To be honest, when Duke saw this face, he didn’t think of the Samir from *Wonder Woman*, but rather the communications soldier from another movie, *G.I.
Joe: The Rise of Cobra*.
Although the movie was already a decade old, Duke couldn’t remember his name.
But he was a highly efficient communications expert; with him in the command center, they could ensure smooth communication and ultimately achieve victory.
In both of these roles, he was the smart, smooth-talking type.
A follower?
That was definitely worth considering.
After all, living in this strange world a hundred years ago, he still needed a “local” to act as a guide.
“Hey—System, can magic be passed on to others?”
The System fell silent for a moment before speaking: [Yes, Host, but this System does not recommend you do so.]
“Ah, why?”
This was a purely mental conversation, unknown to outsiders.
[This System must consider the Host’s privacy and security.]
“I see… Then there should be a compromise, right?”
Duke was still a naive and honest man.
After all, he hadn’t been transmigrated for long and still held the mindset of a dutiful university student.
He considered himself a good person.
Although he could deceive Samir—using the excuse of “testing” him, and then “testing” him for a lifetime, leaving Samir with no choice—he still believed in the principle of effort and reward.
He couldn’t bring himself to deceive anyone just yet.
*[It is recommended that the Host impart knowledge to followers with a loyalty level of 90 or above.]*
“90?”
*[Yes, Host. Loyalty below 90 carries a risk of betrayal. Once loyalty reaches 90, they will never betray you unless subjected to powerful mental control.]*
“I see. So how do I check their loyalty?”
*[The Host killed 42 German soldiers today, including 2 sergeants, earning a total of 326 Talent Points.
Additionally, you have acquired the talents [Pistol: Minor Achievement] and [Rifle: Proficient].
You have sufficient Talent Points to search for [Eye of Truth] under the ‘Magic Category’ in the Store.]*
Duke didn’t rush to buy the spell.
Instead, he asked curiously, “How are these levels calculated?”
*Minor Achievement*, *Proficient*…
He hadn’t expected the System to be such a literary youth.
*No, a literary little sister.*
The voice was quite neutral, but Duke automatically assigned the System a female gender.
『There are five levels in total: Initial Glimpse, Minor Achievement, Proficient, Masterful, and Peak.』
*So artsy,* he thought.
*Well, it’s basically Early, Mid, Late, Peak, and Perfection.*
Few soldiers on the battlefield used pistols anymore; most carried rifles.
A [Rifle: Proficient] rating was normal.
It probably dropped from one of those two sergeants, right?
While Duke was still “thinking,” Samir remained half-kneeling, his heart pounding with the fear of rejection. This story is hosted at g.com.
If he were actually refused… he would truly be living a fate worse than death.
Having glimpsed the mysteries of the magical world, he certainly wouldn’t choose to “return empty-handed from the mountain of treasures.”
*Almighty God, bless me!*
The [Eye of Truth] was easy to find.
Only the Talents that could be exchanged were lit up; all other skills that exceeded his current Talent Points were grayed out.
*300 Talent Points?*
*Damn it, I’ll take it.*
Duke had discovered that the Eye of Truth could see more than just “loyalty.” It had other uses, such as seeing through enemy disguises, identifying enemy weaknesses, and so on.
『It is recommended that the Host does not purchase too many spell skills at this stage.』
“Why?”
“The ‘Talent Magic’ you won from the draw is a passive growth type. It will automatically level up as your rank increases. However, spells purchased from the Store, as well as Talents acquired from external sources, require you to spend Talent Points to level them up. Spells bought from the Store are locked to your rank at the time of purchase. For example, [Eye of Truth] is currently at Peak Heroic Rank.”
“Damn it! System, you screwed me!”
“The Host did not ask.”
“I…”
*Forget it, forget it.
No use getting angry.
The Eye of Truth is still useful, anyway.
It’s just a shame I can’t use it for ‘X-ray vision’…”*
*Otherwise, hehehehe…* (Sly grin)
“So you’re saying the current Eye of Truth can only see through people with strength below Peak Heroic Rank?”
“Correct, Host.”
*This is bullshit…
I feel like I’ve been nerfed instantly.*
*If their strength is lower than mine, do I even need to look?
Hmm…
But then again, if they’re stronger than me, what’s the point of looking?
I can’t beat them anyway.*
“This restriction is too damn annoying! Is this even useful anymore?”
“This is for the Host’s safety. If the target is stronger than the Host, there is a high probability they will notice the Host spying on them, which would pose an uncontrollable risk to the Host.”
“Uh… alright.”
The System was just trying to help, though its logic was pure “Ah Q spirit”—a classic case of sour grapes.
『Furthermore, Host can only teach Talent Magic that they have already learned to their followers.
You cannot buy new spells from the Store to teach directly (though you can teach them after learning them yourself), nor can you grant Talents acquired from killing enemies.
However… there are no such restrictions on magic items from the Store.
Additionally, a follower’s magic can only be cultivated starting from the “Mortal” rank, and their maximum achievement can be no higher than one major rank below the Host.』
In other words, if Duke didn’t advance his own rank, Samir could only reach the Peak Elite level at most, after which he would be unable to improve further.
(Power Ranks: Cannon Fodder → Mortal → Elite → Hero → Legendary → Demigod → Main God) Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
After finishing his conversation with the System, Duke used [Eye of Truth] to scan Samir.
*Loyalty: 60%.*
*Just as I thought.*
*It’s impossible to start at 90%, right?
60% is a passing grade.*
He turned to Diana.
“Do you think I should take him in?”
In an instant, all eyes converged on them.
While Duke was chatting with the System, everyone at the bonfire party turned to look.
After all, Samir’s behavior was too conspicuous.
Although the world had entered the modern era, there were still many who recognized the titles of nobility, knights, and the spirit of followers that had been passed down since the Middle Ages.
Samir swallowed hard, turning his eager gaze to the Female Knight.
Whether he succeeded or not depended on her next word.
“Asking me?” Diana looked confused.
“Why are you asking me?”
“You know, I’m from the East. I’m not very familiar with your culture here… Give me a suggestion,” Duke said with a smile.
Samir finally realized the problem.
The man wasn’t European; there was a cultural gap.
This was a yellow-skinned mage from the East.
*Wait, are there mages in the East too?*
“My suggestion… my suggestion is that you can take him as a follower.” Diana glanced at Samir, and seeing the plea in his eyes, she finally decided to help him out.
She had a decent impression of Samir.
“Alright! Since Diana vouched for you, I’ll grant you this favor. I’ll take you in.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Samir’s face lit up with excitement.
He shot to his feet, bowing repeatedly to the two of them.
“Alright, don’t get carried away,” Duke warned, his voice turning cold.
“Since you’ve chosen to become a follower, you must understand that if you ever betray me…”
Under Duke’s frigid gaze, Samir flinched visibly.
He quickly slapped his chest in a gesture of oath-taking.
“I understand! I swear in the name of God—”
“Enough, enough. God has nothing to do with my business,” Duke said, waving a hand to cut Samir off.
“As for whether you’ll actually be taught magic, you’ll have to pass a series of rigorous tests. If you don’t meet the standards, you may never be able to practice magic in your entire life. If you have regrets, now is the time to back out.”
“I… I have no regrets!”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure!” Samir nodded firmly.
“Good. Take this. Consider it a gift for becoming my disciple—or rather, a registered apprentice.”