The Demon’s Menu

Ritual Summoning!

Within the book gifted by the old baronet, there were a few pages that were specially marked—

‘By following specific steps, choosing a specific time, and proceeding with a specific process, one can complete a special ritual summoning!’

‘But unless you are certain of what you are doing, never proceed!’

‘Even if you think you can flawlessly control their “True Names”.’

‘Remember! (Here begins the special emphasis with red ink)’

‘It is It!’

‘Not Him!’

‘When you encounter the latter, you must never chant His True Name! (including but not limited to past and present names)’

The scene before him brought to Jason’s mind what was written in the old baronet’s book.

Though that was in ‘Lorde,’ not ‘Hans Port.’

But in ‘Hans Port’ there was also a Mystical Side, similarly secret techniques, and that indescribable bizarre quality.

In Jennie Danlen’s ‘Candy Distribution.’

In Taor’s ‘Piper.’

In the weakened version of Protection Against Evil that Gerard’s men had just used, all of which were telling Jason this point.

So,

did Ritual Summoning also exist?

Thinking thus, Jason turned his gaze to Gerard, who was walking in.

For the first time, he was thankful for the convenience of this identity.

Were it not for the identity of Gerard’s cousin, he would likely have needed to expend much effort to confirm this.

But now?

“Gerard, do you know what ‘Ritual Summoning’ is?” Jason asked.

“Ritual Summoning…”

Gerard looked at his cousin in surprise.

In the eyes of the ruler of Hans Port, his cousin, although having gone through the basic training at ‘Griffin Camp’ and having made contact with the heir of ‘Cat Hole,’ should not have spoken this term here.

For that implied a certain understanding of the Mystical Side.

Gerard didn’t pursue the question.

He believed that if Jason wanted to speak, he would, without needing to be asked.

If he didn’t want to discuss it, asking him would only make his cousin wary and distant.

Guilt-ridden concerning his cousin, Gerard absolutely didn’t want such a thing to occur.

Of course,

some matters still required investigation.

Who was teaching his cousin Mystical Side knowledge?

The heir of ‘Cat Hole’?

Or someone else?

Did they have an ulterior motive?

If it was good intent, he would treat them respectfully, grateful for their contribution.

If it was scheming…

He would eradicate them without mercy!

With a decision made in his heart, Gerard looked at Jason and said with a smile,

“That is some knowledge from the Mystical Side, which I had planned to teach you later on.”

“After all, to understand this knowledge requires learning a special language.”

“And that is quite difficult—don’t think I’m joking, I almost wanted to eat the book at the time.”

“By the way,”

“This language is called…”

“Dufol Language!”

Dufol Language!

Wham!

It resonated in Jason’s mind like thunder.

The language of the Mystical Side in this world was also Dufol Language!

This was something Jason had never expected!

He had thought these were two completely unrelated worlds.

But ‘Lorde’ and ‘Hans Port’ had a connection!

Was it geographic?

Chronological?

Or an interchange of knowledge?

While Jason’s mind was churning like a tumultuous sea, his face remained expressionless. Gerard didn’t notice anything amiss and continued:

“Of course, I know about Ritual Summoning.”

“By using special materials, steps, and choosing a specific time, then using the Dufol Language to initiate, one can summon the existence whose True Name is chanted, but…”

“Such ritual summonings mostly have no good ending,”

“Because, you have no idea just how fake that so-called true name can be.”

“On the market, ninety-nine percent of the so-called ‘true names’ you can access are fake.”

“The remaining one percent…”

“are intentionally circulated by those with ulterior motives.”

“Those true names point to some bizarre existences.”

“Therefore, you absolutely must not conduct a summoning ritual!”

Gerard’s face was more serious than it had ever been before.

Certain bizarre…

It’s Him.

No longer It?

Jason thought about it, nodding solemnly.

He wouldn’t take risks without reason.

However, deep down, he somehow thought—

Oh…

No!

You mustn’t imagine it!

Before a concrete image could emerge, Jason immediately cut it off; he substituted it with something else, and unconsciously murmured, “Steamed lamb, steamed bear’s paw, steamed deer tail, roasted duck, roasted chick, roasted gosling…”

Dennise, who had been standing behind Jason all this time, heard these low incantations.

Instantly, drool flowed out.

It hadn’t tasted these before.

But judging by their names,

They must be very delicious!

Gerard heard as well, but his attention was quickly diverted by Jason.

“Gerard, after what happened with Taor, my perception seems to have changed and become very sensitive to certain things,”

“I can sense a certain aura here.”

“Bitos and Raul both have this kind of aura,”

Jason put it another way.

“Are you suspecting that the people from Fort Swallow are using ritual summoning?”

Gerard frowned.

He didn’t doubt that his cousin would lie, but he seriously considered the possibility that the people from Fort Swallow were using ritual summoning,

Or rather, the possibility that they had mastered the correct ritual summoning.

And from there, if Fort Swallow truly had a correct ritual summoning, he had to consider how to deal with it.

It was foreseeable that if the assumption held true, the already stable Hans Port would once again face a disturbance.

Gerard knew very well what it relied on for stability.

Similarly, he understood why Fort Swallow, neighboring Hans Port, was eager to form an alliance through marriage.

Power!

Everything was built upon his power!

Power is the key!

If an unexpected event affected this key point, or something surpassed it, everything could change.

And now, the question that needed confirming was:

Did the people from Fort Swallow hold a correct ‘ritual summoning’?

And what would be summoned as a result?

Thinking of this, the steward of Hans Port gestured to a follower.

After whispering a few words, the follower quickly left.

The subsequent search of the embassy yielded no results either.

This made Gerard furrow his brows.

Then, he dispatched even more people.

Not just his followers but also some of the secret agents under his command.

The former would continue searching for all suspicious persons within Hans Port.

The latter?

They would make contact with colleagues from Fort Swallow to further verify the information.

Gerard arranged everything methodically.

Jason, however, was still reflecting on the content of the books the old knight had given about ‘ritual summoning’ and what Gerard had just described.

Unquestionably, the two were very similar.

Both extremely dangerous…

Wait a second!

Danger?

Danger!

Suddenly, Jason, realizing something, his face changed.