Chapter 87: Award Ceremony (3)

Chapter 87: Award Ceremony (3)

The Knight Commander of the Imperial Knight Order.

Likely the strongest swordsman on the continent and the Emperors protector.

An idol among all knights.

The Sword Saint.

With the sudden appearance of such a prominent figure, all the nobles watching fell silent.

No one dared to make even the slightest noise or breathe too loudly.

It was inevitable.

The aura emanating from the Knight Commander was sharp as a blade, making people instinctively shrink back.

The Knight Commander reiterated with emphasis,

Draw that sword, and youre a dead man.

The knight whose wrist was seized turned deathly pale.

He struggled to find his voice and managed to squeak out,

Y-you mean to kill me if I draw my sword? Are you siding with this heretic now?

What?

The Knight Commander was momentarily taken aback before he burst out laughing.

Haha! You seem to have misunderstood me. Why would I kill you?

Th-Then

The Knight Commander pointed towards Dale and said,

If you draw your sword, that fellow there will kill you. You wont last even ten exchanges. On a day meant for the glorious medal award ceremony, it wouldnt be right to spill blood over a petty squabble, would it? Unless

After taking a deep breath, the Knight Commander continued,

Surely, you didnt think you could win? Please tell me thats not the case. If the caliber of knights has fallen this low, the future of the empire looks quite bleak.

The young knight was unable to say anything, in retort. He simply hung his head and trembled.

The Knight Commander then stated,

Lets leave it at that for today. Apologize and lets end this. As I said before, its not ideal to spill blood on such a fine day. Consider this a favor, just this once, for my sake.

The Knight Commander turned to Dale and said that.

Dale whose agitation had waned at the sudden interruption replied bluntly.

It doesnt seem like were in any position to be doing each other favors, especially since weve only met today.

!

!

The knights and nobles listening in were shocked.

To speak back to the Knight Commander with such audacity.

If there was even a shred of fear, such behavior would be impossible!

Then, from within the crowd, a knight brandishing a sword burst forth and exclaimed,

How dare you spout such insolence to our master, you impudent bastard!

Master?

The one who had shouted was a young female knight. By referring to the commander as her master, it was clear she was his disciple.

The disciple seemed ready to draw her sword at any moment. However, the Knight Commander himself simply laughed heartily.

Hahaha! Indeed. A knight should have such a spirit.

M-Master?

The Knight Commander then addressed Dale,

My apologies. It seems I was too caught up in my own thoughts. Youre seeing me for the first time, but in truth, I have seen you before. That who was it again?

When the Knight Commander looked towards his disciple for an answer, she immediately responded,

Sir Kristen.

Ah, yes. That fight you had with Kristen. I saw your duel. And I must admit, I was impressed. Your technique might be lacking a bit, but you certainly know how to fight. Its been a while since I felt my blood stir like that.

The Knight Commanders words caused an even greater stir among the onlookers.

Especially among the knights and aspiring knights. They were all shocked.

They knew how strict the Knight Commander was even with his own knights and how sparing he was with praise.

There was a well-known story in the upper echelons about a knight who burst into tears the first time he received a well done from the commander.

To catch the eye of such a Knight Commander.

The knights looked at Dale with even greater envy.

Dale, for his part, looked to be indifferent.

What is it you want to say?

Lets leave it at that for today. Stirring up trouble will do you no good. Even if he looks like that, he comes from a well-known family. And you? Why havent you apologized yet?

The Knight Commander spoke to the young knight who had picked a fight with Dale.

The knight lowered his head with a humiliated face.

I-Im sorry.

It was clearly a forced apology.

But Dale nodded his head and accepted it just the same.

He had no interest in further complications.

The heroes departure from the city to the front lines had, in one way or another, involved the Emperors influence.

Now, he was assembling his own guards.

But why?

The Emperor already commanded a vast army.

Yet, he seemed to desire more loyal soldiers at his command.

Is he not content with what he has?

Could it be that the Emperor felt threatened?

For now, Dale lacked enough information to make a judgment.

After a lengthy wait, Dales turn finally arrived.

The lower-ranking noble announced,

Dale, a bronze-badge mercenary and a knight who serves the Goddess of Night! Sir Dale, step forward!

Dale strode confidently towards the front.

The noble swallowed his apprehension at Dales approach and proclaimed,

Dale, you have vanquished the servant of Arghul, Hasina, and as a mercenary, you successfully neutralized various threats to our city and saved countless lives. Furthermore, for your valor in defeating the resurrected Ganiagos in Kaelum before it could regain full strength, we hereby bestow upon you the Golden Sword Medal.

The Marquis extended the golden sword-shaped medal to Dale after receiving it from the noble.

Are you Sir Dale? Ive heard a lot about you. Your efforts this time were truly commendable. Had Kaelum fallen, it would have spelled disaster for the empire.

Dale nodded his head silently in response.

The Marquis continued,

Take it. The Golden Sword Medal is not awarded lightly. This means that His Majesty himself has taken note of your performance.

I will accept it with gratitude.

Dale reached out to accept the medal when suddenly, the Marquis grasped his hand firmly.

There was a strong force in the Marquiss grip.

Their gazes met.

And then he whispered in a voice that only Dale could hear.

What are your thoughts on the Empire and His Majesty?

Dale furrowed his brow.

It was an unexpected question.

Rumors of the Emperor planning to form his personal imperial guards flitted through his mind.

Is this a test?

If so, Dale had no intention of scoring well.

He had little interest in something like the Emperors personal guards.

Dale responded briefly,

I have no particular thoughts.

The Marquis was caught off guard and stammered,

. But surely, you must feel something.

Perhaps.

Dale cast a glance around him. Suddenly, as the two of them whispered among themselves, the nobles looked on with puzzled expressions.

The Marquis seemed determined not to let the matter drop without getting an answer. Dale opened his mouth once again.

It seems to be in a dangerous state.

You mean the Empire? In what way?

In many ways.

Hmm.

The Marquiss face became inscrutable at Dales response.

If it seems that way, its probably because we were unscrupulous and did not serve His Majesty properly. I appreciate your opinion. Thank you for your opinion. And congratulations again. If you wear that medal on your chest, people will look up to you.

Dale thought that was unlikely.

Even with a shiny medal on his chest, Dale would still be considered a heretic in the eyes of the people.

I should head back as soon as this is over.

He was eager to leave this tedious setting.

However, as if reading Dales mind, the Marquis spoke up.

There will be a banquet following this. It will be the most lavish and magnificent youve ever seen, so I hope you enjoy yourself.

I

Dale intended to decline outright.

However, the Marquis quickly continued,

And during the banquet, we plan to make a rather important announcement. It would be in your best interest to hear it. So, do not rush off; instead, enjoy the banquet at your leisure.

Couldnt you just tell me now?

Haha. Sir is better at making jokes than one might think.

No, Im not joking

After a burst of laughter, the Marquis waved his hand dismissively.

It was a clear signal to stop the back-and-forth and wait.

Dale sighed inwardly.

It seemed leaving early might not be an option after all.