Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Knight Appointment Ceremony (2)
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Irina walked toward the long table.
However, her seat was already taken by Lydia.
The two princesses glared at each other like they were locked in a battle of wills.
"That's my seat."
Irina's emerald eyes coldly looked down at her younger sister.
"My seat—?"
But Lydia didn't back down. Instead, she smirked mockingly at her older sister.
After all, she had solid backing that let her ignore imperial hierarchy.
"First come, first served, right?"
It was the dozens of Eastern knights under her command.
And the royals from her homeland, the Eastern nation of Samad.
"..."
Of course, Irina knew this.
But she didn't cower before Lydia.
Instead, she approached her sister and slammed her palm down on the table.
Boom—!!
The quiet palace instantly focused on her.
Even the solemn Valderian flashed his eyes at her sudden action.
"What... Are you trying to start something with me...?"
The flustered Lydia gulped as her sister's face drew close.
Her snide attitude from before was long gone.
"..."
She squeezed her eyes shut at the Second Princess's suddenly outstretched hand.
"No need for that."
Fortunately, Irina's hand never reached the Third Princess.
It simply yanked open the drawer in her table.
"I reserved this seat yesterday."
Documents emerged from the drawer.
The Second Princess pulled them out and spoke casually.
"If first come, first served is the rule, then shouldn't I sit here since I left these?"
The princess waved the documents lightly.
Then, with a bright smile, she firmly gripped her sister's shoulder.
"So, mind moving now, little sister?"
The Third Princess, Lydia, got thrown back by her own words.
She bared her sharp fangs with a growl.
"You insolent—"
She looked ready to sink those teeth into Irina's white neck at any moment.
But soon, she had no choice but to clamp her mouth shut.
Lea, who had been silently watching from the side, placed a finger to her lips.
"Lydia, how about you yield this time?"
At her words, the Third Princess snorted in displeasure.
"Why should I?"
To the youngest's question, Lea looked up at Irina.
"Would it look good for great royals to fight over a single chair?"
Then, with cold blue eyes, she added,
"Especially you, Lydia of the East?"
At Lea's calm words, Lydia cleared her throat.
Pleased by the First Princess praising her, she kept her mouth shut for a moment.
"Well, if you put it that way..."
In the end, the youngest princess rose from her seat.
Arms crossed alone, she leisurely moved to another spot.
"Fine, I'll yield specially. I can't stoop as low as some people—"
The turbaned knights accompanying her followed suit.
Thanks to that, Irina reclaimed her seat.
"..."
However, Irina's expression didn't look pleased.
Her emerald eyes remained cold and sharp.
She knew there was a thorn hidden in Lea's words.
"Especially you, Lydia of the East."
It was mockery implying that superior Lydia had to hold back for inferior Irina's sake.
Irina chuckled softly to herself.
Then, she boldly took the center seat at the table.
'Yes, that's Irina.'
Hiding her weakness by acting tougher than anyone on the outside.
In that regard, she matched the other princesses.
However, I knew.
That behind that boldness lurked constant loneliness and sorrow.
"..."
The princesses consulted with their attendant knights on which candidates to select.
As a result, Irina checking documents alone somehow looked even more forlorn.
But.
Irina ignored the surrounding chatter.
Instead, with her emerald eyes, beautiful as gems, she memorized the knights' faces one by one.
Once her analysis was complete, she picked up her quill and quietly began writing something.
"Wow..."
Many knights, captivated by the princess focused alone, stared at her blankly.
I was among them.
"..."
But not because I was drawn to the princess's beauty.
It was just pity, knowing the loneliness I mentioned earlier.
"Hey, what's with you all of a sudden?"
"Huh... What?"
"You've been staring only at Irina this whole time."
Cain's words finally snapped me out of it.
"I wasn't staring. Just thinking about the duel."
I glanced at Cain.
At the word "duel," he clamped his mouth shut.
"Yeah? Right... there's the duel..."
I could see his legs trembling slightly.
"Even strong you seems worried, huh?"
Unlike me, Cain excelled in command and strategy over swordsmanship.
His writing was top-notch, but he worried about duels.
"Don't tense up. You're good enough to hold your own against the nobles."
My classmate tried to encourage me.
But with his own situation shaky, his expression wasn't great.
"..."
I silently watched him.
"Cain."
Maybe because it had been so long since we met.
Even knowing this was all a fleeting memory, I wanted to meddle.
"Hold out for five minutes. The princesses know we lack proper training, so they're aware we're at a disadvantage."
Plus, Cain was tactics-specialized.
Just enduring would likely earn him high marks.
"I'll try..."
Anyway, a commoner knight beating a noble was near impossible.
They got private lessons from Swordmasters and popped elixirs like candy.
Just surviving against them would earn Cain high praise.
Of course, I only knew this from my past life's experience.
"Sir Valderian."
The empire's First Imperial Princess, Lea, with her monocle raised, commanded the Grand General with queenly sharp eyes.
"Yes, Princess Lea."
"Let's start by checking the top performers from each candidate group."
At the princess's cold voice, he obeyed.
"Top two from each candidate group, step forward!"
Following the Grand General's order, four knights stepped up.
It was me for swordsmanship and Cain for writing.
The noble cadets were two burly blondes.
Among them was the famous Richard, son of the Imperial Knight Commander.
"..."
Maybe from seeing the princesses up close, the tense Cain swallowed hard.
Still, reaching this stage meant he had some chance of selection.
However, I knew.
No matter how far we got, we couldn't match regular noble cadets.
"Sisters, mind if I pick first?"
"You always do. Just hurry up and choose—"
To Lea's perfunctory question, Lydia kept a sullen face.
Chin on her hand, she gestured for her to pick already.
"Thanks. Then I'd like to see Richard first?"
Richard Stonefield.
Current top candidate in rankings.
Plus, his father was the famed Radiant Knight Commander and Swordmaster.
Inherited blood, perhaps.
The man who stepped forward looked at least 190 cm tall.
"I answer your call, Your Highness."
Brushing back his golden bangs stylishly, Richard overflowed with the leisure of someone who deserved first pick.
"I promise the finest duel."
"Impressive, Richard. I expect great things."
Later, he became Lea's knight order vice-commander.
But he got scouted by the crown prince and stabbed her in the back.
Unlike his sturdy build, a vile and dangerous guy.
"Now, who will duel Richard?"
The princess crossed her legs alone and asked sensually.
Her commander's ample thighs stood out.
"..."
But no commoner knight stepped forward readily to her question.
Richard was infamous for crushing defeated opponents thoroughly.
Challenging him and losing meant a humiliating end before even becoming official knights.
"Hmm... No one?"
The silence in the hall dragged on.
Even though it was a chance to catch Lea's eye.
"..."
Richard shrugged, looking down at us with arrogant eyes.
He seemed to have known no one would challenge him.
"Bunch of cowards again this year—"
Lydia yawned, already bored.
Just twenty years old this year.
The princess, who had only recently had her coming-of-age, crunched on candy from her guard.
Her table was messy with empty candy wrappers.
"Can't be helped."
The awkward air.
In the end, Lea issued a special measure.
"Richard, would you like to choose your opponent yourself?"
At that, I glanced up.
'Pick your own opponent...?'
Different from past memories.
Originally, Richard was the top swordsman among noble cadets.
Thus, he dueled me, the top commoner in the same subject.
'I thought it'd be the same this time, but suddenly giving him choice...'
That moment.
I thought maybe this situation wasn't just a simple memory reel.
'Come to think of it, even Irina's seat was different...'
Past and present were unfolding completely differently.
"I obey."
At Lea's proposal, Richard's blue eyes gleamed.
His eerie gaze already terrified Cain.
My classmate stared at the floor, fists clenched tight.
No wonder.
Cain, top in writing, against sword genius Richard...
It would surely end in tragedy.
The genius knight eyed us two like prey.
Then...
His cold eyes stopped in front of Cain.
'That bastard Richard, no way...!'
"I will duel Cain Alterline."
A rare chance.
Richard planned to pick an easy mark to show off.
"As fellow top performers, I'm curious about your skill."
Cain trembled like a prisoner with a death sentence.
I whispered softly to him.
'Refuse, Cain. He's not someone you can beat.'
I looked at him seriously.
Soon, our eyes met.
"I know, but..."
I could guess his hesitation.
Refusing a duel drops you to the bottom of assignment preferences.
Dropped, you'd end up exiled to the borders like my old self...
Family scattered.
As an orphan, I didn't care.
That's why I accepted Richard's challenge in my past life.
But Cain was different.
He had no parents like me, but he had a younger sister to support.
"If I just endure, like you said... maybe I can stay in the capital...?"
But with his skill, he couldn't even hold against average noble cadets before.
'Such a guy challenging Richard, who even I barely matched...?'
Back then, I fought Richard evenly and avoided injury.
But Cain...
He'd surely suffer severe wounds from Richard's merciless toying.
Things had gone seriously awry.
Memories I tried to just watch had veered to the worst.
"I accept..."
A tiny, quavering voice.
In the end, Cain gripped his scabbard.
And slowly tried to step toward Richard.
But I knew.
His hand on the scabbard trembled madly.
That moment.
"..."
I seized his wrist.
And boldly shouted before everyone.
"Your Highness."
My voice echoed through the silent palace.
"Sorry for speaking late."
Everyone focused on my voice at once.
"I'll face Richard."