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It had been a little while since Diolia mentioned the knight inauguration ceremony. Since contact with the retainers wasn’t as frequent as I’d thought, Shione and I didn’t have much to worry about. It was just a continuation of our peaceful daily life, without any notable achievements beyond Diolia expressing her willingness to stand by Shione’s side.

As we continued to relax, we finally heard from Ainel about the details regarding my knight inauguration ceremony.

─“In three days, at noon, we will be holding your knight inauguration ceremony.”

For a commoner to become a knight is a monumental step up. Just the title of a knight grants one the treatment equivalent to a minor noble. The position of a knight is a profession admired for its bravery and justice, making it a dream job for many.

I was a rare case of ascending from mere slavery to knighthood, and naturally, that drew a lot of attention.

Amongst the many faces of curiosity, there was one who reacted especially as if it were her own matter.

“Not much time left until the knight inauguration ceremony… Ray, did you forget anything?”

Shione Shianella.

Just like a student waiting for exam results, she was fidgeting as the time to go to the venue approached, unable to maintain her composure.

“I think Princess Shione is more nervous than I am.”

“Well, family members are coming to see too. It’s only natural to be nervous. After the knight inauguration ceremony—”

Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement and anticipation, her lips trying to suppress a smile mixed with flustered emotions. I imagined what she was about to say was likely why Shione’s fussing was endless.

“Books say that after the inauguration ceremony, a knight must choose their master… So, I’ll be on stage too!”

It seemed she was looking forward to me pledging my loyalty to her in front of everyone.

Her energetic reaction was delightful, and feeling a playful urge, I turned my body away slightly to hide my laughter as I replied.

“There’s no guarantee that the master will be Princess Shione!”

“What…?”

Shione’s voice was one of astonishment. My playful jab struck home. It was just at the moment I was about to clarify it was a joke, that my back was already trapped by Shione. It felt like flipping on a light in a dark room only to find a cockroach crawling up my foot. A sticky presence and a shadowy aura crawled up my spine.

People back in the Age of Exploration worried about the monstrous creatures hidden beneath the vast oceans. Now, I realized I was the ship’s crew while Shione was the great beast emerging from the sea. Like a monster trying to sink the ship, Shione tightened her embrace, whispering in my ear.

“… Are you looking at someone other than me? Ray, you should choose your words carefully.”

“…….”

“Ray, was that a joke? Given you were smirking before you turned, of course, it was a joke… But that joke wasn’t funny. Why on earth did you say that?”

Her remarks were suffocating.

For a moment, I had forgotten that I only had one life and that lately, Shione had been pushing a direct approach instead of her usual cuteness.

“I just wanted to see your cute reaction…?”

“……You’re dead.”

“Ah, wait, hold on…!”

Shione’s fangs sank into my neck.

It seemed she bit down rather sincerely, and I flinched from the unexpected sharpness of the pain as Shione dangled from my neck.

After spending some time soothing Shione, who clung to me like a leech, we finally arrived at the much-anticipated inauguration ceremony.

“Then, I’ll see you at the inauguration ceremony.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it. Don’t get too nervous, okay?”

“Of course.”

*

The inauguration ceremony took place in the mansion’s garden, particularly on the well-trimmed lawn and spacious area filled with wildflowers. As the main character of the day, I was in a small waiting room next to the designated area, double-checking my attire.

‘I didn’t expect that they would prepare armor for something like a knight inauguration ceremony.’

I wore the armor prepared by Ainel Shianella. They had also prepared a uniform, but I secretly wished they had just lent me the armor instead.

The armor resembled that of rangers who focus on agile movement, made from tough leather and iron plates intricately woven together. However, it seemed to be reinforced more than the typical ranger armor, with stronger and larger plates. The meticulous finishing showed a considerable investment.

The dress uniform was distinct, marked only by the insignia difference on the epaulettes. It was clear that the armor was what set me apart from other knights more than the dress uniform.

Especially—

‘This pattern is new to me.’

The Count’s House used a pattern depicting a demonic figure pierced by a sword, while the armor I was currently wearing displayed somewhat different designs intricately etched into it. Not only swords but arrows and swords crossed in an X shape and pierced through the demon.

‘Diolia mentioned a new knight order would be formed.’

Unlike the previous focus on swordsmanship expertise, this new order seemed to aim to incorporate archery as well, thanks to Shione and me.

As I quietly admired the pattern, it seemed the conversations outside the waiting room had developed enough. A servant came to fetch me.

“Sir Ray, it’s your turn. Congratulations on becoming a knight.”

“Thank you.”

As I stepped out of the waiting room, I walked slowly toward the center of the open area.

Familiar faces surrounded me. Shione, dressed in her formal uniform, fixed her gaze on me. Diolia, clad in a neat military uniform, wore a proud smile. And Siabel, arms crossed, nudged Bronte to pay attention.

As I approached my place, feeling the multitude of gazes, Ainel commanded gently while placing her right hand on the sword hanging at her left hip.

“Kneel.”

Lowering my posture to one knee, the head of the family began her ceremonial speech.

“You have served the Count’s House and achieved incomparable feats compared to others.”

“You diligently fulfilled the role of the archery instructor for my daughter, throwing yourself into the fight to rescue her in the Beltlin Mountains. With your remarkable archery skills, you unleashed deadly attacks that reached beyond the Count’s House and into the Great Forest, even piercing the demons of the Marquis House.”

“I shall honor your accomplishments and hereby anoint you as a formal knight of the Count’s House—”

Ainel tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword.

“Ray, will you fulfill your duties as a knight of the Count’s House?”

“I will serve gladly.”

“Good.”

Swoosh─!

At the gesture of the sword master, the sword slid out of its sheath, revealing its gleaming white blade.

A sword shining in the sunlight, held by one of the kingdom’s finest knights. Kneeling before such a person made me feel like a criminal just before execution, yet this wasn’t the execution site; it was the glorious stage of an inauguration ceremony.

“By your merits and trust, I declare you a knight of the Count’s House. You shall henceforth be one of the sharpest swords of the Count’s House.”

She tapped my shoulder with the blade.

As I stood up, Ainel handed me the sword that had just touched my shoulder. Taking it slowly, as I stood next to her as she gestured.

She formally announced something that could shake the gathered crowd.

“Knight Ray shall act as the vice commander of the newly formed Great Demon Tribe Special Mission Knight Order to join in the crusade against the demons.”

The Great Demon Tribe Special Mission Knight Order.

Until now, the Count’s House had used ordinary names like the Elite Knight Order, Heavy Cavalry Corps, and Scouts. However, the name of the Special Mission Team highlighted the uniqueness of this newly established knight order. Moreover, not merely as combat personnel but I was placed in the position of vice commander. The audience began to buzz.

“When it comes to subduing demons, only skill matters. The current Count’s House has deemed him worthy of this role due to his ability to slay demons in a single shot. I will not accept any objections.”

So, who here could take out a demon in one shot like I did? It was a knight order formed to combat demons, and we didn’t need to consider anything beyond that, did we?

The only time I’d step down from being a vice commander is if I failed to deliver results worthy of it.

As Ainel spoke confidently, the murmurs around dissipated. After all, they could not forget that I wiped out a demon atop the castle walls not so long ago. And it hadn’t been long since the victory ceremony, had it?

Then, words that would evoke an even greater reaction escaped Ainel’s lips.

“Furthermore, the commander of the Great Demon Tribe Special Mission Knight Order is—”

The commander of the Great Demon Tribe Special Mission Knight Order.

“Diolia, the commander of the Elite Heavy Cavalry Corps. She will oversee the Special Mission Knight Order, taking over from the acting commander until now.”

The protagonist of this news was none other than Diolia.

Having possibly coordinated beforehand with Ainel, she gracefully stepped onto the podium, and in the meantime, Ainel continued her unfinished speech.

“The Great Demon Tribe Special Mission Knight Order will act under my command and Shione Shianella’s.”

The first knight order commanded by Shione was to be a group centered around me and Diolia.

Given that not only Ainel but also Shione’s name was involved in who the order would obey, this Special Mission Team was set to operate on Shione’s solid foundation. Unlike me, with Diolia’s strong political backing within the Count’s House, who would dare underestimate the girl whom Shione has under her thumb?

“I will dutifully perform my responsibilities in this newly formed knight order as per the head of the family’s command.”

Before I knew it, Diolia was solemnly bowing to Ainel.

Looking closely again, I saw that on her military uniform epaulettes was the same emblem as what was etched into my armor—the symbol of the new knight order.

‘While I said I would follow Shione…’

I never imagined I’d end up as her direct superior.

In this case, I might not have time to enjoy peaceful mornings with Shione; instead, I could end up dragged around by the commander, swinging my sword.

As those trivial thoughts occupied me, Diolia, standing next to me, whispered.

“From now on, I look forward to your support, vice commander.”

“Likewise, I look forward to your support, commander.”

Though the title of vice commander felt unfamiliar, I’d eventually get used to it.

With Shione having gained her knight order, the pompous knight inauguration ceremony proceeded. As its conclusion became visible, Ainel called for Shione and me. Having set aside some time from the surrounding servants and various retainers. She probably wanted to discuss something of considerable importance.

Shione stepped forward toward Ainel.

“Mother, did you call for us?”

“Shione, and Ray is here as well. After the ceremony ends, I would like to speak with you both for a bit; do you have time?”

“Of course. However… if it’s not too much trouble, could we know what the topic is beforehand?”

“The reason behind the formation of the special mission team and the response from the wizard we contacted earlier.”

With a faint smile, Ainel spoke those words.

A slight sense of dread crept into me.

The Special Mission Team. Just the name seemed to imply nothing but arduous tasks ahead.

“For now, I’ll only share this much.”

Indeed, the Special Mission Team likely wasn’t established without cause.

 

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