LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 31
Alshard side (2):
Before coming to the surface, there wouldn’t be a chance for Rios to access other information, and he probably wouldn’t suspect that I’m withholding information about the advantages.
Moreover, it’s easier for him to believe the outward reason of wanting to replenish our strength before the upcoming battle with the traitor.
However, when it comes to talking, I should honestly mention the risks involved in our fight.
He is fundamentally a kind and good-hearted person. He cares for me, offering encouragement and support whenever I’m down.
But considering he lived in the harsh slums, mere kindness wouldn’t have been enough to survive. He seems to be someone who is caring towards his close ones but can easily cut off others.
However, he might be willing to help even strangers if there’s no enmity. His kindness might be due to treating me as a comrade. I must ensure that this trust doesn’t waver. Being honest about the risks in our battle is for that purpose.
Trust and confidence can shatter in an instant…
Lost in these thoughts, I swiftly crush the skeleton’s head with my Blackjack, confirming its defeat before resuming my contemplation.
During our conversation so far, I noticed something
— it’s possible that Rios is all alone in the world. Perhaps, he doesn’t even have anyone he can call a comrade.
He mentioned that his words of encouragement were from his mother, but there was no hint of sorrow or loss in his voice.
If he had someone else close to him, he would have mentioned it when I proposed hiring him as a knight. However, he never mentioned anyone other than his mother.
If my guess is correct, it’s good news.
For someone who’s kind towards his family, not having any family or close friends would mean that he lost his only relative – his mother – not long ago.
Maybe around a year at most?
On the surface, he may seem fine, but losing his only family must have left a hole in his heart.
If I can fill that hole – he might become the ideal knight who will never betray me.
As I think about this, I notice the staircase ahead and decide to discuss this matter there.
I glance back and see Rios walking behind me, lost in thought, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.
It makes me feel a bit exasperated.
He didn’t want to fall even on the way up, so he suggested taking a break before climbing the stairs.
“By the way, when I came down here, I counted the steps. There are two hundred of them,” I mention casually.
After our break, when we were about to start climbing, Rios appeared lost in thought again, seemingly contemplating something that happened on the way down.
It took me some courage, but I finally told him about my uncle Hyann being our enemy and the expected enemy forces.
I chose to consider him the mastermind behind opposing my father’s decision to appoint me as the next head of the family, as he always glares at me with resentment. If it wasn’t him, then who else could it be?
…And indeed, my assumptions proved right.
After explaining the strength of our allies, I nervously proposed to him to become a knight. I was prepared for a possible rejection before he even answered.
It was nerve-wracking, and I was anxious while waiting for his response. But his response was somewhat surprising, and rather than making me happy, it made me feel relieved.
He revealed that during his abduction, he encountered the kidnappers – the ones who left me behind – and felt guilty for not helping me.
I felt guilty hearing this, but at the same time, it was convenient.
He’s a kind person.
If he feels guilty for abandoning me, he won’t betray me in a situation where it could save him. Well, I don’t think he would easily choose to betray someone when he is so kind to his close ones.
As he finished speaking, he suddenly knelt before me and swore his loyalty.
“I, Rios, swear eternal loyalty to Alshard-sama and shall never betray you.”
I can still remember his words clearly.
I placed my hand on his shoulder, even though he may not have noticed it, it’s a gesture to show my trust in a knight. I should do it even if he doesn’t know.
Before I could smile, I quickly climbed a few steps ahead of him.
After all, Rios, who might become my ideal knight, had willingly sworn his loyalty to me. Even though I hadn’t made him a knight yet, I couldn’t tell what emotions I had in that moment, but it couldn’t be anything but happiness.
Though I didn’t know what emotions I had since I hadn’t made him a knight yet, there was no way I wouldn’t be happy.
Feeling giddy, we reached the next room, which had provisions useful for escape and travel, though the preserved food was all destroyed.
Still in a buoyant mood, I was curious about the door leading to the next room, but Rios stopped me, saying he would go ahead first.
I realized I was being overly carefree and regretted it.
But when I saw the contents of the next room, all those thoughts flew out of my head.
The room was filled with exquisite artworks, decorations, and various weapons and armour.
Among them, what caught my attention the most were the swords.
The first one that drew my gaze was the magic sword Finbul, and after admiring various other legendary swords, I decided to wield Finbul.
They say that a weapon chooses its owner, and I believe Fimbul chose me at that moment.
Later, I noticed Rios wasn’t near me, and when I looked for him, he was holding a yellow geometrically patterned spear, practicing his swings.
Even though he was still inexperienced from my perspective, it was impressive to see him gradually correcting his mistakes without anyone telling him.
When he finished his practice and turned around, he was surprised to see me there. We exchanged compliments about his talent and engaged in some casual conversation before I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t opened his mana pathways yet.
Trying to pretend that I didn’t forget, I brought it up, but he instantly said, “Ah, so you didn’t forget.” I must have shown my frustration, feeling it was a regrettable failure.
After opening his mana circuit and feeling the magical connection between us, I had to desperately suppress my excitement on the spot.
Rios trusted and believed in me deeply, and he had even developed a sense of affection for me.
I had finally found someone I could trust, someone I could rely on, and someone who wouldn’t betray me.
After the pain from opening his mana circuit subsided, we headed to the next room.
The room was vast with nothing but a metal golem. Perhaps because I had the necklace, it didn’t move, so we headed straight for the stairs.
In my carefree mood, I was suddenly pushed from behind, which startled me. When I turned around, instead of Rios, there was a metal arm, and I panicked for a moment, thinking something had happened to him.
…In the end, he was alive. He had drawn the golem’s attention, allowing me to prepare Fimbul’s weapon skill and attacked when he gave me the signal.
Was it from this moment? That I started to develop feelings akin to obsession towards Rios?
If he hadn’t managed to defend himself with his spear, he could have been severely injured or worse. In other words, he prioritized my safety over his own life.
Some nobles might consider it natural for a knight to act that way, but for someone who grew up in the slums and met me only a day ago, it was an incredible feat.
Rios truly became my ideal knight.
…Well, it’s not a big deal to be a little obsessed, right?
—
If you like this novel, Please leave ratings and review in NovelUpdates.>>HERE
If you’d like to make a one-time donation to support our translations or subscribe to read up to 5 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi: