Ximengsi Continent’s southern region, the strategic border town of Adelaide Kingdom, Atad, Young Master Hal’s secret basement in the depths of Earl Harrison’s residence
Young Master Hal left the basement after confirming that everything was normal. Just after confirming that he had left, Clyde emerged from the shadows.
If Clyde truly wanted to fight against Hal in the basement, then with his strength level, he wouldn’t have felt any pressure. However, there were too many targets here, and it was very easy to accidentally injure someone else. Thus, in order to avoid trouble, Clyde chose to wait until Hal had left before appearing. When his figure appeared in the interrogation room, Paladin Alicia’s complexion changed a little. She hesitated to speak with this mysterious person in front of her. Since Clyde was completely covered by a layer of mysterious black mist, other people couldn’t clearly see his true appearance.
Clyde looked at Alicia’s expression, which implied that she wanted to say something but felt rather hesitant. Sighing, he directly walked over and temporarily removed the prop sealing her ability to speak. As Clyde approached Alicia, he saw a golden cross magic imprint on her chest, symbolizing the goddess’s blessing. Under the blessing and protection of a goddess, paladins were immune to the attacks and infection of dark energy.
However, this goddess’s blessing had a loophole. For instance, in her current captured state, as long as the last step was not taken, cheap advantages of her could be taken without the goddess’s blessing and protection taking effect. Hal clearly knew this point, so that goddess’s blessing could only provide a little mental comfort to Alicia, nothing more. In fact, its effect could be considered negligible.
“If you want to say something, then speak quickly; otherwise, I will leave!”
“You are…”
“Are you really asking such an obvious question? Of course, I am that kind of existence you want to suppress. Forget it, I am leaving.”
“Don’t… don’t go! I beg of you. Please help me!”
Clyde pretended to leave, so Alicia was unable to maintain her calm this at time. Regardless of her whatever paladin’s dignity or moral integrity, she directly opened her mouth to beg Clyde, this dark being, for help. After quickly weighing the advantages and disadvantages, she felt that it was comparatively better to seek help from Clyde; otherwise, if she continued to stay here and wait for the next time when Hal would forcibly put on R-rings onto her ** and slave imprint on her, she would never be able to get rid of her slave status.
“Help you? I, however, am your enemy. What benefits do I get from helping you? Or, what price can you pay?”
“This…”
Alicia was momentarily at a loss for words. As a paladin, she had never had any experience in dealing with demons. For her, there was only one way: a fight to the death. What’s more, she truly had nothing other than her body to offer at present, but by devoting herself to a demon, she would become a fallen paladin. This was seriously inconsistent with her faith.
“I will say it directly. I want your everything. This is the only price that I will accept. As long as you agree, not only will I help you out, but I will also deal with the matter of Hal.”
“Can you change the condition? I can…”
Alicia’s complexion turned bright red. She was embarrassed and didn’t dare to look straight at Clyde. In the past, she had vowed to fight against the forces of darkness to the end with those female knights under her leadership, but now, in front of their faces, she had to devote herself to this dark existence. This slap to her face came too fast; her prestige would be completely destroyed.
Clyde had already expected such a reaction from Alicia. He reached out his hand and pointed at the goddess’s blessing magic imprint on her chest, and with a light tap, that goddess’s blessing magic imprint completely dissipated. That imprint came from a Valkyrie, however, it was not from Valkyrie Cynthia who would have been recognized by Clyde. Thus, Clyde assumed it was from one of the other seven who he didn’t know.
“Alicia, you don’t seem to understand your plight. I am just interested in you. No… you all. You understand what I mean. Don’t you?”
“The blessing of Lord Goddess actually… you… don’t go! I… what do you want me to do? Tell me, and I will act accordingly. Don’t… don’t abandon me.”
Alicia’s tone became incomparably fragile, and her psychological barriers completely collapsed. Clyde’s action of getting rid of the goddess’s blessing magic imprint on her body was equivalent to mercilessly shattering Alicia’s faith. In addition, it proved that Clyde was far more powerful than the goddess she worshipped. After she lost the goddess’s blessing imprint, Alicia directly begged for Clyde’s help. Without the goddess’s blessing imprint, next time, Hal could torture her as he pleased without any misgivings. That had been her last defensive measure and final hope, but Clyde had easily destroyed it.
“It’s very simple, Miss Alicia. Just giving me your everything is enough; I don’t have any knights beside me.”
“You… with your level, you can summon a death knight or demonic dragon knight without any problems. I am just a paladin, nothing more. I’m simply unworthy…”
“Alicia, if you don’t want to cooperate, then I will leave!”
“Don’t… don’t go! Mas… Master, I was wrong. Please, forgive me!”
Alicia’s last resistance also failed. With a red face, she implored Clyde in a low voice. From the time she began to address Clyde as ‘Master,’ it indicated Alicia had admitted defeat. The beautiful female knights around didn’t blame their Miss’s decision; they just silently prayed in their hearts, hoping Clyde wasn’t abnormal like Hal. As matters now stood, they already didn’t have any extravagant hopes of maintaining their chastities.
“Now, do you understand?”
“Mmm, I will obey you. I beg of you to help me!”
“That’s good. Just sign a contract with me first.”
Clyde reached out his hand and casually made a few strokes in the void. Afterward, a dark purple strange magic array emerged in midair. Not long after, a simple Demon King Seal materialized within the magic array and fell into his hand. The style of this Demon King Seal was similar to an emperors’ Imperial Jade Seal. This seal wasn’t Clyde’s but rather Ancient Demon King Andrisno’s Seal. Ever since Andrisno had made a contract with Clyde, Clyde had arbitrarily borrowed this Demon King Seal for use as he pleased.
After considering various things, Clyde didn’t want to expose his identity as a Great Old One, so he had simply borrowed Andrisno’s Demon King Seal so that other people would mistakenly believe that he was an Ancient Demon King. Upon seeing the seal, Alicia became very tense. This was her first time seeing the seal of an Ancient Demon King. Ordinary people wouldn’t have a chance to see the seal of a demon king, must less this kind of Ancient Demon King seal. Such a being had already touched the upper ranks of Demon Realm.
“An Ancient Demon King’s seal!”
“Well, don’t delay! Follow my instructions!”
Clyde didn’t give Alicia much time to think and immediately proceeded to sign the contract in accordance with the procedure. Alicia already had no thoughts of resisting. According to his instructions, she pledged loyalty out loud to Clyde in front of the Demon King Seal, forming a demonic contract. After the declaration, on her chest where the goddess blessing magic imprint had originally been located, a dark purple six-edged star magic imprint appeared.
That imprint was her owner’s seal, belonging to mark-type magic. Unless the seal’s owner was killed, it was impossible for the target to escape or change owners. After Alicia was subdued, those beautiful female knights under Alicia’s leadership also followed their Miss and quickly submitted to Clyde by accepting their new owner’s seal.
“Oh, that’s right, Alicia, your those two subordinates, Aike and Ailu, entrusted me to save you. Now, I have finally completed that task.”
“This… Master, why didn’t you say so before…”
Alicia felt like she had been set up by Clyde. He had clearly accepted the commission of Aike and Ailu, and now, she herself could also be regarded as the reward. He had definitely made a profit. After the seal contract, Paladin Alicia and her subordinate knights were truly Clyde’s people.
Clyde slightly reduced the movement frequencies of those wicked triangular wooden horses so that Alicia and the others wouldn’t be in such sorry plights. Even if he saved them, he had no suitable place to settle them for now, and it would only set off Hal’s vigilance. The best chance was to take advantage of the confusion when Steinbeck Fief’s army attacked to lead Alicia and the others away.
“Master, don’t forget to take us away. We are now your people; we don’t want Hal to…”
“Rest assured, Hal will not come. I will make some arrangements for him.”
Before leaving the basement, Clyde reassured Alicia and the others’ restless emotions while conveniently taking control over Hal’s maids. Those maids didn’t have any combat power and quickly succumbed to Clyde. For them, no matter who their master was, there was no difference. In any case, they couldn’t leave the basement. Clyde added an owner’s seal to them, making them pledge to not betray him.
As for those white lambs, Clyde planned to conveniently take them away and leave them at the disposal of Princess Natalie and Miss Jenny, these two sisters who originated from nations in Clark Alliance. All of them were unused, so leaving them here just like this was a waste of resources. Perhaps, they would have better arrangements. The white lambs were completely willing to allow themselves to be trampled upon. They had no resistance to Clyde’s arrangements and quietly accepted his instructions.
Although these lambs could be sold for a large amount of money, Clyde didn’t currently lack it, so he had no plans to sell them for now. Bringing them back to his territory, Steinbeck Fief, was also not a bad choice. Before leaving via the flight of steps, Clyde set up a magic barrier at the entrance of the basement. If Hal wanted to enter the basement later, he would need to spend at least a day to break this barrier. In addition, Clyde also set up a teleportation magic array connecting his room to the basement.
Hal didn’t immediately return to the room since he realized that he should attend Earl Harrison’s banquet and show his face in order to avoid attracting Earl’s Harrison’s attention. After making a brief detour, he announced to the banquest’s hosts that he was leaving and retiring for the night. While there he met a seemingly endless amount of the Earl’s children who he individually had to greet. Earl Harrison had quite a few sons and daughters, Young Master Hal and Miss Vignia being just two of them. Vignia’s mother herself was not an aristocrat; thus, her surname was different from Earl Harrison’s. If it were not for her great efforts to become a magician, her status as a Miss would have already been snatched away.
At the entrance to his room, Clyde saw Princess Halisi and Miss Vignia waiting. Those two ladies were really courteous, waiting for Clyde to return outside the door. They were still wearing that formal evening wear. At that time, Clyde suddenly recalled that there Aike and Ailu were still in his room. If these two ladies discovered them in their bare states, then it would be somewhat difficult for him to explain himself.
“Princess Halisi, Miss Vignia, excuse me. I must’ve kept you two waiting for a long time. Do you two have a matter that requires me? If you do, then let’s discuss in that pavilion!”
“Mmm? Mister Clyde, can’t we discuss it in your room? Big Sister Halisi and I don’t want to discuss it in the open. We sought you out for a somewhat private affair.”
“This… fine, but, only in the living room since I didn’t have time to put my bedroom in order! ”
