Preparatory Work

Divine beast Barbados.
A gigantic rabbit-shaped divine beast commonly called the ‘precognition cat monster.’ A powerful being with great speed and the power of to see the future.

However, all of that was a thing of the past. No matter that she was a divine beast, relentless challenges eventually wore down her body and spirit. She was ultimately subdued by the countless challengers who came for her. Her true form was chopped into pieces and degraded into superior equipment for hunters scattered across the lands; her spirit was bound to the <Towers>, reduced to performing like a fool.

“I wanted to leave the Towers from the very beginning.”

She wanted to be free. From the start her only wish had been simple: to meet a man who would love her and build a family.

But because she was a , she could not shake off the shackles of the until the very end. Not by her own power.

“Then I met my Master!”

The party that came to raise her star rank (★). And the man named Yu Seha whom she saw there. The moment she saw him, Barbados felt a thrill like a lightning strike. She didn’t understand it, but her sense—the tail end of her —was screaming.

“If you build affection now, they’ll surely help you later!”
“…Wasn’t that trial a bit too harsh for merely building affection?”
“Eh, that’s what makes it a trial. I’m the examiner after all; I can’t just do it sloppily, can I?”

She waited silently for the moment to come. Until then she kept playing the clown. And about a month ago, the time came.

Far from the <Towers>, the divine beast felt it—the moment a being clearly of a higher rank than herself gripped ‘authority’ in his hand.

It was Yu Seha, whom she had been watching closely, who finally did it.

Barbados squeezed out her remaining strength and sent a message to the two little Saintesses. They would normally have ignored her, but when she mentioned Yu Seha’s name they came without looking back, almost in a frenzy.

Barbados folded her arms, closed her eyes, and murmured, “Mm, mm… she wasn’t an easy woman…” as she replied.

“Especially, that brazen bitch Yuri’s reaction was intense. The moment you bring up the Master, she fills her eyes with a strange longing… I swear, if that girl isn’t dealt with separately, later there’ll be a messy love triangle fight. I’m telling you it’s certain! She’ll trample the existing women and forcibly monopolize the Master. I knew a legendary slut once who abandoned her own child and devoured her husband every day, and Yuri is just like her. I’m sure! She’ll turn the Master into a mummy, I tell you.”

“…Please don’t say such strange nonsense.”

“Oh! The Master is responsible too, you know? If he flirts and seduces her and then acts like ‘I don’t know~’ and leaves her, it’ll all come back as a big disaster! She’s eleven and already radiating that much sex appeal—how is she a Saintess? Ah, she is a Saintess—more like a sex-Saint. Once again, the lawful wife Ma Hana must firmly hold the reins. If you let her slide because she’s young and later when she’s of age she ambushes him at night, even if it’s the Master—”

“-…Shall we cancel the contract?”

“I’m sorry, I was wrong, shall I take off all my clothes? Shall I do a naked dogeza? W-would touching my chest calm you down? Please don’t say such things—”

“-Ah, I won’t. On the contrary, I’m sorry.”

Yu Seha sighed. Anyway, the conversation had gotten a bit strange, but following Yuri and Natsu’s guidance, he reunited with Barbados, and there and then contracted with her.

Since he had absolutely no power related to <Summoners>, it would normally have been impossible, but recently he gained an absurd authority and succeeded.

In fact, strictly speaking, this was an impossible thing. The place was none other than the <Towers>. A being belonging to that place going outside was an unprecedented event in history.

If this had been possible—like Professor Bong Mi-chun—an excellent <Summoner> would have overturned the balance of Awakened Ones.

But Yu Seha was a transcendent being beyond the very concept of ‘mortal life,’ a radiant talent that ‘outside’ entities coveted. The [Contractor of All Things] was such a power of Yu Seha.

The laws of a transcendent being easily crushed even the <Towers>, and he succeeded in bringing Barbados out.

“You said you appointed a new being as administrator, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. It was one of my subordinates… they’ll manage on their own. I’ll visit later and give some help.”

Yu Seha, chuckling—‘Hehe… definitely better than a mascot furry, this perky curvy one is nice~’—looked at Barbados, who was squirming her body.

“…It’s not for me, the one who offered the contract, to ask, but isn’t this too hasty?”
“Hm? What do you mean? Ah, the contract terms?”
“Yes.”

The contract terms presented to <Barbados> were so unreasonable that even Yu Seha found them absurd. Everything favored Yu Seha.

It was effectively a slave contract promising to obey Yu Seha in all things. It even included handing over her life—control over life and death. Not that Yu Seha set those terms out of malice.

“I never imagined the first clause of the [Contractor of All Things] would be something like that…”
“Originally, authority is a power focused on elevating the owner’s absoluteness—basically it would be programmed to worship you like a god.”
“You could’ve hesitated a bit before signing. When I saw the terms you just blindly accepted, I was surprised.”
“The Master may not know, but I was truly desperate then. I used force against my will and was on the verge of perishing. And so what about the terms—you’re not going to do anything terrifying anyway, right?”

Barbados gave a wink and smiled, pulling Yu Seha’s arm.

As expected of a divine beast who once enthralled countless men, a soft touch and a pleasant scent wafted about.

“The Master is kind to my people, so you’ll look after me well too, right?”
“…Step back.”
“Eeh~ He’s shy~ such an easy man~ cute, cute~”
“Contract canceled—”
“-I’m sorry, I overstepped my bounds!”

Yu Seha pressed his forehead against hers here and there. He didn’t want to admit it, but it wasn’t entirely wrong. Whatever the case, as long as she was his, he intended to extend as much convenience as possible.

“So is still not possible?”
“…Yes, I’m sorry.”
“No. There’s no need to apologize. I told you, you’re capable just by existing.”

Whether it was the aftermath of being forcibly torn from the <Towers>, or because she had fallen, it’s unclear, but Barbados could no longer see the distant future. She could perceive only the near future, which wasn’t much of a merit since Yu Seha could already do that. Still, she had been a divine beast, and she was unexpectedly agreeable and competent—worth her keep.

If there were complaints, it would be her spicy remarks ill-suited to her cute looks and this promiscuous appearance… Also, her resemblance to an acquaintance was a bit awkward.

“…But does it have to be that form?”
“Oh my, with such gentle, deer-like eyes, a body that’s sexy in many ways, obedient to orders, seemingly willing to give liver and gall in devotion—aren’t women perfect for playing with and discarding exactly your type?”
“…Why are you so similar to senior Choi Mari? A few days ago Senior Mari visited and went ‘Mauu!’ and got startled and ran away.”

Barbados drew a seductive curve at the corner of her eyes. Emphasizing the charm of a bunny girl to the fullest, she raised both arms overhead and struck a sultry pose that showcased her figure.

“When I possessed someone last time, I thought this body was really pretty. Except for the belly fat… so I guess it’s become fixed.”
“…Understood.”

Yu Seha sighed. For him, Barbados’s cheekiness and lasciviousness were a source of trouble in many ways. Yet it’s true that her cooperation was a great help.

“Then, let’s practice again today. Tell me if it hurts at all.”
“The Master is always kind~ so a little roughness is fine.”
“……”

Yu Seha tightened his grip and pulled her forward. Chains rattled. At the same time, a golden dog collar appeared around Barbados’s neck.

Yu Seha broke into a sweat.

‘…Why does it have to take this form of all things?’

In Ma Hana’s case it was a scarf, but in Barbados’s case it was made like genuine SM gear: a bunny-girl outfit and even a dog collar… To an outsider it looked extremely perverted.

In any case, that golden leash was the core of the [Contractor of All Things]. Through it, Yu Seha could control and dominate every aspect of the being he employed. Additionally, in this state he could hear the target’s inner thoughts—call it a consciousness.

Yu Seha shook his head. He activated <Sharing>. A golden aura traveled along the line and immediately boosted Barbados, who was barely C-rank, up to A-rank.

Yu Seha flicked his hand at Barbados.

“Attack me with full force like yesterday.”
“Understood!”

Barbados rushed in with quick footwork. As Yu Seha deflected her attack, he became certain.

The response of the [Contractor of All Things] flowed through his hand. At this level of proficiency…

‘We can do it.’

It seemed possible to awaken a new form of bravery in Ju Na-young.