At first, Erica's voice trembled slightly, but then she threw caution to the wind.
Whether it was his wisdom, strength, or personality, Su Mo's way of doing things was completely to her liking. Compared to those idiots who fought purely on instinct, a sage like him was a master truly worthy of entrusting one's life to.
With Su Mo's rate of growth, if she didn't seize this opportunity, she might not be able to bring herself to say it the next time they met.
Therefore, even though she was terrified of being rejected by Su Mo, Erica still summoned the courage to declare her loyalty.
After speaking, she stared nervously at the ground, as if awaiting a king's judgment.
If any of her acquaintances were here, they probably wouldn't believe that the proud and arrogant Erica, who looked down on even God-Slayers, would so proactively submit to someone. Her attitude was even vaguely humble, as if she were worried he would refuse her allegiance.
Only Erica herself knew that a powerhouse as exceptional as Su Mo might not even deign to notice her. She had to take the initiative to even create a sliver of a chance.
For a moment, the scene was completely quiet. The people watching the group live stream also held their breath, no one knowing what Su Mo would do.
The wait, which was only a few seconds, felt like an eternity to Erica.
Amidst the rapid beating of her heart, she felt a lightness in her hands as the knightly sword was lifted from her palms.
Her heart skipped a beat, but she did not raise her head. Instead, she lowered it even further.
At that moment, Su Mo gripped the hilt of Erica's beloved sword with one hand, held the blade flat, and then rested it on Erica's shoulder.
It was a posture from which he could decapitate her with a single stroke at any moment, and also the ritual through which a knight expressed their utmost trust in their master.
This ancient ceremony represented only one sentiment.
I am willing to entrust my life to you.
And Su Mo's response was equally simple.
"I accept your fealty."
"Thank you, Lord Su Mo... no, thank you, my liege!"
After the ceremony of allegiance was completed, a look of ecstatic joy appeared on Erica's face. From this day forward, she was Su Mo's vassal. Not even her magic association could issue orders to her anymore.
Seeing her successfully latch onto a powerhouse, the group chat erupted.
Madoka: "Congratulations, Erica-oneechan!"
Kanae: "I'm so envious!"
It was clearly Su Mo who had gained a knight as a retainer, yet they all thought it was Erica who had struck it lucky. Of course, Erica herself thought so too.
Rin Tohsaka: "Lord Su Mo actually agreed!"
Rin Tohsaka: "By the way! Lord Su Mo, a friend of mine wants to ask you a question... are you in need of a maid?"
In the Type-Moon world, Rin was so envious she felt like her very cells were splitting apart. Su Mo's performance was even more ridiculous than a god's. If she could latch onto this powerhouse, what need was there to be bullied by that vixen every day?
If Lord Su Mo was willing to help her, never mind Matou Zouken, even her own father... hmph! She wouldn't hesitate to take him down.
Kanae: "Little Rin, this friend you speak of... is it you?"
Madoka: "No! I think she's talking about me!"
Madoka: "I can do maid work too!"
Rin Tohsaka: "Pfft! Don't you guys cause trouble! Can't I ask for my little sister?!"
Seeing them making a fuss instead of helping, Rin was so angry her twintails were about to stand on end.
Su Mo only glanced at the conversation in the group and did not respond. Not to mention they were just asking casually, even if they weren't, Su Mo was not short on maids.
In the slice-of-life world, he had more than a few maids at home. Even Eriri and Yukinoshita Yukino barely got a shift once a week. There was no need to recruit more.
Besides, making Godoka a maid might lead to retaliation from Homucifer in the future. It was better not to court death. Of course, given Madoka's current age, by the time she truly became a god, Su Mo was confident he wouldn't lose to her either.
At this moment, Su Mo was more focused on the knight who had just sworn fealty to him than on his silly group of friends.
"I don't have any power base in this world for the time being. I'll need your help arranging many things later."
With Su Mo's strength, he naturally didn't need Erica for combat assistance. But in matters outside of battle, he very much needed a suitable helper.
Relying on strength alone might allow one to steamroll the entire world, but it would be difficult to truly mobilize the world's resources. Many times, good communication was even more important than pure force.
And Erica happened to have a decent talent in this area, which was why Su Mo was willing to accept her fealty.
"No problem! It is my duty as a knight!" Hearing Su Mo say this, Erica immediately puffed out her chest with confidence.
In terms of strength, there was still Liliana who could compare with her among the younger generation. But in terms of coordination, few could match her.
"I trust your abilities in this regard." Su Mo nodded slightly, then changed the subject. "However, in terms of strength, you're still a bit weak at the moment."
Hearing the praise earlier, Erica was very happy. Hearing this latter sentence, her expression grew tense. Compared to Su Mo, she was more than just "a bit" weak.
"I'm sorry, my liege! I will train hard!" Fearing she would be disliked by Su Mo, she immediately began to show her determination.
But to her surprise, Su Mo just shook his head.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to criticize you. What I mean is, for your safety, I plan to strengthen you!"
"Huh?"
Kanae: "Huh?"
Rin Tohsaka: "Huh?"
Madoka: "Huh?"
Strength can be enhanced by someone else?
The number of question marks on Erica's face was equal to the number in the chat group.
But before she could ask, Su Mo had already placed his hand on top of her head. Sensing mana flowing from his palm, Erica immediately closed her eyes.
At this moment, Su Mo had activated the Authority he had usurped from Verethragna, [The Eastern God of War], and awakened the Youth incarnation within it. This incarnation could bestow the war god's blessing upon others, drawing out their potential and greatly increasing their power.
"I am the strongest, and the one who holds victory. I hereby command my retainer to accept the protection of the light!"
Chanting the words of power could enhance the effect of the Authority.
Under Su Mo's blessing, a large amount of divine power flowed into Erica's body, forming a god's blessing.
The blessing transformed her body from the inside out. On the surface of her body, a set of red long dress, leather armor, spear, boots, and a round shield gradually materialized from虚 to real.
These were all conceptual Spirit Armaments constructed from divine power. Under Su Mo's adjustments, even the thinnest long dress had a defensive power that even an ordinary Divine Beast would find difficult to break through.
"Although it's still a bit short of the level of divinity, it should be enough in the realm of Paladins and Divine Beasts. You should be able to escape even if you encounter a Heretic God."
After carefully checking that his blessing had no flaws, Su Mo stopped. It wasn't often he found a tool person; he couldn't let her have an accident.
For Su Mo, strengthening Erica was just a casual act, mainly to make it easier to send her on errands. But in the eyes of others, this was a great gift.
Madoka: "A gift from a god... there's a way to get stronger like this?"
Madoka: "The benefits of working under Su Mo-oniichan are so good!"
Kanae: "Is it too late to learn the ways of a knight now?"
Rin Tohsaka: "It's too late, give up!"
Rin Tohsaka: "Speaking of which, let me tell you all a ghost story."
Rin Tohsaka: "That girl Erica... is now Tier 2!"
Kanae: "!"
Madoka: "!"