Vol. 1 - Ch. 5 - A Dazzling Sight

The next day was the day of departure.Emily rode in the carriage leaving the Buckman's house. Emily's parents and servants came to see her off. Emily was on good terms with her servants, mainly because of her personality. Many people were celebrating her departure. 

Maria, the young maid of honor, who had been so beloved by Emily, took her hand and spoke to her. Then Emily's parents embraced their daughter with red, puffy eyes. 

It had become a well-known fact that she had attained the greatest level of magical power, and of course her parents knew this. Their eyes were full of pride for their daughter. 

My parents were there as well, but they would not speak to me. They simply looked at me with cold eyes. 

I guess they are not here to see me off, but to make sure I am indeed leaving the house. I tried to get on the carriage and stopped for a moment. I probably won't be coming back here. 

Although I had to leave like this, I was happy for the last 15 years. My childhood with Emily and Felicia was definitely full of good memories. 

I looked up at the house, overcome with mixed emotions, and saw a figure looking at me from one of the windows. 

It was Felicia. She was staring at me from her room. 

I'm sorry. I returned her gaze with that thought in mind. I have put her through a lot of trouble because of the change of the next head of the family. But I am sure she will be fine. My sister is brilliant after all.

I heard a sharp cracking sound. It was the sound of my mother's slap on my cheek. 

"Don't you dare look at Felicia, the next head of our family, with the filthy gaze of a man not loved by the Goddess! Shame on you!" she screamed, shaking.

"....I apologize." I said back.

My mother had tears in the corners of her eyes and her voice was trembling. She cherished and loved her son, as all mothers do. She truly believed in his bright future. And yet, he betrayed her. At least that's how they felt. In fact, that's how everyone in this country felt. 

My father held my trembling mother's shoulder and told her,

"Next year, Felicia will be a knight, don't worry." he said solemnly. "Yes..." she replied back.

With that, I got into the carriage. Naturally, my parents did not say a word. The carriage with me and Emily on board started for the headquarters of the Fifth Order. 

I was so happy to see her. Inside the carriage, we were silent for a while. But then, perhaps unable to bear the silence any longer, Emily began to speak to me. We had a long, halting conversation, which led us to the night before our departure. I had lost the right to inherit the family title. In other words, I was disinherited. When I told her this, Emily looked shocked. 

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I was told clearly. The next owner is Felicia." I replied.

Emily seemed very upset. 

"I'm sorry, Emily." I said to her,

"Why are you sorry?" She replied back.

"For breaking off the engagement. I'm sorry for the mess I've made of your life." She looked lost for a moment, and then asked, "You broke off the engagement...why? 

"I hate to admit it, but that's what was bound to happen anyway." I replied.

Needless to say Emily was just so upset that she couldn't think straight. Emily was to join the next head of the Buckman family, and since I'm no longer the next head, my engagement is gone as well.

"But... but! Because! I'm with Rolf...!" She struggled to find the words.

"I'm sorry. I didn't receive any magical power." I said.

"Rolf..."

Emily's eyes were getting wet with tears. I was surprised. She must also have strong faith. And yet, she didn't hate me, the traitor of God. I was grateful to her for that at least.

But, I felt sorry for being the cause of her tears. More sorry than I had ever felt for disobeying my parents' expectations.

The carriage then pulled closer to the headquarters of the Fifth Order.

When the carriage passed through the main gate, we found ourselves in a large training square. It seemed that all the members of the Order would sometimes gather in this square, therefore it was quite large. 

The training plaza was surrounded by a large wall, and in front of it was a large brick building. 

Of the five knightly orders protecting the kingdom, the Fifth Order is the lowest in the pecking order, but the headquarters building was magnificent. 

A man in his early thirties stepped up to the podium in front of the inductees. 

"Welcome, young lions! I, Bert Tarian, Commander of the Fifth Order, welcomes you." He was young for a commander. But the Fifth Order is more of a place where children of noble families come to be knighted and make a career out of it. Therefore, a young leader like that is not so uncommon. 

"It is a great pleasure to welcome you here today and to stand with you as swords of the kingdom." 

Commander Tarian is also a nobleman. His tone was undoubtedly aristocratic. The splendid silver armor that he donned caught my attention. 

Silver is the best conductor of magic power. Therefore, swords and armor made out of silver are extremely useful pieces of equipment when magic power is passed through them. In the Order of the Knights, silver equipment is given to all officers above the rank of commander. The beauty of the equipment, as well as its performance, is admired by all of the members of the Order.  sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴøᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

But I, who has no magic power, have nothing to do with it. 

"For the king, for the people! For your family, for your neighbors! We fight demons with our lives! That is our duty! Remember that from this day until the day you die!" With these words, Commander Tarian's speech ended. 

After that, he explained the headquarters facilities. 

On the first floor of the headquarters, there were several training grounds and a staff room for each unit, and it seemed that most of the time was spent in this area. The cafeteria and bathrooms are also on the first floor. On the second floor, there is a reference room and a meeting room, as well as a large room where corps members were to sleep, and on the third floor, there are private rooms for unit commanders and above. 

General members were not allowed to enter the third floor without permission. In addition, there is a blacksmithing facility and a simple store in a separate building. It seems that we can live in the headquarters without going out into the city. 

Tomorrow morning, we were told to gather at the training plaza and disbanded for the first day. They were going to hold an enrollment ceremony. 

"Um... I guess I'll See you later in the dining room, Rolf." Said Emily.

"Okay." I replied.

After promising to have dinner together, Emily went to the women's dorm room. But that night, Emily was not to be seen in the dining hall.

The next morning, the new members lined up in the training square. But Emily was nowhere to be seen. The new members were told that they would be assigned to their respective units at the enrollment ceremony. 

However, it does not mean that they will become knights at the place of assignment. All new members of the order follow senior knights as squires and learn the basics of knighthood. 

The ceremony began, and a well-dressed male nobleman stepped up to the podium.

It was the Marquis of Norden. The headquarters of the Fifth Order was within his domain. He is the one who is given the responsibility of managing the Fifth Order and its budget by the kingdom.

He seems to visit the headquarters of the Order several times a year. Today is one of those times, and he comes every year on the day of the enrollment ceremony to give instructions. 

Fortunately, the Marquis was not the type to talk long, and the instruction was brief. 

After the ceremony, the assignment was supposed to be announced, but the deputy commander, who was conducting the enrollment ceremony, uttered words that everyone did not expect to hear.

"We will continue with the ordination ceremony." Following this declaration, the Marquis on the stage said in a high voice, 

"I will treat you, who belong to the Order entrusted to me by His Majesty, with due respect. Those who excel will be given the treatment they deserve. I want you to know that." 

The knights then urge a girl to come up on the stage. 

It was Emily. 

"One of the new members, Emily Melness, received the secret of the Singso and showed the highest amount of magical power in the Fifth Order. In honor of her power, I knight her today." 

The new members of the Order were in an uproar. It was unusual for her to be knighted in her first year without having graduated as an acolyte. 

With that, I was relieved to find out why Emily had been out of sight since last night. She had been told of her knighthood and was preparing for it. 

Those who are to be knighted must take a bath the night before to cleanse themselves, and then spend the night with swords in both hands. This was the customary practice of the Royal Order of Knights. 

Emily's expression was hard and she seemed quite nervous. She knelt down and presented the sword in her hand to the Marquis. 

The Marquis received the sword, pulled it out of its scabbard, and held it vertically in his hand. He then struck Emily three times on the shoulder with the belly of the sword. 

The sword tapping style of ordination used to be used for short-form ordination on the battlefield, but the knightly order has always been in the fight against demons, and this style of ordination has been used for peacetime ordination as well. 

Remembering this, I looked at Emily standing up as she received the sword from the Marquis. She looked anxiously around the line of new members as if looking for someone, then looked down and put her sword on her hip. 

Emily became a knight. She had easily become what I had longed for. 

It might have been my imagination but, she felt a little far away.