IDEFYEM - Chapter 27
Black Man, I'll Do Everything For You Except Marriage!
"Hayden, would you like to be my escort?"
Hayden's expression, which had been frozen in confusion, quickly brightened. He too was among the group who raised their hand to volunteer to be my escort.
"Are you serious?"
"Sure."
The knight who was the one who threw the fragments of the broken wooden sword at me was coming this way.
My eyes sparkled at the appearance of a female knight with an upright posture. Looking at her blue face, I think she came to apologize.
"Sasha, please give me the sword in your hand!"
An excited Hayden spoke without giving her a moment's notice.
"What, this broken sword? Why all of a sudden?"
"Quickly! Sasha will take responsibility if Lady changes her mind?"
The knight looked at me with a puzzled expression and threw the sword at Hayden. Hayden handed it to me and quickly began explaining.
"Please hold the handle in your hand and tap my shoulder once."
"In such a hurry... Hayden's leader isn't there right now either?"
I felt uncomfortable because I felt like I was doing something without a plan, but in the end, I couldn't overcome the young man's anger and took up the sword.
For a moment, I flinched at the weight, which was heavier than it looked. His expression quickly became pious and he placed the wooden sword on his kneeling shoulder.
"Hayden Everett, son of Brunmire. My life now belongs to you, Master."
After completing the brief investiture ceremony, he looked up at me with a grin.
"Do you know the weight of those words?"
Sasha, who was standing next to me with a confused expression, asked.
Likewise, I, unaware of the weight of those words, turned my head and looked at her. Then Sasha seemed to suddenly come to her senses and spoke with a pale face.
"I... I'm really sorry!"
A ray of cold sweat was running down her neck as if I had been in a serious accident.
"It was my fault that I broke the sword due to lack of skill. If Hayden wasn't by Lady's side, something big would have happened."
Sasha closed her eyes tightly and continued.
"I will report my mistake to the leader and ask him to punish me appropriately. Sorry again...."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Yes?"
This was the answer I had been thinking about for a while.
"If it had been anyone else but me, you wouldn't have been punished, right? I am a guest who visited the training center today without saying anything."
Except for me, the other knights could protect themselves like Hayden, so the situation wouldn't have escalated.
"Breaking a solid wooden sword, I think that strength is awesome. Don't think about being punished and focus more on training."
Because I won't speak loudly to the leader. I added and smiled brightly.
"My Master is like an angel....."
"I agree."
Hayden mumbled and Sasha nodded.
Then, Kael, who had been away, was coming back.
"Kael, I chose Hayden as my escort! The investiture ceremony was completed informally!"
He said with a grin.
"Have you become so close that you can even joke around? Good."
It's not a joke.
Looking at him in confusion, I explained what had just happened, leaving out Sasha's mistake. The man, who made a strange expression as he continued speaking, sighed at the end of the conversation
"Oh no, without even telling me."
"Did I do something wrong?"
When I asked hesitantly, he shook his head.
"Hayden is young, but he is a skilled and loyal knight. He was also the talent I considered first when selecting your escort."
Then there won't be any problem. I, who was a little worried, breathed a sigh of relief. In comparison, Kael's expression was dark.
"I was wondering if Hayden liked you enough to rush like this."
The sad expression brought back memories of the night I returned from meeting the Archduke.
"Don't hate me too much...."
When I thought about Kael back then, my face got a little hot.
"He's a child, Kael. It's like seeing my little brother."
"Hayden is the same age as you."
Oh, now that I think about it, I was young too. As I smiled shyly, Kael became more sullen and opened his mouth.
"If you are thinking of participating in a hunting banquet, you should learn basic self-defense skills. An escort will be by your side, but accidents can happen at any time."
Because I expected that much, I nodded with a solemn face.
"But your arms are too weak to swing a sword."
Kael's eyes naturally turned to my arm. The gaze that was scanning my wrist as if gauging its thickness was quite intense.
"A commendation or a bow...."
"It's an important issue, so should we think about it until tomorrow? I am so tired."
I pointed to my legs, which were aching just from walking to the training ground. The man's expression became a little serious as if he had finally realized my physical strength.
"Then even more so."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Master!"
His mouth became strangely stiff.
"It's a situational comedy in the beauty world. You are too good at handling me."
"Well, the last one was just a joke."
"I don't know how far you can wield me, but tomorrow will be different."
"No, I mean... yes."
I've misunderstood something for a while. I didn't bother to point it out and promised tomorrow's training.
***
When I returned to the room, I immediately jumped onto the soft sofa.
"Ugh, it's hard."
A grunting sound was heard from beneath my feet.
"Uh, Vermont!"
I shouted in joy at the reunion after a long time. In the meantime, the cat boasted of its appearance with more shiny fur.
"I heard that ingredients missing from the kitchen are becoming more frequent these days. I heard the maids were worried that it might be a ghost."
Even though I regularly feed nutritious and balanced meals to the garden!
The cat's arms are the upper arms, very.
I thought he would scream at me for being so cruel as usual when I heard those words.
The cat somehow slowly stretched and jumped onto my lap. At an opportunity that doesn't come often, I smiled and stroked the cat's neck.
"Do you know how hard it was today?"
As expected, there was no answer.
"Not only did I walk all the way to the training ground, but I almost got killed by flying sword fragments."
As I was talking to myself, a memory suddenly came to mind.
"Now that I think about it, I used magical power earlier. I didn't do anything very great...."
"Meow."
"Wow, were you really watching?"
Vermont denied it in silence. His condition was a little different from usual.
"Well, is there something going on...?"
"Now this is the limit. You smell terribly delicious, Wintersoar."
What are you talking about?
I slowly stepped back, wary of the cat saying something unknown. He continued to sniff his pink nose and looked at me as if he was taking a sip of his appetite.
"W-what is it?"
"A devil on the verge of starvation."
"When it comes to food, just eat well!"
"It's different from that...."
Vermont kept burying his face in my arm. How is the location so specific?
Could it be that they are looking for traces of the magic power that was released earlier?
Soft fur kept grazing my skin.
While I was enduring the tickling, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
'Today... Are you going to sign a contract?'
Coincidentally, I also needed to prepare before participating in the hunting banquet. He too seemed to be having a hard time with his body, which was about to run out of mana.
"under...."
Then, Vermont opened his mouth as if to say something. Now he will finally acknowledge me and say that he wants to be my familiar.
Or that you will wholeheartedly help lift Kael's curse?
"Enrica Wintersoar, I...."
"Yes, go ahead and say it!
"Just a bite."
"Okay, now let's sign the contract... What?"
I asked back, taken aback by the unexpected request.
"Are you treating me like food now?"
"Wouldn't it be an honor if your magic power could be used as a meal for me?"
"Go away, you crazy cat!"
When I was shocked and pushed him away, Vermont finally brought up the topic of the contract.
"Contract, yes. Let's start with the contract."
I looked at him suspiciously and asked.
"You're helping lift the curse, right?"
"Even at this moment... !"
Vermont sighed and spoke in a slightly annoyed voice.
Ah, now.
As I was watching the time, I took the opportunity and let a little magic flow into my fingertips. Light that condenses in a small size and then scatters like dust. Seeing that Vermont paused for a moment and savored his appetite.
"... Yes, together we will obtain the Duke's magic tools and lift the curse."
Wow, it was a little awkward, but I did it!
If it was going to be solved this easily, I would have tempted them with magic from the beginning.
While I was at ease and smiling brightly, Vermont, who had not yet filled his stomach, still seemed nervous.
"So, what about the contract?"
"Close your eyes."
"What?"
I wondered if he was joking, but it seemed like he was serious.
"What are you going to do when I close my eyes?"
"It absorbs some of your magical power, and from that moment on, it becomes familiar."
"Why don't you write a contract or something? Aren't I being scammed?"
"Do you think I've made a contract or two in my 400 years of life?"
I told you to wind it first, so you did.
'I didn't know I would be pushed into a contract like this overnight.'
For some reason, my toes were twitching due to the pounding feeling. I pursed my lower lip and waited.
But even after I closed my eyes for a while, nothing happened.
"..."
What on earth are you trying to do?
It was a moment when I gently opened one eye due to the anxiety that was slowly rising.
OMG.
I met unfamiliar eyes directly at a distance so close that there was no gap. A person who suddenly appeared as if he had been transported in an instant.
"...!"
The moment I gasped and stopped breathing, the frown of the man I saw for the first time narrowed. No, it's not unfamiliar.
This is so...
A description from the original that had passed through my mind several times came to mind. Enrica's familiar. He has long, shiny silver hair and an outstanding appearance that makes him look like he is not human.
A beautiful mole on his pale cheek and eyes that give off an unapproachable vibe.
I thought the description was accurate even when it looked like a cat. The way he became a person was really... Only now have I been able to say that title spontaneously.
"L-Lord Vermont...."
"I told you to close your eyes."
The moment a familiar voice came closer, my vision went completely black.
Crack.
The sound of the skin biting at the nape of my neck, close to my ear, was unfamiliar.
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