I Made a Contract with a Devil, but the Price is Strange

Carriages lined up in front of the gate of the Labyrinth City. As the largest and most developed commercial city on the continent, many merchants visited this place.

“…Fucking hell.”

Because of this, we were only able to enter the city after the sun had set behind the mountain range. Moreover, I was almost dragged to a temporary prison just for having black hair.

Adelman, the owner of the Wind Merchant Group, stopped his carriage near the city gate. He got off the carriage and called the mercenaries.

“Since it’s getting late, let’s settle accounts right here. When I call your name, come and receive your payment.”

“Don’t need to go to the carriage storage? That saves time. I can head straight to the brothel now.”

“You haven’t bathed for days and you stink. If you go like that, the guards will beat you senseless for being filthy.”

“Romon. Come first.”

The merchant leader called me while I was eavesdropping on the mercenaries’ chatter. As I approached him, he immediately held out a pouch.

“I was going to deduct the carriage fare from your payment as per our contract, but your performance was impressive, so I didn’t.”

“Thank you.”

“If you’re grateful, consider prioritizing me next time we meet. Anyway, now that you’ve reached the Labyrinth City you’ve longed for, what will you do?”

“…I’ll enter the labyrinth, I suppose.”

“I guess so. Mercenaries come to Falcion either for the labyrinth or for escort jobs. Good work. I hope we meet again.”

After shaking hands with Adelman, I immediately entered the city.

‘I received consideration until the very end.’

The reason he called me first was probably because of the other mercenaries. If I’d been called later, I might have been robbed.

Thinking that I should repay his kindness if we meet again, I continued walking. I slowly looked around as I walked along the street.

The night in Falcion was bright.

Magic lamps were installed all along the streets, and numerous people walked around laughing and chatting. Most of them were probably explorers going into the labyrinth.

‘It’s fascinating.’

Seeing with my own eyes the world I had only seen on screen was quite charming. I looked around busily and headed toward the inn I had targeted. When I arrived in front of the building, I looked up.

“Dark Maze Inn”

‘It really exists.’

I couldn’t help but smile at the name on the sign. This was the inn I used when playing the game, and seeing it in reality was amazing.

The sounds of commotion and music could be heard from beyond the walls. When I opened the door and entered, I was hit by the smell of food and sweat.

“Just sit anywhere that’s empty!”

A server noticed me and shouted. As she suggested, I sat at an empty table in the corner.

“What would you like to order for food?”

“Do you have a menu?”

“Of course not. We only have the inn’s special Eternal Stew, roasted meat, and our homemade alcohol.”

Eternal Stew. I wanted to try that. In the game, it was described as having a fantastic taste—was that really true?

“I’ll take everything.”

“That’ll be 20 copper.”

You could eat at a village inn for 10 copper. The city really was expensive.

“I’m planning to stay the night too. How much for one night?”

“With breakfast included, it’s 30 copper. If you just want to sleep here, it’s 20 copper.”

I took out two silver coins from my pocket and handed them over.

“With breakfast included.”

“Hmm. Then I’ll specially let you stay for a week, including today.”

“That’s kind of you, but can you decide that on your own?”

She shrugged.

“The owner is my father anyway, so what does it matter? If you’re grateful, keep using our inn. I might get more pocket money later.”

“I’ll think about it.”

She immediately turned and headed for the kitchen. While waiting for the food, I looked around the interior of the inn.

Unlike how it appeared from the outside, the inside was quite spacious. Tables were placed at regular intervals, and mercenaries sat eating food and drinking alcohol.

“In the deep labyrinth, devils appear~”

Musicians played instruments while collecting coins, and some mercenaries sang along. It seemed to be quite a famous song in Falcion.

“Devils…”

Thinking about the devil ritual I was going to perform tomorrow made me a bit worried.

Getting the materials wouldn’t be a problem. Though expensive, this was the Labyrinth City after all.

Contracting with a devil was acceptable too. There were quite a few people who borrowed power from them. Mages were a prime example. They also used power by giving something in return to the devils of magic.

‘The question is what kind of devil will appear.’

What if I performed the devil ritual and a devil that couldn’t be contracted with appeared? Then I would have to wait a full month.

‘If I enter the labyrinth without contracting with a devil, I could die.’

The labyrinth was by no means easy.

It would be better if I could form a party to enter, but everyone would refuse when they saw my black hair. There might even be bloodshed.

I had finally entered the Labyrinth City, but my fate would be determined by the devil gacha. It was truly a crappy situation.

Thud-

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the food that appeared before me.

“Here’s your order.”

With quick hands, she placed each dish on the table. Finally, she brought the alcohol and promptly disappeared.

The intense smell of meat stimulated my salivary glands. A red stew with a slightly spicy aroma. Inside were sizable chunks of meat and vegetables scattered throughout.

I immediately picked up a spoon and scooped up some stew. The thick texture dripping from the spoon looked very appetizing.

Slurp-

“Mmm!”

The stew was slightly spicy but very rich. It was perfect as a side dish for alcohol. I reached for the drink and took a swig.

Gulp gulp-

The alcohol was refreshing. The bitter taste of barley completely washed away the fat left on my tongue.

‘Delicious.’

The meat just tasted like roasted meat. I tasted each food one by one and then began eating mindlessly.

“Whew.”

After emptying the plates completely, I got up from my seat.

“Which room should I use?”

“Just a moment. Mom! I’m going to show a guest to their room! Please follow me.”

I followed the server up the stairs. After going up to the third floor, we reached a room at the end of the corridor. She inserted a key and opened the door.

“Here it is. What do you think?”

She asked while stepping aside.

“It’s fine.”

The interior was neither too spacious nor too cramped. It was just right for one person.

“Being in the end room might be inconvenient for getting around, but when you open the window, you can see the street below, which is quite nice.”

I approached the window. When I opened it and looked outside, I could see the entire street at a glance.

“What do you think? It’s good, right?”

“It’s fine. I’ll take this room.”

“Alright. Then I’ll go down and record it. It’s for one week starting today. Would you like hot water for a bath right away?”

“Yes. I’ll just unpack and come right down.”

“Understood. Then.”

She handed me the key and went outside. After the server disappeared, I put down the bag I was carrying and sat on the bed. It was quite soft.

I wanted to lie down and fall asleep right away. Most mercenaries would probably do that. But my previous life wouldn’t allow it.

‘I should clean the floor later too.’

The floor was dirty because I had come in wearing shoes. From now on, I should take them off and leave them by the door as soon as I enter.

‘I’ll wash up. Then sleep.’

Although both my body and mind were tired, somehow I felt like I wouldn’t be able to sleep easily tonight.

“That was good.”

The next day, after having breakfast at the inn, I immediately came out to the street.

The road was less crowded than at night. Still, compared to other cities or villages, there were quite a lot of people.

Based on the map I received from the inn, I headed to the magic district. After passing a sign marked “Magic District,” the crowd decreased dramatically. Looking back, I could see many people passing by.

It felt as if I was disconnected from the world. I preferred places like this. Crowded places were uncomfortable.

I walked along the magic street and then entered an alley. Following the winding path to its end, I saw a wooden door standing alone.

Knock knock- Knock knock knock-

Standing in front of the door, I knocked and then pulled the handle. Creeeeak, with the sound of old hinges, the door opened to reveal a straight passage.

Thud-

As I entered, the door closed by itself. I walked along the corridor. Gradually my vision brightened, and a vast space unfolded before my eyes. A very old human was sitting at a desk reading a book.

“It’s been a while since someone came here…”

The old man spoke in a tiny voice as I approached.

His skin looked like an ancient tree. Green eyes looked at me and asked:

“Why have you come…?”

“I need something to offer as a sacrifice to a devil.”

“You’re trying to do something dangerous… If you’re unlucky, the devil might take something precious from you… Perhaps even steal your soul…”

“I’m prepared.”

“…Give me 1 gold.”

The price was much cheaper than I had expected. Of course, it was still a large amount for a mere mercenary.

“Here it is.”

I took a gold coin from my pocket and held it out. It was money I had saved for a year. If I didn’t have the goal of making a contract, I would have squandered it on alcohol long ago.

“Wait a moment…”

The old man smiled faintly, put the gold coin in his mouth, and disappeared into the darkness. A moment later, he reappeared with a small pouch.

“I’ve specially brought you something good… There aren’t many people like you who want to contract with devils anymore…”

“What about the mages?”

“The devils of magic already have numerous contractors… Can you call a devil… that is worshipped by many people… a devil…?”

I frowned.

‘What nonsense is this?’

I had never had this kind of conversation in the game. Initially, I had come here because this was a place where I could buy magic materials cheaply.

“Then what should I call them?”

“That’s an answer for humans to decide… I hope you succeed in your contract… Now leave…”

As the old man gestured, I suddenly felt as if I was being pushed out, and before I knew it, I was standing in the alley. It truly happened in the blink of an eye.

‘This is definitely not normal.’

I glanced at the wooden door behind me and headed outside.

“Phew…”

Dinner was finished. I had also paid an extra fee to wash my body clean with warm water and soap. The door and windows were closed, so now only a small candle illuminated the room.

‘Let’s begin.’

I took a deep breath and began drawing a magic circle on the floor. Knowledge that had been in my head since I came to this world.

Swoosh- Swoosh—

A plausible-looking magic circle was gradually drawn. Finally, after drawing the pattern, I placed each of the sacrificial items received from the old man one by one.

I knelt in the center of the magic circle, clasped my hands together, placed my elbows on my thighs, and bowed my head.

“I offer these to you.”

The moment I muttered those words, I felt as if something was leaving my body.

Woooong—

I raised my head at the strange noise, as if space itself was flowing. What I saw was a pitch-black space.

Gulp-

From there, a devil would emerge. I didn’t know what kind of devil would appear. It would depend on the type and quality of the sacrifice, but I lacked that knowledge.

Woooong—

The black space undulated. Soon, a red leg came out, identical to that of a human. The thigh was so thick it looked like that of an athlete.

Gulp-

Next came the chest. That’s when I started to feel something was off.

‘Why does it look like this…?’

There were quite a few devils that resembled humans. However, that was just mimicry—they were still hideous in appearance.

‘But this one looks just like a human no matter how I look at it?’

Devils with human forms fell into two categories: either extremely evil and strong, or weak.

Gulp-

I looked at the devil that had completely emerged from the portal.

It had horns on its head and long hair. Its face was very beautiful, and particularly its lower body was exquisite. If not for the red skin, it would be a woman anyone would desire.

『Did you summon me?』

I automatically bowed my head at the sensation of being pressed down. I had no choice.

“Yes. I summoned you.”

I answered while sweating profusely. I felt like I might lose consciousness at any moment, but I didn’t know what would happen if I did.

『Do you desire a contract?』

“Contract, I desire a contract.”

I barely managed to speak with a cracked voice.

『Good.』
『I am pleased with the sacrifice. I am also pleased with your magic power, so I shall accept.』
『What is your name?』

“Romon. My name is Romon.”

As I answered, I felt a burning sensation all over my body.

“Huk…!”

My vision darkened from the excruciating pain. It felt like being thrown into a pit of fire. It was truly like hell.

『I bestow my blessing upon you.』
『The moment you use the power I grant, you shall pay the price.』

“What is that price…?”

Something grabbed my chin. The red devil looked into my eyes, grinned, and answered:

『Everything.』

The devil’s smile was terribly beautiful.