Dark Knight Charlotte
"No! My holy sword!!! How did it end up in the hands of that devilish little brat and turn into a demonic sword! Aigoo! Aigoo! Aaaahhh!!!"
"Grandpa's vengeful spirit... is disappearing..."
Julia's gaze gradually rose upward as Aslan supported her. The vengeful spirit of the master blacksmith Jain, which had possessed Jacob's body, was enveloped in light and ascending to the sky. Is that really ascending to heaven? Judging by how he's screaming at the top of his lungs, it seems like he has a lot of regrets left...
"It's all over. Good work. As your grandfather said, we'll be taking this holy sword. You have no complaints, right?"
"Y-Yes! Of course not. But the sword seems to have turned black somehow. Is that alright...?"
"Hmm. It's fine."
The seventh holy sword forged by the master blacksmith Jain, now in Charlotte's hands. Its name was...
"Super Strong Sword!"
"..."
Or something like that. The holy sword that had been emitting a radiant light turned pitch black the moment it touched Charlotte's hand. Upon closer inspection, it wasn't just the surface that had been painted over; the material itself seemed to have changed color. Aslan felt a throbbing headache coming on.
'This really makes it look like a demonic sword.'
A holy sword turning black just because it ended up in Charlotte's hands? It was a phenomenon he couldn't understand at all. Charlotte wasn't some incarnation of evil or anything. Aslan kept asking himself 'Why on earth?' and quickly arrived at an answer. 'Could it be because of me again?'
Julia's talent as a spirit mage had transformed into that of a necromancer under his influence. So it wouldn't be strange if Charlotte's talent changed as well, right?
'No. It is strange. It's clearly strange.'
Strange or not, the clear fact that remained was this: The seventh holy sword of the master blacksmith Jain had undergone some kind of change upon touching Charlotte's hand. It hadn't reacted at all when touched by Jacob, Silvia, or Aslan. There was only one thing this could mean.
'Charlotte's aptitude as a magic knight reacted with the holy sword.'
There was no other way to look at it now. Charlotte was a magic knight. A magic knight who turned a holy sword black... Did that make her a Dark Knight? Aslan was a bit confused about whether he should be happy about this or not.
"The Super Strong Sword's appearance has changed!"
"...You already decided on a name like that?"
"Yes! It feels like it fits perfectly in my hand! Out of all the swords so far, this one is my absolute favorite!!!"
Charlotte's eyes sparkled as she puffed out her cheeks in excitement. Her gaze seemed to be pleading, 'Please don't take this away from me, okay?' She had been excited when holding other swords from the neighboring forge, but not to this extent. It was as if all thoughts of those other swords had been completely erased from Charlotte's mind. Moreover, how could he not give her a sword that had reacted to her own aptitude, a one-of-a-kind weapon in her lifetime? This sword was already as good as Charlotte's.
Aslan hardened his expression and tried to look stern.
"Charlotte. As you just saw, this sword is no ordinary sword, and your abilities are no ordinary either. Do you understand?"
"I understand! Probably? More or less?"
"Silvia must have drilled this into your ears until they were calloused, but a sword is a tool for harming people. No matter how you dress up swordsmanship as art or sport, in the end, its fundamental purpose is to injure and kill people. You are walking a very dangerous path."
"..."
"Understand how dangerous a power you possess and how powerful a weapon you hold, and take on the corresponding responsibility. If you swear to do so, I shall grant you this sword."
Charlotte's eyes, which had seemed indifferent, began to shine brightly with enthusiasm and excitement. Silvia cleared her throat with a cough and turned her head away. She had only taught her how to slash, stab, and smash things; she had never given such profound teachings about swordsmanship...
"I'll do it! I'll swear! I'll take responsibility! Since the Super Strong Sword is super strong, I'll be careful not to hurt anyone else!"
"It's also important that you don't get hurt yourself. Swear again."
"Yes! I'll be careful not to hurt myself too!"
"Alright. That's enough. You can have it."
"Young master, is it really okay to entrust a demonic sword—no, a holy sword—to a child so easily?"
"It can't be helped. That sword was Charlotte's from the moment she was born. It's only a matter of time; it was bound to become Charlotte's eventually. In that case, wouldn't it be better to let her get used to it from a young age?"
Silvia nodded in understanding. No matter how strong a power was, if it couldn't be controlled, it was worse than not having it. Since Charlotte had awakened her abilities early, she needed to learn how to handle that power from now on to be safe in the future.
Ah? Wait a minute. Then who would be the one to teach her how to handle that power? After thinking it over, Silvia suddenly realized with a start. Her workload was about to increase.
"Don't tell me you're going to make me train a magic knight...!"
"Shh. Be quiet. There's no way a magic knight would come from the Belmont family."
"...!"
With a sinister smile, Aslan firmly covered Silvia's mouth. Magic knights were originally bound to the state, the property of the imperial family. The moment it was revealed that someone was a magic knight, whether noble or commoner, they immediately became the property of the imperial family. That was the law of the empire.
"Was I too careless..."
Was he going to hand Charlotte over to the imperial family for free? He couldn't do that. He couldn't give up on the infinite possibilities of a magic knight. Moreover, the holy sword had already been painted black and turned into something like a demonic sword. Where in the world was there a magic knight who wielded a demonic sword instead of a holy sword? It didn't seem like the existence of this magic knight would be discovered by the imperial family anytime soon. Even if they did find out, would the imperial family really want to take in a magic knight who used such a menacing-looking sword? Especially since her origins were as a slave of the notoriously vicious Belmont family, the imperial family would likely find it burdensome to take Charlotte in.
This was the first time Aslan had ever felt grateful for the Belmont family's bad reputation.
"Has Grandpa really ascended to heaven...?"
Jacob, who had briefly fainted and then woken up, looked around. He could clearly feel that the vengeful spirit that had possessed his body had left. Julia answered him.
"He has completely ascended. Cleanly."
"I see... I always thought I was alone. I thought there was no one left after my father and grandfather passed away. But Grandpa had been watching over me all this time."
"..."
Even though he called him grandfather, Jacob had thought of him as a complete stranger since he had passed away when Jacob was just a baby. But the moment his soul had penetrated Jacob's body, Jacob had felt an inexplicable warmth and a corner of his heart had grown warm. His rough way of speaking and indifferent personality. On the surface, the master blacksmith Jain seemed far from loving, but at that moment, Jacob could understand the true nature of his grandfather's lingering regrets.
"Grandpa's remaining grudge was probably me. He couldn't ascend because he was worried about me not being able to function as a proper person and just drinking all the time. Now I understand. Thanks to all of you, especially the little miss, I've awakened to the bloodline and abilities I possess. I sincerely thank you."
Jacob bowed his head respectfully. He had been lost and wandering for far too long. But he had met benefactors and was able to face his grandfather's vengeful spirit. He had learned mana cultivation methods and Mana Fire. If he couldn't do his part after all this, he wouldn't be worthy of being called a person. Jacob chuckled and looked at his hands, which were covered in wounds from the unfamiliar hammering. This would become his daily life from now on.
"I have received far too great a favor. I want to repay you in any way I can, within my capabilities, young master."
"Is that so. You want to repay me that much. In any way possible. You said it yourself. Did you hear that, Silvia?"
"Yes. I heard it clearly."
"Huh...?"
"Here, take this. Ah, this isn't something I give to just anyone."
"What is this?"
"It's an exclusive contract. From now on, you'll be working for the Belmont family for the rest of your life. How about it. Are you excited? Looking forward to it?"
"...!"
An exclusive contract...? Jacob's hands and feet began to tremble as he looked up and met eyes with Silvia beside him. Silvia had also been a promising hero candidate in the past, but hadn't she become bound to the Belmont family and unable to escape? Silvia's mouth, as she handed him the pen, was faintly smiling, but there was no life in her eyes.
"Um, even so, for someone like me to sign an exclusive contract with the Belmont family is a bit..."
"Hmph. I pulled you out of the gutter when you were about to drink yourself to death, and this is how you repay the favor? I awakened the rare Mana Fire talent that only a few in the empire possess, and now you're saying thanks are thanks but you won't repay me? Hmph, is this really the answer you're giving? At this rate, it seems like you're about to demand the holy sword you received from your grandfather back."
"T-That's not it! It isn't!"
"I understand your intentions well. Now that I know how you feel about the Belmont family, it's time for the Belmont family to give you our answer..."
"I'll do it! The exclusive contract! I'll do it! I'll work my bones off for the benevolent Belmont family for the rest of my life!!!"
"Kukukuk."
That's more like it. From the beginning. Aslan smiled in satisfaction as he watched Jacob frantically signing the contract as if someone was chasing him. A blacksmith who could handle Mana Fire. Moreover, a direct descendant of the master blacksmith Jain. If he treated such a person carelessly and they ran away again, there would be no greater loss.
'Five days a week, seven hours of work per day. Paid vacation limited to twelve times a year. As vacation days accumulate, vacation and allowances will continue to increase.'
He couldn't follow in the footsteps of the Dwarf King. If he treated him well enough that other offers wouldn't even catch his eye, Jacob would work with the determination to be buried in the Belmont family, right? Aslan burst into a satisfied laugh. Kali also laughed along without understanding why.