At the royal castle’s official gate, a line of merchants’ carriages was forming.
Tonight’s event was a celebratory feast in honor of the defeat of the terrifying Undead Beasts, and it also served as a grand unveiling of the Holy Knight and Holy Maiden. As a result, the merchants bustling about and the castle staff alike wore bright expressions.
They were bringing in mountains of food, barrels of wine, and even luxurious fabrics and jewels whose purpose remained a mystery.
Amidst this lively scene, a man serving as Assistant Chancellor stood by to oversee the inspection, stamping the cargo manifest with a sigh.
—Is it really necessary to indulge in such extravagance in these times? Even if there are political motives behind it, it feels… off.
Reports indicated that the campaign against the Undead Beasts in the northern part of the kingdom had largely come to a close. However, many people had been displaced from their homes. Given his position, he lacked the courage to voice dissent against the decisions made above him. He had a wife and children of his own, and it wasn’t easy to express righteous indignation.
Furrowing his brow, he suppressed the swirling emotions within him. The face of a friend who had abandoned his position and left the royal castle just yesterday flickered in his mind.
—Apparently, the king’s order to return was too hasty. I may not understand the matters of the battlefield, but…
He understood the king’s intentions on an intellectual level. The emergence of a Holy Knight wielding the Holy Sword was a rare occurrence in this region, having not happened in over a hundred years, and his exploits had already reached neighboring countries.
He had heard that the man who became the Holy Knight was originally a low-ranking knight, the second son of a baronial family—essentially a commoner. The kingdom likely wanted to honor his achievements by granting him a title and securing his loyalty as quickly as possible. Furthermore, they aimed to promote the divine favor of the goddess by recognizing his marriage to the Holy Maiden. It was fortunate that there were no unmarried princesses or high-ranking noble daughters of suitable age.
—No, after all, the Holy Knight already had a wife in the royal capital…
As a man with a wife and children himself, a bitter feeling spread within him.
“Cast aside a worthless wife who can do nothing.”
The words spoken dismissively by his superior, the Chancellor, echoed in his ears.
—Worthless, huh? If that’s the case, many of the people in this kingdom would fall into that category… including myself.
While everyone else was buoyant and lively in one corner of the royal castle, he continued to work quietly, feeling a chill deep within.
He then thought of his friend who had returned and soon after opposed the king, leaving the royal castle.
The Assistant Chancellor’s old acquaintance had been the commander of the Royal Knights Order until just yesterday. He had forsaken that honorable position to return to the northern part of the kingdom. A gag order had been imposed, and only a few in the upper echelons were aware of the situation. It seemed they were instructed not to dampen the festivities.
—…Foolish. Well, I suppose it’s not something I can criticize, given that I can do nothing but protect myself…
All he could do was pray for his friend’s valor and safety.
As the sun began to set, the feast commenced.
The grand hall of the royal castle was lavishly decorated, filled with nobles dressed in splendid attire. At the center, the king solemnly received the knightly oath from the Holy Knight.
Everyone’s attention was drawn to the beautifully unsheathed Holy Sword, its blade adorned with the Ivy Relief, a symbol of the goddess. A murmur of admiration rippled through the crowd.
In one corner of the grand hall, a group of novice lower-ranking knights watched the proceedings. They felt out of place in the opulent atmosphere but gazed on with envy, though a few of them tilted their heads in confusion.
“Hey, wasn’t the Holy Sword supposed to glow a whitish light?”
“It did when we saw it on the battlefield…”
“Well, that’s because there aren’t any Undead Beasts here, right?”
“…That makes sense…”
Their murmurs, still clumsy in their etiquette, were drowned out by the buzz of the gathering, unnoticed by anyone around them.