These days, liars boldly spout nonsense with the utmost sincerity. One of their favorite catchphrases? "If I'm lying, may my whole family die." If every one of those oaths actually came true, a certain country's annual death toll might rival that of soldiers from a certain Zone 11 in those historical dramas filmed in Hengdian studios.
Fortunately, the magical world has a pretty effective way to deal with these chronic oath-breakers. While it may not go as far as "break your word and your whole family perishes," it does at least cost you a life, which is a solid start.
Yes, we're talking about the Unbreakable Vow, a name so corny it brings to mind characters like Little Red and Little Green from a cheap children's story. Still, despite its cheesy name, it's a must-have for every traveler and adventurer. With one of these in place, mom will never have to worry again about you getting scammed by your raid leader and losing your loot.
In the multiverse, where contracts like this can easily fetch tens of thousands of universal points, the requirements are surprisingly simple. The twin brothers had already mastered it at the age of seven. So for present-day Allen, casting one was a walk in the park.
As Allen confidently reached out his hand, the young wizard opposite him hesitantly extended his own, visibly trembling. Judging from his expression, you'd think he was shaking hands with a man-eating beast, not with the ever-smiling, seemingly harmless little wizard.
"Relax," Allen said, casually waving his other hand in a calming gesture. "I get it, you're emotional, and I understand your yearning for the honor of becoming a Child of the Night. But after your pitiful performance earlier, I just can't bring myself to grant you Embrace right away. Still, believe me, given your potential, if you pass the upcoming tests, you'll definitely become a noble vampire."
Ah, classic misdirection and concept-twisting at its finest.
Poor Ivan, his name may have sounded noble, but at this moment, the fury boiling inside him had nowhere to go. After all, truth only resides within the reach of a wand, and when you're on the receiving end, strength is what decides right and wrong.
So… poor Ivan, do you choose the golden axe or the silver one?
Wait, scratch that.
Poor Ivan, do you want to become a vampire? Or do you want to have dinner?
Ignoring the young wizard's conflicted expression, Allen tugged him downward, Annie had an injured leg, after all, so they had to squat for the contract ceremony.
And so, under the solemn witness of a bear, the sacred ritual of forging an Unbreakable Vow began. A cute girl pointed a little stick between the clasped hands of the two crouched boys. Sparks danced from the wand's tip, making the whole scene look… well, quite bizarre.
Honestly, if you added just one more prop, say, a sweet potato, it would've been perfect.
Imagine this: under the moonlight, two boys fiercely tug at a roasted sweet potato, each refusing to let go. Meanwhile, a girl holding a charred fire stick watches with exasperation. Behind her, a bear, drawn by the aroma, observes from a cautious distance, clearly not daring to intervene.
"…By the way, young man, what's your name again?" Allen finally remembered that he hadn't even asked for the guy's name.
"Ivan. Just… Ivan," the chestnut-haired young man answered reluctantly, clearly withholding his full name, likely a small effort to avoid any dark spells Allen might cast with it.
But that didn't matter. What mattered was the person, not the name. As long as they were linked, heh, thanks a lot, tonight's it's time to settle old debts!
Clearing his throat, Allen tried to make his voice sound casual, like someone who had done this many times before. (Even though, in truth, this was his first time...)
"So then, Ivan… do you swear to do your utmost to help the master standing before you, whenever he needs you?"
"I do." Ivan said it like he was at a shotgun wedding, reluctantly and with dread. But hey, it was a dark, moonlit night in the wilderness, if someone tried to snatch the groom, Allen would personally deal with them. One or two? Bring it on.
A thin, brilliant flame licked out from Annie's wand like a red-hot wire, wrapping itself around their clasped hands.
"Do you swear to keep all your master's secrets, no matter what they are?"
"I do." This time, Ivan responded with grim acceptance, like a man who had resigned himself to fate.
A second stream of fire shot from the wand and twined with the first, forming a glowing, red chain.
And then… Allen hit a snag. What was the third vow supposed to be? It felt like the standard lines were already used up.
After a moment of awkward silence, he finally blurted out:
"Do you swear to work hard and earn money for your master?"
"I do!!" Ivan shouted without even processing the words, he had given up trying to think.
The third flame burst from Annie's wand, joining the others and wrapping tightly around their hands like a flaming rope, like a fire serpent.
It didn't matter what it looked like. The important thing was, from this moment on… the guy was on the pirate ship, er, I mean, from this moment on, young Ivan would begin anew. He would leave behind the illusions and corruption of his past and embrace the path of righteousness!
His mission from now on? To guide a wayward hero toward the true road, navigating borders and barriers, until they reached the Demon Lord's stronghold, where Ivan could safely watch the hero fight the final battle, cheer from the sidelines, and shout "666!" with full enthusiasm.
With that, Allen quickly issued this newly reborn warrior of justice his first mission: gather firewood.
Yes. Firewood.
It was already deep into the night, and their campfire had been extinguished during the earlier chaos. Sure, magic could conjure flames, but neither Allen nor Annie wanted to waste what little mana they had left.
There's no surviving a night this cold without a decent fire!
Just as Ivan, face blank and confused, was preparing to gather wood, Allen suddenly called out, stopping him in his tracks.
The young man, now a freshly made vampire servant, perked up with excitement.
Even a salted fish has dreams.
Such great power, he had long yearned for it. Maybe his master had noticed his diligence and was ready to reward him with, say, a powerful spell?
Then came Allen's light, casual voice:
"Oh, Ivan, while you're at it, catch a rabbit or two, will you? We haven't eaten dinner yet."
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