At breakfast, the atmosphere became awkward. Azel was eating with an indifferent expression. But his heart felt uneasy.
On the right, Camellia sat and ate as usual. On the left, Elena who had fought with him yesterday was sitting and eating quietly. The village head's family as well as the ten knights looked at him suspiciously.
'I'm innocent, ok? Don't look at me with that expression!'
Azel shouted in his heart. He should feel happy to be sitting between two beauties. But the young man instead felt strange and uncomfortable. Not to mention the amazed looks of the knights and the village head's families, it made him even more uncomfortable.
After eating, Azel and his entourage rested for a while. Around eight in the morning, they finally started their journey back towards Black Lily City. When they passed through the village road, the residents greeted them kindly. The children waved their hands, sending them off in a cheerful mood.
"Seeing the smiles of those people... It doesn't feels bad," muttered Ciel who looked out the window.
"You are too soft, Sir."
"..." Elena just looked at Azel with a complicated look.
Looking at Camellia and Elena, Azel smiled.
***
The next day when the sun was straight overhead, Azel and his Entourage finally arrived at Black Lily Castle.
The carriage door opened, Azel's 'sluggish' figure came down from there. On the way, nothing special, no interesting sights, all quiet and calm. The young man was completely bored to death.
'It's an inefficient way to slack off! No interesting books! No delicious food! It's so monotonous!'
Looking towards the main building of the castle, Azel said, "Finally home."
"home," muttered Elena who had just gotten off the horse carriage.
Somehow the woman suddenly remembered her family. she suddenly felt a hand pat her shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie. Elena looked at Azel who smiled gently.
"From now on, this will be your home too, Elena."
Elena was immediately taken aback. she then turned her head, Camellia who was beside her nodded. Even though she looked cold, it was clear that the girl also accepted it.
Five years!
she has been hiding in a wooden hut for five years. Through the cold every night just to get revenge.
Elena's vision suddenly became a bit blurry. Without her noticing, warm tears flowed from the bead and then ran down her cheeks. Azel who saw that quickly wiped her tears and tried to cheer her up.
"Are you all right, Elena?" asked Azel.
"I'm fine sir. It's just dust," Elena replied in an indifferent tone.
'Who would believe that!'
Azel cried out in his heart, but a cold look was still etched on his face. Seeing that Elena had regained her composure, he said, "Come on in."
Entering the main building, more precisely when passing through the hall, the beautiful maids bowed politely to welcome Azel.
"Welcome home, Sir!"
Amongst the maids, a beautiful Succubus figure approached the three. In comparison, even though her appearance was inferior to Elena's, her body did look slightly better. That woman was of course Isabella.
Isabella bowed right in front of Azel before saying, "Nice to see you back unharmed, Master. Are you tired? What if this slave prepares water for bathing? Or would you like some tea and some snacks?"
Seeing Isabella trying so bravely in front of him, Azel was somewhat tempted. But before his mind could wander elsewhere, he felt a chill run down his spine. Obviously, the two women behind him stared at the young man with cold expressions.
Cough! Cough!
Pretending to cough, Azel said "Please just prepare some lunch, we haven't had time for lunch yet. After a short rest, I'll come down to eat."
"Are you tired, sir? How about this slave giving you a massage to relieve your fatigue?" asked Isabella politely.
"No need. I will rest alone."
"As you wish, sir."
After saying that, Isabella bowed politely before backing away. After Azel, Camellia, and Elena passed, the maids dispersed and resumed their work.
"Isabella seems to really miss you, sir?" Camellia said.
"Huuh…" Azel took a deep breath. "They were just a little too enthusiastic about welcoming the new castle owner. After a few days, everything should be back to normal."
"Is that true?"
"Come on. You guys rest first, the maids will call you after the dishes are ready." Azel was about to go to his room but stopped. "By the way... Elena will be staying next door to you. So please show her the way, Camellia."
"Yes sir!"
"...."
Camellia and Elena bowed politely.
After eating and resting during the day, in the afternoon Azel called Camellia and Elena. The two women were invited to go to an empty room close to Azel's study. To enter the room, you have to go through a special way, that is a bookshelf in the study. Of course, Azel received all the information from the head maid, Isabella.
It seemed that room was usually used for meditating or practicing magic by the previous Marquis. Really clean and empty. At that moment, the two women looked at him with questioning expressions, so Azel quickly explained.
"We'll start the ritual here."
After saying that, Azel unwrapped the cloth he was carrying. There were all kinds of strange things from plants, crystal stones, even blood.
"Camellia, you wait in the study. Don't let anyone in before the ritual is over."
"As you command, Sir."
After seeing Camellia come out, Azel immediately started his task. He made a big circle with a brush and blood. The young man then made the hexagram in the center as well as various complicated runes around the hexagram's circles and lines. Lastly, Azel placed six different items at each end of the hexagram.
'Preparation complete!'
Each ritual has its own way depending on the person. Specifically a soul contract ritual. Unlike the direct slave contract which could be executed only with Master's blood, the soul contract was more demanding. the rituals require different items depending on the Master making them. The stronger the magic circle, the stronger the contract made.
So, each soul contract has a different magic circle and different ways depending on the maker. Also, everyone has a different sigil (magic sign or symbol).
"Sir ... this?" Elena asked doubtfully.
"Relax. You sit in the middle of the circle," Azel said.
"yes."
Looking at Elena who was sitting in the center of the magic circle, Azel nodded. Without further ado, the young man immediately drew his dagger and injured his own index finger. Red liquid immediately dripped on the floor.
Azel immediately approached Elena and slightly undressed the woman. The beautiful Dark Elf was a little surprised but finally quieted down because the young man in front of her had not completely removed her clothes. Just make a space in the area below her neck. Azel dabbed his blood under the neck before stepping back, out of the circle.
"Elena, will you agree to be mine? Always follow me until your death and never betray me?" asked Azel who stood outside the circle.
"I...I'm willing!"
After saying that, the blood mark under Elena's neck suddenly turned into a vertical eye symbol. The magic circle and runes made of blood flashed. Under Elena's astonished gaze, the blood in the magic circle split into six and crawled towards the six items.
After a while, the six items melted. Instead, six red colored snakes with horns were in place of the six items. The snake immediately slithered towards Elena. The woman was actually terrified, but because of the restraint of the vertical eye symbol under her neck, she couldn't move.
The six snakes slithered through Elena's body. They opened their mouths then bit the symbol under the woman's neck together. Pain struck, but Elena couldn't scream. In the woman's frightened look, the six snakes 'entered' into the vertical eye symbol. A moment's pause, a change occurred, six wings appeared on the symbol. Three on the left, three on the right. A vertical eye sigil with six wings is created.
The ritual is finally over!
****