AWWEWNR Chapter 10

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Sitting at his desk, Ethan Verk Ariel looked up at his only daughter, wondering if this was a dream. 

 

She had never come to his office on her own before, and now, out of the blue, Hanaella had shown up to begin her preparations to become the next Head of House. 

 

He wondered if he was dreaming, or if the goddess had blessed him with a favor in his dream last night. 

 

‘I wondered if my daughter had grown up after her coming-of-age ceremony and was worried about her health.’

 

“There’s no need to prepare, you’re already a master of dark magic beyond me.”

 

“I am?”

 

“Yes, you are. You were born a woman, and your dark magic is stronger than your father’s, so it would be no problem for you to become the next head of the family right now.”

 

“But I don’t know anything about the family business.”

 

“That’s something you’ll learn.”

 

“Yes. I’ll start learning from my father, and you can teach me slowly.”

 

Ethan smiled at Hanaella’s words.

 

“I will. Then, why don’t you meet Knights first?”

 

“…Knights…!”

 

“As the head of the family, your most important job is to lead the Knights. I’ve already selected the next Legion Leader, so you can meet him when you’re ready.”

 

“The next head of the Legion?”

 

“When you become the Lord of the House, you will be the leader of the Knights’ Legion. The current Legionnaire will naturally pass the torch to the next in line when I leave the position.”

 

“…So you’re saying that the Head of the House and the Leader of the Legion are in the same debt.”

 

“More like fate than indebtedness. It’s your choice, but if you enter into a ministerial contract with the Knights’ Legionnaire, you and the Legionnaire will share each other’s lives.”

 

“That means… if the Legionnaire dies, I die… is that it?”

 

Ethan nodded in agreement.

 

“Does that mean that my father is the same as the current Legionnaire…”

 

“No. I was born a man, so that’s not possible.”

 

“…”

 

“You haven’t read many of the books in the library yet, which is why I’ve been telling you to read them since you were a child.”

 

“…have, and I’ve read all but two about the Knights.”

 

“Then let me tell you about the two you haven’t read yet.”

 

Ethan closed the papers he was reviewing and gestured to the couch in front of his desk, telling Hanaella to sit down. 

 

As Hanaella sat down on the soft cushions, he pulled himself up and came to sit across from her.

 

“In our family, a child with the power of the dark arts is born every generation, though only one per generation. That’s why you have no siblings.”

 

When a child with dark magic was born into the Ariel family, the parents of that generation would either become naturally infertile or, like Hanaella’s mother, die in childbirth. 

 

A curse known as the Dark Side is a curse for using dark magic.

 

If a male child was born during that generation, he would only be able to use half of his dark power, so the Knights would have fewer members than if a female child was born. 

 

Although the Knights are all human, they use dark magic, so their numbers are determined by the dark power of Ariel’s Lord, the Head of the Knights.

 

So when a girl, Hanaella, was born after hundreds of years, the Empire rejoiced, and the imperial court even held a banquet to celebrate her birth.

 

The birth of a girl also changes the relationship between the Knights and their Commander. A normal male lord binds himself to a contract with the Knights’ captain. 

 

The Lord brews a potion of blood containing dark magic and gives it to the Knights, and in return, the Knights do the Lord’s bidding. 

 

There are many ways to distribute dark power to the Knights, but most male lords use blood.

 

A precise, specific relationship. However, the birth of a girl differs. 

 

The Legionnaire of that generation then becomes the one who could become Lord of the Legion, and of course, the Lord may retain the Legionnaire as his servant of choice. 

 

In other words, a female child may contract to remain a Lord, whereas a male member of the House of Ariel may not.

 

Right now, the relationship between Hanaella’s father and the Knights Legionnaire was conditional master-servant, meaning it could be broken at any time. 

 

However, when they sign a contract to remain as servants, their lives become one, and if one of them dies, the other’s life also ends, so it becomes a relationship that’s impossible to break.

 

Ethan asked Hanaella, who had been listening silently up until this point, a confused look on her face.

 

“But why do we need to make a pact of continuation? If one dies, the other dies with them, and that’s a bit dangerous, isn’t it? Did any of your female ancestors ever make that kind of contract?”

 

“All of my ancestors who were born female fulfilled the covenant.”

 

“That’s ridiculous…!”

 

“Because there was a price worth the risk.”

 

“…A price…?”

 

“An awakening of dark power beyond imagination, and an ally whom you can trust completely.”

 

At Ethan’s words, Hanaella’s eyes widened.

 

Execution of the Pact unleashes the power of the Lord, awakening the Legionnaire, and the power of the Awakened could propel the Knights beyond the Empire and make them the best in Atheronia. 

 

That’s why some imperials in the past had forbidden the Ariel family to execute the Pact.

 

And a side that could be trusted completely. 

 

In this aristocratic society, where you never know who’s an ally and who’s an enemy, having someone you trust to be on your side was priceless. 

 

With the High Priests of the Cathedral seeking to exploit Ariel’s weaknesses, a safe ally on my side would be my greatest strength and weapon.

 

“They may still resent my family and the Knights for harnessing the power of the dark side, but our Knights contribute more to the extermination of demons than the Paladins of the Cathedral, and that’s why they can’t mess with us.”

 

“…I see, so I’m supposed to sign a contract of loyalty with the next Legionnaire? Oh, I’ll have to become the head of the family, and the next Head of the Legion will have to be delegated as head of the Legion before we can make a contract of continuation?”

 

“No, you can make the contract now, subordinate. But that’s something you’ll have to think about later, after you’ve become a Lord, and it’s not a question I can answer for you. There are some problems with the contract.”

 

“What? Problems with the contract?”

 

“Well, hmm, that’s something you’ll have to learn from a book.”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

“So you’re going to meet with the next Legionnaire right away?”

 

“Yes. I’d like to meet him.”

 

💫

 

As the road winded through the forests that surrounded the city, the Knights’ training grounds came into view. 

 

At the sight of their future ruler, the Knights’ legions of warriors practicing in the barracks bowed in unison, as if a promise had been made. 

 

The unexpected hospitality made her heart flutter.

 

“I have been expecting you, my lord.”

 

From the words of the man who walked swiftly toward her, Hanaella recognized him as the Knights’ current Legion Leader.

 

“Greetings, little darkness of Hayden, Hanaella. I’m Anthony Twarne Veoter, Legionnaire of the Knights.”

 

“…Pleased to meet you.”

 

“The next Legionnaire is in our regeneration room, and I will escort you there.”

 

“The Regeneration Room?”

 

“He… lost an arm in training this morning.”

 

“He…had his arm…cut off…?”

 

Hanaella stopped dead in her tracks at Anthony’s words, and he turned to her, puzzled.

 

“It’s a common occurrence for those of us who fight demons. As long as we don’t lose the severed part, we can reattach it with our lord’s blood.”

 

“…My father’s blood can do that.”

 

“It’s a much easier task for the next Lord, Hanaella.”

 

“…Me?”

 

“Yes. As a female, Lady Hanaella will be able to heal Knights not with blood, but with saliva alone, and even the smallest wounds or aches will heal quickly just by touching them.”

 

‘Ah, come to think of it, I read something like that in a book.’ 

 

“I see. But aren’t the Knights on standby right now? I know they’re not out slaying demons, so why did the next Legionnaire’s arm get severed?”

 

Anthony stammered, a little embarrassed by Hanaella’s question.

 

“It was during… training…”

 

“What kind of training, you mean, where they cut off an arm?”

 

“It’s no big deal, it’s a common occurrence for us Knights.”

 

“I asked what kind of training you were doing that caused someone to lose an arm.”

 

Puzzled, Hanaella asked again, and then, as if he had no choice, Anthony told her about today’s events.

 

“There are a few in the group who don’t like the next Legionnaire, and they’re demanding a little too much of him, but that’s something that the next Legionnaire will have to deal with.”

 

“…?”

 

“I am the current Legionnaire of the Knights. The next Legionnaire is a member of the current Knights. The Knights are a group of men who have fought and died together on countless battlefields. There has always been resistance to the idea of a change of leadership as the Lord changes.”

 

“…I don’t understand what the Legionnaire means.”

 

“…”

 

“Are you saying that they intentionally cut off the arm of the next Legionnaire because they don’t like the idea of a change in Lords?”

 

“…It would be more accurate to say that they are testing the quality of the leader they will follow.”

 

“…”

 

Hanaella’s face contorted. Anthony studied her expression and continued.

 

“You shouldn’t worry too much, my lady. It’s something I’ve been through, and it’s something the next Legionnaire will have to grit his teeth and endure until the next one takes his place.”

 

“And who the hell is that supposed to be something to endure?”

 

“…”

 

Anthony, who had been walking wordlessly, stopped in front of the regeneration room.

 

“We’re here, this is it.”

 

Click—

 

Anthony opened the door and stepped aside.