The next moment, Berg's face turned so red that it looked as though all the blood in his body had rushed to his head.
The surrounding villagers stared at him with eyes filled with envy—and even jealousy.
To be granted a surname by the prince of a superpower...
For an ordinary commoner, just how great an honor was that?
They would not even dare dream of such a thing.
Slap!
Berg suddenly slapped himself hard across the face.
This time, the one who hit him was none other than himself.
Reality was simply too wonderful, so wonderful that he began to wonder whether this was nothing more than a beautiful dream he was having during an afternoon nap.
However, the sharp pain spreading across his cheek told him otherwise.
This was real.
This incomparably noble prince truly intended to accept him as an attendant.
He had even granted him a surname.
Berg could only feel grateful that on that day in the forest, when he saw someone being surrounded and attacked, a sudden burst of kindness had made him fire an arrow that far exceeded his usual level.
Only because of that one arrow had he obtained this dreamlike encounter today.
After finally calming himself, Berg steadied his emotions and raised his voice once again.
"With the Creator above and all the gods as my witnesses, I, Berg Chu, hereby swear—"
"From this day onward, I shall recognize His Highness Mingyu Xia as my lord, and I shall be his loyal attendant—his hunting hound."
His voice grew louder.
"Whether the road ahead is covered in thorns or raging wildfire, I will follow in his footsteps."
"With my life, my bow and arrows, and my very soul, I shall protect his honor and dignity until the final moment of my life."
Berg's voice grew more impassioned with every word, carrying an almost fanatical devotion.
"I swear that no matter what enemy stands before us, and no matter what hardship we face, I will remain by your side."
"I will use my own flesh and blood to shield you from every blade and sword."
"Your enemies shall be my enemies. Your ideals shall become my ideals."
"Whether your commands are just or unjust, reasonable or unreasonable, I shall exhaust everything I possess to carry them out for you."
"If I ever betray this oath, may the Sun God burn my body, may the God of Thunder strike my soul, and may the Earth God split open a bottomless abyss and swallow the place where I should rest."
Berg's voice trembled slightly.
He slowly lowered his head until his forehead nearly touched the ground.
His voice became quieter, yet every word was clearer than before.
"Your Highness Mingyu, please accept my loyalty."
Xia Mingyu looked at him and spoke softly.
"I accept your loyalty, and I believe in your oath."
He placed a hand on Berg's shoulder and gave it two firm pats.
"From this day forward, I promise to protect your safety and illuminate your path toward becoming strong."
The path of the strong...
His Highness... My lord still remembers what I said the first time I pledged loyalty to him!
Warmth filled Berg's heart.
He slowly stood up, his eyes shining brightly.
Just as he was about to thank his lord once more for his generosity, he suddenly saw a white glow appear above Xia Mingyu's head.
Behind the long label—
Heir to a Kingdom of 1,400,000,000 Citizens
—a new label slowly began to form.
Berg's eyes widened with delight.
"My lord, your profession has successfully formed!"
Even without Berg saying anything, Xia Mingyu had already noticed the changes taking place in his body.
His entire body seemed lighter.
A refreshing coolness flowed through his mind, and every part of him felt so comfortable that it was almost like soaking in a natural hot spring.
"Berg, I'm heading back first."
Xia Mingyu had originally planned to CPU Berg a little more with a few motivational words, but now he hurried toward the wooden house instead.
He could no longer wait to see what profession he had awakened and what abilities it had brought him.
After all, those abilities would directly determine whether his future journey through the Seven-Ring World would be played on Hard Mode...
Or Heaven Mode.
If he was lucky enough to get some absurdly powerful profession like Transmigrator or Fool, then from now on, he could practically play the game with his feet.
After Xia Mingyu left, the villagers, who had been holding back their excitement for a long time, immediately surrounded Berg.
"You brat! The gods really are favoring you! You made a mistake, yet His Highness still accepted you as his attendant, and he even gave you a surname... This is even more unbelievable than the stories sung by bards!"
"Hey, hey! When you become successful in the future, don't forget our village! Remember to come back and visit us!"
"You absolutely cannot forget His Highness's kindness! If you ever dare betray His Highness in the future, don't blame me for no longer recognizing you as my brother!"
...
The villagers surrounded Berg and spoke over one another.
Some of them even lifted him high into the air.
At that moment, Robert slowly walked toward Berg.
Seeing him approach, the villagers quickly moved aside and opened a path.
