Chapter 66
efuxJFelicia’s oath of loyalty made everyone open their eyes wide. She said she didn’t need any kind of reward, only to be allowed to serve.TXC9gAv
0d7BaDxIt wasn’t just absolute loyalty, but a devotion so extreme it bordered on madness.we8
4XvdEveryone was shocked, but the ones hit the hardest were Lucian’s brothers.Q8GmDzJ
Bu7“What the hell is this…?”rrU
fQaU“Ah… ah…”RkfePjb
ETRdTTristan opened his eyes wide at a scene he had never imagined, while Joshua stood with his mouth agape, unable to utter a word.OwBR
TkK8iGJordi’s face, as he bit his lips hard enough to nearly draw blood, was red as if he were about to explode at any moment.xBtxeyU
l7tWM6While his brothers’ inner worlds were turning upside down, Lucian drew his sword and touched Felicia’s shoulder.owWI
Z8r“Then, Lucian Valdeck swears that you and I will walk together, even into hell.”F8HW4
XHCorWhen the oath between lord and vassal ended, Felicia bowed deeply and stood beside Lucian.GqvW
F6PIt was the moment when the owner of the future Swordmaster was decided.zKi
fZc1hEverything happened so quickly that the knights looked at one another with stunned expressions.1VXxSp
97ccMIn such a situation, it would have been normal to at least pretend to offer congratulations, but everyone was so shocked that not a single cheer came out.nPS
m1jClack, clack, clack.Cf2
IJURdPThen, suddenly, a knocking sound drew everyone’s attention.qhcCw1h
Jc8d4wvSome knights were striking the ground with the sheaths of their swords, others did the same with the shafts of their spears.z6Rr
6cLxE3It was a battlefield ritual, used to show respect to someone worthy of honor.Lg7
YxQBHdThump, thump, thump.jZq
RMwJAt first, it was only a few, but slowly, as others saw them, more soldiers and knights began to join in.gvIY
ILt5G4The more people participated, the louder the sound grew, until it began to shake the entire surroundings.SexOPj
zOvIThe knights, confused by the sudden ritual, soon understood the reason.t09L
JfR‘They’re the ones who took part in suppressing the Krephelt rebellion.’WWl
UNZ8‘They’re showing respect to the third young master who commanded them?’Ag5Q
BdVH9qBoom, boom, boom.v1f
gTtThe vibration spreading through all of Kelheim was like a collective shout.IkIdxb
7DIPQGtA cry that said that, at least to them, Lucian was worthy of receiving the loyalty of the future Swordmaster. And when that roar reached its peak—z33X
yQ7“Waaaaaah!”snchRrT
ifzckY“Long live the third young master!”8Tj
ETTl“Long live Lady Felicia!”jCobiOE
Lim“Valdeck, forever!”WP4wy8
xWn1A deafening cheer erupted, blessing the two newly bonded lord and vassal.dd8hkmM
tcrhV1aAs the soldiers’ ritual continued, everyone began to recall the achievements Lucian had accumulated.cWjZZe9
c4qapEven those still in shock were swept up by the fervor and ended up voicing blessings without even realizing it.e9A
lsT2tSurrounded by cheers from all sides, Lucian and Felicia whispered to each other.DhckSb
fyMx“From now on, I am in your care, my lord.”s1oc
qniIF“Likewise.”ztW
ZyaNIkX***jZq
6eb— They say the Swordmaster’s successor is actually a woman!x3Y9C
cVsic— And that she swore loyalty to the third young master!db7dUZM
kKLAfter the investiture ceremony, those two rumors swept through all of Valdeck territory like a storm. People couldn’t wrap their heads around what had happened.tlu42
TTwJIt was already shocking that a knightess worthy of a fairy tale truly existed, but that she had sworn loyalty to a mere candidate like the third young master was even harder to believe.Ge4HI9L
YEV“What the hell happened here? Sure, the third young master has stood out lately, but isn’t it too much for someone carrying the Swordmaster’s succession?”BQdjW
w0Hm“Maybe Sir Eisen planned it? Did he mean to show support for the third young master through his successor…?”8eiL
5AC“Nonsense! How long has it been since he clearly stated he wouldn’t get involved in politics? Dragging up old stories now?”1rofuJa
ndtWD“But if not that, it makes no sense! With how easily scandals could arise just for being a woman, what reason would she have otherwise!”cp0fUm
5uk2Not only Valdeck family knights, but even knights from external territories who heard the rumor were stirred by this shocking event.vhEK
et1That’s how heavy the name of Swordmaster weighed. While wild speculations spread, the truth began to leak from the Valdeck family.pCYBI
WB6UnsF“I heard recently that, in fact, the one who recommended Lady Felicia to Sir Eisen was the third young master.”I0p0
I77G“What? Then what was she doing before?”NPetS
PNQ3rVZ“They say she was the illegitimate daughter of a certain family. The third young master recognized her talent, despite the abuse she suffered at home, and brought her with him.”XGa
h1Ol“Ah, now I get it. Is that why she saved his life?”SkdMMs
X5b6sB“Of course. In that case, it makes no sense for her to serve anyone other than the third young master. A knight dies for the one who recognizes their worth.”2MI6
qt3UU30Once the situation became clear, the knights began to unanimously praise Lucian and Felicia’s story.aQle
PpZfFXEven someone with a talent capable of shaking the world will disappear into the shadows of history if never given a chance to shine.BFOy95
KvDXFor a knight who values honor, the favor of being recognized and given the chance to earn fame weighs even more than a life debt.s8n
3pTq0ZAs the truth spread, the baseless rumors calmed down, but now others began to feel uneasy.Kj3
bvvZ2b‘Whatever the reason for her oath, she is the future Swordmaster. That symbolism can’t be ignored.’7Jm9blL
hIdI‘There are many knights fascinated by the name Swordmaster. Whether out of ambition or reverence, they always flock like moths to the flame around a young Swordmaster.’ewOD8
YZa‘And if she’s a woman, they’ll come even just to test her strength. This is a serious problem. At this rate, a faction will form before we have time to intervene.’gsu9
5FtpThose who had treated Lucian as just another candidate and stayed out of it began to grow impatient.NBgE
ANn9No matter how great his achievements, it had only been a year, and they thought it was too early to invest, so they kept their distance.cEbTT
vVtwjgqBut if they kept hesitating, the fame of the future Swordmaster could lead to the formation of a solid power base before they could act.1nguA
r4oDik5And once talent has gathered, trying to join afterward always brings fewer benefits.FQJlk0
0dIPBL‘No, we can’t wait any longer. At the very least, we need to form some kind of connection as soon as possible.’Fs6za9W
u5X0‘At the minimum, the third young master lacks resources. We’ll start by sending him gifts and earning his favor little by little.’cXCBnbO
dyt‘Should we switch sides now? Losing what we invested hurts, but if we can board the same ship as the next great duke…’1nK
zHOThey weren’t just opportunists trying to cling to Lucian’s fame—these were real heavyweights, capable of mobilizing both military power and wealth.6n3OQ15
uZf***e4VDpK
CInr“The young master, another gift has arrived.”OuAH
VRqUJ“From whom?”8mX
C0pUh“From the branch manager of the Rott Company.”bnN
W0RGRmt“Just toss it somewhere in a corner.”hTtyw
wGTLucian waved his hand without even checking the letter that came with the gift.pxR
y0a4YSeeing yet another item added to the enormous pile of presents, Hans made an exasperated face.1PSxrK8
IpMuYRC“Is it really okay to do this? Since we’ve received something, shouldn’t we at least send a reply?”uB9
gJ9U0Qq“A reply for what? They’re only approaching because they need something. Unless it’s someone with power we absolutely can’t ignore, it’s not worth it. And besides…”qYMDJW1
MlgXLucian slightly turned his head and smiled slyly.PogcA
nfUn4w“Now I have the solid future Swordmaster by my side. Even if they hold a grudge, there’s nothing to fear.”hODP3m
LAgY“Such generous words.”h35uRRL
8jXFelicia bowed deeply, responding to her lord’s trust.etR445j
MHJyZHAfter the investiture ceremony, Lucian had appointed her as his escort knight and kept her constantly at his side.NRo92
zYeE2It was both to show their connection to the outside world and to strengthen the bond between lord and vassal.eJM
l89‘Good thing Sir Eisen is flexible. With how urgent her training is, he could’ve taken her away immediately saying he’d send her later, and I wouldn’t have been able to object.’cS8
DlSIwNLucian let out a silent sigh of relief.SkYX
p6HpKmWith so little time left to live, Eisen would want to pass down his sword techniques as soon as possible.9tPpkS
NRJdnaHowever, unexpectedly, he had readily accepted Lucian’s proposal.tcTF6n
HycWZ— Do what you see fit. It would be strange for a knight who just swore loyalty to immediately part from her lord. Even if it takes time, it’s better to clear up any misunderstandings before she leaves.056E
UjDPdb6Though he had only instructed Felicia for a few months, there was no trace of impatience on Eisen’s face.KDBXyu5
Z0d0cBsIt was the calm of someone convinced that, even after accepting Lucian’s request, there was still plenty of time to pass on everything necessary.hEpkikf
IYG8‘She really is an incredible talent. To make even Sir Eisen—who understands the limits of his life—so at ease.’KmP3
totyo0PLucian clicked his tongue at Felicia’s talent, feeling a peculiar sense of satisfaction.0Ca
E4bFNow, that knight with talent enough to shake the world belonged entirely to him.XZhYYk5
zsyUSuddenly, the faces of his brothers crossed his mind.GOsp0tx
rZgb“Come to think of it, have you heard anything about my other brothers? It’s been a while since the ceremony.”palmV
8RLmC0VHe still clearly remembered their frustrated, furious, and pale expressions upon losing the Swordmaster’s heir.5PaJ
YEmrWNAt the time, it looked like they were ready to draw their swords and charge at him immediately, but now everything was strangely quiet.lSwdch
nGYeTc“I only heard it as a rumor, but they say the first young master locked himself away after the ceremony. He hasn’t stepped out of his room even once.”ReyOj
6QB6“And the other two?”CpR2l1
bLe1vk“They seem to meet frequently, but they usually just argue and part ways. I don’t know exactly what they talk about.”PWOu
NfbbCmTristan locked away from the shock, and Jordi and Joshua unable to form a solid alliance due to mutual distrust?ROsdb
kstcAt that unexpected result, Lucian unintentionally let out a bitter smile.poNV
FnwjATHe had expected the three to team up immediately to try and bring him down, but instead, they were completely scattered.Tw0cb
25RF1‘Well, it’s perfect for me.’nQRwq
dfGinWithout pressure from his brothers, he could make much better use of his time.HVz
TeQAfter sorting out his thoughts, Lucian looked at the large pile of gifts and gave Hans an order.hETSAhz
KKWD0b“Send all those gifts to Hugo so he can liquidate them. We’ll use the money to buy medicinal ingredients.”MKhAeD
IL1de8“Again? Even after we sold off the previous gifts, there’s still plenty of money left.”Ia9VLR6
tRo8“We’ll be running short again soon. We have to earn as much as possible while we still have time.”gU8sst
aW3“In that case, maybe it would be better to get a more or less steady sponsor…”Wo1fXtl
Czb“No.”GRMU
bOTSp1wAt Hans’s suggestion, Lucian shook his head seriously.yfhW
HIgluAt least for now, he couldn’t afford to owe anyone anything.WoFSeuO
cxtZl‘It’s not just a temporary shortage of funds—it’s that there’s no stable income source. If a sponsor shows up now, they might end up planted directly as the financial head. Once there’s an easy path, you become dependent on it.’R8ybr
ncRJIn the worst case, even the financial base supporting his faction could fall into the hands of an outsider.aM7hg
d44eQEven if that person swore loyalty, the fact they had helped Lucian in a critical moment would become a debt—one demanding a guaranteed position among his vassals and treatment to match.HW4p6r
PofTRQvUnless it was someone absolutely trustworthy, he didn’t want to see that happen later.RcpK
0QuH‘At the very least, the funding source must be in my own hands. Better to delay forming the faction than to rely on someone else’s money.’iGW
0qZBKY“Understood. I’ll send the gifts to Hugo for liquidation.”PLvLGr
YrRBPSWNoticing that Lucian had fallen into thought, Hans moved right away.MBWPP
JXZMUTAt least he realized his comment had touched a sore spot for his lord.0oQU0
LBqwPSj“I’m counting on you. And Felicia.”5SJeW
VyRCWQ8“Yes, my lord.”eUtziY2
2984“Teach me how to use a sword.”VBFgti
Wze“…Huh?”1QSHYm
fWTJFelicia unintentionally showed a confused expression.wUSuZ
2mvqteShe didn’t seem to understand why he wanted to learn from her. At her unexpected reaction, Lucian even felt a bit awkward.zFbtH
3yPq9“Is it so strange for me to ask you to teach me? There’s nothing odd about wanting to learn swordsmanship from the future Swordmaster.”gCL
2iDY4“No, but… do you really need to learn from me?”uYg
tfTTW2j“I’m learning the Lionheart Sword, but apart from the technique itself, my swordsmanship isn’t anything special. You know that the level of a technique and individual skill are two different things.”90Y
Dac“That’s true, but…”hgWUCvD
xi0sAfter hesitating for a moment, Felicia expressed her honest thoughts.70F
Vll“My lord already defeated me once. With your talent, you must be far stronger now than back then.”MSh
ly37J“…”V3KGK6G
aOGYHPAt those words, Lucian discreetly looked away.LdoBdDY
pGjqGIt seemed he would have to clear up the misunderstanding about his own talent first.ZbCK6
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