Riiip.
On the rooftop filled with the sounds of the kkwaenggwari, jing, and bells, one more alien tearing sound rang out.
The sound of me ripping paper.
What kind of nonsense ar—
Director Cheong stopped speaking.
Dozens of eyes all stared at the torn paper in my hand at once.
It would be familiar.
Because this was what had been written on it:
Contract
The subject enters into the following contract.
The subject (hereafter “Party B”) transfers the exclusive and complete ownership of the __ core to Cheong Dallae (hereafter “Party A”), and permanently forfeits the right to use the __ core.
Party A assigns Party B a new role, and Party B shall comply with the employment regulations of that role and faithfully carry out the assigned duties.
(Party A): Cheong Dallae
(Party B): Yellow Dragon
Terms that were not even remotely in proper legal form, clauses bordering on outright tyranny.
It was the standard contract Director Cheong used when seizing a core from a dragon.
And there was already a specified subject.
‘Yellow Dragon.’
The core of the Yellow Dragon that possessed the ‘Authority of Contracts.’
This very contract was the vault of absolute authority behind every contract Director Cheong used.
And as if proving that this contract itself also came from the authority of that ‘Yellow Dragon’s core,’ there was a faint circular pattern on it.
Just like my contract had.
And so the syllogism followed.
That logic holds.
And at this very moment, Director Cheong’s eyes in the sky are looking…