In an underground world where the starlight didn’t reach.
It was dark, just as the legends claiming that the goddess had abandoned this land stated, but unlike the tales, it did not reek of something horrible and it was not filled with dreadful screams wherever you went. It was merely a cold world, because it was underground, where the inhabitants devoured each other in accordance to the law of the jungle.
The eastern reaches of the underground world were unfathomably vast. On the banks of the Graphius River, which was seldom not frozen, stood the lone castle of the liege lord who ruled the East. The fortress, which was often called the Castle of Tragedy because its red stones looked like they were bloody, was ruled by an endlessly merciful lord.
[Have you been to the surface, my liege?]
Toledusk Gundragha, a demon with the body of a brown bear and the head of a horse, asked hesitantly. He had served as the liege of the East’s secretary for a very long time.
[Me? What makes you think that?]
[I can smell the rotten stench of the surface.]
[Hmm. Is it because of this?]
The liege of the East tossed something round over to his secretary. Toledusk Gundragha studied it attentively.
[What is this?]
[A human’s head. Isn’t it curious?]
[I suppose. Humans do look truly strange.]
Then, the liege suddenly grew sullen. His secretary was quick on the uptake and immediately changed the topic. He said,
[In any event, the 42nd Corps has returned from their hunt in the Forest of Regret. I am certain that a human head will make for an excellent prize.]
[Right?]
the liege asked in delight. Toledusk Gundragha nodded steadily. Fortunately, his liege had already returned to his usual vigorous form. The liege continued,
[Actually, I did visit the surface for the first time in a truly long while. It was just as noisy there as ever.]
[If you visited the surface, does that mean your contractor called for you?]
[Indeed. She grew up a lot. Still, I recognized her at once because she takes exactly after her mother,]
the liege said as he stood up from his throne. Toledusk Gundragha, ever the faithful minister, promptly draped a pelt over his liege’s shoulders.
The corpse that his liege was currently possessing had originally belonged to a demon that used to live by the riverside and had been of a race so feeble that it had died because it had been unable to endure the cold underground. The ministers had opposed their liege’s taking up a corpse so weak that it couldn’t withstand the cold without being covered in a pelt, but their liege was obstinate about the strangest things and had refused to switch corpses for quite some time now.
[Now that I think about it, Secretary. Are there any good bodies left?]
Toledusk Gundragha was silent for a moment because the question had been so sudden. Perhaps his liege finally intended to change bodies. The faithful secretary did his best to hide his pounding heart as he calmly replied,
[But of course. Our brave soldiers are always ready to offer their bodies for you, my liege.]
[There’s no need to lose good soldiers for no reason. Just find me something suitable from the prisoners we arrested recently.]
[I hear and I obey.]
Toledusk Gundragha sketched a courteous bow.
The liege left his secretary behind him as he stepped out into the hall. Rows of tall pillars stretched down the dark corridor. The gigantic doors at the end of the hallway slowly began to open as they welcomed their master. It was a secret treasure room that was said to contain all sorts of treasures from the East, and only those who were permitted by the liege could enter. But no one had actually verified those rumors, so no one knew what the liege had actually hidden inside.
The liege lord of the East. The demon known as the Duke of Tragedy was a secretive individual. He had shown up out of nowhere one day and had punished the eleven liege lords and sixty-six army corps that had been swarming the East. The only things that were known about him were that he was much more easygoing than most assumed and that he had a young contractor on the surface.
It had been around ten years since the Duke of Tragedy had met his contractor.
The liege of the East had been dreadfully bored when he suddenly heard a quiet voice falling down from the surface. The voice had been so feeble that he thought it would stop soon, but it hadn’t. Ultimately, the Duke of Tragedy had made his way up to the surface in both irritation and curiosity. The witch who had dared call upon the Duke of Tragedy from the surface had been just a small nine-year-old girl. She also pronounced his name wrong, perhaps because she hadn’t learned demonology properly. It had been due to this faulty reason that he had not be summoned to the surface against his will when his name was called.
[Why have you called me, young witch?]
“My mother taught me your name. She said to call you if I ever faced a trial I couldn’t endure.”
[Your mother?]
The witch was trembling in terror as she slowly raised her head. The Duke of Tragedy immediately realized who she was.
[You must be Griselda Sol’s daughter.]
“Do you know my mother?”
[Yes.]
“I don’t. She died really young.”
The young witch promptly grew gloomy. The Duke of Tragedy studied the child as he said,
[What is your name, young witch?]
“It’s only polite to introduce yourself first before you ask for someone else’s name.”
[You already know my name.]
“Did I call you by the right name? I’m pretty sure I didn’t. I don’t know how to read the letters my mother taught me.”
The child was both afraid of him and not afraid of him. She had instinctively understood that the demon before her would not harm her.
The Duke of Tragedy guffawed.
[Do you know what it means to know my name?]
“It means making a contract with you, a demon. Do you think I’m stupid?”
[And yet you still wish to know my name?]
“I can call you whenever I want if I make a contract with you. That’s all I need,”
the young witch said resolutely.
[You aren’t afraid of the price?]
“What do you want from me?”
The Duke of Tragedy pondered for a moment. Then, he quickly found the answer he wanted, just as he had done before.
[I will take your corpse once you are dead.]
“As you wish. Why should I care, if I’m already dead?”
the young witch mumbled as she sniffled. The Duke of Tragedy smirked as he crossed his arms.
[What a daring little witch you are.]
“I became a daring witch after everything I’ve been through. I was originally a good girl.”
[I never said you were a bad one.]
“Then you’re a good demon.”
The Duke of Tragedy grinned without a word.
[My name is Margot. To be precise, that is only a part of my name.]
“What about the rest?”
[You won’t be able to withstand the rest of my name as you are right now. Summoning me with just a part of me won’t pose too heavy a burden on you. Since I will always answer your call.]
The young witch looked doubtful. This was mostly because she had been told tales of how demons were impish and liked to lie so frequently that the stories had practically been hammered into her ears, but all she could do in the end was agree.
The Duke of Tragedy extended his hand to the little girl.
[What is your name, child of Griselda?]
And the young witch answered,
“I’m Diana Sol.”