Chapter 7: Attendant

Chapter 7: Attendant

Bran and Huahua looked up together at the tall female Warrior Danny standing before them. She was a real Attendant, assigned to Bran by his father that morning. The oath of loyalty had been completed under the Duke’s witness. From today on, she would follow Bran’s orders. This was a benefit Bran gained because of his Awakening.

Danny was a female Warrior who had just completed her Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Even among the Northlanders, a group known for their toughness regardless of gender, Danny’s first impression was one of strength.

The Coming-of-Age Ceremony was a mark of adulthood for the Northlanders. When Northlanders entered the age between 14 and 18, faint markings began to appear on their faces. Then, they would enter the Wasteland alone or in small groups of two or three for a harsh Trial. It was a process of eliminating the weak and keeping the strong. As one of the best, Danny was chosen to be Bran’s Attendant.

Danny looked down at Bran and slowly said, “As your Attendant, from now on, you will provide my weapons and armor.”

Seeing Bran’s mouth half open in surprise, Danny paused before continuing, “Before becoming your Attendant, the Duke already granted me appropriate weapons and armor, so you don’t need to worry about that for now.”

Hearing this, Bran felt relieved. However, Danny’s words continued to come at a steady pace. “But, maintaining them still requires some expense. Also, you will need to cover the cost of replacing weapons and armor if they get damaged.”

Hearing this, Bran helplessly lowered his head and said, “I… have no money.”

“No problem.” The corners of Danny’s mouth lifted slightly as she squatted down to look Bran in the eye. “First, we need to arrange a place for your Attendant to stay.”

Bran replied without thinking, “You can stay in my bedroom…” Then he suddenly stopped, raising his head to stare into Danny’s eyes. He understood completely. This sneaky, tough woman had only one goal.

Now this sneaky, tough woman smiled and said lightly, “Thank you, my lord.”

“I’m so foolish,” Bran grumbled to himself. “Now it’s too late. This must be my parents’ arrangement. I just can’t believe I was tricked by a tough woman.”

At dinner, Bran entered the dining hall accompanied by Danny. As Bran sat down dejectedly, Danny had already taken a seat not far away, at the table for Knights and Attendants to eat.

The Duchess smiled at Danny, then looked at Bran and asked, “Is Danny alright?”

Bran looked up, bared his teeth in a grin, and said loudly with full malice, “Yeah! Alright, she’s quite the man.”

After a brief moment of surprise, the Madam shook her head helplessly and said, “Nonsense.”

At that moment, some stifled laughter could also be heard in the dining hall. After his revenge, Bran felt his mood improve. Actually, thinking about it, having another person around wasn’t so bad. It was a kind of resource, at least. Thinking this, Bran began to plan how to use Danny. Since he couldn’t get rid of her, he might as well make good use of her.

After dinner, Bran and Danny stared at each other in his bedroom. In the rough style of the Northlands, Danny holding Bran to sleep wouldn’t be a problem. But as another important presence, the Black Cat Huahua refused to allow it. The Black Cat flattened its ears and kept hissing, preventing Danny from getting close. That large bed seemed to be its sacred and inviolable Territory. Besides Bran, at this time, in this place, no one else was allowed near…

Finally, the farce ended with Danny sleeping on the floor.