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The Kingdom of Jioral wasn't a symbol of justice. If anything, it stood for the very peak of evil.
And that truth had completely crushed Kureha's will.
But now—someone was telling her she could fight for justice again.
It was like someone had thrown her a lifeline. The light in Kureha's eyes slowly returned.
She looked nervous, but also hopeful. "Someone like me… is that really alright?"
If she could atone—if she could walk the right path again—
Even if it meant blades or fire, she would push forward without hesitation.
"Of course it's alright."
Hearing the answer she longed for, color returned to her eyes.
Kureha dropped to one knee without hesitation, lowered her head, and said, "Please… let someone like me atone."
Edgar nodded. "Sure. Just become my retainer."
Kureha paused for a moment, then whispered, "May I ask… what exactly does 'retainer' mean?"
"A retainer is basically my family."
Edgar added, "More precisely, it means you'll be reborn as a demon and serve me for life."
"Lord Edgar… you… you aren't human?"
"When did I ever say I was human?"
Edgar raised a brow. "But I'm not the kind of monster the kingdom talked about either."
"I'm a demon from another world—one of a race that can stand alongside gods."
…That was possible?
Kureha couldn't help doubting it.
After all, she had never heard of demons like that. Not once in her twenty-three years.
But… she didn't really have any other choice.
All she could do was trust him.
Right now she was like someone drowning, clinging to the last piece of floating straw.
And besides…
No matter what race she became, her heart wouldn't change.
"Alright. I'm willing to become your retainer, Lord Edgar."
Her gaze grew firm.
"Good. I like that look."
Edgar raised a finger, and golden blood welled up.
Kureha blinked. "Lord Edgar… what are you…?"
"To make you my retainer, we need to perform a rebirth rite."
"And for that, I have to mark you with my blood."
"Oh… I see."
Kureha finally understood.
Although… she had honestly never heard of a ritual like this.
But at this point, she was starting to believe him.
She took a deep breath. "Then, Lord Edgar… what should I do next?"
"It's simple."
"Mhm."
She watched him expectantly. She was genuinely curious about this whole rebirth ritual thing.
"First, take off your outer clothes."
Kureha froze, thinking she'd misheard.
"You heard right,"Edgar said. "The place where the mark goes is covered by your clothes."
After a moment of silence, Kureha raised her hands and slowly removed her outer garment.
Her generous curves relaxed without the extra layer, moving like waves.
Edgar glanced once, then let a droplet of his golden blood fall onto her white, porcelain-like skin.
"Nnh…"
A soft sound escaped Kureha's lips as her cheeks flushed scarlet. Her face felt hot.
Even as the Sword Saint, this was the first time a man had touched her like this.
It was… embarrassingly intimate.
But the moment a heart-shaped pattern appeared on her skin, everything else was pushed out of her mind.
Her blood boiled.
Every cell in her body began to change.
And then—
A strange pulse.
Her muscles shifted beneath her skin.
Two slender wings unfurled from her back.
And from under her pleated skirt, a small tail tipped with a heart-shaped end slipped into view.
"..."
Staring at the wings and tail, Kureha's eyes filled with confusion.
She… really wasn't human anymore.
On the other side.
Edgar was already absorbed in Kureha's status window.
[Kureha Clyret]
[Race: Demon]
[Master: Edgar Lucifuge]
[Level: 40]
[Skill: Sword Saint]
[Sword Saint: Born with unparalleled talent in swordsmanship, able to master any sword art with ease. The path of the sword will hold no bottlenecks for them.]
Not bad.
Reading the text, Edgar nodded in satisfaction.
Another talent that basically lets him power up without lifting a finger.
From now on…
His sword techniques were going to get way more interesting.
And also…
[Slash] and [Sword Saint] together should make a great combo.
After copying the status down, Edgar handed the parchment to Kureha.
"What's this?"
Kureha blinked, confused.
"Your stats."
Edgar gave the explanation with the ease of someone who'd done it many times.
"I see…"
Muttering under her breath, Kureha began to read through it.
It didn't take long for her to reach her skills.
"Sword Saint, huh…"
Her gaze drifted to her empty right side. She touched the place where her arm used to be, a complex emotion briefly flickering in her eyes.
Someone like her…
Could she really deserve a skill like Sword Saint?
"Oh right, I almost forgot."
Sensing her mood, Edgar immediately pulled out a vial of Phoenix Tears and let a drop fall onto her body.
"???"
Kureha stared blankly at him.
"Phoenix Tears. They can heal your arm."
Edgar explained it casually.
"Really?"
Her eyes lit up and she looked down instinctively.
Under her gaze, a faint glow bloomed where her arm had been severed. Flesh knit itself together, muscle and bone reforming as if time were reversing. Her arm grew back perfectly, restored without a single flaw.
"M… my arm… it's really healed?"
Watching the miracle, Kureha burst into tears of joy.
"Master, you've given me a chance at life again. From today onward, I will be your sharpest blade and repay the grace you've shown me."
Kureha dropped to one knee, her form of address shifting naturally.
Looks like that worked out nicely.
Edgar's eyes softened. He lifted a hand and gave her a gentle head pat. "Good. I'll be expecting great things from you."
"Mm…"
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Kureha's ears turned a little red, but her gaze stayed steady on him.
She was now her master's follower.
He'd even restored her lost arm.
Whether out of gratitude or because of their contract…
Her body and heart were destined to belong to this man.
On the side.
The Spirit of the Heart, who'd been quietly watching the whole time, clenched her tiny pink fists and muttered:
"At this rate, that Sword Saint lady is gonna get completely eaten up by Master soon."
"The Star Spirit seems a bit off."
Noren said with a half smile, "Don't tell me you're jealous?"
"All of us are Master's followers. You shouldn't be, you know."
"Hah? What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly…"
Halfway through speaking, the Spirit froze.
Wait… something really was off with her.
Almost on instinct, she glanced at Edgar's handsome face with a complicated expression.
She wasn't sure if it was jealousy.
But still—
Seeing a new follower join… definitely annoyed her a little.
Seriously? That made no sense.
Could you really catch feelings just from watching?
Images from the past few days flashed through her mind, and her cheeks turned a bright rosy pink.
"Whatever, you figure it out yourself."
Noren patted her on the shoulder, smiling. "I should get to work."
Star Spirit: "???"
Work? What work?
The royal capital was already in their hands. What else was there?
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Noren walked over to Edgar, slipped an arm around his neck, and leaned in close.
"What is it?"
"Master, you promised me something earlier."
Noren's eyes curved like silk.
"My reward."
"..."
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