“…I see,” Tia said, raising the edge of her lips in a smile. “It is indeed time that we formally introduced ourselves.”

  “I will go first,” Alnea said. “And while we are at it, can you also help me do a little experiment?”

  “Experiment? While introducing yourself?”

  “…You are not going to try anything funny, are you?” Daes said, glancing at the girls sitting next to him with a weird face, before flashing a sly smile at him. “Though I would not really mind…”

  “It is just a simple experiment, Daes,” Alnea said hurriedly, glancing at the girls from the corner of his eyes. Thankfully, they did not fall for the woman’s taunts. But they already seemed to be coming out of their embarrassment. He had to hurry up, lest they provoke each other, and push him into the pits of fire. Maybe he was indeed a little too selfish.

  “You would not even have to do anything.”

  “…An experiment where we have to do nothing?” Tia said, raising her brows. “Are you really talking about a serious experiment?”

  “…Alright. Maybe my words were a little misleading. But it really is just a simple experiment.”

  “…At least tell us what you will be experimenting.”

  “…You can think of it like an Arcana.”

  “Like an Arcana?”

  “…Just treat it as an Arcana. And I will be the one casting it, so you would not be in any danger. Of course, you can also refuse—

  “Refuse?” Daes said, smiling in amusement. “Why should we refuse?”

  “…Because it is too risky. And inappropriate. We have not even introduced ourselves properly, and I am asking you to help me in experimenting with my Arcana.”

  “That is all the more reasons why we should help you,” Daes said, widening her smile into grin, as she gestured towards Tia and herself with her fingers. “Have you forgotten who we are?”

  “…True Wanderers?”

  “We are your Dependents!”

  “…But we have not registered in the Blood Hall yet.”

  “Who cares about those formalities?” Daes said, dismissively waving her hands. “Since we have decided to become your Dependents, and you have no objections either, then it does not matter whether we register today, or when we are about to leave the city. We are already your Dependents.”

  “Indeed,” Tia said, nodding along with Daes. “Unless you plan on changing your mind…”

  “Of course, not.”

  “Then that settles it,” Tia said. “Besides, why would I miss the chance of helping you create your Arcana?”

  “…But it could be dangerous.”

  “For you,” Tia said. “As you said, we are True Wanderers, while you are still just an Advanced Stage False Wanderer. No matter how strange or dangerous your Arcana is, it will not pose us any threats.”

  “So, go ahead, and do your experiment with confidence,” Daes added. “Or, if you think that it is too risky, we can test the Arcana for you.”

  “…Thank you for the offer, but the Arcana is a little special. I have to be the one to cast it, or it will not work.”

  “…Now, you have gotten me even more interested in your Arcana,” Daes said, licking her lips. “As expected of the man chosen by my Roots, already experimenting with such strange Arcanas at the False Rank…”

  “…Stop messing around, Daes,” Tia said, rolling her eyes at Daes, before turning back to Alnea. “When are you going to begin?”

  “Whenever you are ready.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Tia and Daes withdrew the smiles from their faces, as they glanced at each other, before turning back to Alnea, and gave him a terse nod.

  “We are ready.”

  Alnea, in turn, gave them a short nod, before closing his eyes, and concentrating within himself. It was not necessary. He had done it before with his eyes open. And that too, when facing a dozen Enthralled Wanderers, along with a creature that went beyond the realms of humans. But those were his enemies. He did not have to be careful about what happened to them. Maybe he was even wishing for something to go awry when binding the Fire Servant with his Oath.

  Daes and Tia, however, were his Dependents. At least they intended to be. Not to mention the favour he owed them. Even if that favour was fuelled with interests. He still could not let them be hurt on his watch. Of course, if they intended to break the Oaths that he was going to bind them in, then it would be another matter. But he was going to begin with an easy Oath, so they should be fine.

  Slashing away what shreds of hesitations were left in his Heart, Alnea reached out to his Roots, and gave it a tug. And while he was at it, he did not forget to resonate with its essence. With Oaths. Just not his own. He resonated with the Oaths embedded within the rules of the Origin Sea. How that worked, he did not know. He just recalled the way that the Fire Spirit had used his Roots, and imitated his actions.

  Unfortunately, he did not seem to be as adept as the Fire Spirit at using his own Roots. Instead of summoning some strange, unknown consciousness, like the one the Fire Spirit had summoned, he ended up summoning just some Mysteries of the Origin Sea. But for his purpose, that was enough.

  “Say your name, and repeat after me,” Alnea said, as he opened his eyes, and looked solemnly at the two women. “I…”

  “I, Tia Bluestorm…”

  “I, Deas Thunderbird…”

  “…under the witness of Alnea…”

  “…under the witness of Alnea…”

  “…the bearer of the Chains resting in the Sea of Origin…”

  “…the bearer of the Chains resting in the Sea of Origin…”

  “…am taking an Oath in the name of the Origin Sea…”

  “…am taking an Oath in the name of the Origin Sea…”

  “…to never share with anyone what we are going to discuss next…”

  “…to never share with anyone what we are going to discuss next…”

  “…until we agree to lift the restrictions.”

  “…until we agree to lift the restrictions,” the two women said in unison, and turned stiff in the very next moment, moving only after a couple of moments had passed. And even then, they did not speak immediately. Instead, they first glanced at each other with wide eyes, confirming their thoughts, before turning towards Alnea.

  “…It looks like the experiment was a success,” Alnea said, as he glanced at the girls, and found Vestia and Cecilia looking at him with almost the same expression on their faces, as that of Daes and Tia. Only Yuri was different, smiling at him in satisfaction. And pride.

  “Do you have any questions?”

  “…That was not an Arcana, was it?”

  “I never said it was an Arcana,” Alnea said, shrugging his shoulders. “And like I said, you did not have to do anything… except take an Oath.”

  “…You really are slippery with your words,” Tia said, as the shock on her face slowly melted away to reveal a wry smile, while Deas just burst out into a laughter, drawing a guilt ridden gaze from Alnea.

  “…I am sorry. I did not mean to deceive you. But I could not let you reveal some of the information that I am about to share next.”

  “I understand,” Tia said, nodding with her words, as Daes restrained her laughter. “I would have the done the same in your place.”

  “If you had such a strange ‘Arcana’, that is,” Daes added, licking her lips, as she turned back towards Alnea. “I really did not choose wrong this time!”

  “…Indeed,” Tia said. “Though, I am curious. What would you have done had we refused your ‘experiment’?”

  “…I still would have introduced myself, but I would have kept most of my information from you, and I would not have shared any of my plans either.”

  “…You are surprisingly much more cautious than I took you to be.”

  “But is that not why he is even more interesting?” Daes said with a grin. “Now, you can talk without any hesitations, right?”

  “…Are you really not angry?”

  “Angry? On the contrary, we cannot be happier.”

  “We may not be your retainers, but our positions will not be much different.”

  “Especially after you surpass us on the path of Wanderers.”

  “Which, given your talent, should not take long.”

  “For now, we may be able to help you handle the troubles you make, but in ten or twenty years…”

  “Even now, if you provoke enemies much stronger than us, then there would be nothing we could do.”

  “And the contract we make later would prevent us from abandoning you. Not that we would have abandoned you anyway.”

  “In short, the more cautious you are, the less mistakes you are likely to make, the safer we are going to be.”

  “Though, I would not mind some excitement every now and then.”

  “…On second thought, we should be more worried about you provoking troubles than him.”

  “Hey! What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “…Like you are one to talk.”

  “…Maybe we have spoken enough,” Tia said, feigning a cough. “How about we hand the stage back to him?”

  “…Indeed,” Daes said, as she turned back towards Alnea. “So, when are you going to begin?”