Chapter 20

“What is this?”

Ruid looked at Justin, who was suffering with an absurd expression.

‘...nap? ‘Probably not.’

I felt a presence and went out, and this is what it looked like.

‘Even thinking about it again makes me uncomfortable.’

Looking at the face I didn’t really want to see, I naturally remembered something from yesterday.

After avoiding a future in which Hersy becomes a villain, I never thought he would try to launch a witch hunt against Amelia this time.

It may be an overreaction, but that part was a symbolic scene in which the main character, Justin, clearly recognizes who his enemy is.

It felt as if Amelia could also be made into a villain.

I don’t know anything else, but that is unacceptable.

So, if Justin woke up, he tried to increase the scope of the covenant oath.

however.

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.

“...?”

Ruid tilted his head.

Why on earth is he doing this?

On the outside, there is no trauma.

I was just wondering if I had fallen.

I think I need to check it properly.

Luid’s eyes flashed blue.

“Ah...”

Ruid was convinced. Justin’s own mana was hovering in his head.

It is a ‘covenant oath’ penalty.

It seems like he was desperately trying to find me.

But even taking that into account, there was something a little strange about it.

A covenant oath prevents you from breaking a promise when you make one.

And what made me not do it was ‘pain’.

For example, let’s say you made a covenant not to smoke.

Then, every time you put a cigarette in your mouth, the covenant oath instills a strong sense of fear.

Still, you lit it on fire and took a bite? Then it causes pain. The pain was so extreme that no sound could come out.

The problem is that the time is not long. The covenant oath fundamentally forces the content of the oath to be kept by giving a short and strong penalty.

However, Justin in front was like this for quite some time.

Ruid decided to take a closer look. I reached for Justin’s head.

“uh.”

Ruid was startled.

‘...Is it because I hung too much?’

I remembered hanging it in 8 stacks so that no one could unravel it.

...I think it was 8 times as powerful.

I felt eight magic circles covering Justin’s brain.

“Okay, it might be a little difficult, but what do you think? bouncer. How dare you point a finger at my sister? “It went well.”

Ruid stood up.

Let’s change the covenant oath next time.

He left Justin behind and headed back to the lake.

But it stopped after only a few steps.

Ruid looked behind him in a cold sweat.

“Aren’t you going to die like that? “Either you become a ruiner.”

That was difficult.

Ruid had no intention of replacing the main character.

I wanted to be a fool sleeping in the forest of Delrin.

More than anything, I felt uncomfortable just walking away when someone could die right in front of me.

“Ha...”

Ruid had no choice but to walk towards Justin.

He took out his wand.

‘It’s meant to be alleviation to some extent.’

I poured my magic into it.

The oath of the covenant cannot be broken.

This is magic that has been designed and used since the beginning.

I just wanted to help Justin’s spirit not break down.

‘I also change things while I’m doing it.’

Let’s also add provisions for Amelia and Hercy in exchange for their help.

‘...Let’s see.’

A complex tangle of mana strings came to mind in Justin’s mind.

The countless strings of mana were probably causing pain to Justin right now.

Ruid read what kind of pain he was causing by pouring in magic power.

‘ghost? ‘Monster?’

What Justin could see through his blurred vision were strange monsters like those seen in horror movies.

‘...is he scared of ghosts?’

The fear of the covenant oath varies from person to person. Perhaps that was the sight that Justin feared the most.

Anyway, Ruid untied the mana strings one by one to reduce the fear. Anything that looked a little dangerous was cut out.

Every time I cut it, I felt like a bunch of mana was going out. However, considering Ruid’s ocean-like magical power, it was not a big deal.

Justin urgently helped Luid up. Ruid waved his arms as if he was okay.

Justin’s eyes narrowed and trembled.

“Why... because of me? “That’s the price.”

“Whatever the reason, it was a pledge of the covenant I made – more than that, you. “Why on earth did you break your oath even while receiving payment?”

Ruid frowned.

“Originally, it would have ended as a warning that would only cause mild fear.”

Justin looked very shocked.

Sure enough, he was running away from the ghost and looking for Ruid.

I thought he might be able to save me if I asked him, a genius wizard, for help.

Justin had an expression of great self-destruction.

“...Sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. “It’s in the past anyway.”

Ruid stood up. He looked very tired.

“Justin.”

Justin couldn’t bear to raise his head.

“Do you feel sorry for me?”

“...of course.”

Justin bit his molars.

“I feel so sorry for myself, I feel like I want to die.”

Then he raised his head and shouted with determination.

“This grace, I risk my life...”

Ruid stretched out his hand. It was a gesture to stop.

“never. never. never.”

“...?”

“Don’t even think about returning the favor. “Besides that, there’s something I need your help with.”

“W-what is it?”

Justin was confused. I never imagined that Ruid would have this kind of personality.

It was Ruid who was always chic with an annoying look.

But now he is very active.

“Listen carefully.”

Gulp, Justin swallowed dry saliva.

“My sister, Hersi. And most importantly, me.”

Justin nodded thoughtfully, the three names clearly etched into his mind.

“Don’t get too close. “Don’t try to do anything, and don’t even come close.”

“...what?”

“Don’t ask me why.”

Ruid looked at his surroundings and whispered softly.

“Because if you find out, you’ll get hurt.”

“...!”

Ruid straightened his back.

“I don’t think we need to make a pact this time, Justin.”

Ruid spoke confidently, pointing at himself and then at Justin.

“Because I trust you.”

Then he turned his head and started walking away.

Justin looked at the back of Lloyd, who was walking unsteadily, for a long time.

**

“I felt some kind of tremendous magical power. “You didn’t do anything strange, did you?”

“Did the matter work out well?”

Hercy and Amelia were looking at them with concern. Ruid yawned and nodded.

“Probably for a while?”

“...Uncharacteristic of Ruid, this is a very vague answer. Anyway, let’s go eat quickly. “I will be late for my reservation time.”

“huh.”

Ruid slowly walked along Delrin’s lake.

Before leaving the lake, I looked behind me. This was where Justin was.

When Justin woke up, for a split second, I had no idea whether to threaten him or give him a warning.

Ruid’s choice was to erase the debt.

It was the best choice considering Justin’s personality.

If you’re worried about being a villain, wouldn’t it be better to be perceived as a good character instead?

So I acted to express ‘I had this hard time.’

There was no particular penalty other than the depletion of mana, but it was a huge price to pay.

Looking at Justin’s expression at the end, the operation was a success.

‘This time, let’s live our own lives.’

Ruid desperately hoped that this would be the last time.