Having my facts checked with Renata was something that needed to be done. The sooner I did that, the better. That way, I could totally focus on building myself up.

My goal was simple. I must be the best at magic when I turn fifteen. Why fifteen? Lots of things would happen after I turned fifteen. But two of the most important things were, I would be healed, and my enrollment in Rockfelle Academy. A prestigious academy that every important member of the five races would attend.

It was by far known as the most dangerous place yet also the safest for the younger generation. Safest in a sense where interference from the outside world would find little to no effect there.

And also dangerous precisely due to the intended isolation they pose. And since the academy itself forbids murder yet encourages a healthy duel as one of its regulations, there were tons of ways to make someone's life miserable.

In other words, if you have no friends there, you have to watch out for your own ass. The other way would be to join and seek protection from the faction there. In my case, the easiest one would be the human faction should I decide to join them.

You would think that they made the academy in the spirit of reconciling the five races. Maybe at the start, it was. But now all it became was the miniature projection of what was happening across Fysi.

But that was for later, for better or worse, the academy was still nine years down the road for me...

Anyway, something has been bugging me ever since my talk with Renata. I've been too complacent. Sure, I've not missed a single day without spending hours and hours training myself.

But so what? would that be enough? I sincerely didn't think so.

If only it could be so simple, surely god wouldn't take a gamble by placing his trust in a random soul like mine. No, we're talking about saving the whole world from its coming doom here. I couldn't recall the specific details, such as the exact date and many others, but I could roughly feel what would be coming, and it was anything from pretty.

I needed to prepare more. There was so much more that I could do in these early years of mine, but since my priority should still be to grind, I have to be more efficient. And to that end, I need people. They would be the limbs that would help with my plans.

And If we're talking about people, then I have two cards in my hands at this moment in time. My family, and Renata...

My head was telling me that the safest and surest way to my goal was to use my family. After all, the Dawson was a duchy that spearheaded the neutral faction in the kingdom of Boreas. I could save myself so much hassle if could rope George into this.

But something inside me kept whispering, that I would come to regret that choice...

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If it was the old me, then I would always take the most rational and efficient way without a shred of doubt. But not now. I was trying to be different now. No more silencing the other me. I would listen and think carefully about each option.

And so, I did just that. I thought and thought some more. After a couple of days of contemplating the options, I chose to follow my gut this time around. The reason was not only it felt like something was wrong with using my family like that, but in my head, I needed someone who'd be willing to dive into the dark with me.

That's why Renata's loyalty felt almost like a gift to me. Although we lacked the immediate resources and personnel that the duchy could provide, with what I have planned for the future, I believed it was the right choice to choose Renata instead.

With that said. I have a job to do. I had to make sure she wouldn't stab me later down the road.

'Renata.' So I called her. 'I will make a pact that binds the two of us.'

Basking in the lingering glow of the moonlight, Renata knelt down and placed her dagger above her head. "By the will of my Lord, this servant obeys."

'Bind us...' I closed my eyes and concentrated. 'You won't scheme against me. You won't have any designs for my life, and so will I. For as long as I live, you will serve as my shadow when the world is bright and my light when the world is dark. May god bear witness to this promise of a lifetime, and may fate shine kind on our path ahead.'

"May god bear witness to this promise of a lifetime, and may fate shine kind on my Lord's path ahead."

Strings from the perching moonglow entered the room, weaving and clutching themselves to our visages the minute the pact was made.

'Rise.' I said.

"..." She slowly rose to her feet and stared at me, her gaze burning zealously. "It is an honor that this lowly one to be able to bask in the grace of the almighty Lord."

Even if we were bound by the pact, and I was sure I could trust her, she still creeped the hell out of me. The way she talked, how she looked at me as though I was her sky or something...She was scary...

'Um...so, yeah...Look, Renata. I need you to do something.'

"If it's my life that you desire, then say the word, my Lord."

'Wait! You're making it sound like I'm sending you on a death mission or something...'

"If that is what it takes to serve as the Lord's tool, then this lowly one will gladly brave the sea of swords!"

'No! Do you even hear the pact? I won't kill you.' The more I talked with this woman, the more I felt that something was terribly wrong.

"It will not suit the pact ill since this lowly one is aware and fully consents without being forced."

'Ugh, that's not how it works...And can you do something about the way you talk? Can't you talk normally?'

"To be talking normally would mean to acknowledge that the Lord is equal to this lowly one. It will be like a punishment instead, my Lord. Please treat this lowly one fair without handing an unreasonable punishment, my Lord."

'Punishment? Ha...what do I get myself into...' I felt like I would go crazy if I kept talking with the crazy fanatic, so I just left her to her own device in the end. 'Suit yourself. But I don't want you yapping about lowly one this and lowly one that when there are other people. That's final.'

"By your will, almighty Lord."

'Ugh...Anyway, all things aside. We have something to do, you and I.' I took a deep breath to calm myself down before finding Renata in the eyes.

'We're going to create our secret organization, The House of Light and Darkness.'