Chapter 311: The Blood Contract
Mayor Lysandra listened to Alexander’s question and crossed her arms serenely.
"A quick punishment like death would be a waste for women like these," said Alexander, looking at the three prisoners with a cold smile. "I’d rather you hand them over to me as my slaves."
"That makes sense," said Lysandra, nodding slightly. "The law grants you full rights to do so as the victim. For that, we have the Blood Contract Scroll."
Lysandra signaled one of her guards, who brought over a leather case and pulled out an ancient parchment scroll etched with crimson runes.
"This contract operates through your mind," explained the mayor as she handed the document to Alexander. "Once sealed with your blood, your authority over them will be absolute. If you think about punishing or harming them, they will suffer an unbearable wave of pain in their brains. And if at any point you decide to execute them, you need only wish for their death and their brains will burst instantly."
Alexander took the scroll, feeling the dense magical energy radiating from the paper. The three mercenaries, upon realizing what was about to happen, lost every bit of arrogance from their faces in an instant.
"Wait... you can’t do this to us!" said the leader trying to squirm away. "I’d rather be executed!"
"You’re a bit late to be asking for options," said Alexander.
Before the crowd gathered in the town square, under the watchful eyes of Kiara, the mayor, and the guild adventurers, Alexander pricked his finger and dropped a speck of his blood onto the scroll. The runes flared with a harsh red light, and a thick vapor hissed from the three women’s skin as they let out muffled cries of agony, clutching their heads.
The air vibrated violently as the magical pact sealed. When the glow faded, the crowd watched in awe at the result: on the cheeks of all three mercenaries, a glowing tattoo in the shape of a red sun had appeared—the indelible mark of Alexander’s dominance.
With their heads hung low and their breathing heavy, the mercenary leader stared at the dirt, feeling the mental bond rooted deep inside her mind.
"Now you belong to me," said Alexander, gripping the end of the rope as he looked over at Kiara and the mayor. "Thank you for the prompt assistance, Mayor. We’ll be heading to the tavern to settle the details of their interrogation."
Alexander gave the rope a gentle yet firm tug, forcing the three marked women to follow him.
"There’s plenty of time for us to have some fun," said Alex, glancing back at them as they walked. "You’re lucky I hate human traffickers; otherwise, I’d ship you off somewhere else to be fucked day and night."
The leader let out a crude, brazen laugh.
"You know what? That sounds more like a reward," said the leader, provocatively licking her lips. "I love big, thick cocks. If you think that kind of ’torment’ scares us, you really don’t know shit."
"Well, we won’t know for sure unless we try, right?" answered Alexander with an icy smile.
Alexander pushed open the tavern door and walked inside with the group. In the interior, Old 5 was sitting at the bar, while the other four squad members were playing cards around a wooden table. Upon seeing Alexander enter, all five men immediately stood at attention out of pure respect for their leader.
"Relax, guys, no need for so much formality," said Alexander, waving a hand for them to ease up.
Noticing the three bound women trailing behind him in single file, the men couldn’t help but exchange looks of astonishment and mischief.
"Squad leader, why are you dragging three tied-up women behind you?" asked one of the men, holding back a chuckle. "Are you into bondage or something?"
Alexander burst out laughing, taking the joke in good stride.
"Something like that," said Alex, amused. "They tried to murder and kidnap me out in the forest, so now they’re my slaves."
Old 5 stepped forward, narrowing his eyes to take a closer look at the glowing mark stamped on their faces.
"The Red Sun... The Blood Slavery Contract," said Old 5, nodding slowly with respect. "A fitting punishment for anyone foolish enough to cross our leader."
"Are you planning to sell them off as slaves, Master?" asked one of the men, eyeing the three prisoners with curiosity.
"In our world, they’d pay close to 50,000 gems for a demi-human," another subordinate remarked, scratching his chin. "These ones look pretty strong, so I’m guessing they’re worth at least 150,000. And if they have awakened skills, their value could easily jump to 250,000 gems."
"I have no intention of selling them," said Alexander, shaking his head. "We need staff in this world, and I have a feeling they’re going to be obedient from here on out. Right, girls?"
The three mercenaries glared at him with pure resentment, envisioning his death the second they got a chance. However, the exact instant that thought crossed their minds, the curse triggered. All three unleashed gut-wrenching screams of agony and collapsed to their knees on the wooden floorboards. With their hands bound tightly behind their backs, they could only squirm and groan helplessly, unable to even clutch their throbbing heads.
"Well, I love that," said Alexander, watching them with indifference before continuing. "My name is Alexander, by the way, and I am your owner starting today. Don’t worry, I won’t be cruel. I’d like to know your names, but I’m soft when it comes to pussy, so I feel like treating you too personally might make me go easy on you... Therefore, you are Slave 1, you are Slave 2, and you are Slave 3."
Alexander pointed in turn at the blonde, the brunette, and the black-haired woman, respectively.
"Master, will you trust them then?" asked Old 5, stepping closer.
"That was my plan," answered Alexander. "What do you think? Is that blood curse—or whatever it’s called reliable?"
"You mean the Blood Slavery Contract," Old 5 explained. "From what I understand, yes. It’s a contract originating from the main kingdom. As far as I’ve heard, they use it to control their most powerful war slaves, so I imagine that should be the case here as well."
"Then that’s great," said Alexander with a satisfied smile. "I’ll take them up to my room. I have a few things to discuss with them. You guys can get back to business. By the way, which room is mine, Old 5?"