Chapter 4: A Contract Written in Blood
After returning to the mansion, I did not waste time.
"Prepare a bath for her," I ordered the maids. "Clean her thoroughly. Dress her in standard maid attire. No insignia. When you're done, send her to my room."
The maids bowed, though surprise flashed across their faces. Lucian Valemont had never brought anyone back from outside—much less someone from the slums.
Their opinions were irrelevant.
Once alone, I entered my room and closed the door behind me.
Silence settled.
I walked to the desk and opened the lowest drawer. Beneath old documents and unused letters lay a single sheet of dark parchment. The paper itself was ancient, its surface faintly etched with runes that pulsed almost imperceptibly.
A Soul Pact Contract.
Lucian had owned it for years.
Not because he intended to use it—but because he feared it.
I took it out and sat down.
In my left hand, the contract.
In my right, a small knife.
I pressed the blade lightly against my palm. Blood welled up, warm and vivid.
I did not move.
This was not hesitation. This was judgment.
A soul pact was not loyalty bought with gold or fear. It was an absolute bond. Once formed, it could never be undone—not by distance, not by betrayal, not even by death.
If I died, the servant bound to me would die as well.
There would be no second chances.
A knock echoed at the door.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in."
The door opened quietly.
"Young master."
It was Aria.
"Close the door," I said calmly. "And come here."
She obeyed without question.
Even when she noticed the knife in my hand, she did not recoil. She closed the door, then walked toward me with steady steps.
She looked different.
The maids had done their work well. Clean clothing replaced the rags she had worn. Her skin, once dulled by dirt and exhaustion, was now pale and clear. Her black hair fell neatly down her back, still faintly damp.
Freed from filth and neglect, her features were revealed clearly.
She was beautiful.
Not in a fragile or ornamental way—but in the restrained, disciplined way of a noblewoman who had been broken and reforged.
She stopped in front of me, standing straight.
"Aria," I said evenly, "I want you to form a soul pact with me."
She did not ask why.
She did not ask the terms.
"Alright, young master," she replied.
There was no hesitation in her voice.
That alone told me I had chosen correctly.
I placed the contract on the desk between us and gestured to the markings engraved into the parchment.
I cut my palm and let my blood drip onto the section marked Master.
Without prompting, she took the knife. She sliced her hand cleanly and allowed her blood to fall onto the section marked Servant.
The parchment reacted immediately.
The runes ignited, glowing faintly as if alive. The air grew heavy, pressing against my chest. Then—
A thread of pale light emerged from my heart.
Another from hers.
The two threads intertwined, merging into a single strand before dissolving into nothingness.
The contract burned to ash.
The pact was complete.
I felt it instantly.
A presence—not intrusive, not overwhelming—but absolute. A connection that could not be severed by distance or deception.
Aria could never harm me.
And if I died—
She would die with me.
Only after the ritual ended did I speak again.
"Aria," I said calmly, "I will begin cultivating soon. The moment I do, assassination attempts may begin."
She nodded once.
"I want you to guard me."
"I will," she replied without hesitation.
"From now on," I continued, "you will act as my personal maid. You are the only person I trust at this moment."
"Do not worry, my lord," she said. "I will not disappoint you."
Her words carried weight.
For someone who had been betrayed and discarded, trust was not something to be broken lightly. Lucian Valemont had given her more than shelter or money.
He had given her a reason to exist.
"Good," I said.
"Stand guard. I'm starting now."
"Yes, my lord."
She stepped back, positioning herself near the door, senses alert.
I sat down on the floor and crossed my legs, assuming the lotus position.
"System," I said inwardly. "Show me the earlier notification."
The blue screen appeared.
[You have successfully altered Aria's fate.]
[Rewards are being calculated…]
"…Altered her fate?"
Another panel opened.
[Name: Aria]
[Age: 36]
[Mana Realm: Spirit Link Stage — High Tier]
[Fate: Early Death]
So that was it.
She had been destined to die before the story even truly began—discarded after being briefly mentioned during the early monster invasion.
No legacy.
No future.
"Show me the reward."
The screen pulsed.
[For altering fate, the host has obtained: 1,000,000 Story Points.]
For the first time since arriving in this world, my breath paused.
"…A million?"
[Confirmed.]
"How do I use them?"
[Story Points may be exchanged in the System Store.]
"Then open the System Store."
[Access denied.]
[Reason: Host lacks mana.]
I exhaled slowly.
"So I need to cultivate."
I had intended to do so regardless.
I closed my eyes and began circulating the Star Breathing Technique.
It was night.
The stars were visible.
Mana flooded toward me at an astonishing rate, drawn in by the technique like moths to flame. My body trembled—not in pain, but in adjustment.
[The host has taken the first step toward mana cultivation.]
The flow stabilized.
[Awakening Stage reached — Low Tier.]
I felt it.
The world became clearer.
Sharper.
Then another message appeared.
[Choose a path.]
[Knight]
[Mage]
I did not answer immediately.
This choice would define my future.