“Alaric, what I’m about to reveal cannot be shared with anybody,” uttered the count. “That’s why you must swear an oath.” He produced an intricate-looking paper slip with something inscribed on it and a place for affixing a thumbprint.

Alaric’s mood soured. They expect me to accept an oath enforced by the system? He eyed both of them, who were watching him expectantly. So, they don’t trust me to keep a secret.

“Sure, I’ll keep my mouth shut,” he affirmed. “You have my word.”

“Not like this,” the count insisted, extending the slip. “It must be a system-enforced oath.”

Alaric didn’t reach for the oath slip. “Is there anybody else who knows about this secret?” he inquired, glancing at Edgar. “And, did they swear a system-enforced oath too?”

The count and his bodyguard looked stunned. Judging by their expressions, he deduced there were a few more people who knew about the secret of his origins, but none of them had taken a system-enforced oath.

“Alaric, you don’t need to concern yourself with such matters,” the count responded grimly. “Just do as you are told. It is for your own good.”

“No,” Alaric refused, shaking his head. He could understand the need for secrecy. However, if they didn’t trust him with the secret without a system-enforced oath, they didn’t truly trust him at all.

The count’s face flushed pink. He was starting to get irritated.

“I already gave you my word. So I will not take an oath. Either you will reveal it to me, or you will not.” Alaric was tempted to learn the secret. However, he needed to establish something here. Sure, they were partially justified in not fully trusting a child. However, he was not truly a child.

This confrontation would lay the groundwork for future negotiations. If he yielded to their demands now, they would always wield power over him in the future. Besides, he could sense that the count was eager to share this information with him.

Perhaps out of guilt or the weight of responsibility. Whatever it was, it gnawed at him, and he could no longer suppress it.

‘Insolent brat,’ the count bellowed. ‘Do you know how easy it is to extract a secret without an oath enforced by the system?’ He gestured. “A good beating, and people confess everything.”

“Not from me, they won’t,” Alaric declared. He observed the count, frustrated and battling to restrain his emotions. The count clenched his fists, a vein throbbing in his forehead. This issue hit a sensitive spot for him. Alaric knew he was playing a dangerous game.

Perhaps, the count would refuse to share the information after all. Or perhaps, he would beat him. However, right here and now was the perfect opportunity to pry the information out of him. And, so, he took a risk.

“Why don’t you try me?” Alaric smirked and braced himself for getting his ass whooped.

He watched his father’s face cycle through a range of emotions - surprise, sadness, resignation, and sternness. The count lunged at him. It took every ounce of his willpower not to activate any skills or abilities or even channel the power of his chakras. He couldn’t overpower the count physically.

However, there was a way to win this fight. Unfortunately, first, he would have to endure a brutal beating. And, the count did not hesitate to teach him a lesson. He landed blow after blow on Alaric, hoping to break his resolve.

Alaric’s body throbbed with pain. Blood oozed from the numerous wounds that tore open across his body. Without maintaining any defensive or healing skills, his bones were on the verge of breaking.

It was only his immense physical resilience, fortified by the root chakra and his mastery over his mind and senses, that enabled him to withstand blow after blow.

He dropped to the ground, his face slamming into the dirt. Blood and saliva trickled from his mouth, but he refused to submit. He pulled himself up onto his knees and wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

Locking eyes with the count, he declared, “Not enough.”

***

Edgar POV

Edgar witnessed Alaric’s thrashing with a somber expression. His usual playful demeanor had vanished.

Ever since the count tasked him with monitoring the kid, Edgar had developed a fondness for him. In fact, he even respected him. Alaric was strong, competent, disciplined, and peculiarly wise beyond his years.

Edgar shut his eyes and shook his head. No, at the end of the day, he is still a child. He isn’t aware of the brutality of the world.

A system-enforced oath would resolve many problems. It rendered the disclosure of secrets—whether spoken or written — utterly impossible, even under torture. In fact, it was one of the most effective means of avoiding torment for information.

Unless an enemy was truly ruthless, they wouldn’t waste time interrogating a hostage once they discovered a system-enforced oath bound to their soul. Sure, the soul bore the burden of such an oath, but it also provided some measure of safety.

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He winced inwardly every time Eustace struck Alaric. He couldn’t fathom how much it must hurt the count to be hitting his child like that. However, it had to be done. The kid’s arrogance had grown unchecked.

The count wasn’t just demanding an oath; he was trying to teach him a harsh lesson. But, at what cost? He shook his head. No, there must be a deeper reason why he is doing this. It isn’t like him to suddenly snap and lose control.

Edgar stepped forward but hesitated. No, it is not my place to intervene. He clenched his fists. He will surrender. Any moment now.

However, Alaric astonished him once again in his usual way. He expected him to yield, to defend himself, or at least retaliate—he did neither. No, he chose to show deference to his father even in this dire situation.

Alaric’s body accumulated countless injuries, and blood seeped from his wounds.

Edgar couldn’t detect him using any type of skills or abilities to attack or defend. He’s not even using a healing skill. What self-control. Edgar struggled to believe what was unfolding before his eyes.

The kid swallowed the punishment with a smile on his face, never uttering a single word of protest.

However, his concern for the count deepened. Nobody had defied him like this in years. The whole ordeal was spiraling into something more dangerous

“Agree to the oath, and this will all be over!” pleaded Eustace, his voice cracking. Tears trailed from his eyes, but his expression remained stern.

Alaric was battered and broken, down on the floor. Yet, he pushed himself onto his knees and smirked through a swollen face. He spat blood onto the ground and rasped, “Ne…never.”

***

Alaric’s body was exhausted and wrought with pain. His muscles hurt all over, and his bones ached.

The count had roughened him up more than he had anticipated. However, inwardly, he was having fun. How far will you go to teach your child a lesson, count?

Although Alaric was beaten to a pulp, he wasn’t the one losing. The count had aimed to teach him a lesson —for defying him, for instilling the seriousness of this matter, and for demonstrating the cruelty of the world.

At least that’s why he thought for now. He couldn’t fathom why his father got so furious and violent. Just because he rebelled, or was there some other reason?

Whatever the reason might be, Alaric hadn’t reacted as expected — he didn’t yield after being beaten to a pulp. What will you do now, count? Will you stop or take things further?

Alaric was certain the count would come to his senses. Almost. He glanced at Edgar. If he didn’t come to his senses, Edgar was his safeguard.

The count demanded Alaric’s submission. Alaric denied him. “No…never.”

That seemed to break something inside him. Frustration mounting, his father prepared an elemental spell. His hands crackled with blue lightning. Alaric didn’t falter. Bring it on!

Edgar reacted swiftly and seized Eustace’s hand from behind before he could unleash more devastation upon Alaric.

“Stop it, Eustace! The whole reason you’re doing this is to protect him,” shouted Edgar.

The count froze in his tracks as Edgar’s words pierced through his rage.

“What good will it do if you kill your own son trying to teach him a lesson?” continued Edgar.

The rage in his father’s eyes cleared, replaced by horror as he inspected Alaric's broken form lying on the ground.

Now, he shed his role as the count and embraced his role as a father. He sank to the ground and cradled Alaric, muttering something to him. But he wasn’t listening, struggling to resist the weariness overtaking him.

“Now…do you…trust me?” Alaric whispered with a grin and succumbed to the call of sleep.

***

When Alaric regained consciousness, they were all still at ‘The Whispering Woods.’

Edgar had administered a potent healing potion that accelerated his recovery dramatically. Apparently, he had been unconscious for only two hours. However, his body still throbbed and ached all over.

Alaric immediately activated his [Vital Mana Flow] skill to aid in his recovery. The healing potion was still working, so he conserved his heart chakra energy.

“You are one crazy child,” remarked Edgar. “Defying the count like that.” He grinned.

Alaric attempted to laugh but winced. “I knew you’d protect me!”

Edgar coughed and continued, “We didn’t foresee things escalating this far.” Alaric opted to remain quiet.

“Son,” his father approached them, a sorrowful look etched onto his face. “I..” he shook his head.

Looks like he is grappling between the roles of a father and a count. He is remorseful but cannot voice it.

“It’s okay, father. I understand why you had to do it…” he said softly. “And, I’m sorry as well, for putting you in such a spot.”

The count acknowledged him with a solemn nod. “You’ve earned my trust.”

“The secret better be worth it,” quipped Alaric.

The count looked surprised by how Alaric still had the mood to joke around. However, he did release a smile and proceeded to disclose what he had been holding back.

Apparently, Alaric was not truly a bastard — at least according to the customs of one kingdom. But the truth was far more complex than he had ever imagined. His mother was the princess of the Kingdom of Eldoria.

It was a small kingdom bordering The Aurion Empire but had managed to retain its sovereignty. The reason was that it was home to formidable witches. The Church of the Radiant Flame loathed them, and numerous wars had been waged to subjugate the kingdom over the last century.

Yet, the witches had never been completely subdued. The Emperor decreed a policy of neutrality to finally end the bloodshed and prevent further losses.

However, tensions remained high, and witches or anyone associated with them were unwelcome in The Aurion Empire, where the Church wielded immense power.

The count’s marriage to the princess was a closely guarded secret, known only to a select few in positions of influence. It had never been declared publicly in Eldoria, and all the official records of the marriage were kept private under great care.

Naturally, the count had also kept his marriage undisclosed upon his return to The Aurion Empire. Announcing it would have been disastrous. Instead, he branded Alaric as a bastard, and that was that.

His mother’s name was Seraphina — a formidable witch in her own right.

Alaric now understood why he sensed the traces of another bloodline power coursing through his veins—one even more potent than the count’s. That power was both a blessing and a burden.

Alaric possessed a legitimate claim to Eldoria’s throne, though he was not the first in line. His mother had not been the eldest princess.

Still, the revelation complicated the entire political landscape. If word spread that he had royal blood in his veins, there would be no end to his troubles. Moreover, the count would be forced to answer for his ‘sins’ before the Church.

Alaric chuckled. Suddenly, he felt like a prized political bargaining chip.

Once again, he felt the system had played a trick on him. In his previous life, he had been under the tutelage of the ‘Elder Witch of Night Peaks.’ Now, history was repeating itself.

He had no doubt that someone from the witch clan would come seeking him sooner or later. The Count feared that too. That was why he was so unsettled.