NOVPUB“Young Master.”
“Lunelle?”
“There’s something I must urgently tell you.”
Still exhausted from last night’s events in the basement, I sat at my office desk, a tired expression on my face. I slowly lifted my head at the soft knock and familiar voice.
“What is it?”
“I... That is, um...”
“......?”
But Lunelle, who entered through the door, didn’t carry her usual tough demeanor. Instead, she looked awkward and hesitant.
“Is something troubling you?”
“...No, it’s not that.”
“Haha. It’s fine. Whatever it is, just speak freely.”
Only after I gently smiled and urged her on did she flinch slightly and finally begin to speak.
“Did you... take a new knight’s vow recently?”
“...Excuse me?”
Hearing that, I sprang up from my chair, wondering if word of what happened in the sealed basement had already begun to spread.
“Judging by that reaction, it must be true.”
“Where did you hear that?”
Thinking it over, besides the liquid monster that had terrified the maids, only Parsha had witnessed me receiving Ferris’s knight’s vow.
But Parsha wouldn’t casually spread something like that around, especially not when I had told her to keep quiet.
“...I didn’t hear it from anyone.”
“Then?”
My confusion was quickly resolved by Lunelle’s next answer—though in a way that left me even more unsettled.
“...I felt it.”
A new wave of questions immediately surged into my mind.
“You felt it? Felt what, and how...?”
“Well, it’s a little complicated to explain, but...”
Lunelle frowned slightly as she tried to piece together an explanation.
“It’s like... something connected. Or maybe I could say, I sensed the presence of a new absolute ally of my master...”
“......”
“I’ve always felt a connection with you, Master, but this is the first time I’ve sensed someone else being added to that. That’s why I came here, even if it’s impolite...”
What the hell. That’s creepy.
She can feel when someone forms a contract with me? What is this, a hive mind? It sent chills down my spine.
“Maybe it’s... some kind of bond that forms between those who’ve taken the knight’s vow?”
“...Is that what it is?” n𝚘𝚟𝚙𝚞𝚋.𝚌o𝚖
“Haha, it’s only my second time too, so I’m not sure.”
It was the only explanation I could think of, so I gave a vague reply. Lunelle tilted her head slightly but accepted it for now.
“But... why do you look so down?”
“Ah, that’s...”
“As I said, you can talk freely.”
“...Understood.”
Having noticed her gloomy expression for a while now, I pressed her gently again. After some hesitation, Lunelle finally closed her eyes tightly and let it out.
“Why... Why did you add another knight without discussing it with me first?”
“...Huh?”
“Master, a knight’s vow should not be taken lightly.”
As she suddenly began her lecture, I tilted my head in confusion.
Wasn’t the knight’s vow basically just a glorified slave contract... no, a mutual employment contract?
It’s one of the strongest legally binding contracts, and it can’t even activate unless both parties genuinely consent (proof that what happened with Ferris wasn’t forced), so it couldn’t be abused through coercion either.
“A knight who takes the vow becomes fully bound to their master.”
“...Right.”
“And in return, the master is also obligated to safeguard the knight’s honor, pledging their soul.”
I still didn’t fully get it, but based on Ferris’s words, it seemed like there was something more to it.
“To put it simply, while the knight must give absolute loyalty, the master must also uphold the knight’s pride and dignity.”
And once again, I’d stumbled into another hidden lore detail I didn’t know about.
In the game, you could only form the vow with knights whose affinity was maxed out, so there was no real need to worry about penalties.
“For example, if I considered having my feet washed by you every day as my honor, then you would be obligated to wash my feet every day.”
It still didn’t feel real to me—until Lunelle said that with a very serious expression.
“...Should I prepare a washbasin and towel?”
“Ah—no! That was just an example. I would never make such a ridiculous request,”
Relieved, I lowered my voice while glancing at her, and she quickly waved her hands, flustered.
“My honor lies in wielding the sword. From the moment you gave that back to me, I became your knight for eternity.”
“...I appreciate that.”
“The issue is what kind of honor the new knight holds dear.”
I was [N O V E L I G H T] still feeling moved when Lunelle straightened up again, her tone serious once more.
“If that knight defines something unusual as ‘honor,’ you are still bound to fulfill it.”
“...That’s a little terrifying.”
“That’s why the knight’s vow isn’t taken lightly. Both sides need deep trust.”
Then, right as she said that, Lunelle began muttering while casting sidelong glances at me, her gaze full of vague resentment.
“That’s why it’s always romanticized in knightly literature...”
“...What?”
“And I’m just saying this as a general comment...”
Given that Lunelle rarely ever expressed dissatisfaction, I perked up my ears to listen.
“In those stories, the most popular knights are the ones who serve only one master their whole lives... and the most popular masters are those who pledge the vow with only one knight...”
And then it clicked.
“...Are you sulking because I made a vow with another knight without telling you?”
“...N-No, not at all. That’s absurd.”
“Really?”
“...Yes.”
Though she kept shaking her head in denial, the pout on her face was hard to miss.
How did the Emperor’s vicious Hound end up like this?
The thought crossed my mind—but I quickly erased it. This Lunelle was a hundred times better than that tragic version.
“Even if you gain more knights... just don’t forget that I was the first.”
“...Haha.”
Cute Meredia, now cute Lunelle too. I was stepping into territory no veteran player had ever reached before, and the feeling was... strange.
“More importantly, you should quickly figure out what that knight defines as honor and start negotiating.”
“......”
“I’m sure you’ll handle it well, but just in case... I thought I should say it.”
And so, as I scratched my head awkwardly, Lunelle, her cheeks faintly flushed, threw out a quick change of topic.
“I understand what you mean, but in this case, I don’t think it’ll be much of a problem.”
“Huh? What do you mean—?!”
At my reply, Lunelle tilted her head, shifting her gaze to my hand—only to freeze in place, mouth agape.
“At this rate, she won’t be raising any swords, let alone starting a rebellion.”
From beneath my desk, where she’d been huddled since earlier, Ferris was now desperately nuzzling my outstretched hand, drenched in cold sweat.
“...What is this...?”
“...Would you believe me if I said I don’t know either?”
This bizarre phenomenon had been going on for six hours now, ever since I made the knight’s vow with her in the basement.
***
“Um, could you maybe stop now?”
“...!”
“You’re starting to make me uncomfortable.”
Ferris, trembling violently as she rubbed her cheek against my hand, snapped out of it at the cold voice above her.
“A-Ah... I-I’m sorry.”
“......”
“I-I just... got used to servile behavior, I guess...”
That was a total lie.
Rubbing against a stronger figure as a sign of submission was a deeply ingrained instinct among wolf beastkin.
Ferris, still carrying her wild instincts after years of bloodshed, had never experienced such overwhelming terror before—and her instincts had taken over.
The excuse, however, was part of the survival skills honed through a lifetime of slavery.
“If you’re back to your senses, then let’s talk.”
“...Huh?”
“What is the honor you seek?”
But the one speaking to her now was Whitney Ringaarden.
Unaffected by her excuses, his narrowed eyes bore down on her with pressure.
“M-My... honor... you mean?”
“......”
“What was that again...”
While the sudden pressure certainly flustered her, there was a deeper reason for her dumb response.
...What even is it?
She had seen more filth than anyone—born a beastkin, enslaved and trained as an assassin for over fifteen years.
Naturally, there wasn’t much ‘honor’ left to protect.
“Your public image. Your pride. Some abstract value you uphold—define that, wolf.”
“If it’s something like that... hmm.”
After a moment of silence, it was only when Lunelle offered a dictionary-style explanation that Ferris could finally speak.
“I... I want to rise to a high position.”
That desire was common, but in Ferris’s case, it carried something extra.
“And... to catch the eye of a handsome, strong, powerful man... marry him... and live a peaceful, comfortable life...”
Those were the minimum requirements she had set for herself—so she wouldn’t be ashamed of her own greedy dream.
“Is that good enough?”
“...Yes.”
“If that’s the honor you seek, then I can grant it for you.”
Apparently, Whitney found her transparent desire pleasing, because he smiled softly as he whispered.
“In exchange, you’ll have to offer me a lot in return.”
Of course, the tone that followed was chilling enough to rekindle her trauma from the basement—but the words before that sounded sweet to her ears.
“Well, not that you have a choice now. You’ve already sworn the vow.”
And as he said, Ferris, who had broken down sobbing and pledged herself in the basement under crushing fear, no longer had any choice.
“I look forward to working with you, Ferris.”
“......”
“Let’s get along well.”
As Whitney gently patted her head with a smile, Ferris became aware of something.
...Wait a minute.
Her survival instincts, honed through fifteen years on the bottom. Her adaptability. Her sharp intuition.
Even if he’s just a count... Whitney Ringaarden is someone even Maier acknowledged. Being his right-hand would definitely be a high enough position...
All of that quickly led her to a new conclusion.
And he’s handsome... stronger than me... more powerful...
She glanced up at Whitney’s half-lidded eyes and smooth features, and her eyes sparkled with clarity.
Oh?
She had just realized something critical: that maybe... this wasn’t misfortune, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to start anew.
—Swish, swish...
It was from that moment that Ferris’s tail began swaying rapidly as she looked up at Whitney.
