Upon discovering the true nature of the Necronomicon, I found myself even more intrigued than before.
‘This book might allow me to learn more accurately about the Outsiders, specifically about Lily.’
This time, I decided to start with the preface.
-I, Abdul Alhazred, write this book upon their revelation.
I was traveling around the world, investigating ancient ruins.
Then, in the vast desert, I saw their visions.
The overwhelming terror emanating from their very existence caused me to renounce Allah, and I began to believe in them, who exist beyond this world.
This book is a scripture and also an apocalypse.
It is also a guide to worship the Great Old Ones and the Outsiders who exist beyond the world.
Do not flip through its pages lightly.
For any human who learns of these forbidden knowledges will not be able to retain their sanity.
The preface ended there.
‘…this is more serious than I expected, isn’t it?’
I had thought it was just a manual, but the author considered it a scripture.
If the Holy Nation were to find out about this book, it would undoubtedly be classified as forbidden literature.
With a tense and trembling hand, I slowly flipped through the pages.
What followed were details about the beings the author referred to as the Great Old Ones—what the interpreter referred to as “The Great Old Ones.”
I skimmed through, flipping quickly while only observing their names and descriptions the author attached.
But then I suddenly had to stop.
The page I stopped on read…
-Cthulhu. The Sleeping God. The Ruler of R’lyeh.
It was that octopus-humanoid. More detailed and horrifying than the sketches, the description of this entity took up more space than the ones before.
-Cthulhu, the master of the underwater city R’lyeh, is sealed by the detestable Elder Gods, using his own magic to also seal the Great Old Ones. The time will come, as prophesied, when the seal will break, and Cthulhu will unleash his wrath on the Elder Gods who imprisoned him.
There was more about Cthulhu’s family history and origins, but something in the preface troubled me, so I didn’t finish reading it and skipped ahead.
A few more pages passed, and the atmosphere of the illustrations changed. The descriptions grew longer, and I instinctively understood that these weren’t the Great Old Ones but beings of an even higher order.
The subtitles written by the interpreter appeared.
-The Outer Gods.
Finally, the section about the group Lily belonged to appeared.
Though I skimmed through quickly, focusing mainly on the names, I finally found what I was looking for.
-Lily.
There was a picture that differed slightly from the Lily I knew, but the same fatal beauty confirmed it was Lily.
Following that, I paused before continuing my reading.
‘…should I really be seeing this?’
Strictly speaking… am I not conducting a background check?
Suddenly, I felt a pang of guilt towards Lily.
‘I should stop this, close the book and be done… but asking for forgiveness is easier than permission. Sorry, Lily!’
Submitting to my overwhelming curiosity, I focused on the detailed description.
-Lily. Queen of the Night. Daughter of Nyarlathotep. Great One of the Dreamland.
-Her glossy crimson lips, her jet-black hair that moves freely, her chalk-white skin, and her sensual figure. Every part of her body seems to be born for luring men.
-Lily’s staple food is men’s vitality and semen. Men captured by her charm can never escape and remain under her control for life.
‘…I shouldn’t have read that.’
The Lily described was not just a little… but very different from the Lily I knew…
-‘But, what if this is her real nature, and I’ve simply been mistaken?’
‘If I’ve already fallen for Lily’s charm and she only sees me as food…?”
“No, the Lily I know is undoubtedly…”
I stared blankly at the illustration of Lily.
‘…right, isn’t that so Lily?’
—
Feeling disoriented, I wandered around the classroom with a vacant expression.
“Arthur, are you okay? You look spaced out.”
“Hey, Reti. It’s been a while.”
“…Should we go to the infirmary? You won’t survive the next class in this state.”
“What’s the next class?”
“Practical test.”
The moment I dreaded the most had returned in the Academy. The practical test is held at the end of each semester to prepare for the practical evaluation. Aptly named the Magic Academy, it aims solely to enhance the skills of magicians.
The practical test is divided into executing spells directly and dueling using those spells.
At this point, you probably guess my problem—my magical power is zero, so I fail at everything during the practical test.
In fact, during the duels, I serve as a punching bag that boosts the nobles’ self-esteem.
“Louis must be eager for this.”
“Arthur, wanna play hooky?”
“What do you mean by ‘we,’ Reti? Sure, if you insist, but I’ll be the only one doing it. You as the top student should focus on your studies. I’ll handle myself.”
‘After all, this is something I’m used to.’
I swallowed the rest of what I knew Reti wouldn’t like and headed to the outdoor training ground where the practical lessons were held, while lost in thought about Lily.
“Meow~”
“Huh?”
A sound that must never be heard within the Academy echoed in the corridor.
“Kyaaa! A cat~!”
My neck nearly snapped from how fast I turned my head. Before my eyes stood a small black cat, whose fur absorbed the sunlight like ink, compelling me to keep staring.
What made this cat particularly unique was…
“Wait, that cat has red eyes?”
Indeed, its bloody crimson eyes were familiar to me. I’d seen this cat before—or something closely resembling it—but definitely yes, its features were too distinct.
This cat wasn’t supposed to exist in reality, especially since another version of it had already descended upon the world.
Staring at the cat with a dumbfounded expression, I muttered quietly.
“…Lily?”
“Miaoow!”
Upon seeing me, the cat’s eyes glowed as it scampered and leaped into my arms.
“Whoa!”
I instinctively caught the cat that suddenly pounced on me, feeling warmth and slight thumping which confirmed it wasn’t an illusion.
“Li, Lily? Is that really you?”
“Meow~”
The cat burrowed into my chest and rubbed its face against me.
‘…Seriously?’
“Arthur! Where did you find this cat? It’s so adorable! Can I hold it?”
As Reti extended her hand, the cat pulled back and bared its teeth.
“Fffff!”
“Kyaaa! Look at those scary-looking teeth! It’s so cute~!”
Realizing threats weren’t effective, it extended razor-sharp claws from its previously fluffy paws and prepared to leap at Reti from my arms. Hastily, I pulled the cat back and stuffed it into my coat, quickly dodging away to a safer spot.
“Arthur! What about the lesson?”
“Restroom! I’ll be right back!”
—
“Ugh…uhh….”
After an unexpected sprint through the Academy grounds, I collapsed like a starfish in the park in front of the dorm.
“Meow!”
The cat tapped my cheek with its paw as if urging me to rise. I glanced around once more before whispering softly.
“…Lily?”
Amazingly, the cat stood up on its hind legs.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
The small triangular mouth twisted into a cute shape.
“What are you doing here? Why like this?”
At this, the cat twirled around in front of me.
“Heheh, how do I look? Exactly like a real cat, right?”
“Th… that’s true, but…”
It is indeed quite realistic. Except for the eye color, it looks like a normal… no, a very expensive-looking cat. It was exactly like the one I saw in my dreams.
“Do you remember what I said yesterday?”
“You said you’d help me avoid expulsion… no way?!”
The cat nodded with a pleased expression (or at least it seemed so considering its feline face).
“This form won’t make anyone suspicious if I stay by your side, would it?”
“What are you planning to do as a cat?”
The cat tapped my cheek with its paw.
“I did some research, and it seems there’s a concept called summoning magic?”
I widened my eyes in understanding.
“Are you saying… Lily will be my summoned familiar?”
“It’s more like pretending. I’ll act as your familiar; what can they do when I’m already with you?”
“…huh.”
I just stared at Lily, too bewildered to say anything.
Where does she get this enormous confidence?
“Hmm… but it might be difficult. Whether it’s summoning magic or anything else, magic requires a magic wavelength, right?”
“What about ‘Familiar Magic’?”
…That exists? I completely forgot about it since it’s such a rare case.
Familiar Magic, although a branch of summoning magic, is on a completely different level from other summoning spells.
Most summoning spells involve storing the contracted being in a private space and using them when necessary.
But Familiar Magic is different.
Once designated as a familiar, the being stays permanently by the contractor’s side, sharing physical and mental influences with the contractor.
Additionally, a familiar contract can only be made once in a lifetime and cannot be broken. Moreover…
“With this method, you won’t have to use magic yourself, right?”
That’s correct. Familiar magic does not use the contractor’s magical power.
Thus, it is the only magic usable by someone like me, who has zero magical power.
“Still, though…”
Listening to her, I became certain.
This method would definitely help me avoid expulsion.
But…
“Lily…”
“Ah, don’t say that about inconveniencing me. I’m doing this because I want to.”
“But—”
“I’m getting annoyed.”
“…”
Lily was clearly determined to help me.
Even though she appeared as a cat, the familiar gaze made me forget the doubts I had after reading the Necronomicon.
‘If she really saw me as food, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to help me.’
Certainty follows doubt naturally.
I pulled the standing-on-hind-paws Lily into my embrace.
“Arthur?”
Despite her feline form, the warmth was the same as the morning when Lily held me before leaving the dorm.
“Thank you, Lily.”
“…If you’re grateful, give me a kiss.”
“Wha?”
“Uuuung~”
The cat’s lips approached.
Although we had kissed as part of the contract with Lily in her human form, this felt different.
But she wasn’t an ordinary cat—she was Lily.
The Lily I loved endlessly.
Closing my eyes and leaning in, just then—
“Hey, wait. What are you actually trying to do?”
“What if I think it’s Lily?”
“…You seem to have changed a bit.”
“Is that so?”
Hmm, that much? I simply decided to be honest with my heart.
“Ugh… it’s all my fault, my bad—”
At that moment, a spine-chillingly cold voice reached my ears from behind.
“Was there a restroom in the park?”
Glancing behind with a start, I saw a blurry shape of a bird staring at me.
Cold sweat dripped from my forehead as I recalled who that bird represented.
“Pro…Professor Leighter…”
Leighter Elgin, the instructor for the practical test.
The azure bird that symbolizes the Elgin Baronial Family opened its beak.
“You’re late, Arthur. If you don’t dash to the training ground immediately, I’ll deal with the consequences. Hurry up.”
The blurry bird figure dispersed into mist in the air.
“…I’m screwed.”
Apparently, I’ve made a bad impression on the lecturer.
—
“I don’t know how you think, but I find you rather likable.”
“…”
“Have I ever criticized you for not being able to use magic?”
“…”
“Have I, or haven’t I?”
“No, you haven’t.”
“Then I’ve always sincerely admired your diligence. But how were you today?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Not only lying to your peers but even trying to skip my class?”
I could see Reti subtly giving an apologetic glance from the corner of my eyes.
What fault does Reti have? The professor’s incredible intuition is truly impressive.
“I’m sorry.”
“Arthur, you’ve earned penalties. For lying to a classmate. For wasting class time. For laziness.”
“Understood.”
Then, while I was bowing my head, I noticed Professor Leighter shifting his weight onto one leg—a signal of dissatisfaction.
“Do you have any opinion of your own?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, defend yourself a bit. I’m willing to listen.”
Professor Leighter was always like this.
Born into a prestigious family with a bright future right in front of him, yet he discarded everything and reached the position of an Academy lecturer through sheer effort alone—you can sense how remarkable he is.
He treats nobles and commoners equally without discrimination.
Though his politeness is carefully metered and given to each one equally—a minor flaw.
“I’m telling you to defend yourself.”
Hesitating, I lifted Lily who was hiding behind me.
“…a cat?”
“Yes, a cat.”
“Animals are not allowed in the Academy without proper authorization.”
“…it’s my Familiar.”
“…What?”
The surprised expression on Professor Leighter’s face was quite rare. This must be evidence of how rare Familiars are.
“You mean… Familiar?”
“Yes, this cat has formed a contract with me.”
Instantly, everyone’s attention in the outdoor training ground shifted to me, more specifically to the Lily in my hands.
“Familiar? That’s ridiculous…”
“I’ve never seen a Familiar before!”
“Neither have I!”
Muttering from the students could be heard. Sneaking a glance, Reti was covering her mouth in surprise.
“Prove it if you can.”
Professor Leighter waved his hand, and the training ground’s magic activated, raising a sand figure from the ground.
“However you do it, prove that this cat is your familiar.”
I whispered quietly into Lily’s ear where no one else could hear.
“…What now? Can you use attack spells?”
At that, Lily murmured softly back.
“Who do you think I am? Put me down and pretend to give orders. I’ll handle the rest.”
True. Despite her adorable feline exterior, she’s fundamentally an Outsider.
Lily now believed in, I slowly placed her on the ground.
“Ah…uh… attack!”
After shouting and pointing at the sand figure, for about 2 seconds, nothing seemed to happen.
People stared perplexedly at me, and I was about to slowly lower my head to avoid their gaze when—
-Woom!
From Lily’s shining nose, a small orb of dark energy began to form just a short distance away.
When it grew to about the size of an apple, suddenly—
-KIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!
A sound akin to scratching a chalkboard by accident, but magnified three times, rang out, and a dark beam engulfed the sand figure. Following that,
-!!!!!
An indescribable roar burst forth.
Sand spread out in a whirlwind, creating a miniature storm.
Professor Leighter quickly gestured, and the overlapping spells in the training ground pulled the rising sand back down to the ground.
Once the sandstorm settled, the sight before us left me speechless.
Where the black beam had passed, the ground was scorched to the point of bubbling, and there was no trace of the sand figure—it had seemingly evaporated.
As everyone who witnessed the scene stood dumbfounded, there was only one—no, one creature—joyfully wagging its tail.
“Awooo~”
