375 The test of obedience

The Lionheart’s name was being praised even if they sometimes mocked the commoner who married into nobility a week after the widow’s husband died. Vincent was a man who took advantage of a widow’s sorrow in their eyes.

Regardless of who married who, it was a positive change for people who lost their wife or husband and felt abandoned by the gods. The rumor inspired many who wanted another relationship similar to what they lost. They were given the courage to seek another partner in life.

‘So these are the root of the current rumors regarding a man marrying the daughter of the Lionheart family for nobility. But... the document states that he is thirty-two years old. And as for the daughter of the Lionheart family... wasn’t she supposed to be older?’ The old man pondered.

In the eyes of the old man. Vincent looked young and handsome. On the other hand, Lilith had youthful, smooth skin because the curse somewhat regressed her body’s aging. The pair of stockings made her look younger as well.

“Let me confirm the details, owners of golden identification cards.” The old man instructed without batting an eye to the high-level identification cards in his hand.

The old man placed four wooden needles on the table. “Please use this clean wooden needle to drop a bead of blood on this bloodstone. We need to confirm the identities of both the nobles and their servants.” He requested as it was the standard procedure for everyone.

Vincent was first. After the old man saw his name and surname matched with his identification and he had no criminal records, he was accepted to register.

Lilith was next. She nervously poked her finger and dropped a bead of blood on the bloodstone. After the old man saw her name and surname matched with her identification and she had no criminal records, she was accepted as well.

“The servants are next. ” The old man requested.

.....

Ester went first. The old man looked at Ester, Vincent, and Lilith multiple times after their surname was the same. It meant she wasn’t a servant nor a mistress, but a wife instead.

The old man became bewildered that the rumor of the Lionheart family holding an unbelievable wedding was true in a sense.

The man who married into nobility married another woman. Furthermore, he has the guts to bring her as his servant, not to leave his second wife alone.

Iris was next. *Gulp* She was nervous because many people looked at her for her unique skin. Furthermore, she looked cute in a maid outfit.

The gazes of humans Iris didn’t know nor knew their intentions made her anxious. She was hoping nothing terrible was going to happen as she didn’t want to bring trouble to her family.

The moment the bead of blood dropped on the bloodstone, and the result was displayed, the old man and the four maids beside him couldn’t believe the result. They gasped in unison, and their eyes opened wide.

A living being categorized as a monster, a gray goblin had a surname. It meant she was married to a noble.

The noble before them married a monster and made her a low-standing noble. Regardless, of being at the bottom of the nobility ladder, Iris was still above so many people.

[Look at their faces, haha. They can’t believe Iris is also your wife. I saw their expressions when Ester was revealed to be your wife, but their current shocked expressions are hilarious.]

-It’s not funny. It means they are treating Iris like she can’t have a happy married life.-

[...]

Kazumi agreed with his reasoning the moment he pointed out that their expressions weren’t a funny sight when thinking about what was probably in their minds.

“This cute girl is also my wife. I hope there will be no trouble if she is my servant. I don’t want to visit Headmaster Darwin Griffionheart and request to know...”

“S-sorry Lord Vincent! We were surprised, that’s all.” *cough* “The servants are allowed to enter the academy. They pass the requirements to enter.” The old man changed his tune when Darwin’s name came up. It appeared the old man was intimidated, and his gaze became slightly more respectful and cautious.

“It’s fine.” Vincent looked at Iris and continued, “Right?”

“I-I am o-okay.” Iris nervously stuttered after being put on the spot.

“Last part of the registration is next. It appears Lord Vincent and Lady Lilith have a white wolf familiar, a... unique blue fox with nine jeweled tails, and a plant pet familiar. ” The old man said. He looked at Zero and continued, “Pet familiars are not counted as a familiar. Thus, the pet plant can enter as well.”

“However, we require to test the nature of the familiars to keep order. It would be dangerous to let vicious untrained beasts that newly became familiars into the academy.” The old man requested to know about the nature of Lupa and Plow.

The rules made sense as an aggressive familiar not only could injure other students, but it might also start a war between esteemed noble families. The academy aims to enrich the new generations with knowledge and experience.

An academy that brings strife between noble families would enviably collapse the kingdom’s structure as the people who pay the most taxes would disappear one after another. A kingdom with weak pillars could touch the desire and greed of another nation, and war might ensue.

In the end, all people would suffer because vicious familiars were allowed in the academy. After reading dozens and dozens of fiction, such thoughts were in Vincent and Kazumi’s minds. To them, this was like a butterfly effect of a slight push collapsing a house.

Vincent lowered on his knee and brushed Lupa’s silky white fur. “This is Lupa, my cute white wolf familiar.” He stood up and looked at Plow between Ester’s arms. “The cute fox Plow is my wife’s familiar, but I don’t think there is any need to test her viciousness, hehe.”

Plow puffed her cheeks after feeling humiliated. When her eyes lowered and landed on Lupa, she saw a tail wag excitedly.

Lupa needed Vincent to defend her while Plow looked so innocent and powerless that Vincent only needed to point out how it is impossible to think of Plow as a vicious familiar.

“Plow is not weak.” *Pho* “Plow is very, very strong.” Plow tried to defend her honor. She didn’t wish Lupa to be more popular than her when in her white wolf form.

historical

The old man, the four maids, and a few nobles waiting behind them became surprised to hear a familiar speak with its mouth instead of the usual though transmission a familiar has with their bonded partner.

“My words! It is a young talking familiar!” The old man grabbed the quill and wrote Plow’s name immediately. By the time he wrote Plow’s name and placed the quill back in the ink bottle, the surprised expression disappeared. He was proficient enough to regain his composure in seconds.

“Lady Lilith’s familiar is intelligent. As such, the familiar before me is one anyone can communicate with, instruct, and teach manners in needed. Furthermore, the familiar doesn’t look harmful.” The old man spoke while directing his gaze at Plow as if he was talking to another person instead of an animal.

The old man raised a slight smile and said, “The academy accepts Plow as Lady Lilith’s familiar.”

The old man had many years of experience after meeting dozens of familiars. He was going to give Plow a little obedience test, such as asking to bark a set amount of times to learn the obedience level of the familiar.

However, the ability to talk gives familiar more possibilities to develop their character further and learn to act more human-like. Telling if it is a viciousness of well-natured is much easier from their speech.

[Great, Plow passes without the need for a test, while Zero isn’t counted because they treat plant familiars as pets. However, the decision might also be because Nimbus Nerve plant familiars are not kept around for a long time.]

[Their owners would be sucked dry when the plant’s appetite becomes too much to sustain. You know that feeling right, haha. Zero already sucks too much blood, at it is at its beginning appetite phase.]

-I hope Zero can learn in the future to control itself.-

[Yeah, jokes aside, Iris would be devastated to learn how we might have to kill Zero in the future. It will be your life or Zero’s in the end.]

-...-

Vincent’s mood changed after this little conversation with Kazumi. A sad expression appeared on his face while thinking if there would be a way to alter the fate of the desires of only one of them can live.

Only the mutation percentage could become Zero’s life-saving rope. However, the future was unknown and their fate as well. Only time could tell the fate of the two.

“Lord Vincent, I am sorry if I said anything inappropriate, but I will need to test the obedience of your white wolf familiar named Lupa.” The old man said in an apologetic and careful tone. He thought Vincent was displeased after praising his wife’s familiar and not his.

Vincent had mentioned the headmaster’s name. He didn’t want to risk the possibility of Vincent knowing Darwin and complain about the registration. The old man wanted to live the remaining time of his life in peace instead of trouble with the influential headmaster for the academy.

*Cough* “Lord Vincent, could you please order your familiar to bark two times, spin one time, lick any of its paws, and sit?” The old man requested a simple test of obedience.