At the first sunlight, the Princess opened her eyes and frowned at the window. She then kissed the sleeping Nozomu and carefully got out of bed. She put on her nightgown and went to the painting she used to visit. Touching around the frame revealed the hidden button of the secret passage.
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She then went to the bedside table, and as she was grabbing the candleholder, Nozomu reached for her hand and asked, with a sleepy voice, “Where do you think you are going, woman? Get back here this instant...”
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The Princess gave him a slight peck on his lips and escaped before he could grab her, and giggled her way towards the secret passage. “Hihihi! No way you are making me go back to your bed! I must be in mine when my maid comes to wake me up because it would be hard to explain where I was! You can sleep a little while longer, and a servant will come to help you get dressed for your ceremony after breakfast. Sleep tight, pretty boy!”
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Nozomu opened his eyes and lifted his head at the screeching sound of the painting opening, just in time to see the Princess throw a kiss at him before closing it. He leaned his head on the pillow again and mumbled, “Gosh, she is gorgeous... Nozomu, my friend, you are one lucky bastard…”
…
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At breakfast, Nozomu arrived, fully dressed in a rich set of clothes adorned with glowing semi-precious stones embedded in the fabric.
The girl that was with him during dinner the previous night gasped at the sight, and her eyes lit up as she signalled for him to sit next to her.
Taisetsuna was a few seats away, dressed in a large light yellow dress, with Robert Keskula smiling at her side.
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As she was pulling the sleeves up and grumbling, annoyed by the loose fabric, he whispered, “Stop fighting with the dress, Taisetsuna. You look amazing in it. It makes your pretty eyes even more beautiful, you know?”
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I am not sure how the future Countess and her friends get around in this. I feel suffocated! It’s difficult to move inside this! Why do I have to be like this just for a ceremony?"
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“Well, you could use a set of fighting clothes to be Knighted, but I thought you would look better in this dress, and I convinced the maids to help you put it on.”
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Taisetsuna stopped with a piece of bread near her lips and frowned at the smiling young man. “And why did you do that, dumbass? So you could mock me and make me look like a fool?”
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“No, to make you look amazing and to annoy your friend, the future Countess. She is looking at you in such a way that I am not sure if she wants to kiss you or kill you!”
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Taisetsuna looked to where Robert was signalling with his eyes and saw Diana Olesk staring at her with such seriousness that even Taisetsuna doubted her intentions, and only made a slight nod at her, receiving indifference from the prideful young Noble, who averted her eyes and grabbed her teacup to take a sip.
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Taisetsuna munched the bread while whispering to the smiling blond at her side. “She wants to kill me for sure. I hope she tries. I wouldn’t mind breaking both her arms to teach her not to mess with me.”
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“I am sure she is surprised to see you looking so good in that dress, as many of the Nobles around us. So, try not to make a fool of yourself by ripping the sleeves with all the fighting, okay? Also, please refrain from frowning! A slight smile goes way better with your pretty face than a frown! I know you can smile... go ahead... just a bit more…”
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Taisetsuna muffled laughter and almost spat out the bread she was munching. “Pfft!... dumbass, you are so annoying that you manage to be funny.”
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“I will take that as a compliment, Milady. Now, enjoy your tea, because you have a nice ceremony waiting for you. You will like it, for sure. It’s very dignified and full of pomp and circumstance!”
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Taisetsuna slowly nodded, suddenly with a worried look. “I don’t know what I am supposed to do. I never saw anyone become a Knight.”
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“It’s easy. You remain serious and in silence. You kneel when you get near the Princess, and she will put a sword on your head. Some of her Magic will go to the sword, travel along it, and touch your head, making you glow.”
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“Oh... Wait... I need to warn the Princess. That won’t work on Nozo and everyone will know…”
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She suddenly went silent, and Robert was about to ask something but noticed that she was signalling Nozomu to approach. He excused himself and got up. He leaned near Taisetsuna, and he slightly jolted when she whispered something in his ear. He then kissed her forehead and went back to his seat.
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Robert leaned towards Taisetsuna and whispered, “You were talking about how he is immune to Magic, right? I kind of figured that out when I saw him running across that Fire Wall your Unicorn made yesterday.”
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“Yeah… You saw that… What about everyone else? Do you think…”
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“They probably didn’t realise it yet. I am not sure if someone won’t the moment they see the Princess’ Magic disappearing from him.”
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Taisetsuna made one slight nod as she was taking a sip of her tea. “He whispered he would take care of that because the servant that helped him dress explained the ceremony to him.”
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Robert Keskula grabbed a piece of bread, wondering what kind of plan Nozomu had devised to make everyone not notice that strange ability of his.
…
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After breakfast, the Princess and her court exited first to the Throne Room, while Taisetsuna and Nozomu were told to stay there until they were called.
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Taisetsuna nervously spoke while fiddling with the lace of her sleeve. “Who would have thought, right? Me and you, Knights. The Priest will be so proud when we tell him. The Princess sure seems to like you a lot. I noticed she kept on smiling at you from the other side of the table.”
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“I also noticed that you gathered a tonne of envious looks from all the girls because of that blond guy who kept on talking and smiling at you. Does he like you or what?”
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“He… kind of told me that yesterday… But I also know that he likes to collect girls, so I am still not sure if he is not interested in me just because I refused him. That probably hit his ego and made him eager to make me fall for him. He is not that bad as I thought he was in the beginning, actually. He still annoys me more times than not, but when he talks seriously, he is nice to talk to.”
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Nozomu put his right arm over Taisetsuna’s shoulders and gently bumped his head with hers. “I suppose you can wait and see what he wants instead of going for his throat.”
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Taisetsuna nodded, feeling her face getting hot, and then a servant entered the dining room, calling them to follow him.
As the doors of the Throne Room opened, Taisetsuna gulped at the sight of a line of Nobles on one side and a line of Royal Guards on the other.
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A man approached them from their right, dressed in a long dark green coat with gold-coloured embroidery and a large wide-brimmed cap on his head, with a long white feather, and he announced their entrance, “Hear ye, hear ye! Nozomu Shinchaku and Taisetsuna Kawa, entering! By their outstanding achievements, with the capture of two Unicorns and the rescue of two young Cat-kind girls from the hands of a horde of Goblins, they will be granted today the title of Knight! They not only saved the two girls, but they also killed all the Goblins that were breeding inside a mountain near Ourelona and would soon attack the City! By all this, Princess Mere decided that today, the house of Shinchaku and the house of Kawa would join the Nobility! Does anyone oppose this great honour?”
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The man looked around and waited for a few seconds before continuing, “We shall now proceed with the Knighthood!”
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He pointed with his hand for Taisetsuna and Nozomu to go ahead, and he walked right behind them, explaining in a whisper, “You shall bow in front of the Princess. She will make her speech, and the moment she grabs her sword, you will put your right knee on the ground and look down. Remain silent unless she asks something. Understood?”
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Nozomu whispered a low ‘yes’, with Taisetsuna gulping and answering the same.
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They kept on walking along the aisle, between the two lines on each side, and Taisetsuna noticed the angry look on Diana Olesk’s face, and a few people ahead, there he was, the smiling blond Robert, who was glowing, surrounded by Magic.
As for Nozomu, he was making a slight smile and nodding at the Royal Guards, who kept on smiling and greeting him with a murmured ‘well done’. The giggling on the other side made him look there, and a few girls were disguisedly waving at him.
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He greeted them with a nod and a smile and mumbled at Taisetsuna, “I have no idea what they want. Did your friend say something about why all those Noble girls seemed to be so interested in me?”
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“That could be my fault, actually. I may have told one of two of them that you would probably get a Noble title for your achievements, and here you are. Considering that last night the Princess even said we would get a Baronet and Baronetess title when we graduated from the Academy, makes you a good catch for the second or third daughters of a Noble, who don’t have any other shot of getting a good Noble title. What, you thought your good looks infatuated them? Fat chance, they only care about money, land, and a good life.”
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“What about your blond friend? He is also after you because of your future title?”
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“No, that dumbass is a soon-to-be Viscount like he said, and it seems he has a lot of admirers that would do anything to be with him. Strangely, as much as I push him away, he seems to be more attracted to me. He is either nuts, or he likes to be hit because I am this close to kicking his butt.”
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Nozomu held his laughter when he noticed the redness on Taisetsuna. “You say that, but your cheeks tell a different story.”
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Before Taisetsuna could answer, the man behind them cleared his throat, warning them to go silent because they were already near the steps that led to the Throne of the Princess.
Nozomu looked at her and gasped. She was dressed in a long white dress with precious stones that were reflecting the sunlight coming from the several windows around. She had a tiara over her long hair, and sat straight on her throne, with a dark red cloak over her shoulders.
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Nozomu and Taisetsuna bowed, and the Princess spoke in a louder tone that resonated on the walls, “Nozomu and Taisetsuna. For your outstanding achievements, I have decided to grant you both the title of Knights. Are you aware of what comes with that honour?”
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Nozomu blinked, and while Taisetsuna was nodding, he answered. “Actually, no, I am not. I have read that Knights train their entire lives to achieve that title, that they are all about honour and duty, that they are completely honest, and that they would be the first to ride into danger to protect ordinary people. As for what comes with that title, I have no idea.”
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“Well, you and Taisetsuna fill all the spots on that list. Being a Knight is a great honour because it means that you will be among the first to defend our country in case of need. I am aware of what you think about fighting and eventually killing a person, but Knights fight Monsters mostly, and on several occasions, join forces with a Party of Adventurers. Being a Knight doesn’t stop you from working as an Adventurer as well, but it sure will get you more recognition. You know, there are not many Knights working as Adventurers, and the few that exist are capable of some amazing feats. You both, with what you did in that cave, are already a sensation throughout the country.”
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Nozomu turned to Taisetsuna, and she seemed as puzzled as he was. Noticing their doubting looks, the Princess explained. “I have sent a few soldiers to Ourelona to investigate that mountain since the last time you came here. According to what they told me, you two shouldn’t be alive. They cleared the path and followed the dead bodies you left behind. Counting with the Goblin babies, you killed two hundred and thirty-one Goblins. They couldn’t enter a few collapsed tunnels, but peeking through the spaces between the rocks, they saw those tunnels full of dead bodies. The final report I got pointed to a rough total of over three hundred dead Goblins. If that vast horde attacked Ourelona in the middle of the night, I can’t even fathom the number of deaths. You basically saved the City without even knowing. You rescued two sweet little girls, one of them brought with her amazing Magical Items that are being replicated by my Royal Mages, and you befriended two Unicorns, one of the most powerful Magical Species in the World. If you two were already Knights, those feats would have granted you a higher Noble title, but since you are commoners, Knights you shall be.”
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