Card Apprentice Daily Log

Date- 5 April 2321

Time- 04:13

Location- Southern Region, Blossom district, Sky Blossom City, Outskirts

"I can smell somebody I know on you, who is it? Who betrayed me?" the Jet-black monster worm asked.

"Shut up, Belphegor," I ordered the devil.

Turns out that as long as I use the devil's true name it cannot choose to ignore my commands.

Commands?

At its core, the devil merchant card was a demonic summons card, like in any other summons card, the summons follow the command of the summoner without a doubt. Similarly, the devil merchant summoned using this demonic summons card has to follow the orders of its summoner. But the rules of using this card were different.

Similar to all the summons cards, how summoned summons don't harm the user, the summoned devil or demon using a demonic summons card will not harm the user but it's another thing if the user commands them to. That's where the trick rules of using these demonic summons cards come in.

If I had not gotten my hands on the original copy of the devil merchant code, I would not have understood why the devil finally chose to give me the original copy of the devil merchant code when I asked it to instead of feigning ignorance like it usually chose to.

It was because I had used its true name. If I don't address the devil using its true name, the rules of the devil merchant cards do not bind the summoned devil. No wonder this guy tried to confuse me into thinking he was Demon Merchant Ezra.

Going through the devil merchant code I realized that it was a pretty standard set of rules used by merchants in any trade. It did feel like it favored the devil merchant over their summoner but the wide range of desires they can grant their summoners made do for that.

As with any trade, the devil trade also came down to negotiation. And the devils were known for being skilled negotiators. Not to mention the devil seemed to be at the advantage as there wasn't a set price for the desires it could grant. This also meant I have no idea of the cost I would have to pay for what I needed.

For example, if I crave water, the devil can get me a glass of water. However, nobody was stopping it from asking me for my soul in exchange for the water. If I were trapped in a desert for eternity maybe I would consider exchanging my soul for a glass of water but now...

This was my dilemma, I had the user manual for the devil merchant but I did know what I could get from it for a price I was willing to part with.

While I was contemplating in my mind the jet-black monster worm was fuming, unable to speak its mind, as I had commanded it to shut up using its true name. Seeing its current dilemma, I wondered if it was a devil.

I mean, the devils were on par with the demigods or of a higher level in existence. I could not help but wonder why a being of that level would create something like a devil merchant card that will bind its powers. So much so that it would have to follow the commands of a card soldier.

Why was that? Were the devils masochists by nature? Did they get off on this? Was it for my soul, Why go through all this trouble to collect a mortal soul? How hard is it for a devil to get a mortal's soul? I don't understand, there had to be something these devils stood to gain from this otherwise they would not go through all this trouble.

"Belphegor, tell me, as a devil, why would you go through all this trouble to trick a mortal's soul?" Though I had used the devil's true name to ask him this question, I did not expect him to answer me because this question had nothing to do with trade.

"You think a mortal's soul has the power to summon a devil, funny," the devil laughed and then added, "From what I can gather you don't know anything about a devil merchant, but you somehow know about the devil merchant code and my true name and realm. Makes me wonder…"

"..." I let the devil speak. The more talkative it got. The easier it was for it to slip something that I could use while keeping in mind that I can't trust anything it says.

Dealing with the devil was like dealing with corporate lawyers. The devil's habit of carefully choosing its every word reminded me of those sneaky and manipulative jerks.

"You saw through the enchantment of my demonic summon card, didn't you? That was how you came to know about the devil merchant code, my true name, and my true realm," Belphegor monitored my soul energy signature to check if his guess was right and then laughed out loud, "I knew there had to be something special about your soul for you to summon me. I hit it big this time, a mortal soul that can see through my enhancement."

"So, are you telling me that if my soul wasn't special I would not have been able to summon you and instead would have used the equal exchange card like regular mortal souls would have?" I asked the devil.

No wonder Jill did not know that the Demonic card Equal Exchange that she gave me was actually a Devil Merchant demonic summons card.

Turns out the demonic card given to me by Jill had a condition on it. If an average mortal soul were to use it then it would act as the demonic card Equal Exchange however if the card was used by a special mortal soul then the devil Belphegor would be summoned.

The reason the devil went through the trouble of making this card was to get his hands on the special mortal souls he speaks of. Though I don't know why the devil seems to like to collect special souls, now I know for sure it wanted my soul and how rare my soul was. Knowing self-worth and what the opposite party wants was a good start in a negotiation.