That bard is such a charmer!

Chapter 58 Isabella's Surprise

Isabella raised her exquisitely beautiful face, as if sculpted from the statue of the Valkyrie, and smiled:

"First of all... thank you. Although I have thanked you many times, please forgive my rambling. I just really can't imagine how bad things would have been without your help today."

Richard replied earnestly, "No need to be so polite. We've fought side-by-side before; isn't it normal to help each other out?"

"Yes, you're right~"

Isabella blinked her bright eyes, then continued:

"As a friend, there's something I need to tell you frankly. Of course, with your keen observation skills, you should have already figured it out... I'm not actually a paladin who has sworn an oath of dedication."

"On the contrary, I swore an oath of conquest."

That's it!

Richard recalled Isabella's earlier unusual behavior and his own knowledge of the paladin profession, and for a moment he seemed to be deep in thought.

The oath of conquest...

This is a relatively rare paladin oath.

As the name suggests, unlike the oath of devotion which emphasizes virtues such as honesty, courage, and compassion, paladins who follow this oath place more emphasis on crushing enemies and establishing an iron-fisted rule.

If it can achieve the goal, we are willing to go against morality if necessary!

Therefore, in addition to the skills commonly used by paladins, their extra abilities are more related to increasing damage and intimidating enemies, which explains why Isabella was able to scare the cultists so badly back then.

Say something.

Those who swore oaths of conquest were mostly middle-aged men with imposing physiques, whose faces practically bore the mark of tyrants.

It's hard to imagine that a woman like Isabella, who, despite her strong personality, is still beautiful and elegant overall, would choose such a vow.

The contrast is just too great...

"...It seems you know this oath quite well, as expected of a knowledgeable poet."

At that moment, Isabella took in Richard's expression and continued:

"So you probably know that paladins who make such oaths have a much worse reputation than their peers, right? That's why I lied when we first met. Please forgive me."

Richard nodded, thinking:

It's more than just a big difference...

Sometimes, in the poems of some of my colleagues, paladins like you are simply portrayed as villains.

After all, the oath of conquest can easily turn people into henchmen of violence, and in extreme cases, even followers of certain devils.

However, that is ultimately an extreme case.

Most of the time, a paladin is a paladin.

Thinking of this, Richard said to Isabella:

"It's alright, I understand your caution. Besides, you've already proven with your actions that you're trustworthy partners. Compared to our shared experiences, a few stereotypes are not worth discussing at all."

...When it comes to a real discussion, the stereotypes about our poets are just as prevalent.

Richard pursed his lips and glanced at Grace, who was standing next to him with a half-smile.

Across from her, Isabella clearly liked Richard's answer, and her smile became even brighter.

Thank you for your understanding.

"Finally, please allow me to express my gratitude and apology in a more substantial way that transcends words."

As she spoke, she activated one of her storage items, and a brooch appeared out of thin air in her palm.

This brooch is made of silver and jade, about two finger joints long, and its shape appears to be a cone-shaped conch.

Isabella handed the brooch to Richard.

"It's called the echo of the waves, and its function is..."

As Richard listened to Isabella's explanation, he activated his Eye of Insight:

【Title: The Echo of the Waves (Unbelievable)】

Rank: Rare

Description: It can store enough mana to cast three Tier 3 spells, which the wearer can access once a day, anytime, anywhere, without interest, a stark contrast to the loans offered by the cunning Pearl City merchants.

Simple, direct, and powerful!

On the surface, it's on par with a strongman's belt, but as equipment for the spellcaster, it's clearly half a body length higher!

These were Richard's first impressions of the brooch.

In the bay area where magical items are relatively scarce, such equipment might sell for a thousand gold coins.

Is it really appropriate to just give away something so expensive?

Miss Isabella, although I already knew you were rich and noble, are you really this generous?

In an instant, Richard felt that the three thousand gold coins he had saved by stealing gems were nothing at all.

Seemingly sensing Richard's surprise, Isabella quickly added:

"As you said, we are already friends who have fought side by side, so it is normal for us to help each other. Therefore, please accept this small favor from me."

Well, back in my past life, when I was a clear-headed college student, I would have felt a little embarrassed in this situation.

But now...

Really fragrant!

Richard took the brooch, put it on, and couldn't help but sigh from the bottom of his heart:

"Miss Isabella, although you have confessed your vows, I now feel that you have even more secrets than before... Don't misunderstand, this is not a complaint."

"It's okay, and if you ask me, you're the same in my eyes too~"

Isabella nodded to Grace, then clapped her hands and smiled with narrowed eyes:

"How about this, let's stop treating this as a secret and instead see it as an undiscovered surprise, shall we?"

"surprise?"

"That's right... I have a feeling we'll meet again, so from now on I'll look forward to what surprises you'll give me, and I hope you're looking forward to mine too~"

After saying that, Isabella winked at Richard again—she seemed to have fallen in love with the gesture ever since Richard demonstrated it.

She then gave a couple of instructions, hoping to help conceal her identity, before pulling Amelie away from the hall.

Richard was both amused and exasperated as he watched the direction where the golden hair, like a ray of sunshine, disappeared.

Well, he's really intrigued now.

"Let me give you a heads-up: a paladin with a mysterious background who has sworn an oath of conquest is not as easy to deal with as you think, especially for a poet who cherishes freedom and romance."

Grace whistled and offered her suggestion.

Richard touched the brooch, squinted, and smiled, "Give me one too, and I'll trust you."

"cut……"

Grace shook her head with a mischievous smile, said nothing more, and used her hands slightly to make Richard turn around.

"Okay, stop looking at her. Come on, look at me, and then look at Levin and the others. You still have a lot of work to do~"

makes sense.

Let's clean up the battlefield first.

Richard shrugged and walked over to Levin.

at the same time.

Inside the passageway outside.

Isabella whispered to Amelie, "Don't you think he looks even better than the last time we met?"

Amélie pouted. "Your Highness, is this the time to concern yourself with such things? Wait, you wouldn't happen to..."

"Haha, don't overthink it. It's far from those feelings. I just admire him, that's why I've been paying more attention to him."

Isabella's laughter was hearty, but after she finished laughing, she added casually, "Don't spread rumors, or you won't get any bonuses for the next ten years."

Amélie felt as if dark clouds were hanging over her head.

"I know, I know. You're the boss, you're in charge."

"I admire your attitude!"

As Isabella spoke, she looked into the distance again:

"Let's quicken our pace. I feel we're very close to finding the Ash Duke's granddaughter; maybe we're only one person away..."