At the same time, a certain spirit felt broken.

For humans, a contract is, as the name implies, an agreement between parties to achieve their goals and objectives. This idea changes for different societies and cultures.

In Lugunica, spirits are seen as tools made for people to use as they see fit. Spirits are simply used at the convenience of their contractors, with very few taking emotional bonds into consideration.

In contrast, Gusteko highly worships spirits, making them seem like emissaries of the Od Laguna. Humans here revere spirits, making sure that each spirit, no matter how insignificant, is properly respected and cherished.

For spirits, however, a contract is not something that can be explained using human words. It isn't a simple agreement. To Spirits, a contract is above even the rights of marriage, a promise that the contractor and their spirit will eternally be together under the weights of their very essence.

For Beatrice, her contract transcended this very notion. Her contract was to wait for that person. This was ordained by her mother, condemning her to a fate of solitude within her library. The books mocked her. Each tome whispered of her mother's brilliance, her plans, her omnipresence. The library wasn't just a prison, it was a reminder that she was still under her mother's watchful gaze.

And so, Beatrice waited. For 400 years, she poured over the knowledge her mother had left behind, hoping desperately that somewhere within those countless pages lay a clue to her salvation. But the books held no answers, only empty promises and the echo of her mother's will.

Betty had no one to share this knowledge with—her family and friends, long gone, claimed by time. This loneliness grabbed at her very soul, mangling it like a feral dog.

Yet, despite her despair, there were moments—fleeting and fragile—when she wondered if salvation might come not as an end but as a new beginning. Each time someone opened her door, asking to take her away, it filled her with hope. Truthfully, that's why she sat in front of her door, waiting for that person to break her chains.

Despite all this, Beatrice loved her mother. Each memory with her was more precious than any knowledge the Forbidden Library could offer. It warmed her and gave her a sense of company within this cold and empty library. So, she deluded herself into thinking that her mother ordered her to do this not for abandonment or curiosity, but out of love and care for Beatrice.

And Betty knew—when that person finally came, they would free her. Free her from the endless waiting, from the cruel grasp of time, and from the chains of life itself. She longed for it, prayed for it. Surely, that person would end it all.

That person never came, instead someone more amazing appeared before her. He was weak and useless, almost pitiful really. However, she could feel a sense of familiarity from him. As if he also used to be trapped within a library of his own, slowly counting each minute of the day until he could go back to sleep. Yet, his eyes shone, and a wide grin plastered on his face. In her library, she would wonder if she could be like him, to escape and be happy.

Beatrice made a decision, and with the boy's help, she found meaning in a new life. A life free from her mother's clutches, a life that will erase her 400 years of cold suffering and replace them with fresh new vibrant memories. A life that starts from zero.

She made a contract with him, not out of obligation, but out of true love for her contractor. Her contractor would be Betty's one and only. She didn't have to be number one in his heart, rather she wanted him to be number one in her heart.

Each memory she had of her contractor was filled with warmth, as if the sun shone on the deep pits of her soul, cleansing away the scars of solitude that previously chained her. Each second he was away, her spirit ached. When he got hurt, it broke her, making her resolved to make sure he wouldn't feel any more pain. She was his spirit, and he was her contractor. A relationship that went beyond mortal understanding.

Yet, in an instant, this relationship had just been shattered, like he just cancelled their promise to each other. Like a husband leaving his wife, a father leaving his children, or an older brother leaving his younger sister. Dread filled Betty as she stared at her grey-haired contractor.

It was as though her very soul had been torn apart, leaving an empty, aching void. Her contractor, the one who had filled her life with warmth, was gone. But how? Why?

Otto's laughter rang out as he spoke with Emilia, his expression carefree. His cheeks flushed as he gestured animatedly, as though the weight of the broken contract didn't exist—or worse, as though he didn't notice.

In most situations, Betty would be sobbing, begging for her contractor to come back to her, however something was amiss.

Beatrice's piercing gaze analyzed Otto as he happily chatted with the love of his life, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.

A spirit's contract isn't just an agreement, it's a promise of the soul. Beatrice felt hollow, her essence fractured, yet when she looked at Otto, his soul wasn't empty. His gate wasn't broken.

W-what is going on, I wonder?

Every memory she had of him, the ones that shined her life, guiding her into the warm sun. Every memory confirmed him as Betty's contractor, yet the Od Laguna could not lie. Something was deeply, fundamentally wrong.

Beatrice, in a solemn voice, interrupted the conversation in front of her, "You."

Turning his head down to look at Beatrice, a small grin plastered Otto's face, "Oh, Beako-sama, what is it?"

Beako… sama? Beatrice thought of the name she was called by. It felt both familiar and distant, as if the powers of heat and cold were fighting over dominance.

The Great spirit's lips quivered as she was thinking of what to say. Otto looked natural, as if nothing was wrong. Shifting her eyes to the half-elf, even Emilia was off put by how he called her. The royal candidate's eyebrows were slightly raised in surprise, but it wasn't enough for her to care.

She trusted Otto the most after all. He told her he loved her despite her cursed heritage.

Betty looked back at Otto and in an uncertain tone, she asked, "Who… Who are you, I wonder?" Her voice quivered, carrying the weight of her fractured contract.

"Eh? What do you mean, Beako-sama?" Otto stammered; his voice shaky. "I-it's me, Otto!" The gray-haired merchant answered with uncertainty, as if her question had such an obvious answer that it confused him into thinking there was something else.

For Betty, she could feel that her contract had broken, the damage lingered within her spirit. Reaching out to Otto, she put her small right hand on his abdomen. Quickly, she forced her Od through his gate.

Upon reaching Otto's gate, and soon his soul, the Great Spirit's Od squirmed around, frantically looking for any sign of a contract. The more she looked, the more effort she put. Sweat formed on her artificial body, desperation to find what she lost.

Shock and despair soon overtook Betty upon her realization. There's nothing! Nothing at all!

Betty's contract was broken, yet Otto's soul showed no trace of one—as if he had never formed a contract in his life. This meant only one thing to Beatrice.

Backing away, she channeled her Od into her raised hand. Small purple crystals materialized around Otto, enclosing him in a shimmering, deadly cage. One misstep, and the grey-haired merchant's life would end.

"Beatrice!" The half-elf girl shouted in shock. "What are—"

"Where is Betty's contractor, I suppose?" Ignoring the royal candidate, Beatrice had her full focus on the imposter in front of her. Her words were commanding, with rage slowly building between each pause.

"W-wait Beak—" Cutting off the enemy, Beatrice voice rose, "Don't play dumb. Where is the real Otto?"

Emilia looked at the little girl in shock at her words, however she trusted her knight over the spirit, "Beatrice, caaaalm down alright? I'm not sure I underst—"

"I'm saying he isn't my contractor, in fact. This is an imposter. Where did you put the real Otto? Where is my contractor?!" Her last question raised her voice into an angered shout, as if she lost something she should never lose. Her desperation filled the room they were in, leaving Otto and Emilia confused.

Otto confused as ever, tried to diffuse the situation, "W-wait Beako-sama, it's really me O-Otto. You can check my gate!"

Beatrice's mind raced, each memory of their bond clashing with the cold reality before her. She wanted to believe him, to trust in the warmth they once shared, but the aching void in her soul screamed otherwise. Reminded by her failure to keep her most precious promise, Beatrice lashes out, "IT ISN'T THERE, I SUPPOSE!" Beatrice's voice cracked with fury, tears welling in her eyes. "NO CONTRACT—NOTHING! WHERE IS BETTY'S CONTRACTOR? WHERE IS HE, IMPOSTER?!"

The Minya crystals slowly crept closer to Otto's skin, her control despite her rage showcased her four hundred years of experience. One Minya crystal was enough to do serious damage to the merchant's skin, and there were forty that caged the imposter.

"It really is me! Uh, uhhhh," Otto's mind raced, his chest tightening as the Minya crystals crept closer. "The camp! Ask me about the camp!" he blurted, desperation cracking his voice. "I know everything—anything you want to know! Just ask!" Otto's heart was beating rapidly at the fact that he could die any second to the little girl.

Emilia, as a spirit contractor, understood the weight of promises and contracts. Although seeing Betty's reaction to her beloved knight was surprising, she could empathize with her. The half-elf decided to play alongside Beatrice's claims, knowing that if she didn't, her beloved knight would perish.

Sweat formed on Emilia's head, her heart rate rapidly increasing at the thought of her Otto dying.

"My Knight, Otto," Emilia said cautiously, thinking on what to ask. Something only the camp would know. This would typically be political or economic secrets, but for Emilia, something different drifted into her mind. A blue haired girl, suspended in time. One that would make Emilia's heart clench at the fact that her Knight would spend every day visiting her.

In a deep tone, like a wife who caught her husband cheating, Emilia asked, "Who is Rem?"

Otto took a glance at his liege, quickly catching on to Emilia's intent to diffuse Beatrice, answered in a hurried tone. "Rem—Rem is Ram's sister! I swear, I care about her deeply—she's part of our camp, after all! She's an Oni, and—ah!—she's only like this because of Gluttony! It's not her fault—she's suffering from Sleeping Beauty disease, and we're trying to help her! S-So please, don't hurt me!" His last pleading line was aimed at Beatrice, attempting to gain her sympathy and understanding.

Beatrice side-glanced at Emilia, not surprised by her foolish question. Rem's identity and condition is known throughout all Camp members and other royal candidates. Getting information on Rem shouldn't be too hard, especially if one is part of the Cult.

Thinking about how the Cult's gospel most likely holds some secrets into their camps, made their questions pointless. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that Gluttony eats memories. Gluttony most likely knows a lot of insider information since he ate Rem herself.

If this imposter is part of the Cult, then there is no question he could answer wrongly, I suppose. Except for one.

Betty considered carefully what she was going to ask. Beatrice understood the inner workings of the Gospel more than the Cult itself. The Gospel is an inferior version of the Tome of Knowledge given by her mother. Going further, the Tome of Knowledge handed by Echidna is an inferior version of the real Tome of Knowledge owned by Echidna created through her authority of Greed.

The Great Spirit soon realized that this interrogation was a battle of Witch Authorities. Only one question popped into her mind, one that spread urgency above all other inquiries. One that can only be known by a select few.

Betty's heart squeezed, her tone serious but also had small fragments of hope mixed in, "A-are you… that person?" Beatrice's eyes shone, tears forming at the edges.

Silence filled the room as the two looked at each other. Hope still attached to Betty, that everything would be alright. She pleaded that this was all a stupid misunderstanding.

Otto looking at her, gulped a large ball of saliva that formed in his mouth. Yet, no matter how much saliva entered his throat, it still felt dry, as if ash filtered his esophagus. Sweat formed as he resolved to make his decision.

Looking into Beatrice's eyes, with a small smile, Otto answered confidently, "Yes." His voice steady, "I am that person."