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Chapter: 11
I was already thinking that I needed a knight who would follow my orders.
There were various reasons, but more than anything, I needed a knight to secretly go to Ruel’s Trial in the Evans Dungeon.
Just think about it. Despite how I look, I’m a countess’s daughter. Even if I somehow managed to sneak into the dungeon, would people really leave me alone?
No way!
There would definitely be soldiers and knights sticking to me like glue.
No matter how much I throw a tantrum, I can’t end up alone.
This is a matter of safety, after all.
It’s better to put up with my annoyance than to face Benedict’s rage.
Couldn’t I just walk in with everybody else and claim it was a coincidence?
That’s impossible.
The hidden spot of Ruel’s Trial is a secluded place you wouldn’t go to unless you were specifically looking for it.
Let’s say I’m stubborn and go there anyway.
But then, would I just happen to stumble into Ruel’s Trial in that situation?
If you had any common sense, would you believe that?
That’s where Karl comes in.
If this guy, respected and trusted by everyone, is by my side, I could wander about with some degree of freedom.
Moreover, regarding Ruel’s Trial, I can just have this sloppy knight explain it perfectly.
“Commander of the Knights, excuse me, but may I have a moment alone with Miss Lucy?”
While I cheered inwardly at my sudden stroke of luck, Karl spoke to Possell.
“It’ll take just a moment.”
“If Miss Lucy permits it, I will step outside.”
“Miss!”
Huh? What’s happening? You want to talk to me alone?
Alright! I was going to ask you a secret favor anyway!
‘Commander of the Knights, could you step out for a moment?’
“Idiot Possell. Just wait outside.”
“Understood, Miss. Then I’ll wait outside.”
After I heard Possell’s footsteps fade away, I asked Karl.
“Knight, what do you want to say?”
“Sloppy knight, what are you planning to ask?”
“Does Miss Lucy have any blessings?”
Blessings.
That’s what NPCs call skills in Soul Academy.
While we understand skills through the game’s system, the characters within the game are a different story.
They don’t know the concept of skills, so they think of it as a blessing from the gods.
“I want to know. Was my attempt to harm the young lady yesterday simply due to my own shortcomings, or was it influenced by some other power?”
Karl’s voice shook with a mix of tension and self-loathing.
I, the person involved, hadn’t thought it was a big deal, but Karl was different. He regarded his actions as a grave sin.
“I know it’s highly impolite to ask about your blessings. I also understand how scummy it is for a beast that tried to kill the young lady to make such a request. But please, just once. Just once! I promise to believe you, whatever your answer!”
And so, Karl hoped.
Hoping that his mistakes weren’t entirely his fault.
Wishing for an excuse to blame someone else.
Yearning for a reason to avoid taking full responsibility.
Seeing Karl bang his head against the prison’s stone floor, I instinctively stepped back.
If this were entirely his fault, he looked ready to give up his life, showing a ferocity that made me feel crushed.
“Please!”
Talking about skills isn’t that hard.
I don’t know what people inside the game think about it, but for me, skills are just skills.
They don’t symbolize anything special; they’re merely tools that you acquire and discard based on practicality.
That’s why I wasn’t hesitant to share information with others.
More importantly, if I leave the situation without saying anything, this guy might genuinely consider suicide.
So, I’ll tell him, but since he almost hurt me, it won’t come free.
I definitely need to get something in return.
This is a deal that benefits me.
I’m the A in this deal, while he’s the B.
In situations like this, it’s best to first ask for something outrageous from the other person and then gradually reduce my demands.
What I want is merely some assistance in the Evans Dungeon, but receiving more than that wouldn’t be a bad deal, right?
So, let’s start…
‘Alright, but there’s a condition!’
“Okay, sloppy knight, I’ll tell you. But there’s a catch.”
“What’s that? I’ll do whatever I can.”
‘You must swear to the God of Oaths that you will be my loyal knight.’
Upon hearing my words, Karl froze for a moment.
Surely, he never imagined I would make such a request.
Swearing to the God of Oaths at Soul Academy means declaring that you would keep your promise in the past, present, and future.
If you break this oath, the symbol branded on your body when you made the oath turns black.
That’s the end of it.
It’s nothing monumental.
The game characters mention things like “your soul gets tainted” or “being dragged to the abyss,” but in reality, there are no actual penalties.
At most, your reputation might take a hit?
That’s how it is for the player, but for Karl, who lives here, it’s another matter entirely.
Because breaking an oath is seen as a great dishonor.
Could Karl, who suffers through the night due to his knightly failings, possibly endure such disgrace?
No, I didn’t think so. So my words would sound something like this to Karl.
Live as my loyal slave for the rest of your life.
No sane person would agree to such a proposal.
So, I waited for Karl, who was silent, hoping he would refuse.
To come up with another offer.
“I understand. Then let’s do it.”
But what came from Karl’s lips was not the response I expected.
“Huh?”
“What?”
“I swear to the God of Oaths.”
No. Huh? Is he really serious?
There’s no way he, having lived his whole life in this world, doesn’t know the weight of an oath?!
Karl, who had been kneeling on the floor, rose from his position and stood in front of me. Then he bit his thumb, drawing blood, and marked it on the back of his hand.
‘Wait a moment!’
“Hey! Wait! Sloppy knight! Stop!”
No. Shit.
I can’t rush in there because of the bars.
“I’m telling you to stop! So stop!”
Should I summon Possell?
If it’s Possell, the Commander of Knights, he must have a way to open this prison door.
Yes. Let’s call Possell.
As I hastily tried to move, a voice escaped from Karl’s mouth.
“Oath God, I stand here as a knight.”
Karl’s usually soft voice now resonated with strength.
His magically infused voice froze me in place.
Damn it! What kind of torque is this guy packing?!
I can’t move!
“I will encase the days of my past journey as a knight within this mark.
I will seal the present of my life as a knight within this mark.
I will enshrine the future of chasing my dreams within this mark.”
Struggling to escape the magic’s grip, I soon realized it was futile and watched as Karl swore his oath.
I fixed the sight of him mortgaging his life firmly in my mind.
Ha. Damn it. Fine. Do as you wish. You’re the one in a bind, not me!
“O great Oath God, every ounce of my being is contained within this mark right now. So I swear this. I will live as a loyal knight to Lady Lucy Allen from now on.”
After completing his words, Karl brushed his hand over the mark on his skin. A light shimmered over the back of his hand, and the Oath Mark was engraved.
When the entire series of rituals concluded and I regained my freedom, I gazed at Karl’s hand, then lifted my head and shouted with all my heart.
“Karl! Did getting slapped around by my father drive you nuts?!”
“Didn’t you tell me to do it?”
“What kind of lunatic actually swears an oath just because you told them to?! You lousy piece of trash!”
True. I did tell him.
But swearing to the God of Oaths is no light matter, you insane individual.
What’s with that baffled look, like I’m the crazy one here?!
Huh? That’s infuriating! Seriously.
“Since I was saved by your mercy, isn’t it natural for me to dedicate my life to you? I intended to from the beginning. The oath is just a bonus.”
He spoke without a hint of hesitation, causing me to momentarily second-guess my grasp on reality.
So I reflected on the multitude of side quests I undertook back in Soul Academy.
The conclusion I reached was this:
I ain’t done nothing wrong. The one twisted in an absurd way is him.
Benedict. What on earth did you do to him?!
How hard did you hit this kid to make him such a mental case!
“Will you tell me now?”
Having witnessed him swearing an oath right before my eyes, I had no choice but to heed his words.
“Yeah. I possess the blessing to provoke others.”
“Then the reason I lost control of my emotions.”
“It must be because of the blessing.”
“Yes, indeed it’s likely.”
As I watched Karl mumble to himself as if he’d been relieved, my head began to throb.
Is it really the case that you swear an oath just because of that?
I can’t get you, man.
Lucy was an outrageous madwoman before I possessed her body, but you seem just as nuts in comparison.
‘Are you satisfied now?’
“Sloppy knight, did this revelation about you not being an idiot satisfy you?”
“Yes, thank you, my lady. I will continue to serve you well in everything going forward.”
With Karl bowing graciously, a myriad of thoughts flooded my mind.
Looking at the results alone, I’ve gained a capable knight who will follow my every command for the rest of his life, yet why do I feel this lingering weirdness?
Haa. Mystifies me.
*
That day, Karl swore to be my loyal knight, but that didn’t mean his punishment was over.
Karl had to remain in prison until just before the expedition.
I still needed to find another knight who could contend with me in sparring.
Ultimately, Ruel’s Trial is a place I have to face alone. No matter how much Karl obeys my orders, if I don’t prepare adequately, failure is inevitable.
So, I couldn’t afford to take even a moment’s rest.
Therefore, I asked Possell to find someone to aid me, to which he replied,
“If that’s the case, I’ll lend a hand!”
It was a generous offer for the commander of the knights to personally engage in sparring and help me gain experience, but for some reason, I found that proposal disconcerting.
Think about it. Why did Karl, a knight from the Allen family, train me with such fervor on the first day? It stands to reason he too was subjected to similar treatment.
So who was the one responsible for Karl’s strict training methods?
It could only be this Knight Commander who’s exuberantly offering to assist me.
I was certain that a brutal Spartan-style regimen awaited me, and despite pondering this extensively, I declined, expressing that Possell would have plenty to handle, but Possell remained stubborn.
“It’s perfectly fine! For your sake, my lady! I can train you as much as you need!”
Unlike Benedict, who could easily be placated by his daughter, or others who could be cowed due to my status as a Countess, Possell the Knight Commander was someone who could dismiss my preferences.
Thus, Possell took on the role of my sparring partner.
“Alright, my lady! That was excellent! Blocking with your shield and then pushing to create an opening! Let’s do it again!”
He concocted a boot camp training schedule that drove me to the edge of madness.
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