11 Pledge

I learned a lot from the girl. From how the new Lady of the House Westcolt brought a Priest, that's most possibly who they refer to as the Priest.

She called him a Messenger of the Great One. Because of his eloquent tongue, most people in the manor were immediately influenced. Those who weren't influenced gathered together to raise a complaint on the House Head but it's too late. The Head was already missing. When the Lady found out about those not influenced, she had them imprisoned and forced to listen to the preaches until they were eventually influenced.

Then there were others who got out of their influence but were killed by those Dark Soldiers, which explained the marks of battle back in that hall.

This girl at this dark room acted as someone influenced by them to sneak inside the Head's study room. Turns out, she is the first daughter from the Head's first Wife. The current Lady is the 3rd wife and the only wife to give birth to a son. That's why when the Head went missing, her son became the next Head but since he's still young, the Lady was helping her child holding the reins.

Ah. Such a cliched situation to find her in this manor, right? You only see this kind of situation in those fictions to introduce a new harem member.

But yeah, this is real. She's here. Unlike me, she had the idea to escape this manor and this room somehow became her current hiding spot.

This room by the stroke of luck had a faulty lock. She became afraid that she was found out when I suddenly entered which led to the situation where she had to put her weapon over my neck

"So, you want to leave?"

"Yes. I'm only an Adept-class, there's no way I can fight them."

The girl lamented her powerlessness.

If she knew I'm weaker than her and I have this gall to break into the manor, what will she think?

"Sadly, young lady. Even if you manage to leave, the whole city is now under the influence of the enemy."

"Eh?"

Confused, she never thought that even those outside will be influenced.

According to her, that Priest was only brought a week ago. He looks human so the people were not wary of him but after putting most of those inside the manor under his influence or rather the influence of who he preached for, Dark Soldiers started coming in during the night. Now there were at least a hundred of them with a few Great-class, add those who were influenced, they already held the city as theirs.

But the biggest threat was that Priest. She saw him kill the strongest Knight loyal to the House easily. He was a veteran Great Knight but he only struggled for a bit before dying under the Priest's feet.

"You know it's amazing that you can slip past them when you're just an Adept-class. Are you sure you're not just tricking me?"

There's no point tricking me since I'm weaker. There must be a reason how she dodged them. And I want to know it. It could be helpful for me on infiltrating the main manor.

"I…"

"I see. You can't tell me. Well, I guess we can't work together."

"Wait! How will I know you're not the one tricking me?"

"Let's see. I'm weaker than you. I'm not even an Adept-class."

Hearing my words the girl was surprised. It took her a few seconds to recover from it.

"Eh? Then how?"

"Like I told you, I'm a Support Character."

Confusion filled her face again. Well, I wouldn't blame her. Even if it's the 2nd time I mentioned those words, it's foreign for her.

"Explain it to me. How can I trust you if you keep things hidden from me?"

"Alright. I'm part of the Hero's Party. I'm her Support and I was given a task from her. It's to look for her other Party Members that were probably detained somewhere at the main manor."

Telling her my goal for infiltrating here, I want her to trust me. Well, even I am skeptical at trusting someone who I met in a dark room like this but her words carried her honesty.

"Hero… I see. I heard about her arrival. But…"

Though her distrust was understandable, I needed her to trust me.

"You still can't trust me? Then let's part ways here. If not for waiting for the chance to infiltrate, I wouldn't be here."

My eyes were already accustomed a bit to this darkness so after saying that I moved away from her and sat on a corner.

Soon, Yuko will gather their attention, she probably saw from her Foresight that I will use that chance to look for the other three.

If this girl couldn't trust me, then there's no point talking to her anymore. She could escape by herself along with the secret she's keeping.

Even if I wanted to force her, I'm still weaker than her so it will just backfire on me.

"I saw my mother and other relatives killed before my eyes. After that 3rd wife rose to power because of her son, she became that domineering. Father turned a blind eye. What's happening now to this Noble House is all his fault."

Suddenly I can hear the soft voice of the girl. She's telling her story, in between were the sounds of her sobbing.

"He might've died somewhere already and I don't care. When my mother couldn't give birth to a son, he took a 2nd wife and that woman couldn't give him a son as well. Soon he brought that 3rd wife of his. After giving him a son, he let her have the power she wanted."

"And now that woman brought that false Priest. Preaching about the upcoming destruction of this world. Those fools who got influenced started to do her bidding. They're taking in those Dark Soldiers like they're their own family."

"I could've died but I got the thing that cruel Father treasures the most. That woman didn't know about it. Only my Mom knew so I pretended to be influenced to get it."

I see. Even if she didn't tell me about it, I could already guess that that thing was the reason how she managed to slip past them.

That thing must've limitations, that's why she only reached up to here.

"I planned to leave and grow stronger before going back here. Staying will just mean dying futilely. So, I'll take all the chances I get. I don't know your name but if you can help me, I'll give you that 'thing'."

Ending her monologue, she drew close to me. Even in this darkness, her eyes shined brightly. It contained her hopes for the future.

This girl might be useful as another Party Member for Yuko, but I still don't know the extent of her ambition. Does she only want to take revenge?

"Alright. I'll tell you my name. And I'll promise to help you get out of here even with my meager abilities."

"You said you're a part of the Hero's Party. I decided to believe in that."

"Everything I told you was the truth. I'm not from this world. I came from the same world as the Hero. And yes, I'm a Support Character, specifically, the Hero's Support. I infiltrated here to meet up with her other Party Members. That's what I will do even without your help."

After hearing what I said, the girl fell silent. Maybe confirming if what I said was the truth.

It took two minutes before she regained composure. Her eyes still shining with hopes for her future.

"Alright I'll believe you but first, please make a pledge with me."

"Pledge?"

"It's the thing we nobles do, by pledging to 'The World', we have to honor what we stated in the pledge if not, 'The World' itself will incur punishment to whoever failed to honor it."

I see. I understood even with just that bit of information. This world can honor a pledge through 'The World' . It's like from those cultivation novels where they vowed to the heaven and if they broke it, they would be smitten by lightning.

"I see. This pledge thing, I'll do it with you."

Nodding my head to her, I stood up to show her my determination.

Seeing that, I could hear her sigh in relief.

I thought she would let me said my pledge first but being new to it, she volunteered to do it first and told me to copy it and alter it to fit the pledge I will be doing.

"I, Zerina Westcolt. 1st born of Duke Westcolt, as a noble of this House, I pledge to 'The World' that if you can promise to help me leave this place, I will give you my assistance as well as this thing, the Orb of Concealment."

She stood up and put her hand forward, when she opened her palm there's a sphere the size of a marble there. It didn't give off the brightest shine but one glance at it could tell anyone how extraordinary it is.

Upon finishing her pledge to 'The World', something appeared on top of her head like a system window which says 'Pledge Acknowledged".

Right now, this girl, Zerina. She's serious about asking for my help and giving me that Orb. I don't know what's the use of it but just from hearing its name, I guess it has the ability to conceal someone or something. That thing let her slip past the Great-class guarding the manor. But it somehow has a limitation leading to her hiding here.

Then my turn to pledge was next.

"I, Kuramoto Daisuke, a member of the Hero's Party, pledge to 'The World' that I will honor my promise of helping Zerina of House Westcolt upon successfully doing the task left to me by the Hero. To meet up with her other Party Members that were currently detained inside the main manor."

After my words ended, the same thing happened to me and within my mind a system message showed up.

[Ding! Made a pledge towards Zerina Westcolt. Failure to comply will incur punishment from 'The World' which will range from shaving Experience points up to taking away the bestowed System depending on the circumstances.]

[Ongoing Pledge: 1]

[Completed Pledge: 0]

[Completed Pledge Bonus: N/A]

Eh? This is a bit different. If I completed a pledge, it can give me a bonus. But if I fail, the punishment has the possibility of taking away my system.

This…

If there's no punishment like that, I would pledge every time I had a chance. And I guess not all pledges will be accepted. Especially if you pledge about trivial things.

"Here, Daisuke."

Having pledged to each other and with the risk of being punished by 'The World', trust started to build between us. It could be said that our fates were now entwined to each other.

Taking the Orb of Concealment from Zerina's hands, my Adaptability immediately worked its wonder.

Understanding the use of the Orb and its limitations.

"Thank you for trusting me Zerina."

"No, I'm in your care now. I will assist you Daisuke."

"Right. We have to get those 3 first. They're all Great-class, meeting up with them will increase our chances to leave this place."

"Alright. What do we need to do?"

Like a hope reignited, Zerina stood up proudly. Because of this darkness, we only recognize each other with our voice but yeah, with a voice that beautiful, it's not wrong to hope for a beauty, right?

"For now, we wait."

After I said that, hurried footsteps sounded out from outside the room.

A commotion started and hoarse voices coming from the Dark Soldiers rang out.

I couldn't quite get what they're saying but it's probably Yuko, she finally showed up.

"Err. We don't have to wait anymore. It's our time to act."

I took out the orb she had given me and with the use of World Energy, it shined a bit before a smoke-like aura wafted out of it covering both of us.

"Y-you, how did you know to use that? I haven't told you yet."

"Let's just say, it's my perk as a Support Character."

I smirked but I guess she couldn't see that.

Now's the time to meet up with them. I have to hurry so I can get back to Yuko's side and support her.