Chapter 23: To Become the Lord's Man

Aquilles has been busy those days. He was frequently visiting Peracles to learn how to act correctly for Oedipus' homage, he did his usual training as a knight and he started to learn how to manage his household. During these months since he was elevated to the upperclass of the common people he has been dependable on Constantine's servants to care for his horses, maintain his weapons and armors and on having Helena take care of the domestic labours.

-Achilles, are you alright? It's really not that difficult being a witness, you just need to say that you witnessed the oath and then stay quiet for the most part.

Peracles was getting worried, Achilles was learning well, even if he was clearly getting more dismotivated each time. Achilles was more nervous of the day than anything, he was, after all, but a common peasant. It was a surprise that Oedipus had appointed him as witness, Achilles wondered why, a noble doing such thing would surely damage his reputation and honor.

Peracles, approached Achilles who was sitting, looking to the ceiling, with a tired expression, on the bench. Peracles sitted beside him.

-What?

-Nah, just thinking. You really appeared out of nowhere.

-Heh, you think it's not even more weird to me?

*chucles*

-You might be right. It has been less than two months, but somehow it feels like a long time.

-I mean, I did bring you around everywhere to learn how to fight. Even when you didn't want to.

-You were really annoying at first, you know that?

-I guess...

Achilles and Peracles looked at each other, laughing and remembering the past month or so.

-But you really worked hard, someday you might even get some title and honors, even more so with that luck of yours.

-Luck? I feel more like it's the Gods trying to confuse me.

-Really? Let's see, you saved the young master, then you gained a modest fortune and bacame a squire, becaming a favorite of the young master. Then you meet Lord Oedipus, who is from a pretigious and honorable family, who also took a liking to you. You got a lot of powerful people that favours you.

Peracles grabbed Achilles' head and touched their foreheads together.

In this world, touching one's foreheand with another's is seen as a gesture of affinity, companionship and such. It really depends on the relationship between the two parties. In this case Peracles is encouraging Achilles, and in a way deepening their relationship.

Achilles grabs Preacles' forehead in response, both close their eyes.

-So don't give up, yeah?

-Hmm

Days come and go, swords swing and parry, oaths and speeches are rehearsed.

A man, about 1,90 meters tall prepares his clothes, his hair is a reddish brown, his eyes reflect the light from the sun. He wears a red shirt with black striped paterns in one side and white with yellow dotted patern on the other. He wears a plain white cape over his shoulders. His pants are tight around his legs colored black with white floral patern. If looked with the eyes of a person from Alex's former world it would look stupid, but for this world this is the clothes a weathy man would use in an important event.

In the Cathedral there are ten people on each side, each with different clothes, each more flashy than the other.

Enters at grand halls a young man, black haired, he was about 1,80 meters tall, his beard was shaved as a sign of respect. All in the hall were weaponsless and without any kind of headware, their beards shaved as well.

The young man goes to the end of the hall, where he meets another man, he was aged, gray hair growing in his head, contrary to the others he had a full grown beard and he wore a circlet around his head. The old man wore robes made from the finnest silk, painted blue and red. His cape was colored a blue so deep that one could think it's purple if looked from afar.

The young man, Oedipus kneeled before the old man, Constantine, and grasped his own hands together and raised it to Constantine, who grasped the hands that were presented to him.

A long oath was dictated, asking if Oedipus would protect and fight for Constantine and if he would always be loyal and work as a servant and vassal for him, promissed in the name of god Astro Helios, and his life and blood. Oedipus swore and received protection from Constantine in return.

Contantine took a sword that was clearly ceremonial touched Oedipus shoulders. Then all the twenty witnesses raised one hand and put the other on their chest, and said in unison that the oath was authentic, and that god approved the contract and that from here one Oedipus was a man of Constantine.

From here on Oedipus would serve as a man of Constantine. Achilles did one more step into the world of the honorable and prestigious. Constantine got one more loyal vassal.