Chapter 231

I’m walking down the night road with Beatrice.

After walking for a while, just as we could see a house in the distance, Beatrice suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She slowly exhaled and then inhaled again.

She’s tense, huh?

Beatrice gently let go of my hand, and it was like she realized that whatever was following her wasn’t her child but something mysterious with an unknown identity. She turned to look at me with an expression like that.

It means she’s super terrified.

“Bell.”

She called out to me in a low voice.

“Yes?”

“How does it work if I make a contract with you?”

Wait, why are you asking this all of a sudden?

Sure, she was always relatively curious, but didn’t she just witness Maurice coming back to life earlier today?

“Fill me up completely.”

So, as usual, I just told her the truth.

“I’ve heard that. So many times. But you call those who made contracts with you ‘unhappy.’ You, who compulsively don’t lie, say that. It’s like a demon from a story—someone who doesn’t lie outright but also doesn’t tell the whole truth.”

Huh.

You’ve been paying close attention, haven’t you?

Yeah, this is my mistake.

It’s true that I compulsively think that if I lie, the tower I’ve built so far will collapse.

But I’ll justify it. This can’t be helped.

I can’t die, and every single mistake stays with me forever.

Unlike living beings, I can’t end my own life to escape responsibility. I’m different from creatures that can just die when reality becomes unbearable.

One misstep could lead to eternal despair.

So, what should I do with this human standing right here?

“So?”

I told Beatrice to keep talking.

Beatrice clenched her fists and stared straight at me.

“There’s something I’ve learned from making contracts with various people. If there’s extra service beyond the contract itself, it means the contract is a trap.”

Beatrice used to be the branch manager of a big company, right?

That makes sense.

She must have handled all kinds of corporate tasks to reach that position. There had to be lessons learned along the way.

“Extra service?”

“The contract document you always talk about doesn’t mention healing the body anywhere. It just says ‘you’ll get me,’ and finishes with some vague language about taking everything after the job is done.”

Now that you mention it, that’s true.

Most of the harvesters I meet already know I heal others because they’ve encountered me beneath the surface.

In desperate situations where they’re clutching at rotten ropes, they’re not even thinking clearly—they just want help.

Or sometimes, society normalizes these contracts.

Like in the first world. If I’d spread wider back then, wouldn’t it have been great? I wouldn’t have had to conduct all these experiments in one world, and I could’ve gained steady warmth.

So, you’re one of the few who doubts the contract itself.

“Do you not understand the meaning?”

“When is the finish line?”

“When you die.”

Though technically, that would be someone else finishing it for you.

“What do you take from us after death? Isn’t that like trying to collect money from someone who’s already bankrupt?”

Ah.

Yeah, it could seem that way.

Taking warmth at the moment of death might feel like that. After all, if someone’s already in the red, isn’t it physically impossible to take anything more?

“Do you think there’s no afterlife?”

At my question, Beatrice hesitated to answer “yes” and instead looked at me.

Most people probably think there’s nothing after death.

But it’s not normal to have a monster in front of you that disproves that belief.

“You mean my soul is being mortgaged to you after death?”

Hehe.

Beatrice asked me such a good question.

“No, Beatrice. I don’t care about souls. I just need your warmth. That’s why I make contracts with you. The more you strive toward your dreams, the more warmth grows within you.”

And when you achieve or lose your dream, that warmth fades.

But saying this might be misunderstood.

It could sound like you need to chase your dreams so I can get what I want.

While hoping she misunderstands, I’ll drive the point home once more.

“That’s why I chased Victoria. She ran away from reality, didn’t she?”

I quietly stared at Beatrice.

Will she misunderstand as I hoped, or will she see through my tricks and ask a penetrating question?

If it’s a penetrating question…

Hehe.

I wait for her words.

And after a little pause…

“You want my daughter to rise again, don’t you?”

“It’s not just Victoria. Beatrice, Maurice too. But both of them have been through so much. And I want you, Beatrice, to rise again as well.”

At my words, Beatrice sighed softly.

“I feel some sort of malicious intent in this deal.”

“Is that so?”

Your instincts are really sharp.

Just as the scales were tipping slightly in one direction…

Beatrice said this:

“Let’s make the contract. Bell.”

Suppressing the overwhelming urge to immediately recite the contract terms, I asked her:

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

“If anything happens to my husband or daughter, I’ll make you pay the price no matter what. But…”

Beatrice paused briefly.

Then she looked at the house a bit further away, glanced back at me, and said:

“You did save my husband and daughter, after all.”

Foolishly enough…

“I’ll make the contract too, like them.”

Hehe.

This is perfect. I approached Beatrice and took her hand.

There’s warmth, but it’s just physical sensation.

In reality, I’m not warm at all. A chilling cold worse than frostbite keeps growing inside me.

So I can destroy them without any guilt.

“What a foolish choice, Beatrice. Then, let’s go inside and finalize the contract.”

“Inside?”

“Did you forget how Maurice looked during his contract? We need to change clothes.”

“Oh… yeah. Let’s go inside.”

Beatrice took my hand and led me into the house.

Yeah.

I’ve survived this round. If she had pressed deeper with her questions, I would’ve turned her into a tool and left this place.

Then I would’ve crossed the forest and headed to the capital.

They’d assume Beatrice disappeared while searching for me.

Of course, if Beatrice vanished suddenly, suspicions would arise. Powerful harvester Victoria might even hunt me down to kill me.

Then let her.

This body isn’t that important.

I’ve already sown enough seeds and confirmed they’ve sprouted. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for them to grow into trees.

And on the day the fruits fall, I’ll catch and eat them.

When Beatrice and I went inside, Rebecca greeted us.

Rebecca was the owner of the body I inhabited in the first world—I think she even peeked into my memories, but honestly, we didn’t have much connection.

Joanna, on the other hand, was more significant.

Lost in thoughts of long ago, I followed Rebecca inside.

By the way, the person who summoned me earlier was Rebecca.

“How could I send away ungraciously the benefactor who saved my son and granddaughter?”

Strictly speaking, I’m their enemy. And I plan to take one more. Hmm, considering our bad relationship before, isn’t it great that Beatrice becomes a harvester?

Maurice and Victoria aren’t here.

Maurice is hugging Victoria, who’s crying and complaining about how tough things have been. Just before that, Gain left the room.

Meaning he entered the living room where we were.

Seeing me, he hesitated for a moment, then approached and greeted me.

“Thank you for saving my son and granddaughter.”

“There’s one more person left to contract.”

Perfect timing. I wanted to advertise this to humans whenever possible.

I walked over to Beatrice, whose head turned at the word “contract.”

“I offer myself to you. In return, when you eventually finish everything, I’ll take everything you have. How does that sound?”

Beatrice immediately agreed, and soon her scar-covered skin became unnaturally pale, her faded blonde hair turned purple, and the years etched on her face vanished completely.

Now, many people would believe she and Victoria could pass as sisters.

With this, the entire family has become harvesters.

I glanced around at the remaining non-harvesters and then looked back at Beatrice’s face.

“Don’t forget—this only happens once.”

“If you dare harm my family, I’ll take revenge by any means necessary.”

Hmm, that’s right.

Looking at Beatrice issuing threats, I smiled inwardly and added:

It’s too late now.

Beatrice smiled back and clapped her hands once.

“Father-in-law, mother-in-law, let’s treat our guest properly. We also need to reconcile with Victoria after our earlier fight.”

And a little later…

I ate dinner together with this family.

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