A month has passed.

I was sitting on a huge round table. In front of me, there sit four other people wearing masks of white and black.

The Assassin, Merchant, Spy, and the newly added member, the Paladin.

Trodin Bel Geliard was a man with a robust physique and deep aura. Considering his records, it wasn't surprising that he chose the seat of dawn like Margareth when asked to.

Just by looking at him, I could tell why Renata bothered to emphasize the man's charisma.

He was by far the trickiest yet the most straightforward fellow to invite by far. Sure, Renata had done her homework by laying the groundwork, so I didn't have to explain everything to him again.

But his response was something that took me aback, I must say.

He asked what my goal was and why him, and then asked me to duel him.

Of course, I beat him. He didn't even stand a chance, in fact.

After that, when it was time to make the oath, just like the one before him, Trodin added something of his own. Sort of like a safety device, which I didn't mind. And that was: If I changed my mind and no longer worked toward the salvation of the world, he would be free from the oath.

According to Renata, it was a direct challenge to my authority. Again, I didn't mind, but Renata nearly slit the man's neck if I didn't stop her in time.

Because of that, it got me thinking about the whole vow thing.

As of now, everyone, except for Trodin, has been implicated on a one-sided vow. I could trust them because their life was bound to me. But will the trust go both ways? Simply put, if tomorrow I went nuts and decided to forget saving the world, then that's it. There's not much else that they could do other than detesting their own fate.

I had no restrictions whatsoever, and frankly, I kinda feel bad about it. After all, they were going to be my comrades who would go through hell and beyond with me in the future.

And trust would be crucial at that point since there will be a time when the House must stand without the Shepherd.

It would be very naive and foolish of me to expect each and every one of them to function properly with everything they had when I didn't even bother to even the scale. They were different from the likes of Renata, who'd feel distressed when I tried to view her as an equal.

And to be honest, I knew she didn't give a damn about the world going to burn or anything. To her, even death sat below me, her priority.

Meanwhile, the rest were people who were willing to bind themselves with vows to do good for the world.

That's why I needed to give them something—an assurance.

"Let's start the Council."

A loud and deep voice, altered by magic, escaped from my lips into the room.

"We're all gathered here to meet the seatholders for the first time and to discuss our future agenda. But before we get into that, I have something to do first."

"My Lord?" Queried Renata, confused because she was left in the dark.

The reason why I didn't run this through with her was because I knew what kind of reaction and answer she would give.

"I will make a vow to all of you in here-"

"My Lord! There's no reason for this. We are simply filthy beings who don't deserve anything out of your holy being. Even your presence alone is more than enough for us lowly sinners!!" Renata jumped up and raved madly.

She clearly knew what I was about to do without a shred of doubt. I think she might've figured it out since I accepted Trodin's term on his vow.

"You do not speak for us, Assassin." Trodin, the Paladin, replied coldly.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"I should've pulled your tongue out when you dared to challenge my Lord that day. What blasphemy is this!!"

"Calm down, both of you. We don't even know what the Shepherd is trying to say." Said Margareth, trying her best to mediate the two.

"We heard enough!" Shrilled Renata sharply. "The Lord is magnanimous and understanding enough to humor one of you. But I won't let any of you sin against His Holyness anymore. Once is enough!"

'Will you, woman!? Enough with the sin this and sin that!' I shook my head mentally, frustrated by Renata's antics.

"I don't understand about sinner and whatnot, but I am interested in what Shepherd has to say. I think the others are the same, too, ain't you all?" Clara finally opened her mouth.

"Ha...these fucking..." Renata sighed deeply. Her eyes swam around the three dangerously like a serpent to its prey.

They saw the chilling gaze, and Margareth, who was the weakest, flinched in response.

"Are you trying to start something, Assassin?" Trodin stood up, cracking his neck left and right.

Renata, who saw him, stood up and took off her robe before handing them to one of the Shadows.

"Oh, my!" Margareth gasped in fear when Trodin lifted her along with her seat and put her back away from the brewing danger.

"...Hey...Are you serious? Ain't we allies here? Shepherd? Do something about this!" Clara also got up, following the two, stirring her mana in case things really did go south.

'Hm...' To her plea, I only stare at them silently.

Why?

Because this was the first time everyone met each other. Conflicts were bound to happen, especially because these people existed so far on their own spectrums.

Also, these people are going to be working together as a team from now on. And I honestly felt like whatever beef this was that they had with each other, as long as it wasn't too extreme, they could handle it themselves.

If my job from now on is to solve whatever the fuck drama they have cookin', then I might as well move by my lonesome in the future...

"Fuck!" Seeing as she was not moving a muscle, Clara cussed harshly and employed her magic instantly without an incantation. "Wind prison!"

It was a preemptive strike on her part to isolate both Renata and Trodin. But unfortunately, she was able to trap only one of them...

Finding himself locked in walls of wind, Trodin planted his feet into the ground; steams of blazing aura were hugging his body tight, and he launched himself forward, ramming the shit out of Clara's wind prison.

Meanwhile, Renata, who was the bonafide prime Assassin, had slipped away from Clara's clutches.

DING!

A shadow flickered by, and the barrier around Clara's body trembled, sliced by a dagger that appeared out of nowhere.

Realizing the failed attempt, the blurry figure, or Renata, jumped away for more distance.

"Fuck, fuck!!" I could see the hair on Clara's neck stand when she saw the dagger inches away from her throat.

"What the fuck is this!? Shit, ya'll wanna go nuts, is that it!? Let's go nuts, fuckers! Come on!!" And the Master Magician with the rough mouth finally lost her cool.

She moved and condensed her mana, preparing for something big.

Maybe it was because they'd cooled down a bit now, or maybe because they realized having Clara run wild wouldn't do any of them good; both Trodin and Renata stood there silently as a result.

"Damn you, shitheads!!" Noticing the shifting mood, Clara spat while easing the movement of her mana. "Let's talk! How about it!? Are you freaking tongues only for decorations? I've seen Beastmen more level-headed than the two of you bastards!"

"We're here for the same shit, ain't we? And, Oy, Assassin. It's not like we heard what the Shepherd had to say. Damn it, you cut him off before we get to hear anything. And, fuck! If you have beef with what he's going to say, take it up to the man! Don't go mental about it to us, damn it!"

Renata's eyes twitched behind her masks. I could tell Clara's words got to her.

"And you, Paladin. Do you have a brain up there, or they're all nothing but shit? We all know the Assassin is fucked in the head. Do you really need to show off how big your balls are and provoke her, you dimwit?"

"Be careful with your word, woman!" Grunt Trodin harshly.

"Be careful to what? Are you trying to fuck things up again? Look at Merchant. Are you going to risk fighting knowing she, who can't do shit, is still here? If you don't want to start another trouble, just shut the hell up. And it's not woman. I am Spy. You better call me correctly next time."

'Whoo...way to go, Clara.' I nodded inwardly, seeing her owning them.

"And you, Shepherd. I don't know why you're just sitting and doing nothing. But you gotta do something. This happens because of what you said."

And she finally turned to me.

'Well, that's my cue...' I mused inwardly.

Reaching out for the blessing, I opened my mouth.

"I will save the world. That is my dream...My oath. I vow to keep that oath until they become a reality."

A simple declaration and a promise. A promise for them who would thereon put their lives on the line for the House.

"From here on forward, every vow from the seatholders will be bound to me if, and only if, I am staying true to my oath..."

Silence dawned amidst the turbulence of mana due to the invocation of the Word Magic.

"Take a seat. We have lots to discuss."

And I closed the curtain on the rowdy welcome party.