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Volume 5
Chapter 23: Knight’s Pledge
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In a fortress in Kora
The Western Continent of Flowerion
Nine people dressed in green Scholar Robes centered on an old NPC who wore the same green robe but was layered with gold linings and the Reddish Gold insignia of the Imperial Family.
The NPC listened to the reports of the players and then heaved a sigh… “Earthlings… are cruel.” he said and then he looked up at the ceiling as if his gaze was actually pushing forth beyond the murals in the ceiling and even beyond the sky.
One of the green robed scholars seated around him bid a respectful glance before speaking.
“Your Majesty, what are you talking about? How do you know about earth?”
Of course, the players will be surprised with this.
The other eight people were aghast but they knew better than to ask meaningless questions with this Imperial NPC. He was very mysterious and there are things he spoke about that were sometimes connected to quests and missions and sometimes just a dead end.
But of all the things they’ve proven, all of the things that he speak off are always one way or another connected to the weakest and the least chosen race in this game… The Naturals.
This particular scholar was the youngest and newest addition to their ranks and thus he still had yet to know how to hold his tongue against their Emperor.
Looking at this scholar, the Emperor chuckled. His eyes were full of wisdom as he muttered, “That year, our captain…” the NPC Emperor didn’t finish his words and only sighed again before he secluded himself on his own musings.
As quiet as the room became, the scholars –the nine advisors of the NPC’s Imperial Court, quietly made their exits from the chamber.
When they were outside, the oldest and veteran of the Players hit the newbie on the head.
“Fool! If the Emperor was in a bad mood when you’ve spoken like that, he would have banished you and issued a hunting order for the Imperial Soldiers to kill you in the name of justice!”
Hearing this, the newbie was frightened and he folded his shoulders and began to sulk.
Seeing this, the veteran player only sighed and then he faced the other seven.
“Did you all hear that?” He said and the seven gave him a nod. “Earthlings… he spoke of Earth! Until now, not once had any other NPC in Terroa spoke of the Earthlings the way he did. In fact, not once did any other NPC have mentioned of this name.”
The other seven had a serious look and then nodded.
After a moment, one of the seven spoke. “With the information that we have, I don’t think that there is only one Grand Quest in this game.”
“Agree.”
“Right.”
“There are at least four, if I’m not mistaken.”
With the last phrase being spoken by a woman, the eight, including the youngest, looked over their only female members with both adoration and reverence.
The girl was astonishingly beautiful.
She told them, “I’ve received some information that pertains to some very scary people. I cannot tell you guys about this information yet but I can assure you that on my upcoming travel, I will at least bring you guys with me in the most famous Grand Quest yet.”
“Siva’s Grand Quest?”
“The Destroyer.”
“Aigooo… this is going to be a problem.”
The girl only smiled as she watched the different reactions of these scholars. In the real world, these guys are recluses, geeks, and cowards who only play games their whole lives. They were the easiest to control and thus he enjoyed their company.
After a while, she nodded at them and then spoke in a flirting way, “Until I contact you guys, I will be with my hubby so please, prepare the Minerva will you?”
When her words were spoken, she turned her back and then made way to her quarters.
The eight scholars made a snappy salute and then all scrammed towards another part of the fortress. The girl lithely made her way to her room and then with gentle hands, opened the door.
In there, a gruff-looking bearded man was waiting. A captain’s hat on his hand, his attire was of his white navy uniform, always on-the-go.
“Newgate.” She greeted.
“Commander.” The bearded faced man replied.
“What’s the condition of the crew?”
“All have been recalled and the prep of The Minerva is 70% complete.”
“Good job.”
Captain Newgate didn’t say anything else as he waited for his [Commander] to sit down on her chair.
“By the way, Commander, are we really going after him again? After all this time, he didn’t even contact you even once… are you sure about this?”
She only looked at Newgate but proceeded to open the player panel in her console.
Not minding his worried gaze, she smiled.
“Given his personality, I’m sure he’s still caught up in AG’s plans and with how Father is intending to use him as a guinea pig for his project, even if he does not know anything, I would assume that his choice would always be the same as before.”
“I see.” Nodding, Captain Newgate gave her a salute and she gave him one in return.
She continued to arrange some things in her player panel and sat there on her chair like a cat leaning her back comfortably.
After she finished, she looked outside the only window of her room and instead of a beautiful green scenery filled with flowers befitting her beauty, what was seen there was the view inside a huge hangar.
In that hangar was a solitary red-violet warship.
Ballistic cannons with long barrels were lined up in the upper deck. In the barrels were the words written in beautiful calligraphy, [Bloody Marry].
This… was the warship that made a monumental appearance during the War of Two Powers and the only person who could command this ship was none other than the Witch of Aarun… Rafaela.
After a few minutes, she finished her tasks and then giggled excitedly on her chair. “Oh how I wish to see you… I have so many clothes I want you to try!”
*****
Riding his Hover Board, Siva sneezed and a tremor ran through his body. He toppled over and rolled three times on the snow before his head planted on a lump of snow.
Thorn and Volt went back to help him.
“Hey, are you okay?” While Volt was worried, Thorn was actually wondering about something else.
“I think I just heard you sneeze. Is it even possible fort his world to generate the same sensation and causes of sneezing?”
While the men pondered as to the reason why Siva suddenly tumbled on his face like a 3 year old kid, the man in question was actually wide-eyed staring at the southern horizon.
“I think I just felt a very scary premonition.”
*****
Volga asked in a low voice, “When are we going to launch the attack?”
Gats smiled at him and then mused to himself, “Very soon. Once we get the Eye of Origins to our side, we will have our justified reason to assault the Helium Guild. Even The Union will have to think twice before they start a war against us.”
When these words were spoken, Gats looked at the guest sitting on one corner of the room.
The Round Table looked back at Olaf while the man felt like he was being stared at by countless vultures looking at their food.
“You are going to support us… right?”
Olaf was startled with Gats’ declaration. But when he thought about the [job] he had to do, getting to The Providence was his primary concern at the moment and for this task, he remembered being given a «do what you must do» authorization by President Ethan.
As such, Olaf inhaled and then nodded with firm determination.
“Rest assured, as long as the Archmage cooperates with us, then you will also have my full support.”
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Gats smiled and nodded, “Then it’s all settled.”
*****
“So you’re… Hubert?”
Faced with the shapeshifting ability, Scion was shocked beyond doubt.
She approached Kira and then studied the ‘man’ in front of her. Just a second ago, she was Kira and the next, she became Hubert.
“Is the person named Hubert… someone else?” She couldn’t help asking.
With a placid expression, Kira changed back to herself and didn’t reply. Instead of answering, she just took out a large buster sword –the same sword that once belonged to the real Hubert.
She told her, “Hubert was a real player. When the TOS Guild was yet to announce their establishment, Hubert was one of their founding players. By the orders of the Commander, as soon as the news of the TOS Guild acquiring the Eye of Origins spread out, I infiltrated them by assassinating the real Hubert. It was all for the sake of getting the Eye of Origins.”
Scion felt that there was something wrong with the choice of words by the woman in front of her.
Or perhaps it was because of the way she casually said those words as if she doesn’t care about her image at all.
For the next few seconds, she was silent and thought deeply to what Kira had just said. All these time, this group had always been searching for the Eye of Origins but it ultimately landed on the TOS Guild who, by chance, landed on her hands that day.
When she was at home and not logged-in, she had heard and saw the videos regarding the events that happened in Dragona.
She vaguely had an idea of what had happened to Rex when almost everyone of the TOS Guild went towards the city… including FlowerLord, Alice, her best friend.
That day, Alice called her up, worried, of course, and told her what happened in Dragona including the cinematics video where [Siva] with Rex’s face became connected to the Grand Quest of the game.
Right now, each time she wasn’t logged-in, she and Alice always exchanged information and Alice never missed a moment where she asked if she was being mistreated.
She was also briefed that by Loni’s decision, the TOS Guild and the Circle of Magi is actually on their way to rescue her from The Legion.
Of course, Scion never told anyone in The Legion regarding this information. There was nothing else she’d want than to get her freedom and find Rex with her own pace.
All modes of communications are blocked while the [Captive] status is active in his player window.
Aside from escaping detection for three days or being freed directly by her captors, there was no way for her to remove that [Captive] status icon.
Right now, she was gambling.
The reason why she wanted to have Hubert as her assistant is because she felt that she could trust that aura of indifference that he exuded. But right now, out of her wildest imagination, Hubert was actually just a fake identity of this person that’s standing in front of her.
Kira was too far from being ugly but she wasn’t that beautiful as well.
If she can be described, it’s like she was in the gray scale between a normal beauty and a very attractive beauty –which, by the way, on Scion’s standards, is at the same grade of prettiness as Loni of the TOS Guild.
So in short, for someone like Scion, Kira was beautiful but not too beautiful that she attracts too much attention.
Perhaps this kind of attribute can be traced on the fact that she was too dark, too bland, and too dull that putting a smile on her uninterested expressions were the very difference between white and black.
Scion thought so and she also thinks that Kira was beautiful. Or perhaps it’s finding out that Hubert was Kira, a girl, that Scion’s mood was actually lifted.
Her circling around Kira twice to check every nook and cranny of her appearance even made Kira feel the awkwardness on this moment. With a soft cough, the girl who wanted to a third lap realized what she was doing and she straightened up and wryly smiled.
“Sorry.” She said and followed it with a light “Hehe.”
“As you have requested, I have been granted the full authority to act in your behalf as an assistant. You can treat me as your servant or your sword and from this moment on, aside from The Legion, my sword will be pointed at your enemies… my liege.”
The last part made Scion blink innocently, “L-Liege?!”
“Yes. I am your sword and your servant.”
“S-Servant?! W-W-W-Wait… this is all too sudden. I just wanted to have someone to talk to. I didn’t mean for you to actually–‘
Before Scion could even finish, Kira made a bow and then said, “My Liege, there is no need to be flustered over these trivial matters. The Legion had agreed to comply with all your demands though we request for the first condition of going back to your friends to be changed instead to a conditional relationship.”
“Conditional relationship… what do you mean?”
Faced with this question, Kira swiped down the air and then flicked a panel window towards Scion.
She explained, “With the information stated in this contract, the conditions you are currently facing are going to be changed to that of what you had demanded with the exception of friendly contact so as to not risk the disclosure of our HQ’s location. For not being able to comply to your demands a hundred percent, we shall not request for The Eye to be handed over to us and shall request your assistance in using the artifact instead.”
Scion read the contents of the panel window and she looked at Kira with a thought as she admired how she had summarized it all like that.
“I cannot contact anyone but I am free to go anywhere in the territory controlled by The Legion. I also get to have you as my personal guard and can also order you around just like a real servant. Aside from The Legion, my enemy is your enemy and I am also free to use The Legion’s resources in any way I want it to be used… these conditions… aren’t they too extravagant even for someone like me?”
“My Liege, I–”
“Please stop calling me that.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“Sigh… okay do as you like.”
“My Liege, as I was saying… The Legion had never intended to kidnap you and actually wanted to make amends on how you were treated thus far. For the discomfort we have caused, we are willing to use our own resources as a bargaining chip just so we could not lose your presence and your good will towards the interest of The Legion.” At this point, Kira knelt down in one knee and then held a great sword the same size as that of Hubert’s up while she bowed her head down. “I am also asking your apology, My Liege, for hurting you and bringing you in this place without your consent.
“As such, I have resigned myself to be your servant until you deemed it is already time for you to forgive my sins. You wouldn’t be here if I only stole The Eye as soon as Hanna gave it up. But it was because of my incompetence that you were tangled in this mess of the Grand Quest that I am now asking for your forgiveness and offering my sword in service of your name to express my deepest regret. Please, My Liege… accept my proposition.”
For the first time in her life, Scion was dumbfounded.
Never in her life had anyone actually knelt in front of her and never in her life had she heard such words of deepest sincerity and genuine regret.
Kira’s body was shaking. Even though it was just a game, there was something else with Kira’s actions that was screaming at her.
Apparently, that screaming voice told her that even though she can’t fully trust anyone else in this Legion, she could at least put a small bit of it with her.
But rational thinking stopped her from putting that trust yet.
Yes, Kira looked ridiculous right now.
In fact, this kind of scene can only be seen in movies where a knight pledges their sword in the service of another person to atone for something too great for mere words of sincerity to convey.
And yet that very scene was happening in front of her paired with the words that almost clouded her vision, spoken in a way that knights of yore had once spoken.
“Kira please, stand up!” Scion hurriedly went to pick the girl up but the lady in knight armor did not budge and given Scion’s weak disposition and her weak physical body state, she actually couldn’t even budge the knight to move an inch.
“No, My Liege… not until you accept my sword shall I stand from where I knelt. I’ve given you my promise as a knight. My honor and pledge are in this sword. I urge you, Archmage Scion, please accept my sword!”
Now Kira was forcing her. Her body was trembling and lifting a heavy sword that large should be taxing not only to the one doing it but also to the one that this kind of act was being done.
Left with no choice, Scion could only curse at herself for being too soft hearted.
“Alright. Alright! Just stand up… please…”
But Kira was stubborn, “Not until you say the words.”
“W-What words?!” Scion was panicking.
“Just declare that you are accepting me as your humble knight servant.”
“Geez! Why so many trivialities?!”
Kira’s body continued to tremble. This time, the vibrations were becoming visible and her armor was already clanging from the weight of the sword. Even the arms that lifted the sword up were beginning to lower a bit.
Scion panicked and bit her lower lip, thinking of those movies she’d seen from the archives of her parents.
At this point, instinct took over her and she closed her eyes, cursed at the heavens, and then opened her mouth to say the words the lady knight wanted to hear.
“Okay! I accept the knight before me as my servant!”
PILONG!
A silvery pop up window appeared in front of Scion. In fact, the same pop up window with the same content was also displayed in Kira’s vision.
[You are about to accept a Full Pledged Knight as your Retainer. All rules and laws in accord to the agreement of the honorable knights that pledged their swords to their masters shall be applied and the power of heavens shall bear witness to the pact of agreement made by the two parties.
Do you want to proceed?]
“Yes!” She yelled.
When the words were spoken, a gentle golden light descended from the sky and landed on both of them.
The shadows of the people hidden around the castle’s courtyard that’s been watching the events all this time became astounded. Even Kladis who did not try to hide his presence on the same corner he left to earlier felt that what just happened was beyond the scenario that he had designed.
But he did not doubt the sincerity of Kira. Instead, he guessed that this phenomenon was something that was connected to the fact that Scion was Terra’s chosen vessel.
So instead of frowning like the other members of the Round Table, he instead bid a scheming smile.
The light that surrounded the two women in the middle of the garden seemed to have been blessed by the heavens as an illusory image of a beautiful woman appeared behind Scion’s graceful back.
When this shadowy figure appeared, Kira lifted her head and a look of veneration could be seen in her face. The stoic and uncaring Kira showed a rare kind of emotional look as she seem to hear something only she and Scion could hear when the figure opened its perfectly figured lips.
In fact, perhaps only Kladis and Gats who were hiding in the shadows of the windows in the wall facing Scion, could see that the light on Scion’s eyes had become that of the eyes of Terra.
At the end of Terra’s sentence, Kira spoke, “I will.”
Thus, the apparition of a goddess ended and Scion blinked as if she felt that she had just been cast away in some place somewhere she wasn’t aware of.
“Is it done?” She asked Kira.
Kira stood up, carrying the sword in one hand as she put it behind her as if it carried only a kilo.
“Yes, My Liege…”
Seeing this, Scion frowned at her. “How heavy is that sword when you carry it?” Surprised by this, Kira pulled out the sword from her back and then weighed it with one hand.
“Around half a kilo perhaps?” She said indifferently.
Scion felt she was cheated as her face burned a very enticing bright red. But she didn’t explode and instead inhaled and then exhaled heavily twice.
After a while, Gats appeared behind Kira as Kira bid her farewell when Gats waved a hand.
“Do you mind if we have a talk?” Gats opened. Scion looked at the retreating Kira. Gats, seeing this, could only muster his most harmless smile, the kind that he had always shown in the interviews. “Please, don’t be alarmed. She’ll only prepare the things that you have demanded in the agreement. Including a 5-star hotel-like personal suite, some female maidservants, and of course your personal vehicle for traveling around the territories of our Legion.”
Scion was silent, she was weighing the words.
Meanwhile, Kira, with her cape fluttering on the wind that she created when she walked, turned into a corner where she was pulled by a hand with a strength that she couldn’t even resist.
The hand belonged to Kladis and without even saying a word, Kladis kissed Kira deeply on her lips.
At first she resisted but it only lasted three seconds before the hand that pushed away the body began to slowly embrace the man.
When their lips parted one minute later, Kira’s face was beet red and clearly chasing her breath.
“You’ve done a great job.” Kladis said and caressed her right cheek, arranging her scattered hair. “Now your reward will be delivered right here and now.”
Upon speaking, Kladis pushed his lips upon hers while his hands were slowly latching off the pieces of armor on her lower garments.
When her skirt was freed of the pieces of decorated metal pads, Kladis lifted it up, pulled down the last piece of cloth, and gently turned her around to kiss the soaked Medusa.
Kira’s moans were muffled as she desperately bit her fingers while clinging on the wall. Her hips wiggled but was held tight by the man’s embrace.
After a few minutes, Kladis stood up and whispered in her ear. “Ready?”
Turning her beet red face aside, Kira wordlessly nodded, clinging even closer to the wall.
At the next instant, her moans spread unrestrained all over the hall where the exit and entrance were blocked by envious blonde angels a distance away.
.
.
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Kladis’ plans go deep… literally!
Will Scion escape this man’s manipulative fangs?
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