Reformation

As soon as the Sword Demons finished speaking, his body was once again tightly bound by silk threads.

Fern stepped forward and raised his staff.

"I'll take care of her."

The voice was steady, without the slightest hesitation.

"Tsk, looks like it's no use." She said calmly, as if talking about someone else. "He's going to die."

Fern's staff glowed.

"Wait, wait, wait." Lowell raised his hand, making a gesture to stop him.

He looked at Fern.

Fern looked back at him.

"What's wrong?"

Lowell scratched his head.

"Uh... Fern, you..."

He paused for a moment.

"Not even a little hesitation?"

Fern blinked, looking somewhat puzzled.

"A very strange question, Lord Lowell."

Her voice remained steady.

"She's like a wild beast. Not only has she killed many people, but she also tried to kill you after you just let her go. She's utterly treacherous. Why are you hesitating?"

Lowell was silent for two seconds.

"Hmm... I'll talk to you about it later. Anyway, stop now, I'll handle her problem."

He turned to the Sword Demons.

"Alright, alright, I am the Demon King. I'm activating my persuasion skill again."

"Should it be lowered?"

The Sword Demons looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and seemed to be thinking about something.

"... drop."

Lowell clapped his hands.

"Good."

"Given your previous poor performance, you can't take a game, so you resort to sneak attacks—sneak attacks on an old comrade like me who's over a thousand years old..."

"We were originally planning to send you to a labor camp for three years, but now we've increased it to five. Follow us, reform yourself properly, and start your life as a devil again."

The Sword Demons tilted his head slightly.

"Labor reform?"

"Labor reform," Lowell explained. "Working, you know? It means doing labor to atone for your crimes. They'll provide food and lodging during that time, and after that, you'll go to the Continental United Academy for further intensive reform."

The Sword Demons thought for a moment.

"No need to go hungry, and it's only five years, that's pretty short."

Lowell's expression went blank for a moment.

Well, according to the Demons's view of lifespan, it is indeed quite short.

Looking at the Sword Demons's nonchalant attitude, he felt somewhat unwilling, as if he had been too lenient.

He thought for a moment, then took out a stone ring from the alternate dimension and put it on her wrist. The stone ring fit snugly against her skin, emitting a faint glow before disappearing.

"In short, from now on, unless attacked by others, no killing, no injuring, no spitting, and no littering..."

He said a long string of "No!"

Then he took out a piece of paper generated by magic and handed it to the Sword Demons, thus freeing him from his restraints.

"Starting now, recite this a thousand times every day. Once you have a pen, copy it a thousand times every day. Then, do as it says, and strive to become so-and-so's successor as soon as possible." (Many sentences failed the review, so I deleted them many times, wasting three or four hours. I'm very angry, but please bear with it.)

The Sword Demons took the note and looked down at it.

"Oh."

She responded with a sound of agreement, and then began to read, her voice flat and monotone, as if she were reading an instruction manual:

"I volunteer to join... and am ready at any time to serve..."

"I volunteer to join... and will do the following: 1. To serve... difficulties for life, and always for... 5. To be a model for the masses. 6. To keep... secrets... 8. To be indomitable and never betray..."

She read it fluently, without a single mistake. After finishing one section, she naturally transitioned to the next.

"I volunteer to join... and dedicate my life to the complete liberation of all humanity and the Demons race."

"I will possess the Eight Virtues: humility, honor, sacrifice, courage, compassion, honesty, justice, and spirituality. I swear to treat the weak with kindness. I swear to bravely confront violence. I swear to fight against all injustice. I swear to fight for the unarmed. I swear to help anyone who asks me for help. I swear not to harm any woman. I swear to help my brother knight. I swear to be sincere to my friends. I swear to be faithful to my loved ones until death..."

Lowell listened with his arms crossed. At this point, he suddenly cleared his throat, straightened his back, and interjected in a theatrical, slightly exaggeratedly solemn tone:

"Faced with a formidable enemy, we are fearless and undaunted! Courageous and loyal, we are worthy of God's judgment! Speaking the truth, we would rather die than lie! Protecting the weak is no crime against Heaven!"

He paused, then looked intently at the Sword Demons.

"This is your vow, remember it well!"

Then he swung his arm.

He has been knighted!

The Sword Demons stopped reciting and looked up at him. His golden eyes held no emotion; he simply watched quietly.

Lowell stared at the emotionless machine for two seconds, then his feigned solemnity crumbled, and he waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't mind it, I sometimes get the urge to act and have to belt out a few lines. You keep going. There are still 999 more repetitions."

The Sword Demons withdrew his gaze, uttered an "oh," and lowered his head to continue reciting, his voice calm and even, starting from the beginning.

"I volunteer to join..."

Lowell glanced at Frieren, then at Fern.

"Alright, let's go back."

He turned to the Sword Demons.

"Hey, you Sword Demons, follow us, chant as you go."

The Sword Demons let out another "Oh," and followed them, his mouth still moving.

"To fulfill... and strictly adhere to..."

The four left the village ruins and walked back along the path they had come from.

The Sword Demons followed at the back, chanting continuously. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and steady in the empty wilderness and the rising evening breeze, one sentence after another without pause.

Frieren walked beside Lowell, listened for a while, and blinked her emerald eyes.

"What is this being recited?" she asked, her tone brimming with pure curiosity. "It sounds like some kind of contract or oath? But the structure is so strange, and there are some words I've never heard before."

"It's 'magic' from another world," Lowell replied casually, then paused and added, "Well, it's like those creeds that shape the mind through repeated inscription. Long-term recitation is said to correct one's character."

"Oh." Frieren nodded, seemingly accepting the explanation, but her interest deepened. "Could I see that piece of paper? I'd like to study its structure."

"Okay, I'll show you when we get back," Lowell said.

The night wind picked up, sweeping across the open fields, stirring up fine dust that felt cool on our faces. Only a faint, pale gray-purple line remained on the distant horizon.

Lowell suddenly spoke, his voice not loud.

"Hey, Sword Demons."

The recitation stopped.

The Sword Demons turned his head, his golden eyes calmly looking at him.

"What's your name?" Lowell asked. "I can't keep calling you 'Sword Demons'."

The Sword Demons fell silent for a moment.

"I have no name. I've always been alone, and I don't need one."

"Now we'll need it," Lowell said. "We need a name. Well, you're not very educated, I'll come up with one. Hmm... Liletta, it means 'Blade to be Reforged.' Sword Demons, you know, if it's broken, it'll be reforged. Not bad, right?"

The Sword Demons looked at him, seemingly deep in thought.

A few seconds later, she reached for the hilt of her sword, her fingers tightening as if she intended to break it.

Hey! What are you doing?!

"... Wasn't it supposed to be a 'reforging'?"

"... Tsk, it's a metaphor! A metaphor, you understand! You're just like Sam... Never mind, put it away."

"Oh."