England, London, St. Paul's Girls' School.
A pink-haired girl lay on her dorm bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Over a month had passed since she came to study abroad.
As a former middle school student council president who excelled at everything, Aine Chihaya once thought she was the world's protagonist.
To pursue a higher degree, she'd impulsively enrolled overseas after graduation.
But reality hit hard, forcing her to admit one thing: her English was awful.
Recalling the struggles of school life, Aine sank into a self-pitying funk.
"Maybe I should just go home."
The thought of escape flickered, quickly taking root.
After staring at the ceiling for minutes, Aine got up and pulled out her suitcase.
With her roommates still out, now was a good time to leave.
"Hm? What's this?"
Halfway through packing, Aine found a flyer with a magic circle pattern in her suitcase.
Puzzled for a moment, she remembered its origin.
It was handed to her by a woman she met on the day she left for abroad.
Feeling good that day, Aine had tucked it into her clothes.
"Grants any wish? Weird slogan."
As a rational person, Aine didn't buy into what seemed like a scam.
Still…
"If there's a god out there, I'd love one to help me ace English."
Spreading the flyer on the floor, Aine clasped her hands and prayed silently.
Silence followed.
Seconds later, she sighed, lowering her hands.
Gods didn't exist.
Reaffirming this, she resumed packing.
But then, a red glow flared nearby.
Aine turned, seeing the flyer now projecting a two-meter-wide magic circle.
Amid spatial ripples, a black-haired man stepped out.
So handsome!
No, focus!
Aine snapped back, cautiously asking, "Um… are you a god?"
"I'm a devil."
"…A devil?"
"Yup, a devil."
After a brief introduction, Roy asked, "You activated the flyer to summon me. Got a wish? Let's hear it."
"…I want to pass English."
"And?"
"Uh, that's it."
Aine lowered her head, embarrassed.
In her emo state, she hadn't thought it through.
Now, calmly, summoning a devil for such a wish felt… lame.
Roy, expecting a grand request, blinked in confusion.
Studying the pink-haired girl for two seconds, he replied, "Your wish… isn't hard."
"Really?"
Aine perked up instantly.
Roy nodded. "Sure, but are you ready to pay the price?"
"Price?"
"I'm a devil, not a charity. Fulfilling wishes comes with a cost."
Aine blinked, recalling grim movie scenes. "…Can I pay with money?"
"Sure."
Aine sighed in relief, pulling out her phone. "How much?"
Roy thought for a moment. "One billion."
Aine froze. "How much?"
"One billion dollars. Since you're a student, I'll give you a 99% discount—$990 million. How're you paying?"
Can I not pay?
Hearing "dollars," Aine's expression stiffened.
Her family was well-off enough for her to study abroad.
But a billion dollars? With that, she'd be chilling at home, not struggling here.
"Looks like you can't afford it."
"Sorry, I don't have that much. Guess I made you come for nothing, Mr. Roy."
Aine bowed apologetically.
"No worries. I didn't expect you to have it."
Roy scanned the room.
He'd already checked—Aine was an ordinary human in this world.
No holy or demon swords, or any supernatural items, in her or her luggage.
How did someone so normal trigger his [Fortune's Gathering] entry?
A glitch?
Buzz!
As Roy puzzled, a blue-glowing magic circle appeared on the floor nearby.
A blonde girl holding a wand stepped out.
Aine, confused, asked, "Mr. Roy, is she your colleague?"
"Clearly not."
Roy shrugged, now intrigued.
"Who are you?"
"Golden Dawn, Le Fay Pendragon."
Stating her identity, Le Fay narrowed her eyes. "Red Dragon Emperor Roy, why are you here?"
"You know me?"
"Your slaughter of the sorcerer higher-ups made you famous worldwide."
Aine: "?"
Overhearing something wild, Aine quietly stepped back from Roy.
But Roy pointed at her. "Relax, I'm not here to kill anyone."
"Just got a weird commission, so I came to check."
"Commission?"
Le Fay's eyes flickered with doubt.
As an Arthurian descendant raised with elite education, she knew devils took commissions.
But wasn't the Red Dragon Emperor's turf Japan? How'd he get a London job?
Unless…
Seeming to realize something, Le Fay lowered her wand after a pause.
"I think I get your situation."
"But for safety, you should abandon this commission and leave."
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