Blood Oath (1)
Under the dawn sky. Iris, the Sword Princess, her gray hair loosely tied back. Just her standing before me pulled the surrounding air taut like a drawn bowstring, pressing down with crushing weight.
The community buzzed that she had the most sensual figure among all the existing female characters...
But facing her aura head-on left no room for appreciation.
"Why are you so surprised, Young Master?"
"......"
Instead of swallowing dryly, I steadied my breathing and met her gaze with feigned calm.
"How could I not be? I heard you were told I refused for Sara."
I sighed indifferently in response, and Iris blinked, intrigued.
"I did receive the message."
"Then why are you here?"
"...Out of curiosity?"
Curiosity. Such an innocently terrifying word.
But don't cower too much.
No matter her status as one of the world's strongest, I was the son of the top political elite. Neither of us wanted to draw swords over mutual distaste or stir up needless trouble.
I shot back curtly. "What exactly are you so curious about?"
"Hmm..."
Iris slowly scanned me from head to toe. Sweat-matted hair, heaving breaths, shirt clinging damply, and the layer of fat I'd barely trimmed after a month of running. Her gaze dissected me like a surgeon's scalpel—unsettling.
"A man who couldn't swing a sword a month ago is now running every dawn and controlling his diet."
"And what of it?"
"They say in the Brace Dukedom, it's more shocking than the sun rising in the west."
"Don't believe every folktale. Not from someone who's earned the title Sword Princess."
"......"
My sharp retort silenced her momentarily. She wasn't here just out of curiosity—she was probing. To see what anomaly had struck the wastrel young master Sian Brace.
But even if she senses something off from the original Sian, suspicion isn't proof.
Nothing to fear for now. I met her eyes squarely.
"I've been trying to change because you didn't like who I was. Satisfied?"
"I see."
"If that's your answer, please leave. I need to run while my blood's still pumping."
Iris's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Like she'd sniffed out a secret and was itching to verify it. Tch, that's what makes high-perception powerhouses such a pain.
Maybe I needed to bristle more to shoo her off.
"Surprising, though. Even as the sword instructor for a duke's family, teaching the famed Sword Princess Iris must be pocket change..."
I propped my chin thoughtfully, genuinely puzzled, and continued casually. "Ah, raising a disciple? Not that it's my place, but I had no idea my sister Sara Brace had that kind of talent."
"......"
Iris's expression hardened as she stared silently. She'd taken the hit.
"I get awfully bold when I'm curious. Bear with me."
"Seems that way. But on that front, I'm afraid I can't say more."
Of course not. You're here for the Resurrection Stone slumbering in the Brace Dukedom's underground relic vault.
I've got more than just 10,000 hours of lore in my head.
She'd infiltrated as a tutor, swapped it for a fake, and fled—that was her arc, right? But I hadn't realized it was the Brace Dukedom...
Then—
Rumble...
"......!"
I looked up to find Iris's eyes icy cold, exuding a vicious killing intent that crushed my entire body.
How much does she know?
Is he really as dumb as the rumors say?
Her face suggested she was weighing how to deal with me.
...Don't flinch. As I said, I'm a duke's son. Killing me would tangle her up too. Just trying to intimidate.
Still, wild to feel killing intent for real.
But what could I do? Legs shaking a bit, sure, but I'd run dozens of Swordmaster alts in beta. I shrugged nonchalantly, and her eyes twitched faintly.
"...Young Master Sian, you don't match the rumors."
"Rumors tend to exaggerate."
"Not to this degree."
Her gaze lingered on my face, peering beneath the surface. Those calm eyes still gave nothing away.
"Are you sure about this?"
"About what?"
"Provoking a Swordmaster called a one-man army. Nothing good comes from riling me."
You seem to know my secrets—why poke if you do? Her words implied.
I glanced at the sky. "Provoking? Sounds so dramatic."
Dawn light was breaking. The sticky killing intent had thrown me off at first, but I'd already planned my play while buying time.
"Sword Princess. There are things in this world you can use... and things you can't."
"What are you—"
"Like, say, after ten days have passed since death."
Iris's eyes sharpened instantly.
"Even the most precious item becomes useless, right?"
I paused a beat.
"And the body needs to be mostly intact."
"......!"
She flinched. As my words landed, a dawn breeze swept through like in a movie. Stunned, Iris said nothing.
She had no choice.
She'd chased the Resurrection Stone blindly without knowing its conditions. Useless after ten days—the soul departs this world. And the body must be 70% intact, making it viable only for immediate battlefield use, really.
I shrugged casually. "You can trust me. Heard it from someone reliable."
"......"
Her narrowed eyes fixed on me. After a long silence, she spoke.
"Young Master."
"Yes."
"If you're testing me to protect your family's secrets... can you handle the consequences?"
"Why not check for yourself?"
"......What?"
Her pupils quivered faintly. Ignoring her reaction, I turned and resumed my slow jog forward.
I felt her stare boring into my back, but I didn't look.
Nothing to hide.
The Brace Dukedom's underground relic vault? I'd scoped and emptied it a month ago.
'Underground Relic Vault—basement level 3 of the main manor.'
Before the heavy iron door, I tapped a specific spot on the side wall in a precise pattern.
Clunk.
Iris's brow arched slightly. "...Word is, only the family head knows this mechanism—"
"Shh, linger too long and we'll get caught. Let's go."
I opened the door and stepped in first.
The vault was spacious. Relics lined the wall shelves, but honestly, over half were already relocated by me—the rejects I'd ignored.
Tch, subpar relic quality for a duke's stash.
Iris's eyes swept the shelves, halting at one spot.
A fist-sized black gem on a corner shelf. She approached slowly, hand reaching out then stopping, peering instead.
She lingered long.
"......"
Silence.
I crossed my arms, watching from the side.
Her expression didn't crumble, but something quietly died in her eyes.
"Seen enough?"
"......"
I waited, then added shamelessly. "Why not believe me sooner?"
Iris turned slowly to face me, her look complex.
"How did you know? You're not awakened to heart eyes like my 10-Star Realm."
"Who knows."
She closed her eyes briefly, then shifted her gaze from the stone to the empty shelves.
"Young Master."
"Yes."
"This vault."
Her voice dropped an octave.
"Was it always this empty?"
I glanced at the ceiling. "No."
"......"
"It was pretty full. Roughly."
I seized the initiative before she could. "Sword Princess, you're trespassing too. Makes us accomplices, right?"
"...Shameless."
"If you believe me now, don't dawdle—head north."
"North?"
"The snowfields. Before the Valkan border on the way from the east, there's an Abandoned Cathedral. Underground chapel's got some gem that revives the dead."
"......"
Not some shiny knockoff like the Resurrection Stone—the real divine relic. Risky if mishandled, but she'd manage.
Silence.
The dead light in Iris's eyes slowly reignited.
"—Why."
"......"
"Help me this much?"
Hmm. Expected the question, but hearing it straight was oddly tricky.
I scratched my chin, grinning slyly. "Accomplice perks?"
Her brow twitched. "...Accomplice?"
"Think about it. I've spilled family secrets and vault details to you. Too late to draw lines now."
"Doesn't add up. You're the one granting me this favor out of nowhere. What do you want? A duke's son must swim in wealth."
"Heh, no idea what you mean."
As if I'd want something.
This is how you slip in the favor.
Iris wasn't a newbie, but an enemy would've been a headache. She'd reach her goal eventually without me, so tossing intel now built goodwill.
"...You seem to hide something, so I won't pry. But if, as you say, I achieve my goal because of this."
As expected, she drew close and whispered.
I kept a straight face, inwardly cheering.
Binding someone like Iris—even loosely—as an ally? Massive boost against looming major episodes!
I wasn't the protagonist, effortlessly collecting talent. My family, bloodline, status—all flashy shells hiding a precarious position where a knife could strike anytime.
I needed abnormal firepower secured.
Iris continued. "When that time comes, I shall become your eternal vassal."
"Thank you."
But something felt off.
Eternal vassal? Overkill much.
Cliché would've been "I'll wield my sword for you three times" or whatever.
"Your expression says you're misunderstanding, Young Master."
She whispered on. "That wasn't 'I'll help when needed.' It's a blood oath."
"...A blood oath?"
"Not just until you achieve your desires—but after. I vow to be your eternal vassal."
"......"
The near-expressionless Iris leaned to my ear, whispering with a seductive smile.
......Something had gone terribly wrong.