Chương 66: [1.66] Confidential (Part 2)

A dump. That wasn't commentary on her destination. Gelic had been sent by her mother to a literal dump. More specifically, she found herself bounding over to an incinerator at the dump. Her task was clear: throw the box, watch it burn to ashes, destroying the evidence. Job done in a few minutes. Really, even though it wasn't hitting the Essence amount she needed, she couldn't ask for a simpler job. If it was literally anyone else, she'd be pining to work for them again; easy task for easy pay.

At the very least, her mother wasn't a liar—manipulative and aggressive, both passive and regular, sure, but not a liar. Still, Gelic couldn't let the situation end so fast. After confirming the specific spot of where to pelt the box into an inferno, she set it down and finally removed the top. Yep, files, many, many files. Just looking at the cover sheet of the first one made Angelica's eyes want to glaze over, a record of invoices for a specific company.

That was undoubtedly something standard for a treasurer to have in countless quantities. What wasn't standard was the method of disposal. Meaning, even if it was only a single line somewhere in the whole box, there was a discrepancy, an error, something that didn't belong. Some number was wrong or didn't add up. Most likely, money was being either embezzled or laundered. And in a way, that broke Angelica's heart a bit. While she had more than enough issues with her parent, a sense of respect had never been lacking.

Despite her issues, Corticia Hallow was a well-respected treasurer, great at her job, endless connections, a woman who got things done. Though she would never admit it, except for one time in grade school where they were told to name one, Angelica's mother had always been her role model. To think that even Corticia was corrupt. Maybe it was something minor, an uncommon issue that just required a bit of finesse with handling it. Sadly, that was unlikely to be the case.

This was a common enough event that the Summoner Cordial didn't even need to give full instructions. She could impart her will with just vague guidelines, and the confines of the Contract would do the rest. But why? Damn it, Angelica needed to know! Or did she? Did she really want to know? Either way, this was a gifted opportunity that may not happen again anytime soon. Was… was this what Divining Ear had interpreted as her request, that this was something she wanted in life?

Was finding out some dirty secret about her otherwise infallible mother supposed to serve as some sort of joyous revenge? Or… or maybe somewhere in her subconscious, she just wanted to see the woman again, and the Skill had made that happen. Angelica's emotions were too conflicted to really understand how she actually felt in the moment. All she was certain of was that the clock was steadily ticking down. [Order Resistance Lv. 5] [Obstinance increased] Despite the levelup taking the edge off, she knew she didn't have long before her hands would be chucking the box into the fire. After quickly hawking up her phone, and grabbing a stack of papers, she began recording while flipping through the pages as fast as possible. But there were probably about a hundred or so documents just in the first bundle alone, so after filming a good chunk, she dumped it aside and grabbed the next one. Bah, if only she had the Muse skill.

She could record it more concisely, even using the Skill's additional effects to study it in detail. Curse the Demon Growth System for presenting her with mostly useless-looking Skills and having them be very relevant at some point in her life thereafter. This, and for remembering Runes; she definitely needed it at some point. It was moving up in priority. [Order Resistance Lv. 6] [Obstinance increased] Ngh, fine!

About halfway through the box, her will dwindling with each flip through a stack, Gelic finally caved and completed the Order. Into the incinerator it went, most of the evidence gone for good. No way would her mother be so stupid as to have backups or loose ends. She was very thorough with her work, and that undoubtedly extended to the unsavory aspects, as well, not leaving a trace behind. Using Demons likely ensured no human exchange could be traced back to her, no evidence left behind, at least until now.

[Contract complete] Gelic felt an odd melancholy while watching the box burn. This had shaken up her life, indeed, more so than the news that she might lose her apartment soon. It was definitely up there, if not on par with becoming a Demon. Okay, probably not that dramatic, but damned if it didn't feel devastating. Her mind had decided to just reject all of her feelings, leaving her with an overwhelming hollowness with no idea how to move forward. For now, it was time to head home.

As for what came next, she wasn't quite sure. ◆◆◆ Okay, I give up! Angelica let go of her mouse and keyboard, throwing her arms back in frustration. Maybe it was the calmness of being back in her apartment, but as soon as she sat down at her computer, she was spurred to action. She started watching her phone recording of her mother's files in as slow motion as the video would allow.

From there, she jotted down any key words she could find, people, places, companies, staggering or unusual amounts of money that would catch her eye. That led her down a series of rabbit holes, a burrow so complex with endless twists and turns, to the point that it could be called a rabbit city. If someone looked at her search history, they'd find a list of random gibberish with seemingly no connecting thread. But she knew the connecting thread: Corticia Hallow.

Despite having that key piece, she never got anywhere far. Most of the companies and people she investigated had little to no information about them. The corporate world was a scary place. How could so much money be moving around between people with virtually no presence on this planet? What really sucked is when she did find a trail, following it to the end, thinking she was about to dig up something juicy, but nope, it was usually something legitimate and quite boring.

There was even some charity stuff, which felt like it should be definitely on the books for deduction purposes. So weird. Regrettably, nothing clicked or tied it all together, solving the mystery of her mother's illicit actions. Since Angelica no longer had the complete records, it was like trying to solve a cryptogram without a cipher. So what? That became her new attitude after a while, resigning to the facts of life. So what if my mother has been using Demons?

From what she'd experienced, most Summoners contracted them for above-board purposes, many of them silly or lazy acts, but they were justifiable in the end. Only a handful had been genuine crimes. And in this case, the ends were all that really mattered, right? Her mother was a good person, or at least, that's how it felt in the grand scheme of things. She may be a bit of a judging hardass, but the work she did was genuine. So many people had been helped because of her, the city was flourishing.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Of course, there may have been some stepping stones along the way, but wasn't that always the case? Angelica probably shouldn't be content with that answer, but she also understood reality. Not everyone won in the end. So long as someone did their best while trying to minimize harm to others, wasn't that an understandable way to live? Yes, she could accept that.

It was a leap of logic and rationalization, but it would help her sleep at night. It was for the best that she didn't know her mother's business. That would only annoy her and make her worry. Yep, best to let it lie. And yet… she couldn't. At least, she felt that she needed to do something. But what could she do? They hadn't talked in roughly a year, and may as well be strangers at this point. Maybe… maybe that was the first step, then. Reestablish that connection.

Then, if there really was something weird going on in the background, she could uncover it over time. Angelica grabbed her phone. And since she was ever so unsocial and unpopular, her text message app opened right up to the conversation with her mother from when she'd last had it open. Seeing that same message with her mother saying she'd be there for her daughter when Angelica was ready made her stomach churn once more. Starting the conversation up again after all this time.

It would be so much easier to continue on in silence. But nope. She could do it. Even if she didn't really want to. As family, it was probably the right thing to do. 『Hey, mom. My phone wasn't working for a bit, but it's fine now, so thought I should check in. May end up losing my apartment soon. I'll be alright, though. I have enough saved up to make a move, if needed. 』 『Sorry I haven't been telling you what's up. Hadn't been much of anything for a while. But I sort of got a new job.

I'll be creating book covers for a publishing house. They sent me a contract to look through, as well. I didn't see any issues, but if you have time, it'd be nice if you could look through it too. Hope you're doing well. 』 She read through the message at least a dozen times to make sure her wording didn't sound too weird. Of course, she regretted practically everything, and wished she had some sort of Demon magic to make the tech undo. What really irked her though was the lack of response.

Was her mother ghosting her in turn? She could always check with Divining Ear, see if she could get some sort of answer, but that could just spur her anxiousness further. And if she found herself unable to do so, as with her earlier attempt before the summoning, her vexing emotions would escalate. That was when Angelica realized how late it was, to the point that it was technically tomorrow. She'd spent way too long doing pointless internet research.

If her mother did actually respond this late, that would be even weirder. Which meant her anxiety should be postponed until after she woke up, then she could feel worse every additional hour that she got no reply. But who was she kidding, even if it made no sense, she'd still feel fritsy the whole time, meaning she was in for a long, restless night. Just when Angelica was on the edge of sleep, having teased unconsciousness so many times, a little ping pulled her straight back to consciousness.

『Thanks for reaching out, Angelica. Lurren did tell me she was thinking of selling, and I advised her to go through with it, since she is just losing money otherwise. So you can blame me for that, if you like, but I'm sure you understand it on the financial end, or your degree would be going to waste… 』 『Speaking of, so... art. You never told me that was a passion you were interested in pursuing.

I can see why you may have hidden it, since I will admit that I was not always the most open when it came to your future. In our time apart, I've come to accept that I may have been pushing you a bit too hard to follow the same path as me. So I am glad that you have found something you really enjoy, doubly so if it is something you can make a living from. 』 『I'll be blunt, Angelica. Lurren shared your condition with me last month, and it took every ounce of restraint for me to not barge right over there.

I want you to have your freedom, but I also cannot control my care for you as a mother. So if some actions have seemed rash in the past, I apologize. But this silent spell has been hard for me, too. Every day, I've worried for you. Right when I wake up, now as I lie in bed, I can't help but wonder how you are… 』 『I hope we can move past our issues, because I want us to be a part of each other's lives again. You're all I have, Angelica. Of course I'd be happy to look through that contract for you.

Can't have my baby girl getting scammed. And if you're open to it, I'd like to meet for a meal when our schedules next line up. We can chat about everything, and you can show me some of your art. 』 Wow, that was a lot. Yet at the same time, none of it was really surprising. There was some genuine parental concern in there, sure, but also all of Corticia's typical tricks slid in as sneaky jabs.

The snide remarks about her degree being wasted, and acting like she, too, was a victim in this, hadn't gone over Angelica's head. And despite that, it was oddly comforting. The familiarity brought back a lot of nostalgia, igniting the familial connection that had wavered. Yeah, it was a scuffed dynamic, but that was what she had. And there had been one genuine glimmer of hope in the very last line. Asking to actually see her art, that was certainly something. The mother she knew would never do that.

She'd pretend like Angelica's interests were also her interests, but act dodgy when it came time to being involved with any of them. Proactively inviting her to share it, maybe she had actually grown. Or she was just that lonely. Yes, Angelica would accept the invitation, but not right away. At least not that night. Maybe she'd let her mother sweat just the teensiest bit and feel a sliver of the anxiety that plagued Angelica on a regular basis. If the woman could even process such a thing.

More specifically, she had to figure out the right wording first, not wanting to sound too eager, but also not too cold. It'd take some thought. Now she'd have a different worry when trying to sleep, a much lighter one at least. She got comfortable again, actually about to conk out this time, but then she remembered one more task. I have finished the Order. Start it again. [Contract complete] [Summoner Rank, Initiate Lv. 17] [Order accepted without resistance] That was her usual lifeplan Contract that she used to dictate her everyday life. She'd tweaked it a bit. Before, it would complete and redeem itself automatically when Angelica went to bed each day. Unfortunately, since it was at a time when she was tired, it led to her forgetting to renew it a few times, or was too sleepy to do so, especially when in the midst of Demon jobs.

Now she let it run perpetually until she decided to claim it manually, meaning it would constantly count progress and continue to drive her forever until she chose otherwise. Despite this, Angelica still marked the Contract as complete basically every night, wanting it to be as close to a routine as she could get. The last thing she did, reporting all the hard work she'd done. In a way, it sort of replaced the prayers she had been trained to say before bed throughout her youth, a ritual that had been lost to time.

Except instead of praying to Vissiem, it was like she was calling out to Ferrul, or maybe even herself, since she was her own master, her own god, in this sense. And surprisingly, that had gotten her a level. She had just hit Lv. 16, and wasn't even really close. Thinking back, she hadn't actually accomplished much that day. Responded to some emails, paid her rent, did a basic-as-frits Demon job. In the grand scheme, it was practically nothing, but in the story of her life, they had all been major steps.

It would seem that the Demon Growth System recognized that, and was rewarding her as a Summoner for guiding her Demon through such tough tribulations. Yes, that was a pleasant thought, something she could finally fall asleep to. But that sleep vanished in the blink of an eye. It actually happened; many hours, in fact. The sleep was dreamless, however, which made it not even feel real. And she jolted upright when she heard her own name, followed by an urgent plea.

"Gelic. We need your help!"