In the Magic Black Forest, the so-called oath of loyalty ceremony is generally used by non-knights who pledge their allegiance to a particular lord.
However, for the oath of loyalty ceremony, a priest from The Church is required to be present.
Ivita wanted to wait until they reached the town before finding a priest to perform the ceremony.
But to her surprise, the witch pulled out a book of church scriptures, confidently stating that she could act as a witness.
Ivita looked at her skeptically. "You really can do this?"
After all, you are an enemy of The Church - you are a witch.
The Old Witch patted her chest. "I have no issues, I know all the words that the priest needs to say in the ceremony."
"Moreover, I have a copy of church scriptures."
"Your Majesty, I can do everything that a priest is supposed to do in this ceremony."
Fearing complications might rise the longer they waited, the cautious Rayli advised, "Your Majesty, as long as we follow the procedure, it doesn't matter who plays the role of the priest."
He knelt on one knee at Ivita's feet, his forehead nearly touching her shoes.
Ivita had no choice but to give in: "Alright."
"Although I don't know why you want to pledge your loyalty to me, or why you are in such a hurry."
"But if this is what you desire, then I am willing to help you."
As a rightful prince seeking to reclaim his throne, it certainly would better to have more people pledge loyalty to him.
He felt there was no harm in demonstrating some leniency at this time.
The Old Witch tried to summon a solemn and sacred voice but only managed to produce a croaky sound like a crow, "Rayli, before the Father of All — God of All Things, are you willing to pledge your unconditional loyalty to your master, Ivita, from the bottom of your heart?"
"Regardless of what status Ivita holds, you will follow her faithfully, and protect your master's dignity with your life and sword!"
"I am willing!" Rayli did not hesitate at all.
The Old Witch then turned to Ivita. "Great Ivita Alsace, under the witness of the God of All Things, are you willing to accept the allegiance from Rayli?"
"You shall return Rayli's future contributions with worldly wealth."
Ivita nodded her head.
As a superior lord, there is no need to speak during the oath of loyalty ceremony.
This is a characteristic of the oath of loyalty ceremony.
It represents the difference in status between both parties.
Then, following the process of the oath of loyalty ceremony from her memory, Ivita took the broadsword handed over by Black Wolf and gently tapped Rayli three times with the flat of the blade.
The Old Witch closed the church scriptures. "Under the witness of the Father of All Gods, the ceremony is established. Those who violate it will be despised by all things. Amen~"
When she spoke the last two words, the Old Witch rolled her eyes in disdain.
And so, a simple oath of loyalty ceremony was completed.
This sort of oath of loyalty would be taken seriously by all and has legal binding significance.
From now on, Rayli will be as though he is her own vassal.
If it wasn't for the fact that Ivita didn't currently hold any rank or title, the ceremony should have been more complex.
The choice of words used in the ceremony also had to be more cautious.
For instance, since Rayli was a commoner, he didn't have a surname, and since Ivita didn't have a position or title, the Old Witch could only add the word "great" to show respect.
This was a choice made out of helplessness.
Therefore, Ivita felt that to secure her position should be more urgent.
Ivita reflected that this seemed to be the first subordinate she had gained since she came to this world.
Black Wolf and the Witch hadn't sworn loyalty to her. Black Wolf was simply a mercenary she had hired, and the Old Witch was essentially coerced into staying by her side.
Now, this wandering prince finally had the first person who truly belonged to him.
After the ceremony, Ivita seemed to be closer to Rayli. She asked, "Rayli, why are you so eager to pledge your loyalty to me?"
Rayli gave a bitter smile. "Because I want to become a noble, and you, master, might be my only chance. My father was once a noble of the Viscount Ambros Country."
"Just because I backed the wrong side, standing against the Martini Aristocratic Family, I was stripped of my noble status, even my surname was taken away."
Rayli was somewhat sad and resentful. "I've always wanted to restore my noble status. When I was young, I became an explorer, hoping to seize a territory with others, to restore my noble status."
"To reclaim my surname."
"But reality tells me that it's all just wishful thinking."
"During a battle with the mercenaries of Pisa City, my leg was injured. Even after healing, I was somewhat lame."
"A lame man cannot be an explorer, so I had no choice but to invest all my savings into this building and become a small businessman here."
"I thought this was my life until I met you."
Black Wolf coughed awkwardly.
A lifetime of hard work and ultimate hope exterminated by their hands.
Ivita comforted Rayli with a few words.
At this point, the assassin tied to a wooden pole behind them suddenly laughed coldly.
Ivita looked over curiously, "Black Wolf, go remove the gag from our uninvited guest's mouth, it seems he has something to say."
"Your Highness, this guy previously claimed he was under the command of Jalen, the false crown prince of Alsace, to assassinate you," Black Wolf said as he went over.
Ivita laughed. "Good, then I'll ask him where this Jalen is."
As soon as Black Wolf removed the gag, the assassin started speaking with a resolve to face death: "I'll just tell you. If I don't return to Prince Jalen within the designated time period—eight months—with your head, you'll be hunted down by the Prince and his army."
"Restoration of the country? Ha ha ha... With just you few? Daydreaming."
"That is the Alsace Kingdom, the most centralised state."
"As an assassin born in Alsace, I know that you're on a path to destruction."
He looked at Rayli. "I know that you are, in despair, betting on someone randomly. Unfortunately, you've bet on the wrong person. Just like your belief that becoming an explorer can regain your surname, you've chosen this worthless master of yours as a form of self-deception."
"It won't do any good. Ha ha ha..."
Ivita looked at him, puzzled. "If you are from Alsace, then you should know that the person currently on the throne is nothing but a usurper."
"I won't let you speak ill of His Majesty," the assassin said, seemingly provoked. "His Majesty is governing the country very well."
"Much better than your father."
"He has allowed the army to engage in commerce, and opened land for sale, making everyone wealthy."
"Under your father's rule, the citizens of the war-torn kingdom can finally enjoy life again."
Ivita keenly seized the key point. "How did your Majesty avoid war?"
"Just by ceding a few insignificant territories, uninhabited lands," the assassin sneered, "the most important wealth of a kingdom is its people. Your father could have avoided the suffering of war for citizens by simply ceding some lands, but he plungrd our kingdom into a war that lasted for thirty years."
Black Wolf interjected, "I heard that one fourth of the territory has already been ceded."
The assassin retorted, "They're just forests, deserts, barren wastelands, and uninhabited islands. Giving up these lands doesn't affect much."
"We can even exchange these economically worthless lands for real money!"
"At least His Majesty is making us prosperous again! We can trade wool and spices all the way to the Bohr River basin!"
"..." Ivita was speechless.
She had no mood to argue with the assassin anymore because they held different values.
In her memory, the territory of the Alsace Kingdom was paid for with the lives of countless soldiers.
Those border territories, although not financially valuable, were strategically valuable.
Without these lands, what could the kingdom use to protect its prosperous economic regions?
They surely couldn't resort to fighting wars in their wealthiest cities when war breaks out.
From this perspective, it seemed that the usurper of Alsace was a person who only considered the economic value of the territory while ignoring its strategic defensive value.
For a rapid recovery of the economy, he even resorted to such a method of draining the pond to get all the fish, letting the army engage in commerce and opening land for sale.
The repercussions of these two methods, once the effect hits in the future, will no doubt be bitter.
One cannot only consider the current results in everything.