Loyalty
As a reward, Leon asked Arya to invite her to the birthday party, but it was unclear whether Leon would actually accept the invitation.
Leon was also a bastard who was not allowed to be free, and the target of the celebration was also a feuding family, so there were so many reasons why the family would not allow Leon’s actions.
That’s why Leon called Isaac, the commander of the Knights Templar, and said.
“This time, thanks to the achievements of Direct Dungeon, I became 10th in the succession line. Right?”
“Yes. young master.”
“Then tell your father this time. As 10th in the line of succession, I want to participate in Arya Rothbane’s celebration.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to have Sir Aylan send the message, not me? I am just an escort.”
At Isaac’s words, Leon smirked.
“Are you going to report my progress to my father anyway? I’m just asking you to convey my intentions at the same time. Wouldn’t it be faster and easier than sending Aylan’s deacon to deliver the message?”
At Leon’s reaction, Isaac had no choice but to open his eyes.
“Did you know that we are monitoring you?”
“Why don’t you know that? It’s too obvious.”
Isaac sighed deeply at Leon’s attitude.
In the meantime, he was under a lot of stress because he was acting as a watcher that didn’t even match Leon’s temperament.
“How did you know that?”
“If my father had a conscience, he would know that I was dissatisfied with the family, so I just expected that he would have a watcher to prepare for it.”
Isaac wondered if the boy in front of him was the master who had not even entered the academy yet.
It’s not something to think about from a position where he was actually monitoring him, but what kind of father attaches a watcher to his child, and what kind of child can predict it.
“Then you must know that the master is walking on a dangerous road now.”
Leon understood Isaac’s words and shook his head.
“Are you worried that I might be in exile with the Rothbane?”
The old butler, Aylan, thought only of the possibility of placing Arya under the Parostel family when Leon said that he would recruit Arya as a companion.
But then Isaac thought of another possibility as he had to report to the head of Parostel.
If Arya can come under House Farostel, on the other hand, wouldn’t it be possible for Leon to attempt asylum under House Rothbane?
As Isaac swallowed dry saliva and nodded, Leon snorted.
“do not worry. I have no intention of thinking like that. As long as you hold your mother hostage in the first place, it’s not even worth trying.”
At Leon’s sarcastic voice, Isaac was speechless.
In fact, the mission Isaac received from the family was to monitor Riel.
It was his job to control Leon even by threatening Riel’s safety in the event of a strange situation.
Even though he was loyal to his family, Isaac was once a boy with a sword in his hand, longing for a knight who protects citizens from attacks by demons.
It was impossible to have a proud heart to carry out such a mission, which could never be called an honor.
Seeing Isaac lowering his head with an apologetic expression, Leon erased his mischievous smile and spoke in a serious tone.
“Why did you swear allegiance to your family?”
“I······!”
Isaac wanted to become an honorable knight.
Like the triumphal generals of Manshinchang that I saw as a child.
Even though his armor was wrinkled and he was covered in dust stained with blood, he dreamed of wanting to become like those who eventually protected the village from the invasion of demons.
As the eldest son of a peasant, he used a hoe instead of a sword and trained himself by plowing instead of a scarecrow.
He helped with household chores and collected pocket money from his father, which he was receiving, and went to the royal capital without his family.
I couldn’t attend because I needed a letter of recommendation from a nobleman to enter the academy.
So, he first started his activities as a raider and proved his talent to the world by showing off his innate talent.
However, his dream of becoming a knight by the time he reached his 30s did not come true due to his lowly origin.
Meanwhile, I heard rumors.
It was rumored that there was a nobleman who would hire him as a knight regardless of whether he was a commoner if he had the skills.
Isaac put his last hope on the rumor and went to visit the Marquis family of Parostel.
If I could become a knight, I would do anything.
All of a sudden, the dream he had as a child had changed.
It’s okay not to be an honorable knight, so I just wish I could become a knight.
And that dream came true.
In exchange for appointing him as a knight, he swore allegiance to the Marquis of Parostel.
10 years have passed since then.
The dream has come true, but what is this empty feeling?
“How about serving me when you make a face like that?”
“···Yes?”
“I intend to rise to the top of this family.”
At those words, Isaac’s expression became solemn.
Considering Leon’s abilities, that statement was natural.
Because the Parostel Marquis family was a family whose succession order changed according to their abilities.
And from what Isaac had seen so far, Leon was by no means a vessel to stop at 10th in the line of succession.
“As you know, I still have a weak position within the family. But if you swear allegiance to me, I can be a little more free. You probably already know that, right? The fact that your family put the title of knight in front of your name, but that’s all? You are just a useful tool for the family. Was it really your dream to swear allegiance to such a family?”
At Leon’s words, Isaac’s eyes fluttered.
And I could feel that my heart was shaking as well as my shaking eyes.
“Then how about it? Why don’t you swear allegiance to Leon instead of the family?”
Isaac came to his senses and tried to fix Leon.
Then, one by one, the achievements that Leon had achieved so far came to mind.
All of that was just amazing for a 10-year-old child to accomplish.
But Isaac was thinking so on the other side of his mind.
It was possible because Leon was the son of a noble family.
I was born with a noble bloodline, so it’s only natural.
But in fact, Isaac knew.
Although Leon was born of a noble lineage, he was not born with any favorable conditions compared to Roy.
Even the family abandoned him because he was the bastard, and the boy abandoned in the attic learned magic alone.
If his existence was not honorable, he had a high will to raise his honor as a skill that he learned by himself, and he was finally able to get the recognition of his family and come out into the world.
In all the process, Leon received no help from the family.
He has risen to this position with only his own strength.
And it continued to climb without stopping.
Compared to Leon like that, how small is he?
“Is the path that follows you honorable?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Yes?”
“Ask your chest. Would it be fair to take a hostage for the rest of my life and live as a tool to monitor children, or would it be fair to swear allegiance at the risk of my life to a master who will one day rise to the top of the family? It’s up to you to make the decision.”
Leon’s face once again had a mischievous smile on his face.
Saying you have to decide for yourself was a viciousness itself that didn’t give you a choice.
But after seeing that smile, Isaac felt relieved for some reason.
Leon was obviously joking around, but when he put it into words like that, he really had no choice.
He drew his sword and placed it on the back of his hand, knelt before Leon and raised it over his head.
“I will dedicate my sword and the rest of my life to you alone.”
Leon grabbed the sword he had raised and placed it on his shoulder.
It’s kind of proof that you can hit him on the neck any time you want.
However, even if Leon hits his head, as if there is no time to spare, he sincerely believes in Leon and follows him.
Leon said, turning the tip of his sword and pointing at his heart.
“Isaac, the commander of the Cheol-Eung Knights, you are now my direct knight. So that I can go beyond my family and look after you until the day I become the best mage on the continent.”
At those words, Isaac made eye contact with Leon with eyes shining with hope and grabbed the blade.
“insect!”
* * *
The Marquis of Farostel, who expected that it would be the biggest obstacle to Leon’s plans to go out, granted permission at once.
It was a surprising situation for Leon, who thought that he could barely escape the royal capital only by negotiating something.
“Did you write something?”
When Leon asked, looking at Isaac, he answered with a bow of his head in a more respectful manner than usual.
“I just conveyed what the master said.”
“What did I say?”
“Master Leon is trying to recruit young lady Arya. Participating in this birthday celebration is part of that,” he reported.
It is a title that seems to be true.
But it was also a dangerous statement.
If Leon showed even the slightest suspicion here, Isaac’s neck could be blown away.
That must mean that Isaac had a strong heart.
“···Thank you.”
At Leon’s small voice, Isaac smiled proudly.
And as time passed, Arya’s birthday approached.
However, Arya, who thought that they would not meet face to face until they went down to Freud, the estate of the Marquis Rothbane family, came to the villa and proposed to Leon.
“If you’re going down to Freud, why don’t we go together?”
Leon tried to reject Arya’s offer at once.
The reason Leon participated in Arya’s birthday party was to recruit a witch of condemnation who had been released from the slave market.
However, he thought that if he acted with Arya, it might be hindered.
However, before Leon announced his intention to refuse, the old butler, Aylan, greeted him and said:
“That’s a good idea!”
Then, Aylan’s eyes looking at Leon contained a prompting to do something without accepting it.
Leon had already announced to the family that he would ‘recruit Arya’, and refusing Arya’s offer here was an act that was inconsistent with such remarks.
“It doesn’t matter if you can stop by other estates on the way instead.”
In response to Leon’s reply, Arya shook her head with a cold expression she still couldn’t understand.
Unfortunately, Riel decided to stay at the villa.
Riel, as the manager of the villa, was in a position where he could not vacate the place.
Likewise, Aylan, a butler who should teach and assist her in business, was also decided to stay at the villa.
Ultimately, it was decided to follow Leon with 6 knights and 3 maids, including Isaac and Tina.
Looking at Leon getting on the carriage, Riel opened his mouth with a worried expression.
“The weather is getting colder these days, so dress well, take care of your health, and eat well without skipping meals.”
And again, Leon smiled bitterly at the sight of her mother pouring out her worries and worries without a break.
“Don’t worry too much. mother. I will go back in good health.”
And Leon hurriedly got into the carriage as if she had cut off her mother’s words.
Inside the carriage, Arya was looking at Leon like that, as if in a strange way.
‘You’re making that kind of expression…’
Although Arya was younger than Leon, she felt so proud that she was unaware of it.
However, Leon’s smiling face in front of his mother was no different from that of ordinary boys of his age.
Arya discovered Leon’s new side and set off the carriage on the way home.