The Sovereign System.

[Name: Kayson Diego]

[Subordinate Tier: Epic]

[Stats: N/A]

[User cannot see the stats of those who are not subordinates.]

'Epic tier?! What a score!' Luke exclaimed inwardly, trying to hide his excitement. His butler, Sebastian, was also an epic-tier subordinate. While Luke didn't fully understand the significance of the classification, it was certainly better than being common.

But before he could get ahead of himself, a red flashing window appeared before him.

[Warning. User cannot accept a subordinate with such a low Loyalty rating.]

Luke froze, his eyes locked on the window. His earlier elation quickly gave way to a cold dose of disappointment. All he could think was 'Why?'

As if to answer his question, another window appeared, catching him off guard.

[A Sovereign does not need petty tricks to secure a subordinate. Only those worthy and willing may have the honor of serving a Sovereign.]

'You piece of shit! I don't care about your damn standards.' Luke screamed inwardly, feeling cheated. This was an Epic-tier subordinate they were talking about—the Viscount's son, no less.

A bitter taste entered his mouth as he tried to swallow back his frustration. It felt like completing a quest in a game, only to discover that the reward wasn't usable by his class.

While Luke seethed, Kayson across from him appeared to be going through his own turmoil. His shoulders drooped, his defeat glaringly obvious, and his expression was that of a man who had just swallowed a fly.

"Luke Drakon, I am a man of my word," Kayson said, standing up from his chair and walking around the table. There was reluctance in his movements, a stark contrast to his usual confident demeanor.

The crowd hushed, as if they were waiting for the stakes of the game to be revealed. None of them had been present when the challenge was issued, so this was the moment of reckoning.

Kayson stood before Luke, who was still absorbed in his own crisis.

"As I said, from this moment on—"

"Our differences are now behind us," Luke interrupted, shooting up from his chair with surprising speed. He quickly stopped Kayson from kneeling and declaring his loyalty as a new subordinate.

A confused expression crept onto Kayson's face, clearly not understanding the turn of events. His confusion only deepened when he saw the pained expression on Luke's face.

"As we discussed earlier," Luke said smoothly, gesturing toward the onlookers, "If I won, we'd reconcile our differences."

Thankfully, Kayson seemed to catch on, though his expression didn't exactly inspire confidence. It wasn't until Kayson hesitated and shook his head that Luke could breathe a sigh of relief.

"My lords, the food will be served in a few minutes," a maid suddenly appeared, drawing everyone's attention.

Luke leaned in, whispering to Kayson, his voice low but urgent. "Let's have a discussion before lunch."

Kayson didn't have time to respond before Luke made his way out of the living area toward his room. On the outside, he remained calm, but inwardly, he was cursing.

'Stupid fucking system. I beat him fair and square, and you're trying to take this away from me?'

But there was nothing he could do except clench his fists and suppress his anger. He had a plan in mind for what he wanted to discuss with Kayson.

Upon reaching his room, Luke took a few deep breaths, calming himself. While he could have secured Kayson as a subordinate without the system's interference, there was still a part of him that hesitated.

For the system to single out Kayson's loyalty as too low, there had to be a reason. After all, what was to stop Kayson from plotting behind his back? His honor?

Luke almost scoffed at the thought.

Even if Kayson kept his word, what would his father, the City Lord, think of such a shameful arrangement? Would he just sit back while his youngest heir was ordered around by a mere commoner? Unlikely.

It wasn't long before Kayson appeared, closing the door behind him with a pensive expression.

"I take it you didn't want me to declare my subservience in front of the others, to prevent word from getting back to my father?" Kayson said, his tone filled with reluctant acceptance.

"Don't be ridiculous," Luke quipped, his tone harsher than he'd intended. Realizing his mistake, he cleared his throat and tried to calm himself.

He approached Kayson, stopping only when he was a few feet away. From this close, the difference in their appearances was undeniable.

The guy was just too handsome. His symmetrical face, luxurious hair, and commanding presence were a sharp reminder of Luke's own perceived inadequacies. Though his current body wasn't ugly, comparing himself to Kayson felt like it would lead to depression.

Resisting the urge to slam his fist into the handsome face across from him, Luke let out a sigh and shook his head, his disappointment clear.

"Kayson. Do you think I need to trick and scheme people into becoming my subordinate?" Luke said wistfully.

Surprise followed by confusion flashed across Kayson's face, as if he hadn't expected such a question. Kayson didn't answer right away, likely unsure of how to respond without being disrespectful.

"I don't understand what you mean," Kayson finally said.

Luke placed his hand on the guy's shoulder and smiled softly, "Only those worthy and willing may have the honor of serving me."

The words seemed to freeze Kayson in place.

"W-What are you saying? That I'm not worthy of being your subordinate?" Kayson's brows furrowed in confusion.

Luke let out a hollow chuckle, turning his back to Kayson.

"When did I ever say you weren't worthy?"

The words hung in the air, followed by a heavy silence.

With his back turned, Luke's true feelings bubbled to the surface. His face twisted with regret, lamenting the cruel standards of the system. Still, he knew he couldn't let this opportunity slip.

If he couldn't secure Kayson as a subordinate, at least he needed to make him an ally. Only by leveraging his resources could he profit from this encounter.

Luke remained silent, watching Kayson from the corner of his eye, waiting for the next move.

"So, you're saying you don't want me as a subordinate because I'm unwilling?" Kayson's voice was tinged with veiled anger. "Do you think my honor is so poor that I would go back on my word over something so trivial?"

Luke spun around swiftly, his gaze locking onto Kayson's.

"Honor?" Luke asked calmly. "Tell me, what is your honor worth in the face of your father?"

Without waiting for an answer, he continued, his voice steady. "A Viscount directly appointed by the King to rule Clayton City—one of the most important strategic cities on our border. Do you think such a man would accept you taking a commoner as your master?"

"I… I'll tell—"

"Perhaps I was wrong about your capabilities, Kayson," Luke said, cutting him off. "Allow me to give you some advice. You may consider yourself a man of integrity, but what is integrity without merit?"

"Whose honor is worth more? Yours or your father's?"

Luke pressed on, each word causing Kayson's shoulders to droop further in defeat. No matter what he replied, there was no way to refute Luke's argument.

Finally, Luke let out a deep sigh. Seeing Kayson's posture sag, he realized he might have pushed him too far to prove his point.

"Let's drop the subject of you becoming my subordinate," Luke said, his tone softening as he placed a hand on Kayson's shoulder. "I don't question your honor, nor your integrity, Kayson—in fact, those are rare traits."

He continued, "Which is why, instead of a master-servant relationship… How about a friendship?"

Luke felt Kayson's body jolt slightly at the proposition before the teen raised his head. The vulnerability in his blue eyes was surprising, and with his handsome features, it made Luke feel strangely uncomfortable.

But Luke persisted, holding eye contact and doing his best to smile warmly.

'Why is he reacting like this? Does the guy have no friends or something?' Luke mused inwardly, trying to fight off the awkwardness of the moment.

As Kayson's eyes sparkled with hope, his lips parted slowly.

"Do you truly want to be my friend?"

Luke felt a wave of nausea, but he couldn't turn back now—not after everything he'd said.

"Of course. Who wouldn't want to call such a capable person their friend?"

There was a brief silence between them before Kayson's expression shifted. His vulnerability was replaced with something more resolute.

He shook his head, his gaze locking firmly with Luke's. "No, we are not friends…"

'HUH?! This bastard…' Luke cursed, his mind almost exploding with confusion. After all the carefully curated words he'd pulled out of his ass, Kayson was still being stubborn.

"We are brothers!" Kayson exclaimed, pulling Luke into a bear-like hug. The pressure from the embrace forced the air out of Luke's lungs, leaving him breathless and utterly confused.

'What. The. Fuck?'

The lack of oxygen coursing through his bloodstream made Luke's bewilderment worse as he tried to process how things had escalated so quickly. It wasn't until Kayson finally released him that Luke was able to draw a deep breath.

"From this point onward, if anyone has a problem with you, they'll have to answer to me," Kayson declared with a wide grin, his thumb pointing proudly to his chest.

As Luke struggled to regain his breath, Kayson's words washed over him like warm rays of sunshine breaking through a cold, gloomy night.

'This is great!' Luke exclaimed inwardly, a wave of elation sweeping over him. The goal of this conversation had been to bury the hatchet and put old grudges to rest, but the outcome was far better than he'd expected.

"And same to you, brother!" Luke replied, his grin wide and genuine. Of course, his declaration was less weighty than Kayson's, considering his status as a commoner, but he knew that wouldn't always be the case.

Kayson's smile grew even brighter, making him look more handsome. Luke felt his excitement grow dimmer as his perceived inadequacies resurfaced once more.

"How about we go get some food to celebrate?" Luke suggested, remembering he hadn't eaten all day.

"Well said, brother," Kayson responded, wrapping an arm around Luke's shoulders with the ease of a close friend. Together, they walked out of the room and into the living space, where their classmates watched them with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

Luke didn't blame them. After all, he had completely humiliated Kayson—not just in the duel, but also on the chessboard.

"Listen here," Kayson began, addressing the students with a firm voice. "Luke is now my brother. If anyone messes with him, you'll have to answer to me."

His words were met with silence, until Kayson barked, "Understood!?" The room was filled with nods and murmured agreements from the students.

Though they agreed outwardly, Luke couldn't help but notice the shock and confusion written across their faces. A wry smile crept onto his face in response—they were not alone, he also felt the situation was quite unexpected.

After all, the differences between commoners and nobles was like a large divide, even more so when considering Kayson's status as the Viscount's son.

Luke was then led to a table and seated across from Kayson like a small child on an outing with his big brother. He felt a sense of relief when a steaming bowl of soup, filled with tender meat and vegetables, was set in front of him. The aromatic scent filled the air.

'This will be okay, right?' Luke thought, his gaze drifting to Kayson, who was already digging into his food with little regard for etiquette. Despite his messy eating, the guy was as handsome as ever.

This wasn't the kind of relationship Luke had envisioned, but it felt far safer than taking Kayson as a subordinate and risking the wrath of the City Lord.

Now that he thought about it, not only had he gained a powerful ally, but he could also use Kayson's status as a shield. It was like receiving all the benefits without taking any of the risks.

For the first time since arriving in the Military Academy, he felt at ease.