Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Avid Reader's Redemption Life
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What thoughts would run through the mind of someone who had been charging toward a single goal, only to suddenly lose it?
Would it feel absurd?
Confusing?
Would no thoughts come at all?
Or...
'Bullshit, of course it's fucking awful.'
Risikida's goal had been singular.
To devote her entire life to the one she called her master.
It was a rather peculiar goal, but personal tastes deserve respect, so let's move past that.
'The King of Nudia was always a hormonal punk who could blow his load anytime with any woman, sure, but...'
A guy who orders the death of his own loyal knight over nothing? That's one sick bastard.
He could've killed her with his own hands, or at least after using her up thoroughly, but no—once weird rumors start flying, out with you.
For Risikida, who had served her master with unwavering loyalty, that moment was already a death sentence.
'Thanks to that, I reeled in a monster catch I never expected.'
By this point, most skilled individuals already had affiliations or followers locked in.
Lily was a lucky break, but the rest? No guarantee they'd stick around.
And right in the middle of that, an upper-class knight like Risikida? She was a seasoned rookie, prime talent.
Plus, in a year, Nudia would vanish from the map entirely, meaning upper-class knights versed in Nudian swordsmanship would dry up completely afterward.
'And the sole inheritor of that lost Nudian knightly art? None other than Klauzen Margrave himself.
Talk about a delicious hidden camera show.'
Time to head back to my room? As he moved to leave Lily's quarters.
"Sion."
Lily suddenly grabbed his wrist.
When Sion asked if she had something to say, Lily opened her mouth with an exceedingly bright smile.
"If I catch you in another woman's arms, you're dead."
"..."
"You wouldn't be crazy enough to keep a succubus around and still bring other women close, right?
That would be seriously insulting to me, the Queen of Nightmares.
Don't tell me you've got some left over after me that you're planning to share with others?"
"Ahaha...
W-what are you talking about?
I haven't been with anyone but you, Lily..."
"Yet?
Your words are weird.
Not 'forever,' or 'never,' but 'yet'?
Whaaaat?"
"..."
He got the distinct feeling he'd answered poorly.
Lily let out a guttural screech and lunged at Sion, who bolted away and fled back to his own room.
She'd been extra sensitive lately with Lucia clinging to Sion more and more, and now with this knight showing up, she was clearly feeling competitive.
'Forgive me, sis.
This is all just to survive in this shitshow.'
Silently begging her pardon, Sion entered his room.
There sat Risikida, who had been peering intently at something, hastily shoving her notebook aside as he entered.
Seeing the fish bite the bait, Sion smirked inwardly.
With everything she'd witnessed of him so far, she wouldn't dismiss that poem as some green noble's pretentious crap.
"...What?
What did you do to come running back like that?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Your face says 'it's definitely something.'"
"D-does it?"
"..."
Well, yeah, what else?
Wasn't she supposed to deny it or something?
"Anyway, have you decided?
You've still got time till midnight, but from what I see, you wouldn't decide in an hour or ten—you just can't."
"...I don't know what to do."
He'd half-expected something like "kill me" or "give me a sword," but thankfully, Risikida's response was surprisingly hopeful.
Sion whooped inwardly but kept a straight face, waiting for her next words.
"I... I grew up in the slums, destined to live and die there.
Then by chance, I became a knight, and the one who took me in let me join his knightly house officially.
I thought I'd live and die there as an honorable knight, like a benefactor forever."
"The world doesn't work out the way we want."
"It's so ironic.
Me, discarded by the one I called master, ending up at your side.
I've slain countless Hispanian knights and soldiers on that master's orders, yet here I am, still alive, led by you—a Hispanian noble."
Sion listened silently, but instinct told him dragging this out would just loop back to square one.
Sorry, Risikida, but sometimes a solid gut punch of reality beats any comfort.
"Yesterday you were ready to die.
And now, just a day later, you're waffling?
I gave you time to think, but this is a bit unexpected."
"..."
"Risikida Amstel.
'I don't know' isn't said out of true ignorance.
Your heart gets it, but your brain lags behind—that's when it slips out.
That's where you get chopped.
Depending on what you follow, what you say—your life plummets to ruin, or you rebound."
Sion sat down, tilting his head slightly before continuing.
"Master abandoned you.
Now you're a knight without a master.
That's your situation.
So here's the model answer.
Don't let them yell 'shut up'—ditch him first.
Why the hell would you throw a fit to die on some asshole's whim who tells you to scram?
That moron's too spineless to handle talent like you and booted you out."
"That's..."
"If it were me, I'd storm the palace and raise hell.
Or just rebel outright.
If he truly valued his own people—his subordinate—no way his eyes wouldn't spin seeing her suffer and rumors spread.
You don't leave unless there's something coming back, right?
If he fed me shit, I'd feed him back the same—no, bigger shit.
Dumping your subordinate because you got shit on yourself? That's not normal."
Risikida sighed in distress.
She knew exactly what he meant.
He was urging her to abandon her master first.
Since she'd already been cast off, don't cling pathetically—bite his ankle and scream, 'Yeah, fuck off and live well, you bastard.'
"But... I promised myself I'd serve only him loyally."
"Break it."
"Pardon...?"
"Sometimes you gotta lie to yourself to get by.
We're not saints; we can't be pure to ourselves every damn day."
With that, Sion leaned back from the chair.
He fixed Risikida with sharp eyes and continued.
"On that note, one question."
"...What?"
"You've been harping on 'loyalty, loyalty' since yesterday.
Do you really want to offer true loyalty and seek a master?
Or..."
Tapping the table with his index finger, Sion grinned.
"Are you just craving a master's love?"
"W-what kind of talk is that?"
"If it was fake loyalty, you'd have kicked your master's face already; if real, you'd have offed yourself yesterday. But neither, so...
You're like a kitten mewling 'please pick me up'?"
"Stop the insults!
Even if you're a young lord!"
"The real insult came from that bastard—your esteemed former master."
Sion's voice turned icy, radiating sharp killing intent.
Startled, Risikida clamped her mouth shut.
The man who'd been gentle moments ago had flipped, sending unfamiliar fear creeping through her body.
"Cut the crap, Risikida Amstel.
The one who betrayed your loyal service is the guy you called master. The one keeping you alive and giving you time to agonize? That's me.
He told you to die; I'm pushing you to live.
So, question: who humiliated you?
Me?
Or your precious master bastard?"
"..."
No answer.
The answer was obvious from the start.
But voicing it would negate her entire existence of loyal service to that man.
"Come to me."
Into her emptied heart flew the devil's sweet temptation.
"I need talent like yours.
A lot of it."
"...I'm from Nudia."
"So?"
"I was an enemy of the Klauzen Count family."
"And?"
"...It doesn't bother you?"
"Any reason it should?"
"I killed Klauzen soldiers.
You saw their pain yourself, young lord.
Someone who cherishes his people so much, taking in someone like me..."
"That's exactly why I need you under me."
Beating a strong enemy is good, but turning them to your side is better.
"Risikida Amstel.
Join me."
"T-that's..."
"I'm the type who never lets go of what's mine—might be exhausting.
I'd rather smash it than hand it over; I don't yield.
King or emperor touches mine?
High treason that day.
You know the rumors about me?
Ungentlemanly lunatic.
Not all bullshit.
My motto this life: flip the table if it bugs me."
A direct jab at her sore spot.
It might've shaken her.
When the master she'd trusted flipped on a king's word and discarded her, the betrayal and disappointment must've been beyond words.
"Honestly, I've lived like an idiot till now.
Time to do it right.
For that, I need my people.
Lots of them.
No matter origin, nation, race—gather 'em all.
And once they're mine, I'll use them fully till they drop."
When he first possessed novel character Sion Klauzen, he'd thought just living as 'Sion Klauzen' would suffice.
Stay low-key from Kim Yoo-hyun's sight, avoid moronic antics, do some good deeds, inherit the countship, live quietly.
'Fuck that.
As if.
Shit everywhere already.
To survive, I gotta become Kim Yoo-hyun—center stage.'
Leave it all to Kim Yoo-hyun, and half the continent blows up.
Klauzen territory might be in that half.
Lily could die again to celestials.
From outside the novel, protagonist was fixed.
Kim Yoo-hyun centered; things resolved around his actions.
But inside, he was just extra #1 to someone.
In Sion Klauzen's body, but no need to live as Sion Klauzen.
No one demands it; not the righteous path.
"Five minutes till midnight."
"Ah."
"No answer, I toss you out.
Back to the streets.
Decide fast.
Or cling to worthless loyalty to your ex-master and die stupidly."
Persuasion enough.
Risikida was good, but not worth more chasing.
Jimmy Faker's wounds nearly healed—time to recruit him, Trisha Faker.
Royal palace, hearing victory news, would summon Klauzen house soon.
Big incident there; prep needed.
"Three minutes."
Cold voice, and Risikida squirmed helplessly.
Knightly duty clashing: can't abandon master despite discard.
Vs. craving new master's approval, affection, love.
"One minute."
"O-one thing."
Risikida spoke urgently, voice trembling.
Sion eyed her expectantly; she continued with desperate eyes.
"Promise one thing.
Never abandon me.
No matter what, don't cast me out.
I... I..."
"Risikida Amstel."
Sion slowly stroked her hair, flashing the gentle smile he'd shown the wounded soldiers.
"I'm the guy who charged into hellfire for one soldier."
"Ah..."
"Would I be nuts enough to ditch a skilled knight like you?"
"Aa...
Aaa..."
Maybe she'd forgotten how to cry.
Or just had no safe place to.
Now, able to let go, tears welled up.
"...Hic, sob!
Hic-sob!
Young lord, Sion young lord...
Don't abandon me.
Please, never again...
Please, me..."
Sion looked down satisfied at the pitiful crying kitten clutching his hand.
Then, a sudden chill—he turned instinctively.
"..."
You're dead now.
Lily, slicing her throat with her hand toward Sion.
Why's she acting up?
Sion muttered inwardly, then realized.
"Ugh."
Chair toppled back; something warm pressed to his chest.
"Ri-Risikida?"
"Master... Master..."
"..."
Somehow, unbeknownst to him, he'd awakened something dangerously deep in Risikida.