Chapter 72 - Prodigal Witch and True Reason For The Pact
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Not long after we went deeper into the hall, we stopped in front of a door.
Mephisto-jiisama then knocks on it.
*tok tok tok*
"Lavinia, are you there?"
Mephisto-jiisama called.
But even after we waited for almost a minute, there's no response.
"Haah~.... I bet she fell asleep as usual."
Mephisto-jiisama said and then pushed the door open, revealing a quite spacious room filled with a table at its center filled with books and papers.
And after we get in, at a chair by the table we saw a young girl with a long, blonde hair that flowed down her back like a golden silk curtains, leaned on the table and sleeping soundly.
Mephisto-jiisama facepalmed at the sight of that and then after we get closer to the girl, he put his hand to her shoulder and softly taps it.
"Lavinia, wake up."
Mephisto-jiisama said trying to wake her up.
"Mmmhhh~...."
The girl who called Lavinia murmured and then slowly opened her eyes.
And because I coincidentally stand right in front of her, I saw her blue eyes. And she surely still looks drowsy.
And then, she suddenly opened her arms and hugs me.
"Eh? Wait a...."
Of course I surprised with her sudden act. And I surely confused too.
"My hug pillow~...."
She said with her eyes closed again and smiled softly as if feeling comfy so it seems to me that she intends to continue her sleep.
"Mmmmffff!!!!"
On the other hand, I...
I'm not a hug pillow. Please let me go.
That's what I wanted to say but she hugs me quite tightly and moreover she has a pair of... large assets which clamps on my face making me feel stuffed and hard to breathe.
"Wake up, Lavinia! We have guests here!"
Mephisto-jiisama shook her shoulder and called again with a bit higher tone as if to make sure that she'll truly wake up this time.
"Mmmhhh~....
She murmured and opened her eyes again and wider even though still looks a bit drowsy.
"Oh~.... Chairman~...."
She said when she saw Mephisto-jiisama and realized that truly there are guests here.
But apparently she haven't realized me who's supposed to be the first person who she realizes because I'm the closest to her.
"Umm.... Can you let me go? Please?"
I said softly in her tight hug.
And then she finally look down and realized me.
But still she haven't release me yet even though she realized that there's a stranger in her arms.
"Hmm~? Who is this~?"
She asked with a confused expression on her face.
"Haah~.... I told you yesterday that I would bring your Pact candidate here today. Don't tell me that you forgot that? My goodness...."
Mephisto-jiisama sighed and facepalmed himself again.
"Ah~.... So you're the one who Chairman talked about~."
She said while she looked at me.
"Yeah. Can you let me go now? I don't wanna die."
I said with a plead because I literally in pinch.
"Ufufu~.... You're cute~."
She chuckled and then slowly let me go.
And I feel like I experienced this sudden tight hug situations a few times already with Sera-san, Serafall Leviathan, was the first to did that to me.
And now I wonder if those who have big breasts actually tend to likes giving tight hugs.
"What's your name~?"
She asked with a curious expression.
"My name is Rey."
I answered with a slight shrug.
"So your name is Rei~. My name is Lavinia~."
She introduced herself to me with an innocent smile.
And after she tidied up a bit, Mephisto-jiisama introduced her formally to us.
"Allow me to introduce her.... Her name is Lavinia Reni. She's the prodigy wizard of Grauzauberer and the current owner of one of the Longinus, «Absolute Demise»."
Mephisto-jiisama said, gestured to the girl.
And also, even though Mephisto-jiisama already said it when he asked me if I interested to make a Devil-Magician Pact with a young prodigal wizard from his Magician Association who's also the current owner of one of the Longinus Sacred Gear, when I asked him what Longinus it is, he just smirked mischievously and said I would know it later when I met her.
And now I finally know what's the Longinus Sacred Gear she own.
«Absolute Demise» aka [Eternal Ice Princess] is an Independent-Type Longinus, which can materialize a three-meter tall disfigured doll made of ice that takes a form of a woman in a dress with four slender arms at the wielder's side and obeys their every command. It was said that it able to manipulate ice on a massive scale, capable of instantly freezing an entire area into a frozen world and create ice walls to trap her opponents. Its maximum range could lock an entire small country within a crystal of ice as long as user wanted to befitting of a Longinus.
When I was still at Governor Azazel's Lab a few years ago, he gave me a book or catalogue about Sacred Gears including the Longinus Sacred Gears to study. That's why I know about «Absolute Demise» and it characteristics.
"And Lavinia, these individuals are Lady Scathach, Lady Kulshedra, Sakuya Izayoi, and the boy you just already knew earlier, Rey Rofocale. He's the Devil-Magician Pact candidate I recommended to you before and the New Head of Extra Devil Family, Rofocale."
Mephisto-jiisama said, gestures to the three women with me and myself for the last.
Lavinia then gave a graceful bow to us.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, everyone~"
She said with a soft-spoken voice and a warm, friendly smile and extended her hand to me.
"The pleasure is ours too, Lavinia-san."
I replied and shake her hand.
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Mephisto-jiisama softly clapped his hands together drawing our attention.
"Now that introductions are out of the way, let us discuss about the Pact."
Then we gathered around the table, where several books, scrolls, and documents were laid out.
Mephisto-jiisama then started the discussion.
"As I mentioned before, the Devil-Magician Pact can serve multiple purposes: protection, research, and status. And the pact Rey and Lavinia will make will encompass all three aspects."
He turned to me.
"For the Status aspect I think I don't need to explain because we already knew the benefits. While the Research aspect, Lavinia will provide you with her expertise in general magic. And in return, you will offer her the opportunity to study about your Custom Rune Magic. This mutual exchange of knowledge and skills will benefit both parties greatly. Even though it's clearly benefits Lavinia more actually."
I nodded slightly.
"I know that. But I don't mind with it."
"Aye. But actually the more important reason for me to recommend this Pact is for the Protection aspect. For Lavinia's protection more exactly."
Mephisto-jiisama said a bit seriously.
"What do you mean?"
I asked frownedly representing me and the three women with me.
"Chairman, is it about those recent incidents?"
Lavinia asked with a difficult expression too.
"Aye."
Mephisto-jiisama nodded slightly in confirm.
Then he turned to me and the three women.
"Actually, recently there are incidents where magicians lost contacts and disappears without trace. And this happened to not only our Grauzauberer's magicians but also other association's magicians too."
".... What's the cause?"
Scathach-sama asked.
"That's the problem. We haven't got any clue and still in the middle of investigation."
Mephisto-jiisama replied with slightly shaking his head to the sides.
"Hmm~.... So basically you worried that it will happen to this girl too?"
Kulshedra-san asked with one of her hand on the table propped her chin.
"Aye.... Actually Lavinia is already quite strong and dependable especially with her owning a Longinus. But still she's still a teenage girl and no one can give 100% guarantee that nothing bad will happened. But if something is truly happened to Lavinia, if she and Rey connected with this pact, she could instantly summon Rey, or if she couldn't at least Rey could sense that something's happened to her and even get to her instantly."
Mephisto-jiisama explained.
And then he suddenly make a slightly melancholic face.
"I don't want to lose another disciple."
He said with a regretful tone.
"...."
I got silent because I know what's he talking about at the last.
My mother.
His first disciple and someone who's like a daughter to him.
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