“I can make you a slave.” I explained my idea.

“A s-slave?” Her eyes widened.

“Your soul is still intact, so I should be able to enslave you.”

“I’ll do it.”

“This may not be the best thing, but it has many benefits- wait, what?”

I had expected her to at least argue a little bit, but Alysia agreed to become a slave without question. She was a free-spirited princess and could be kind of stubborn, so I was pretty surprised that she didn’t resist at all.

“Deek, I spent my life trying to fight the dungeon and get rid of the curses that plague our land. In the end, I had only ended up being the tool for a demon lord to regain his powers and spread curses across the land.”

“Alysia, my soul is back in my possession, and he wasn’t able to get anything out of you.”

“It’s more than that… it’s hard to explain.”

“Try me.”

“Alright. My mother, Xin, I don’t believe she was always a puppet of Brother… the demon lord.” She explained. “When I was younger, she still had control of her mind. As for when she changed, it happened so slowly, I’m not confident I could even say I knew when I had lost her.”

“Okay.”

I wanted to tell her that a part of her mother still existed, but this didn’t feel like the best time, so I continued to listen.

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“When I was younger, she used to tell me stories. She explained to me why she chose to defy the Osterians and join the Maid Hero in destroying Lord Aberis. Her betrayal cost her much. Lord Aberis went after her family. He killed every royal in retaliation for her deeds.”

“Oh?”

I was extremely interested in this. I had never known what happened with Xin. I didn’t know about her family dying. It was possible that the Xin I knew didn’t know either. Since she cut her Osterian part away, it possibly included the memories of her family.

“Demons aren’t like other species. You might be thinking that since we all came from another world, we all have an equal right to be here. That might be true in most cases, but when it comes to demons, they use dungeons unlike any of the others. They spread the curse over the land, and use its power as their own.

“The Demon Lands in the north is a desolate waste, carpeted with monsters, dungeons, and demons. The demon lord castle, home of the demon king, and the Hell dungeon have both routed their influence across the entire country, a massive weed sucking the life out of the world. That is how they grew their territory. That is how they survived.

“Demon Lord Aberis was no different. The reason the Aberis and the Ost Republic contain so many dungeons is exactly because of his influence. He knowingly planted cursed seeds across the landscape, as all demons do. That is what makes them dangerous. That is why they need to be stopped.”

“All of that responsibility… that’s not something to put on your shoulders.” I shook my head.

“You’re right. That is why I want to be your slave. You know more about dungeons and have done more good in the last half-year than I had accomplished in three years. I believe if I follow you, my abilities will be put to better use. I followed my instincts for years, and my instincts led me into being manipulated by a monster. Now, I want to follow you, and make a real difference. Please, Deek, I want to be your slave.”

“Then, I agree.”

There was nothing really to it. I just had to be close to her and use the skill. Since I was already holding her hilt, I activated the Bond Slave skill. It triggered, and a few moments later I could feel an awareness of Alysia in my head. At that moment, another alert appeared.

{You have committed to the path of the magic sword. You have unlocked the job, Magic Swordsman.}