Only Obedient to Me! Sir Knight Chapter 15

Rowy truly squeezed everything he could out of Seilan. A completely cleaned-out Seilan tearfully begged him to stop, so Rowy generously let him go.

‘Let’s talk about the rest next time we meet….’

In the end, Seilan couldn’t hold back his temper and unleashed a torrent of abuse, but regardless, Rowy held all the cards. By the time they returned to the inn with their arms full of loot, it was already the dead of night. His head ached, he was sleepy… Rowy continued to whine.

“I’m sleepy….”

“Even so, I believe it would be best for you to eat a little more of this before you sleep. You have such a high fever.”

Van, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed wiping Rowy’s sweat incessantly, pulled a mana stone from his pocket and popped it into Rowy’s mouth. Of all the things Seilan had given them, this pouch of mana stones was what Van had been most pleased with. As if he hadn’t been the one horrified to see Rowy eating mana stones just before, Van sat right next to him, nagging him to chew them thoroughly.

“I don’t want to eat anymore. It tastes bad.”

“Since when do you eat medicine for the taste?”

“It’s chalky. I want ice cream.”

Rowy grimaced, chewing on the tasteless stone.

“Seriously… I need to get to the island as soon as possible.”

“If we go to the island, will you get better?”

“Yeah, I left my magical tools behind.”

To think that not having his magical tools would be such a terrifying experience. Once he returned, he would never again let a situation arise where he was separated from them.

“I’m really going to leave tomorrow morning. They said it won’t even rain.”

He had already booked passage by ship through Seilan. If he delayed any longer, he felt like his head would truly be crushed to pieces.

“Ugh, I don’t want any more.”

“Please, just one more.”

Because Van had coaxed and urged him so enthusiastically, the mana stone pouch was soon looking at its bottom. Yet Rowy’s fever still burned red-hot. Clenching the empty pouch tightly, Van bowed his head.

“…This is the first time I have truly felt so useless.”

“Hm?”

“I am… truly sorry….”

Van knelt before Rowy. Rowy’s eyes widened at the sudden turn of events.

“It is entirely my fault that you were hurt.”

It’s not ‘hurt,’ it’s just a lack of mana, thought Rowy, a high-ranking mage who feared nothing in the world. But it seemed Van didn’t see it that way.

“I should have told you clearly from the beginning. Instead of hiding it like this.”

“What?”

“About The Holy Sword.”

Van looked at The Holy Sword strapped to his waist. The familiar, pitch-black sword hung alongside the sword Rowy had bought for him. The fact that Rowy had bought both of them dragged Van’s mood even deeper into the abyss. He felt like he had committed a grave sin.

“There is something I have not told you.”

Van grabbed Rowy’s hand firmly.

“I am, in fact, the owner of The Holy Sword. I am the commander of the Elysion order’s Holy Knights.”

“…”

And so, the sudden confession began.

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

“…So. You’re the commander of the Elysion Holy Knights, and originally The Holy Sword was yours, but because you were broke, both The Holy Sword and you were sold off?”

“Th… Yes.”

Van bowed his head at the pitiful summary.

“But you were actually sick of being a knight commander, so you just intended to live as my slave for the rest of your life?”

“I wouldn’t go that far….”

Didn’t he say something close to that? He just felt a bit of emptiness after fulfilling his mission… and he interpreted it like that? Van’s expression became subtle.

“But why does that matter? Isn’t the Elysion order ruined anyway? What do the gods have to do with anything now?”

“Ruined… I wouldn’t say ruined….”

“They said it was a tourist spot.”

Rowy remembered well what the announcer had said during the auction.

“They told me to go check it out because it was a tourist destination.”

“…”

“Well, anyway. It’s no big deal. Whatever gods or whatever, you’re mine now. It’s only natural for a master to take care of his own. If there’s any danger in the future, call me.”

I’ll protect you. Rowy said, chin tilted upward. Van, who had collapsed and done nothing during the standoff, couldn’t find a reply. The master was… certainly a much stronger mage than Van had thought. Remembering the rampant, wild mana that had swept through the area, Van habitually put another mana stone into Rowy’s mouth. Ghk, Rowy pushed Van’s hand away in annoyance.

“More importantly, I’m curious about something else.”

“Yes?”

“Have you really killed a demon?”

Rowy’s eyes sparkled. The way they shone was similar to how they had looked when he was staring at the sacrifice, making Van hesitate.

“Holy fire, you said holy fire? That flame? I want to see it. Can I see it right now?”

“Yes? No, that’s limited to demons….”

Van stammered as he held onto Rowy, who was suddenly lunging forward.

“Have you used it on a demon?”

“Well… yes.”

“Wow.”

Even an exclamation of admiration burst from Rowy’s lips. Van didn’t know what to do as he tucked Rowy back into bed. But Rowy bounced right back up.

“Right, that guy was a demon too, right? That goat mask!”

“He is someone referred to as a sacrifice. They are people who offer their own bodies to a demon to summon it.”

“Then, didn’t he die? Demons don’t die, right?”

He was someone who had kept moving his body until the very end, in a state where a human surely should have died. Because he had ended up letting him get away, Rowy had been incredibly annoyed.

“Since a sacrifice is not a demon perfectly manifested in this world, if the human body dies, they likely vanish along with it.”

“That means they go back to hell, right?”

“Demons do not die, after all.”

“Unless you kill them with The Holy Sword?”

“Yes.”

Rowy’s eyes scanned the sword on Van’s waist with great interest.

‘No matter how I look at it, I can’t tell what’s so special about it.’

Seeing the curiosity in his eyes, Van readily unbuckled the sword and showed it to Rowy. He kept the scabbard tightly sealed, fearing Rowy might get hurt.

“Hmm?”

What exactly is the principle? Is it possible with mana? I have no idea. Rowy busied himself, touching the dark-red sealing sphere and peering at the holy inscription up close.

Before he knew it, light began to dawn outside the window. Since he had to leave by ship in the morning, he really needed to get at least a little sleep. Rowy was still burning with fever. However, Rowy, completely absorbed in The Holy Sword, seemed to have forgotten his own physical condition.

‘He cried every night like that….’

To have such sparkling eyes now. What is this, does he need me to hold a sword in his arms every night? Van looked at Rowy with a dry expression. Rowy was now stuck to the sealing sphere, seemingly about to bury his nose in it.

“There’s not really a demon in here, is there?”

“Of course not….”

“What a shame.”

What would you do if there were? Why is he so obsessed with demons? Suddenly, Seilan’s words—that Rowy had a lot of interest in demons—came to mind.

“Is, is there perhaps a demon you want to kill?”

“Can you kill it for me?”

There really is one? Van’s jaw dropped. Is there some demon you’ve been eyeing? The question surged to his throat. But sensing that if he said it out loud, he might get a truly terrifying answer, Van changed the subject.

“I think you should stop and sleep. The sun is already about to rise.”

“But.”

“Does your head not hurt anymore?”

“Ugh, it still hurts.”

“Just sleep for now.”

Under Van’s hands, Rowy was forcibly laid back into bed. As his head hit the pillow, fatigue rushed in all at once. Rowy blinked his heavy eyelids and looked up at Van sitting beside him. Even though they had stayed up all night together and he had even collapsed, Van sat right by his side caring for him without a trace of weariness.

When Rowy reached out his hand, a large hand came forward and clasped his. Then, their eyes met. Rowy was reflected in Van’s black pupils. He had thought from the start that his gaze was very steady, but…. He was a Holy Knight. Rowy tried to imagine Van’s past self. Someone wearing armor, holding The Holy Sword, and standing against demons.

‘I called him Dare.’

Although he had recklessly given him a new name, Rowy naturally hadn’t forgotten Van’s original name. Dare, commander of the Elysion order’s Holy Knights.

“Van.”

“Yes.”

Rowy impulsively called out to Van.

“…You’ll stay by my side, right?”

“Yes.”

At the voice that sounded so certain, Rowy squeezed Van’s hand tightly.

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

“Yaaawn.”

“Do you really need to go back so early?”

“I have to go.”

The next day, meeting at the harbor, Seilan grumbled as he watched Rowy, who was yawning incessantly. Why are you leaving already? Seilan also had fatigue written all over his face, as he had been busy all night due to yesterday’s events.

Still, Seilan had personally come to the harbor to see Rowy off, as there were things to deliver, and Rowy didn’t come into the city often once he returned to the island.

“Once you go back, you won’t come out for a while again, right?”

“Mm, yeah.”

“Then, let me know what you need when you do. I’m broke right now because my secret slush fund was all wiped out.”

Seilan said, handing over a box he had been holding. Rowy took it, looking at Van.

“Is this it?”

“Yeah. The thing you asked for.”

“Wow.”

After opening the box, Rowy smiled brightly. Then he looked around for Van.

“Van! Come here!”

“Yes?”

Van, who had been organizing the luggage, lifted his head at Rowy’s call. Rowy, who had come to the city with nothing but the clothes on his back, had accumulated quite a bit of luggage on the way back, most of which were Van’s clothes. Van, who had been organizing the baggage with a feeling of humility, approached at Rowy’s call.

“Do you have a task for me?”

“Yeah, bow your head.”

Without knowing why, Van bowed his body toward Rowy. Rowy firmly gripped Van’s neck.

“What are….”

Van was startled to have his neck suddenly grabbed. But Rowy paid no mind to that and worked his hands around. Soon, the crude restraint that had been hanging around Van’s neck was removed.

“Master?”

“Yeah. Wait.”

And soon, click. A new restraint was fastened in its place.

“…?”

“Hmm, it’s pretty. Seilan has good taste.”

“What is this?”

“Hm? A new restraint.”

“Yes?”

Van touched his neck. Unlike the crude one from before, it was a restraint made of a very thin material.

“The old one was too ugly, so I asked Seilan. And I added some functions. The other one just had a basic electric magic on it, but that doesn’t really amount to much, does it? It’s just a little sting.”

Electric magic is… just a little sting?

“I put a bit more effort into this one. For instance, if you try to leave without my permission, it will explode instantly.”

Then my head would fly off, wouldn’t it? Even if I am a knight commander. His face as he said that and smiled was so radiant. Van couldn’t even offer a rebuttal, and strapped a bomb to his neck.

“Young master! Let’s set sail now!”

The captain, who had finished preparations for departure, called out to Rowy. Rowy ran toward the ship with a flutter. Van, who hurriedly followed behind him, lifted Rowy up and placed him on the ship, fearing he might trip. In an instant, the ship began to distance itself from the harbor.

“Rowy!”

“Yeah?”

Rowy, who had been watching the water part, turned his head at the sound of someone calling him. Seilan was waving his hands broadly from the end of the harbor.

“Bye! Friend!”

“…Yeah.”

Rowy waved back with a flutter. Seeing that, Seilan grinned and turned around. Rowy watched Seilan intently. The ship, catching a favorable wind, distanced itself from the shore in an instant.

“Hmm.”

…This outing was quite fun. I made a friend. And….

“Come this way. The wind is chilly.”

“Yeah.”

As he was led into the ship by Van, Rowy looked at the receding city.

‘I still have to go back, though.’

The island wasn’t exactly a great place to live, to put it mildly… but he had to return. The strong wind sent the ship further and further away. At least for a year, I won’t come out of the island. Rowy resolved and turned his head away from the city without a shred of regret. …However, back then, Rowy had no idea that he would be returning to this city much sooner than he thought.