Harry Potter: Journey to Godhood

Alaric gazed into Garona's eyes, his heart filled with complexity.

From the very beginning of their interaction, Alaric had taken advantage of Garona's personality, deliberately appealing to her strengths. 

et, he did not feel joy at having gained her trust so easily.

Instead, a wave of sadness washed over him.

Not for himself; a true mage pursuing wisdom and power would not be concerned with the means to achieve their ends.

But for Garona.

Whether in the original story or in the present, she was a girl with a tragic fate.

In her original destiny, the orcs invaded Northshire Abbey, rescuing Garona, who was then sent by Gul'dan to his "ally," Medivh, under the pretense of being a messenger.

With Medivh, Garona gained much—trust, friends, and… a child with Medivh.

Then, due to Sargeras's influence, she was forced to kill Medivh herself and, alongside Lothar and Khadgar, closed the Dark Portal.

After that, Garona was welcomed by the humans and became friends with Khadgar, Lothar, and King Llane. 

However, Gul'dan regained control over her, forcing her to kill her own friend, King Llane.

Although Garona later went into hiding, she could never escape the fate of being controlled. 

She had been manipulated into assassinating Llane's son, Varian Wrynn, the future leader of the Alliance, and later, she was forced to kill her other friend, Khadgar.

Though she had failed both times, the experiences left her deeply scarred.

Now, with Garona right in front of him, Alaric had the opportunity to gain her power while also altering her twisted and sorrowful fate.

Thus, he solemnly met the gaze of the half-orc, speaking with an undeniable tone.

"Of course, Garona, your wishes will be fulfilled by me. You can entrust your faith to me, just as I place my trust in you."

However, as a self-serving mage, Alaric never truly trusted anyone other than himself. This wasn't due to coldness but rather an understanding of too much.

He understood magic better than anyone and knew its capabilities in controlling others. 

Spells like possession, charm, and mental suggestion were child's play compared to the more sophisticated means of control, such as those used by Sargeras on Medivh or Gul'dan on Garona—these methods were often hard to detect.

But at this moment, faced with Garona, Alaric wanted to extend a certain level of trust to her.

Of course, this was contingent on removing Gul'dan's influence.

Upon hearing Alaric's affirming words, Garona seemed to find redemption, her entire demeanor relaxing.

As a top-tier rogue who had survived alone in the orc tribes for over a decade, she had always been cautious. 

Even beside Alaric, her keen senses remained alert to every movement around her.

Now, Alaric could see that she had truly relaxed, setting aside her longstanding wariness and instinctual doubts.

Then, to Alaric's astonishment, Garona knelt before him, placing a hand on her chest, and spoke in a serious and solemn tone.

"I, Garona, the half-orc, swear by my blood and honor that I will be loyal to you, Grand Mage Sandor Maverick, from this moment forth. Your will shall be my will. I shall be your sharpest blade, at your command."

This sudden pledge of loyalty left Alaric stunned.

While he had desired Garona's loyalty, he had not anticipated it would come to this.

His intention had been to build a good relationship with Garona, perhaps even establish some romantic tension, binding her to him through emotions...

But how had their relationship suddenly shifted from camaraderie to loyalty?

Had he been too emotionally persuasive, inadvertently causing Garona to take this leap?

Faced with this unexpected transition from a gal game to an SLG, Alaric finally felt compelled to speak up.

"Actually... you don't have to go this far, really," he said gently. 

"Trust doesn't have to manifest as loyalty. The relationship between people isn't solely master and servant. As friends, we should be equal, shouldn't we?"

Saying this, he reached out to help Garona up.

However, Garona remained firmly half-kneeling on the ground, unwilling to accept Alaric's kindness.

"I certainly understand that we are friends," Garona replied with a smile, "Thank you for always treating me as your equal, but I have my reasons for doing this."

She sighed deeply, lowering her head before continuing.

"In the past, I had no goals, or rather, living and surviving was my only objective. I had no family, no friends, and no one to whom I was truly loyal. 

I struggled alone in the orc tribes, serving Gul'dan merely to survive."

As she spoke, a tear seemed to well up in her eye, but she brushed it away casually and lifted her gaze to Alaric.

"But now, it's different. You have redeemed me, offering me equality, respect, and trust. My goal is no longer just to survive; I want to see more. 

I wish to follow you into your world, to witness your goals, your desires, and your dreams. I want to help you achieve them—this has become my new purpose."

"Are you entrusting your life to me?" Alaric murmured with a bitter smile. "How deeply sinful."

Yet, he felt neither regret nor guilt as he looked down at the half-orc, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Alright, alright. Since you've made this decision, I cannot oppose it. I accept your loyalty. 

By the name of wisdom and the arcane, I swear that I will never betray my follower, Garona. I will impart my wisdom to her. 

When she truly has her own goals and understands the meaning of life, I will grant her freedom."

"The last part was unnecessary," Garona said with a hint of dissatisfaction. "But if you insist on saying it, you might lose the power of a rogue in the future!"

At that, she actually rolled her eyes at Alaric.

Seeing such a youthful expression on the wild girl Garona was a rare sight.

"So what if I do?" Alaric shrugged. "True loyalty comes not from oaths but from emotions, doesn't it?"

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