The Demon Lord Is An Angel
Chapter 380: Contract Magic

Chapter 380: Contract Magic

Upon his return to camp, Kir found Char waiting for him with Rena, conversing over the equation Kir had been trying to teach the latter when the radio crystal had shattered. Specifically over the role of acceleration, which Rena thought of as the core concept whereas Char was advocating more for displacement as what she should focus on.

Rena seemed annoyed because Char understood the math just by having been in the room. Of course, Kainur had given his daughter an algebraic education, and by her own accounts, Char had performed many essential roles in his government, freeing up her father to seek personal power. She was certainly reliable, as Kir had discovered with each passing day.

He was loathed to break up their argument because a minute in he recognized how Char was subtly leading Rena into understanding the displacement equation better, but the prospect of how he would enthrone Lapins necessitated swift and decisive action.

"Char, may I borrow you for a moment?" Kir asked as soon as there was a pause.

"You have only to say so, Duke Kir," she replied, placing her quill atop a sheet that had been filled with equations.

"Should I go?" Rena asked.

"You don’t have to," Kir answered, before turning back to Char. "Two things. First, what happened to Kainur’s weapon?"

"I thought you had claimed it," Char replied. "No demon would have dared to take it, risking your wrath."

"I don’t have it," Kir said. "In fact, I completely forgot about it until I learned what Kangetsu could do to these Elevated."

After a brief explanation of what he’d discovered, Char held her chin. "I did not know of this. But if Azkrul is missing, it is a potent artifact to have lost." She named her father’s soulbound weapon.

Kir sighed, but there was nothing to be done at this point. "The second thing is: I need to know about contract magic... so that I can form an agreement with the future queen of these lands."

Char raised a curious eyebrow but refrained from speaking her mind as she gathered her thoughts. And when she was ready, she said, "Contract magic is a very complicated matter. One that requires an affinity for complex understandings that may go beyond merely existent things like your mathematics."

"I formed an Oath once by accident," Kir replied, remembering with pain the bond he’d had with Noir, now reduced to the shadow of what Kangetsu had become because of his sacrifice. "If I am to do something as complicated as fight a war for someone, I want to make sure we both protect what we have to gain from it."

"My understanding was that you and Kordia were already dedicated to each other. A contract would be unnecessary since you are clearly the more powerful."

"It isn’t a contract with Kordia, but with her lover, Lapins Montmorency."

"Ah, the princess of these lands. You have acquired her?"

"More to say Kordia did," Kir replied, frowning slightly at Char’s misconception. "I support Kordia, and who she loves."

"I admit, your relationships confuse me," Char said. "But I can see the benefit of giving your lovers free rein to... recruit. I trust this will benefit your long-term plans."

Kir’s frown deepened. "Don’t mistake my intent, Char. I love Kordia and Amarena deeply. And from what I’ve been told, things in Norneau are heating up. Being able to remain here in Montmorency might be a good alternative until I can sort things out there."

Char nodded, the cogs clearly turning in her head as she lifted a hand to her chin to think, before stating, "Very well. As the matter seems urgent, perhaps it would be best to bring Lapins in so that I may draft the contract for you. Contract magic requires a deep understanding of language and a vast amount of mana. I have the supplies ready in my tent, and can bring them here shortly."

"That is acceptable," Kir said. "I’ll fetch Lapins and the others. They should learn about it too."

"I’ll get them," Rena said. "I need to stretch my legs after boiling my brain to understand these things," she gestured at her notes, which were very much scratched through and rewritten.

"Thank-" Rena disappeared in a flash of mana before Kir could finish, "-you..." He let out a little sigh as Char turned and left the tent. On the bright side, it did feel like Rena was getting more efficient with her mavenry. The feeling was subtle but there.

"It’s not like her hair could get any whiter." Kiryu snarked. "I like where you’re head was going with this magic contract nonsense. Now let’s start a revolution..."

Five minutes later, Kir was contemplating terms when Char returned. Thirty minutes after that, Rena, Kordia, Lapins, and a very guilty-looking Kassin entered the tent. They found Kir and Char leaned over a draft contract.

"If you leave it vague, she’ll worm out of it," Char scowled.

"Consider it a - What did you call it? - ah, a test clause."

Char, who had opened her mouth to answer, closed it with a click and made a face. Then a moment later she said, "You keep asking me questions and answering them yourself, Duke Kir. Are you in telepathy with a familiar I’m unaware of?"

"Not as such," Kir replied, a nervous twitch to his tail. "I do have a familiar, but she’s presently somewhere safe."

From Char’s pursed lips, his answer did not seem satisfactory in explaining a behavior she found annoying. But he wasn’t about to reveal the conversation in his head.

In short order, he presented the draft to Lapins.

As she read it, Lapins seemed to slowly grow more and more rigid, her face masking its emotions. Once or twice, she asked about specific terms, but other than that, she kept her thoughts to herself until the moment she slid the draft contract back onto the table.

"This contract would dissolve Montmorency as a kingdom," she stated. "And make enemies of every noble house.

"In form, if not in name, yes. After your passing," Kir confirmed. His stipulations weren’t simple, but he’d worked through the logic with Kiryu’s and Char’s council.

The monarchs would become largely ceremonial, replaced by a senate and judiciary. The noble class would have their property distributed and those who’d built their wealth on the backs of slaves would lose that wealth. Political power would be shared in a republic system. Demons and demonkin would be protected from discrimination. And slavery would be forever banned in every possible use.

Kir was grim-faced as he continued, "We can discuss terms, but my essential points will remain. And there are benefits I plan to offer that I haven’t had a chance to propose."

"Benefits such as?"

"New industries. Methods of production that rival Norneau’s. An easier time unifying with the rest of the continent and, of course, I will make you Queen."

"I don’t want my family killed unless it’s absolutely necessary," Lapins said. "That includes my brothers."

"I can certainly agree to that," Kir said.

"This system of councils. Tell me more about what you have in mind," Lapins continued.

Kir took a deep breath. "Keep in mind that this is meant to pave the road for the wider unity you thought of with Kordia and Kassin. I’d ask the same thing of them too."

"Then we might as well draft this contract for all three of us," Kordia chimed in, her tails swaying with interest as she looked over the contract.

"What?!" Kassin squawked. "This sounds terrible."

"The nobles would oppose us anyway," Lapins said. "Although I’m not sure that’s how things would work in Mora."

"We don’t have a lot of people, and the clans are still very independent," Kordia admitted. "So I can see the council model working since that’s close to what we have in place." She smiled a little sadly. "I’d be the first and only queen since my children would be of Gra’Rhuel... And there would still be my contract with Kassin’s mother to consider."

"If I may speak, my Duke," Char cleared her throat. "I advise keeping the contract singular to Princess Lapins... As the holder, you can annul it at any time as well as compel compliance with the proper clauses."

"No compulsion," Kir said. "But I can see the merits of focusing on what’s in front of us."

After a long back and forth that lasted well into the morning, Kir - having refused Char’s final offer to be the contract holder - carefully copied the final agreement onto the magical parchment produced for the true contract, before presenting it to Lapins. Most of what had been added were time allowances for the reforms and requirements for the constitution of the new government to come, as well as restrictions on what Kir was permitted to do to make her queen.

Kir signed first, then added his blood, and Lapins followed, stating, "And so I am my nation’s final Queen..." She sighed, both of them feeling the magic start to settle over them. "When will your army begin its march?"

"They will not," Kir said. "I intend to make you Queen by myself, and to spare them the fight if I can."

Exhausted and short of patience, Lapins scowled. "Why?" She petted Kordia’s ears, the latter having fallen asleep on her lap.

"Because if they are to integrate with your kingdom, I would not have them seen as conquerors and destroyers. I’ll be the villain, and that will draw the ire away from them, at least a little. But if I cannot do it alone, then we can discuss a change of plans."

"You’re far more devious than I imagined, but also more naive, Kir Gale," Lapins said. "But I recall your test to enter the Academy. The main army will be marshaling north of the capital, since most of them were already out policing the slaves anyway."

"Already?" Kir raised an eyebrow. "You sound quite sure of it."

"Heaven’s presence has brought wonders to Montmorency. Amongst those I saw was a means to instantly communicate between the capital and the slave mines. If Heaven is set on destroying you, they’ll at the very least permit their use."

"Then I guess sleep might be out of the question for me," Kir shrugged.

"I know it’s an unlucky question in war, but how soon can I expect you to finish?"

"Soon," Kir replied.