He Didn't Want to Be the Center of Attention, Hence, after Defeating the Demon Lord, He Became Guild Master Chapter 17

The butler’s conflict and the summon contract

After Yuma purified the ghosts, I decided to return to the silent corridor.
I looked from the window and confirmed that there wasn’t trace of spirits in the garden.
She could select the targets that were going to be affected by her power, so she decided to purify everything except Beatrice.

While I was looking through the gla.s.s, I couldn’t help but recall what happened to the girls a few moments before.
I was quite sure that I only imagined the pale cherry-colored summit of Mylarka’s foamless mountains.
Also, Aileen’s bare upper part, even though it was pretty slim, was carefully forged by practicing martial arts despite her being quite the drinker. Even though I wasn’t into that kind of combat style, I couldn’t but being amazed by the results.

After comparing those two beauties, I was sure that Aileen’s were bigger, but the slime-like softness I saw when they covered themselves with their arms made me guess that Mylarka’s were softer. I should've gathered more information about the matter by making them accept a thorough investigation of their shape with my Seitai Magic.
Only for the sake of knowledge. I wouldn’t have gone any further.

Also, I - the masked butler called Sebas, who accidentally saw Yuma’s pure, naked body - wanted things to continue as nothing happened to avoid emotional damage to her heart that had finally recovered. Maybe using her power after a long time made her focus so much that she wasn’t aware of what happened. What a miracle of G.o.d.

"Sorry for making you wait, Sebas."
"I-It is alright, Lady Yuma. However, I should resolve this problem myself…"
"You don’t have to worry, we wanna see that ghost girl too."
"If nothing unexpected will happen again, I won’t be startled by a simple ghost. C’mon, let's go."

Aileen pretended to be calm, but her face was reddening. Her embarra.s.sment was understandable, but it was a little too evident for me.
Mylarka looked composed now, but she was hiding her chest with her arms. If she didn't, I would have seen its shape quite clearly, since she was wearing a thin negligee which made her look more attractive than the other girls.

"Mylarka, did you bring that negligee just for tonight?"
"U-Usually, I sleep dressed like this, Yuma. Should I have bought a new one only for a few, sporadic sleepovers?"
"It makes you look like an adult, it suits you so much… Look at me instead, I have this childish dress…"

Yuma’s pajama was a s.h.i.+rt with short sleeves made of a soft-looking fabric and shorts. It was so childish that I could understand her struggle.

"Yuma, you’re still growing. You’re taller than last time we saw each other."
"I-I do not think I have grown that much, Aileen… Even though I eat regularly, I am always the same…"
"We’re talking about your whole body, not your height only. People look at everything, except for a certain someone who pays attention only to certain parts."

Was that addressed to me? I never showed my interest in b.r.e.a.s.t.s! I mean, I've nerves of steel! I wondered if Mylarka sensed that I looked away from her face, though… Girls have a sharp intuition after all… Rather than living in shame, I’d have preferred living the rest of my life with a mask concealing my eyes.

"That someone just looked away from me. But whatever, we have to go to the attic."
"My ladies, shall we go together?"
"Yes. Sorry for talking about unrelated matters."

Yuma and Aileen headed toward the stairs, leaving me and Mylarka behind.

"She was focused on purifying those ghosts, but that doesn’t change the fact that you saw her naked."
"Kh… Rather than me, it'd be better if she thought Sebas is the culprit… but I guess she would be shocked anyway."

As I replied earnestly, she let out a deep, disgusted sigh and then hit my shoulder.

"I won’t say anything, otherwise this will become a problem, but I hope you'll think deeply about what you've done."
"W-What do you mean…? Are you letting me go? Even though I saw you too?"
"I’d love to say that I’ll destroy your memory but… I’ll be magnanimous this time because Yuma is getting better thanks to you."

She said and started to walk in front of me. This was an unforeseen event, but since Yuma was better now, I considered myself lucky.

Aileen would probably be embarra.s.sed if we were to talk about what happened again.
To preserve our current relations.h.i.+p, I would've acted as nothing happened.
Nevertheless, I knew that time would have come sooner or later.

◆◇◆

I opened the attic door with the master key, and as Yuma said, Beatrice was standing there, waiting for us.

"Lady Beatrice, these ladies are Aileen, Mylarka and Yuma."
"Thank you for introducing them, Sebas. Forgive me for cutting our conversation short earlier."

Without blinking, she replied formally to my butler-like tone. She didn’t seem cautious toward us.

"Wooow~! You’re so gorgeous! That’s an 'otherworldly beauty' for ya!"
"Your eye… that should be the spirits’ color. Are you a ghost?"

I thought so too, but the genius girl asked it straightforwardly.

"…Sebas told you about me, right? My name is Beatrice Stollen."
"Stollen… the n.o.ble family? Why do you have that eye, then? Is a spirt one of your ancestors?"
"That… is not the case. Lady Stollen was the result of a spell casted in this mansion."
"A spell…? Might it be Summon Magic?"

Mylarka's bewilderment was understandable, so I immediately cleared it for her.
Magic designed to summon spirits did exist, but it was still being researched. Its success rate was low, but there were cases where a high-rank spirit was summoned successfully.

"Yes. I was summoned by Lord Stollen. I am a wraith queen."
"You’re… a wraith? One of those monsters that pop out from the ground…?"
"Wait a moment. Why Yuma’s attack didn’t purify ya…?"
"Because my contract with the Stollen family forbids me to harm humans. Her power did reach my soul, but I think she decided to let me go."

Beatrice was on a totally different level than low-ranked wraiths.
I was admiring that peculiar talking undead who had a mind of its own from the bottom of my heart.
Her very existence meant that there were still unknown monsters’ races in this world.

"Now I understand why ghosts gather in this mansion. As the name of your race suggests, you are like a queen, so undead are drawn to you."
"So that’s the reason your family left this mansion. Pretty bold considered they were the ones who made a contract with you."
"Still, I must uphold that very contract. I was told to protect this mansion… so I cannot disappear. If you want to force me away, a battle will be unavoidable…"

Her body was wrapped in a bluish-white aura. It seemed that she was ready to cast spells, but… her body was gradually disappearing and almost vanished in the night.

"Undead are mainly composed of magic power… if you use magic, you’ll disappear."
"I still have to protect this mansion at all costs, and if vanis.h.i.+ng is the only way to keep my word, then…"

If things proceeded like that, she would've been purified.
In that case, ghosts wouldn’t have gathered here anymore, but was that for the best?
Wasn't there a way to keep her 'alive' without fighting?
Then, an idea came to mind.

"Lady Beatrice, if I might advance a proposal… You are a monster, am I right?"
"Yes, my race is quite rare. Why?"
"Monsters are usually ruled by the Demon Lord. Shouldn't his power overrule a simple contract concluded with humans…?"
"I think the only way to overwrite it would be for the Demon Lord himself to come here. Still, he was obliged to never leave its country by the expedition party who defeated him… hence, there is no way for me to escape my oath."

That’s it.
If the Demon Lord was to come here, Beatrice’s contract would’ve been canceled, and she would've returned under his control.