The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases

With that, she tossed a stack of 'loan agreements' as thick as a dictionary to David:

"This is the main gist of it. If you've understood, then just press your claw here on this tripartite agreement to sign."

David flipped through the so-called agreement with a flick of his claw. His vision immediately darkened at the sight of the 'astronomical figure,' but at least it was as Tiamat had said.

This mission was purely his 'wish fulfillment,' with the Dragon Queen footing the bill, so at least he didn't have to worry about the exorbitant costs this time.

If he really had to start from scratch to build a Sky City—leaving aside the issue of lost technology and whether it could even be built—the spell development costs just for the [Proctyv's Mount-Moving] spell, used earlier by the Archduchess to 'move mountains,' alone amounted to a staggering 2.23 million Gold Coins. And that was just for one of the arcane spells.

To his ecstatic delight, the 'repayment clause' in the agreement only included the more than 30,000 Neisser spirits. Whether it was because Archduchess Glaciya, with her deep pockets, disdained this 'Barto copper shell' that could be casually conjured using her Archdevil Authority, or because Tiamat had directly covered the material costs, he didn't have to give it back at all!

According to his plans, it was impossible to rely on the excessively energy-consuming 'Hell Engine' for the whole journey. He didn't have nearly enough souls to fuel it for flight! So, practically upon entering the main plane of Toriel, an 'accident' was almost expected to immediately ground them. If they wanted to make use of this Sky City later, they'd have to see if they could locate the method for making a [Mithril Energy Core] at the Neisser ruins in the Anauroch Great Desert. Even if the now 'senseless' remnants of the Neisser couldn't build it, if all else failed, he could still try to make another 'wish' through it and the Wish spell to ask Mom Tiamat again. After all, if they've already sunk so much into him, surely they wouldn't mind 'sinking' a bit more in costs, right?

However, his dragon father, who had rapidly reviewed this 'Devil's Contract' by his side, predictably found the 'catch' within and pointed a claw at David:

Indeed, upon completion of the mission, this exorbitantly priced, knock-off 'Sky City' would belong to him.

But the clause conspicuously upfront read:

After the task is completed.

Damn it! What does 'after the task is completed' mean? That is to say, if he doesn't pull it off…

The agreement didn't say that he would have to pay for all the project costs.

After all, even on Blue Star, where devils acting as the commissioning party were rampant, such news was unheard of. There had never been an instance of a 'surveyor' having to cover the entire cost of a project after an accident.

But the problem is… even without paying money, that's still a serious penalty! HISS…

In this moment, David seemed to finally understand why his mother had ended up in debt to the Chromatic Dragon Queen Tiamat.

This isn't any Devil's Contract! It's clearly a high-stakes gamble! If he messed up, he'd lose his shirt.

Just thinking of the sight of his family of four working off the debt under Tiamat's claws, David once again felt the urge to just pack up and flee.

Can I not sign?

David looked towards the daughter of the Lord of the Nine Hells with a worried smile, yet maintaining courtesy.

What do you think?

The other party, seemingly perceiving his conflicted thoughts, returned a 'sincere smile' for a rare occasion.

Ah, there's no escaping it.

David sighed internally, knowing well that he was in too deep to get off the tiger's back now, especially while treading on two 'untouchable tigresses.'

To rid themselves of the 'Dragon Mad Lock' placed over the entire dragon race, Tiamat even went as far as seeking out the Lord of the Nine Hells.

Now, draconic connections had been leveraged, money had been spent, and even the Sky City had been conjured.

To drop the task now? Leaving aside Tiamat, he suspected that even Archduchess Glaciya, who had been dragged over by her old man and toiled for who knows how long, could bury half his family on the spot with just a glance… Damn it, it's just making a mark! Complete it and make a killing—a whole Sky City! Greed! Maybe this draconic favor could even be used to pay off the debt owed by his mother, Pafila.

With such thoughts, David immediately closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and pressed his claw onto the Devil's Contract.

Watching David dilly-dally for so long before finally, obediently pressing his claw print onto the contract, which emanated a crimson light, Archduchess Glaciya finally nodded in satisfaction, as if her hard work for half the day hadn't been in vain.

At the same time, she faintly hoped her father could find the time, despite his busy schedule, to...

Look at her, look at her masterpiece.

"Mhm, the contract is sealed," Archduchess Glaciya said indifferently.

Together... for victory, then? David almost blurted out.

"Install the engine," Archduchess Glaciya commanded with a wave of her hand.

PUFF, PUFF, PUFF! Accompanied by gusts of wind, David and the others looked up in amazement to see a sky full of Flomo, making unpleasant cries as they hoisted a mountain-like 'Hell Engine,' lowering it into the core of the ramshackle Sky City leaning against the great slope of Malboggi.

At the same time, even more frenzied devils, hauling ten huge crates of soul coins, dumped them into the Soul Engine.

As the Hell Engine was fueled, the already gloomy Sky City suddenly let out a scream like the wails of countless souls, emitting a low rumbling sound similar to that of the Soul Train and Flying Fortress David had once heard up close.

David hadn't yet had time to reflect on this.

SNAP! Archduchess Glaciya snapped her fingers.

"Archduchess Glaciya," a Pit Fiend who appeared to be quite old emerged from the Archduchess's shadow and spoke respectfully.

"Dalonas, this Red Dragon is impressed by your talent for designing the Hell Engine, and it's also because of him that your Hell Engine, sealed away for a thousand years, has seen the light of day again. During this time, your mad genius will belong to him."

"Oh, that is truly something that would excite even devils."

The old devil named Dalonas gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes, then turned to David and said apologetically, "But I have to say upfront, I'm old now, not fit to fight anymore."

A Pit Fiend who had lived for at least a thousand years actually claimed he didn't know how to fight. If David believed that, he might as well unscrew his head and use it to play a game of rolling stones on the great slope of Malboggi.

But since he was a devil whose name even Archduchess Glaciya remembered, David didn't want to abuse his new authority. Moreover, he had important matters to entrust to him, so he immediately smiled and said, "Of course! Of course! I merely wish to ask for Mr. Dalonas's help with some technical difficulties and would never drag you onto the battlefield. Besides, this time we'll be using soul projections."

But before Dalonas could open his mouth, David shamelessly said, "Since there's no risk to safety, could I trouble you, elder, to act as the lord of our 'Ghost Soul City' for a while? After all, look around, I lead such a group, and none have that old but steadfast, cunning, and ruthless aura like you do."

Upon hearing David's words, his dragon father and sister beside him immediately erupted in a blindingly pure light of goodness—a light quite jarring in the depths of Barto Hell. Behind them, Red Dragon Lizrite and Mofei also put on expressions of 'I'm as innocent as a lamb.'

"..." The old devil Dalonas had spent his whole life in Hell and had never before seen such a bunch of terrible actors.

「Several hours later.」

With everything ready, David and the others, at Archduchess Glaciya's signal, lay down in the deep pit that the Archduchess had dug out and were buried under a landslide.

Their bodies would slumber on this desolate, uninhabited slope until their consciousness returned from the main material plane, Toriel, upon the completion of the 'project.'

The next moment, driven by the will of Archduchess Glaciya, the Sixth Layer's sovereign, this 'Ghost Soul City,' now housing the Hell Engine, ascended with the piercing cries of souls. It passed through a torn gateway, stepping into a space filled with shadows.

And just as the 'gateway' sealed shut, all the devils inside the knockoff 'Ghost Soul City' metamorphosed back to their appearances from a thousand years before they died.

They awoke within an implanted memory and commenced their daily routine in the Shadow Plane.

After wandering the Shadow Plane for a thousand years, they would, under the will of the 'Ghost Soul City Lord,' return to the main material plane.

「Toriel, Continent of Ferren.」