Lord Summoner's Freedom Philosophy: Grimoire of Love

---Surena's PoV---

In this world, there is some happiness in being born a woman. But there are lots of hardships that are needed to be faced while swallowing your hidden feelings deep inside.

For instance, you will be treated as flowers, protected by the men of the family. But at the same time, lots of restrictions come together with all of those protection.

You must not act like a boy, no men will like you.

You must learn how to do house chores, you won't become a proper wife if you don't.

You need to learn how to be a good wife, you'll get cheated on if you don't.

You must not wield a weapon, you'll never marry if you do.

You must not leave the house too much, people will gossip behind you if you do.

There are lots of chains bounding all women in this world. I'm always envious of men that are allowed to choose their own course, their own path, and act according to their whims.

As if all we meant as a woman is to be just a decoration inside the house, there is no path for our life except to be the decoration of men and bearing their children.

As a daughter of from a baron house serving under the house of Marquess Credia, I too have to bear the same fate as the other women.

Unlike commoners, women born into noble families have even fewer chances in choosing their paths. Most of us would only be a bargaining chip for other nobles or treated as a banquet of flowers to be given to other nobles' families, used to form a connection between two noble families and help them make political ties.

We're not even given the chance to experience true love.

I knew, of course, I always knew it.

And I've accepted my fate about it.

Until one day, my father brought me to the ball hosted by the Credia house. There, I met her.

"Hi there, you're Surena from the Ekaitza house, aren't you?"

Together with a melodious but charismatic voice, a pair of emerald-like green eyes appeared before me. With a graceful smile that brings a powerful presence, she greets me.

The eldest daughter of Marquess Credia, Wilhelmina Credia.

But since I got too entranced with her presence, the thought of answering her somehow didn't cross my mind.

Then as if she noticed something on me, her eyes flinched and she shifted her gaze to the side.

"Father. It will be more comfortable for you to converse with Baron Ekaitza alone, so I will be talking with Miss Surena in the garden, is it fine?" With a pair of unwavering eyes, she asked the Marquess that suddenly appeared.

But unlike my expectations, the reaction of the Marquess is light and kind. With a smile, he encouraged us to go and started to converse with father alone.

Looking at her back while having my hand dragged by her, all I could see is how reliable she back is, and how strong her presence is.

I always thought that she was an unusual person, but the topic she brought into our conversation is even odder. At first, she brought around various conversations that are comfortable for us to discuss, and soon, we got into a discussion about the fate of women in this society, and how most of them accepted those fates without doing anything to resist.

Then somehow, the topic diverted into swords, swordsmanship, and martial arts, and when we continue to converse about those, her eyes shone like nothing before. She got too excited, and I finally saw the part of her that seems to be a little bit childish.

"Ah! Forgive me, it looks like I got too excited. You see, I'm interested in being a knight," She told me as she gaze at the sky.

"A knight?"

"Yes. You know, a knight that fights for their family and their country. Unlike the normal military soldier, you need a high level of skill and strength in order to become a knight. I want to be one of them," She uttered as she stretch her hand to the skies.

"Like her, the commander of the royal knights of the Astellia Kingdom, Griselda the 'Untouchable Lightning'. I want to be her. Strong, beautiful, Adored, and respected. And she's a woman, you know? Just like us!" She grabbed my shoulders and she shakes them as she excitedly explain about her idol.

She continue to tell me excitedly about her idol, her legends, the rumors about her, and the tales she heard about her from the bards.

And just like that, I got infected by her passion.

With her influence, I'm allowed to leave the house often to accompany her, and the both of us are trained to be knights together.

We got enrolled in the military academy in the kingdom, and I found out that there are two other girls that were infected by lady Wilhelmina's passion.

The four of us were very famous back then. Even though the four of us are girls, all of the top ranks were filled with our names in every aspect either practical or theoretical classes. We spent our youth to our fullest in the military academy. and when the academy made a joint curriculum with the Astellia Kingdom, we got more friends.

There, I found my first love and experienced my first relationship.

Julius Tergimand, the eldest son of Count Tergimand of the Astellia Kingdom.

I was enchanted by his straightfullness, strength, and kindness. He reminds me of lady Wilhelmina.

It was like a series of blessings. Meeting Lady Wilhelmina, enrolling at the military academy, having a relationship with a strong person, graduating as top knights of the academy, and making lots of achievements for the kingdom.

But as expected, life is not generous enough to give a series of happiness without any turbulence.

At the time when Alice, Emilia, and I got assigned to fight together with the Astellia Kingdom to take part in the great war of the plains, lady Wilhelmina was ordered by her father to remain in the kingdom in case of anything bad happened to the kingdom.

As if answering the bad feeling of the Marquess, the bad news arrived.

Right at the moment after we successfully defeated the army of the eastern countries, the news about the fall of the Kasmira Kingdom entered our ears.

They said that the reason for the loss is because they are not defending with our full strength since part of our forces are fighting together with the Astellian, the Verandia Kingdom from the west of the Kasmira Kingdom seized the opportunity to conquer the kingdom.

Since the actual treaty between the two kingdoms at that moment was a treaty of peace, the sudden break of the agreement caught the kingdom by surprise. Everything was destroyed and the Verandia Kingdom took all of the lands as their own.

The Marquess house defended the kingdom until their last breath, they said that the reason of why there are lots of casualties from the opponent's side is because of the Marquess house's resistance.

The Marquess and the whole family died, and their bodies were found slashed, thrust with spears, and other tragic ends. But lady Wilhelmina's body was never found.

As knights that had just lost our homeland, we appeal to the Astellia Kingdom to retaliate, but when they did, it only increase the amount of their land.

Nothing would return from our home.

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---3rd Person PoV---

"Because of that, the three of us decided to embark on a journey and went from place to place in search of the lady. We believe that she's hiding, or maybe got abducted and sold to a slave merchant since her body was never found," (Surena)

"The land of our kingdom that was retained from the Astellia Kingdom was only 1/4 of the land, and they suddenly made a peace treaty with that kingdom. They knew from the start that the Verandia Kingdom will invade our kingdom, yet they remain oblivious to it..." (Alice)

The face of the three of them darkens as they grit their teeth in rage at the dark memory.

(So that's the reason for their hostility with the Astellian, huh... The Dancing Gale broke up with that knight captain after that incident too, I guess? No wonder I felt something is off with them as a mercenary, so they really were knights, huh...) (Lyan)

"I see. Sorry for forcing you to open an old scar, but I believe that that information is necessary for me," (Lyan)

Lyan didn't give any words of consolation nor attempt to comfort them. It's not like it will offend them if he does so, but he believes that showing them pity is not an appropriate response for knights like them since pitying them will only hurt their pride even more.

(Knights, huh...) (Lyan)

"The promise I made with my former master happened before we embark to the Astellia Kingdom with the army, I guess she must have also noticed of the upcoming danger. But because of so, I will fulfill my promise to her to the bitter end," Surena gazed straight into Lyan with an unwavering pair of eyes.

(Justice, straightforwardness, and noble reason. What a troublesome thing to carry) (Lyan)

"Then this is my first command to the three of you," (Lyan)

The three of them stands as they heard about the upcoming order. Firmly, Lyan lay out his first command to his Valkyries.

"Continue your search for your former master, and find her. Do whatever you want, but heed to my call whenever I need you, that's all," (Lyan)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Gold-ranked Mercenary

Money: 49,722,400 Elnes

Weapon: None

Equipment: Black leather cloak, Leather Armor, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials

Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime, Galewing Butterfly, Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly, Ice Golem (Lv. 50)

Grimoire's Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army