"I accept taking you as my disciple if you fulfill these two conditions," Alex uttered.
The instant Alex spoke, Starx, who had been prostrating on the ground, quickly stood up, and in the blink of an eye, both of his hands were wrapped around Alex tightly.
"Really? Do you accept to become my master?" Starx's eyes were practically glowing, resembling a young boy whose father finally agreed to buy him the game he had been asking for.
Seeing such enthusiasm, Alex sighed again. "I said that I would accept to become your master if you fulfill my two conditions. It's not yet set in stone that I will be your master."
"Yes, yes, I will do anything you want!" replied Starx with an overjoyed tone.
"Begin by releasing my hand."
"Oh, sorry about that." Starx released Alex's hand and stepped back to give him more room. He tried to calm down but was too excited, so his eyes kept shining in delight.
Alex's expression became serious, and raising a finger, he stated, "The first condition is that you find your family."
"Huh?" Starx got surprised hearing Alex's first condition; he never thought that it would be tied to his family.
'Master cares even about my family; that proves that he is such a good person!' he thought, his respect and admiration for Alex shooting to new heights.
Starx furiously nodded his head. "I was going to find them even if you didn't say, but I'm glad that master is concerned about my family."
"Don't call me that ye."
Starx nodded again, although from his smiling face, it was clear to Alex that he already considered him as his master.
Watching Starx smiling like a fool, the corner of Alex's mouth crept up into a smirk for a split second. 'Let's see if you will be so happy after hearing my second condition.'
His expression becoming serious again, Alex raised another finger. "My second condition is that... you become one of the heads of the underworld."
The smiling Starx suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening and studying Alex's face to see if the latter was joking. Alas, Alex was dead serious; his second condition was really that Starx become one of the heads of the underworld.
Quite frankly, he didn't believe that the kid could achieve that second condition of his. Starx didn't have the strength nor the guts to pull it off.
However, there was still a chance for Starx to pull it off, a slim one but a chance nonetheless. In that case, Alex would gladly accept to become Starx's master. After all, becoming the master of a young man able enough to rise from a nobody to one of the leaders of the underworld in the Fiore empire wasn't such a bad thing, and the icing on the cake would be that Alex would have an influence on the underworld through Starx.
Of course, there was the possibility of Starx not wanting to become his disciple after becoming a head of the underworld, but it was doubtful if he could become one of the leaders in the mafia in the first place.
However, if that were to happen, then Alex just needs to make him remember the awe he felt today watching him slaughter the bandits.
Starx observed Alex's face for a long moment, and when it sank in that Alex was really serious, his heart plummeted into the deepest part of his being.
'Me? Becoming one of the heads of the underworld?!'
The more he thought about it, the more Starx found the notion of him becoming a head of the Mafia absurd. How could he achieve something like that when he was barely at the peak of level 1?
'Did master do this so that he wouldn't become my master?' It was the only plausible reason for why Alex would impose such a condition on him.
'No, there is another reason!' Starx's eyes, which had dimmed after hearing Alex's condition, shined again, this time much brighter than before.
'It's because the master has faith in me that he entrusted me with such an important task like this one.' Starx completely forgot that becoming a head of the mafia wasn't a mission but a requirement to become Alex's disciple.
Starx suddenly dropped to one knee, and with a firm and determined expression, he stated, "I will accomplish the mission the master has entrusted to me and return as one of the heads of the underworld."
'Mission? What the hell is this kid talking about?' Alex wondered.
However, he didn't want to question Starx about it, seeing the expression the latter had.
"Wait here; I'm coming," ordered Alex.
He returned to the carriage that was already prepared to depart and demanded a few things from Lilia. After that, he came back, but instead of going towards Starx, Alex went to Bogre.
"Amelia, release this one."
The instant he said this, the vines wrapping around Bogre's body disappeared into the ground.
As Bogre was rubbing his wrist, Alex retrieved a white paper and began scribbling something on it. After he was done writing, he manipulated his smoke to make a small cut on his finger and let a few drops of his blood flow onto the paper.
Following that, Alex tossed the paper to Bogre.
"Sign this and drip a bit of your blood onto the paper," he coldly ordered.
Bogre took the paper and read what was written on it. A moment later, he shouted in indignation, "There is no way I'm signing this!"
"This thing is no different from a slave contract, no, it's even worse than a slave contract!" He added.
Bogre's eyes became red as he reread the document Alex had just tossed to him.
'This guy is evil!' he shouted internally.
The piece of paper Alex had just given him was a soul contract, stating that Bogre would be in Alex's service for the next thirty years. During this time, he couldn't disobey any of Alex's order and should he even entertain the thought of betraying Alex, he would lose his life.
The worst thing was that he couldn't terminate the contract by himself, and if there was ever a breach in the contract, he would always be the only one to bear the consequences. This means that no matter what breach occurs in the contract, he would die. Alex had structured the contract in such a way that Bogre not being able to be ordered around is also considered a breach! So, for example, if Alex were to die, Bogre would also follow in his footsteps and die for the simple reason that he can't be ordered around anymore!
'At least a slave wouldn't die after their master kicks the bucket.'
"Sign it," Alex repeated.
"No wa-"
"Either you sign this contract, or I kill you right this instant." The instant Alex uttered this, smoke began circling around Bogre, only waiting for Alex's order to kill the man.
"I will sign, I will sign!" Bogre immediately signed the contract and dropped a bit of his blood on the contract.
The instant his blood touched the contract, it shimmered with a red light, and an instant later, Bogre felt a hand seize a part of him, a part that was the most important of him.
'My soul!'
Bogre could only cry bloody tears because from this moment and for the forthcoming thirty years, his soul and life weren't his anymore.
'Still, it is better than dying,' he comforted himself.
On the other hand, Alex felt nothing. Since it was stated in the contract that Bogre would be the only one suffering if there is ever a problem, the god of the contract didn't do anything to his soul.
"Get up," Alex ordered.
The instant he ordered, Bogre stood up, fearful that even a delay of a second before executing Alex's order might be considered an act of disobedience.
"Starx, come here."
"Yes!"
Without waiting a second, Starx rushed towards Alex and stood in face of him and next to Bogre.
"From this instant, Bogre here would be your bodyguard, you can make him do anything you want," Alex stated.
Both Starx and Bogre's eyes widened. They turned to stare at each other, then back at Alex, their faces portraying shock.
"Bogre, from this instant, you will be his bodyguard. Disobeying any of Starx's orders means disobeying mine, and you know what will happen in this case." Alex flashed Bogre a cold smirk, making the latter shiver.
Normally something like that wasn't possible, but since Alex has made a clause in which he states that he could assign Bogre to whomever he wants as a subordinate, and the latter couldn't refuse, Bogre has no choice but to comply.
The two didn't even get over their shock when Alex tossed a ring to Starx, turned around, and walked to the carriage.
Just as he was about to climb on the carriage, he heard:
"May I know master's name?!" Shouted Starx on his knee.
"Alexandre Eswald."
"Disciple Starx Rimkass bids farewell to the master, until we meet again!"
Alex nodded his head once, and a few seconds later, the carriage departed.