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Volume 1 Chapter 2 Part 14

Theo stuck out his shield and tried to push Moreno down with it.

Moreno stepped sideways to dodge, but his legs tangled and he staggered wildly. Then Theo flashed his sword, shallowly cutting Moreno’s right cheek.

「Kuh! 」

Moreno moaned in pain.

「Senpai, if you don’t surrender quickly, you’ll be cut into pieces. 」

Siluca called out to Moreno with sarcasm.

「I can’t! I can’t afford to lose here!「

Moreno screamed and tried to fight back with the last of his strength. It was a surprisingly sharp blow, and for a moment, Siluca thought that Theo had been slashed. But Theo did not let his guard down. He held the shield up to block the blow, leaning closer to Moreno and thrusting it up into him right afterwards.

Moreno band his upper body back, and the sword in his hand flutters into the air.

「Damn it! 」

He tried to catch it in the air, but Theo swiped his sword and sent it flying even further. Moreno tried to pick it up, but Theo’s sword stopped him.

「Senpai? 」

Siluca called out to him again.

「Not now,  I’m sorting out my feelings! 」

Moreno answers sullenly, and after a moment’s hesitation he raised his hands high.

「It’s my loss. Do whatever you want with me. 」

「What are you going to do, Lord Theo? 」

「We will keep him alive. I want to show the enemy Lord that we captured his contracted Mage, because that might help the other side if they are still struggling and force him to give up. 」

「Lord Lassic will you give up! 」

Moreno snorted.

「Someone so ambitious will not do anything, even when their contracted Mage was captured? 」

「It’s enough just to let them know you’re not coming to help. They’re having a tough time, but those two won’t be defeated so easily. They’re superhumans, after all. 」

Theo understood well why Siluca said that she could definitely win this battle. The only reason she struggled was because the enemy was tougher than she thought.

Theo then rushed Moreno back to the main gate of the castle.

「Lord of the neighboring country! I’ve captured your contracted Mage!!! 」

Theo’s voice echoed all over the hill. It was a little high pitched, but a clear voice nonetheless.

(That’s also a necessary quality for a Lord to have.)

Siluca felt satisfied. Then, pretending to be calm, she stood next to Theo. To be honest, she does not have the energy to use magic anymore, but there’s no way their opponent would know that.

「Moreno! 」

Lassic continued to fight an endless battle against the Artist with amazing physical abilities. Petr’s squad was also having a tough time against another Artist. The other team was neutralized by a female Mage, and Moreno, who was his last ace in his hand, was now also captured by the enemy.

(So this is it, huh…?)

Lassic realized that he has been defeated. But it’s nothing surprising. It’s a miracle that he met such a strong enemy. As far as this battle goes, it was all down to his bad luck. But in the big picture, it could also be a stroke of luck.

「I will surrender! 」

Lassic shouted out and threw his sword to the ground.

Captain Grak and another mercenary soon followed suit. Petr and others, who had surrounded the female warrior, also released their weapons and slowly retreated to the foot of the hill. Soon after, Lassic was led by the man in the black suit and brought before the opposing Lord.

「I’m not in a position to give conditions, but if possible, I’d like to become your subordinate. 」

Lassic knelt before Theo and offered so.

「Become my subordinate? 」

Theo was surprised and looked back at Siluca.

「I think you can accept it. 」

Siluca answered meekly.

Originally, that was her intention, but she never thought that she would be forced to fight this hard for it, but it is going to be reassuring to have someone like Lassic on their side. Lassik seems to be an ambitious Lord, but in the future, such a person must be brought under their control in order to protect and expand Theo’s Crest and his realm.

If it’s pure ambition, it should not conflict with Theo’s ideals though.

「Are you going to give up your ambition? 」

With a look of disbelief, Moreno said to Lassic.

「Is it something that can really be thrown away? That’s why I’m offering to become his subordinate. If I serve this Lord, I won’t be defeated in battles with my neighbors. If I can work well with the allied nations around me, I’ll be able to join Salvis, Clovis, and even Falvis in the south. My ambition is not to become Emperor. Even if I am to be subordinate to someone else, it is enough for me to rule just one country. 」

「It is a surprisingly small ambition… 」

「That is the kind of man that I am. But I can’t even do that much alone. That’s why I welcomed you to my service. 」

Lassic said to Moreno without apology.

「Lord Lassic. 」

Moreno was at a loss for words for a while, but before long he bowed deeply.

「I’m sorry. I just wasn’t good enough… 」

「It seems that Senpai has a contract with a good Lord. 」

Siluca addressed Moreno with some sarcasm.

「You said it would be the end if you caught me alive, but it ended with Senpai being caught alive instead. 」

Moreno turned to Siluca and mumbled.

「That robe looks very nice on you. 」

Siluca became startled and hid her whole body with her cloak. She only now remembered that she was wearing a vestment given to him by the Earl of Artuk.

She was fighting Moreno in this outfit the entire time, so upon realizing this, her face became bright red.

A ritual of subordination to Theo’s Crest was then performed on the spot, and Lassic David became Theo’s subordinate Lord. Lassic was a warrior who could only rule two villages, but the power of his Crest was unexpectedly great.

「Congratulations. 」

Siluca said in surprise after confirming Theo’s Crest, which had grown a lot now.

「Your title is now that of a Baron. 」

Hearing those words, Theo couldn’t believe his ears.

「I’m… a Baron now…? 」

Theo was stunned beyond belief. From this moment onwards, he was a Lord who governed five villages nestled between the borders with Selvis and Clovis. Both of these countries cannot perceive his as a small and harmless force anymore, but on the other hand that means that the battles the he is going to be engaging in the future are probably going to be even bigger and more intense.