My three Infoscopes spun around Kliss, mapping the Vow as a 3-dimensional structure, defining its threads on the Overseer in greater clarity as I adjusted my technomagic tools to peer into the depths of the Astral Ocean.

The Vow controlled all of her muscles, was entwined with the girl's nerves. From what I observed and hypothesized, the Vow could make her speak and possibly talk to her through the golden threads connected to her brain regions, specifically the Wernicke's and Broca's areas, known to be involved in speech production and comprehension.

The Vow on Kliss was not like the Vows on the citizens of Skyisle or my parents. It was brighter, more potent, older. Power above level 24 danced through its gold threads.

I momentarily considered attempting to slice one of the Vow's golden threads with my #1 Infoscope armed with [LV 20 Sectus-Tether], but decided against it. The subject wasn't confined and held a magitek gun in her hands pointed at my head. If the Vow felt threatened, it could easily strike me with [Sleep] or [Destruction] Level 88 spells fired from the armacus of the Overseer. While theoretically I could disassemble spells before they reached me, I had no desire to tempt fate.

I wondered if the Vow was more like a machine, or a virus, or perhaps an Astral Fungus than a person. Its structure was something between a mushroom and a jellyfish. Did the Vow follow the laws of Gregarius Empire to the letter, similar to how robots followed Asimov’s laws of robotics in my favorite sci-fi series or was it actually controlled by, connected to Goddess Equality? Could it be conversed with directly or modified like a spell?

Either way, the Overseers of the Empire were clearly more akin to Vow-controlled machines, people bound by magic chains.

The conversation-forcing spell was still dancing over my mouth so I decided to keep Kliss chatting while I observed her monstrous Vow. The Vows on my parents were far less active, hiding in the depths of the Astral, so they were a lot harder to monitor.

"Lady Overseer," I said. "You said that it's your job to uplift Skyisle. What does it entail?"

"Educating its children," she said.

"Could one of us someday become the Overseer of Skyisle?" Delta asked curiously.

"Hrm," Kliss turned her head at my sister. "I suppose that you... could."

"How?" I asked.

"You would have to unlock your Soul Song and show your dedication to the Empire here in Skyisle," Kliss mulled. "Then apprentice under a Mage in Agamemnon and declare a Vow to the Empire as its Citizen. Then, travel to Cessna or another Imperial city with an Academy, graduate and upgrade your Citizen's Vow to that of an Overseer."

"Wow! How exciting!" I clapped. "At what age did you begin your path to becoming our noble Overseer?"

"I swore the Citizen's Vow when I was seven," Kliss said, "and graduated from the Academy three weeks ago at seventeen."

"Darn, I'm already five years behind you then," I complained.

"The path to become an Overseer is not to be rushed," Kliss said, tapping her armacus. "Only those who have proven themselves are granted a license to bear an armacus as it is a very expensive, specialized, custom tool designed by the greatest artificers in our Empire!"

"What can we do to prove ourselves to the Empire?" Delta asked, playing along with what I was doing. "Could someone like me apprentice under you for the glory of Equality?"

Kliss stared at Delta.

Gold sparks danced along the Vow's thread towards her superior temporal gyrus in the dominant cerebral hemisphere. The Vow was clearly communicating with the Overseer.

"One of the Enemies of Equality," Kliss said, twitching. "Arch-Priest of false Goddess Ishira, Giovashi Incandictia Skyisle... is hiding somewhere in Skyisle. She must be brought to justice for her crimes. Help me find her and I will reward you with a letter of recommendation signed by the Overseer of Skyisle and a silver pin of Equality to wear on your lapel!"

"If I see her, I swear to report her location to you right away," I said. I wasn't lying. Giovashi was dangerous. If the Equality Overseer took her down it would be one less local enemy for me to deal with.

"Likewise," Delta affirmed.

Gold threads flickered from the Vow targeting the Overseer's mouth. Her lips stretched into a wide smile.

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"Such goodly children!" she said. "Much more cooperative than your parents!"

"Our... parents?" I asked, my heartbeat accelerating as I became concerned that Kliss hurt mom or dad. "What did our parents do?"

"Your parents have been fed lies to by Giovashi Incandictia! I... put them to sleep because they would not cooperate with me. Sadly, Cassandra and Georgi worship a false Goddess," Kliss hissed, waving her armacus. "Ishira - the deceiver of men, weaver of lies! Ishira's Priestesses use Charisma magic to deceive people into surrendering their Skills. They terrify the people into submission with false doomsday prophecies, which they themselves enforce!"

"Does Goddess Equality not require a Sacrifice of a Skill to make the Citizen's Vow?" I asked.

Kliss twitched.

"No," she said after a deep pause.

"Really?" I pressed.

"What did you sacrifice when you were seven?" Delta asked.

"Love," Kliss replied.

"Love?" I arched an eyebrow.

"I sacrificed my... ability to love," Kliss replied. "I didn't have any Skills at seven. My Soul Spark was... dim. The Inquisitor of Equality enforced the [Pact] between me and the Goddess."

"Is love not important to protect humanity?" Delta tilted her head.

"N... nno," Kliss twitched. "Close friendship, infatuation, family... they are... distractions. I serve a far greater mission and will remain celibate until my heart stops and my Goddess embraces my soul in heaven."

Gold sparks danced across the Vow's threads. "A servant of the empire must not be afflicted with such... unnecessary emotions..." Kliss added with a shudder. "It was for the Greater Good of Humanity. [The Sacrifice of Love] was but a small price to pay. Each Vow ensures that the Overseers are absolutely devoted to the Law and serve the Empire selflessly. You must understand that I am Skyisle's only capable protector and without me this village is doomed."

"Doomed how?!" Delta demanded.

Kliss spun the dial of the armacus to the Truth rune. My three Infoscopes shot towards the armacus, dissecting the released Truth-spell and disarming the [Truth] part of it before it struck Delta. I nearly keeled over from mental exhaustion. My eyes began to water.

LV 88 spells were painfully hard to break. Thankfully, my Infoscopes could work together and all three of them were stacked with [Modify LV 20]. It was similar to how three LV 2 Blood Elks could take down a LV 8 Hogbeast when they worked together with coordination like my spell-tools did.

"Are you an aberration, Destiny?" Kliss asked my sister, emerald eyes focused on silver-blue.

"No," Delta lied.

"Is your brother an Astral Phantom?"

"Of course he's not!" Delta lied.

"Will you swear to serve and obey me to save your parents and every person in Skyisle? Will you help me protect this village?"

"Yes!" Delta nodded vigorously. "I swear, I will do whatever it takes to save the people of Skyisle and my parents, Overseer!"

"Good," Kliss relaxed ever so slightly.

The kids in the classroom stared at our interaction with amazement, their eyes wide.

"That goes for the rest of you, novitiates," Kliss said, looking over the classroom. "If any of you discover where Giovashi is hiding, report it to me."

Everyone present nodded at Kliss.

"Overseer, why is our village doomed? Is it... the Valley of Death?" Delta asked.

"Yes and also, no," Kliss sighed. "Your foolish mother made a blood pact with Arch-Priestess Giovashi, created a prophecy with your mother's blood sacrifice."

"W-what?" Delta stammered. "What kind of a prophecy?"

"An apocalyptic end to Skyisle, a disaster caused by... you, Destiny Alana Skyisle."

"WHAT?!" Delta and I declared at once, our voices entwined.

The class clamored, thirty pair of eyes focused on Delta and I.

"No, I... I would never..." Delta said, her face askew. "I love Skyisle!"

"Fear not! I will NOT let it come to pass," Kliss declared. "I will not leave Skyisle, will not abandon its people to the foul machinations of Ishira. I am the hand of Equality and I will make sure that this prophecy is destroyed."

"H-how?" Delta decried. "I don't understand! Why in the Astral would I destroy Skyisle?!"

"Giovashi is the one who made the Prophecy, her life and magic enforces it," Kliss said. "As long as that wicked witch lives, her insidious spell will incrementally set you on a future path from which there will be no turning. Somehow, in some unexpected way, perhaps completely unintentionally... you, Destiny, will kick a metaphorical rock that will set off an avalanche that will doom everyone in Skyisle."

"I... I..." Delta hyperventilated. "What... if I leave Skyisle?"

"The spell will make you return," Kliss shrugged. "Perhaps, your own mother will send you a letter and beg for help."

"What if I throw myself into the Valley of Death, break my neck against the rocks?!" Delta growled. "What if I drown in a river? What if a Blood Elk eats me?!"

"You'll turn into an Astral Phantom or perhaps return as an angry ghoul," Kliss said. "The only way to stop a divine Prophecy is to kill its speaker."

Delta collapsed onto the table, tears of frustration sparkling in her eyes.

"Why does Giovashi want me to destroy Skyisle?" My sister asked, as the remnants of the Truth-spell tugged at her lips.

"So that she can collect Vows from everyone here and act like a saviour and a hero," Kliss explained. "For example, if you turn into a ghoul, Giovashi will be the one to put you out of your misery."

"Oh," Delta sniffed.

"There was a dragon attack in Skyisle 12 years ago," Kliss looked across the class. "The scorched forest is still blackened by the cursed effulgence of dragonfire, nothing grows there."

"I was here when it happened," Instructor Wiklogg said. "Giovashi used the disaster to collect Vows from everyone to drive the dragon away."

"I've researched the matter before I came to Skyisle. From what I learned, a woman with a single eye struck a deal with the Basq. Basq hunters drove the dragon towards Skyisle. It's a pity that I wasn't here, was but a child myself twelve years ago," Kliss said.

"Bloody hells," Kovac exhaled.

"Study hard, awaken your Soul Spark," Kliss said, her emerald eyes striking one student after the other. "Help me save Skyisle."

"I will," Kovac declared. "I swear it!"

"I will!" Other pupils resounded all around us.

I saw that the Overseer had won the love of the new generation of Skyisle in one swift move, converted nearly everyone present to the side of Equality.

"I will," Delta and I said, pretending to join the crowd of enraptured 12 year olds.