Chapter 115
BOOM!
The vast hall of Autumn Fell was filled with Draker's knights.
Each of them was a prominent figure occupying the position of either a knight commander or vice-commander within the Draker's knight order.
At that moment,
Ahh!
The door of Autumn Fell opened, and twenty-four new knights dressed in Draker's exclusive uniforms entered the hall to undergo the induction ceremony.
The formal induction ceremony of the knights of the Draker family held special significance.
This was because it allowed them to personally choose which order they would belong to and begin their knight life.
While the illustrious commanders of Draker's knight order watched, the new knights walked confidently towards the podium where Arthur Draker stood.
They paid attention to every step to leave a good impression.
Among those twenty-four new knights was Sieg.
'This is intense.'
Except for Sieg, the twenty-three knights were individuals who had officially received their Knight Order and endured a grueling apprenticeship period.
On the other hand, considering Sieg was the winner of Draker's Martial Tournament and a newly promoted blue knight, he was specially recruited to participate in the formal induction without a probation period.
As the new knights entered, the vast hall was filled with both the fervent hopes of knight commanders eager to recruit talent first and the aspirations of the new knights striving to join an excellent knight order.
The twenty-four knights stepped onto the podium and stood at their designated spots.
Arthur Draker, who was the family head, looked at the new knights from the front of the podium.
Excluding Sieg, who had been granted the formal Knight Order through special recruitment, the knight with the highest ranking from the official exams stood before the family head to pledge their oath.
Arthur Draker pinned the Dragonslaying badge onto the chests of the knights personally.
When Arthur approached Sieg, who stood last due to his special recruitment, he pinned the badge on Sieg's chest and said, "I look forward to seeing which knight order you will choose."
Arthur then returned to his seat.
From now on, this was the most crucial part of the induction ceremony.
The new knights had to decide for themselves which knight order they wanted to join.
Each knight order could only recruit a maximum of three knights per batch, so they had to carefully strategize to secure the best talents.
The knight with the highest rank from the exams was given the first right to choose their knight order.
"I choose the Black Wolf Order."
The Black Wolf Order was a knight order directly under the Draker family, led by Gareth Draker, the guardian knight known as the Scarred Knight.
Gareth nodded after looking at the batch leader who chose his order.
The batch leader was handed the emblem of the Black Wolf Order.
Other new knights also chose their desired knight order in order of rank.
While those in the upper ranks succeeded in joining their desired orders, starting from mid-rank, some began to face rejections.
If a new knight was rejected by all chosen knight orders up to three times, they had to remain on standby until another knight order recruited them.
However, even those with lower ranks weren't lacking in skill; the difference was due to the intense internal competition.
Eventually, they were assigned to other knight orders that needed manpower.
Once the assignment of new knights from the official exams was complete, it was finally Sieg's turn, who had been specially recruited.
Sieg stepped forward.
The atmosphere in Autumn Fell shifted at that moment.
Though specially recruited, Sieg was an innate awakener, the youngest blue ranker, and the youngest graduate of Valhalla, so naturally, every knight order coveted him.
Even the Draker's intelligence unit, the Shadow Corps, was among them.
Baron Draker, the head of the Shadow Corps, was whispering something to Duke Draker.
'Why is Master there acting like that?'
Sieg felt burdened by the gaze of the Shadow Corps leader watching him.
Arthur, behind him, spoke.
"Sieg Draker, which knight order will you choose?"
Most expected Sieg to choose the Knight of Platinum Order led by Kali Draker.
Rumors had already spread throughout the Four Seasons Castle that she had recruited Sieg Draker.
However, the knight commanders still appealed to Sieg with their eyes, hoping for a different outcome.
Then Sieg lifted his head and said, "I will not choose a knight order."
A moment of silence passed through the hall.
Everyone thought they had heard wrong.
After a pause, low murmurs filled the hall.
Arthur Draker, who was on the podium, broke the silence and spoke again.
"I will ask again. Sieg Draker, which knight order will you choose?"
Sieg spoke clearly, "My answer remains unchanged. I will choose none."
Then the murmurings of the knights grew louder.
Arthur Draker, on the podium, struck the table with his hand.
WHOOSH!
The entire hall of Autumn Fell shook with a wave.
A silence followed again.
Arthur Draker stepped down from the platform and stood before Sieg.
"What do you mean you won't choose a knight order?"
"Exactly as I said. I intend to fulfill my duties as a knight alone without joining a knight order."
The elders standing behind reacted with grim faces at his words.
No one in the history of Draker had made such a choice.
Arthur asked Sieg, "So you intend to undertake your first mission alone?"
After the induction ceremony, Draker's new knights were immediately deployed on their first mission.
The knight order commander evaluated the new knight and selected a mission for them, and the knight's rank was determined based on how well they performed this mission.
Moreover, if the new knight failed their first mission, they would be stripped of their Knight Order outright.
Hence, the judgment of the knight order commander in charge and the assistance of the knight order were extremely crucial.
Sieg nodded while looking at Arthur.
"Yes, that is correct."
Arthur gave Sieg a peculiar expression.
Then, he nodded.
"Understood."
He turned and addressed the assembled knights.
"Sieg Draker has decided to remain unaffiliated."
The elders standing behind Arthur were taken aback by his decision.
"Family head, an innate awakener not choosing a knight order! It goes against tradition!"
Arthur climbed back onto the platform and addressed the elders.
"There is no clause in the family rules that states an innate awakener must select a knight order."
"B-but... what if he fails his first mission?"
Arthur sat back in his seat with a sly grin.
"That too is his choice."
The elders held their heads, distressed by Arthur's carefree words.
While the knights gathered in the hall were shocked by Sieg's decision, the knight commanders swiftly assessed the situation and began selecting the first missions for the new knights.
Swoosh!
A long, massive parchment listing the missions unfurled down from the ceiling of the hall.
Some were very difficult missions that couldn't be done solo, while others were simple tasks manageable even without being a knight.
The commanders scrutinized the missions listed to choose ones that didn't exceed the capacity of their order while being challenging enough to establish their knight's standing.
They selected appropriate missions considering both the knight order's and the new knight's capabilities.
Once all twenty-three new knights had chosen their missions, it was finally Sieg's turn.
The clerk frowned as he spoke.
"Sir Sieg Draker, being unaffiliated, you must complete your mission alone after choosing it."
Sieg nodded at the clerk's words and scanned through the parchment.
He planned to select any mission randomly and complete it quickly to focus on training for a while.
Not choosing a knight order intentionally allowed him the freedom to train without interruption, as he wouldn't have sudden mission assignments from an order.
'I feel a little sorry for sister Kali, but being outside the knight order might make it easier for me to support them, so I hope she understands.'
As Sieg skimmed through the missions, something conspicuous caught his eye.
'Huh?'
Sieg looked more closely at the mission.
He had not misunderstood.
〈Search mission for the missing master craftsman Golyn Jobern in the Barbarian Territory_Commissioned by the Guild Federation. (A-rank difficulty)〉
It was an official dispatch from the guild federation, with an A-rank level of difficulty.
'Golyn Jober, I thought he was in Himonas but apparently not.'
Sieg had planned to meet Golyn at least once due to the ancient artifact Hersion, and he hadn't expected to encounter news of him here.
With no hesitation, Sieg chose the search mission for Golyn.
The hall buzzed again with murmurs.
The clerk assigning missions addressed Sieg with a concerned tone.
"Sir Sieg Draker, this is an A-rank mission. Undertaking an A-rank mission alone without a knight order is...."
"It doesn't matter. Please assign it to me."
It was a mission clearly beyond the capabilities of a new knight working solo.
The interior of the hall bustled with murmuring.
The clerk wore an awkward expression, but there was no choice but to assign Sieg the mission to find Golyn.
Once all the mission assignments were complete, Arthur Draker rose from his seat.
"I bless the young dragonslayers who have formally joined the family knight order, opening a new era! I hope you safely complete your first mission and return!"
With the family head's congratulatory speech, the induction ceremony concluded, and Draker's knights who gathered in Autumn Fell dispersed like the ebbing tide.
Both the new knights and the knight orders were set to prepare for their mission for successful execution.
Sieg intended to return to the mansion promptly to prepare and then move to Argos to venture into the Barbarian's territory.
'Golyn has gone missing. Something must have happened.'
He figured it would be wise to at least get a rough idea of the situation through Kay before heading out.
As he was about to leave the hall, someone approached him from behind.
"Sieg Draker."
Sieg turned his head.
He was taken aback to see a familiar face after a long time.
"Instructor Owl?"
It was Owl Draker, his acquaintance from the academy, known for his dual wielding.
The man, stoic as ever, appeared even more rigid as he presented himself before Sieg.
Sieg noticed that Owl Draker had advanced a step in his rank.
'He broke through the wall of a red knight.'
In his previous life, Owl Draker was a red knight when Sieg saw him.
It seemed he gained insights more quickly this time, aided by his sparring sessions with Sieg.
Owl approached Sieg and asked, "Why did you not choose a knight order? Any order would have welcomed you."
Sieg pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "I feel like Instructor Owl would understand, so I'll be honest. I need time to train alone, which is why I didn't choose."
Owl looked at Sieg with a dazed expression.
To think he'd refrain from joining a knight order just to focus on training.
This kind of decision was unprecedented in Draker's history.
Owl maintained his serious expression and then nodded.
"... I see, considering you, that does make sense."
The genius Sieg possessed was beyond Owl's ability to evaluate.
It might be more advantageous for Sieg to not be in a knight order to unleash his genius, as Sieg said.
Sieg asked Owl, "By the way, which knight order are you a part of, instructor Owl?"
"I belong to the Heavenly Sword Order."
"The Heavenly Sword Order's known for its tradition of pursuing the ultimate in swordsmanship; it suits you well, instructor."
The famed Black Knight Sword King, Vernas, hailed from the Heavenly Sword Order.
Owl nodded and spoke to Sieg.
"If you ever feel like joining, you'd always be welcome...."
"No, it's alright."
Making the usually stoic Owl Draker look slightly downcast, Sieg turned him away gently.
Owl left the hall, leaving behind a promise to visit Sieg's mansion for sparring once he returned from the mission.
Shortly after finishing the brief conversation and exiting the hall, Sieg realized something.
'Now that I think about it, Abel was nowhere to be seen in today's ceremony.'
Abel, who never missed a family event, was absent at a crucial family gathering.
Moreover, as the commander of the Crimson Lion Knights, it suggested something had happened.
'He's probably scheming somewhere again.'
Thinking of the persistent Abel, Sieg shook his head.
As Sieg finally left Autumn Fell, the hall was left utterly vacant.
At that moment, a shadowy figure revealed themselves inside the hall.
It was none other than Abel.
Abel clenched his fists, trembling with rage.
Shockingly, his eyes had turned crimson like the infernal sorcerer who had once perished at Sieg's hands.
He gnashed his teeth and muttered fiercely.
"Sieg... it's you who has consistently thwarted my plans."
TL's Corner:
Damn,so Abel now knows...