Chapter 249: High Steward

April’s words caught in her throat. She stared down at him, completely stunned by the sheer intensity of his submission.

"Samuel... I’ve already told you that I don’t plan on taking anyone else into my fortress," April tried to reason, her tone tightening as she attempted to hold her ground. "I’m only taking Emily and my two pets. And I—"

"I will live like a ghost," Samuel interjected, looking up to meet her eyes, his expression utterly stripped of his usual professional distance. "You will not even realize I exist in your space. I will handle the maintenance, the security, the manual labor—anything. You will never have to see me if you do not wish it."

April went completely silent, a rare wave of hesitation paralyzing her sharp mind.

She had built her entire post-apocalyptic plan around complete, absolute isolation. She didn’t want to make promises, and she certainly didn’t want extra people cluttering her sanctuary.

But looking down at Samuel, she felt a genuine lump form in her throat. He looked like he would cry if she denied him his request.

April had never cared about making anyone else cry in her life, but Samuel was different. He was indispensable, brilliant, highly educated, and fiercely capable. He could easily build his own empire or command his own fortress when the world collapsed.

Why does a man like him want to bind himself to someone like me? she thought, genuinely tormented by his devotion.

Before she could speak, a harsh, blaring chime echoed violently inside her mind, turning her vision red.

[WARNING! WARNING! CRITICAL TRUST OVERFLOW DETECTED!]

[Target: Samuel Rollins]

[Loyalty Metric:110% —THRESHOLD BROKEN]

April’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. One hundred and ten percent?! Is that even possible?!

A blue-and-gold interface flickered wildly, the glowing text practically glittering as the system re-calibrated itself around the unprecedented metric.

[SPECIAL CLASS DETECTION TRIGGERED: EXTREME FEALTY]

[Suitable Classes Identified for Target ’Samuel Rollins’. Host, please review and select a class from the options below.]

Three distinct holographic blocks materialized across her vision, each accompanied by a precise system description.

​— Option 1: Shadow Warden

Role Description: Absolute perimeter defense and silent execution. Grants the user supernatural stealth, lethal combat adaptation, and the ability to eliminate threats before they ever breach the sanctuary.

​— Option 2: Iron Archivist

Role Description: Master of data, research, and resource synthesis. Grants absolute memory retention, systemic optimization, and deep tactical intelligence processing.

​— Option 3: High Steward

Role Description: Supreme administrator of the realm. Grants absolute command over fortress logistics, strategic planning, resource distribution, and unwavering, peerless devotion to the master’s absolute authority.

​April stared at the options, her mind racing as the pieces finally clicked into place.

​So that’s what these classes are...

​They weren’t just random labels or arbitrary titles. The system was actively calibrating these men, tailoring their innate traits and capabilities into specialized functions designed to fortify her life and her sanctuary against the coming apocalypse.

Xavier was her divine shield (Saint), Alexander was her frontline protector (Knight), Nat was her ruthless weapon (Villain).

​And Samuel... Samuel was her brain, her administrator, her logistical backbone.

But she had no plans on keeping them close during the apocalypse so what was this development? And she clearly recalled Nat’s future reading, how he had been waiting for something at his own shelter.

He clearly wasn’t close by at the time.

Or... was the fact that he kept asking the date and looking up towards the hill connected to all of this?

She couldn’t piece it together, but the system definitely had its own plans... Plans that were clearly separate from hers.

Just what was it planning?

She pursed her lips and decided to focus on what was in front of her at the moment.

​She quickly evaluated the choices. Shadow Warden would turn him into an assassin, which wasted his supreme intellect and administrative genius, so moving on. Iron Archivist leaned too close to a cold, academic researcher—a role already dangerously close to Dr. Oliver’s domain.

​That left the High Steward. It encompassed his desire to manage her fortress, his tactical foresight as a master strategist, and his fierce, unyielding loyalty to her rule. It was practically tailor-made for him.

Then I guess I have my choice.

​Taking a slow, steady breath, April focused her mind and mentally selected High Steward.

[PING!]

[Class Successfully Appointed: High Steward]

[NAMED PIECES UPDATED]

— Piece 1: Xavier Reed [Class: Saint]

— Piece 2: Alexander Greels [Class: Knight]

— Piece 3: Nat Collins [Class: Villain]

— Piece 4: Samuel Rollins [Class: High Steward]

​A subtle, shimmering golden aura flashed briefly around Samuel as the system bond sealed itself.

​Samuel blinked, a sudden, sharp clarity flashing through his dark eyes. He didn’t gasp or show visible shock, but a profound, profound shift rippled through his posture—as if a hidden weight had locked into place, granting him absolute, instinctive alignment with her will.

​Looking down at him still kneeling on one knee, April let out a soft, defeated sigh. The walls she had tried to build were crumbling one by one, replaced by an ironclad circle of extraordinary men.

Who would’ve thought?

​"Rise, Samuel," April instructed softly, her voice carrying a quiet, irrevocable finality.

​Samuel slowly stood up, adjusting his glasses, his posture radiating a terrifyingly efficient, calm authority. "Miss April?"

​"You don’t need to live like a ghost," April said, a faint, rare smile touching her lips as she looked into his steady eyes. "When the fortress is finished, you will have your own quarters. You will manage the estate, oversee the logistics, and stand by my side as my High Steward." She let out a small, rare smile. "I hope that’s enough,"

​Samuel’s breath hitched. For the first time all evening, a brilliant, genuine smile broke across his usually stoic face. He placed a hand over his heart and bowed deeply.

​"It is more than enough. I will definitely not fail you, Miss April. Never." He vowed.

"Well then," April said, rising smoothly from the sofa and smoothing down her clothes. "I’m going to bed. You should get some rest too, Samuel."

​Samuel remained standing in the quiet, dimly lit living room, his hand still pressed firmly over his heart as he bowed his head once more. "Goodnight, Miss April."

​April gave him a final, quiet glance before turning toward the staircase, her footsteps echoing softly against the hardwood as she disappeared into the upper floor.

​Left alone in the silent room, Samuel slowly lowered his hand, his chest heaving with a deep, shuddering breath. His heart was hammering wildly against his ribs, racing with an intense, overwhelming surge of euphoria he had never experienced in his entire life.

​He looked down at his trembling palm, feeling a strange lingering phantom pulse vibrating through him.

​High Steward.

​A quiet, breathless laugh escaped his lips—a rare, uncharacteristic sound in the stillness of the estate. The world outside was spiraling toward inevitable doom, heading straight for destruction and chaos. Society would crumble, dynasties would fall, and humanity would rot.

​Yet inside his chest, an incredible, intoxicating flame burned brighter than ever.

​He hadn’t just been allowed to stay—he had been chosen. He had been granted the supreme, divine privilege to serve his goddess when the world burned to ash, to command her fortress, and stand at her right hand through the end of time.

​Adjusting his wire-rimmed glasses with a slow, deliberate movement, Samuel’s dark eyes gleamed with absolute, fanatic devotion. There was no greater delight in existence.

​"I will build you an impenetrable sanctuary, my master," Samuel whispered into the dark, his voice thick with unshakeable resolve. "And I will guard it until my very last breath."