Promises

[Worldly Summoning Completed]

Three figures appeared in front of me. The first one was an older man with a scar on his right eye; his long, silver hair matched the coat he wore. He had a liquor bottle in his left hand, while his right hand rested on the sword around his belt. After taking a sip from the bottle, he introduced himself.

"My name is Rayleigh, and I don't think I'm in the Grand Line. Could you please explain to me where this place is?"

"My name is Reth. I have summoned you from your world, and it's an honor to meet you, Dark King. This planet is called Erebus, the land of darkness. Soon I will journey through this world, and I need capable and loyal companions to help me. Will you join me?"

He started to chug the bottle of liquor and spoke.

"Can you send me back? I was having a great time talking to Luffy; then I appeared in this dark forest."

"Fahima, can he go back to his world?" I asked.

[No, Once Summoned, He Won't Be Able To Unless You Allow It.]

"You won't be able to return to your world," I said.

"I thought so. I will help you until I find a way to return to my world, but I'm an old man. I don't think I will be any useful to you," he said.

"Don't worry. Follow me, and you might regain your youth."

"From now on, I will be in your care. Please treat this old man with courtesy," Ray said as he bowed to me."

The second figure to appear was a beautiful woman with shiny black hair, and the white dress she wore complemented the two white horns on her forehead. On her waist rested a pair of black angel wings.

"Who are you? And how dare you summon me?" said Albedo as she took a battle stance.

"Calm down, Albedo. No one here is your enemy." I kept my voice calm.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

Unlike Ray, she was rude and only asked questions, but I knew her weakness and promised her something she couldn't refuse.

"My name is Reth. I know a lot about you. I have summoned you from your world to Erebus, and I need your help. You are Albedo, the leader of the guardians of Nazarick, and have a massive crush on Ainz, and if you join me, I will make sure your dream becomes a reality. Would you join me?"

Her face became red when I mentioned Ainz's name, and her cold attitude and demeanor changed into that of a fan girl.

A moment later, she spoke in a cheerful tone.

"I will become your ally on one condition."

"What is it?"

"I want you to bring Ainz into this world and make him my husband," said Albedo, her cheeks blushing even further.

"Alright, but it will take a while before I can summon him," I explained.

"I can wait."

"Then welcome to the team."

Finally, the third figure that appeared was a man in his twenties. He wore brimmed and beautiful golden sandals with wings. On his right was a staff entwined with two snakes, and to my surprise, he didn't have any clothes on.

He started to introduce himself.

*It's an honor to meet you, my lord. You can call me Hermes.*

Hermes, the God of Commerce, was not someone I could underestimate. I would have to keep my guard around him; he is clever and a trickster.

"Fahima, how loyal are the ones I've summoned?"

[Loyalty Is Something Earned, Not Given. You Will Have To Gain Their Loyalty Through Your Actions.]

"Hermes, as you are aware, I need you to join me, and I won't force you since you are a God yourself, but if you decide to join me, I will make your dreams and ambitions into reality. Will you join me?"

*I know your powers and what you might accomplish in the future. It will be an honor to serve you, my lord,* said Hermes.

"Welcome to the team."

"Master, who are these people?" Typhon asked.

"These people will be our companions moving forward. I have summoned them from different worlds, and I want you to teach them everything you know about this world," I said.

"I will teach them well, my lord. Are we staying in this forest?"

"I don't want to stay in this forest, any longer. I need to find someplace I can sleep.

Fahima, can you tell me where we are?" I asked.

[You Are In The Forest Of Death, Belonging To The Academy Of Hecate]

That sounded great. Hopefully the Academy would have a place where I could rest for a while.

"How far away is the Academy?"

[It's Twenty Minutes Away If You Walk, But I Suggest You Use Flight Mode. You Will Arrive In Fifty-Nine Seconds.]

"Activate flight mode."

[Flight Mode Activating.]

My back and shoulders began to burn and transform. A pair of black wings appeared on my back; then I heard a voice.

"Master, are we heading out?" Typhon asked.

"Yes, we are heading to the Academy of Hecate. Everyone, let's get ready to leave," I instructed.

I began to test drive the pair of wings. They were easy to use, and I didn't have to learn how to fly. I flew to the sky, and I could see everything in the forest, from the beasts hiding in the bushes to the normal creatures hunting. It was a beautiful sight—I decided I should fly more often.

"Fahima, is there any way I can hide them? I don't want to spook the people in the academy when I arrive."

[You Can Use Shadow Binding To Hide Their Existence. They Will Be In Shadows While You Travel.]

"Can you activate shadow binding?"

[Shadow Binding Activating.]

Black mist swarmed the location of my companions, and a minute later, their shadows began to disappear one by one and combine with mine.

"Fahima, where is the Academy located?" I asked.

[Five Miles To The North.]

I began to fly north to the location of the Academy of Hecate.