Mystery: The Stranger

Chapter 23 Contract

Snow himself had never known the specific name of the Void Demon before, mainly because he didn't need it.

As soon as she finished speaking, Karen Tamara closed her eyes and began to pray silently.

A phantom golden seal appeared out of thin air and slowly pressed itself onto the parchment. Every word on the contract lit up with a dazzling golden light, converging into a radiant glow that illuminated the entire hall as if it were daytime.

Enveloped in radiance, the parchment gradually faded and dissipated, as if merging into the air and becoming completely bound to the underlying rules of this world.

Snow froze, feeling an invisible force seep into his limbs and bones, transforming into layers of restrictions.

These restrictions are not external constraints, but are directly internalized into his spirit and body, like an innate instinct, reminding him of the inviolability of the contract.

"That damn bitch actually prayed to an angel!"

In her mind, Xalatas's angry curses suddenly rang out, tinged with panic. But she seemed afraid of being noticed by the angels of the Tamara family, and her voice quickly fell silent as soon as she finished speaking, and there was no further sound.

Snow showed no displeasure whatsoever; instead, a genuine smile appeared on his face, his eyes bright: "You are truly a trustworthy nobleman, more trustworthy than all the demons in the abyss combined."

He didn't feel particularly uncomfortable.

Karen Tamara went so far as to pray to the family's angels for a vassal contract, seeking angelic approval for the contract—meaning that she had truly accepted herself, rather than just going through the motions.

Even if this certification makes the contract more binding, even if he is still bound by this contract when he advances to Sequence 4 or Sequence 3 in the future, he doesn't care at all. Backstabbing Karen won't yield any gold coins, so getting in touch with the Tamara family is definitely not a loss.

Karen Tamara looked at his "warm" smile, but secretly sneered inwardly.

She naturally didn't believe that a demon could have such genuine emotions, and simply took it as the ultimate hypocrisy and performance.

The angel certification she just received was actually a little scheme of hers—a contract witnessed by an angel would have its binding force increase as the strength of both parties improves, so even if Snow becomes an angel in the future, he will not be able to easily break it.

She had expected the devil to become enraged or feign composure, but she never expected him to laugh so calmly.

This scheming and pretense is indeed very much in line with the nature of a devil.

Karen Tamara nodded to herself.

Aside from the fatal flaw of being "not a good person," those who follow the Demonic Path often possess impeccable emotional and intellectual intelligence.

"You're smarter than most demons," she said calmly, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger. "Go back and prepare. In three days, I will send someone to inform you of your first mission."

"I would die for you, Your Excellency."

Snow bowed slightly, performing a standard aristocratic salute.

The moment he finished speaking, he clearly noticed that Karen Tamara's gray eyes had turned colder, and the deep disgust in her eyes was no longer concealed, as cold as ice that pierced straight to the heart.

Snow sighed helplessly to himself.

He knew how hypocritical those words sounded to the other party—the demon's "death by sacrifice" was the most unreliable promise in the world. But to him, it was nothing more than polite words expressing subservience. He hadn't expected that this demigod of the Order side didn't like this kind of superficial flattery.

"I know this sounds hypocritical." He straightened up, shrugged, and spoke with a tone that was both frank and self-deprecating. "But this is truly how I treat you, especially in front of your other subordinates."

"Then from now on..."

"Keep it up."

Karen Tamara's voice, carrying an undeniable authority, interrupted him. The coldness in her grey eyes remained, but a hint of something unfathomable had crept in. "False loyalty is always better than outright betrayal. If it's to maintain my dignity, I can accept your hypocritical facade."

Snow's lips twitched slightly.

The count's logic was rather endearingly straightforward; she could have been more tactful and phrased it more politely. He suppressed his complex emotions and bowed, replying, "As you wish."

Without another word, Snow turned and left the hall. A servant in a silver-gray uniform led him out of the castle. Rodney was already waiting by the carriage, his face full of anxiety and trepidation. When he saw him come out, he quickly came to greet him.

The carriage slowly departed the Earl's castle, heading towards Hawke's territory. Soft carpets lined the interior, shielding it from the outside jolts. Rodney hesitated for a moment before finally speaking tentatively, "My Lord..."

He didn't ask for the specific outcome, only signaling with his eyes that he would obey the lord's decision, whatever it might be. Snow glanced at him and said calmly, "Earl Cullen is a rather enlightened and benevolent nobleman."

That's half true and half false. She's certainly enlightened, after all, willing to accept a demon as a vassal; but benevolence is questionable. Implementing new laws is clearly for her own self-promotion and advancement, rather than genuine concern for the people's livelihood. But there's no need to explain these things to Rodney.

"Once we return, we shall form our own trial team in accordance with Count Cullen's decree," Snow instructed calmly. "We don't need too many people. Local knights and priests will continue to handle routine matters, while special cases will be handled by professional judges."

He paused, then added, "If your youngest son is available, he can serve as the first judge of the territory. This would save us the trouble of borrowing manpower from Earl Cullen and causing gossip."

Upon hearing this, Rodney's apprehension vanished instantly, replaced by undisguised joy and gratitude. Appointing his youngest son as a judge was not only a sign of the lord's trust but also an opportunity for the family to enter the new system. His previous slight resentment towards Earl Cullen and his bewilderment at the lord's allegiance to an outsider completely disappeared.

"Thank you so much for your patronage, Lord!" He bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly. "I will certainly instruct my son to do his utmost and live up to your expectations!"

Snow nodded slightly and said nothing more. He leaned against the carriage wall, closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank into the spiritual world.

His Mind Island wasn't like an abyss or hell filled with souls or darkness. Instead, it was surrounded by tiny specks of light, and where he stood was a classic Western-style church, modeled after the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind, Azeroth, which was also the headquarters of the Alliance. Snow spent his entire childhood in this place and had a very deep impression of it.

On the wide platform in front of the church, Xalatas was circling around a golden rune that shimmered with a holy and majestic light. It was the residual power of Count Karen's contract—even if it was just a trace of its afterglow, it exuded a suffocating sense of restraint.

Upon seeing Snow's consciousness descend, Saratas stopped, his tone grave: "It will be difficult for us to break this contract without alerting that angel."

This was the first time she had come into contact with angelic power since arriving in this world. Although the contract itself was drafted by Karen Tamara, the entire contract underwent a fundamental transformation after the golden seal was placed on it, as if it had received an epic blessing, already touching the realm of authority.

Xalatas had to admit that she had indeed underestimated the gods of this world. Those beings possessed power sufficient to threaten or even destroy her.