I Became a Gallery Manager in Another World

Chapter 102: The Cursed Child (2)

“…The Devil of the Scales?”

“Yes. As the name suggests, the ‘Devil of the Scales’ essentially returns only as much as the contractor places on the scales, whatever that may be.”

“….”

“Senior, it seems you don’t understand why returning as much as one receives is devilish… That’s exactly what this devil preys on. At first glance, a contract with a devil seems like it would have no downside.”

The sweeter the whisper of a devil, the more certainly it contained poison.

This had been an unchanging truth from ancient times to the present.

“And though it says it returns as much as it receives, there’s just one case where the ‘Devil of the Scales’ can ignore the scales.”

“What’s that?”

“Revenge. If the contractor has suffered harm, it returns that several times over. That’s why it’s also called the ‘Devil of Revenge’.”

When Ian asked with a hardened face, Elfrida shook her head.

“That’s unlikely. According to the senior, all Delphicia did to Estelle was to ruin the gift she should have given on ‘Elise’s Day’.”

“…It’s not certain. It’s just a possibility.”

Elfrida frowned.

Truly frustratingly naive.

It was clear she did it, yet here he was making excuses for her.

“Ha, let’s assume for a moment Delphicia did it. But I assure you, that alone isn’t enough to make a contract with a devil. Since the goddess Elise descended to this land, the ‘Dark Ages’ ended and making a contract with a devil became quite difficult. Nowadays, at least the determination like ‘I will avenge my parents!’ is necessary for a contract to even be possible.”

“…Elfrida. Earlier you said Estelle made a contract with a devil? Now you’re saying she didn’t?”

“No, it’s almost certain Estelle is a contractor with a devil. It would be more surprising if she wasn’t, given so many coincidences. But…”

Elfrida paused briefly before slowly parting her lips.

“Estelle had already made a contract long ago.”

“….”

“It seems hard to believe. Then I’ll prove it to you.”

Clap─

Elfrida clapped her hands and turned to Ian.

“There’s a variety of things that can be paid as the price for a contract with a devil. But there’s always one thing that’s never missing. Do you know what it is?”

“….”

“This wasn’t even in ‘Sealed Orders’, so you should know, right? There are many old stories about it.”

“…Soul.”

“Correct. Now you understand why your ‘dear friend’s’ lower half ended up like that, right?”

Ian sighed deeply and pressed his forehead.

“Haah… Why didn’t Estelle tell the church about this?”

“It’s simple. She probably didn’t know she had made a contract with a devil.”

“She didn’t know?”

“Yes, devils aren’t that foolish. Knowing the devil’s name, while not as crucial as ‘the dragon’s true name’, makes dealing with them much easier. Especially the ‘Devil of the Scales’, who had its contract annulled twice just from being known, surely included a condition to forget the contract.”

“…But Estelle was into books like Demonology 101. She could have suspected a contract with a devil.”

“Senior… Just because I’m explaining it simply doesn’t mean it’s easy information. What you’re hearing now is ‘Sealed Orders’! The demonology books circulating now, including Demonology 101, are 100% nonsense. To get proper information, you’d have to look for a book at least 800 years old.”

Elfrida obtained her information through this method.

It was said there’s no place beyond the reach of the Church…

But the ‘Library of Forbidden Books’, located in the deepest part of the Elves’ ‘World Tree’, could evade the Church’s ‘Sealed Orders’.

“Why would the church do that? Then, how should we deal with a devil appearing like now!”

“Calm down, Senior. I’m not fond of the Church either, but I understand why they do it.”

“…What?”

“Think about it. Would it be safer to teach a child in detail about the dangers and handling of a crossbow? Or would it be safer to hide the existence of crossbows altogether?”

No matter how much one warned of the dangers of crossbows, there would always be those who shot them.

Even more so, a devil was far more dangerous than any crossbow could ever be.

I might not like the Church’s methods, but I could understand them.

Rustle- Rustle-

“Still, the owner of this notebook was quite smart. Even without being certain of the devil’s existence, they understood that ‘if I am harmed by someone, that person becomes unhappy.’ And though it’s not mentioned in the notebook…”

After reading through the notebook once more, Elfrida nodded.

“It seems, from what the senior said, they also figured out ‘if I personally pay the price, I can avoid the misfortune.’”

“…Pay the price personally?”

“Yes, exactly. Before the ‘Devil of the Scales’ intervenes, the contractor finishes the revenge themselves.”

Then, as if struck by a thought, Ian clenched his fist.

“Tch…Whether this one or that, they’re all too kind.”

If someone had done that to me, I wouldn’t need the ‘Devil of the Scales’ to leave them half-dead.

This was why being too kind was a problem.

“Well, veering off halfway into ‘curses’ was a mistake. But not telling the Church turned out to be a silver lining. Though it seems like Estelle just dislikes the Church…”

“Why? Isn’t the devil supposed to be the Church’s enemy?”

“Because they are enemies. ‘Contractors with devils’ are the second most disliked by the Church’s higher-ups. The moment your ‘dear friend’ was discovered to have made a contract, whether willingly or not, they would have become a ‘prime target for extermination.’”

This was why Elfrida found the Church disconcerting.

Ignoring the collateral damage, they would root out anything that seemed like a source of danger.

Somehow, the actions of the Church, reminiscent of how elves handled things, felt like xenophobia to her.

“Ah… Talking too much has made me tired. Let’s end the conversation here. Ah! Though it goes without saying, if you value your life, don’t go around spreading what we talked about today.”

With a shrug, Elfrida hopped down from the desk.

Above the heavens, under the heavens, I alone was the honored one.

Elfrida considered herself a genius high elf girl who feared nothing in the world, but if she had to name one fear, it would be the Church.

The Church was a violent group, armed with the madness called faith and overwhelming numbers.

“…Wait a moment, Elfrida.”

“Why? I think I’ve said everything.”

“You forgot the most important part… What about the two contract cancellations you mentioned?”

Tch-

Elfrida clicked her tongue internally.

Realizing her mistake too late, she had hoped to leave quickly before he could ask, but she was caught.

“…Hmm. Did I say that? I’m not sure.”

“Elfrida. You know.”

“Ah! I don’t know! I hate it! Let me go! I’m leaving!”

Elfrida turned her head quickly, drawing a line.

‘This is it. No more.’

She had already shared a considerable amount of information for a civilian…

But as long as one kept silent about what had been shared so far, one could still live without any major issues.

However, digging further could genuinely endanger Ian’s life.

‘…And what’s more. To other women, he only comes looking when he needs something earnestly.’

Elfrida pouted her lips, reminiscing about ‘Elise’s Day’.

‘…Probably, the child sitting in the wheelchair back then was Estelle.’

The moment Elfrida planned to give Ian chocolates was during the ‘Holy Communion’.

‘For the holy day of Elise!’

‘To it!’

‘…To it.’

However, the moment she saw Ian laughing brightly with two girls in the grand hall, Elfrida involuntarily stepped back.

‘…What the heck! He never smiled at me like that!’

The more Elfrida thought of Ian’s face, the hotter something seemed to rise in her chest…

Yet, believing that even that dense man would change his ways once he received her sincerely given chocolates, she went to find Ian.

“…Sorry, Elfrida, I don’t have time.”

But Ian ran away before she could even hand him the chocolates, as if fleeing.

Crush─

“…Why?”

The chocolate, beautifully wrapped in a heart shape, was crushed in Elfrida’s hands.

“Why do I have to be treated like this!? I’m Elfrida!”

Elfrida lacked nothing.

Even when looking at the blonde woman she was with, she inwardly thought that her own firm yet plump thighs were superior to just having large breasts.

“How dare he make me feel inferior? Just because you’re a bit attractive? Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!”

Young Elfrida didn’t realize, but this wasn’t a feeling of inferiority; it was jealousy.

The moment she realized Ian showed a face to another woman that he never showed her, Elfrida had been filled with jealousy.

…Of course, there could be debate over whether the age of 230 could be considered young.

Even by the standards of humans, let alone high elves, 230 was by no means a young age.

But Elfrida truly wasted her years.

Setting aside her physically rejuvenated body, a person’s mental growth occurs through interactions with others.

However, Elfrida, secretly raised as the elves’ secret weapon, spent most of her life isolated within the World Tree, with minimal contact with others.

She barely saw anyone close to her own age, only elders who were hundreds of years older.

Even then, these elders were more ‘teachers’ and ‘subjects’ than ‘family’.

Under these circumstances, it was impossible for Elfrida to achieve mental growth.

‘…So I absolutely won’t tell anyone!!’

Above all, what infuriated Elfrida was that at that time, she genuinely didn’t mind.

Because no one had ever taught her that such a life could be lonely and sad.

─To once again make elves great.

That phrase, heard from the elders, was Elfrida’s reason for living.

[Is there no magic to fix a pervert?][14]

Then, one day, a gallery appeared before Elfrida.

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