to show them the difference in class.

“Surely… it’s not what I’m thinking, right?”

From a corner of the classroom that was shaped like tiers of pizza slices stacked on top of each other.

Whispering voices immediately reached my ears. Given that I could hear them without even concentrating, they were probably speaking openly.

“I get that he’s good-looking, but where did she bring that butler from?”

“Butler? Is that how he looks to you? To my eyes, he’s more like a noble… No, his attire is unusual. What kind of person is he? He doesn’t seem like someone you can control with money.”

“Shh, you know I’m in the same dormitory building as her. From what I hear, that person, no, that thing is a summoned creature?”

“Say something that makes sense! It would be more realistic to say she summoned a Dragon Lord!”

Most of them were female students.

Each had a handsome appearance, but seeing that what came from their mouths was merely trivial gossip about others, they probably couldn’t provide much significant inspiration (I thought about this all night and decided to explore this world more thoroughly).

Anyway, those jealous gazes kept hitting my face.

‘This place is not much different. Young ones whose blood hasn’t dried on their heads, faithfully playing their gender roles.’

From what I could see, those attending [Summoner] were all treated as proper members of society. Rather than truly full-fledged adults, more like those just starting out in society?

Even in the martial world, one could hold a wedding ceremony after reaching fourteen or fifteen, couldn’t they? It shouldn’t be much different here. If there was a slight difference, it was that they seemed to act a bit childishly, as if by design.

For instance, like that guy over there.

“Hmph, what summoned creature? From my view, it’s a demon, a demon. Where have you seen a summoned creature in human form? Demonic race, demon, something sealed in ancient times, whatever. That’s what got stuck with that vicious Ephre. Birds of a feather flock together, as they say.”

Is that why he was in the forest with that girl called Balangke at night? Indeed. He knew about like attracting like—quite impressive.

The group of guys responded to his words.

“Damn… does that mean we’re screwed? We’ve tried to mess with Ephre several times because the girls asked us to. We haven’t succeeded properly many times, but this feels really bad.”

“Then keep your voice down, idiot.”

Orlando frowned sharply as he spoke. Perhaps because he was conscious of my gaze slowly turning towards him, he avoided my eyes, pretended to be distracted, and spoke in a small voice.

“Hey. That bastard is watching us, so pretend we’re talking about something else. If you act too obvious, you’ll die by my hand, no, by Nodai’s mouth.”

“Huh? Uh. That… Oh. By the way, how are things with Balangke these days? You two seem to be dating.”

“Fucking clueless bastard.”

One of the guys who had been agreeing with Orlando blinked his eyes at Orlando’s spat-out response.

Meanwhile, a child who had been quietly listening to the conversation glanced alternately between me and those guys, then spoke to Orlando. While checking my reaction several times.

“B-but if it’s really a demon or some high-ranking whatever, something sealed as you said, isn’t that more dangerous? What if Ephre uses [Forced Command Right] to get revenge on us? I mean, even without using such a thing, since it’s a bad guy, it might take the initiative by itself.”

A sound argument that the foolish Orlando hadn’t considered.

His face stiffened in real-time. The humiliation from last night… no, the surprise and fear he had felt before that seemed to flicker. As well as the artifact that was easily taken away.

While enjoying his face full of dismay, I wrote down the term I’d just heard in my mind.

‘Hmm, [Forced Command Right]…’

It was as I expected. I don’t know about soul bonding or whatever, but just look at my case. Isn’t the gap in class between me and the summoner immense?

The gap between Orlando and the spirit creature he summoned was also considerable, so perhaps all the students in this [Summoner]… or even summoners in general might be like this.

The summoned beings would have the opportunity to manifest in the material world and continue their existence, simultaneously fattening their spirit and flesh through some method, transforming themselves into higher beings. And the summoners who are influenced by them would also inherit specific powers or abilities and gradually become stronger.

Without needing to investigate deeply, one could easily infer this much.

Of course, if there were information networks like Kaifeng or Haomen in this world, I could cross-verify with them, but for now, this level of speculation was sufficient.

Look. Even if I just stand still, people naturally come to me.

If Ephre was a flower, the one approaching was a hydrangea wet with morning dew. A beautiful girl with black hair and blue eyes approached and smiled gently.

“I’ve heard the story. Are you really a summoned creature?”

“Sofia, leave while I’m still speaking nicely.”

Ephre, who had been quiet all along, growled in a low voice. No, looking again, she was spitting out curses with a calmly smiling face.

However, the woman called ‘Sofia’ didn’t seem to hear.

She quickly glanced at Ephre’s hand. Immediately, Ephre also quickly hid her hand, but it seemed too late.

Clap!

She clapped her hands and smiled even more brightly.

“Wow, if you’re really a summoned creature, then you haven’t made a contract yet? How did you escape the summoning magic circle? Are you really an ancient being like those kids say? If it’s alright, would you tell me?”

Next to the chattering woman were several girls who seemed to be her attendants, and they were either having a staring contest with Ephre or showing exaggerated laughter at Sofia’s words, trying to gain her favor.

At first glance, it seemed quite jarring because she had a face that looked like she would only treat others kindly, not look down on anyone.

Just by seeing Balangke biting her nails nervously and anxiously looking at this place from a distance, it wasn’t hard to figure out that she had originally belonged to this group.

‘From the beginning, I felt her presence.’

I briefly considered whether to go along with this ridiculous game.

Just before my mouth opened, Ephre shouted in an irritated voice.

“Are you crazy!? Honorifics and all sorts of flattery toward a summoned creature. You’re really disgusting. I extremely hate you! Why doesn’t everyone know what a rotten person you are? Are their eyes just for decoration? I really don’t understand, okay? Answer me. Anyone want to tell me?”

A chilly silence fell immediately.

Sofia’s eyes narrowed slightly and then changed into deep smile lines.

“Ah, so he really is a summoned creature? Hmm- Ephre must be heartbroken. You, your one wish has always been to make a contract with a summoned creature. But it seems you’re not compatible with this person. You know? To form a soul bond, the source of ‘class’ must match, and that…”

Sofia said this while looking into my eyes. For a very brief moment, she bit her lower lip and then continued.

“It means the ‘inside’ must match.”

Looking back at Ephre, Sofia smiled smugly.

“With you, it’s impossible. Unfortunately.”

Sofia, with her eyebrows furrowed in a way that suggested concern for a friend, spoke to me with a voice full of worry.

“Um, I would like to know the summoned creature’s name, please.”

“Cheon Sang-geuk.”

“Oh my… what a wonderful name. It’s not a name I’ve commonly heard? Perhaps you really are an ancient being.”

“Hey! Why are you telling her! Didn’t you tell me to speak with respect and awe while prostrating myself!”

“Ah, that’s, well. Occasionally, the great beings that are summoned are beings of a higher dimension than us humans, so it makes sense. If you wish, I could, right here…”

“Not necessary.”

There was no need to distinguish whether her suddenly reddened cheeks were genuine or an act. I was feeling a similar aversion or uneasiness as when dealing with the master of Haomen.

“For your sake, for my sake, and even for Summoner and the Empire, would you be willing to make a contract? It would be too sad for a great being to return.”

I looked at her tightly clenched hands and said.

“You talk about grand things like soul bonding, but it seems you can contract with multiple beings at once?”

“…The divine sometimes assign heavy duties to one person. If Cheon Sang-geuk doesn’t like it, I’ll send back the summoned creatures I’ve already contracted with.”

At those words, not just from the left and right, but from all around, shrill screams erupted.

“Sofia! You shouldn’t fall for the temptation of an unknown demon!”

“That’s right, how can you compare with your summoned creatures? How can you, having contracted with a summoned creature that might appear once in a hundred years…”

“None of you understand. I get it. Sofia is trying to contract with that demonic or whatever being to seal it away. Once a contract is formed, she can control it to some extent, right? Just imagine if Ephre contracted with it. Wouldn’t the academy be destroyed? There was an incident yesterday where doors and walls in the dormitory were breached, and that might have been this guy’s doing.”

Oh, quite perceptive.

Sofia, with moist eyes, carefully approached and wrapped her hands around mine.

“Please understand my sincerity. That’s all I ask.”

As I mentioned earlier, it was behavior where emotion, fact, and plausible truth were mysteriously mixed.

I glanced at Ephre, who was breathing heavily, then nodded to Sofia. Ignoring Ephre, who jumped up from her seat shouting “Hey! You’re my summoned creature!” I answered.

“Alright, I understand your sincerity. Now, let go and get lost. I need to see your teacher.”

“…?”

Sofia, unable to process the situation, froze in place.

At that moment, someone wrapped in quite refined energy appeared from below.