Chapter 33 : Chapter 33
Chapter 33. The Knight Ceremony Begins, Ambition
On the Central Plaza of the Royal Capital, colored silk banners and flags snapped loudly in the breeze.
On the temporarily erected high platform, noble representatives and members of the royal family took their seats one after another, yet their gazes all drifted toward the entrance, as though they were waiting for something.
Below the plaza, young men and women dressed in brand-new formal attire stood in neat rows, each with head held high, their faces filled with tension and anticipation.
Today was the Knight Ceremony.
Among them, the very best would be granted the title of knight here.
Suddenly, several ceremonial cannon blasts thundered through the sky. Immediately afterward, a figure plunged down from the clouds, the force of his descent whipping the flags into a frenzy.
“It’s His Majesty!” someone shouted.
The entire plaza instantly erupted.
That figure landed steadily in the center of the high platform.
It was Kroll II.
He wore black armor engraved with dragon patterns, still marked with traces of wind and frost that had not yet been wiped away. Yet his gaze remained as sharp as an eagle’s as it swept across the entire audience.
The nobles and royal family members on the platform all rose and bowed. Down below, the commoners, soldiers, and youths all dropped to one knee in unison, their voices ringing into the heavens.
“We greet Your Majesty!”
Kroll II gave a slight nod, then turned and walked toward the throne. His steps were steady, as if the bitter fighting in the Northern Frontier had not left the slightest fatigue on him.
Surprise and concern flashed through the eyes of the Queen and several princes’ wives. William, seated among the princes, was equally shaken.
The situation in the Northern Frontier was urgent. He had thought his father would never return at a moment like this. Yet unexpectedly...
After taking his seat, Kroll II swept his gaze across the crowd. Without any unnecessary pleasantries, he simply declared in a ringing voice, “The ceremony begins!”
The instant his words fell, more than a dozen horns sounded at once. Their majestic notes shot into the sky and echoed through the streets of the Royal Capital.
The palace master of ceremonies quickly stepped forward, unfurled a gilded roster, and read out the first name in a loud voice:
“Alvin Light!”
A blond-haired youth stepped out from the formation and walked toward the platform with steady strides.
Sunlight fell across his young face, illuminating both his yearning for the future and the unfathomable eyes of Kroll II.
No one knew what sort of game the king, who had just returned from the Northern Frontier, was plotting in his heart, nor how many people’s fates this seemingly ordinary Knight Ceremony would affect.
“Alvin Light, of the Light Family from the Southern Frontier. Three months ago, at Delburg in the central region of the Southern Frontier, he routed a band of brigands and slew three hundred fifty-two of them. He is hereby awarded the title of Merit Knight.”
Alvin Light dropped to one knee and accepted the parchment scroll handed to him by the master of ceremonies with both hands. The gilded crest upon it shone brilliantly in the sunlight.
“Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace!”
His voice was loud and clear. When he rose, his back was straight as a spear. He moved to one side of the platform, his eyes full of hope for the future.
Over the next half hour, sixteen more young men and women stepped forward one after another. Some had distinguished themselves in campaigns against bandits, while others had performed outstandingly in border defense. Every one of them received the title of Merit Knight.
Sighs of admiration rose now and then from the crowd below, especially from the youths who also dreamed of becoming knights. The envy in their eyes was nearly overflowing.
Merit Knight was the first threshold into the noble class. Not only did it grant priority for promotion, it also came with preferential access to the kingdom’s resources.
Just as everyone thought the ceremony would continue according to custom, Kroll II suddenly stood and walked to the front edge of the platform.
His gaze swept over the plaza, and the once-noisy crowd instantly fell silent. Even the wind seemed to freeze.
“People of the Kroll Kingdom,”
His voice, amplified by Dou Qi, spread across the entire plaza and fell clearly into every ear.
“You may all have heard the rumors from the Northern Frontier. I will tell you now—they are all true.”
A low stir spread through the plaza, yet no one dared speak loudly. They could only exchange shocked looks.
“I have returned this time to form ten new legions.”
Kroll II continued, his tone resolute.
“Anyone sixteen years of age or older and capable of fighting may enlist.”
“These legions will march to the Northern Frontier and participate in the campaign for the Secret Realm. It will not only be service to the kingdom, but also an opportunity for your own growth and tempering. Places are limited. They depart the day after tomorrow.”
The moment his words ended, the entire plaza exploded in uproar.
Go to the Northern Frontier?
Participate in the Secret Realm?
It was practically laying both opportunity and danger out in the open.
A Secret Realm meant wealth and inheritance, but it was also accompanied by unknown peril. Even the king’s legions had previously suffered devastating losses there.
“The ceremony ends here.”
Kroll II said no more. He turned to look at the members of the royal family on the platform.
“If any of you wish to follow, come see me tonight.”
With that, Dou Qi surged around him and transformed into a streak of light, which shot toward the royal palace, leaving behind a crowd full of shock.
The Queen and several princes’ wives looked at one another. Clearly, none of them had expected the king to make such a sudden decision.
William sat in his seat, lightly tapping the armrest with his fingers, his eyes flickering.
Was his father intending to use the Secret Realm to temper the royal legions?
Or had the situation in the Northern Frontier already reached the point where even the reserve forces of the Royal Capital had to be mobilized?
The crowd in the plaza gradually dispersed, yet no one truly went far. In small groups, they gathered at street corners and discussed the matter.
Some were eager to try, believing this was a chance to change their fate.
Some hesitated, wary of the dangers of the Northern Frontier.
Others secretly speculated whether the king’s sudden formation of new legions meant that the struggle over the Secret Realm in the Northern Frontier had already reached its fiercest stage.
William stood and gazed at the streak of light vanishing toward the royal palace, his mind already calculating rapidly.
His father dared to send these young men and women into the Northern Frontier. That was certainly not recklessness.
These youths were the future foundation of the kingdom. If the Northern Frontier were still in true peril, there was no way they would be allowed to risk themselves there.
It seemed the ancestors in the Royal Secret Realm had already taken action, and the war in the Northern Frontier had at least stabilized.
As for forming new legions, it was likely meant to replenish the losses of the royal army and quickly temper a new batch of usable soldiers through the war in the Secret Realm.
“Your Majesty the Queen, I will take my leave first.”
William said this softly to the Queen, then turned and left without waiting for a reply.
The nobles on the platform were still discussing the king’s decision, and no one noticed the Fourth Prince’s hurried departure.
After leaving the Central Plaza, William mounted his horse and rode straight for the manor.
The wind rushed past his ears, and his thoughts became clearer and clearer.
Among the more than three thousand people in the four manors, most were commoner youths with Golden Aptitude. What they needed now was tempering through real battle.
As for those slaves, they too needed to witness blood and fire before they could truly transform.
As for the nine in the Western Side Hall...
William tugged lightly on the reins, and a thoughtful look flashed through his eyes.
Those nine were the earliest core members to follow him. Every one of them was steady and reliable, and they had already broken through to Bronze Rank. They were among the few core forces at his side that he could directly command.
The Northern Frontier might have temporarily stabilized, but the hidden dangers had not yet disappeared. Only by leaving them in the Royal Capital could he deal with any unexpected changes that might arise.
“Tos.”
When he arrived at the manor, William swung down from his horse, his tone decisive.
“Pass down the order. All personnel in the four manors are to stop their daily training immediately and prepare their gear.”
“Early tomorrow morning, they will follow me to the Northern Frontier to report for duty and join the new legions.”
Tos was stunned for a moment, then bowed and answered, “Yes, Your Highness!”
The horns within the manor suddenly rang out, shattering the usual rhythm.
When the youths who were training heard the order, they were first stunned, then burst into barely restrained excitement.
They might not understand the subtleties of the war situation, but they knew exactly what the words Northern Frontier and Secret Realm meant.
They were the fastest path to fame and success.
William stood on the high platform, watching the busy figures below, then looked again toward the royal palace in the depths of the Royal Capital.