After returning to his quarters, Roland immediately requested classified records from Atrelin and applied for technical support.
An expert in the delegation who knew a great deal about Hell also made a special trip over to help him identify the item.
What the alchemy factory director had given him was a mysterious pact recorded on parchment. It looked plain and ancient, but the writing resembled bloodstains, as vivid as though freshly made.
"Is this the secret pact item needed to summon a devil?"
Roland examined it with some curiosity.
It looked rather like an ancient magic scroll, covered in writing resembling the language of Hell.
"This script seems to be called Styx Script. It's the writing used in pacts of the kind known as the 'Styx Oath,' which ancient mages often mentioned in their notes."
"Demons and devils both fear having their souls bound. If they fall into the River of the Underworld, they can never be reborn. Even for them, that is an unbearable consequence.
"Only by swearing upon this does the restriction gain genuine binding power. It is also often regarded as an effective means of forming a true pact with a demon.
"If the punishment only affects their physical bodies, it has practically no deterrent effect."
The delegation's expert explained.
"Incidentally, the Luo River Oath you mentioned in your writings seems to work along similar lines.
"Could that have been an allusion to the Styx Oath?"
The Luo River Oath? Swearing an oath upon water?
Roland was momentarily taken aback.
Who the hell knows!
I'd sooner think Western civilization copied it.
If both sides have something similar, the one with the shorter history ought to feel awkward.
*Then again, most ancient civilizations had legends of floods and believed that human souls would ultimately be taken into a