Evil Duchess Summons Me, the Heavenly Demon

At the library of another world, a place that should be full of all kinds of mysteries, knowledge, and things I hadn’t encountered before, what greeted me was…

“No.”

A rejection.

To be precise, it was directed not at me but at the child beside me.

The librarian said so with a resolute face.

“No, why? Why not? Everyone else is entering just fine. This is clear discrimination. I’m sure it’s that damned Sofia or those idiots who take money and pretend not to know, keeping their mouths shut…!”

I could immediately tell that these words weren’t directly meant for the other person but rather for those around and for me. Wasn’t her face gradually flushing?

“Are you really asking because you don’t know the reason, Miss Ephre?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know, of course.”

Ephre, breathing heavily, seemed more outraged by the fact that her confident claim that she would “introduce me” had become meaningless, rather than by the fact that entry to the library was denied.

Additionally, now that she could finally properly learn about summoning and summoning magic, going back and forth between theory and practice, trying it out and mastering it, all of that was now ruined.

In truth, if one were to take a relaxed approach, there could be several methods to pursue. Waiting for the next classes, borrowing notes from a friend who had studied, or even purchasing external books about summoning magic.

However, it’s difficult for anyone to endure when they could satisfy their intellectual hunger right in front of them, but it would take days or even longer to resolve. Even more so if the entry denial seemed to be influenced by personal feelings.

Of course, whether this way or that, one could easily guess that her usual behavior was the issue (though it could also be that the librarian was acting this way after only hearing bad rumors about Ephre).

“Calm down. For all problems, solutions don’t come from shouting. Most problems can be resolved through sufficient dialogue.”

Ephre acted as if she was flabbergasted. A face that said, how can you say such a thing?

“And the rest?”

“I found they’re resolved by exerting power.”

Ephre raised her eyebrows as if she understood. She immediately folded her arms and raised her chin towards the librarian.

“Did you hear that? My summoned creature, if he decides to, this library… do you know what might happen? Instead of regretting later, I hope you’ll trust me and step aside. No, originally I just wanted to read books quietly, why are you ref-, sigh, refusing?”

“Miss Ephre, how many times have you caused disturbances by getting into arguments with other students after I permitted your entry despite such words? And what about reading books by drawing lines in them because you said you didn’t understand?”

“I was just minding my own business when they started trouble first. I mean, they started it first, li-bra-ri-an ma’am! You should treat students fairly, right? When I’m just minding my own business, and they’re saying things loud enough for me to hear like I’m incompetent or that my character is too nasty for summoning to work so why am I even looking at books, is that okay?”

For a moment, sparks flew in the air.

If Ephre’s claim were true, her grievance would be somewhat understandable.

Well, about one-eighth of it.

Sigh. After exhaling briefly, I decided to show what it means to be a mature adult. If she was acting this way because her learning was shor—no, non-existent, then a textbook would be necessary.

Just as a child learns by watching their parents, I became a teaching material for her to see and learn from firsthand.

“Hmm, excuse me, librarian.”

“…What is it?”

“The crux of the issue seems to be the disturbance inside the library, am I correct?”

“Yes. It seems there’s never been a quiet moment in the library after letting her in. It’s useless to try to persuade me. Your claim to be a summoned creature is absurd, but even if that were true, you should guide her in the right direction.”

From those words, I indirectly realized that there were no summoned creatures with a completely human appearance, or at least, it hadn’t been recorded in the books available to the librarian.

Additionally, for her, this was the first time being questioned by a summoned creature.

‘I see. She didn’t believe Ephre’s words from the beginning.’

I know well how chaotic a society without trust can be.

Weren’t those Martial Alliance bastards the ones who kept shouting about “Eradicating the Demonic Sect” despite the Divine Sect’s countless assertions that they weren’t demons?

In the process of training martial arts, falling into madness once or twice or entering a deranged state, swinging a sword day and night, wasn’t such a big deal. I too had experiences of becoming like that during my time in Jamadong and then returning to normal.

Above all, if there were no innocent casualties, most incidents could be overlooked.

So, if not Ephre’s true feelings, I wanted to at least tell her to have the heart of an educator who deals with students with an open mind, but…

‘She’s probably not even thirty. It would be hard to expect inclusivity.’

So I sought a different approach. To form rapport (a bond), doesn’t one need to know each other’s name first?

“This lord’s name is Cheon Sang-geuk. As you’ve heard, for now, I’m a summon… no, a servant. What is your name?”

“What nonsense, ah. Ahem. Hmm! Fa…Farrin. As you can see, I’m in charge of the librarian position here at Summoner.”

“Nice to meet you, Fa…Faarin.”

Glare. The woman’s gaze sharpened. Did I mispronounce it?

“It’s Fa-rin, two syllables!”

“I understand, Fa, Rin. Is it okay if I quietly look around inside? If this child has committed any wrongdoings in the past, I’d like you to forget them. After all, people should look not at the path they’ve traversed but at the path ahead.”

“It’s not Fa, Rin…!”

I channeled energy to the Yongchun acupoint in my foot. I performed the Ten Thousand Jin Stomp from where I stood. Crack. The marble at my feet cracked in a radial pattern, and with one breath.

Rumble!

The library area shook as if an earthquake had occurred. Birds fluttered up with a flapping sound, and inside the library, dust swirled from high places due to the vibration.

Kyaaaa! Startled students either huddled together or stood up abruptly to leave, while some even called out their summoned creatures to prepare for the unexpected situation.

Farrin, who was standing on a slightly elevated platform, grabbed something between the desk and podium and let out a shrill scream.

It was truly a pity.

If the front of that podium-like damned thing hadn’t been blocked, she would have found it easier to support herself against the shaking by spreading her legs. If the height difference hadn’t been awkwardly high, it would have been easier to make eye contact and speak truthfully.

…If only it had been just one more chi, or about a foot, higher.

To avoid misunderstanding, let me add that humans generally feel more fear when they’re at a relatively high place, and if the cause of the shaking is right in front of them, or rather, at their feet, the sense of fear is amplified, so eventually, they’ll have no choice but to permit entry with a dazed and bewildered face.

That slightly disheveled hair, truly.

“Wow, you. You’re not going to catch me till the end? Are you really my summoned creature? Why are you only staring at, no, at the librarian so intently?”

“Looking into someone’s eyes is the beginning of a conversation.”

“I never knew the librarian’s eyes were located there.”

If one doesn’t fixate on the exterior but looks at the interior, it’s all similar regardless of where it is. After all, the essence is there, isn’t it?

I gestured with my chin toward her, who was expressing surprise and shock, breathing rapidly. While looking at the students rushing out from inside.

“Are you going to chase everyone out? Usually, less than half of the people are quiet. Oh, it’s not a big deal, but this lord greatly dislikes unfairness. I’m specially using honorifics with you, as a penance for this child’s wrongdoings.”

“……”

There’s a saying that silence is consent. Just as women remain silent when asked if anything has changed, because nothing has.

I gave Farrin a gentle smile.

♦♦♦

We found a suitable place inside the library to sit. Many had left due to the commotion, so it was quite empty, and because of that, we could enjoy a pleasant environment. Having experienced the frustrating crowds during my time in Jamadong, I quite like this kind of situation.

As I was looking at books with interesting titles, Ephre, who was glancing at me from the side, asked:

“That just now… was that also magic?”

It was a question I hadn’t heard in a while.

Just as the righteous sects’ people were assigned tasks to be recognized as part of the martial world or the alliance, the Divine Sect’s members also received missions to be acknowledged as followers. At those times, I often heard phrases like “evil techniques” or “wicked methods of the demonic cult.”

I nodded. While scanning the titles of the books with my eyes.

[Origins and History of Summoned Creatures]

[Understanding Summoning Magic – Beginner’s Edition]

[Differences Between Elemental Magic and Elemental Spirit Magic]

[Summoned Creature Guide – Ancient Species and Fantastical Species]

I took note of each interesting one. I emitted my will, and the books naturally pulled out. Void Grasping Technique. It was one of the minor skills that allowed one to handle objects freely without touching them.

At that point, Ephre’s mouth fell open, and judging by the presence, Farrin, who was hiding behind a bookshelf far away, also couldn’t hide her surprise.

“Is…that also magic? If I contract with you, I too… I too can use it, right!”

Ephre looked at the floating books with eyes full of enthusiasm.

Soon, her burning red eyes turned to me. Like someone who had encountered a precious, ownerless jewel, immeasurably rare.