Chapter 46 – Royal Knights (3)

Just like when they were dragged to the southern forest, returning to the academy was instantaneous.

The Royal Knight Patricia activated the device she had prepared beforehand and moved together with Henry.

The place they returned to was the space where they first took the exam.

Patricia was still babbling about various things to Henry with eyes full of affection.

“Our conditions are actually better than you think. Oh, by conditions, I don’t mean something that deviates from chivalry… like simple greed or anything. I mean in all aspects. The most representative thing is that His Majesty the King directly issues orders.”

How outstanding the Royal Knights were was the main subject of her babbling.

Not only honor or gold, but numerous privileges given from the moment one joined the Royal Knights.

In addition, unlike knights belonging to ordinary noble families, the King’s knights were said to be fully able to inherit and build their own families.

“High nobles have something like that too, right? Taking the family itself as a vassal and carrying them along… Ah, of course, I’m not looking down on the Camilton Viscounty. I was talking about the thoughts of those high nobles.”

“I know.”

“I thought you would. You are a clever child. Anyway, becoming a vassal family is a more exhausting task than you think, you know? Depending on the situation, you might enjoy positive effects for now, but in the long run, it ultimately means the family is subordinate to somewhere else…”

But it was different for a Royal Knight.

All nobles were knights of the King, and therefore, a Royal Knight could lead their own family entirely.

Having heard the rough background from Melissa, Patricia also focused on that part.

However, her attitude was a bit strange.

The way she explained the Royal privileges was quite awkward.

Far from being proud, she was rather restless, closer to a vibe of asking him to please acknowledge that they had such things.

“So, I’m telling you to think about it carefully… No, there’s nothing to think about, really! If they received such a proposal at the academy right now, the training ground would be packed full of friends who would run over without looking back, you know?”

“You are right. It is a proposal for which I am truly grateful.”

“Right? You think so too, don’t you? So…”

“But I am not sure. I am sorry.”

“Why!”

“No matter how much I think about it, those are words too generous for me. I do not have the qualification for that.”

“Why would you… No, yes, you could think that way. I would have done the same. But…”

At that moment, someone could be seen standing at the end of the hallway.

Patricia, who had been babbling endlessly, closed her mouth, and soon reported in a thoroughly serious tone.

“Regular member Patricia, returning after completing the mission as of this hour.”

“Good work.”

It was the Royal Knight, Melissa.

As soon as she reported to her superior, Patricia returned to a light mood.

“Sir Melissa, this child is completely impossible to get through to. He just keeps answering that it’s burdensome…”

“I’ll handle it. Return.”

“You must bring him! Absolutely!”

Although her attitude was full of lingering regrets, she immediately obeyed the order to return.

Henry could roughly guess the atmosphere of the Royal Knights.

But apart from that.

Settling matters with Melissa, who was watching with eyes full of curiosity, was the priority.

“Henry Camilton. First, I apologize for the unannounced exam.”

“It is fine.”

“You must have guessed the purpose of the exam, right?”

“I have thought about it as Sir Patricia said.”

“She was just making a fuss. You cannot join the Royal family right away. However, I did not want to let you waste useless time either. The exam you just took was for assigning you to Class A of the academy.”

Class A.

Although he had anticipated it, it was still true that he was flustered.

Had there ever been such an unprecedented treatment in the academy’s history?

Just as Henry felt that way, the other trainees would feel the same, and in such situations, the one who directly stepped forward to settle things was the dean of this academy.

“It must be something the dean permitted.”

“Yes. I heard that no support has been given to you so far. It must be bewildering. But after today, many things will change.”

“May I ask in advance?”

“It is not I who bestows it. It would be better to hear it directly.”

An expression suggesting that he could look forward to it was on Melissa’s face.

A face feeling something like pride, even though she was not the one bestowing it.

However, Henry shook his head.

“I cannot go up to Class A.”

“Why is that?”

“I promised a companion. That we would rise to the same place together under equal opportunities. The goal we promised this time was Class B.”

“It seems you haven’t accurately understood what this opportunity means.”

“That may be so. Until not long ago, no opportunity was given to me. Just as you said, Sir Melissa, I would not be at a level to gauge its value.”

Melissa’s face was dyed with displeasure.

Because it felt as if he was being sarcastic.

It was a vibe of: why suddenly step in now after neglecting him until recently?

However, Henry did not have that intention.

“But I can guess vaguely. Receiving the interest of someone like you, Sir Melissa, is something that doesn’t apply to the majority of trainees. The situation given to me now is probably an opportunity that might come once in a lifetime.”

“……Nonetheless?”

“A knight must keep their promises. I would be very happy if I could rise to Class A, but more than that, the promise with my companion is important to me.”

A face full of apologetic feelings.

A truthful voice.

Though he looked to have lingering regrets, there was even an unwavering will.

Only then did Melissa realize that Henry was sincere.

‘What to do?’

Melissa pondered.

What Henry had brought up just now was an extremely knightly response.

Denying that intent was something one should not do as a fellow knight.

She felt she understood why her junior, Patricia, had shown such a reaction.

‘No wonder she said he was completely impossible to get through to.’

Naturally, it would not have worked.

Because it had become an era where it was hard to find a knight who showed such fundamental speech and behavior faithful to chivalry.

And while Melissa was contemplating.

Henry was acting completely differently from her expectations.

“Naturally, I have no intention of kicking the opportunity away. Right now, Sir Melissa will absolutely not want to let me go. Because that was the attitude Sir Patricia showed earlier.”

[Ah, as expected haha]

[Then are you going to Class A? I don’t think your value will rise any further]

[Isn’t it better to decide after hearing what the dean is giving?]

“I won’t be able to hear the details of the support. Also, once I hear them, I will definitely have to follow this proposal. I’ll push that back a bit, and for now, the priority is to obtain something more through Sir Melissa.”

[What are you going to obtain??]

[It seems they’re planning to accept you into the knights order almost 100% anyway]

“I plan to request that they provide the same opportunity to Austin.”

The reason Henry spoke to Melissa in that way now was simple.

To provide Austin with the opportunity for an exam to rise to Class A as well.

Until now, Austin had hidden his strength.

However, he had willingly revealed his strength because of Henry.

What if they split up here?

He would rise to Class A sooner or later, but he was bound to be disappointed in one way or another.

“It is not just because I am grateful. It is not really because of a single promise either. As you magicians also know, Austin is a unique friend.”

Austin Roderick.

Unlike the offspring of a prestigious family, he possessed a very unique mental world.

Simply because Henry was interesting, he broke principles he had kept for several years, and even casually blabbed about secrets handed down through generations of his family.

The absolute favor he held toward Henry was the reason.

“A unique son of a Duke’s family. Just because he has no interest in family affairs, that fact doesn’t change. If it concludes as I think now, Austin will surely feel really great gratitude toward me.”

[Isn’t it useless anyway if he can’t become the Duke?]

[Ah haha, caught a sucker haha]

[Why??? Is there a reason??? to go that far???]

Various responses returned.

It was a natural thing since the magicians watching Henry now reached about two hundred.

However, the mainstream was the question of whether there was any need to do that.

Anyway, the moment one became a Royal Knight, their status and honor reached a level that would leave nothing to be desired.

To the extent that nobles would proactively offer hands even if Henry did not approach.

The magicians thought so, and Henry refuted that thought from the root.

“I have no intention of becoming a Royal Knight. In the first place, I do not want to be subordinate to anyone. No matter where I go, from the moment I belong to a specific group, broadcasting like this will become impossible.”

A broadcasting microphone.

Also, if he purchased various tools lined up in the sponsorship shop, it might be possible to some extent, but numerous restrictions were bound to follow.

Especially the more outstanding that group was.

[You aren’t doing it???]

“I will not. Here, Austin’s existence becomes necessary. Austin’s dream is to be a wandering knight, and I plan to make a promise with Austin once again: that we will go to the same place someday.”

Chivalry in today’s world was like that.

Not many kept it thoroughly, but it was a finer justification than anything else to use as a shield.

Especially if the opponent was a fellow knight.

The excuse of not being able to do something due to a promise with someone was an extremely powerful weapon.

At that moment.

“I will go see the dean. Wait here for a moment.”

After deep thought, Melissa said.

It meant that she had practically accepted Henry’s condition and was going to seek the dean’s permission.

As soon as she left, Henry looked at the fluctuating chat window and said.

“Austin will arrive soon. When you see his reaction, you will know why I made this choice.”

***

Austin Roderick thought about whether he had ever been this touched in his life.

‘No. Absolutely never.’

A sudden call from the dean.

In the place he was summoned, there were the Royal Knights who supervised today’s exam.

To the puzzled Austin, they brought up unbelievable words.

It was that some additional opportunity had been given only to Henry Camilton, and that he had passed it successfully.

However, he had refused the reward, and they said the reason was due to the promise he made with Austin himself.

‘Kicking away such an opportunity? The chance to advance to Class A? Under the state of being promised even the dean’s support?’

To be exact, it was not that he kicked it away, but a demand that he would accept it if it was with Austin.

But wasn’t that the same thing?

It would be an exam that Henry, who possessed overwhelming talent, could pass, but it did not apply to other Class C trainees.

In the first place, the ones who passed the exam today were only three people, including Henry and Austin.

Even so, the remaining one had barely, really barely managed to receive a passing score.

‘He’s a crazy guy, a crazy guy. He was in no position to call me unique, was he? Probably the only guy who would refuse such a proposal for such a reason is that fellow Henry.’

Austin held back a giggle that kept slipping out.

At the same time, he thought about it.

Was Henry sincere?

To say he really kicked away the opportunity for the promise with Austin himself…

‘No, he must have been sincere. With the thought that it would be great if by any chance I passed the exam, but it couldn’t be helped even if I failed.’

It was Henry who always treated Austin bluntly whenever they talked.

But why had Austin followed Henry around?

‘Because he was so special.’

Surely, this case was also a choice brought forth by that specialness.

A choice that someone else would not have made, but chosen because it was Henry Camilton.

‘Then I should also show my sincerity.’

Austin readily accepted the opportunity given to him as well.

Melissa said that he would take an exam with the exact same content as Henry.

“Everything follows your judgment.”

There was no separate explanation, nor did they tell him what to do.

Under such an environment.

“Henry accomplished something like this?”

Exceedingly successfully, Austin finished the additional exam given to him.

BJ Swordmaster