I'm currently kneeling before Sheri head bowed and explaining my dilemma. I wanted to enter a contract with Damien that would ensure a lack of betrayal, and the only one I knew of was a slave contract.

"So," she started with a stern look. "You wanna make my baby a slave?" I bowed even further. "I wouldn't if I had another choice! I've been scorned too badly in my old world to trust, and with how sick this world is and what happened to naofumi.... there's a serious danger involved with betrayal far more then a mere reputation damage. I just want to ensure that whether by torture or his own will he will not give up my secrets. They are my life and freedom and I know that the powers that be will not sit idle."

She nods humming. It's silent for a while before she speaks. "I understand your dilemma. Life must've been hard on you but... *sigh* Damien is a good boy. He would never betray." I lift my head and look her in the eyes and nod. "He is indeed a good kid. But I am paranoid and this world just makes it worse. I would not brand him without permission from you. You're his mother so it only feels right... I mean, I always ask my mother before I do alot of things that affect others. I can't imagine what it would feel like to hear your child was branded as a slave from grapevine gossip or something. This is the only safe way I can keep him by my side. If you disapprove I will make up some kind of excuse and kick him."

Her stare is hard and sharp like steel before she speaks. "Come with me." She says as she leads me to the cellar. "There's something that you should see." When we reach the bottom of the cellar there's a altar decorated with multiple images. The first depicts a a group of spirits, Pretty standard stuff. The second depicts a group of humans razing the land of the spirits and enslaving said spirits. The next shows a woman with a staff on top of a black dragon, burning the land to ashes and freeing the spirits. The final image shows a lake with a Gate in the center of it. In the last picture there're spirits passing through. A black haired male enters last holding a baby. He's crying as he waves goodbye to the lady with the staff, who smiles sadly back as she stands on a glowing magic circle.

"This is?..." I'm confused... there shouldn't have been another staff hero. I'm an anomaly so.... why? "This is my ancestors alter. The alter of the first and only other mage hero... you see, a long time ago this land belonged to the spirits. But, the humans came and took our land enslaving us for thousands of years." ... I know who she means...

"I've heard of her. She's a wicked goddess who sees this world as her personal experience farm. She uses the weapons and the spirits trapped in them as a means of cultivation. And the waves are her doing. She summons heroes from other worlds and binds them to the weapons to fight the waves. And then, at the final wave she shows herself and takes the soul of the heroes, sapping their levels and skills and resetting the weapons levels to 1. The waves appearing means she's ready to reap the rewards and reset the world so she can play a new game. She's just like us heroes. She sees the world as a game. But instead of vying for the peak, she treats us all like toys in her playground."

Sheri has a surprised look. "Indeed. How did you come to know all this?" I hesitate, but I feel that I can trust Sheri. I don't know why though. "This world... is a story written from my world. Except, it's different. You weren't here, and there was never a mage hero. I hated this story. It mocked tanks and support classes, completely disregarded mages, and the way everything went frustrated me to no end. That goddess will burn. And it will be by the hands of the shield. I've been extremely careful not to interfere in key events in order to not affect his growth. But there are things that I can prevent and WILL prevent no matter what. I vowed to tear apart the goddesses scenario right before her eyes. And I intend to do so."

She looks at me in awe before she speaks. "We knew you were special. But what will you do if what happens is different from what you know? You said it yourself, things are different. So will it truly be alright?" I nod. "It will be... it HAS to be. Everything is riding on it!"

"Very well. Let me continue my story. 1054 years ago, the mage hero was summoned by the spirit king and his vassals, the lords of the elements. Using her sacred staff weapon and her powers granted to her by the god that the spirits worship, she freed the spirits and cursed the human lands for the damage they'd done in an event known as "the great spirit war". The humans summoned the 4 heroes in retaliation. The heroes fought against the spirits and the mage hero and spirit king(The dragon) alongside the humans. But in the end, they were killed by the spirit lords. The spirit lords as well died due to over consumption of mana and serious injury. The mage hero and spirit king sired a child soon after their victory. But the mage hero could not leave the humans alone. Without leadership or power they were useless. But if they were left in charge, they would undoubtedly do it again. So, disguised as the deceased crown princess, she executed all the nobleman involved in the terrible conflict as well as declared the church be unsupported by nobility any longer. She took the throne as queen sired a human child. And with her dying breath, she erased herself from the history of humans. But us spirits never forgot."

"Who exactly are you Sheri? And what is Damien if not a human?"

"I'm the 45th Queen of the spirit realm. My father was the spirit king that married the first mage hero, and is still the reigning power. He's ascended to that of a god and only interferes when there is conflict involving spirits. The spirit world is closed off as a result of a severe decrease of spirits after the war. The only spirits left are weak ones and members of the royal family. All the stronger spirits are either dead or a member of the fairy guard and maintain the spirit world's order. And Damien is my son. He's only 3/4 spirit. His father is the son of the mage hero."

"So you're the QUEEN?! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE THEN?! YOU AND DAMIEN SHOULD BE AT HOME WHERE IT'S SAFE! NOT HERE RUNNING A CAFE AND PARTYING WITH ME! OMG I SENT THE GOD DAMN CROWNED PRINCE ON LOAN TO THE SHIELD HERO! WHAT IF HE GETS HURT OR DIES? WILL I BE CURSED?! OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT!!!!!!"

*smack* "calm down. Damien won't die easily and the reason we're here is simple. You. There was a profecy of a second mage hero that would change this world's fate." Oh WOW. No pressure or anything! "So uh... what now?" "Make a pact with my child. We of the royal family draw mana directly from the earth and recycle energy. It is skill unique to us that makes our mana supply near limitless. Make my son your contracted spirit. That way he can stay by your side and you can protect Each other better. He won't spill your secrets and will be forced to protect you. In exchange, you must treat him with care. You will both become stronger and you will be bound by each others soul."

"Okay... I'll do it! We just have to wait for them to get back..."