Gwen needed a few minutes to calm down and recover.

  During that time, the crystal wanted to absorb the rest of her Mana, but I quickly took it away from her and let her breathe.

  I was afraid that if the crystal absorbed all her Mana, she would lose the potential to control the daggers she had.

  “What happened?” she asked confused, staring at me with a little fear, but not trying to move away from me.

  “I'm asking you... what do you remember?” I asked back.

  She paused to think for a moment, trying to focus on her memory and remember what she could.

  From the look of pain on her face, she apparently remembered.

  Gwen clenched her hands, her brown eyes shining with anguish. “I... always wanted to be an adventurer.” She spoke in a hoarse but firm voice. “Ever since I was little, I felt magic inside me, like sparks on my skin, but magic is something that commoners like me would never have a chance to learn, and my red hair... everyone thought I would become a witch.”

  ‘A witch? Because of her hair?’ I was confused, so I looked at Varen for an explanation.

  He leaned over and whispered. "Master, here, colored hair is a sign of elemental affinity... red, blue, green hair... it has raw power, but without training, it causes destruction and loses control, and can turn into witches. The commoners suffer from this, becoming targets of nobles who want magical bloodlines, which makes it a curse for them, but a blessing for the rich.“

  ”That's just because the nobles monopolize magical knowledge?!" I asked indignantly.

  She continued to speak with a lost look in her eyes. “The people of Ironvale avoided me, whispering that I would bring misfortune. When Mira appeared, a mage, I thought she would teach me. She even said she could awaken my power, use the mana from the well to help me become stronger and become an adventurer, so I trusted her.”

  ‘She was deceived from the beginning,’ I thought indignantly.

  Gwen touched the scar on her chest, shuddering. "Mira used me in a ritual... she said my blood would release the mana, but in reality she wanted it to trap me in the well, to use my soul as a catalyst to absorb a dark mana that no one knew was trapped in the well.

  Loren, my childhood friend... she tricked him, she told him I was handing the village over to enemy monsters, so he stabbed me thinking he was saving everyone.“ Varen's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Gwen with empathy. ”Damn, the legend was all wrong... no ‘hair on fire’ betraying anyone!

  Just a girl wanting to be a hero!“

  Gwen nodded, bitterly. ”His blade... that was all I felt before the pit sucked me in... trapping my soul there with only mana keeping me alive... or killing me and slowly turning me into something else.“

  ”So you never betrayed anyone...“ I commented sadly. ”Why the blades?"

  “My anger...” she murmured, her eyes hard. “What I felt when Loren stabbed me. I think my affinity with the element of shadows used that anger to convert the rage of the dagger that stabbed me and give me the power to defend myself, I don't know.”

  Varen whistled, excited. “Master, her blades look a lot like the Whisper...”

  Varen's comment was exactly what I was thinking, so I smiled as I continued to stare at her. “Yes, her power has great potential... How about it, Gwen, can I really give you power, a power that will help you control your magic, a power that will unleash your potential completely?”

  She hesitated, looking at me fearfully. “And what guarantees that you won't be like Mira?”

  Showing my most sincere expression, I stood up and opened my hands. “I don't want to hurt you. If you don't want to accept this offer, you still have the right to turn your back and leave to continue your life...” Then I formed a ball of fire in one of my hands and created a shadow dagger like hers in the other. “But I have the power and knowledge to help you, not to mention that if I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have bothered to save you from the pit.”

  When the dagger appeared in my hand, Gwen was shocked, and when she heard what I said, she realized that what I was saying actually made sense.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  But still a little hesitant, she asked, “Can I really trust you?”

  So I extended my right hand to her after extinguishing the fireball, and smiled. “I will always protect my own, Gwen, and if you accept this offer, you will become mine.”

  I didn't realize how wrong that sentence sounded until I said it out loud, but for the girl who just wanted to be accepted and helped, she didn't notice the other giant red flag she was now following.

  She reached out her hand to mine, and after a moment of hesitation, she finally touched my hand with fear and expectation.

  Feeling her response, I smiled.

  Using my senses around us to confirm that no one was nearby, I turned to Varen just to be sure and commanded, “Varen, I'm going to start the process with her. Protect us and prevent anyone from approaching, even if you have to use lethal force.”

  Varen nodded seriously, knowing how serious the secret was that would now be exposed.

  Gwen was a little scared by this, so I explained to her how the Noble Mark worked and what she would gain from it while using [Devil Whisper] in my voice to form illusions in ways that made it easier for her to visualize what I meant.

  I didn't feel bad about using this ability in this way, since I wouldn't be brainwashing her into trusting me and believing everything I say, I would just be showing her more realistically what I would be delivering to her.

  “Are you demons?!” she asked in shock, alternating her gaze between Varen and me after I used the power to allow her to imagine our true form.

  “We are Devils,” I said confidently as I stood up and spread my wings.

  Since the last time I used my wings, they had grown a few inches, almost reaching 13 meters in wingspan.

  Looking at the magnificent wings on my back, Gwen's eyes sparkled with fascination and a little fear.

  “If I agree to follow you, will I also become as powerful as you and have wings like yours?” She asked me to confirm the offer.

  I nodded to her. “You won't become as powerful as me right away, but I will unlock your potential to grow indefinitely, reaching a power so great that few people in this world will be able to challenge you.”

  Gwen paused to think for a few seconds, still considering whether she should surrender herself to a stranger she had met for the first time today, but perhaps the act of saving her life from being trapped forever in that pit, or the kindness, sincerity, and benefits I had shown her were enough to convince her so quickly that in a short time she bowed her head and greeted me formally. “Master, Gwen Harrow will be at your service.”

  That made me smile. “Very well, Gwen, I am Adam, Adam Morningstar, your new master. Now I will mark you as my servant, and this will leave a magical mark on your body. Where would you like this mark to be?”

  “What does this mark look like?” she asked curiously.

  “Varen, show her your mark.” I called Varen in a louder voice, causing the man to run back and remove his shirt, revealing the bright red mark on his skin.

  Gwen looked at it curiously, especially at the functionality of being able to hide or show it whenever he wanted, so she held out her wrist to me. “Can it be on my forearm?”

  I nodded to her and extended my finger, causing a Noble Mark to begin forming there.

  Gwen and Varen stared at it in fascination.

  In a few seconds, the mark was complete, then it began to float from my finger to her forearm, where it glowed for a few seconds and began to burn.

  The flames spread quickly from her arm to the rest of her body, setting her body completely ablaze in front of me.

  Gwen was horrified by this, looking at me in terror, but realizing that the pain that should have come with this fire did not, her terror turned to confusion.

  “What's happening, Master?!” she asked worriedly.

  Smiling at her, I explained. “This is normal, the flames are burning your body and turning you into a Devil.”

  Gwen reached out her hand and looked at it curiously, not knowing how to react.

  Varen was also shocked by this. “Did this happen to me too, Master?” He asked.

  “Yes, but since you were dead at the time, you didn't notice or feel anything.” I explained patiently.

  In a few minutes, the flames receded, returning to the Noble Mark on Gwen's forearm, which turned into a gently pulsating red rune.

  In front of us, Gwen Harrow was no longer the frail girl who had been locked away for years in a pit, but a dazzling Devil.

  Her red hair, which had been disheveled before, now had a slight glow like liquid fire, falling in waves over her shoulders.

  Her skin, which had once seemed marked by the pallor of death, was now white as porcelain, almost luminous in the darkness.

  Her eyes, which had been brown, were now as red as mine and Varen's, who were looking at her body with curiosity.

  Even her facial features had become more delicate and refined, making the girl even more beautiful than she already was.

  The frail and weak body she had from being trapped in a pit for so long was now more athletic, with defined muscles showing through her torn clothes.

  Behind her, black leather wings slightly larger than Varen's, with a wingspan of about 5 meters, trembled.

  And finally, a thin tail with a sharp tip swayed restlessly.

  Gwen was looking at her hands as she flexed her fingers, then she touched her face, surprised before commenting. “I... I feel alive.”

  Her voice came out more powerful and firm.

  Feeling the new limbs on her back, Gwen stretched out a wing curiously. “How do you deal with this?”

  Smiling at her curiosity, I explained. “You get used to it, Gwen. The wings, the tail... they're part of who you are now, a Devil. But tell me something, do you feel anything special about yourself?”

  She didn't have to think long and nodded, touching the mark on her forearm. “I feel... something new. Like I can summon those blades anytime and much more easily, but the way I control it is different.” She closed her eyes, and a spectral dagger flashed in her hand, trembling before disappearing.

  Not giving up, she tried to summon the dagger again, making the blade appear faster and with a more realistic appearance.

  Varen saw this and clapped his hands excitedly.

  “How about we see the exact description of your powers on your Noble Mark?” I asked with an interested smile, already feeling the new power I received when I converted Gwen to my Peerage.

  XXX Author Note XXX

  20+ Advanced Chapters on my Patreon!

  2 daily chapters being released every day on Patreon!

  Patreon.com/YerDevil