Chapter 56: Serve Me [1]

"I see," Craig sighed softly, a subtle trace of genuine disappointment lacing his tone.

For a brief, fleeting moment, a foolish spark of hope had flickered within his chest.

He had wondered if he wasn’t the only soul who had been hurled back through the rivers of time—wondered if perhaps Damian had regressed as well, and that was the true reason the Black Knight was standing in this exact Viscounty right now.

However, Damian’s utterly respectful, uncomprehending answer laid out the cold, absolute truth.

Craig was entirely alone in his regression.

Everyone had perished on that catastrophic final day.

The West had fallen, the frontline defenses were pulverized into dust, and the entire world had been plunged into an endless abyss of despair.

Craig exhaled a slow, heavy breath, washing away the lingering ghosts of the future, and offered a calm, relaxed smile.

"That’s alright. You may rise."

The moment permission was granted, Damian stood up from the floorboards.

He looked directly into the young Viscount’s face, his icy-blue eyes catching the ethereal, divine perfection of the dragon-blooded youth.

’Gosh, he’s absurdly handsome...’ Damian couldn’t help but think internally, momentarily taken aback by the young lord’s striking features.

Craig paid no mind to Damian’s internal shock.

His dark golden eyes quietly scanned every corner of the room before he casually strolled over to the wooden desk.

Reaching his hand into the open basket of groceries, Craig picked up a polished crimson apple, held it up to the light, and took a crisp, loud bite.

Glancing back over his shoulder, Craig flashed a lighthearted wink toward both Ser Hughway and Damian.

Damian’s face twitched with utter confusion at the young noble’s surprisingly eccentric behavior.

Standing behind Craig, Ser Hughway simply shook his head with a quiet, long-suffering sigh, well-accustomed to his liege’s unpredictable antics.

Stepping forward with an anxious yet intensely respectful posture, Damian finally voiced the burning question in his mind.

"My Lord... if I may be so bold as to ask... why has the Lord Viscount come here to visit a rogue mercenary like me in person?"

Craig swallowed his bite of apple and turned around, leaning his lower back against the edge of the desk. "Before I answer your question... tell her to step out."

Damian’s heart skipped a violent beat.

"Pardon me, my Lord? I... I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about."

The lie slipped out instinctively, driven by a brother’s desperate desire to protect his family.

But Craig merely smirked, his dark golden eyes gleaming with sharp amusement.

"There is a young girl currently hiding inside your bathroom," Craig said smoothly, tossing the apple lightly from hand to hand.

"Her mana core is quite active for a Superhuman... If you truly do not know who she is, then she must be a stealthy thief who broke into your room."

Craig turned his head slightly toward his Guardian Knight. "Hughway... eliminate the thief."

"As you command, my Lord," Ser Hughway responded without a second’s delay.

SHING!

Ser Hughway drew his massive broadsword halfway from its scabbard, the cold, steel blade reflecting the afternoon sunlight as he prepared to step toward the washroom door.

"Wait! Please, stop!"

Damian’s composure completely shattered.

He dropped straight back down onto his knees, slamming his forehead against the floorboards in a frantic, desperate bow.

"I apologize for my foolish deception, Lord Viscount!" Damian pleaded urgently, his voice trembling. "The person in the bathroom is not a thief! She is my younger sister! Please, spare her!"

Craig held up a single finger toward his knight.

"Stand down, Hughway."

Ser Hughway smoothly slid his sword back into its leather sheath with a soft click, letting out an imperceptible breath of relief.

Truthfully, the veteran knight held no desire to execute a young child, and he was genuinely glad that his young master remained entirely rational and in control.

"I will forgive your ignorance this once," Craig said, taking another casual bite from the apple.

He tilted his head slightly, a thoughtful frown tugging at his brow. "You have a sister, huh?"

’That is quite a surprise,’ Craig pondered internally, his mind racing through his memories of forty years in the future. ’Damian never mentioned having a living sister during our time together in the Second Apocalypse... What in the world happened to her in the original timeline?’

"Tell her to come out," Craig commanded plainly.

Damian nodded frantically.

He turned his head toward the back of the room and called out, his voice tight with lingering panic. "Annie! It’s alright! Come out and greet the Lord Viscount!"

The wooden washroom door creaked open slowly.

Annie stepped out into the bedchamber with timid, trembling steps, her small hands clutching the hem of her tunic and her face pale with fear.

She immediately lowered her eyes, dropping into a deep, formal curtsy.

"I... I greet the Lord Viscount," she squeaked out softly.

"Oh?" Craig grinned widely, taking another bite of his fruit as he inspected her. "She really does look just like you."

’She looks quite my age’

He looked directly at the young girl. "What is your name?"

"My name is... Annie Blacksun, my Lord," she answered nervously.

"Annie," Craig repeated, letting the name roll off his tongue. "Two Superhuman siblings living under one roof... a certified Sword Runner for an older brother, and a newly awakened Mana Apprentice for a little sister. Both of you are genuine Rankers."

Craig let out a light, melodious giggle, the dark pressure in the room evaporating in an instant.

"I like that. Well, both of you can relax now. I didn’t come all the way to this inn to cause trouble or execute commoners."

He finished the core of the apple, tossing it cleanly back into the grocery basket on the desk. "In fact... I came here today to offer you a proposition."

"An offer?" Damian slowly raised his head, his blue eyes filled with absolute bewilderment as he looked up at the young Viscount.

"What... what does the Lord Viscount wish for a mercenary like me to do?"

"Nothing overly complicated," Craig shrugged casually, stepping forward until he stood directly in front of the kneeling Black Knight.

He looked down at Damian, his golden eyes blazing with an unyielding, absolute conviction that made the room freeze.

"I want to recruit both you and your sister into my personal retinue," Craig declared calmly.

"However, I am not asking you to swear your blade or pledge your loyalty to the Heaven’s Net Castle... nor am I asking you to serve the overarching Darkstar Ducal Family."

Craig leaned down slightly, his voice dropping into an intimate, solemn tone that bound their fates together.

"I want you to serve me—Craig von Darkstar—as your absolute and undivided Lord."

***

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I will be mass releasing 50 Chapters tomorrow as we kickstart October’s first privilege.

I hope you all are ready 😊