Chapter 18: A Master and Servant’s Bond, Human and Demoness
The Master and Servant Soul Contract immediately activated its curse when the Servant betrayed the Master.
Klaus had learned this truth from Briar, along with the vast knowledge residing comfortably in his mind. Though he had no idea what the book was or where it came from, he did know that it held the power to summon Briar, a succubus, into this world. More importantly, it contained an incalculable amount of information— far more than he could fully access at the moment.
He didn't understand how it worked, but that was simply the reality of the situation. Since he couldn't refer to the book as just a book, he decided to name it the [Book of Wisdom].
At first, he had considered calling it the Book of Omniscience, but omniscience was too far-fetched. So, he settled for something more reasonable.
There was no need to dwell on his terrible naming sense.
—Regardless, the succubus had been summoned and bound to him, and now the two of them had to deal with it.
After listening to Briar's explanations and analyzing the information from the Book of Wisdom, Klaus had reached a solid understanding of the contract mysticism.
First, the servant was not bound to absolute obedience. They could refuse unreasonable orders. This restriction existed to ensure the contract remained a mutual agreement rather than a one-sided arrangement.
In turn, the master was expected to treat their servant with the appropriate authority and respect. It was an exchange similar to the "Reward & Service" relationship between a Shogun and their Samurai. This system originated during the Kamakura period, a historical era nearly forgotten in the wake of humanity's technological advancements.
Even so, culture was not something easily discarded. In fact, the Sanctuary had originally been part of Japan before it became an independent existence in 2073, following the Great Fracture.
That said, even if the Master issued an unreasonable order, the curse would not activate against them due to their superior standing in the contract.