Chapter 161 The Failed Contract

After distancing myself from the reporters, I called Silvia's Maid to arrange for my departure to the abandoned kingdom.

[Sure, I'll take care of it, Sir Ares. I'll be there in a few minutes.] said Silvia's Maid before ending the call.

Tic—

I wasn't planning on contacting her until I returned from the abandoned kingdom, but I had someone I needed her to take care of while I was away.

As I hung up the phone, I walked towards a nearby café which I had reserved for us. I took a seat at a table and waited for Irethiel's arrival.

After a brief wait, the door of the cafe creaked open, and a young boy stepped inside.

"H-Hello, Sir Ares," greeted Ark, the 7-year old demon, as soon as he entered the cafe with Irethiel.

"Oh, you're here. I heard you were knocked out by Irethiel," I said with a smile, motioning for him to sit across from me.

But the boy shuddered in fear at the mention of Irethiel's name.

"N-No, the demon queen just did it to keep me alive, so I don't blame her," the boy said quickly, trying to hide his nervousness.

"It's good that you understand," said Irethiel, sitting on my shoulder in her crow form. "You should be grateful I saved you before you turned to ashes like the rest of the demons from that colony."

"Y-Yes, I am forever grateful for you saving my life," the boy said, sitting down across from me.

I noticed that Irethiel seemed to have developed a distrust towards demons, as evidenced by her discomfort and distance around Ark.

...But I can't say that I don't like it.

"Don't be too hard on him, Irethiel," I said with a smile. "He's still a kid."

I then turned to Ark and asked, "You said you wanted to be my companion, right?"

Ark wavered. "I-I don't think I'm capable of being a companion to a demon queen or her comrade."

"Don't worry about it," I replied with a reassuring smile. "You're still young and have a lot of potential. You'll get stronger as you grow up."

"O-Oh? I don't think I'm cut out to be a companion or a servant. I'm just a weak and pathetic demon," the boy said with fear in his eyes. From his expression, it was clear that he no longer wanted to join me.

And I could tell he was still shaken up from seeing Irethiel's power, and the destruction of the demon colony.

"If that's what you believe, then I'm afraid I'll have to... dispose of you, like the other demons," I said regretfully.

"W-What? Why?" The boy asked, horrified.

"You have two options. Either you become my servant or I'll have no choice but to eliminate you so that the relationship between Irethiel and I remains unknown," I explained.

"I-I won't tell anyone about any of this, I promise! Even if I did, no one would believe me. They'd just think I'm crazy," the demon Ark exclaimed frantically.

"...."

"...I don't understand the point in trying to negotiate with him. Just have him sign the contract or I'll happily send him back to Hell," Irethiel threatened, emitting an aura that made the boy struggle to breathe.

"Arghhh," he gasped for air.

"So, what will it be? Have you made your decision?" I asked, intertwining my fingers.

"...Y-Yes, I'll sign the contract," the demon Ark said quickly, still feeling the effects of Irethiel's aura

"Wise decision, considering your age," Irethiel commented retracting her aura.

"Fuuuu," The boy let out a sigh of relief.

"Here, sign this contract," I said as I handed the demon Ark a piece of parchment with an inkwell on the side.

"I-Is this the slave contract?" The boy asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, I always carry one with me. You never know when it will come in handy," I explained with a shrug.

"...I-I see!" The demon Ark said as he stared at the contract for a brief moment.

"You just have to put a drop of your blood on it to seal the deal," I explained seeing his puzzled expression.

The boy hesitated for a moment, before finally biting his finger to draw blood and applying it to the contract.

The parchment lit up with a bright light for a brief moment, signifying the commencement of the contract.

Ding!—

I suddenly heard the familiar sound of the system's notification and I decided to bring up the message to see its contents.

[Conditions Have Been Met To Use The Title : Demon Slaver!

Description: The bearer of this title has formed a contract with a demon, bound by blood and bound by loyalty.

The demon is bound to obey their master and cannot betray them.

The strength and abilities of the demon will enhance the bearer's power, making them a formidable force to be reckoned with.

The demon's loyalty to their master is unbreakable, and they will protect their master until the contract is fulfilled or until their death.]

---

"It is a pretty useful title that will prevent them from betraying me," I said with a grin and a nod of approval.

"Welcome aboard," I said to the demon Ark with a smile when I saw the light diminish.

Ark looked relieved hearing me. "I-Is it done now?" He inquired.

"Yes, it's done," I confirmed, taking the contract and glancing over it. "From now on, you are officially my servant. We will work together to achieve our goals."

The boy nodded, looking a little nervous.

"I-I won't let you down, Sir Ares."

!?

'Wait! Why isn't the contract disappearing?' I wondered as I stared at the paper in my hand, my brow furrowed.

The contract should have dissolved into particles and form a connection between myself and the demon. But that wasn't happening.

Just then, I heard the familiar chime of the system's notification sound again.

Ding! –

[Failed to Sign Contract!

Reason: Target Demon's Power Level Exceeds User's Capabilities.]

I stared in disbelief at the notification that had just popped up in front of me.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? This demon is too strong to be made into my servant?" I muttered to myself, trying to make sense of the situation.

I had never encountered this problem before, not even when I had signed contracts with Irethiel or the Chosen One Meira.

Their powers were significantly higher compared to this brat, yet the contract had been successfully signed without any issue.

"Who the fuck is this bastard to be considered even stronger than both of them?" I whispered to myself.

Was this brat's potential too strong for me to handle? Or was there some other reason behind this failure? I needed to find out.

At that moment, The demon in front of me began to tremble with fear, causing me to turn my attention toward him. He appeared to have perceived my thoughts and detected my frustration and bewilderment.

"P-Please, I will do anything you want, just don't hurt me!" Ark begged, his voice shaking with fear.

I sighed, feeling a twinge of regret in my heart. I didn't want to harm him, but it seemed like I had no other choice.

***