IWMHWD 93

Chapter 93 – A Contract with a Demon
2024.02.01.

Cordelia couldn’t answer right away and instead looked at Rosenblum. Noticing her gaze, Matilda turned to Rosenblum and asked,

“Is this something Cordelia shouldn’t hear?”

“No, it’s fine. Lydia is Cordelia’s friend too.”

“Then, come in.”

Matilda stood before the door. Two eyes appeared at its center. Recon studied Matilda, Rosenblum, and Cordelia in turn before speaking amiably to her.

“We meet again, Vasquez.”

“Ah, hello.”

“Yes. Come by from time to time and keep me company.”

Unlike Candias in Leonard’s research, Recon was calm and dignified. Cordelia gave an awkward smile at his words and stepped inside. Matilda sat down and asked,

“Would you like something to drink?”

“I’m fine. Cordelia?”

“I’m fine too.”

“Hmm. So, you came with questions about Lydia Elfenbaum? About the contract she made with a demon?”

It seemed Matilda already knew why Rosenblum had come. He asked, somewhat surprised,

“You knew?”

“She caused a mana outburst in the dining hall a few days before you arrived. If someone who gave up magic more than ten years ago suddenly holds enough power to lose control, the conclusion is obvious.”

“A mana outburst? From Lydia?”

“So you didn’t know. I heard Cordelia was with her at the time.”

“Ah—yes, that’s true.”

“You were next to Lydia when it happened? You weren’t hurt?”

How thoughtful. Even upon hearing that his sister had lost control, Rosenblum first showed concern for Cordelia. She quickly shook her head.

“I’m fine. It wasn’t that powerful, and I blocked it well with a shield spell. And Lydia was okay too. The outburst was short-lived.”

“That’s a relief. But still… enough to trigger a mana outburst…”

Rosenblum sighed deeply. Reading the conflict on his face, Matilda asked,

“Start from the beginning. Do you know which demon Elfenbaum—no, Lydia—made a contract with?”

“No. She outright denies the whole thing. She insists she never made a contract at all.”

“That could be. As you know, society looks unfavorably on those who gain power through a pact with a demon.”

With that, Matilda fell silent for a while. Unable to endure the pause, Rosenblum spoke again.

“Would it be difficult to break the contract?”

“That depends on the terms. Unless she staked her life, there are always ways. Don’t worry too much.”

She spoke calmly, soothing his anxious heart. A hint of relief showed on Rosenblum’s face.

“Then, what I need to do is…”

“Convince your sister to tell you which demon and what terms. Breaking the contract comes after that. Lydia was just a lower-ranked, maybe apprentice-level mage, wasn’t she? The demon she could contract with would only be of low rank too. Undoing such a pact shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Yes. Understood. Thank you, Lady Matilda.”

“Do you happen to know why Lydia made the contract in the first place?”

Cordelia, who had been listening quietly, asked carefully. Rosenblum shook his head.

“I have no idea. I don’t know why she’d make such a choice.”

“Magicians who crave power usually fall into two groups. Those dissatisfied with their limits who want to climb higher, and those blinded by jealousy.”

“But neither applies to Lydia. She never even walked the path of a mage, so she wouldn’t crave greater power. And jealousy? Who would she be jealous of?”

Matilda gazed into Cordelia’s eyes.

She truly isn’t like her. Not like Gritta.

“You wouldn’t understand with your overwhelming talent, but many ordinary people despair and grow envious when they see someone like you.”

“Me? Oh no, Lady Matilda. My master calls me thickheaded all the time.”

Cordelia waved her hands playfully. She genuinely believed she was average—maybe a little above. Wasn’t “genius” reserved for people like Leonard?

“Your master is an exception. Atillay long surpassed the limits of humankind.”

“Exactly. That’s why I think I’m… average.”

“…I’d like to take your side, Cordelia, but that’s impossible. You passed the intermediate mage exam after only a year of study, and you broke a seven-layer magic circle in under a minute. That’s far beyond average. Most people call that genius.”

“Uh… is that so?”

“Humility is good, but too much makes it seem like false modesty.”

Matilda’s words were gentle but sharp. Cordelia looked flustered.

False modesty? She had never once thought herself gifted at magic. Whenever others praised her, she simply assumed mages were generous with compliments.

“I see. Since I was always compared to my master, I thought I was just ordinary.”

“Compared to Atillay, perhaps. But if you act too modest, others may not take it kindly. You’d be better off behaving like your master.”

“Like Master?”

“As if he’s the greatest in the world. Everyone finds him insufferable, but his skill forces recognition.”

“Ahaha…”

Cordelia laughed awkwardly. With her personality, she’d probably have to be reborn to act like Leonard.

“Anyway, back to the point. I can’t say for certain why Lydia Elfenbaum made a pact with a demon, but it might have been jealousy toward you. After all, jealousy usually strikes those closest to us.”

“No way. If anything, I should be jealous of her. Lydia’s a beauty, daughter of Elfenbaum, and she has a kind brother like Sir Rosenblum. Compared to her, I…”

This time, Cordelia strongly rejected the notion. Matilda then spoke sternly,

“Don’t think that just because someone has much, they know no jealousy. It’s a basic human instinct.”

“Jealousy… jealousy.”

Rosenblum repeated the word as if tasting it. He had never considered it, but Matilda’s words made sense. After Cordelia appeared, Lydia had indeed started mentioning her far more often.

Cordelia carefully asked,

“I have another question. If you make a contract with a demon, does your personality change a little?”

“Personality? Hmm… I’ve never heard of that.”

Matilda shook her head lightly.

“Really? Hmm.”

“Why? Did you notice something strange?”

“Lydia seems a bit different. I haven’t known her that long, but she used to be very kind and gentle. After coming to the Magic Association, though, she became more… blunt? Sharper, maybe. And her eyes… no, never mind.”

Matilda turned to Rosenblum.

“Have you noticed the same?”

“Well… I only spoke with her for about ten minutes today. But I suppose Cordelia’s right—she did feel sharper somehow.”

“There’s a paper on the changes in contractors after a demon pact. It says they often can’t control the power at first and become overly confident. Don’t worry. It should settle with time.”

“I see. That’s good to hear.”

Relieved, Cordelia smiled brightly. Matilda looked into her eyes for a while, then asked,

“Did Gritta live happily?”

“My mother?”

It had been so long since she’d heard that name. Cordelia paused, thinking about how to answer.

“To be honest, I don’t know. Right up until the end, she didn’t get along with my father.”

As far back as she could remember, her parents’ relationship had been terrible.

“How dare you! What makes you so high and mighty? You should be grateful we even accepted you into Vasquez!”

“Spare me the ‘honor.’ Compared to Vasquez, already withered and turned to ash, my own family—the Mansons—are far better.”

“You insolent—!”

Her mother was usually quiet, but when it came to arguments with her father, she fought back fiercely. Her father, unable to control his temper, would rage and scream.

Broken furniture was commonplace. Whenever little Cordelia and Dennis cried at the noise, the nanny would rush over to cover their ears. Those were her childhood memories.

Back then, she prayed her parents would stop fighting. She wished she hadn’t.

Not long after her tenth birthday, her mother collapsed—and that wish was fulfilled in the worst possible way.

“She was also very ill. We brought in physicians, but money was tight, and during her last year, we couldn’t even afford proper medicine.”

“Did Gritta ever speak of me?”

“No. I only learned here that my mother was even a mage.”

Cordelia gave a bitter smile. Even now, the thought stung.

Her family had been so impoverished they couldn’t buy medicine for her mother, yet her father paid heavily to hire a swordmaster for Dennis.

Her mother knew but never said a word to him.

“She probably wasn’t happy.”

“…”

“If she hadn’t married into Vasquez, she would have lived a much happier life as a mage.”

“Then you wouldn’t have been born.”