Chapter 306: Oath



Fuck…

I knew unexpected things and troubles were bound to happen the moment I agreed to let the goddess take over my body for a bit.

But this? This was going way beyond anything I could’ve predicted.

A reaction from Liyana or Erebil would’ve been the obvious outcome-hell, even expected.

And in all honesty, despite the deep-seated fear I have of both of them, I’d gladly take either over this situation right now.

When the goddess said she had “little time left,” I thought she’d just hurry up, give Lucas her blessing, and move on.

Quick, clean, and no unnecessary drama. So why-why in the world-did she feel the need to sneak around and watch him train first?

It was awkward enough watching a half-naked man running around at the dead of night, swinging his sword and flexing his muscles like he was performing in some private action flick.

It felt… wrong. Weird. Completely out of place.

Granted, I’ll admit it wasn’t a total waste of time.

Observing him gave me a decent look at Lucas’s current capabilities—or at least what he could manage in his clearly exhausted state.

His movements were sharp, his technique refined, and that Sunstrike he unleashed earlier… yeah, it was no joke.

It was strong enough to melt through the reinforced combat golem, leaving a molten scar on the training grounds.

Still, this wasn’t how I imagined this whole thing would play out.

The goddess even managed to grab hold of that cursed thing.

I sighed, the memory of the last time my body was altered into a girl creeping back into my mind. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but it was definitely weird.

The way people looked at me in that form their stares, their expressions-it all felt so alien.

And now here I was again, this time stuck as an observer, watching her use my body to casually mess with Lucas.

As the goddess approached Lucas, she noticed his half-dazed state.

“Hm~ Is something wrong?” the goddess asked, her voice light and playful, though I could sense the smugness beneath it.

Lucas stiffened, his expression quickly shifting between confusion and curiosity.

“N-No… It’s just that I’m surprised to suddenly see you here-wait, no, hold on. Why are you even here? It’s already way past midnight. Shouldn’t you be asleep? Actually… if you’re here, does that mean you’re one of the top students? But I don’t recall seeing your name on any of the rankings. T-Then how…”

The goddess chuckled, flipping my hair casually over her shoulder.

“Fufu- Looks like you’ve been searching for me all this time, hmm~?”

Lucas’s face turned red, and he stammered, “N-No! I mean… yes, but not like that! It’s just that you left… well, a lasting impression on me. I thought it’d be nice to talk again. Actually, I searched for you whenever I had free time back then, Lady Evelyn. Since you said you were in the magic department, I figured it would be easy to find you. But then you just disappeared…” The goddess smiled, the kind of smile that made me want to hide under a rock.

“Oh, how sweet-. But you see, I had my reasons. Let’s just say… most of what I told you that day was a lie~.”

“A lie?” Lucas blinked, clearly taken aback.

“Yes, a lie about me~,” the goddess replied, her tone dripping with amusement.

“A lie about milady?”

Fucking seriously? Look at this blushing idiot!

My lady? My lady? I groaned internally, watching Lucas’s expression turn bashful as his gaze lingered on her on me.

Why is he acting like this? Like he’s suddenly caught in some romantic novel scene.

I didn’t even know this dense bastard could blush this much!

Those puppy-like eyes. If Lucas had shown them to the heroines, most of their attention would’ve been on him by now.

He’s got that awkward charm, and yet it’s so poorly aimed that it’s almost tragic.

The goddess, however, was clearly having the time of her life, teasing the hell out of him.

She was practically radiating smug satisfaction.

I mean, I’d always suspected Lucas might have some sort of thing for my female form-it was painfully obvious back when we first met her.

But now? Watching it play out firsthand was like sitting through a slow, cringe-worthy drama, except I was both the unwilling star and the third-person observer.

[Uhm… dear goddess, weren’t you in a hurry?]

‘Fufu- It’d be best to savor these moments, dear child. I find my grandchild’s confused heart utterly amusing, you see. Surely, you wouldn’t mind indulging me for just a little while

longer?’

[…Yes.]

‘You have my eternal gratitude, young Riley~,’

Another deep, internal sigh escaped me as I resigned myself to this bizarre situation.

Meanwhile, the goddess continued her playful antics, dodging Lucas’s increasingly flustered questions with nothing more than her radiant smile and a few cryptic remarks.

Lucas, for his part, looked utterly ridiculous.

His gaze kept darting around the room, as if he couldn’t bring himself to look directly at her – at me. It was a strange mix of secondhand embarrassment and morbid fascination. Was it her way of connecting with her “grandchild”? A rare moment of bonding? Or just her indulging in some selfish amusement at my mental expense?

Whatever her reasons, I had no choice but to sit back and endure it all, trapped in this strange ride.

It wasn’t like I could wrest control of my body back from her-not without risking even more

chaos.

—–

As the moments passed, I could feel the goddess’s presence inside me nearing the limits of what my body could handle.

Her energy was beginning to strain the threshold, and it felt like she’d burst out at any

moment.

A part of me was relieved-whatever she was doing would soon come to an end. Thankfully, she’d already accomplished everything she seemed to want with Lucas. From mercilessly teasing him at the start to having a casual, albeit one-sided, conversation, to even fabricating elaborate scenarios just to dodge his questions about her true identity.

Whenever Lucas tried to dig deeper, she’d weave some vague tale about being connected to the church or even “heaven itself,” which only served to confuse him more.

I couldn’t help but grimace. While she was using my body and masquerading as Evelyn, it didn’t mean her claims wouldn’t cause unnecessary trouble.

Linking any identity of mine to the church-even a fabricated one-was a risk I didn’t want to

take.

When I pointed this out earlier, she had merely laughed and assured me that she’d erase the entire interaction from Lucas’s memory, leaving him to think it was nothing more than a

wondrous dream.

Which, honestly, made their entire conversation up to now feel utterly pointless.

As I continued to observe the flow of their bizarre exchange, I noticed how Lucas’s earlier exhaustion had completely melted away.

His eyes no longer carried the weight of his training, and his expression, though confused,

was brighter.

It was almost like she had a way of drawing out the best-or at least the liveliest-side of

him.

And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was indulging in some peculiar tropes she

secretly enjoyed.

…..

“It seems I must go now, Lucas,” Evelyn said, her soft voice tinged with a kind of reluctance

that made Lucas instinctively step forward.

“Huh-already?”

“Fufu, we should probably get some sleep now, no?”

“…Oh, right,” he mumbled, slowly remembering the time.

The inky blackness in the room was beginning to lighten ever so slightly, a quiet reminder

that morning wasn’t far off.

Evelyn stood up from the bench with a graceful stretch, arching her back slightly before

tilting her neck to one side.

Her golden hair shimmered faintly under the dim light of the training grounds as she turned

her warm gaze toward Lucas.

“Hm, are you sad?” “N-No…” he stammered, his face reddening slightly at the question.

“Fufu, you really are an adorable person, Lucas,” she said, her laughter light and melodic, as

if she found his embarrassment genuinely endearing.

Lucas quickly shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and stood up as well.

Evelyn’s laughter lingered in the air, and though most of his questions remained unanswered, he realized something surprising-just talking to her had lightened his mood.

The weight he’d been carrying-the worries about his training, his goals, and the daunting challenges ahead-felt a little easier to bear.

“Lucas,” Evelyn began, her voice softer now, drawing his attention completely. “You said earlier that you wanted to reach the pinnacle of the sword, correct?”

“…Yes,” he replied firmly, his eyes steady. “So I can show Ri-I mean, the world-the meaning of a knight’s code, a knight’s honor, and a knight’s oath. To protect the weak and the innocent. To shield those cast out of salvation.”

Evelyn smiled, a deep and knowing smile, as if his words confirmed something she’d already

believed.

She stepped closer, her delicate hand reaching out to rest gently against his chest. “M-Miss Evelyn?” Lucas’s voice wavered, his cheeks flushing red as her touch sent a jolt of something unfamiliar through him.

“I see…” she murmured, her ocean-blue eyes gazing into his with a strange intensity. “That dedication in your heart… I can feel it. It’s something that can never be corrupted or changed.” Her smile widened, tinged with an inexplicable sadness and warmth. “Fufu~ Lucas, the true hero… It seems this part of you will never change, no matter what timeline it is.” “Huh?” Lucas blinked, her last words confusing him. “What did you say?”

“It’s nothing,” Evelyn said, pulling her hand away as her enigmatic smile returned. “Just an

idle thought.”

Lucas could only stare, trying to process her words, but Evelyn gave him no time to dwell on

it.

Confused by her cryptic words and actions, Lucas opened his mouth to ask more, but before he could speak, something extraordinary happened. His sword, which he had felt faintly hovering near him earlier, suddenly materialized in Evelyn’s left hand.

“This sword,” she said softly, her gaze fixed on the weapon, “you mentioned that you

couldn’t unlock its full potential, correct?”

“…Yes?” Lucas replied hesitantly, his brow furrowing as he tried to understand where this

was going. Then, without warning, a brilliant golden flash erupted from the blade.

The once pure-white sword ignited in radiant flames, golden and fierce, illuminating the

entire training area with a light so bright it felt like dawn had broken within the darkened

space. The soft glow of the room transformed into a radiant beacon, the golden fumes of the flames swirling around the blade like a divine aura.

Lucas staggered back slightly, his astonishment rendering him momentarily speechless.

The intensity of the light, combined with the sheer presence emanating from Evelyn, made it

feel as though the air itself had changed. “Lucas,” Evelyn’s voice called to him, calm yet commanding, her tone carrying an otherworldly resonance. “Can I trust the promise you’ve indebted deep within your heart? Can you give me your sword’s word of oath that your strength will never be used for corruption-

neither of yourself nor others and as much love and salvation you can bring into this world,

can I trust you to never forget the people you treasure most?” “E-Evelyn…” Lucas stammered, his throat tightening as he tried to form words.

But when he lifted his gaze to meet hers, his breath caught in his chest.

Her blue eyes were gone, replaced by a luminous golden hue that seemed to pierce through

him, not just his body but his very soul.

He wanted to speak, to ask, to understand-but he couldn’t.

His entire being felt as though it had been frozen in place. Not his body, no-he could still

move if he chose to.

It was deeper than that. His soul, his essence, seemed paralyzed, as if bound by an unseen

force.

It wasn’t fear or intimidation; it was something far more profound, an overwhelming sense of obligation. Before this presence, he felt as though any action other than compliance would be an affront

to something far greater than himself.

Her golden gaze bore into him, and he realized with startling clarity that this was no mere request-it was a command, one that demanded the truest part of himself.

As Lucas’s mind raced, scrambling to find the right words, his body seemed to move on its

own, guided by instinct and an unseen force.

Slowly, he dropped to one knee, bending his right knee forward in a posture of reverence. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, gathering himself, before reopening them with a clarity that cut through his confusion. His lips parted, and with unwavering conviction, he

spoke:

“I swear…”

The simple yet profound declaration hung in the air, resonating like the toll of a bell.

Evelyn, there was a warmth in her expression, one that seemed to acknowledge his sincerity and the weight of his oath.

A flash of brilliant light burst forth, illuminating everything around them. Evelyn raised Lucas’s sword high into the air, its blade burning with radiant golden flames.

The light danced across the room, casting intricate patterns on the walls, as if the very air had

been infused with divinity.

With deliberate grace,

Evelyn brought the glowing sword down, the tip hovering just above Lucas’s head.

The golden flames swirled and flickered, enveloping them both in an ethereal aura.

For a moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped, the weight of the moment pressing down on them like an unspoken truth.

Lucas, his head bowed, hesitated briefly before glancing up, his gaze seeking hers.

He wanted to meet those golden eyes one last time, to understand what had truly just

transpired, to grasp the meaning behind it all.

But as his eyes lifted, the radiant flames faded, the warmth dissipated, and the glow dimmed.

The divine presence that had filled the room was gone, leaving behind only silence and

stillness.

And the only thing Lucas saw when his vision cleared…

…was the familiar ceiling above his bed.

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