บท 44: Secret Bodyguard

After successfully distracting Zero with more tea and brownies, En told the goddesses his plan and Gaia readied Truen's body. It was a very simple avatar crafted from a twig in Gaia's hair. Although it looked ordinary, Truen's new body possessed Gaia's special property of growth. Isis helped shape it and Freya prepared the contract. En was busy coordinating a transfer of Truen's soul custody while Sedna continued to distract Zero with more stories about the humans.

"Sorry Zero, can I borrow Truen for a moment?" Gaia smiled.

Zero had questions but nodded anyway. Obediently, the spirit followed Gaia.

Once out of Zero's sight, Truen stiffened. In front of him, En, Freya and Isis were standing with very evil grins, looking at him. Also, there was another person present. This person appeared to be asleep on the chair and without Freya's support, he might have fallen over.

Truen glanced over at the sleeping stranger briefly. He was definitely an elf and looked about fifteen years of age in human terms. However, Truen knew better than to judge an elf by their physical appearance. As elves were known for their abundant magical power and longevity, a fifteen-year-old looking elf could be well over two hundred years old. This elf had tan skin and black hair.

"Even though Zero trusts you as a friend, we have yet to accept it. If you are truly sincere, you will accept our trial."

Truen paused. He'd expected the goddesses to test him in some way. King Yama had tested him earlier back in the purgatory with an illusion.

"What must I do?" Truen asked. He was ready to prove himself no matter how many times it took.

Isis smiled. "See this elf here? This is an avatar prepared by Gaia. However, this avatar bears the mark of the Great Gods. This means that you will be bound by a servant contract after the soul binding ritual. The servant contract requires you to protect Zero from harm. However, you cannot allow him to know that you are reporting his situation to us or help him openly. If you accept, you will have the protection of the Great Gods and a powerful body in addition to travelling with Zero. This is our trial. What will you do?"

Without hesitation, Truen accepted the terms and condition. Isis held out a contract parchment and En told him to pour energy into it. After Truen poured some energy into it, he felt his soul getting sucked into the sleeping elf's body. It happened so quickly that Truen felt disoriented when he opened his physical eyes.

"Mmm, green eyes! I did a great job." Freya mused and Truen shook his head to clear the strange floating sensation.

"How do you feel?" Gaia asked and Truen tried moving his arm. It worked just fine. Nothing felt off.

"It's good. Will I be an elf now with special regeneration power?"

Gaia smiled. "If you're talking about external appearance, yes. You will look like a wood elf. However, your true identity is a Living Wood Spirit. This body was created from a twig in my hair and has the Nature Regeneration ability. That means the body will never die and as long as there is sunlight, it can regenerate indefinitely. As long as the core, which is the mark of the Great Gods embedded in your soul, is not destroyed you can continue to regenerate."

Truen tried standing and wobbled a little. If not for En supporting him, he might have fallen over. It has been so long since he'd moved around physically. It might take a little while for him to get used to it.

"Oh, from now on I will hand the custody of your soul to Zero. This means that you are free from obligations to repay back your sins. On the other hand, it means that Zero owns your existence. Betray him and not only will be Great Gods come after you but your soul will also be annihilated."

Isis patted the newly born 'elf'. "Don't worry too much, if you're sincere to Zero everything will be good."

Truen wasn't worried. However, he had some questions.

"Goddesses, King Yama, I am thankful for this opportunity. However, I do not know if I'm most qualified to be Zero's bodyguard. My knowledge is far outdated and even though I retained the memories of my previous self, I know nothing about magic or elves."

En grinned. "Don't worry. That is why you will be meeting with the other Great Gods. In fact, we will set off to see them tomorrow. It might hurt for a while but you'll be the perfect bodyguard in no time."

Truen paled. Those words were not comforting at all!