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“I suppose, that’s true…”

Robert replied to Roland while Lucille patted him on the back. Both were dressed in plain, commoner clothes - nothing too fancy to match their new personas. Durendal was posing as a knight from a foreign country whose family had fallen from grace, a fate not unheard of. Curtana, on the other hand, was simply an adventurer mage who had arrived from within the kingdom. Their identities had been forged, but in a world where nobles were always right, there was little chance anyone would bother with a double-check.

The two stood before a dark screen hastily prepared out of curtains. In front of them stood a strange device of a tripod that produced a beam of light. Roland was operating it but it seemed that the trio was done with whatever they were doing here. He stepped back, his hands pulling out a small rune-covered square from within the device on a tripod.

“I never knew that you could use that spell in such a way, there are so many things left to learn!”

“I’m glad that you are enjoying yourself…”

Lucille was captivated by the entire workshop, especially the modified runes, which were highly unorthodox. She had only recently become a Runic Mage. Despite spending years under Arion’s tutelage, she’d never had the opportunity to fully study the art of runes and the intricate operating systems that Rune Mages specialized in. Roland worried that his unconventional approach might complicate her progress later, but perhaps he was overthinking it. She was a bundle of joy whenever she was around runes, and it probably helped take her mind off her issues with her familiar.

“But I’m afraid we are short on time, I need to take care of an issue at the institute…”

“It’s about your assistant? Are you sure it’s wise to leave?”

Robert asked as Roland fiddled with the small runic cube, his mind preoccupied. He had just told his brother about the Headmistress and how she was preventing Bernir from teleporting back. To Robert, it all seemed like a trap, a setup meant to keep him from ever returning. Yet, for some reason, Roland wasn’t convinced. There were many ways the Headmistress could have come after him, and this one felt surprisingly mild. If she wanted him dead, she could easily have declared him the perpetrator of the incident and exposed his hiding place in Albrook. By now, he assumed she knew the location of his teleportation gate, yet, for whatever reason, she had not mentioned it to anyone.

“It should be fine. I don’t think she’ll do anything rash.”

He replied though he was holding back some of his concerns. While the Headmistress seemed relatively calm, Roland knew that didn’t mean he’d get off without consequences. It was possible she’d require some form of trade. Perhaps she would demand some of his secrets or request that he craft runic devices for the institute - work that could take months or even years. After all, he’d already helped them set up a monitoring system, and she might just ask him to stay on much longer.

"So don’t worry about it. Once I’m finished at the Institute, I’ll make sure to reach out."

As Roland wrapped up his preparations, Robert took a deep breath and faced his younger brother.

He began, his tone more serious than before.

"Before you leave, I’d like to perform a vow as a knight… a proper one. If I am to take on a squire and work in your stead, I want to do it right.”

Roland paused, watching the resolve in his brother’s gaze, wondering where this sudden idea had come from. Vows performed by those with the Knight class were more than words; they were binding oaths with genuine power and influence, often shaping a knight’s future. If Robert took this vow now, it could tie his path to Roland’s and potentially prevent him from ever becoming a knight under a true lord.

"I don’t think that’s a good idea…"

"Really? Is it any worse than coming here? It’s not like anyone else would want me as their knight after all that’s happened. And while Lord Arthur seems like a great man, I barely know him. With this oath, I’ll be able to find you if anything happens to you in the future. So don’t refuse it."

"What kind of oath are you thinking about?"

Roland asked, wary of the answer but also intrigued by the idea to some degree.

"One of vassalage."

"I see…"

Roland fell silent, considering his brother’s words. They both came from a noble family that had served as knights in the past, so they knew well the intricacies of vows, oaths, and pledges. Each type of oath had its own effects, some even providing passive benefits, like the ability to sense a lord’s location in times of need. This seemed to be what Robert was seeking, as the Vassal Oath offered such a connection. Ṝ

In taking this oath, however, Robert would become bound to Roland as a vassal. Should he ever defy a direct order, the vow would break, marking him with the dreaded "oathbreaker" status debuff, a powerful affliction that would last a year, reducing all his stats by a third. Yet, a Vassal Oath could also grant a random enhancement, depending on the strength of the lord to whom the vow was made. Roland wondered what kind of boon his brother might gain.

"The Vassal Oath… Well, once you reach tier 3, it’ll be canceled automatically if you switch to a new primary class, so it should be fine…"

The world’s system was strict, yet in this case, it offered an escape: any oath would dissolve upon reaching a new class tier, allowing a knight a fresh start. Robert was only a tier-2 class holder and was on track to reach tier 3 soon with Roland’s guidance. This realization eased Roland’s concerns somewhat, and he also grew curious about what advantages the pledge might bring. After a moment’s hesitation, he gave a slow nod, deciding that for now, this might not be such a bad idea.

“Fine, let\'s just get it over with but promise me, that once you are tier 3, you’ll think twice before doing something like this?”

“Don’t worry, I thought it through.”

Roland wasn’t sure where all this confidence was coming from, but it seemed his brother now fully trusted him with his life. Roland had rescued both him and Lucille, helping them build a new life - and apparently, that had been enough to earn this deep trust. When Roland finally agreed, Robert\'s face lit up, his eyes gleaming with relief. For him, this choice was significant but for Roland it was not much of a risk. There were no downsides of accepting the oath so he was now ready to go through it.

“Let’s just get this over with then…”

What was left to do was perform the traditional pledge and to do that, Robert needed to perform a specific series of words that came from his heart, similar to a mage’s chant.

“I Robert Arden, son of Wentworth, by the code of our forebears. I offer to you this oath of vassalage. Through it, I pledge my undying loyalty and service to you, Roland Arden, my kin and now my liege. May my strength be yours, my blade serve your cause, and my life be yours to command. In times of peace or peril, I shall stand as your shield and follow your word as law. This I swear, by my honor as a knight and as your brother.”

It was quite a lengthy process but as the words left Robert’s mouth, a faint shimmering light surrounded him, pulsing with a soft, ethereal glow. It settled over him like a mantle, then faded into his body, leaving only the subtle sense of a bond - an invisible tether that tied him to Roland. Roland felt a strange surge of warmth as the oath solidified, like a steady presence now pulsing in the back of his mind, as though he could sense his brother’s spirit nearby.

An Oath is being offered to you, will you accept it?

A prompt from the system appeared, giving Roland the option to decline. Instead, he just nodded and accepted, then watched as the process completed seamlessly. In his status screen, a new section labeled “Vassals” appeared, with Robert listed as his first one.

Congratulations Robert Arden has become your vassal.

‘Reminds me of the tier-3 ascension scenario’

During his last ascension ritual, he had been granted the position of a lord, taking pledges from puppet knights and lesser lords as he conquered them. This felt remarkably similar, though the bond he now sensed with Robert felt even stronger, more authentic.

“Well then, it’s done. You’re now officially bound as my vassal. Did you get any interesting skills from it?”

“Hmm, give me a moment.”

Robert replied, standing up from his kneeling position and skimming through his own status screen. He nodded a few times as he read through it, but his expression shifted to one of mild confusion.

“That’s… not something I expected,”

He murmured, clearly taken aback. As a seasoned knight, Robert knew his way around the different oaths, so if he was surprised, it likely meant he’d received something rare. While it was possible to gain abilities from one’s lord through an oath, this was unusual and often lucky.

“Oh? What did you get? I hope it’s nothing problematic.”

“No, it’s just… not something I think I can use? It’s called… ‘Rune Mastery.’ But that’s not all - I also received a strange title.”

“A title?”

‘Rune Mastery’ was one of his Rune Smiting skills, a class ability that gave him insight into the complexities of runes and slightly reduced the mana cost to use them. It was useful, though only marginally so, especially for someone like Robert, who wasn’t a runic mage and had limited amounts of mana. This seemed like an odd quirk of the oath system - a kind of “misfire.” he thought. But the title Robert had mentioned piqued his curiosity.

“Yes, it’s called Rune Vassal.”

“Oh?”

“It seems to give me affinities with runes.“

“That’s peculiar, could you perhaps write it out for me on the blackboard?”

Roland was intrigued by this notion and soon Robert took some chalk and started writing on a nearby blackboard.

Rune Vassal

Title

Given to Knights that form oaths to Lords with a high affinity for rune magic. This title lowers the mana cost of using runes and rune-related skills by 20%.

“Why this is…”

Roland wasn’t the only one intrigued by this news, as Lucille was quite shocked.

“Is it possible for me to perform an oath like that?”

“No, I don’t think so, you’re not a knight…”

Lucille read through the title explanation, and her eyes widened in astonishment. Roland could see why - this title granted Robert a flat reduction in the mana cost for using rune magic. Combined with the “Rune Mastery” skill, which likely improved his control over rune spells, Robert’s reduction would approach thirty percent - a remarkable advantage that any rune mage, especially Lucille, would envy.

"Uh… not fair!

Lucille sighed, clearly frustrated at the missed opportunity for herself. Robert shrugged, a bit amused but she wouldn’t just give up like that.

"True, but there have to be magical contracts or oaths out there with similar effects, right? If only I could reach out to someone at the Institute to check their library. Oh I remember they had a whole section on magical bonds and contracts… I know! I could ask Professor Arion about it… or perhaps Sir Roland could look once he finishes up there?"

She began to ramble, already plotting her next steps, while Roland tried to tune her out, finding her enthusiasm amusing. However, once his name was mentioned he decided to shut her down as he didn’t want her attempt to perform some strange ritual binding contracts that could potentially cause harm to both of them.

“I’m not sure that’s a great idea, anyway, I should probably get going. I might be gone for a while, so take care of things here while I’m away.”

“Will do, High Commander!”

Robert replied, snapping a salute like a true knight. Despite the humor in his tone, he seemed to mean it. Roland realized that even though he was the younger of the two, Robert had already accepted him as his superior. In a sense, it felt natural. After all, in reality, he was more than twenty years older than Robert, making the role of his lord more manageable.

Roland couldn\'t help but chuckle at Robert\'s overly formal salute, but he appreciated the sentiment. Their relationship had a rocky start but now it seemed like it was finally blossoming. Lucille still wore an expression of mild envy but he could trust the two enough to leave him with keys to his home.

"Alright then, if all goes well, I should be back in a day or two.”

“Take care and don’t worry, we’ll keep things safe, won’t we, Sir Durendal?”

Robert smiled as his new alias was mentioned and he nodded.

"Indeed. I\'ll make sure no trouble comes through here."

“Good.”

Roland nodded and moved over toward the elevator to get to the lower level. There, he was greeted by Sebastian and the face of his wife on the big display.

“Well, I’ll be heading out.”

“Be careful and return in one piece.”

“I will.”

Roland said his goodbyes a bit earlier but Elodia still insisted to see him off, even if it was through their home\'s monitoring system. They talked for a moment while he got ready, his suit of armor had been placed in a separate chamber and he now approached it. Once in, a burst of flames erupted against the metal and it seemed that the provecess had been successful.

“These spores are hard to get rid of and even harder to detect.”

After returning home, Roland eventually discovered how the Headmistress had been tracking him all along. On both his robe and suit, he found microscopic spores, far too small for an ordinary person to detect. With Sebastian\'s help and some modern knowledge, he managed to identify them and it became clear that as soon as he set foot in the Institute again, more of these spores would likely be planted on him.

"At least they stay mostly dormant when I’m outside the caster’s range”

These spores weren’t harmful; they functioned more like a casting anchor for the Headmistress - a medium she could use to tether her magic to him remotely. This was how she had pinpointed his location during his interrogation by the tier 4 witch and how she always seemed aware of his actions. The spores emitted faint mana signals, relaying information back to her.

After analyzing the signal pattern, Roland managed to block it. He found that the most effective way to remove the spores entirely was with fire, which would burn them away. But now, even if new spores found their way onto his suit, he had a method to disrupt their signals, keeping his location and activities safely under wraps.

“She might be mad that I removed them but she does seem like a person that likes capable people.”

Roland had thought long and hard about his next move, and every path led back to the Headmistress. If he could demonstrate his capability in figuring out tier-4 magic, like these spores then perhaps she would be more lenient. He figured that whatever he had done at the De Vere estate likely wasn’t of deep concern to a mage of her caliber. He’d invoked her name as a shield but hadn’t overstepped or at least, that’s what he hoped.

Typically, in situations like this, if he proved himself useful, past transgressions would be quickly forgiven. The Headmistress seemed to have a particular task in mind for him after all, she had appointed him as a Deputy Professor, a position not given lightly. Perhaps, once he arrived, she’d finally reveal her true intentions.

“Well then…”

Soon, he stood before a shimmering teleportation gate, dressed in his Institute Professor robes, with his armor concealed beneath. His runic inventions were either stored in his runic space or packed into the suitcase at his hip. While he was prepared to bring his entire arsenal into the Institute, he knew his chances against a mage of her power would be slim. Nevertheless, he’d made his choice and he would not leave before his assistant was safe and sound.