༺ Blood Oath ༻
“….Hm?”
Irina, who had whispered to Frey while leaning forward, suddenly frowned and tilted her head.
‘What was that?’
She sensed a spell somewhere on her body that had become overly sensitive to mana.
“…Um.”
As soon as she became aware of it, her eyes sharply scanned the surroundings. Her expression immediately turned cold.
Uugh…
“It seems like a stray dog has snuck in.”
Soon after she formed a sphere of mixed flame and black mana on her hand, she took a slow step forward.
Of course, she also had a spare magic scroll in her chest pocket. But after the last defective scroll incident, Irina chose to believe in her own abilities over relying on external aid.
“…Come out at once.”
Irina walked right up to the bathroom door, muttering coldly.
“I said come out.”
Even so, the door stayed unmoved. Irina tried her best to shield the place where Frey was at with her body and then focused all her attention to the door of the bathroom.
Just in case there is an ambush, in order to protect Frey, Irina pulled out all the battle experiences she got from the last round.
– Kiiiiiik
“Stop. If you don’t want to die, kneel on your knees and your hands should slowly…”
Irina, who glared at the door for quite some time, commanded with a cold voice as soon as the door started to open.
“So, sorry… Heugh.”
“Lulu?”
When she realized who came out of the bathroom was none other than Lulu, Irina’s expression turned bewildered.
“You… what were you doing there?”
“Th-That…”
Of course, it was the same case with the flustered Lulu.
She didn’t expect that she would be discovered as soon as she cast her Magic Eyes to get a better look at the situation.
“I heard that Frey collapsed so I stopped by to check… H-He suddenly started vomiting black blood…”
“The door was closed though?”
“…I-It was open?”
Just in case Lulu was lying in fear that the maid who opened the door for her would be reprimanded, Irina looked at her doubtfully and started to tilt her head.
“Is the auto-lock magic broken? That can’t be.”
“Th-Then I will go first.”
“Oh?”
Seeing Irina’s countenance, Lulu began to hurry toward the exit of the room.
“…Wait, what were you doing here?”
“To visit the sick.”
“But why did you hide when I came?”
“I-I freaked out when Lord Frey… suddenly started vomiting blood.”
“Why did you freak out?”
Hearing those words, Lulu began to stammer.
“I-I thought it was because of me.”
Soon, Irina sighed and said while she gazed at her.
“It’s okay, it is not your fault. Frey was recuperating right now.”
“Re-Recuperating?”
“That’s right. The reason why Frey is vomiting blood is to spill harmful substances out of his blood. He is recuperating. Perhaps he will regain his health after the end of this. So you don’t have to worry about being reprimanded.”
Hearing those words, Lulu still looked at Frey who was currently laying down, with an anxious look on her face.
“What are you doing? Until when are you going to stay here?”
“Ah, that I….”
Frey’s body which was reflected in Lulu’s ‘Magic Eyes’ was constantly producing new blood. Just like what Irina had said.
If it was an ordinary person, their body would rather feel several times better than before.
“…Ah.”
But, that was not the only thing reflected in Lulu’s eyes.
Because of all the people she had ever seen, Frey’s body was the one that was most seriously injured. And it even still going on.
Though it was Frey who had been hiding his condition, starting from Lulu, by surrounding himself with black mana with Kania’s help up until now.
The shock of their souls merging caused black mana to seep into his body and dissolved his intestines.
“Is it… my fault again?”
Then as a result, Lulu’s trauma recurred.
Although the other person was Frey, the one that was called the Empire’s worst scoundrel, it was enough to bring out the trauma that had been constantly tormenting her since she was a child.
“Wh-What are you saying? Why are you suddenly like this?”
Because of that, Lulu crouched down and started scratching her arms. Then, the bewildered Irina walked over to her.
“I heard your words in the bathroom…”
“What?”
“Frey, Lord Frey is terminally ill.”
Soon after Irina heard the words that came out of Lulu’s lips, she began to look extremely puzzled.
“N, no. What kind of nonsense…”
“My Magic Eyes also saw that. Lord Frey’s body looked seriously wounded.”
“Ma-Magic Eyes?”
Irina bewilderedly repeated Lulu’s words once again. Soon she swallowed hard as she watched Lulu speak with dead eyes.
“Please tell me.”
“Wh-What?”
“Since when did Lord Frey… became like that?”
When she heard those words, Irina came to realize what was wrong with Lulu. She quietly cleared her throat and began to talk.
“It started when you became the so-called ‘pet’. It has been a while.”
“…Yes?”
“The current situation now became grave, but he is terminally ill from the start.”
Hearing those words, Lulu’s expression turned puzzled. Irina quickly lifted her up to her feet.
“You are the only one who knew about this. I told you because Frey favored you especially.”
“Ah.”
“You know the Academy is full of Frey’s eyes and ears, right? If you tell anyone about this, it would be the end of us. Keep that in mind.”
Soon after, Irina grabbed Lulu’s hand, who was still looking as out of it as before, and took her out of the room.
“Ah, and come meet me soon.”
“Yes?”
“I have something to talk to you about.”
Irina, who was eager to analyze the devil’s eyes and the stigma in Lulu’s body, shooed her out of the room after she made an appointment with her.
“Remember. Don’t tell anyone.”
– Slam!!
Then soon, the door was slammed shut.
“Frey… he was terminally ill from the start?”
For that reason, Lulu was left alone in the wide hallway.
“And starting from the moment when I came, his condition became severe like that…”
Then soon, she began to mumble in a daze.
“Then how come…”
It seems like she would need quite a long time to organize her mind.
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, at this time, Irina who had sent Lulu out.
“Huft…”
Was sighing while she looked at Frey
“Then, I will start.”
Irina stared at Frey for quite some time before she carefully took something out of her chest pocket.
– Sruung
It was a ceremonial dagger, with a sparkling and gleaming sharp edged blade.
“Hup…”
After she silently stroked it, Irina stretched out her arm and aimed the tip of the dagger at her own arm.
– Slash!
“…Eugh!”
A long slash cut her arms.
“Hold it. I said hold it Irina.”
Irina gritted her teeth and began to mutter as blood oozed out in a trickle from the long gash that started from her elbow down to her wrist.
“This is nothing compared to the pain Frey has suffered because of me.”
Frey, whose eyes were still shut, had his mouth carefully opened by Irina after she said those words.
“Heub.”
“Haa…”
She passed the blood that was slowly trickled out of her arms.
Whoosh!!
Soon, flames began to burst around Irina and Frey.
It was clearly fiery hot but it did not burn anything. The flame that covered both of them soon gleamed with a multitude of colors.
– Swooosh…
“I swear to you a blood oath, Frey.”
In that peculiar atmosphere, Irina whispered in a cold voice. She started to mutter with a smile.
“I give to you both my heart and body.”
Then, the flames intensified.
“When a mage gives her body to someone, she will fight for them. If the heart was given to someone, she will not serve anyone else but them.”
According to her words, the blood oath she made was not an ordinary one.
For the mages of Magic Tower who worshiped magic, it was a testament to their nobility and virtue.
Or for the priests of the Church, it was a testimony to their devotion.
Or if not that, for the Imperial Family it was a proof of their legitimacy as they ascend the throne.
Or even if that was not the case, then it was for a corrupt warlock to seek power.
To mana, to the Sun God, to the sun itself, or to the devil.
For it was an illustrious oath to give one’s all.
And so, up until now, blood oaths have always been sworn to a transcendent being or the ruler of the world.
And those who broke it, were now only remained a tale passed down as a myth or legends in storybooks. They were known as no other than the thousand years ago Hero’s party members.
“To you, I offer my chastity.”
That outrageous thing, Irina was doing it now.
Not to the world’s ruler or a transcendent being, she gave her all to the man in front of her.
Even the laws of the world were being skewed.
“What giving my chastity means… you also know that right?”
Irina muttered with her face slightly redden. Soon she adjusted her voice and continued talking.
“And lastly… I give you my soul.”
After she said up to that point, the flame wrapping their surrounding pounced on both of them.
– Whoosh
Then the flames parted the two and began to penetrate them. Irina who was watching that scene.
“How should I make it up to you… I contemplated about it a lot.”
Gently stroked Frey, who was still closing his eyes but somehow had a serene smile.
“I don’t even know what I should do to atone for the sin I have done to you.”
She started to whisper in a low voice.
“I contemplated like that, and then I thought about it again while being with you… I finally got it.”
Saying so, Irina gently stroked the wound on Frey’s body that was exposed as the disguise Kania had on it was removed.
“Whatever I do, I could never fully repay it.”
At the same time when her words ended, the flame around them was completely absorbed into their body.
“So I will just give you everything I have.”
Only after she realized that the ritual had been successfully completed did Irina smiled softly. She quietly embraced Frey and finished her words.
“So use it to your heart’s content.”
Afterward, the tiny sparks that popped out from Irina’s and Frey’s chests, coalesced in the air into tiny beads.
“…What the?”
Irina caught the bead and carefully stroked it.
“Why is the color a bit muddy?”
Soon, she started to mutter with a puzzled look.
“Is it because Frey’s soul still remains with Kania?”
This was because, unlike when she swore on her mana in her past life, the color of the bead was muddled.
“…Tsk.”
And Kania, who was sitting on the window, was carefully watching the both of them.
.
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.
.
Meanwhile at the same time
“Clana, focus.”
“Ah, yes.”
Clana, who was lost in thought while she looked outside the window, hurriedly turned her head to the board when she heard Isolet’s cold warning.
“Why is your hand bandaged? You looked okay yesterday.”
“…I got hurt while training.”
Then soon, Isolet asked a question to Clana who was propping her chin with her hand. When she heard that answer, Isolet stared at Clana with a doubtful look for a brief moment.
“I’m glad if it was then, but I won’t forgive you if you are fooling around.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
The class soon continued after she said that.
“Then let’s continue. A sword’s power and efficiency are based on the type of mana it is trained with. That means, based on the level of the wielder, it could lead to a different effect…”
After the incident of the mansion raid last time, Isolet was quite wary of Clana.
”…Heum.”
But actually, Clana’s mind was focused entirely on the bead inside her drawer.
And that bead was blended in shades of silver and gold.
