We can scam devils too [1]

Rage.

That was the only thing that could explain the emotion burning within those eyes.

"It will be difficult."

In all seriousness, as someone who uses magic as her primary focus this training is disadvantageous for her.

Magic requires a lot of preparation.

If you want to strengthen magic you need a catalyst or a magic formulation, ranged rather than close combat is easier, and if a swordsman comes into close quarters then all you can do is run like your life depends on it.

There's a reason why magic users are split between magicians and mages even though both use magic.

The specialties between magicians who focus on a single massive shot compared to mages who utilize fine mana management for prolonged fights is completely different.

No.17's base is as a magician.

Perhaps the primary training centers are skilled at teaching magic lately, but she's the best magician I've seen from them to date.

But magicians always perform at their peak when there is someone protecting them.

In the current 1:1:1 format, especially when the both the other opponents focus on using a sword, she can't help but fall behind.

In that case there are two methods.

Using assorted tools and a focus on close quarter combat to switch to a mage-type, or contracting with a summoned spirit and supplementing your fighting potential.

And the quickest method is naturally, the latter.

To begin with, mages need to suffer for at least a year on the battlefield before they can be accepted as mages.

And even then as newbies or brats.

If they can't accept this process then rather than a mage, they're treated as a flying maggot or a meat shield.

In reality, a mage is a crappy job where no more than three out of ten survive after being deployed to the battlefield, with no guarantee that you'd survive after that either.

When the enemies' number 1 priority targets conveniently come down to the front lines it's even easier to hit them, and the world's advanced in leaps and bounds lately, special arrows that tear through magic barriers like paper have been developed, so this is an era where if you have the funds, you can snipe off skilled magicians and mages from a long way away.

Because of this, rather than bothering to teach them those things for ages, it's much better to bring out a big, meaty summon to take a hit and train as a magician raining down overwhelming firepower from afar.

The disadvantage is that the mana consumption is massive, but normally a rearguard magician is never thirsty.

Because they have a mana potion at their mouths pretty much 24/7.

The downside being that they have to go to the toilet frequently.

In the past where I was cursed enough to have to participate in the great war I developed special diapers and made the magicians piss in their pants.

My, did I get a lot of resentment then.

But it's not like I wanted to do that either?

It was hard enough that if the magic artillery had to be stopped because one asshole had to go the bathroom the enemy's main force would swamp us immediately.

Those magicians didn't understand my efforts in developing a diaper that wouldn't stink even when they pissed themselves.

And so let's get a good sla… I mean summon.

There was something I wanted to experiment as well.

First, draw a summon circle on pre-prepared ground.

"This… isn't this a summoning circle for devils?"

Oh ho. The primary training centers, it seems they're teaching them really well lately. To think she'd understand what type of magic formation just by looking at it.

As the representative of the tertiary training instructors, I should send them a word of praise later.

Words don't cost money.

"So you know."

"Aren't contracts with devils banned under the Empire's laws?"

I sighed seeing No.17's slightly surprised face.

What is this moron saying.

"Long before we committed the crime of making a contract with devils, we're already members of an evil organization and hence perfect criminals."

"Ah…."

As No.17 made a stunned expression I continued drawing the formation.

Ah, now that I think of it, they don't teach them this in primary training. As a splendid instructor I might as well tell her.

"And if you look closely at the Empire's laws, making a contract with a devil isn't strictly outlawed either."

"Eh? What on earth is that…"

Even though I look like this at one point, I'd spent a number of years in the imperial court that stank of blood over the right of succession.

I diligently learned the laws because I didn't know when my head would be sent flying if I didn't.

Simply in terms of the Empire and international laws, I can go toe to toe with one of the Empire's judges!

"Contracting with a devil is not a crime. Making a contract with your soul as the price is."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

No you moron.

"Normally all summons are restricted by their class."

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Spirits and beasts are a given, you can even summon gods from other worlds here.

You even get cases where you get familiar names like Zeus, Odin and so on.

In addition, the major league of the 72 demons in the Lesser Key of Solomon, the Qliphoth, the mythologies of Greece, Northern Europe, the Orient and their demon kings and so on can all be summoned.

But among those, the devils' destructive powers are unmatched. The reason being is the price of their summon, a soul.

"Only devils make a contract with souls as the price."

They're scammers among scammers.

Like loan sharks lending one million won and tearing back ten.

"Souls are the realm of things not even gods can interfere with, that only the creator gods who created the world and tasked the gods with looking after it can touch. A scam contract that tears that realm out under its name. because of this, those that make contracts with devils can use their souls as a price to obtain great strength."

The running costs are too high.

If you were given a catalogue you'd never ever choose them, but unfortunately there are few specialist texts on summoning, and the ones that are on the market are so pathetic compared to what I know there's no point even looking at them.

"And that's why contracts are prohibited. Because devils are beings that infringe on the inviolable territory called the soul."

"Then isn't it right that we shouldn't do it?"

No.17 said, tilting her head after a short moment to think.

Her appearance that actually matches her age is quite cute.

"Think differently. If devils are assholes that scam people using souls as the price."

Thak!

The magic formation drawn with chalk was complete. Hm. This should work.

If it doesn't then No.17 becomes a criminal, but since she's a member of an evil organization she's already a budding criminal.

Well, the important thing is.

While a soul might get forked over to a devil, it's not my soul so that's not a problem.

Even if I did try myself, I have absolutely no mana so it's impossible for me to summon.

Even when I tried to contract a summon that someone else summoned I was refused.

Really, to hear from a devil that my soul was rotten, just what kind of bullshit is that?

And so, this will be my sacrifice for this experiment. The experiment name is.

"We can scam devils too."

Will it be on the level of a certain demon's contract?