Chapter 2

## Chapter 2: Crown Prince Alondre (2) – Making a Deal with the Devil

Lucidra was once a demon infamous across the entire continent for her wickedness.

Unable to tolerate her actions of tempting, corrupting, and leading countless people to ruin, the heroes of her time united their strength to seal her away. For a long time, she was trapped within the confines of a book.

“…So, you’re offering to grant my wish? Is that what you’re saying right now?”

But today was the end of that. Lucidra inwardly smirked.

She didn’t forget to maintain a kind and courteous expression on the outside.

“Yes. If you make a contract with me, I can grant any wish, no matter what it is.”

“Hmm.”

The young man who had discovered the ancient grimoire where she was sealed appeared to be deep in thought, which caused Lucidra to feel an unbearable frustration.

Though she knew that showing impatience during a contract was a mistake, it was difficult to contain herself when the young man before her looked so delicious.

Golden hair, silver eyes—his appearance was nothing short of perfect, a prime example of a noble prince.

His robust physique was evident even through his neatly dressed attire, and he naturally exuded vast, high-quality mana.

Above all, his youth made him all the more susceptible to being deceived and manipulated.

To a demon whose job was to tempt and corrupt humans, this was nothing short of a grand feast.

Especially for Lucidra, who had been confined in a narrow book for so long, being force-starved, the very existence of this young man felt almost violent.

It was like having a table set with the finest delicacies, their enticing flavors and aromas calling out to her—how could she resist?

“Come now, tell me. Wealth? Fame? Power? Or… perhaps women?”

As Lucidra spoke her last word, she seductively twisted her body and gazed at the young man.

After all, the easiest and most effective way to corrupt humans was through lust.

And finally, the young man’s mouth opened:

“Could you give me a vacation?”

…

……

……

“Excuse me?”

Lucidra momentarily doubted her ears.

Had something gone wrong because it had been so long since she’d last conversed with a human?

However, the young man seemed to interpret her “Excuse me?” differently.

“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t explain clearly. The vacation I mentioned means a real, genuine break where I can relax with no strings attached. Not something like, ‘Tomorrow you’ll have double the workload for what you didn’t do today’ or ‘Sorry to bother you during your time off, but there’s something urgent that needs your immediate attention.'”

“No, I, it’s not that I don’t understand what you’re saying…”

“Please! If you can secure me some leisure time, I’ll be willing to do anything within my means to repay you! Wealth? Fame? Power? What do you want?”

Didn’t I just say that a moment ago?

Why is this human proposing something that normally demons would offer?

At last, Lucidra realized something she hadn’t noticed in her excitement.

Though the young man appeared impeccable on the surface, with not a flaw in sight, when viewed with the eyes of the soul, one could notice the deep exhaustion and dark circles under his eyes.

Additionally, there was a faint glint of fervor in his gaze.

To Lucidra, a human filled with desires was akin to a beautiful gemstone.

But… somehow this felt different.

“This feels somewhat terrifying.”

Lucidra broke out in a cold sweat.

She had the distinct feeling that she had encountered something strange, but there was no way she could back out now.

Though the seal that had bound her was weakening, her current freedom was confined to this small room.

Outside, numerous barriers still existed. Moreover, the people patrolling the building exuded formidable mana—it was obvious that they weren’t ordinary individuals.

If she tried to sneak out on her own, she’d likely be detected by one of the barriers and immediately surrounded by skilled fighters.

Even during her prime, when she had been infamous across the continent, she doubted she could overcome them now after being weakened by her long imprisonment.

After all, it would be incredibly disheartening to have her brief renaissance crushed so quickly.

Somehow, if she could form a contract with this young man and secure his cooperation, perhaps it would open up new opportunities.

“A vacation, you say… very well then. I’ll bewilder those who force you to work. I can make them believe that you’ve done the work you haven’t actually done.”

“Would that really be enough? Even if you trick them momentarily, the workload will still exist somewhere, and eventually the holes will show.”

“Then, how about I make them do your work for you?”

“Hmm, that sounds problematic. If they handle tasks without my confirmation and sign documents in my name, correcting any mistakes will be difficult later on.”

“… If things go wrong, I can also help you by transferring the responsibility to someone else.”

“Heh, those sorts of shortcuts always come back to haunt you in the end. I don’t like it.”

Lucidra pondered.

Does this human even want to take a break?

If he’s this meticulous with every detail, how does he even plan on taking a vacation? Looking at it now, isn’t it clear that this human has simply invited all his own stress?

However, her pride as a demon wouldn’t allow her to simply admit defeat.

“Fine, then what about this? I’ll teach you a magic that allows you to create a double.”

“Double? Won’t it just be a phantom without substance?”

“Not exactly. It will have a body, substance, and can partially use the abilities of the original. Place the double in your stead, and you can do whatever else you want.”

The young man’s eyes flickered, and Lucidra didn’t miss it.

“Will the double share memories with the original? And how do you control it?”

“The consciousness will be fundamentally one, like moving your right hand and left hand independently but simultaneously controlling both bodies.”

“Duration and mana consumption?”

“In reality, those are the same. If you have more mana, the double lasts longer. Conversely, if either the original or the double wastes mana extravagantly, the duration will decrease.”

Lucidra didn’t lie.

While creating multiple bodies and controlling each independently was something only demons like herself could achieve, the average human would experience immense mental strain trying to do the same—but still, the principle itself was explained properly, right?

Of course, there was also the fact that the destruction of the double would cause a proportionate rebound on the original, but since the young man didn’t ask about that, she didn’t mention it.

“What’s the cost of the contract?”

“Let me stay close to you. If I wander on my own now, I’ll run into barriers. If I hide within your shadow, I can avoid them.”

“Will that be enough?”

The young man’s slightly surprised expression made Lucidra inwardly smirk.

Right now, he likely thinks this is an exceedingly simple cost.

However, once he begins using the magic to create a double, the overwhelming influx of information will probably send him spiraling into confusion and exhaustion.

And when his body collapses, writhing on the ground like a worm, she’d be ready to pitch him another offer—was there something else he wanted?

Cornered and confused, the young man would likely accept even unreasonable contract terms.

Anticipating this scene, Lucidra smiled beautifully.

“Of course. After all, you were the one who released me, weren’t you? I must provide some service in return.”

“Fine, let’s form the contract then.”

As Lucidra took the young man’s offered hand, part of her knowledge flowed into him.

Demon magic that ordinary humans could neither understand nor interpret.

Yet, just as one who doesn’t know how to forge a sword can still wield it without issue, along with the knowledge, the young man also gained the certainty that he could use this magic right now.

As soon as the young man closed his eyes and drew up his mana:

A perfect replica of him appeared by his side.

Lucidra rejoiced.

Now it wouldn’t be long before the young man collapsed in an undignified fashion.

“Hmm. So this is what it feels like.”

“It feels a bit awkward, but I think I’ll get used to it.”

“The mana consumption is manageable. I should be able to sustain this for daily tasks almost indefinitely.”

“Given the structure that temporarily separates a portion of the soul, if the double is destroyed, the original will take quite a hit—but this groundbreaking magic is worth the risk, isn’t it?”

“Ultimately, both bodies will need to be operated in real-time, so it’s not exactly the same as true ‘rest,’ but having a separate body to enjoy leisure time isn’t bad at all!”

“Indeed, indeed. Besides, I can sleep using a magic circle to quickly recover physical fatigue anyway. The main problem was mental exhaustion, which this can solve.”

““Thank you, mysterious demon whose name I still don’t know.””

Facing the calm gratitude of the now two versions of the young man, Lucidra’s face turned as rigid as stone.

“Uh? Eh?”

The young man extended his hand toward her with a foolishly confused expression.

“Alondre Arkcand Aleizern. Though lacking, I am the Crown Prince of the Empire. Please take care of me. And your name?”

“…Lucidra.”

“Good, Lucidra. You mentioned wanting to escape, right? While you may wish for quiet time, lingering too long in one place might draw suspicion. Let’s keep moving.”

Lucidra had so much to say.

She genuinely wanted to ask how he was functioning so normally.

But, asking that outright would be tantamount to confessing, “I was trying to mess you up.”

Finally, Lucidra had no choice but to nod despite the tension on her cheeks.

Her form melted into a red mist and dissolved into Alondre’s shadow. Alondre, intrigued, glanced at his shadow, placed the now empty book back on the shelf, and wandered out.

***

A few days later.

Lucidra was still hidden within Alondre’s shadow, following him.

Her failed attempt to force an unreasonable contract on Alondre had left her powers still too weak to recover fully, and she felt defeated for not being able to manipulate him as she intended.

And once again, she realized something:

This human was indeed strange.

“Hmm, excellent. This will do nicely. How is it, Lucidra? Isn’t this a fine adventurer’s look?”

In Alondre’s personal chamber, Lucidra was left speechless as Alondre conversed animatedly with his double.

The reason was simple: the appearance of the double was entirely different from before.

While Alondre had golden hair and silver eyes, the double had red hair and brown eyes, with features that appeared younger and more down-to-earth.

Whereas Alondre resembled an ancient sculpture of a handsome noble, this figure looked like a young man fresh out of his teenage years, one who might be considered decently handsome in a village.

Whereas Alondre wore a grand uniform, the double was dressed in rough cloth and leather armor, and no one would mistake the two for the same person.

However, what truly shocked Lucidra wasn’t the change in appearance.

For demons who had reached a certain level, transforming the appearance of a double wasn’t extremely difficult.

The issue was…

“What have you done with this double?”

“Hmm, well, as a double, there were certain drawbacks compared to the original in many aspects. So, instead of leaving it versatile but mediocre, I decided to specialize it entirely in a specific function. In this case, I focused on the capabilities of a swordsman: physical strength, enhanced efficiency, and aura. Of course, it cannot use magic.”

What did it mean for this human to casually alter demonic magic in this way? Did he even understand it?

Or had the world changed so much while she was sealed that this kind of thing was now commonplace?

‘No matter which, it’s best that I don’t act recklessly now that I’ve been revived. It might be better to stay with this man and gather information for a while. While his original form will likely remain in the palace, this double can move around freely. I can watch the world through it.’

Having formed her plan, Lucidra asked:

“So, what’s this double’s name? Surely you’re not using your real name around?”

The Crown Prince smirked slightly and replied:

“Bern. Adventurer Bern.”