"Right this way, sir. I have prepared the contract."
The guide gestured Ronan towards him.
Ronan saw a piece of paper with runes engraved on it.
"That's a slave contract," Ronan noted.
"That is correct, sir. We offer some of the best slave contracts out there."
Before the guide could continue, Ronan stopped him.
"Prepare a mana contract instead."
"A… mana contract?"
The man looked at Ronan with confusion etched on his face.
"That is correct," Ronan answered. "I don't need a high-ranking one. A tier 2 mana contract will do for now. If you have a tier 3, however, that would be even better."
"I understand that, sir. And I can definitely get you a tier 3 mana contract… It's just unusual." The guide paused. "People usually opt for slave contracts. They're far more–"
"Restrictive?"
The guide coughed.
"Well, to be blunt, yes."
Shaking his head, Ronan replied.
"That's true. I have my reasons, however."
The man seemed to understand, and he didn't ask any more questions.
Turning and walking towards the exit, the guide left the room.
It was just Ronan and Aura now.
Behind him, chains rustled slightly.
"Oi."
Ronan turned.
Aura was looking at him with a conflicted expression on her face. Gone was the ferocious, animalistic girl from before.
"Yes?"
"You're not using a slave contract?"
Aura's voice cut through the empty room.
Ronan shook his head as he took a seat on the chair behind him.
"I am not."
"...Why?"
Aura's expression didn't betray anything. She was suspicious, and it showed.
"Because I would rather have you trust me. I told you, didn't I? I am your ally."
That wasn't completely true.
Yes, I did want her to be my ally in this situation, but if it weren't for the specific circumstances, I would have turned her into my slave without a second thought.
The reason I couldn't was due to Aura's bloodline. High-blood demons had blood that naturally rejected slavery runes.
While the contract would work on her for a while, her bloodline would naturally reject it, and within months, the slavery contract would wear off.
You saw high elf slaves, dwarven leaders turn into slaves, and even low-tier demons were slaves to some. But highblood demons? Their blood didn't allow it.
But Aura didn't have to know my reasoning.
"My ally?" Her eyes narrowed. Then, ever so slightly, her lips curled upwards. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that?"
Ronan didn't immediately respond.
"I never expected that from you," Ronan said. "You can think whatever you want. But my intentions are as I say. If I want you as my ally, I cannot make you my slave. That much is obvious."
Aura's brows furrowed.
"That doesn't make any sense."
"What doesn't?"
"You bought me."
Ronan hummed.
"That I did."
"And now you want to give me a choice?"
"Yes."
Silence stretched out.
Aura stared at Ronan incredulously. It was as if he were speaking a different language.
"...Why?"
"I told you, didn't I? I can't expect you to be a slave and also be an ally."
"No…" Aura paused. "Why do you want me as your ally?"
Ronan met her gaze.
"For the same reason you're still alive."
Purple eyes hardened. Aura stared at him.
"...Explain."
"Because." Ronan pointed at her. "You're strong."
He paused.
"Even now, you haven't broken. You haven't submitted to anyone. You didn't try to adapt to this environment."
Aura sneered.
"You act as if know me."
"I know enough."
Aura's eyes narrowed in suspicion as the chains bound her.
"That doesn't answer anything at all," she replied. "You knew about my mother. You knew about what happened to me – the teleportation."
Her voice dropped low.
"How? No one should know that, especially not–"
"–A human?"
Ronan finished her sentence.
Aura's eyes widened.
She didn't move. Didn't breathe.
Her eyes locked onto him, searching for answers.
"What did you just say?"
"Maybe I should make it clearer for you then–"
Ronan got up from his chair and walked closer to her cage.
Each step felt heavy.
He crouched in front of her cage.
"–demon."
The air instantly tightened.
Aura's fingers curled into fists, and the faint sound of metal chains scraping against the floor could be heard.
"That's a dangerous accusation," she hissed.
But instead of getting defensive, Ronan chuckled.
"Aura, I know about your mother. I know about how she teleported you out of the demon domain because you were attacked by elves. I know they killed your family, and I know your mother spent all her mana teleporting you here, along with a powerful artifact that allows you to disguise yourself without being detected."
Aura's pupils shrank, and a number of emotions flickered in her eyes. Confusion, dread, fear.
"...How?"
Ronan ignored the question.
"Don't worry, I can tell what you're thinking. I will not tell anyone, nor do I care if you're a demon or not. I'm not so superficial to think a whole race of beings can be inherently evil."
It was true that demons did succumb to their sins easier, but that didn't mean the whole race was evil.
Ronan honestly believed humans were worse.
Ronan continued.
"You're a high-blood demon, hiding in the eastern continent ruled by humanity. You don't belong here, Aura."
Aura spoke.
"Who are you?"
"That question again," Ronan sighed. "You're asking the wrong question, Aura."
"Then what should I be asking?! You seem to know all my secrets! You even know my name, which I never gave to you!"
"You should be asking if you can afford to walk away from the opportunity I am presenting you."
"Opportunity?" Aura scoffed. "You just laid out all my secrets bare. All I'm seeing is an opportunity for me to get exposed."
"Yet you're still here. No one knows. Do you seriously think I would tell you all of this if I intended to expose you?"
Aura couldn't answer.
Ronan continued.
"I'm the only person in the human kingdom who knows what you are. And I intend to keep it that way, so you don't need to worry."
"How can I trust you?"
"Tell me, Aura, do you have any other choice?"
Aura's expression shifted. Her face no longer held the anger it had before.
"So, what do you want?"
"You."
Aura's expression hardened.
"No, not like that," Ronan said with a laugh. "I want you. I want you to become my ally, as I said."
Aura paused.
"And if I refuse?"
"Then you stay here, in this cell. I will leave, and you will never see me again."
Ronan stepped closer.
"But if you join me, I'll give you an escape. I'll help you get revenge, should you want it, and I'll give you a chance to change your current reality."
"...You're insane," she muttered.
"That doesn't change your situation."
Aura exhaled.
"Fine."
As soon as she said that, a familiar bell rang in Ronan's head.
[Character: Aura]
Race: Highblood Demon
Status: Alive (Contracted)
Condition: Malnourished / Mana Sealed
[Affection]: -14 (Unfriendly)
[Trust]: -31 (Suspicious)
[Loyalty]: 0 (None)
Thoughts about you: Very suspicious. Doesn't know how you know what you know, but doesn't think you'll tell her if she asks. She is willing to cooperate with you if it gets her out of this hellhole.