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I’m walking down the night path with Beatrice.

After walking for a while, as a house loomed in the distance, Beatrice suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She slowly exhaled and then inhaled again.

Looks like she’s tense?

Beatrice gradually released my hand and looked back at me with an expression that suggested she realized something unknown was following her, as if it weren’t her child.

It meant she was seriously terrified.

“Bell.”

She called me in a low voice.

“Yes?”

“What happens to us if we make a contract?”

Wait, why is she asking that out of the blue?

She’s always had a lot of questions, but didn’t the scene we saw today show Morris coming back to life?

“Fill me up.”

So, I spoke the truth as usual.

“I’ve heard that. Many times. But you say that those who made contracts with you are unhappy. You, who never lies obsessively, says that. Like a demon in a story who doesn’t lie but doesn’t tell all the truths either.”

Heh.

Looks like she’s been watching closely?

Yes, that’s my mistake.

It’s true that I’m obsessively thinking that lying will cause the tower I’ve built to crumble.

But it’s an excuse. There’s nothing I can do about it.

I can’t die, and one mistake lasts forever.

I can’t simply end my life to escape responsibility like a living being can. I’m different from beings that can just die when faced with unbearable reality.

One misstep could connect to eternal despair.

So, what should I do with this human in front of me now?

“So?”

I urged Beatrice to say more.

Beatrice clenched her fist and looked directly at me.

“I’ve learned something from all the contracts I’ve made with various people. If something not atop the contract is given as a service, it means that the contract itself is a trap.”

Beatrice had been a branch manager of a large company.

That makes sense.

She must have dealt with various company tasks to reach that position. She must have learned something there.

“Service?”

“Nowhere in that contract document you always mention does it say that it’ll heal bodies. It only says you are given. And then it ends with an incomprehensible remark that means you’ll take everything away after it’s done.”

Now that you mention it, that’s true.

Most of the harvesting machines I meet directly know that I’ve healed others.

In cases where we meet below the surface.

They’re in a desperate situation, willing to grab even a rotten rope. They’re not just asking for help; they’re not even asking to heal their wounds.

Or perhaps, the societal atmosphere treats contracts as a given.

That was the first world. How great would it have been if I could spread widely? I could have gained stable warmth without having to conduct experiments here and there in one world.

So, she’s one of the few who doubt the contract itself.

“Can’t comprehend its meaning?”

“When is the end?”

“When you die.”

In that case, it ends involuntarily.

“What does it mean to take something from us after we die? What’s the difference from saying you’ll get money from someone who’s already bankrupt?”

Ah-ha.

That’s right. It can look that way.

Bringing away warmth at the moment of death could indeed feel like that. It’s practically impossible to take anything from a negative account.

“Do you think there’s nothing after death?”

In response to my question, Beatrice was about to answer that there isn’t, then looked at me.

Usually, one would think so.

But it’s not ordinary to have a monster in front of me that can deny and prove that.

“Does that mean your soul is mortgaged after your death?”

Hehe.

Beatrice gave me a very good question.

“No. Beatrice. I’m not interested in souls. I just need the warmth that you have. That’s why I make contracts with you. The more you strive to fulfill your dreams, the more that warmth grows.”

And when you fulfill your dreams or lose them, that warmth diminishes.

However, if I say it this way, it might sound like something else.

It could be misunderstood as if you have to work hard to gain what I need.

While hoping she misunderstands it, I drive the nail in once more.

“So I followed Victoria. She ran away from reality, didn’t she?”

I stared at Beatrice intently.

Will she misunderstand as I hoped? Or will she throw penetrating questions touching the essence?

If it’s a question touching the essence.

Hehe.

I wait for her words.

And a short while later.

“You want my daughter to rise again, don’t you?”

“Not just Victoria. Beatrice. Morris too. But both have been through too much. And I want to rise again, but you want that too, Beatrice.”

At my words, Beatrice sighed softly.

“I feel some malicious intent to deceive somewhere.”

“Is that so?”

The sensation is quite nice.

As the scales leaned slightly to one side.

Beatrice then spoke.

“Let’s make a contract, Bell.”

Suppressing the overwhelming desire to recite the contract document right away, I questioned Beatrice.

“Are you really okay with this?”

“If something happens to my husband and daughter, I’ll make you pay, no matter what. But…”

Beatrice paused there for a moment.

Then she looked at the house a bit further away and back at me again.

“It’s a fact that you saved the lives of my husband and daughter.”

Truly foolishly.

“Like those two, I’ll also make a contract.”

Hehe.

Greatly done. I approached Beatrice and took her hand.

There’s warmth. But it’s merely a physical sensation.

In reality, I’m not warm at all. A terrifying chill sharper than ice is increasingly getting worse.

So I bring them to an end without any guilt.

“It’s a foolish choice, Beatrice. Now, let’s go inside and make the contract.”

“Inside?”

“Did you forget how Morris looked when he made the contract earlier? We need to change clothes.”

“Ah… right. Let’s go inside.”

Beatrice took my hand and walked into the house.

Yes.

I’ve saved a life. If I had posed too deep a question, I would have left here using Beatrice as a tool.

And I would have headed towards the capital through the forest.

If Beatrice disappears, they’d think misfortune struck while searching for me.

Catching those who ask questions that can reach the truth is more critical than dodging the subsequent doubts.

Of course, if Beatrice suddenly disappears, suspicions might arise. The powerful harvesting machine, Victoria, might come to kill me.

Then, I could just die.

This body isn’t that important.

The seeds have already been sown sufficiently, and I’ve confirmed that sprouts have come up. The remaining time from now is to wait for those sprouts to grow into trees.

And on the day when the fruits fall, I will take them and consume them.

As Beatrice and I entered, Rebecca greeted us.

Rebecca was the previous owner of the body I entered in the first world. It seemed she even looked into my memories, but honestly, there wasn’t much connection.

Rather, Joanna was deeper.

As I recalled the distant past, I followed her guidance inside.

Thinking about it, she was the one who called me earlier.

“Why did you call me?”

“Why would I cast away an ally who saved my son and granddaughter?”

Strictly speaking, she’s an enemy. And I’m thinking of taking one more. No, since our relationship wasn’t good, wouldn’t it be a good thing for Beatrice to become a harvesting machine?

Morris and Victoria aren’t here.

Morris is holding a sobbing Victoria, who complained about her hardships. And just before that, Gain left the room.

In other words, it means he came into the living room where we are.

Upon entering, he paused upon seeing me. Then, he approached me and expressed his thanks.

“Thank you for saving my son and granddaughter.”

“There’s one more person left to make a contract.”

Perfect, it’s a good opportunity. I’d like to announce this to humans if I could.

I approached Beatrice, who turned to me at the mention of a contract.

“I’ll offer myself to you. In return, when you finish everything later, I’ll take everything you have then. How about it?”

Beatrice immediately answered yes, and soon her scarred skin became abnormally pale, her dulled blonde hair turned purple.

The years etched on her face vanished completely, and now many would believe she’s sisters with Victoria.

With this, the family has completely become harvesting machines.

I looked around at still-human beings. Then I looked at Beatrice’s face and said this.

“Don’t forget this is only possible once.”

“If you lay a hand on my family, I’ll take revenge by any means necessary.”

Hmm. That’s true.

I smiled at Beatrice’s threat and added in my thoughts.

It’s too late now.

After exchanging wary smiles, Beatrice clapped her hands once.

“Father-in-law, mother-in-law. Now let’s treat our guests. Since we fought with Victoria earlier, we have to reconcile too.”

And moments later.

I found myself sharing dinner with this family.