Chapter 34

“First, we need to bring Beatrice here. Let’s drag her to the dungeon and start leveling her up immediately!”

Cecilia, who had been granted three disciple slots, was just thrilled.

It’s been ten years since I got a job at the Windsor Knight Order, a black company if there ever was one.

Finally, Cecilia was going to have her own team!

“It’s gotta be fresh newbies only!”

Under 20 years old.

Level capable of soloing a same-level raid? Well, maybe not right now.

But if we keep trying until it works, the success rate is 100%!

It’ll be tough. It might be agonizing and painful.

But during that process, Cecilia would be there to comfort them. Newbies would be moved! Global warming solved! Peace in the world!

“Beatrice…”

Excited Cecilia placed her hand on the training ground fence.

“Beatrice Schwarzpferd. You have achieved great accomplishments at this training ground, and since there’s nothing more to teach you, I hereby declare your graduation. Congratulations. You are the first graduate in nearly five years.”

Rows of apprentice knights stood in formation.

And there was Marcus solemnly reading out the announcement from the podium.

Beatrice accepted her diploma with a determined expression.

“…Oh?”

That meant Beatrice had defeated Marcus in a duel.

Just like little six-year-old Cecilia would.

It was strange. Beatrice shouldn’t have reached that level yet.

“So, you ended up being the first graduate after all.”

“…Damn it. I’ll catch up to you in no time, just wait!”

Surrounded by her fellow apprentices, Beatrice soon spotted Cecilia watching from a distance and ran over.

“It’s all thanks to you, Cecilia! Thank you so much!”

Beatrice bowed deeply in gratitude. But Cecilia couldn’t smile.

‘I was planning to graduate her with my one-point lecture, you know…’

Cecilia sulked.

**

‘Let’s not be disappointed.’

Even the second-hand newbies were still newbies.

Sure, they might be a bit worn down, but they could still be cleaned up and reused.

“Just because you graduated doesn’t mean you can become a knight of Windsor right away…”

“Correct. But the next step is just a formality. Only about 8 out of 10 knights fail the interview.”

Beatrice slowly turned to look at Cecilia.

“Isn’t that an incredibly high number…?”

“I think a competition rate of 5:1 is quite average.”

In modern times, big companies often have absurd competition rates of 400:1.

Yet, for the Windsor Knight Order, the largest corporation in the Rianen Kingdom, a mere 5:1 ratio seemed low.

‘I was thinking of using one of my slots, though.’

Kairon had instructed that three newbies could be brought in at the discretion of a high-ranking knight.

In other words, bringing in three parachute recruits was officially allowed. So if Beatrice was recommended, she could join the Windsor Knight Order straight away.

But thinking about it made it feel a bit wasteful. She was already qualified enough, and to use a precious new slot for her?

This seemed like something that should go through normal procedures.

I absolutely wasn’t jealous of her graduating safely without Cecilia’s help.

“Is that the new knight you brought in, Cecilia?”

Beatrice swallowed nervously as she looked at Kairon sitting in a chair in the middle of the training ground.

‘That man is one of the five Sword Monarchs in the kingdom.’

His presence alone was of a different dimension.

The air felt heavy, like it had dropped down a few levels.

Not a finger could move carelessly.

“I came to take a test. I just graduated as an apprentice knight.”

“A test?”

As previously stated, Kairon had indicated that if recommended by a high-ranking knight, one could enter without a test.

Even if they were not up to standards at all.

But it seemed Cecilia didn’t think that way from the start.

‘…Well, that does sound like you.’

Kairon chuckled softly as he stood up from his chair.

No shortcuts or little tricks would be accepted.

That was Cecilia. Even though there were plenty of other pathways available, she had come to the knight order with a single dagger in her tiny six-year-old hands.

‘Then I have to treat you with sincerity.’

“Beatrice Schwarzpferd. If you want to become a Windsor knight, draw your sword.”

“Yes!”

‘Nervous. Scared. But… I have to do this!’

Beatrice pulled out her sword with a tense expression, while Cecilia covered her mouth.

“……!”

“?”

Kairon seemed just as surprised. This was the first time he had been taken aback since Cecilia, at the age of eight, proclaimed she would become a master of the three sword styles and bit into a blade.

“Why… why are you reacting like that?”

Beatrice was baffled by their unusual reactions.

‘It’s the first time since Cecilia that someone didn’t realize they were taking a test while looking at the test.’

Kairon had just revealed a presence on par with that of a ‘lower demon race.’

To become a knight of Windsor, one must draw their sword.

This was to check for the essential trait “fear resistance” required to be a Windsor knight.

The demon race’s specialty is to emit “fear” and restrict action.

No matter how strong you are, if you lack resistance to fear, it’s pointless.

Even though not realizing this was disappointing after some time—

‘You’ve done well, Cecilia. Discovering talents like this.’

There seemed to be no need to hesitate.

“You pass.”

“Y-Yes?! Really?”

In fact, it was a given that Beatrice could pass the test.

She had already witnessed a presence greater than a “lower demon” up close.

-Slaughterer?

-Riding for free is a crime.

-Then I can use your heart?

-Windshear.

And this was multiple times.

Though Beatrice didn’t realize it, that experience meant that the fear emitted by a “lower demon” would have no impact on her.

Meanwhile, the one who caused that situation, Cecilia…

‘Whoa, incredible talent!’

Cecilia was trembling in shock, unable to hide her amazement.

**

Gather three talented individuals.

But other than Cecilia, no one had fulfilled that command.

“Isn’t this the expected outcome? Captain?”

Just as the captain’s aide said, this was only natural.

Talented individuals don’t just drop from the sky out of nowhere.

“Where would you search to find skilled people?”

“…Isn’t it the Windsor apprentice training ground?”

“Exactly. That’s a thought everyone would have.”

There was a rumor that high-ranking knights frequently visited the Windsor apprentice training ground.

To find a tree, it’s only common sense to go to the forest.

“But Cecilia was the only one who acted immediately.”

“Isn’t Cecilia’s initiative already well-known?”

“No, it’s not just about acting quickly.”

Kairon picked up a document and handed it to his aide.

“What’s this?”

The aide’s astonishment grew as he read the contents.

“She was already taking action beforehand.”

“Right. The recently graduated Beatrice Schwarzpferd was on Cecilia’s radar two weeks ago.”

“Two weeks ago…?”

“That was the day the flames went weird.”

“……!”

So, Cecilia had accurately predicted the current situation.

On the night when the flames were flickering wildly.

While everyone was in chaos that night.

Cecilia had been the only one walking towards the next step.

“Good grief. Even according to Instructor Marcus’s testimony, it seems that the skills of the apprentice knights have skyrocketed since Cecilia got involved.”

“Now do you understand? What I ordered the high-ranking knight to do wasn’t simply to find new recruits.”

Kairon spoke sternly.

“It was to verify the ability to discover talents.”

“Then…”

“I intend to push her to establish this ‘officer school.’”

Kairon stated decisively.

The aide was left in shock.

“B-But, wasn’t that matter assigned to the court magician of the Bearton Palace? The captain was supposed to take charge of the knights.”

The officer school’s establishment was still in the planning stage, but it was a critically important decision for the Rianen Kingdom.

Simply relying on the Windsor knight order wouldn’t suffice to handle the impending large-scale demon onslaught.

Before the number of those blessed dwindled, they needed to increase the kingdom’s overall strength as much as possible.

To do that, they needed to find talented individuals, and not just that, but cultivate those talents as well.

The optimal method was to gather as many blessed individuals as possible in one place and provide them with education.

“There will surely be considerable backlash against this, Captain.”

The aide added with a gulp.

Kairon was aware of that fact too.

But…

“The Queen has said so.”

It wasn’t simply that she wanted to hand a job to Cecilia because of her remarkable abilities.

Kairon needed it. Another way to keep Cecilia from being put in danger.

“Soon, an era of change will greet us. Today’s value might become tomorrow’s sacrifice.”

Sometimes, the Queen Lydia seemed a bit naive, and I often questioned whether she truly could handle the country.

Yet, the reason her strong iron rule had been maintained for 300 years was evident.

From Kairon’s point of view, the Queen’s insight far surpassed human boundaries.

“Her Majesty values Cecilia even more than we might think. She hopes that Cecilia will navigate the forthcoming era of change well.”

And that interest from an extraordinary being often becomes a poison.

Frustrated geniuses tend to be crushed under the weight of the Queen’s expectations, never to rise again.

Kairon had witnessed that firsthand. Edward Windsor—a brilliant talent on the verge of choking to death.

“For her growth, the Queen commanded that Cecilia be assigned as harsh a task as possible.”

“……!”

Maybe it was age catching up with him.

Seeing Cecilia return home wounded from the battlefield made him think deeply.

Not yet. It’s too soon.

Before the demon race truly moves, Cecilia needs to spend enough time accumulating experience in a safe place.

“What she needs is time. As the captain of the knights and her father, I will protect Cecilia.”

After hearing the story, the aide smiled faintly.

“Then my job will be to help Cecilia advance to that position without much consequence.”

Aide Michael picked up a pen.

“First, let’s appoint Cecilia as the chief of the large recruitment selection for the Windsor Knight Order. When the time comes, this experience will prove to be significant. And…”

Kairon thought as he watched Michael madly scribbling with the pen.

Indeed, it’s true that pen is mightier than the sword.

---