Calista’s Allegiance

Early the next morning, Freyr and his entourage set off. This time, however, there was an additional ox cart at the rear of the convoy, carrying the tightly bound Wizard. The poor Wizard looked utterly exhausted, his face full of weariness. His entire body was soaked, as Freyr's knights diligently carried out their orders to douse him with a bucket of cold water every so often, ensuring he had no chance to recover his mental strength.

Young Master Freyr, following his usual habit, sat in the carriage reading a thick book. He seemed to have an immense interest in reading. The well-crafted carriage traveled smoothly, barely jolting even on the bumpy road. Freyr lay comfortably on the soft, thick velvet blanket, curled up in a ball, reading and pondering... until he was interrupted.

There was a light knock on the window, followed by Focker's slightly troubled voice, "Young Master... there's something that might need your attention."

Freyr opened the window to see Focker's frowning face. Focker, riding alongside the carriage, bowed slightly and said, "Young Master, the people from the tavern yesterday... they've been following us."

Freyr was slightly taken aback. He leaned out and glanced back. Sure enough, about a hundred paces behind, the long-legged girl from the tavern was following with her two subordinates, a total of three horses trailing distantly.

The Russell family's knight guards saw this and exchanged knowing looks, convinced that the girl must have fallen for Young Master Freyr.

Freyr pondered for a moment and then said softly, "Stop the carriage. Go and bring that girl over."

Calista, who had been following Freyr's convoy all morning, was feeling confused. She wasn't even sure why she was following them. Was it because she was worried about the captured Wizard? Probably not. She didn't care much about his fate.

Suddenly, the convoy in front stopped, and two knights quickly rode towards her.

"Miss, our master wishes to see you. Please come with us."

Since they considered the possibility that this girl might already be the young master's lover, the knight's tone was much more courteous.

Calista, feeling bewildered, nodded and followed them almost instinctively. Her two companions, though puzzled and somewhat worried, followed as well.

"Why are you following me?" Freyr didn't even step out of the carriage. He merely opened the door and, from inside, looked at the girl who had ridden up to him.

Certainly! Here is the translated passage:

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Calista dismounted, biting her lip. Suddenly, in that very instant, the question that had tormented her all night found its answer in her mind!

Why? Perhaps... it was because of the devilish smile that had reappeared on that man's face!

"I..." Calista stood beside the carriage, taking a deep breath. Then, she suddenly dropped to one knee next to Freyr's carriage and bowed her head deeply, her voice solemn: "I, Calista Moon, pledge my allegiance to you. I am willing to become your subordinate! For the rest of my life, I will uphold this vow with my blood and my life! Will you accept my fealty?"

Freyr was silent for a moment as he scrutinized the girl kneeling before his carriage. Then he slowly spoke, "You wish to pledge your allegiance to me... Why?"

"I don't know," Calista confessed. "Maybe you're right; I'm too tired. Keeping everything together as a girl, I've realized my capabilities are far from sufficient. Maybe I need a strong tree to lean on. And I am willing to be a vine that relies on such a tree to survive."

"Do you think I'm a suitable tree?" Freyr asked with a smile.

"Yes." This time Calista answered quickly. "Although I still don't know your identity, you give me the feeling... that you are definitely an extraordinary person! Or rather, you are destined to become one!"

"That's quite a dilemma," Freyr sighed. He turned to ask Focker, "Oh, Focker, I forgot, do I currently have the right to recruit my own honorary knights? How many knights am I allowed to recruit?"

Freyr didn't seem particularly concerned about the answer. "Well, my lord..." The former coachman, now the steward, Focker, fortunately had done quite a bit of homework before his promotion. He had put in a lot of effort to memorize the necessary rules and traditions: "My lord, you are the eldest son of an earl. Even if you cannot inherit the earl's title in the future, according to imperial law, you are entitled to at least a baron's title. And the imperial law grants you, as a noble of such rank, the authority to recruit ten of your own honorary knights."

"Thank you," Freyr touched his nose. "Only ten spots... that's a bit few. But knights can have squires, right? Each knight can have several squires, so when you add up the honorary knights and their squires, it amounts to dozens of people. That's not too few."

After receiving Focker's confirmation, Freyr rubbed his temples, then smiled at the girl before him. "Alright, I accept your fealty. From now on, I confer upon you the status of my honorary knight... You're the first honorary knight I've ever bestowed this title upon, and a female knight at that."

Calista seemed a bit reluctant to meet Freyr's gaze. She lowered her head and said softly, "Thank you... Also, since I have pledged my loyalty to you, please tell me your identity, my lord."

"Oh, my identity... I am Freyr Russell, eldest son of Earl Edward, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial General Staff," Freyr smiled and continued, "I almost forgot, in the imperial capital, I have a rather notorious nickname... they all call me... 'the Idiot.'"