Son of the Hero King

The appearance of this only letter was akin to thunder and lightning roaring in his mind. No sooner did this happen that even the sky above him seemed to shake, dark clouds gathered and rain threatened to fall while a powerful wind picked up.

Milia could feel terrible pressure exercising on her shoulders. It was a power filled with a terrible thirst and a desire for absolute destruction as if it wished to bring everything to an absolute end.

At the same time, it was a power filled with warmth and joy that brought life and happiness wherever it went.

Such a contradiction in intent should not be possible but here it was. Something that should be impossible. Something that should not exist in this world.

Faced with this strange and inexplicable phenomenon, Milia did not feel fear or danger.

All she felt was a deep exhilaration once she understood that this event was caused by none other than herself, her lord, and her love.

Her eyes shone with deep love and fanatical loyalty as she finally started her vow,

“I, Milia, leader of the Crown’s Shadow and fervent servant, come on this day with a new vow of allegiance.”

Unlike the Lust contract where the two participants swore their love to each other and lived as equals, the Pride contract was a one-sided pact where one side swore his loyalty and allegiance to the other.

The higher the feeling of subordination the deeper the pact was and the more power could be obtained from it.

“Milia, what are your vows?”

Milia, ignoring the raging wind and the dark cloud above her, took a knee on the soft ground and placed it above her chest.

“I swear to serve and protect you, my lord, to be loyal and true in all matters, and to uphold the honor and dignity of your name and household.”

The magical circle born from the call of the world started to shine brightly. It did not change into the pink hue that came when he did the Lust contract but rather a powerful and regal purple.

“I pledge to you, my lord, my sword, my strength, and my loyalty. I will defend you and your lands with all my heart and skill, and I will uphold your honor and commands above all else.”

Milia spoke, her voice stronger and faster but each time her vow became stricter,

“I vow to you, my lord, unyielding loyalty, unbreakable resolve, and unwavering courage. I will shield you from harm, and honor your name until my last breath.”

Each time she spoke, purple chains would appear and bind her to Sol. This vow was one that would bind their soul forever in a way beyond anything. The strength of her vow was already such that it could be said to have been extremely rare even when scouring through annals of history.

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But Milia would not stop here, she refused to stop for the previous vows could not cover the height and depth of her loyalty.

“I pledge my body, heart, and life to you, my lord. In your service, I give all that I am. I will stand with you in the darkest of times, offering my strength and my will. Your cause shall be my purpose, and your well-being my highest priority, until the end of my days and even beyond.”

Sol frowned but he did not speak as Milia lifted her head and looked at him, her eyes shining in a deep purple light even as the chains coiled around her heart. Those words were her deepest thought and she decided that she would serve him even after death by becoming an undead if it was necessary. Stopping her now would be an insult to her loyalty and her devotion.

When she realized that Sol would not stop her, Milia let out a sigh of relief and placed down her second knee before lowering herself as her front touched the muddy ground. Rain was already falling but she had no care for such things.

“Finally, I offer not only my body, heart, and life, but also my eternal soul and unwavering faith, O my Lord. As your humble servant, I dedicate every fiber of my being to your divine will. My existence shall be but a vessel for your divine purpose, and my faith in your righteousness shall guide me through all eternity.”

Lightning flashed in the sky as a new chain flew at Milia and entered deep into her body, holding and restraining her soul. This was not just a vow to a lord but one to a god.

At this very moment, if Sol so wished, only one thought from him was sufficient to extinguish her soul or change her into a puppet with absolutely no will. This went beyond any Pride contract recorded or not and might be the only such contract even in the future.

“Milia, do you stand by your words?”

“I do.”

“Will you become my shadow?”

“I will.”

“Even if my desires go against yours?”

“Your will is my will.”

“Even if I become the enemy of the world?”

“Your enemies are my enemies. If following you is a sin…Then I will gladly become a sinner.”

Sol smiled softly. What could feel better than knowing that you had someone who would give their everything to you?

Once again, he realized that his true blessing was not because of all the power but rather all the people he had around him.

A sword made of golden light appeared in his hand and he placed the blade against her shoulder

[Bestow her name.]

The magical circle moved as the last step of the ceremony was reached. Sol gave a look at Milia,

“What name do you wish for?”

Milia smiled. She had no need to think deeply. She had no need for a pompous name or a very important-sounding one. She simply needed one name.

“Lunaria.”

Since Sol wished for her to be the shadow of his light, then her name would represent the moon that could only shine by using the light of the sun. Sol could only be more moved as he understood the meaning behind this name.

“Henceforth, I, Sol Dragona Luxuria, as your lord, your love, and your god, will shoulder the weight of your life and your eternal soul and bestow you the name Lunaria. Do you accept it?”

“I do.”

—And so the ceremony ended as both Sol and Milia’s souls were tied down together. For all eternity.