Lancia heard a shocking story about him.
“…An incurable disease?”
It sounded like a half-joking remark, but it had to be true—an absurd, nonsensical disease that shortened the lifespan of the summoner. It was hard to believe, yet there was no reason to doubt it.
‘So that’s why his summons are so powerful…’
Ian was the second multiple summoner to appear after the first emperor, and none of his summons were weak.
The probability of summoning three beings, all 3-star or higher, and unlocking all of their Origin Arts was absurdly low. If anyone could achieve such a feat, they would have to be a genius blessed by the heavens.
‘It should be due to natural balance…’
At the same time, his lifespan was entirely in his own hands. If he wanted to, he could release his summons and extend his life.
“…You can live.”
“…What?”
“Even now—if you leave the academy, settle in a remote estate, and transfer your summons to someone else… you can survive.”
Lancia’s words made Ian look at her as if she were speaking nonsense. But she wasn’t finished.
“If you do that, you’ll live. Is it really your destiny to defeat the demons? You’ve already done more than enough.”
Ian Clark.
She knew very little about him before he lost consciousness, but finding information on him wasn’t difficult. Rumors about him had spread everywhere.
It was said that he had already slain numerous demons, protecting the academy from disaster—even beheading top-class demons.
This was an achievement no ordinary summoner could accomplish, no matter how hard they trained. His feats were on par with high-ranking nobles like marquises or dukes.
He had done his duty. If he chose to retire, no one would blame him.
Yet—
“Are you still going to risk your life and fight?”
Death meant the end.
Even if he sacrificed himself to save the world, it would mean nothing to him once he was gone.
And yet, Ian smiled at Lancia.
“Of course.”
“…Why?”
What in the world drove him to this extent?
Lancia looked at Ian in confusion.
He met her gaze, unwavering.
“Because I have to.”
“What—”
“Because I can.”
There was life in his eyes. The man who had looked like a lifeless corpse earlier had disappeared. In just a few hours, he seemed like a completely different person.
“Because only I can do it.”
The moment she heard those words, Lancia thought of her mother—of the things she used to say, of the life she had lost.
—Lancia, there must be something only you can do.
—No one else. Only you.
As a child, she hadn’t understood the meaning of those words.
But now, she did.
“Ian Clark.”
“What?”
“Until now, my proposals to you have been half in jest.”
Lancia slowly stood up and walked to the seat in front of him. Dressed in her usual knightly attire, her mannerisms had always been more masculine.
“Not this time.”
With those words, she knelt before Ian and placed a hand over her chest—a formal knight’s oath.
“I swear upon the name of Lancia Ariel.”
She had never imagined herself doing something like this, yet the words came naturally, as if she had been waiting for this moment her entire life.
“Ian Clark, I dedicate my life to you.”
For you, I will offer my spirit and b0dy.
“Until my resolve changes, all that I am belongs to you.”
It was an oath no maiden fresh out of the academy should have made, but Lancia delivered it flawlessly—without a blush, without hesitation.
“May my resolve never waver—”
From the depths of her heart, she prayed that she could remain by his side forever.
***
[Ian’s POV]
‘What kind of nonsense is this?’
As I sat at the restaurant, letting my meal digest, I listened to Lancia’s oath and stared at her in disbelief.
It was sudden, but there was nothing about it that harmed me in any way.
If there was no reason to refuse, then accepting was the obvious choice. Naturally, I nodded and placed a hand on her head.
“…What are you doing?”
She blinked in surprise and looked up at me.
Thinking I had done something wrong, I quickly withdrew my hand, but Lancia simply shook her head and stood up.
“Ian Clark, son of a baron… you truly know nothing, do you?”
She smirked.
“Touching a woman’s hair… that’s something only a husband can do.”
“…Oh? So, you’re just giving yourself away?”
“You’re thinking too much. I said I’d give my all, but that doesn’t mean you can’t se*ually harass my b0dy.”
“No, when did I se*ually harass you…?”
“Did you not know? When a woman feels se*ually ashamed, that is harassment…”
As I listened to Lancia’s words, I felt dizzy. This world was created in 21st-century Korea, a place deeply influenced by Confucianism and PC culture. A world where human rights were granted to virtual beings that didn’t even exist in reality—where the entire foundation of a game could collapse if just a few lines of text demeaned women.
“…Fine, I will be more careful in the future.”
“Be careful when meeting other women as well.”
Surprisingly, even though she looked angry, she took a step back.
I found it puzzling, but I had no intention of pointing it out and reigniting the fire that had only just begun to subside.
“I have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“That oath… can you do something like that as you please?”
“…I am the heir to the Ariel family. It means if anything happens to the duke I will hold full authority over this family.”
“…What?”
“I don’t need to explain further.”
To me, her words sounded like she would even go so far as to stab her father if the situation called for it.
Even though there was nothing compelling her to take my side, the way she devoted everything to her lover in this manner seemed particularly dangerous.
“…Just don’t kill me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Watching her feign ignorance, I suddenly felt sleepy and realized it was time to return.
Glancing at the clock, I saw that I had already stayed up past my usual bedtime. A wave of guilt washed over me as I thought about waking the maid and the cook in the middle of the night.
“The maid who found me…”
“Oh, I already told her to punish herself.”
“…Wait, why are you punishing her?”
“Because she left you in the hallway and went to the dining room first.”
“But that was because I asked for something to eat…”
“She abandoned a patient who couldn’t even control his own body. She failed in her duty as a maid. What would have happened if you had tried to walk down the stairs alone while she was gone and fallen?”
I had nothing to say because, honestly, I had thought the same thing when she left me alone earlier.
However, punishing someone for making a mistake while trying to help could discourage them from assisting others in the future.
“…Still, don’t punish her. She must have been flustered.”
“Hmm… if you insist, I’ll have her undergo retraining instead.”
“Yeah, some education would be necessary.”
As we spoke, I unconsciously touched my lips, recalling the soft sensation that had lingered there.
Lancia tilted her head, watching me curiously.
“…No, it’s nothing.”
For the nobility, especially those of high status, chastity was heavily valued. Among the 3-star summons, there were even unicorns that only virgins could ride. In a world where purity was considered true power, it was even more of a significant matter.
So, there was a high probability that Lancia, who had not yet married, was still a virgin.
“Well… um…”
“Are you feeling sick again?”
“That was… your first kiss, wasn’t it?”
It was an awkward question to ask, but curiosity got the better of me.
Hearing my words, Lancia tilted her head slightly—then, realizing what I meant, her face turned bright red.
“Ah—ah, no, that was… It was a life-saving act! What kind of man even counts a kiss during resuscitation?!”
“So, it was your first kiss.”
I chuckled awkwardly, feeling slightly regretful. Then I tried to reassure her.
“Oh, that’s good. It was my first kiss too.”
At that, Lancia turned her head away, pressing a hand against her flushed face.
“Well… that’s… good…”
I saw her fingers lightly brush against her lips.
***
The next day, a massive eagle soared over the duke’s mansion.
Noah was riding on its back. Without so much as a wave, she suddenly leaped off and plummeted straight toward the mansion.
The startled eagle tried to catch her, but before it could, Noah’s summon appeared.
Boom!
“Ian! I’m here!”
She tried to reduce the impact, but the weight of the enormous Colossus—easily several hundred tons—crashed into the mansion’s garden, leaving a massive crater upon landing.
However, Noah didn’t seem to care about the destruction. Instead, she reached into her coat and pulled out a decree.
“Well, Ian Clark! Here, obey His Majesty’s orders!”
As Ian took the decree from Noah, he studied her expression.
It had only been a few days since he last saw her, yet the exhaustion on her face was undeniable.
Just how much had she been through?
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Check out my other projects: Roughly an Isekai Hypnosis Story (er0-novel)
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