The Millennial Beast, Erchitu, felt an unfamiliar, yet warm, force wash over its body. It felt very comfortable, and yet, its instincts told him that it mustn't allow itself to be lulled by the power that was slowly binding it to someone's will.
The Erchitu was a Giant White Ox that was almost as tall and as broad as the Diabolic Hell Ape that once helped William during the Dungeon Outbreak. Its two horns were massive, which made it very imposing.
Unfortunately, its strength was currently halved due to the power of the Continental Spell that had affected every creature in the continent that had the rank of Centennial and above. The only ones that didn't get affected by the spell were the extremely powerful ones like Pseudo-Demigods and Demigods.
Minos, the Sovereign of the Minotaurs, and the Ant Queen had been affected by the spell. However, since the Ant Queen's main purpose was to lay eggs, her threat didn't diminish. Only Minos, the King of the Minotaur Race, suffered heavily from the spell.
Because of this, it had no choice but to seal off their Palace to prevent the Elves from capturing his subjects.
The Erchitu resisted William's taming spell with all of its might. Although its current strength had dropped down to the initial stages of the Centennial Rank, it was still a very powerful monster. Moments later, the Taming Skill failed and the Giant White Ox panted heavily from its effort to resist William's spell.
"Curse you," the Erchitu said through telepathy as it opened its eyes to glare at William. However, the moment its eyes landed on the boy, a hint of surprise passed over its beastly features.
"Y-You!" Erchitu gasped in shock as it eyed William with disbelief. "N-No. Impossible! This cannot be!"
The Giant White Ox tried to prop itself up, but was unable to move its body. Due to the Continental Spell and being starved inside Jekyll's stomach, it was too weak to even stand up. However, its eyes remained strong as it stared at the red-headed boy in front of him.
"Come closer, boy," Erchitu stated. "I promise I won't hurt you. I just want to confirm something."
William didn't bat an eye and walked forward fearlessly. Jekyll, who was standing nearby, frowned and prepared himself to defend the boy if Erchitu tried something funny.
When William was only two meters away from the head of the Giant Ox, Erchitu sniffed the boy's body as if trying to confirm its suspicions.
"Your name?" Erchitu asked.
"Wiliam." William answered.
Erchitu narrowed its eyes then asked the most important question it could think of. "What is your profession?"
William smiled because he understood the real meaning behind the Giant White Ox's question. He then remembered David's short lesson before he was sent to the Heavenly Domain to partake in his thirteen trials.
"I am…the Eternal Guardian of the Herd," William said with pride. He then looked at the Giant White Ox that was lying on the ground with a serious expression. "Will you honor the Oath made by your ancestors?"
Erchitu chuckled, but coughed a few moments later. Its weakened body was still sore from being held up in Jekyll's stomach and the chuckle it did only made matters worse.
"Earlier, did you try to form a contract with me?" Erchitu inquired.
William pondered a bit because he knew that the proud beast in front of him demanded an honest answer. After organizing his thoughts, he decided to just tell the truth.
"Yes and No," William replied. "Yes, it is a form of contract, similar to that of a Beast Companion, but different. What I attempted to do earlier was to add you to my Herd. In short, I am adding you to my own private force."
William then looked at the Lamassus, Minotaurs, and Flaming Bulls that were also lying on the ground.
"Not only you, I plan to add them in my herd as well," William continued. After looking at the fallen beasts for half a minute, he shifted his attention back to the Giant Ox that was looking at him with a serious expression.
"Ercihtu, I ask you to fight for me," William stated. "Fight for me, and I shall hold your vows fulfilled. What say you?"
All of the Beasts that were currently in a weakened state had been listening to William's and Erchitu's exchange. They had also noticed something very different about the red-headed boy's aura and Erchitu had confirmed their suspicion.
William was the Eternal Guardian of the Herd and the Minotaur Race had made an oath to serve the God of Shepherds and his chosen disciples who would don his mantle in the mortal realm.
The Beasts that protected the Zelan Dynasty now had to make a choice. Fulfill their oaths and follow William, or reject him and remain loyal to their King.
"Tell me your goal," Erchitu demanded. It wore a complicated expression on its face as he asked the Half-Elf another question. "Although we made an oath to the Eternal Guardian, we cannot betray our King and the citizens of our Dynasty. What is your plan regarding the Zelan Dynasty?"
William knew that he was now at the turning point of a subtle negotiation between him and the Commander of the Minotaur Race. Depending on his answer, Erchitu and the rest of the Beasts would either join his side or resist him with everything they had.
"I do not wish for dominion." The red-headed boy placed his closed fist over his chest as if to make a pledge. "My goal is to fight against The Organization that has brought chaos to this continent, as well as to fend off the foreigners that have invaded our lands. This is my goal."
"And what will you do after you complete your goal?" Erchitu asked. "What of our Dynasty?"
William scratched his head as he gave the Giant Ox a sheepish smile. "Ah, you don't need to worry about this. Don't you know that the Crown Prince is a distant cousin of mine?"
"... Distant cousins?"
"Yes. In fact, Crown Prince Alaric is currently in Lont. Ah! Lont is my hometown and just a few miles away from here. You can meet him later after we are done with our business."
William summoned his shepherd staff and held it firmly in his grasp. He then pointed its tip at the Erchitu's face. Although David had told him that the Minotaur Race was the guardian of the Shepherds, this was a vow made thousands of years ago.
He didn't know if the current Minotaurs would still honor this ancient oath. One thing was for sure. Whether they honored it or not, William was determined to add Erchitu and its subordinates to his herd whether they liked it or not.
"I'll ask again. Will you fight for me?" William inquired. There was no threat in his words. But he radiated an imposing aura that wouldn't take no for an answer.
Erchitu knew that the time to make a choice had come. The beasts lying on the ground looked at their leader and waited for its answer. Whatever Erchitu's decision would be, they would follow it as his loyal subordinates.
"My answer is…"