Chapter 64

That a pledge of loyalty would follow immediately after an investiture ceremony was not uncommon.

Generally, the newly invested knight would serve as lord to whoever presided over the ceremony or to the benefactor who had recommended them for knighthood.

But that only happened when the agreement had already been made beforehand, prior to the investiture.

Forcing a pledge of loyalty without even asking the person’s will was an enormous discourtesy.

‘And yet these rumors are going around… seems like everyone is pretty desperate.’

Since she was the disciple of Swordmaster Eisen, Felicia’s investiture would be held with considerable pomp.

If all three of them showed up at once in front of everyone, people would assume that, whoever it was, she would end up choosing one.

The one presiding over the investiture would be Duke Sigmund, and since her master also served Valdeck, the ties of gratitude—both direct and indirect—ran deep.

‘If she doesn’t choose one of Valdeck’s sons, she’ll be labeled ungrateful. Is that what they’re trying to exploit?’

Honestly, what a crude mental game.

Lucian gave a wry smile and waved his hand toward the still-kneeling guard.

“Thanks for the explanation. You may go.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

At the order to withdraw, the guard hurried back to their post.

Once they were gone, Lucian leaned toward Raymond and whispered.

“What do you think? Will my brothers really try to force Felicia to swear loyalty?”

“It’s entirely possible. In practice, that kind of pressure happens frequently.”

“And it’s usually the move of minor lords trying to snatch a talent far above their league. If they were confident in recruiting her properly, they wouldn’t even dare.”

“That only shows how heavy the name of Swordmaster Eisen is. If it works out, they could turn the succession board over in one move.”

“When, in reality, Eisen would find it extremely unpleasant.”

A bitter smile formed on Lucian’s lips.

And he wouldn’t be the only one to feel uncomfortable.

In the eyes of Duke Sigmund, who had respected Eisen for so many years, this wouldn’t be pleasant at all either.

And still, they openly showed their greed to the point where rumors had already spread even before they acted.

“Looks like everyone’s got their asses on fire.”

“The other young masters must be nervous about your movements too, my lord. They probably thought they needed a decisive blow to turn the tide.”

“A decisive blow, huh? I was just thinking that something like that would be good for me too.”

Although Lucian had gained a lot of political weight in the past year, he couldn’t say he had an overwhelming advantage over his brothers.

Tristan and Jordi had the foundations they’d built over time, and even Joshua, the most lagging behind, had the support of his mother’s family.

Thanks to the fame earned during the suppression of the rebellion, Lucian had gotten close to the position of heir, but it was still a contested ground.

If he could use this opportunity to secure a firm and unshakable advantage, it wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.

‘Since they’re the ones setting the stage, maybe all I have to do is grab a spoon.’

***

“Tch.”

Swordmaster Eisen Brightner clicked his tongue as he folded the letter in front of him.

Just as he expected, the content didn’t differ at all from previous days.

‘That, even if they show up themselves during the investiture, I should grant them my understanding? That I should warn my disciple in advance so she won’t be surprised?’

The sender changed each time—Tristan, Jordi, or Joshua—but the content was always the same.

If they knew it was such a rude act, they should just abstain.

What kind of hypocrisy was it to apologize in advance for a discourtesy they were clearly determined to commit?

And even worse, it wasn’t a matter of life and death, just petty ambition.

‘More importantly, they’re apologizing to the wrong person. If they really want to say sorry, they should be saying it to that girl, not to me. They only care about my reaction and don’t even consider her will.’

Did they really think that, just because they got his permission, they could bend her will however they pleased?

Having served the Valdeck family for so long, Eisen refrained from cursing aloud, but the discomfort boiling inside him was impossible to suppress.

“Felicia.”

Fuuung.

“Yes, father.”

Felicia, who had been swinging her sword, straightened her posture immediately upon hearing Eisen’s call.

That balance, unbroken even by a sudden interruption, made Eisen feel satisfied.

“Read it. Even though the letter is addressed to me, it’s practically meant for you.”

Felicia took the letter Eisen handed her and quickly scanned its contents.

A moment later, a restrained voice, full of distaste, escaped her lips.

“They’re still at it. Do they really think that if they pressure me in front of everyone, I’ll give in?”

“It’s true that these kinds of methods are common in the world. They probably picked it up from watching others. It’s pathetic.”

Jordi had always been the type with no qualms about using such tricks, but the other two weren’t like that.

Tristan detested schemes to the point of loathing them, and Joshua, although he sometimes crossed the line out of ignorance, didn’t do it deliberately.

And yet now, even they were starting to imitate Jordi’s worst traits.

‘Could it be that, feeling cornered, they’ve decided to momentarily betray their principles to obtain Felicia… or have they changed course entirely and are now willing to use any means necessary?’

If it was the former, there was still hope.

But if it was the latter, it would be truly dreadful.

While Eisen held back a sigh, Felicia, who had finished reading the letter, spoke with a firm gaze.

“I won’t pledge loyalty to any of them. The person I will serve all my life was already decided the moment I became his daughter.”

“If that is your will, do as you wish. Forced loyalty has no value. A knight must choose their lord themselves.”

Eisen nodded calmly, as if he already knew her answer.

After all, he knew exactly to whom that loyalty was directed.

And probably the duke presiding over the investiture knew it too.

‘And yet he doesn’t stop the reckless actions of the young masters—probably so they learn firsthand how empty all backdoor schemes really are. The duke is, truly, merciless.’

Thinking this, the corner of Eisen’s lips lifted slightly.

He too would like to see, at least once, the young masters trying to corner Felicia for her loyalty end up drinking water in vain.

“We’ve wasted time on nonsense. There’s still some time before the investiture—let’s resume training.”

“Yes, father.”

“Um… Lord Eisen, another letter has arrived.”

Just as they were about to resume training, Eisen frowned.

Who could it be now?

Without hiding his irritation, he snatched the letter and checked the sender.

“The third young master…”

At his murmur, Felicia was startled.

Hadn’t he gone to the capital for pending matters? Was he already back?

After opening the letter and reading its contents, Eisen burst out laughing.

“Well, the third young master is still the same as ever.”

“What does it say?”

“Read it yourself!”

Still laughing, Eisen handed the letter to Felicia.

Shortly after finishing it, a smile also spread across her lips.

The letter announced the stir that Lucian would cause at the investiture ceremony that very afternoon.

***

Lucian called Hugo as soon as he returned and entrusted Ian to him.

If he kept a newly appeared alchemist so close to himself, it was obvious that it would raise suspicion around him.

To be able to produce the nectar while avoiding unwanted attention, they also needed to prepare another hideout for him.

‘I’d like to get him at least a comfortable house, but I spent everything buying moonlight grass, so there’s no other choice. For now, I’ll have to leave him in Hugo’s care.’

As soon as Hugo heard the situation, he smiled and replied confidently.

“That won’t be difficult. I’ll get started right away.”

“If you’re missing anything, let me know. I’ll support you however I can.”

“Don’t you know me already? I’m Hugo—the one who once even tricked the grand duke’s attention to set up an underground casino. A hideout with alchemy equipment is nothing special.”

At that boastful yet confident remark, Lucian smiled faintly and nodded. No doubt, someone with past experience would find it easier the second time.

Ian, the person in question, was also happy to be able to explore a large city for a while. It wasn’t that his passion for research had diminished, but it seemed he also had the desire to see the world.

“I’ll do my best to gather the ingredients, so in the meantime, get used to Kelheim. It won’t take long.”

“Yes, my lord. I’ll have everything ready to start producing it as soon as you give the order.”

Ian responded quickly and left. Hans, who had been watching his back, showed an uncertain expression.

Unlike other talents, Ian seemed like an ordinary boy, which stirred some doubt in him.

“Young master, was it really worth going all the way to the capital just to bring that boy? Are you sure it wasn’t just settling for what was available?”

“It’s exactly the opposite. I was about to bring back a chicken and ended up finding a pheasant. I got lucky. And speaking of that…”

Lucian trailed off and looked Hans up and down. It hadn’t been that long, but he was so thin he looked haggard.

“Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?”

“Haha, I’m perfectly fine. I just lost a bit of weight because the butler training is tough. I’m learning with dedication, but really—it really is…”

Hans went silent and his body trembled. Just remembering it made his expression worsen.

“If it’s too hard, do you want to rest for a few days? I can say you’re sick.”

“No, that’s not necessary.”

At Lucian’s concern, Hans immediately shook his head.

“It’s hard, yes, but every time I learn something new, I feel great satisfaction. To stay by your side, young master, this is no sacrifice.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

Lucian said that while hiding a smile. Both Hugo and Hans were retainers whose attitude toward life he found admirable.

After chatting a bit more, Hans seemed to realize something.

“Now that I think of it, the investiture ceremony is soon. Will you attend as well, young master? If you’re tired from the trip, no one would blame you for skipping it.”

“If I were outside the territory, it’d be a different story, but I’m back now, so of course I’ll attend. It’s not every day the heir of Swordmaster Eisen appears—how could I miss that?”

Just watching would be a spectacular sight, and besides, the stage was already set.

For Lucian, it was something he couldn’t afford to miss.

As he headed toward the ceremony location after checking the approximate time—

“…Big brother?”

“Oh, Joshua.”

Lucian greeted Joshua cheerfully, whom he ran into by chance on the road. In contrast, Joshua took a step back with an uncomfortable expression as soon as he saw him.

“They said you went to the capital. I see you’re already back.”

“Barely. I almost missed the ceremony.”

“I’m asking just in case—you’re not going to tell me that you also plan to pursue Eisen’s disciple, right?”

“And why not? From what I hear, you and our other brothers are trying too.”

At Lucian’s response, Joshua let out a mocking laugh and shook his head.

“It’s true you’ve made some impressive achievements lately, brother, but this time you’d be better off giving up.”

“And why’s that?”

“What need would someone who’s going to be the heir of the Swordmaster have to serve under you? To be blunt, you don’t even have the resources to give a knight of that level the treatment they deserve.”

“Well, it’s true I’m a bit short on money.”

Of the three brothers, Lucian was the only one without the support of his maternal family, and the compensation he received from Jordi had gone entirely into buying moonlight grass.

Seeing Lucian nod, Joshua continued firmly, as if teaching him how the world works.

“True talent never comes cheap. Not out of greed, but because the treatment they receive is a form of public recognition. If they accept a deal below their worth, it’s like declaring they don’t deserve more.”

“Hmm.”

“And especially in the case of the heir of a Swordmaster. What reason would they have to serve under you? Unless you’d saved their life in the past, there’s no reason for them to lower their value to follow a poor lord who can’t even pay them a proper salary.”