Whistling a cheerful tune, Grey walked lightly down the stairs. His mood was unusually good.
Not only had he made it through the difficult conversation with the madam unscathed, he had also gained far more than he originally expected. He had been forgiven for acting on his own, allowed to carry out all his ideas, and even given a hint that would undoubtedly help him in the future.
Truly wonderful! Who said the madam was difficult to deal with? After their conversation, Grey came to the conclusion that she was a wonderful person and very easy to talk to.
Lost in his euphoria, he failed to notice when he walked straight into Monica.
The red-haired woman leaned against the railing, watching the staircase with a mix of concern and impatience that instantly turned into a sincere smile when she saw the carefree Grey.
"How did the conversation go, little mouse?" she asked when he accidentally buried his face in her chest. "Did the madam scold you badly?"
Monica immediately took advantage of the situation to stroke his hair. Although Grey liked the softness and affection, he still pulled away, finding her actions slightly inappropriate and embarrassing.
"Everything went well, Aunt Monica. Thank you for your concern," he replied politely.
She let out a relieved sigh, as if his answer had freed her from worry. Then she carefully looked Grey up and down, as though checking whether he had already managed to get himself into trouble. Once she confirmed the boy was unharmed, clean, and didn't look depressed, she finally relaxed.
"You're not hungry?" she asked with exaggerated strictness.
"No. There's nothing for you to worry about," Grey shook his head, but at that exact moment his stomach betrayed him with a loud growl.
The red-haired woman immediately shoved a loaf of still warm bread, a jug of milk, and a jar of berry jam into his arms, completely ignoring his objections.
"If you don't want it yourself, treat your guests. They definitely won't refuse. After a bath, cold milk and a snack before sleep are just perfect," she gave him a conspiratorial wink and added with light irony, "Maybe your generosity will earn you a few points. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky."
Grey nearly choked on his own saliva when he heard her last sentence.
"Why does every second person today think I'm some horny womanizer? Did you do something while I was asleep?" he grumbled under his breath.
"Get used to it. The older you get, the more people will tease you. I'm afraid your detached image won't last long if you keep blushing after every little joke," Senior replied quietly.
Grey chose to stay silent.
He accepted the food from Aunt Monica's hands, sincerely thanked her, and hurried on his way. The boy disappeared into the corridor while Monica watched after him with a soft, almost helpless sigh. Even she herself couldn't fully understand her true feelings.
"Hey, you should be gentler with her," Senior remarked once the red-haired woman disappeared from sight. "Didn't you wonder why she was standing by the stairs while everyone else was working? Or how much money she spent buying all that food? You know better than anyone how much she earns... Would it really kill you to let her ruffle your hair a little or chat with her for a bit?"
Junior fell silent again. Not because he wanted to ignore him... he simply didn't know what to say.
His relationship with Monica was strange and confusing even to himself. On one hand, he appreciated her sincere care. It felt pleasant, even comforting. But on the other, he didn't want to feel her "almost motherly" affection. She wasn't his mother... and never would be.
He didn't even want to think about it, so he changed the subject. "Don't forget, we still need to talk to the new subordinates and explain our plans to them. It's time to start acting. I can't wait any longer."
"Suit yourself." Senior didn't insist further.
After gathering everyone he could trust at least a little, Grey lit a candle and placed it on the floor just as Senior had advised, "for the atmosphere." He didn't fully understand what a candle had to do with trust between them, but he decided to give it a try anyway.
A few minutes later, his friends and potential allies gathered in the small but cozy room where he had been living lately. Most of them sat directly on the floor since there weren't enough seats.
Right now, there were seven people in the room.
Aileen and Irene obediently sat behind their brother, who had been trying very hard to maintain a calm and serious expression ever since signing the contract. The girls understood perfectly well that this exaggerated seriousness was his way of trying to impress the new leader.
Sheryl nervously shifted in place, tugging at the hem of her dress. She wasn't used to gatherings with so many people.
Hope could barely keep her eyes open. The girl had practically been asleep already when Grey announced that everyone needed to gather.
And Lily... well, Lily remained herself. Lazily sprawled across the bed, she looked at the others with an amused little smile, as though she were watching some entertaining show. The only things missing from the image were popcorn and a pair of 3D glasses.
Grey cleared his throat dryly and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Thank you for coming despite the late hour," he began, trying to sound calm. "Help yourselves to the bread and jam. Aunt Monica made it and... well... she'll be very upset if we don't eat anything."
He let out a short breath, trying to suppress his sudden stage fright. Unlike Senior, Junior was a closed-off person. The only peer he had ever truly spoken "from the heart" with was his twin sister. A rather poor social background for someone who was supposed to lead a small group.
Still, as a leader, he had to unite everyone, so he forced himself to continue.
"Many of you don't know each other. That's why I gathered everyone here. I want all of you to introduce yourselves and talk about your past, dreams, and goals. That way it'll be easier for us to understand one another. I suppose I'll go first."
He said it all in one breath, as though reading from a script.
"My name is Alexander Greyrot. My friends call me Grey. I was born into a noble family, but that no longer matters. I lost everything dear to me in a single day and was left alone, without support or family. That's how I ended up in slavery together with Sheryl and Lily."
He spoke calmly, as though retelling someone else's story that had nothing to do with him. Yet everyone could feel the stubbornness and pride of someone who had faced failure far too many times.
"Even though I'm a powerless cripple and can't develop, I'm not planning to give up. I also want to live a long and happy life. I want power and status. My cellmates... ahem, ahem... former cellmates can confirm that I'm willing to tear the earth apart to achieve my goals. Even if my actions sometimes seem rather... insane. I know for certain that without effort, there's no reward."
"I studied a lot. Geography, history, politics. I know the basics of runic magic and I'm familiar with many paths of development. I tried developing as a Roman expert, a specialist, a runic knight, and a mage. I fell and failed again and again, but I'm proud of that. Why? Because no matter how many times I fell, I always stood back up and tried again."
Slowly, he raised his left hand, showing a small bracelet decorated with colorful beads. Every bead differed in color, shape, and aura. It was obvious the bracelet had worn down over time, yet it hadn't lost its charm.
"This bracelet is the most valuable thing I own... Every bead reminds me of someone important. The two silver ones..." he faltered as he squeezed them between his fingers, "...are dedicated to my mother and sister. I don't know what happened to them, but I'll do everything I can to find them."
An odd silence settled over the room after his unexpected honesty.
No one understood why Grey had decided to share something so personal, yet his attitude left an unforgettable impression on them.
"I gathered you here so we could become a real team, a group of like-minded people ready to help one another. We live in a world of the strong, yet we ourselves are terribly weak. To survive, to achieve our goals, all of us need help. And I hope each of you will become a comrade and loyal friend to the others. Honesty is the first step toward forming such strong bonds."
At last, he finished his heartfelt speech, allowing his words to settle into everyone's minds.
Although Grey hadn't been completely honest, most of what he said was sincere. Lack of trust wasn't the main reason he hid his true identity as the prophesied "harbinger of darkness." That knowledge wouldn't benefit them. It would only bring danger.
For the start of their cooperation, revealing his background and motives was enough.
Unexpectedly, Sunny was the next to speak. The way he looked at Grey had become more respectful.
"My name is Sunny. Even though my father is the leader of a local gang, I'm just a street rat, a beggar, and a pauper. My life is worthless. The only people I care about are Aileen and Irene. I don't want them to get hurt. That's why I have to become strong. It was my mother's last wish. And I... I'll fulfill it no matter what."
Sunny's speech was short, and his introduction brief, yet everyone in the room could feel the powerful determination hidden behind his simple words.
Aileen and Irene exchanged a glance and followed their brother's example.
"We don't want to be a burden," they said in unison.
No backstory. No motivation. They even forgot to say their names. And yet their confident answer fanned a small spark inside everyone's hearts.
"M-My name is Sheryl," the rabbit girl introduced herself timidly. "Sheryl has been a slave her whole life. Sheryl wants to become strong so she'll never be separated from her mother again and stop being afraid."
"I'm Hope, and I want revenge," the half-asleep Hope said, a spark flashing in her eyes. Maybe it was only the reflection of the candlelight... or maybe it was something more.
No one asked who she wanted revenge on or why. Everyone already understood how terrible her past had been.
Once everyone finished introducing themselves, their gazes turned toward the last person who had remained silent.
Lily, the young succubus hidden from prying eyes by Lydia's magic, suddenly felt the weight of everyone's attention on her for a brief moment. Thanks to her innate abilities, she could physically sense their impatience and desire to hear her story as well. Those emotions surged so vividly and intensely that they nearly overwhelmed her, someone unaccustomed to such powerful outbursts.
For a moment, just a single moment... she almost gave in to that contagious impulse...
But she restrained herself after sensing strange curiosity coming from Grey.
As a sign of "gratitude," she rewarded him with a sly smile and introduced herself as well.
"Every lady should have her secrets, shouldn't she?" she said while fluttering her eyelashes like an innocent little girl. "My name is Lily, and I shared a cage with Sheryl and Grey. I don't mind joining your little conspiracy if you agree to leave me at least some privacy..."
Grey clapped his hands again, deciding to ignore her eccentricity.
"Everyone is allowed to have their own secrets," he said calmly, catching the gazes of those gathered around him. "As long as your secrets don't threaten everyone else, you aren't obligated to share them."
"If everyone agrees with that statement," he continued with a faint smile, "then we can move on to a more specific discussion. To increase trust within the group, I'd like to suggest that everyone sign a contract of secrecy, non-aggression, and mutual support."
He swept his gaze across the room.
"I already made similar agreements with Sunny, Aileen, and Irene."
"That's true," the boy confirmed with a nod.
After receiving confirmation, Grey cast a brief glance toward Lily, who was one of the main reasons he had come up with this contract in the first place.
Witch contracts were not limited to two parties. He possessed a group version whose conditions applied to every signer.
By proposing this solution, he was killing three birds with one stone.
First, just as he had said, it would strengthen trust within the group, something extremely important when everyone had only just met.
Second, it would guarantee his safety from the most unstable element among them, namely Lily. He didn't want her revealing his true identity.
Although Grey had saved her life and sincerely considered her a close friend, the teachings of the villagers had taught him that demons could change their moods as quickly as the wind changed direction. It was better to have guarantees.
And finally, he could clearly demonstrate his attitude toward the little witch Hope, who still remained closed-off, distant, and even frightened.
There was nothing unnatural about her behavior.
She had just witnessed her mother being burned alive at the stake. It was only natural for her to see enemies even within her own shadow. That was why Grey didn't object when she chose to keep her identity a secret, fearing betrayal and rejection from the others.
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Author's Note:
Hey, guys. Sorry for the delay with the chapter releases. I simply couldn't connect to the internet during that time. The problem seems to be fixed now, and I hope I'll be able to return to daily chapter uploads.
Also, please don't forget to leave reactions after reading: likes, comments, reviews. All of that is really important both for the algorithms and for me personally. The more active you are, the more I understand that my book is actually interesting to someone.