Chapter 29: Ch 29: Making a Vow

Aiden was happy to be called his goddess’s possession, but unfortunately, now was not the time to bask in her glory. Especially not when he needed to clear her name and spread it far and wide.

The man stuck in his goddess’s powers was still struggling, but his body was starting to get tired.

"You bastard-"

The man tried to yell, and Aiden chose that moment to interfere with the man’s words.

"I am afraid that there has been a misunderstanding between us. Are you here because you are looking for your son? I am afraid he’s dead. But I managed to preserve his body in case you might want it."

Aiden’s words angered the man even more.

"Don’t you dare touch my son with your filthy hands. I know everything! You killed my child-"

"Sir, I don’t understand why you think I killed your son or what I would gain from it, but I can clear my name right now. I will take a vow in my goddess’s name, and if I am lying, I will die because of the backlash."

A vow made in the name of a god was, in essence, a binding contract that said the person taking it was telling the truth and their god was the witness. But there was one reason why it was considered a sacred vow.

It was because the gods were merciless. If they even had a hint that their names were being tarnished, they would not sit back and watch it. Instead, they would smite the person making this vow.

Of course, Aiden knew that his goddess wouldn’t do that to him even if he lied. But he was never going to lie in her name.

But even this did not seem good enough for the older man.

"What use is making the vow to your goddess? She would just favour you, or you might play a trick. If you are going to make a vow, then make it in the name of God Aldaric. If you are lying, then you will get struck on the spot."

It made sense why the elder male would tell Aiden to swear in another god’s name, but that did not mean that Aiden did not feel insulted.

His goddess was being slighted just because there was a better option out there? It did not sit right with him.

And yet, he decided to take that vow for his goddess’s sake.

"Very well. Since this is your request, I will make the vow now. I swear in the name of God Aldaric that I have never harmed your son in any way. All I did was retrieve his body from the nearby well."

Once the vow was invoked, God Aldaric’s power started to judge him.

Aiden felt his goddess tense once the foreign god’s presence started to enter her territory. But he patted her back to make her calm down under his large sleeves.

The power continued to judge him until it calmed down, and he was proven innocent.

"See, I told you that I was not the culprit."

Aiden told the man in front of him, and that caused the elder male to lose all his strength.

"I...if you are not the one who did it, then what did I come here for? And who did this to my innocent son? Why him?"

The father broke down and started to cry, which made Aiden feel awkward. He was not good with human emotions or comforting people.

But since this was for the sake of his goddess, he decided that he needed to at least try.

"Your son’s body is still fine for now, so you can hold the funeral rites for him. He would likely reincarnate soon and live a better life, so there is no need to worry. As for what happened to him, I would like to know as well. Would you like my help in investigating what happened?"

Aiden asked the father, and the man nodded. He was too grief-stricken, but Aiden’s words helped him regain his strength.

He also gained a new purpose- to get revenge against the people who killed his son.

"Sir Priest, I know I have committed a grave sin. But if your goddess agrees to be merciful and help me, then I promise my wife and I will become devoted followers of yours."

The man promised, and Aiden agreed with him. This was the perfect time for him to spread his goddess’s name while clearing it at the same time.

However, not everyone was satisfied with this situation, and little did Aiden know that his goddess was already planning her revenge against the poor god of justice he had made a vow to.

’I don’t like the fact that Aiden was forced to say another god’s name with his mouth. But I cannot fault him since he did it for me. And he asked me not to fault the grieving child. So that leaves only one person...’

And just like that, Goddess Apophis had a new target for her resentment. One day, she would take her revenge against that god of justice who caused Aiden to make a vow to him.

Only then would she be satisfied with her circumstances.

Unfortunately, she did not have enough power to be able to affect a deity of that scale yet.

...

A little while earlier.

In his abode, the god of justice was busy looking over his texts when he felt a sudden shudder that told him that someone was invoking a pledge in his name. He immediately allowed his power to judge that person and found them innocent.

But while he was judging that human, he felt something unique in them.

It was a power he had never seen before, and it felt dormant but overwhelming. It was different from a god’s power. It was ancient and mouth-watering in a way he had never felt anything like before. He wanted to have it.

But the second he reached for it, it disappeared, leaving him with nothing.

His vow-hand finished his judgment, which meant he no longer had access to that connection. So he decided to give up...

Only to feel another god’s resentment poking him.

’Hey, what did I do to deserve this?’

Fortunately, the other god was not strong enough, so he could safely ignore them...for now.