I Regressed and the Genre Changed

Chapter 8 – Knighting Ceremony (2)

The streets were bustling with countless people.

Normally, there wouldn’t have been any escorts, but since it was an official external event, the Duke’s manor sent out a magnificent carriage and escorts.

I leaned my head out the window and looked at the scenery outside.

All the roads inside the estate were paved with cobblestones, and the streets were filled with various shops and stalls.

The emblem of Winfred embroidered at the end of the carriage fluttered.

Many people walking along the streets cast reverent gazes towards Winfred’s procession.

I gazed out the window lost in thought.

Being the Duke’s carriage, the ride was quite comfortable.

And then, time passed.

“We have arrived, Young Master.”

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the destination, the Grand Cathedral, and the coachman opened the door for me.

As I stepped down from the carriage slowly, a Knight with a stern expression was waiting for me.

“I will guide you.”

Step by step, I followed the Knight towards the center of the Cathedral.

It didn’t take long to reach the central hall where the Knighting Ceremony was taking place.

And then.

“Damn it.”

One pompous and suffocatingly dull ceremonial procession after another passed by unnecessarily.

Torch procession, blessing ritual, scripture reading, prayer, meditation…

I almost fell asleep before the ceremony even began.

After passing through all the tedious procedures, the actual Knighting Ceremony finally began.

“Nobles, please come forward.”

The Knighting Ceremony was not just a simple ritual, it was a competition in itself.

As it only occurred once every five years, nobles who sought competent and loyal Knights were eager to compete.

The number of competent Knights was limited, and the number of Knights each individual could ordain was also fixed.

And all those opportunities were distributed differentially based on the level of status.

Those of higher status would gain priority, while those of lower status would have to wait their turn, perhaps even sucking their fingers in anticipation.

‘Of course, I have a free pass.’

Duke Winfred, one of the Three Guardian Families of the Empire and a founding hero.

Unless one was of Imperial Family or from the same Duke’s lineage, there was no chance of me being surpassed by anyone in terms of status.

In other words, I had secured the ‘priority’ to ordain Knights ahead of anyone else.

However,

‘It’s unnecessary.’

I only desired one Knight, Diana.

No one else mattered.

Priority? That was unnecessary too.

After all, Diana could only be ordained by me, or rather, no one else would ordain her.

That would be the trigger for Diana to spend years digging her own grave in stagnation.

After wasting years, she would eventually meet a fateful person and discover her talent, ultimately seizing the position of the Commander of the Imperial Knights.

‘He must be somewhere around here.’

I glanced around at the nobles attending the Knighting Ceremony.

‘Oh, there he is.’

A man sitting next to me with a discontented face.

I confirmed the emblem of the family engraved on his attire.

A black eagle soaring through darkness.

It was undoubtedly the Viscount Torte family, which operated one of the largest mercenary groups in the Empire.

The plan was simple.

That’s it.

“Hey.”

The man sitting next to me turned his head at my call.

He glanced at the Winfred emblem neatly embroidered on my chest and exclaimed in surprise.

“Y-Yes?! You mean me?!”

I knew the Viscount Torte family well.

As the first case to buy a title with wealth, they were famous for being a wealthy family blinded by the desire for fame, and their ostentatious displays of wealth at every banquet.

Yet, they were just a mercenary family.

With a pleasant smile, I asked him.

“What’s your order?”

“…M-My order?”

“Yes.”

His complexion darkened rapidly.

It was obvious that a family of mercenaries would naturally be towards the end of the queue, and he must be feeling ashamed about it.

Now is the time.

Once again, I’ll say it, in this damn world, the only thing to trust is money.

I confided my offer in a soft voice.

“Would you like to buy my turn from me?”

The guy stood there with his mouth agape, blinking stupidly.

It was the reaction of someone who hadn’t even dared to imagine buying and selling turns.

I waited patiently for his response.

After a moment.

He glanced at me, then cautiously spoke up.

“Uh, how much…?”

****

The Knights belonging to the Cathedral are generally composed of commoners.

As they operate in the name of God, they often extend mercy to those who lack opportunities.

However, even among commoners, there are detailed hierarchies.

So, those commoners who enter the Knights usually come from well-off households, with money and connections.

Becoming a Knight is one of the few opportunities for upward mobility for commoners.

Nevertheless, Diana was a genius.

She is a commoner, an orphan, with nothing but a sturdy body to her name.

So, even within the ragtag group of Knights she joined, her rank was at the very bottom.

“Get up!”

At the woman’s command, Diana struggled to rise from her seat.

Her entire body was stiff, as if it had been molded with mildew, and her face was covered in dirt and dust.

Traces of countless harassments and cruelties.

“What’s with that expression?”

“…”

“Why? Feeling unjust?”

It was unjust.

Because of her commoner birth, because she’s an orphan, because she dared to dream of becoming a Knight despite being a woman.

The harsh reality of having to miss out on the Knighting Ceremony, which only happens once every five years, was truly unjust.

There’s no Knightly order that would accept an eternal squire.

So, she poured everything into this one opportunity, the Knighting Ceremony.

With no more time or funds to wait for the next one.

If she misses this opportunity, she will surely be expelled from the Knights order.

Knighthood is noble, but the words of those who couldn’t become Knights are pitiful.

Diana will likely become a mercenary, wandering aimlessly in life, swinging her sword.

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

Diana raised her head, glaring at the woman with bloodshot eyes.

She had dedicated half her life to training, wanting nothing more than to become a Knight.

But it’s all over now.

After enduring excruciating patience, she finally had her chance, only to have it shattered before her eyes as if it meant nothing.

Just because of a petty desire to correct an unjust hierarchy.

Diana’s reason was consumed by boiling anger.

“…You bitch.”

“You’re realizing that just now?”

She shrugged as if she had heard enough.

Soon, the women who had been watching from behind burst into giggles.

“She might cry at this rate.”

“She won’t shed a single tear no matter how far I go, right?”

“Heh, you toxic bitch.”

Diana swallowed her anger without a word.

It felt like a hot ember was stuck in her throat.

“Tsk, how boring.”

The woman clicked her tongue.

Since Diana’s reaction wasn’t exactly amusing.

She threw a callous remark as if to salt the wound.

“Hey, go on.”

“…”

“Go to the Knighting Ceremony. Ah, it’s probably all over by now, huh?”

With a mocking laugh, she left with the women who had been watching.

Diana turned her head to check the clock on the wall.

While she was being toyed with like this, time had already reached the end of the Knighting Ceremony.

“…”

She looked at her reflection in the marble.

Her face covered in dirt and her disheveled attire.

She looked more akin to a begger than a Knight.

Even if she were to go to the Knighting Ceremony now, it’s evident that the fervor has already waned.

Even if there were turns left, there would be no noble foolish enough to select such a sorry excuse for a Knight.

Thinking about it herself, her situation was ludicrous, pitiful even.

Overwhelmed by a deep sense of powerlessness, her vision blurred.

“…Ha.”

…Is this really where she gives up?

Perhaps someone might look at her, seeing the essence of a Knight?

But… would anyone even consider selecting her as a Knight, given her sorry state?

Countless regrets swirled in her mind, intertwining into a chaotic mess.

Diana just closed her eyes.

“…”

When she opened them again, she found herself sprinting through the antechamber towards the central hall.

In her mind’s eye, she heard the distant voices of her fellow Knights cheering her on.

“Urgh… huff…”

She was desperate.

She wanted to become an honorable Knight and pledge her loyalty to those who chose her.

She wanted to forget her past self and start anew.

“Ugh…!”

A beastly groan burst from her throat.

Her heart was pounding so hard, but she couldn’t stop.

Impatience crept into her steps.

After running for a while, Diana abruptly stopped in front of the door leading to the central hall.

On the other side, a chilly silence flowed.

It felt like all the events had ended, entering the final phase.

Diana lowered her head.

Then, she cautiously reached out towards the door, swallowing back a deep sigh.

Creak.

The door to the central hall opened.

The pouring light made her eyes sting.

Her gleaming silver hair swayed messily in the gusting wind.

“…”

The seats where the nobles were supposed to sit to ordained Knights were empty, and the Knights waiting for the nobles’ choices were also absent.

Ah, it’s over.

She thought in that fleeting moment.

“Oh, there you are.”

A deep voice struck her ears.

Diana turned her head towards the direction of the voice, seeing the familiar face of a bishop and a man chatting.

“Young Lord, I’ve clearly mentioned that the Knighting Ceremony has ended!”

“What do you mean it’s ended? Can’t you see that Knight over there? Oh, don’t tell me that person isn’t even a Knight? Strange. From what I see, she seems like a Knight.”

“Well, she is a Knight, but I’ve already said that the Knighting Ceremony has ended…”

“Huh, how much money has Winfred donated to the Cathedral so far?”

“Y-Young Lord…!”

Diana’s mind couldn’t keep up with the conversation.

Only the occasional words “Knighting Ceremony” and “Knight,” and the sharp gaze of the man looking at her, were etched into her mind.

And then.

“Haah… I’ll allow it just this once, Young Lord.”

“It should’ve been like this from the beginning.”

“Well then, please stand up and choose a Knight.”

The man called the Young Lord stood up from his seat.

The sunlight pouring in from the ceiling cast everything in shadows.

“Hmm.”

His piercing blue pupils locked onto Diana.

It felt like a tickle in her chest.

“I will ordain that lady Knight standing over there.”

His finger pointed towards Diana.

At that moment, transparent tears trickled down from the corner of her eyes.