Chapter 14
The day of the induction ceremony dawned beneath a cloudless, bone-dry sky.
I put on the knight's uniform I'd been issued yesterday and checked my reflection in the mirror in my room.
The Knights' uniform is based on blue, the color of ideals and sincerity, with black accents.
As a mark of the First Order, I fastened on a collar insignia bearing the black dragon, the royal crest.
"Wow... uniforms really make a difference. I feel like I look twenty percent cooler."
I gazed at my reflection with some satisfaction and struck a pose.
Then the mirror revealed a woman watching me with the look of someone staring at a foolish child.
"Ah! Knight Olga! I'm so sorry for subjecting you to something so unpleasant first thing in the morning!"
Olga handed me one of the cups filled with a hot drink and waved her free hand dismissively.
"I told you to call me Olga. If you call me 'Knight' again, I won't answer."
"...Understood, Olga."
"And no polite speech, either. We're just colleagues. Save it for people above you in rank, like captains and commanders. That's what everyone does."
"I underst—... Got it."
Darn. I'd stumbled over my words.
"Ha ha ha! You've been stumbling over your words a lot since yesterday!"
Olga and I had been assigned to the same dorm room.
Yesterday, when the Knights' entrance exam results were announced, members of the First through Sixth Orders who were to remain in the royal capital were allowed to move into the knights' dormitory.
The knights' dormitory was divided by gender and order. Everyone except those with official positions shared a room with one other person, and the baths and toilets were communal.
Olga, my roommate, was a tall female knight with ivory skin and yellow hair.
She was twenty-seven and in her twelfth year as a knight. Apparently, this was her second year in the First Order.
She was easygoing and treated even me, more than ten years her junior, as an equal.
"Ready to go? The rookies are supposed to gather early, aren't they?"
"Yeah! It might be a little early, but we don't want to get lost, so let's head over now."
I dashed out of the room and the First Order's women's dormitory, and found Fabian standing by the entrance.
When he noticed me, he smiled faintly and raised one hand.
...Eeeeeek!
The instant I caught sight of Fabian, I jumped in surprise.
In his blue-and-black knight's uniform, silver-haired Fabian was the very picture of a dazzling prince.
"Good morning, Fia. I was nervous about going alone, so I waited for you. Mind if we go together?"
"S-sorry! I was being so full of myself, thinking I looked twenty percent cooler in uniform!"
"...Huh?"
Fabian looked at me, puzzled, not understanding what I meant, but remembering myself from ten minutes ago made me want to crawl into a hole.
"Fia?"
"I mean, I got carried away with my knight's uniform! ...Seeing you brought me back to my senses."
"I see. I'm glad I could be of help."
Fabian smiled quizzically, but I was already completely deflated first thing in the morning.
I scolded myself for being so conceited as to think I looked even a little cool, then meekly followed Fabian toward the induction ceremony.
The induction ceremony was being held at the Knights' training grounds inside the royal castle. In addition to the 200 newly inducted knights, the commanders and deputy commanders of every order, as well as all members of the First through Sixth Orders stationed in the royal capital, were expected to attend.
The program had three main parts: ① an address from the Commander-in-Chief, ② a speech by a representative of the new knights, and ③ a demonstration match between a representative of the new knights and one of the existing knights.
Apparently, no one was told in advance who would be chosen for ② and ③; they would be called on without warning during the ceremony.
Yeah, that's impossible for a chicken like me...
And yet, I'd somehow gone and prepared a speech in my head, which made me wonder if I was a little too full of myself...
The new knights were to stand in formation in the center of the grounds, so I waited at attention with the other rookies.
Knights from each order began arriving one after another, forming an oval around the new recruits. Each of the First through Sixth Orders apparently had around 200 members, so there would be about 1,200 of them in all... and the knights who gathered were an overwhelming sight.
Even from a distance, I could tell that each one was an exceptional knight.
They had well-trained bodies, wore knight's uniforms or armor, and had swords at their waists.
Just when it seemed everyone had arrived, nearly fifty more knights entered.
They wore white knight's uniforms, which only deputy commanders and those of higher rank were permitted to wear, symbolizing trust and integrity.
They looked powerfully built, and their presence was different. It felt as if the air had suddenly grown heavier.
The crowd had been murmuring, but before I knew it, silence had fallen. Not even a cough could be heard.
Just as the tension reached its peak, one knight entered.
Though more than a thousand people had gathered, I could hear the sound of his boots striking the ground with each step.
The grounds fell silent.
His presence was extraordinary, but what made him seem all the more extraordinary was the way the knights around him treated him.
They said he had continued to produce tangible results in the form of victories and successes.
That was reflected in the other knights' behavior as absolute, unquestioning obedience.
From the commanders to the ordinary knights, whenever he passed before them, they bowed their heads as if they couldn't bear to look him directly in the eye.
It spread throughout the entire grounds, until I realized he was the only one still holding his head up.
―――Commander-in-Chief of the Nav Kingdom's Black Dragon Knights, Savis Nav.
Through his very presence, he held terrifying sway over the Knights.
"First, let us rejoice together that new comrades have joined us."
Commander-in-Chief Savis climbed onto the platform and began his address in a resonant, sonorous voice.
Everyone present strained to hear every single word.
There was no doubt that his voice and appearance played a part in the deification of Commander-in-Chief Savis.
His well-honed muscles and impressive height were clad in a white knight's uniform that fell to his knees, longer than those worn by the other knights. It was accented in black and gold, and a black cape with vivid crimson lining hung from one shoulder.
His hair, gleaming black like the cape, was a little long and reached his nape; beneath his bangs, black eyes the same color as his hair shone.
A prominent brow, obsidian eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips combined to create a beauty beyond compare, but perhaps his most distinctive feature was the black eyepatch covering his right eye.
A one-eyed man.
...And yet that feature did not detract from his appeal in the slightest.
If anything, it seemed to add another layer of charm, casting a shadow over his otherwise perfect beauty...
"We vow to live simply, remain chaste, and be loyal. We will plunder no one, exclude no one, and bow to no one. We will uphold the Ten Commandments of Knighthood and devote every last drop of our blood to this kingdom and its people. ...All beneath heaven and earth stand with the Nav Kingdom's Black Dragon Knights!"
His voice rolled through the grounds like a wave, striking every knight there.
The knights chanted in unison, pounding their fists against the opposite shoulder.
"All beneath heaven and earth stand with the Nav Kingdom's Black Dragon Knights!!"
...How should I put it?
...That was incredible.
As the knights around me trembled with emotion, I watched Commander-in-Chief Savis in admiration.
In my previous life, I was a princess, so I often had the chance to hear speeches by my father, the king, my older brother, the prince, and the kings of neighboring countries, but I'd never seen anyone capture people's hearts so completely.
...He really is amazing. It must be a combination of natural talent and the results of continuously proving himself, but he must have lived an extraordinary life...
As I gazed at him in admiration, I thought I met the Commander's eyes.
Right, that's how it works.
People who can win hearts are good at making everyone feel like they're that person's special someone.
Careful, careful. I was getting carried away, imagining the Commander-in-Chief had made eye contact with me...
After Commander-in-Chief Savis's address had electrified the entire venue, the unlucky person called upon to give the new knights' representative speech was Fabian.
...Yeah, I thought it might be him.
Since he was the first rookie ever assigned to the First Order, I thought it might be Fabian—or maybe me, if I was being conceited. Th-thank goodness it was Fabian.
As I watched Fabian with relief, I saw that he was every bit the heir to a marquessate.
He was clearly very nervous, even from where I stood, but he delivered a fine speech without stumbling, and his bow to the senior knights was impeccable.
Whew, two items on the program were done. Just the demonstration match left, I thought, when a commotion started near the emcee's stand.
I wondered what was going on, but first praised Fabian as he returned after his speech.
"You didn't stumble once. That's amazing! You did great."
"...I think that's a standard unique to you, Fia. But thank you."
Just then, the knight serving as emcee announced in a strained voice.
"Next is the demonstration match. The representative of the new knights is... Fia Ludo of the First Order."
"...Huh?"
I let out a silly-sounding voice and stared blankly at the emcee.
The emcee coughed several times, then raised his voice.
"Her opponent will be... um... C-Commander-in-Chief... Savis Nav, Commander-in-Chief of the Nav Kingdom's Black Dragon Knights!"
...
This time, I couldn't even make a sound.