“Master! I heard you summoned me, how can I be of assistance to you…aaah!” Lis cried out when she saw the state of the burned person on the bed.

Runfar sat next to her, transferring mana through her hand, keeping this person alive.

“Lis, please heal her to the best of your ability.”

Although Runfar erased her memories as the Holy Maiden of Water, Lais Lairen, she still had the blessing of the Primary God of Water, Aquorion. One of the powers she had from her blessing is extraordinary ability to heal, although it is incapable of restoring lost body parts, it is still very potent.

The sole reason he chose to snatch her to his side is because of her ability, Holy Maidens are famous for their healing powers, and such power was too much to pass up.

“I will do what I can, master Runfar.” Lis gulped.

Apparently the state of the patient was very terrible, but it was not beyond saving.

Letting Lis heal the person he brought, Runfar proceeded to exit the room.

Outside the room stood the other person Runfar hired, Meros Solros, but now wearing butler uniform. While he is not acting on Dark Lord’s orders as one of the Shadow Lords, being one of the butlers of Sevilles mansion was his cover.

He looked more washed up, groomed, and trimmed. If his appearance was compared to his appearance when Dark Lord found him, then the two were worlds apart.

“So Runfar, heh? What a strange name…”

“I suppose it is, but by now it is too late to change it.” Runfar shrugged.

“Runfar...I mean, Mister Dark Lord, what’s up with the burned woman?”

“If everything goes well, she will become one of the Shadow Lords.”

“Are you sure about this? Where did you find her?”

“At a place where the slaves of nobles were to be disposed of in a pyre.”

“Seriously?!Her body is so badly burned… How old is she?”

“She is seventeen years old.”

“What the hell!? How could those noblemen do this to her?”

“I told you, didn’t I? This reality is a very ugly place.” Runfar simply shrugged. To him, that was an obvious fact.

But to Meros, a man of honor, this was too much to take.

“I simply don’t understand…I knew the noblemen were crazy, but still…”

“Use that as a motivation for the future. There will be many nobles we will have to kill, one by one.”

“I understand.” Meros clenched his only fist.

“By the way, could you teach me swordsmanship, Meros?”

“You would like me to teach you? Don’t you already know how to wield a sword?” Meros was confused why his seemingly strong master was asking for training.

“I learned how to wield a sword without a proper teacher, I only know how to swing it on instinct. I know next to know of techniques or maneuvers. I daresay, I am a novice with the sword.”

“So that’s it, huh. All right, I will train you.”

“Thank you, Meros.”

* * *

Using the dull, edgeless, metal practice swords, Meros sparred with Runfar.

But due to Runfar’s inexperience, he ended up losing one round after another.

“That is strange; your right arm is far stronger than your left, but you have no technique, which is why you keep losing.”

“And how do I develop a technique?”

“Find a way to counter my swordsmanship in your own way. Sword technique is taught to the body directly by clashing of swords one upon another. The more you wield the sword, the better at wielding it you become.”

“I suppose there is no way to beat a better swordsman in a short time.” Runfar smiled.

“Not unless you know all of your enemy’s moves ahead of time. But that is impossible.”

Impossible….Yeah, right…

Runfar sparred with Meros another five times, losing each time, but Meros noticed that unlike his fake smile around his servants, his smile while learning swordsmanship was genuine.

* * *

“I healed her up the best I could, but some scars were beyond fixing.” Lis bowed and apologized. “I am very sorry, master.”

“Do not worry about it. Her condition seems to be much better.”

Her body no longer looked like a charred coal; instead there was a human being, sitting on the bed. She was given simple nightgown to wear. Her burn marks were seemingly gone, except for some small scars on her body. Her dark black hair was rather short, Dark Lord put out the fire on her hair before it completely swallowed her head, but now the hair looked shorter than it was originally.

Yet, one burn mark scar, shaped like flame, running diagonally across the right side of her face, remained.

“Thank you, Lis. You may go now.”

“Yes! Right away, master.”

She hurried out of the room. She was most likely uncomfortable because of the look in that woman’s eyes.

When the door closed, Dark Lord chuckled.

“Completely empty mind, but her powers sure are useful, are they not?”

The woman did not speak, but her eyes were looking at the masked man with killing intent.

That’s right. Those eyes. Eyes that seem to scream ‘I want to kill you!’ constantly. When I saw her, at first I wanted to put her out of her misery, but as soon as I saw her killing intent, I knew I found the jewel. Her desire for revenge and slaughter will be put to good use in my hands.

“I suppose I should start with introductions. My name is Runfar Sevilles, but to you…” he took off his mask, now revealing his half skeletal face. “…I shall be known as the Dark Lord.”

Her eyes expressed slight surprise before returning to normal, her cold stare could have scared many, but to Dark Lord, this is what made her interesting.

“I never knew the noblemen set their slaves on fire to dispose of them, and I thought I was cruel. That sure was a surprise.”

“You… don’t…. know… what …you’re… talking… about.” She finally spoke, her icy tone made it painfully obvious that she was angry.

“No? But I was once eaten by a dragon and burned on a stake…Ok, not important. I will not pretend to know what you went through, frankly I don’t really care, but there is a reason I brought you here.”

Her expression now changed from anger to fear, hugging herself with her hands across her chest; apparently she thought that he would do something to her.

“No, I do not want your body. Do not worry, I wouldn’t have healed you just in order to harm you again, that would make absolutely no sense. Instead, I would like to tell you the terms of our agreement.”

“Agg-reement?” she hesitantly asked.

“Indeed. When I found you, we entered into a covenant, now you are my subordinate.”

The reaction was instantaneous.

“NO! No! No! No!” she started screaming hysterically.

He wants me to be his slave? No, no, not again…!

“Calm down, please let me finish….” But she was breathing heavily, shaking, holding her crossed hands tightly across her chest; it was obvious she was hyperventilating.

Well, this is getting nowhere. Might as well be direct about it.

Dark Lord now chose to put his right arm upon her shoulder and looked in her eyes, somehow, when her eyes, now full of fear, met his mismatched red and white eyes, instead of feeling fear, she saw something else.

Just for a moment, her uncontrollable trembling and her madness faded away, she saw something within those eyes.

There was pain, there was sadness, there was hatred, desire for revenge, desire to destroy, desire to kill everyone who gets in his way.

What she saw within his eyes was something that would have horrified most, but she...she could not look away.

So beautiful…

And then, much to her surprise, he said.

“Everything is all right. Nothing will happen to you, I promise.”

Her fearful eyes lost their killing intent, she started to sob, but Dark Lord just stood there, savoring every second of it.

As much as it is entertaining to see someone cry in front of me…I will not deny the emotion she is emitting from her mana is delicious. But that is not my goal here, but I suppose human beings do not cope well with emotions.

Then, he proceeded to hold her in his embrace. Her head was now on his chest, on the left side, where he actually had flesh instead of poky ribcage.

She was surprised, tensed, and alarmed at first, but then she heard him say.

“It’s all right.”

At that moment, it was as if a dam had broken. Dark Lord could almost taste her negative emotions as she was convulsing while crying into his chest. His clothing felt damp, but Dark Lord did not mind.

I suppose even when I am not absorbing mana through my undead half, I can still taste the mana, and the emotions that mana carries.

I hoped to be able to win her over to be one of the Shadow Lords…But trauma is not erased so easily…but this broken shell is not all there is to her…the massive hatred and desire for revenge…that is what I am looking for.

For now, letting her heal should be fine. And when she can finally listen without losing control of her emotions, I will make her an offer she cannot refuse. When someone is as broken as her, she can be molded into any shape. In terms of potential, she might even exceed Meros…But that is hoping for too much right now. Once she heals, I will have her cultivate her hatred and desire to slaughter.

Her killing intent is not something you find every day, the darkness within her is something that must be honed, a fine tool for me to use. She will make a fine pawn.

As he thought that, he kept her in his embrace, with her still crying, with his left hand upon her back and with his right upon her head; apparently this was the best way to comfort others.

Dark Lord saw huge potential in her, essentially she reminded him of when he first emerged, taking over the body of his former self, and finally becoming the one in charge.

He hoped that she could also let her darkness consume her, the same way Nur Finnerman was consumed by his. And to that end, he will help her.