[Opportunity to recruit a piece has arisen.]
The glowing text hovered just above Zeyra's head like a divine sign from some omniscient chess deity.
I blinked. Then grinned.
'Well, well, well… looks like the King's finally about to make his first move.'
I straightened without meaning to, eyes locked on that ghostly notification hanging over her forehead like a halo. A recruitment opportunity. Did that mean she was eligible? Willing? Or about to cut my tongue if I choose the wrong words?
Probably all three.
Zeyra stared at me like I was having a stroke. Understandable, really. She'd already caught me whispering to myself, spacing out, and smiling at the ceiling like a lunatic. Now I was doing it again - this time, laser-focused on the air above her head and grinning like I'd just discovered fire.
She didn't say anything. Just… watched. Calm. Cold. Concerned.
Which meant this was my window. My opening.
I cleared my throat and just did what felt right.
"Would you like to serve me?"
The words came out way too confidently for someone with no plan B. I felt like I'd just proposed marriage on a first date. In public. With flash mobs and fireworks.
But what did I have to lose?
Zeyra's face didn't move.
Not even a twitch.
She just blinked at me once, as if trying to confirm whether I'd actually said what I'd said. Her grip on the tray didn't falter, though I could've sworn I saw the tiniest twitch in her fingers.
Her composure remained, and her guard hadn't lowered. Not by an inch. A few minutes ago, she looked like she was ready to stab me with the spoon. And she still did.
Now I was offering her… what, a job that she already had?
"Serve you?" she echoed, voice so flat it could've passed for sarcasm if she had an ounce of expression. "I already do, young master."
"No," I said, leaning forward. "I mean, truly serve me. Swear loyalty to me personally."
It sounded insane out loud. But the message was still floating in the air. This was it. This was the trigger. I was sure of it.
Kind of.
In all honesty, I had no idea what the official procedure was for recruiting pieces. Could it be done forcefully? Did it simply require a verbal acceptance?
All I could do was hope that it didn't require some weird blood pact or a kiss to seal the deal. I mean, I wouldn't complain if it were with Zeyra, but I'm sure I would end up recruiting some burly men to protect me.
I'd rather die to truck-kun again than smooch an ogre-like man.
As those thoughts bounced around my mind, the moment still hung.
Something changed in the air between us. I don't know how to explain it exactly - it wasn't magic. Not like I imagined magic anyway. But there was a tension. Like the air itself had braced for impact. Like the world was holding its breath, waiting.
Like the weight behind the question was much greater than either of them could comprehend.
She could feel it too - I could tell.
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, not at me, but at the space between us. At something she didn't quite understand. And yet… accepted.
There was no aura flaring. No blinding light. No dramatic music. Just… pressure. Like gravity had shifted.
I had no power to threaten her. No aura, no mana, no reputation worth respecting.
And yet when I asked, the system reacted.
'This is real.'
She didn't answer right away. Just stared.
I didn't blame her. If someone like me - weak, slouched, fresh off a near-death beating - had asked me to swear undying loyalty to them, I'd laugh in their face. I would even feel insulted that they dared to ask.
Instead, Zeyra placed the tray down beside her with deliberate calm.
Then, without a word, she knelt.
One knee to the floor. Back perfectly straight. Head bowed like she was praying to something sacred.
"I will serve," she said quietly.
That was it.
No dramatic pause. No fancy oath. Just those three words.
My brain took a second to catch up.
'...Wait, what?'
I stared at her. The same girl who'd been one incorrect answer away from killing me not even a minute ago was now kneeling like a knight before a king.
I squinted at her suspiciously.
'Is this real? Or is she just crazy?'
Then it happened.
That familiar flicker in my vision.
[Piece Recruited: Zeyra Vale.]
[Choose Piece Role:]
[Pawn] Basic, flexible, and replaceable. Can be promoted under certain conditions. Limited growth and manoeuvrability.
[Knight] Mobile and aggressive - a wild card. Strong synergy with rapid-response or ambush strategies. Cannot be replaced unless deceased or under special conditions.
Before I could make a choice, there was another ping.
[Special Condition Triggered: First Non-Pawn Recruitment]
[As your first official piece, Zeyra has triggered a unique one-time bonus.]
[Both Aura and Mana Potentials will increase by 1 Rank.]
[A hidden Special Trait will also be awakened: Shadowbound.]
I scanned the options and bonuses.
'Okay… pawns are basic. Replaceable. Probably useful in numbers. But Zeyra's not a pawn. She's the type you send in when subtlety isn't subtle anymore.'
Knight was perfect. She was an assassin after all, perfect for stealth and ambush strategies. The knight's role fit her like a glove.
And with the bonuses for the first recruitment?
It was a no brainer.
I mentally tapped Knight.
[Zeyra Vale has been designated as a Knight piece.]
[Title Acquired: The Silent Knight.]
[Aura Potential increased: B → A.]
[Mana Potential increased: B → A.]
[Special Trait Awakened: Shadowbound – One with the shadows.]
A ripple of warmth ran through my chest.
Not physical warmth. Something else. Satisfaction. Progress. Like hitting a checkpoint in a game and hearing that perfect little chime.
Zeyra was still kneeling, still as stone, completely unaware of the flood of notifications from the system I'd just seen.
I stared at her, expression neutral but heart racing.
'My first Knight,' I thought. 'Cold, deadly, beautiful… and now officially mine.'
A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips.
The board had been set.
And I'd just placed my first piece...