Chapter 86 - [Bonus ] Named In The List

<Row, row, row your boat. Gently down the stream~

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. Thug life is not a dream~>

A gun floating in the middle of the boat sang. Joren looked at it with a darkened expression while Kidrith with confusion.

"Your weapon… it's bizarre…" there were so many things she wants to say, yet, this was the first to come out of her mouth.

<Row, row, row you-!>

"What's the big idea revealing yourself to Kidrith after all extra measurements we had just to hide you..!?" Joren snatched the gun and intimidatingly asked, "Are you lying to me?"

<No! I can't reveal myself to others, that's still important!>

"They're communicating…" Kidrith dumbfoundedly watched this scene.

"If that's so, what are you doing right now?"

Joren tightly gripped the gun.

<I'm not playing you here! Kidrith is not part of the others!>

Both Joren and Kidrith looked with puzzlement. The latter doesn't know the context but knew that it's normal to treat her as an outsider since they've only just met.

"... what do you mean?" Joren asked, letting the gun go.

<You still haven't checked your Bitchlist yet, have you?>

"B-bitchlist?"

Hearing that God-awful naming, Joren immediately understood that the gun is referring to a feature of the system. Turning on his stat points, before he looked into this 'Bitchlist', "Ah-!" he heard Kidrith shrieked.

Joren questioningly glanced at her to which she apologized.

"S-sorry for being jumpy but that thing came out of nowhere and… surprise me.." Kidrith pointed towards Joren but it wasn't surely him that startled her.

He looked back and saw nothing there. Just the vast river within the dimly litted cave that's enveloped by an unnerving silence.

"No, not there, here."

Kidrith reached out and hesitatingly touched the system screen before finding out her fingers went through.

"Hm?"

Both Joren and Kidrith were confused by different things at the same time.

<Of course, she can see it. She's named in the Bitchlist, making her part of the system now.>

"I'm part of that insulting list?" Kidrith doesn't know what that is but just from the word itself, she doesn't like being a part of it.

"Wait, slow down, let me look!"

Joren frowned and browsed through the system. Currently, there's the mission tab, stats tab, and a newly unlocked tab, the Bitchlist.

With hesiation, Joren went into this tab with a stupid name.

[Name: Kidrith

Race: Half-Fury

Title: Joren's Bitc-]

Joren immediately closed the tab before Kidrith could read it.

"Tell me… how did that happen?"

He solemnly asked the gun.

<The Gangsta System has a lot of features and Bitchlist is among them. Your pace is going to fast that I haven't yet to completely introduced the Gangsta System, you're already meeting up with one of the enemy bosses. You're very lucky, you survived.>

Kidrith asked, however, it's not only Joren's luck that got him out of there. There's just something within him that's innately able to accomplish these things. If not, then he have already used up all his life's luck and it wouldn't be weird if he just died because of a heart attack at the next moment.

<Kidrith was automatically registered as your Bitch->

Both Joren and Kidrith's faces twitched, creating an awkward atmosphere while the gun continues without noticing this or it just doesn't care.

<- once she internally accepted to be yours.>

Kidrith's face suddenly lit up red while Joren took a more serious reaction.

"In what sense that she's mine?"

<Not completely in heart yet, but it seemed she's complacent to being your property. At least that's what the system qualifies as beings your Bitch.>

"Wait, how do you know that!?" Kidrith frantically reacted, making the boat wobble.

"So, it's true?"

Joren raised an eyebrow.

"..." Kidrith lowered her head in embarrassment, "Yes, I accept serving you and being considered your possession." she confessed after some hardships.

Joren seemed unmoved but internally, fireworks have set off.

"Alright, but what made you choose this?"

"What made me choose this? Uhm… I was just taking up your offer." Kidrith looked around before realizing, "Or, are you not serious about that? When you said that you would be a better owner?"

'Ah, that…' Joren remembered he did say that out of heat. It's not a lie but it's not an invitation as well. He's just expressing how bad Hades is in being their master and all.

"So, is it a misunderstanding on my part? Well, that was embarrassing-"

"No," Joren cut her off, "The offer is wide open."

"..." Kidrith then nodded after some pause.

"I don't need an oath but I just want to make sure, this is what you want." Joren requested which the gun intercepted.

<Come on, Joren, Why are you being hesitant? The girl is offering herself to you, what's there to decline?>

Joren glanced at the gun before answering.

"This is a matter of life and death. This is not just about following or serving me, she's saying she will become my possession like how Hades owned her. Once my possession, I treat it as my possession. I will never take no for an answer. What I want, you want. My word is your world." Joren began directing his words towards Kidrith halfway with a solemn tone.

"If I want you dead, you will die for me. Whatever I do to your body, you will never resist. There will be nothing I do that's against your will. In other words, a slave. That's what it means."

<I think… that's a little extreme…>

"I'm giving you a chance to reconsider. I will not disagree with anything you say. We can be friends or just acquaintances after this. But if you say you want to be my possession, that's equivalent to forfeiting your life to me."

Kidrith was stunned by Joren's words. She gave it a thought and pondered. After going through the situation and the second choice, Kidrith has come to a conclusion.

"All my life, I've been following orders. Although I'm self-sufficient, I'm already programmed to rely on someone of a higher status. I have no free will of my own but that's never my concern. I just don't feel alive doing the same thing every single day for the rest of my life."

She answered which doesn't answer anything. Kidrith then continued.

"Hades have never concerned himself with the servants. He must've been thinking that we're living the paradise from what we can see. Living in fear is better than living in repitition, I believe. And, at your offer or, even without it…" Kidrith looked at Joren with determination, "Can I be yours?"

"I feel like I'm going to regret this but not only am I grateful to you and respect you, but you're kind enough to give me a chance. Furthermore," Kidrith then smiled, "I think following you will be exciting."

"Then, isn't following me enough?" Joren raised the question.

"No, after some thinking, that wouldn't be enough. I don't have the initiative and easily give up on my own. In short, I'm a coward. If I have the choice to turn my back, I'm afraid I will. So, while this decision is frightening, I have to stand on my two feet on this one before I rely on you… do you understand?"

"Not at all." Joren shook his head to which Kidrith smiled as she leaned forward.

"Well, you're not a coward, after all. You don't understand me but you're getting out of your way to warn me beforehand, I think you'll be a good owner!"

"You're overpraising me…"

"No, I'm not and…" Kidrith looked around and told, "Do you know that the River Styx is also a place where Gods swear as their most binding oath?"

"I thought you can swear anytime, anywhere?"

"Yes, but this one is a bit more formal and effective. I don't know the details myself but they say that they are not only swearing their names on the line but also their soul as the River Styx connects Gaia and Hades."

"Is that so… well, if you've made your mind, make an oath so that there will no chance you can turn back."

Joren waited for Kidrith. She doesn't know the formalities but she just said what she feels.

"Wait, can I ask first? Is Joren Vierei your real name?"

"..." Joren paused for a while before answering, "Yes, it's my real name."

<...> the gun looked at Joren with a deep gaze.

"Huu… okay. I, Kidrith, daughter of Nyx and a Half-Fury, swears upon the River of Styx to give my life and free will to the human, Joren Vierei…"

Kidrith opened her eyes when she saw the river water glow for a second and an invisible bind tied her and Joren together.

"I guess that's finished. Ehem," with a grin, Joren said his first orders, "From now on, Kidrith, you will never harm me, your master, without my permission. You will also not betray me in any shape or form. You are to never lie to me and never plan anything against me. All these will take effect even after your death."

"You're careful, huh…" Kidrith didn't have any problem with this since she didn't have the privilege to until Joren tested the weight of his words.

"Kidrith, come here."

Kidrith blinked a few times before crawling up to Joren as he asked. The ferryboat didn't tilt even though there's a shift of weight.

"W-what?"

"I'm just so happy to have someone as beautiful as you to be in my total control. This is like a dream. Now, I can do anything with a beauty like you."

"I think I'm regretting my decisions now." Kidrith nervously laughed. She thought she had readied herself but she didn't think Joren would act on it the moment the oath is done.

"You don't have the right to regret it."

Joren then leaned forward and sealed her lips. With his invasive tongue, Kidrith couldn't help but drink some of his saliva.

"Haa~"

The two of them separated and Kidrith didn't know she would learn how to kiss this way.

"You can sit down now." Joren deeply breathed, "A shame, I really want to taste you right now but I still have a woman waiting for me. I'd like to keep things consistent so I can only do a kiss right now, even though it's debatable if that's already over the line but, anyway, we're going to continue this after I settle my initial goal first."

"I don't know how to feel about that, master." Kidrith licked her lips before wiping it when she felt a little too hot, "But I guess I'm lucky that you're honest?"