In the dimly lit office, a devil hovered midair, its smoke-like form spreading out to engulf the entire wooden ceiling. If anyone were to walk in at this moment, they'd undoubtedly let out a terrified scream, believing they had encountered the mythical Cambion. However, they'd quickly realize they were mistaken.

This devil, as it turns out, was far less dangerous than a Cambion.

Victor had long suspected that when King Solomon sealed this devil, he must have also managed to strip it of its wits.

Unfortunately, the devil’s current behavior suggested otherwise—it seemed to retain its full memory from before being sealed, as evidenced by its mention of "soul alchemy."

In the world of fairy tales, many beings yearned to transcend their existence and achieve an immortal soul. While no one had ever seen what a truly perfect, immortal soul looked like, one famous figure who pursued this goal was Ariel, the mermaid princess from the Stormy Seas of the West.

To gain a true soul, she had painfully exchanged her voice for legs in a deal with Ursula, the sea witch, and lived among humans. Ursula had also stipulated that if Ariel failed to receive a true love’s kiss within three days, she would turn into lifeless sea foam at sunrise, vanishing into the waves.

Sadly, that was indeed her fate.

Yet, rumors persisted that at the moment Ariel dissolved into foam, she succeeded in gaining an immortal soul.

Inspired by this, countless wizards sought alternative methods—(surely no one would risk their life to turn themselves into foam, right?)—and eventually devised a unique form of alchemy. This was the very technique the devil was now referring to.

Initially, the Church had declared this alchemy the highest taboo.

However, the ban didn’t last long. The Church soon discovered that this alchemy was almost as futile as turning oneself into foam. Ten heretics might begin their research, but all that would be left were ten gravestones.

“Why would you think I’d dabble in something like that? The risk is far too high,” Victor said dismissively, tapping his finger on the table.

“Everything seeks to ascend,” the devil replied with a grin that stretched across its nonexistent face. “As long as there’s room for growth, no one will resist the temptation... Otherwise, you wouldn’t be striving to shed that utterly inhuman soul of yours, and I wouldn’t have betrayed King Solomon, only to end up trapped in this bottle.”

“...Trapped?” Victor paused for a moment.

No, no, no. Your presence in that bottle was a certainty.

His tone left no room for debate—as if to say that given the devil’s level, the idea of it defeating King Solomon was utterly preposterous.

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The devil’s voice grew slightly more indignant.

“You should watch your words carefully. My powers haven’t faded entirely, and as the one who released me after 303 years, you’re supposed to be my first victim—”

“Oh, spare me. You say that to everyone you meet,” Victor interrupted coldly. “I looked up the coastal church records. The last time you were released, you said: ‘I promise to grant riches to whoever frees me. But a hundred years passed, and no one came. Another fifty years later, I swore to kill anyone who released me.’”

The same script, only with the time adjusted. Victor’s expression was utterly indifferent.

Its credibility? Zero.

He waved dismissively and tossed a coin from the table toward the devil, saying perfunctorily, “Whether or not I study that alchemy is my own business. Even if I wanted to, gathering the materials would take ages. Past, present, and future—the flesh representing all three is indispensable. And as it stands, I don’t have a single one.”

“I only called you out for one thing—to study the soul embedded in this coin. After all, the last time we met, you promised that if I agreed to seal you back in, you’d do me this favor.”

The devil let out a chuckle, its smoky body shifting abruptly toward the door.

As it lunged, it sneered, “But even King Solomon knew—I never keep my promises!”

Its form surged like black mist, slipping through the cracks of the door and attempting to breach the fireplace-sealed entrance with magical force.

It wanted to escape.

With its frantic movement, everything in the room began to tremble. The desk quaked violently, flames flickered in their lamps, and books tumbled from the shelves.

Yet Victor showed no surprise.

Before the devil had even finished its first sentence, Victor had already tossed the coin into the bottle, picked up his wand, and uttered a spell he’d recently learned during his summer studies.

“Engorgio.”

The bottle by his side began to expand wildly, growing almost as tall as Victor himself. Then, with a quick “Wingardium Leviosa,” it floated into the air. Simultaneously, the bottle’s cork, engraved with King Solomon’s seal, underwent the same transformation. One on the left, one on the right, they enclosed the mass of black mist.

The next moment, it was as though they were stuffing a pancake—the devil’s smoky form was forcibly crammed back into the bottle.

Pop!

To avoid being severed by the cork, the devil hastily transformed into a small yellow bird and darted fully into the bottle. Once it was inside, Victor calmly added, “Reducio.”

“Humph.”

The bottle returned to its original size with a couple of faint clinks as it settled back onto the desk.

The devil was sealed once more.

Victor observed the bottle for a moment. Inside, the black mist roiled angrily, clearly dissatisfied. Occasionally, faint whispers emanated from within:

“...You promised...”

Victor’s pale fingers picked up the bottle, giving it a gentle shake to ensure it was sealed tight. He brought it a few inches from his hollow eyes and said calmly, “As everyone knows, I never keep promises either.”

He placed the bottle back into the drawer beneath his desk.

Nearby, a teapot seemed to stomp its feet in frustration.

The devil’s earlier commotion had left the room in disarray, with dust falling from the ceiling. The teapot, seemingly fastidious by nature, furiously shook its ceramic body before grabbing a small cloth and beginning to scrub everything in sight.

With the teapot cleaning up, Victor turned his attention back to the drawer where the devil had disappeared, deep in thought.

Though the devil had been dealt with, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Alchemy was indeed something Victor sought to accomplish—one of the reasons he had come to this world. However, the materials required for that alchemy were extensive, and the risks immense.

He was already considering someone to take on the task for him.

And it seemed that candidate would soon emerge.

All he needed was a bit more observation.

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