“Please. Just a little more. One more bite.”

Hehe. I’ve got you now. With a thought, I put on my human skin. “If you are satisfied with my taste, you have a circle to get back to.”

She bites her bottom lip as she climbs off me, holding onto a hand. I walk with her back to the circle. Once she crosses the boundary, I let go, grinning as I watch her fidget in the middle as she struggles to keep her composure. “Once again, I extend my original offer with that added condition that you will be collared.”

Geneva winces. “I’m not opposed to a contract with you but can you not revisit the collaring issue?”

“I will not go back on my word.”

“Then, we should discuss my feedings. I will accept once a day—”

“You will be fed when I so desire. I will agree to once every two weeks, which is more than fair. If you desire more than that, you should try hard to please me.”

“Hold on!” Her tail whips anxiously. “I am a don! Compared to someone like you who probably doesn’t even have a coefficient of 200—”

“I may have a paltry amount of mana compared to you but I am one of a kind. Something that you cannot claim.” I step up to the edge of the circle, leaning forward as far as I dare to stare her down. “I will extend my offer one more time Geneva and I suggest you take it. I sought you out for a reason, but you are not the only don in Burning Earth. Refuse me again and I will extend it to one of your kin. Do you think they will refuse me when they have the same tas—”

“Agreed!”

The quick acceptance throws off my speech and I reel backwards. Geneva grins, her tail slowly whipping behind her. “What can I say? There’s no way I’m letting those idiots get their hands on you. If that means becoming your slave, I still think I’m getting the better end of this deal.”

I clear my throat strongly. Hearing her blatantly call herself my slave is a little…

“Then recite the oath.”

“Guardian of Dimensions, I swear an oath to you. I pledge complete obedience to my summoner, Lourianne Tome, for as long as our contract lasts, with the previous exception mentioned.”

“And not just the words of the orders, but the spirit in which they are given.”

“And not just the words of the orders, but the spirit in which they are given. I swear at the cost of everything that I am.”

“Then Geneva, from this day we are bonded. I gift my mana to you.”

She bends down and places her hand on the circle. I feel a sharp tugging in my chest but I force myself to relax, not fighting the sensation.

The circle flashes brightly then dims as the light goes into her. She absorbs everything, until it as dull as the night I finished it. That mana is bonded with her own now. It’ll keep her bound to this realm, as long as I’m alive to replenish it.

Bad side? I’m not getting that back. One part of summoning no one wants to mention. Me, who had a nice 164 coefficient, can now only utilize 64 of it as long as Geneva is on this plane. Personally, I think it’s worth it but not many people like the idea of weakening themselves.

Geneva practically lunges forward to wrap her arms around me. “Now that that’s out of—”

“You are not to use your influence on anyone unless it’s for defense or with my permission.”

I snap the order out the second I hear the faintest whispers. Almost had me. Can’t give you any orders you disagree with it if you’ve got me wrapped around your thumb from the start.

Geneva gives me that devastating pout again but I break apart from her and seek refuge in my wife. Kierra opens her arms at my approach. I fall into them, letting out all the stress of the last few days.

I did it. I actually achieved a contract with a don. Largely relying on my new body but still, this may be the greatest achievement in the history of human summoners.

But do I count as a human anymore?

…don’t care. I’m claiming it anyway.

“Yes, yes. You did a very good job.” Kierra runs her nails over my scalp as she softly praises me. This probably looks like a little kid who’s crying into her mother’s chest but at least I got the job done.

“Not a very magnificent appearance, master. Or would you prefer mistress?”

“Lou is fine,” I mumble into my wife’s chest. Someone with the physical affinity will hear it, no matter how muffled.

“And elf wife, what should I call you?”

“Actually, I believe I enjoy master.” Kierra lets go of me and guides me to sit on the chair before gesturing for Geneva to approach. She practically skips over. My elf examines her like a farmer might inspect a piece of livestock. “Not bad at all. Though, judging from that display when you emerged, this isn’t a fixed shape.”

“It isn’t. I can change into anything though big changes may get a bit tiring. Does that bother you, Master?”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Oh, no. I find I enjoy it quite a bit. Especially, when the said someone puts those skills to use. Lou.” Kierra looks over her shoulder at me with that too big grin of hers. “Amend your order. Say she is allowed to use her powers to please us but is not allowed to compromise our self-control or decision making.”

“Um.” Hey, now. What are you planning to do? “Geneva, take that as my order.”

She nods to show her understanding but she hasn’t taken her eyes off my wife. Kierra licks her lip. “Now then.”

She dips her head and draws Geneva into a kiss, who responds eagerly. As expected of my lovely little barbarian. I know Kierra’s strong but Geneva has a coefficient close to a thousand. Despite that, she’s still holding the succubus against her tightly, practically strong-arming her as they devour each other.

Not to say Geneva isn’t holding her own. I think she’s doing more than that from the heavy blush across Kierra’s cheeks and the low moans she’s letting out.

Normally, wouldn’t someone be upset that someone’s locking lips with their wife? Maybe it’s because Geneva’s contracted to me but I’m very okay with this. Wouldn’t be a stretch to say I’m enjoying it. Ah~, I want to swap places with Geneva. Or Kierra.

Wait, why am I sitting here like an idiot? That’s my succubus. I’m against objectifying them as idols of lust, but if someone’s going to sleep with her, it should be me.

As soon as I think that, they break apart. Geneva still has her sly smile while Kierra is heaving. “Is Master pleased?”

“Mm. I understand now. But you were holding back, weren’t you?”

“It’d be dangerous if I went full force from the beginning. Someone has to be…eased into the pleasures of Burning Earth.”

“Um…”

Kierra turns back to me. “Right, you as well then.”

“Whoa!” I hold up my hands to ward off the approaching succubus. “Not that I don’t want to do that but we have a few things to handle first. Like the room.”

“Yes, I noticed your efforts.” Geneva chuckled. “You were almost spot on but you didn’t get the smell right. Burning Earth has a harsh acrid smell that makes you regret breathing.”

I jump up and rush over to the table, scrambling for a piece of paper with enough space and a smudge stick to quickly write out the reminder. This is the duty of any summoner, writing down crucial details needed for the future generations. “Was there anything else? Actually, before that, can you fix the room?”

Geneva and Kierra work together, my wife ripping away the black curtain over the window and opening it to let out the smoke while Geneva douses the flames. I watch her intently but she barely pauses before four medium sized balls of water form over the burning piles of furniture, dropping on the red fires with a loud hiss. Then she opens the door.

With the smoke flowing out and sunlight streaming in, the mood is completely transformed. The last of my anxiety eases. I’ve really done it. I’ve contracted a circle 7 don. I’m a legend.

“That’s about it,” Geneva says as she walks over to me, dragging the chair behind her. I gratefully sink into it and Geneva plops into my lap. I’m stunned for a moment but when she turns around and winks at me, I give into the urge that’s been needling me from the moment she appeared and hug her against me. “For a baby summoner, you’re very thorough.”

Ah~, she even smells nice. Smoky, like sweet incense. There’s no way sniffing her isn’t weird but she’s my elemental so I can do what I want. I love being a summoner. “Thank you.” I use a hand to grab a piece of fruit from the tray Kierra sat down earlier. Geneva gives me an imploring look and I nod my head. She takes several pieces and chews on them happily. Pressed against me, her tail isn’t free to wave about. Instead, it curls around my waist.

Weirdest hug ever. “You like it?”

“Mm. Burning Earth is not a place for delicacies. Something you should know. I could smell the scent of the fruit seeds in your circle.”

It’s nice when someone appreciates your work. “Kierra, can you come over here?” My wife leans against the back of the chair, watching me with dancing eyes. “Okay. Now it’s time to talk about the plan. Geneva, there’s a few reasons why I summoned you. The most immediate one is that I need your help with a plan of mine.”

“I’m eager to serve.”

Those words are heavy with innuendo that briefly derails my train of thought. Jeez, this is her without her influence. I can’t imagine what it’s like with it. “I’m sure you know of the Grimoire family.”

“Frequent callers. Several have attempted to form contracts with me. A few of my subordinates are contracted to them now. I even know of their rivalry with the Tome family.”

“Good. That makes this simple. Without killing them, we’re going to destroy them. Well, Junior may die but that’s something to be discussed later.” My seething anger has banked, largely suppressed by the euphoria of my success and the cute elemental in my arms.

Geneva stops eating and pouts at me. “You summoned me for a little revenge?”

“No. I summoned you because you’re going to be my teacher. Revenge is just the dessert.”

“Not that I mind either way. For you, I’d do anything.” What those words mean is that she’d do anything to eat me again, but it still warms my heart a little. “So? What exactly are you planning?”

“First. Are there circle four thralls who gain another element on the cusp of evolution?”

“Indeed. Though at that time, they go into seclusion to focus on their breakthrough into circle 5 so summoners do not see them.”

“Do you look like one of them?”

Geneva chuckles as the area around her face starts to…move. That pounding in my head starts again and I look away.

“You can look now.”

I turn back. The skin around her forehead has turned black, forming a pattern like ink is pouring down over her brows. Two gray nubs with pink tips poke out of her head. Are those horns? I gently rub one. Rather than a horn, it feels more like stone but softer? This must be the living stone that virtues are made of. “How interesting.”

“Is it to your liking?”

“If you’re asking me if you’re still cute, yeah,” I mutter distractedly. “Why do I get a headache when I try to watch your transformations?”

“Defense mechanism. We’re at our weakest when we transform, so we learn to attack at the same time. It’s reflexive. I was holding back. Otherwise, your mind would have been shattered.”

“Hm.” I want to know more about this but now’s not the time. “Okay. In public, from now on, you’re not Geneva, the circle 7 don, but, um. Kierra, help me out?”

“How about Geo?”

I snap my fingers. “That’ll work. You’re Geo, the circle 4 thrall.”

“Hoh. You don’t want the acclaim of summoning me?”

“At the moment, it’ll do more harm than good. More importantly, it’s very important for them to think you’re weaker than a virtue so Gordon Senior brings his virtue to suppress you. And in that moment, you’re going to give her an order.”

I plan on introducing Geneva at the party tonight and thoroughly embarrassing Gordon. Once it becomes known that I have a thrall, especially one stronger than Junior’s, there’s no way Gordon Senior will sit by quietly.

Most likely, he’ll try to use their hierarchy to command Geneva to work for him, or force non-compliance so I’m forced to annul the contract. Because there’s no way he’ll let his family’s monopoly on the succubi be compromised.

Hehe. It’d be much harder to pull this off if I had to break into his manor to reach his virtue. His arrogance is going to make this easy.

“Until then, we can just relax~” I sigh as I relax in the chair. The hard work is done. Now, to enjoy the Grimoires’ dismay as they crash and burn. Well, I still have to destroy my beautiful circle that I worked so hard on and someone is going to notice all the smoke coming out of here soon, but right now, I just want to bask in the moment.