Chapter 4

After the light subsided—

A demon girl was floating there, wearing an outfit that put a heavy emphasis on her chest.

I say emphasis on her chest, but her lower half looked rather precarious, too… It was essentially the fabric version of what you’d call “bikini armor.”

“Oh, it seems I have been summoned. I am Cerulia, a Succubus.”

Despite her appearance, the girl named Cerulia bowed with surprising politeness.

“Hello… I’m Franz, the one who just summoned you.”

I bowed back instinctively.

“Oh, there is no need to be so formal. You are my Master, are you not? I am but a humble familiar.”

Even so, her way of speaking and her demeanor felt far more aristocratic than mine.

“Franz-san, let me explain,” the President cut in. “Succubus are quite high-ranking beings even among the demons living in the underworld. However, as long as you have summoned her, she will obey her Master faithfully, so don’t worry.”

Apparently, being a familiar wasn’t considered shameful for residents of the underworld.

“That is correct. In the context of your world, it feels something like a part-time job during one’s student days,” Cerulia added.

The values of the Dark Magic world were certainly educational.

“Even so, this is incredible, Franz-san…”

The President looked more shocked than impressed. Her dog tail was wagging furiously from side to side.

“To summon a high-ranking Succubus as a familiar on your very first try… that is an extraordinary talent! You are perfect for the Dark Magic industry!”

“R-really…? I had no idea…”

We never did familiar summonings at the magic school. I suppose the faculty didn’t want students accidentally summoning something and having their souls demanded as payment. There was a strong sentiment at school that Dark Magic shouldn’t be touched because it causes accidents if handled with half-baked knowledge.

“May I test you a little more? Then, next, could you try chanting the spell to forcibly deport this Imp?”

President Kelkel opened to another page while wagging her tail.

“This is a high-level spell that only executive officers need to use—or rather, it’s a spell only executive officers can use.”

There was no way I could pull something like that off, but I figured I might as well try.

“Let’s see… Rilra, Nef, Pazuzu, Ramawoga, Hento-rau…”

It was a much more difficult spell compared to summoning a familiar, but I managed to chant it while moving the staff within the magic circle.

Meanwhile, President Kelkel had opened the window of the room.

Suddenly, the magic circle glowed, and a small Imp came flying in through the open window. It looked less like it had come of its own volition and more like it had been forcefully yanked there.

“Um, excuse me? Did I do something wrong, boss…?”

The Imp looked bewildered as it questioned the President.

“No, we were just doing a little experiment. Take the rest of the day off.”

“Understood… boss…”

Looking confused, the Imp left the room.

“Goodness, even though that’s a very specialized spell… You’re seriously amazing, Franz-san! You could be the star of the industry!”

She grabbed my hands and shook them enthusiastically.

“Th-thank you…”

I never expected to be praised so easily.

“Once you graduate, please come to our company! I promise we will never treat you poorly!”

To think that Dark Magic was actually my calling…

Perhaps my “real life” as a working adult would finally be fulfilling.

Thinking about the dinner time at the dorm, I realized I should probably head back soon. Since this was the suburbs, it was a long way back—an hour-and-a-half walk.

“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave for today.”

“If you’re heading home, are you staying at a student dormitory, Franz-san?”

“Yes. My parents’ house is far away, so I live in the dorms. I’ll be back as soon as I graduate.”

“Yes! We’ll be waiting for you!”

“Thank you very much!”

For some reason, the voices harmonized. But the President hadn’t spoken. Cerulia the Succubus had greeted me in unison and was preparing to leave the room with me.

“Wait, you’re coming too!?”

“Of course. I am your familiar, after all. I shall accompany you everywhere.”

“Wait… if you follow me to the student dorm, you’re going to stand out way too much…”

Also, I’m pretty sure members of the opposite sex aren’t allowed in…

President Kelkel spoke up with irresponsible cheer: “The spell to hide a familiar is exhausting, so you shouldn’t try it now~. It’s much more advanced than the summoning itself.”

“But I have talent for Dark Magic, right? Can’t I do it?”

“It requires some special materials from the underworld, which we don’t have at the office right now. Sorry, I honestly thought you’d only be able to summon a crow at best…”

This was a problem. If I went back to the dorms with a Succubus, even if I didn’t get expelled, there was no telling what kind of rumors would start…

“Well then, how about staying at our company dormitory for tonight?” President Kelkel suggested, clapping her hands together.

“I’m not an employee yet, is that okay?”

“Yes. You basically have the job offer already.”

It might not be a bad idea to check out the company dorm. I’d have to leave the student dorm soon anyway.

“Master, I believe that would be best,” Cerulia added.

That made two votes. By majority rule, the matter was settled.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

●

The walk to the dorm took about twenty minutes back toward the Capital; it seemed to be quite close to the city walls. I didn’t run into many people, but those I did see stared intensely.

The reason was obvious.

“Everyone is staring this way quite a bit, aren’t they?”

Cerulia-san’s outfit was just too revealing…

She wore clothes designed to barely cover the essential parts, but her backside was fully exposed. And with these kinds of things, it’s the “almost seeing but not quite” look that draws the most attention. Though, I suppose people would stare even if she were stark naked.

“I’ll be blunt. It’s because of you, Cerulia-san.”

“Master, I am your familiar, so please just call me Cerulia.”

“Alright, Cerulia…”

Her polite attitude made me feel restless. Though, I suppose I’d be even more troubled if an aggressive, “delinquent-type” familiar had shown up.

“I look forward to serving you in many ways from now on.”

“Y-yeah… likewise…”

The destructive power of the word “serving” coming from a beautiful Succubus was dangerous.

“Ah, this is the address for the dormitory.”

Even though it was called a “company dorm,” it wasn’t a tenement house or a cheap inn; it was a tidy, detached house. If I had to pay for it myself, it wasn’t the kind of place a student could easily live in.

“I haven’t notified the student dorm, but since I’m a senior, they’ll probably forgive me for one night away without notice.”

I’d already paid the rent for the dorm, so there wouldn’t be any legal issues for missing one day. It’s not uncommon for students to stay over at a friend’s house in the Capital. My credits were all in order, so as long as I didn’t get arrested for a crime, I would graduate.

In the extreme, President Kelkel would probably hire me even without a diploma, so even graduation didn’t feel that vital anymore.

Well then, time to step inside the house where I’ll be living starting next month.