Only Obedient to Me! Sir Knight Chapter 23

The standoff between the horrified Van and the flustered Rowy, who was breaking out into a cold sweat, was ended by a sudden, thunderous roar. Rumble, crash! At the sudden, massive clap of thunder, both of their heads turned toward the window simultaneously.

“…Is it raining?”

At the ominous sound, Van pulled back the curtain that had been drawn halfway and checked outside. In that instant, his vision turned stark white. Flash! A bolt of lightning tore through the sky and slammed into the middle of the churning sea. And then, rumble, crash! It was a peal of thunder so deafening it made the window shake. Startled by the sound, which was even louder than before, Rowy stepped up beside Van.

“Whoa, that scared me. It’s raining like crazy.”

“The weather suddenly took a turn for the worse.”

“Yeah….”

Rowy nodded as he gazed out the window where the storm was raging. Sudden changes in weather were not uncommon on the island, but this one felt particularly volatile. Just a moment ago, the dawn had been breaking with a clear, blue light, but now the sky was darker than night due to the heavy rain clouds.

Flash! Another bolt of lightning struck down. Guessing the boom that would follow in a moment, Rowy covered his ears first. …Crash! It was an incredibly loud noise. Even with his ears covered, Rowy’s body flinched at the massive sound. Van, glancing at him, pulled Rowy further into the bedroom. The wind biting into the window frame was no ordinary gust.

“It’s coming down hard. I don’t think it’s going to stop anytime soon.”

“The boats won’t be able to leave today.”

At Rowy’s words, Van let out an “Ah” of realization.

“That’s true. The butler, Finn—everyone will be unable to come to the island.”

“Yeah.”

Rowy and Van were left alone in the castle until the rain stopped.

‘Is this actually a relief?’

A demon in the castle—it would be a disaster if a dangerous situation arose. Of course, they were people who had worked in this castle for a long time without even knowing the demon was beneath their feet.

“…”

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it was. They had no fear at all. How could they even think of locking up a demon… and what was it? Doing experiments? At the frustration welling up within him, Van looked at Rowy again with a sharp gaze. He intended to give him a stinging piece of his mind.

“Haaa… humph.”

Rowy, who had been yawning while rubbing his eyes, met Van’s gaze and reflexively covered his mouth. Then, he rolled his eyes.

“…Am I still getting scolded?”

Scolded? He hadn’t even properly scolded him yet. This was just the beginning. Van stood in front of Rowy, bracing himself firmly. However…

“Haum… Sorry. But I keep yawning.”

Rowy, the very person who needed to be scolded, began to yawn repeatedly. Having tossed and turned all night, Rowy was so overcome by the sleepiness finally crashing down on him that he couldn’t even keep his eyes open properly.

“Huuuam….”

“…Sigh.”

Van, his energy drained by the sight, eventually let out a sigh. What was the point of getting angry at someone who was nodding off? Would they even hear him? Even as he closed his eyes halfway, Rowy, sensing Van’s reaction with keen instinct, secretly grabbed Van’s hand and pulled him toward the bed.

“I couldn’t sleep yesterday because you weren’t there… Let’s keep sleeping together now. Okay?”

“If you’re just going to brush it off like this….”

“You lie down beside me, too.”

He kept thinking he had to… absolutely give him a stern lecture when something like this happened… yet, even as he thought that, Van was already quickly pulling back the covers. Rowy had been the type to demand everything—”Hold my hand,” “Stroke my hair”—all night, but he had never once told him to get into the bed. Van, not wanting to miss the chance to lie in bed together, eventually surrendered to his desire.

“Ahem, for now, since you’re so sleepy, let’s talk again after we wake up. Just tell me this: the demon you said you locked up, it’s not dangerous, right? It can’t just escape on its own, can it?”

“Mm-hmm, it listens well.”

“…?”

A demon that listens well? What on earth was he talking about? Van’s expression became bewildered. He intended to ask more about this nonsensical statement, but… Rowy had already fallen asleep in that brief moment.

“…”

Eventually, Van swallowed the words he had intended to say, stroked the sleeping Rowy’s hair, and tucked the blankets in more snugly. …He had to put the child to sleep, what else could he do? While continuously patting Rowy, who burrowed into his chest seeking warmth, Van let out a sigh.

“Haaa….”

Who knew raising a master could be this difficult. He had often thought to himself that Rowy seemed like a child, but if this was what a real child was like… wasn’t it too harsh for a guardian? At the childcare difficulty level beyond his imagination, Van let out another deep sigh.

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

The two, who had fallen asleep tightly hugging each other until nearly lunchtime, continued to roll around in bed even after waking up. It was because Rowy, having noticed that Van became soft while on the bed, kept pulling at Van every time he tried to get up. Thanks to that, Rowy managed to get everything he wanted while in bed. For example:

“You can kill the demon if you want to. I don’t really have any interest in demons anymore….”

“…”

“But, can I watch, too? You killing it….”

“…”

“The Holy Sword, that holy weapon… I really want to see it….”

Van, dumbfounded by his shamelessness yet unable to push away Rowy, who was nestled in his arms, had no choice but to nod.

The rain was still pouring outside the window with terrifying intensity. As expected, none of the servants were able to make it to work. The butler, who possessed the only artifact capable of contacting Rowy, had sent a message saying he would head to the castle as soon as the rain stopped.

However, as if a hole had been punched into the sky, the rain only grew heavier with no signs of stopping. It seemed unlikely that anyone else would be able to come to work today.

Thus, the castle was left with only the two of them. The pair got up late, raided the kitchen, and had a hearty meal. Since the day was cold, they didn’t forget to bathe in warm water. And currently,

“Are you ready?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“All right, let’s go.”

Finally, the two had finished preparing to head to the demon and were about to set off. Not that “preparing” meant much—it was just that Van had made sure Rowy was dressed a bit more warmly in case he got cold in the bad weather. Regardless, Rowy, dressed in thick fur clothing, descended the stairs with his signature light, fluttering footsteps. And Van followed close behind him.

They arrived at the first-floor hallway.

Although it was still mid-day, the inside of the castle, lashed by the storm, was as dark as night. However, a completely different situation was unfolding today compared to yesterday, when Van had fought the darkness alone.

Whoosh… Whoosh… Every time Rowy passed through the hallway, the candles on the walls began to ignite one by one. Van watched the candlelight as if mesmerized. The floors and walls, which had been collapsed or cracked in various places, also repaired themselves with every step Rowy took, as if they were turning back time, clinging back together on their own.

Van followed slowly behind, marveling repeatedly at Rowy’s phenomenal magic. How long had they walked? Before he knew it, they were in the middle of a perfectly restored hallway when Rowy asked,

“How did you get down to the basement? The path down there was all collapsed.”

“I jumped down.”

“…You just jumped?”

From that height? Was that even possible? Rowy, who had never thought of being able to land safely without using magic, scanned Van’s body with his eyes in a new light. A knight is truly a knight. Rowy, who had no talent for physical activity, admired him a little. Then, he soon lifted his chin.

“If you come with me, you don’t have to fall.”

“Because I’ll use magic to get down.” Seeing him look so proud while saying that was quite cute, so Van eventually gave a faint smile. Rowy was certainly a mage of immense ability, but because his behavior was so adorable, it didn’t feel real.

However… that was why he needed to be even more vigilant. A child with tremendous magical prowess? It sounded even more dangerous than a bomb. Van, whose smiling face hardened in an instant, said to Rowy in a stern voice.

“We promised that we would annihilate the demon.”

“Ah, I know, I said I know.”

“You must never change your words. In exchange, I agreed to show you how to use The Holy Sword. If you pull any funny business, I’m going alone.”

“I get it. Really.”

Why is he nagging so much? …The small mutter was heard all too clearly by Van. Seeing that Van didn’t seem to be getting truly angry, Rowy slowly returned to his usual self-willed attitude. Van laughed hollowly at the effectiveness of a disciplinary lesson that didn’t even last half a day.

‘Right. What strength does a slave have to scold his master?’

Van eventually gave up and shook his head. As they walked while squabbling, the stairs leading to the basement revealed themselves before them. Last night, Van had discovered this place too, but he had passed it by, unable to bring himself to step on the collapsed stairs.

“Is this the path to the basement?”

“Yeah, this is the original passage.”

Rowy, who gauged the area below for a moment, waved his hand in front of it. At the same time, silver magical energy, which closely resembled the color of Rowy’s hair, combined with the broken stones, one by one, and began to create new stairs. Unlike his previous magic, Van marveled at the movement of mana that was clearly visible to the eye.