. . . "Come closer, young adventurers!"
Several magic circles shaped like pentagrams appeared throughout the hall. Words spun through the air.
The adventurers who had been eating and drinking drew their weapons, ready to attack.
"Who said that?"
Aiko was trembling while Seven Paths remained calm.
"I did!"
The parchment. . .
"I sense the presence of five powerful and courageous adventurers who wish to defeat the Demon King."
I looked at Aiko.
Dorian and Seraphine were hiding beneath the table.
Donkey was. . .
"What are you doing?"
Where was that infernal stench coming from?
"I couldn't hold it anymore. Do you have any idea how many days I've been holding in that dump?"
Ha ha. Calm down.
This wasn't the time to laugh.
"This isn't the time to do that! Ha ha ha! You quadruped!"
Stupid Donkey.
". . ."
"Sorry, Aiko and Seven Paths. I'll clean everything up."
"Come closer, young adventurers. Do not be afraid. The time has come to change this world."
What was all this talk about changing the world?
The parchment began to float.
"We're coming. . ."
My voice came out weak.
"That parchment belongs to the Demon King! I have to tear it apart!"
"No."
I grabbed Lyra by the arms.
"Do you seek power?"
The pentagrams spinning in the air descended and embedded themselves in the wooden walls of the hall.
The floating words began circling my friends.
"Hey, Aiko, what's happening?"
How could I trust something when I didn't even know what it was?
"This is the first time we've ever witnessed a parchment speaking."
The first time?
"The ones in the cabinet don't talk?"
Aiko picked up her parchment and opened it.
"Look."
All I could see were letters, symbols, and a status window.
"The system updates as you evolve. All your attributes are recorded here."
Hmm. . .
"I want the power to transform demons into chickens and create an army."
Lyra dropped to her knees and begged.
"Perhaps you'll be able to do that."
Please don't encourage Lyra.
"Kaela, do you want the parchment? If you do, all you have to do is form a pact with it."
A pact?
"You lazy bums! I'm not forming any pact unless all of you accept it too."
I wasn't going on a suicide mission alone.
"Kaela."
Lyra held my hand.
Her hand was so soft.
"I'll follow you into the deepest pits of hell! Ha ha ha!"
Lyra, your vow doesn't count.
"My goal isn't to defeat this demonic king. It is to cut the hair of every man and free them from all pain. Do you think the Demon King has hair?"
Seraphine, how much has Lyra manipulated you?
The windows rattled, and flower petals from the garden drifted into the hall.
"I'm here for the women. The more, the better."
"Dorian, my friend, we truly share the same tastes. And Kaela, this horse—recently appointed a noble by the royal court of Asterium—never abandons a friend."
"Everyone!"
I looked into each of their eyes. . .
"That wasn't what you were supposed to say."
"WAAAAH!"
These idiots were really going to follow me.
". . ."
"To complete the contract, each of you must place one drop of blood upon the parchment."
I went first.
Aiko took the knife and cut the tip of my finger.
"I refuse to give my blood to any demon."
"Lyra, stop crying. It's only one drop of blood."
Lyra took the knife. . .
"HEEEEEY!"
SLICE!
"Ha ha ha! I'll give it all my blood! I never imagined I would fuse with demons!"
Lyra had cut her entire hand.
"Are you trying to kill yourself?"
I wrapped a cloth around her hand.
"Seraphine. . ."
"Zzz. . ."
There was no point pretending to be asleep.
I knew she was awake.
"Ha ha ha! Kaela, you're so annoying."
You people are exhausting.
"Please be gentle when you cut my hoof. I am royalty. I cannot appear at King Asterium Pegasus's castle covered in scratches. . ."
"Give me that knife."
SLICE!
"Ow! My hoof!"
"Stop being such a baby, Donkey."
The people inside the hall couldn't decide whether to laugh at us or run away.
"Look, Mortar! See what a courageous man I am."
Dorian hid behind the counter and stretched one hand over it.
"Please, just make a tiny hole in my finger."
"What did you say? I couldn't hear you."
Aiko raised the knife.
SLICE!
"Ow!"
". . ."
"Blood samples obtained from all five heroes."
What was this?
"I will now analyze and verify every attribute to create and provide the necessary support."
The parchment, which had previously been blank, was now covered in numbers, words, and symbols.
The guild walls began to crack.
Everyone hid beneath the tables.
Every parchment inside the cabinet fell to the floor.
The blacksmith, who had been watching closely, accidentally struck his own finger with his hammer.
"Entering transformation phase. I must now access my entire system and distribute all data extracted from the blood samples."
I grabbed the wooden beam supporting the guild's ceiling to keep myself from falling.
The floor was shaking violently.
KABOOM!
Purple light and bolts of lightning erupted from the parchment.
"ERROR!"
Error?
"ERROR: THE HEROES."
What was happening to the system?
FIZZ!
POING!
The parchment stopped releasing magic.
The floor ceased shaking.
The walls returned to normal.
"The five heroes. . ."
What about us?
Lyra fainted.
I couldn't believe it.