CHAPTER 6
“Okay, I’ve stamped my fingerprint. Now tell me. The method.”
The moment the contract floating in the air between Ian and me vanished.
The reason I had no choice but to go through with this contract, after all that agonizing—what is the method to remove the mark?!
“The Eraser of Angels.”
“The Eraser of Angels?”
I blinked in confusion at the unfamiliar name.
“You’ve heard of Aldintha, the land of angels, right?”
“Yes, I know it.”
Of course I did. The central land of the Iffen Continent, the guardian’s land that protects the entire region. There’s probably not a single person in Iffen who doesn’t know it.
“The Eraser of Angels is a sacred relic protected by the Archangel El at the temple in Aldintha.”
A sacred relic—I had read about those. During the height of my demon-hunting obsession, I’d even considered whether becoming a priestess could help me fight demons, so I’d studied theology, temples, angels… everything. I had also studied the sacred relics said to exist in the world.
But there was no mention of anything called The Eraser of Angels.
It wasn’t even in my trusty notebook Demon Be Gone! Defeat the Demons! Demons, Be Gone! which I had read until it fell apart.
“I know a fair bit about sacred relics too, but I’ve never heard of this one.”
“Of course not. The Eraser of Angels is a newly created relic.”
Ian got up, walked over to the side table, picked up a teapot, and returned. He poured tea into both our cups and sat back down.
“Only the High Priests of each temple might know about it. Even then, if their divine power has weakened, they may not be aware.”
“And how do you know about it, Duke?”
I was trying to trust him—after all, we had a contract now—but I couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Doubt kept bubbling up without my consent.
“As I’ve told you, I’m always the exception.”
Ian offered me that ever-polished, graceful smile as he lifted his steaming teacup.
“The Eraser of Angels is exactly what it sounds like—a sacred relic that can erase anything.”
So it is just an eraser. Apparently angels don’t bother with fancy names either.
“But the moment someone uses it, it disappears. It ceases to exist.”
A one-time-use sacred relic, recently made, containing immense divine power… the conditions to use it must be strict too.
“If you use the Eraser of Angels on the mark, demons will no longer appear, nor will they drain your lifespan.”
Which brings me back to the key question:
“And how?”
How do I even get my hands on that thing?
Let’s say it really does exist. I can’t just stroll into Aldintha, knock on the temple door, and say, “Hi, I’d like to borrow the Eraser of Angels.” What would the guardian, Archangel El, say to that?
There’s no way it’s that simple.
“Excellent question. I’m surprised—you’re not completely foolish.”
“Thank you!”
…Wait, no. That wasn’t a compliment! But I haven’t been praised in so long, I replied out of reflex.
“First, to obtain the Eraser of Angels, we must prepare to enter Aldintha, the land of angels.”
“Is that even possible?”
Aldintha is known as the land of angels—ordinary humans aren’t allowed to enter. It’s explicitly stated: ordinary humans. So… non-ordinary humans can? This is confusing.
“Another good question. That’s the first issue we must resolve.”
“Resolve… how?”
Ian placed his untouched teacup down.
“…Ah, would you look at the time? I’ll explain the rest during our next meeting.”
“What??!!”
He tapped his empty wrist like he was checking a watch, then stood up abruptly.
“Oh, and we should get engaged as soon as possible.”
“Wait! Hold on a second—!”
Just like always, Ian vanished just as quickly and effortlessly as he came. Every time I see him, it’s like being swept up in a tornado. I really feel like I’ve been completely roped in by this one-sided man… Hopefully, it’s just my imagination?
Back in my room, I went over everything Ian had said.
Demons are attracted to me because of the mark. If I erase the mark, I’ll be free. To do that, I need the Eraser of Angels. And to get that, I have to go to Aldintha.
And to even enter Aldintha… That’s where Ian stopped talking. He really has a talent for leaving people on edge. Maybe that’s a compliment?
“Oh my, the young master is here.”
Anna had been cleaning the window and paused as she said it.
Young master? …Oh! It had been so long since I’d heard that phrase, I almost forgot. I assumed the new young master of Magnolia had popped back in and disappeared again without a trace.
Knock knock. A knock on the door. Both Anna and I turned to look, but no voice followed.
‘Did I hear that right?’
Anna looked confused too, tilting her head.
Knock knock. Okay, I definitely heard it. At this point, I don’t even need to guess. Should I close my eyes ahead of time?
When Anna opened the door—sure enough, I saw a familiar face I hadn’t seen in a while.
“Brother? Come in.”
Eric just stood there, not moving. I found it odd and noticed his hands—he was clenching and unclenching his fists.
“Eric?”
“…Just for a moment.”
Do I count that as him entering? He barely took one step in and froze. Only after I told him to come sit did he finally walk slowly to the seat across from me. He was tall, so even with a few steps, he arrived quickly.
“What’s going on?”
Eric rarely came to my room, so this visit was unexpected.
“Ian Crion.”
Oh? Ian always erases his magical traces when visiting, so no one should’ve known he came.
So why is Eric saying Ian’s name in front of me?
“Why?”
“I heard you’re getting engaged to him.”
“…What?”
“To him. Is that true?”
It is true, but… How on earth does he know that? We just decided this morning!
“How did you even find out?”
“That’s not the important part, is it?”
It is to me! I need to know where you heard it to know how to respond!
As I sat there blinking, Eric sighed deeply in frustration.
“You really… Duke Crion had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s a royal engagement. You do know that such matters require the Emperor’s approval, right?”
Oh right—royal engagements! With all the chaos lately, I hadn’t thought of that.
If someone from another empire or kingdom wants to marry, they need the emperor’s approval. In wartime, any valuable person could be seen as a spy, or worse, a defector, so the risks are high.
But on the flip side, royal engagements can strengthen alliances, so it’s all up to the Emperor’s judgment.
And Ian is a duke. The emperor might actually welcome the alliance. But me? I’m just the daughter of a viscount. Would Brookshiel really approve this match?
“Railey.”
Oops, I was so deep in thought, I forgot Eric was still here.
“Yeah?”
“Are you really thinking of getting engaged?”
“Yeah.”
I already pressed my thumbprint on the magical contract, after all.
Now that I think about it… what does happen if I break the contract? I don’t think that part was written. I’ll have to ask next time I see Ian.
“…Railey, usually people inform their families before requesting an audience with the emperor.”
There’s a lot I could say, but honestly, I didn’t expect any of this either.
I didn’t know Ian would rush off to see the Emperor immediately after our contract. And when he said we should move quickly, I assumed that meant in a month or two—not today.
“Believe it or not, I was planning to tell Father and my stepmother first. And you, too.”
“Are you saying Ian acted on his own?”
Technically yes… But the contract is already signed. Can I really call it a unilateral action? Someone else please explain this mess for me.
“Um, excuse me. Miss, I think you should come outside now.”
Anna never interrupts conversations like this, so I instantly knew it was important.
“That… that person is here. The one in the black cloak.”
She said “black cloak” because Eric was there, but I knew exactly who she meant.
“Eric, I have an important guest. Can we continue this later?”
“You’re saying there’s something more important than your engagement?”
“Yes. Right now, this is more important. I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
Half of me just wanted to escape the conversation, but the other half was genuinely excited. I practically slid down the stairs. I ran down so fast, I nearly missed a step and offered my soul to a demon right there.
Whew.
To be continued.
