“Maybe we need more people like him here.”
“Anyone who comes in with bad intentions is better off leaving early.”
“Anyone who comes in with bad intentions wouldn’t go against the Imperial Knights, without knowing that it was just a waste of time. And against the Diarca Duchy at that.”
Nathan shut up at those words. A hint of joy sparkled in Kishiar’s red eyes.
“It was a very interesting sight. It’s a shame I can’t show you.”
Knowing how much Kishiar disliked the nobles and the Four Dukes, Nathan sighed at the smile of his heartfelt master.
“You must have liked him a lot.”
“Like him… Well, yeah. I think so.”
He was interesting and unique. From the beginning, Kishiar’s eyes were on him. With such a murmur, Kishiar rose from his seat.
“Come to think of it, Nathan, did you receive anything while I was out?”
“Yes, there was a message from the Sun Palace.”
Nathan handed a short letter to his master from the leg of a carrier pigeon that flew to him just before Yuder came in.
The Sun Palace was where only the emperor of the Orr Empire could stay, and even a small rolled letter was stamped with the emperor’s symbol, the sun pattern, clearly visible on the wax sealed with paper.
Kishiar took it, opened the seal, and quickly read it down.
“Hmm. It says, ‘Bring me the Red Stone as soon as the ceremony is over’”
“Didn’t you say the ceremony is the day after tomorrow?”
“Yes, it’s going to be a pretty tight schedule.”
Kishiar threw the paper into the central fireplace. The paper thrown into the flames of the mana stone, burning in five brilliant colors, quickly burnt away without a trace.
“It’s not a problem to retrieve it. However, the Calvary system is not fully established yet. I’m a little worried about what might happen while I’m away for a long time.”
“But please don’t overdo it. The Peletta Knights are on standby, so if you tell me the number of
people you need, I shall have them ready.”
Kishiar turned his head toward Nathan. He furrowed his eyebrows and smiled softly as if he were doing nothing.
“You’re worrying so much, Nathan. I think my late mother would be less worried about me than you.”
“Everyone else is worried after your Awakening, Duke-nim. If your plate gets worse….”
“I know my body the best.”
Kishiar quietly cut off his aide’s words.
“There’s nothing wrong so far.”
“I’m sorry if I speak too forward of myself.”
“It’s nothing. And the Knights… Yeah, make sure about five people are prepared.”
“Five is too few. Then I will join you-”
“You have to act on my behalf here. When the Sun Palace calls, who else will get it if not you?”
“But…”
He would take only five people to carry an unknown object called the Red Stone. No matter how little Kishiar himself tried, the number was too small.
“I have to go quickly, so I can’t move heavy. And there are only five knights, so I think I’ll pick a few people from here to join the mission.”
“From here…?”
Knowing that it meant the organization his master made, Nathan’s voice inevitably worried.
Kishiar continued with a look as if he knew it by heart.
“Didn’t you just see? This is where someone who said he could win against you if he has more time comes from. I’ve been looking at a lot of people with quite interesting abilities. They’re the ones who got the power from the stone, so maybe it will be of help. In many ways, it’s the best opportunity to make the name of the Cavalry known worldwide.”
His master had already made a decision. Kishiar was not a man who changed his mind once he decided on something.
Nathan looked at him for a moment and lowered his head.
“Yes, sir. So are you going to take him with you?”
“I think so.”
Kishiar smiled softly again, talking about Yuder.
“I wanted to take a closer look and see how confident he is because he has so much power. His attitude that doesn’t care whether it’s a noble or imperial family is very interesting. Don’t you think he will be pretty fun to poke at?”
“Please do not develop too much interest.”
Nathan’s icy face was worried about him. Kishiar la Orr didn’t pay much attention to something, but once something interesting happened, he wouldn’t hesitate until he solved it.
Until now, his master’s disposition never caused any major problems. But he thought if his master’s interest in a commoner man he just met deepened, it might become a problem for the first time. Too little had been revealed about Awakeners since two years ago. As long as it wasn’t fully known how strong he had power, he had to prevent anything that might harm his master as much as possible.
“Haha. Just in case I get hurt?”
“… I know it won’t happen, but there’s a possibility.”
“Don’t worry, Nathan. If it was so common to hurt me, there would be no reason to suffer.”
Kishiar patted Nathan on the shoulder.
“It’s a boring life where I have to catch anything and release what I’ve accumulated inside forcefully. By comparison, it’s natural and interesting.”
“..Well, now you should go in and rest, too.”
Lowering his head at his master who said so, Nathan stepped down from his quarters and entered another room for him.
Even after the faithful aide disappeared, Kishiar la Orr stood still in front of the burning central fireplace without getting into bed.
Unlike the red flame made by burning wood, the fire produced by burning the magic stones created a mysterious five-color, burning more than 10 days with a handful of stones without spraying any soot or ash. Moreover, it was possible to create such a beautiful type of fireplace because it didn’t require ventilation.
When first invented, it was treated as magic by the wood-burning fire and mages, but now it could be seen anywhere.
That’s why Kishiar la Orr specifically instructed to install the fireplace at the very center of his place to stay.
Would the results he created here be considered like the fire? The answer was not yet known.
***
Two days later, a surname ceremony was held at an open space in front of the accommodation where the Cavalry members stayed, involving more than half of the entire members of the Cavalry.
It was a special ceremony that had only been held a few times in the empire’s history for more than a thousand years. The faces of the members who received a surname directly from the emperor were filled with emotion.
‘Even though the reality is shabby.’
Yuder stood in a black uniform as one of them. Originally, an event such as a ceremony should be attended by the emperor who would give them a surname or name.
However, the number of people to be granted was too high, and it’d already been several years since the emperor didn’t properly appear at a meeting to discuss state affairs because of health reasons.
Therefore, the venue for the ceremony was not an imperial palace, but a small vacant lot in front of the Cavalry building. And instead of the emperor, it was the Cavalry Commander, Kishiar la Orr, carrying a royal edict bearing the seal and standing on the podium. It was no different from what it looked like when the members were gathered and announced.
But that alone was enough to impress the members. Receiving a surname meant escaping commoner status and rising above them. The commoners were freed from many hard duties, given many benefits, and could pass on their surnames to their families.
In other words, a family could be formed. They could even become nobles, although they were not the same as nobles with territories and titles.
When a commoner became a knight, the only occupation that could aim for advancement in status, they were given the title of ‘Sir’. And the title couldn’t be passed on to his family, which was an incomparably better benefit.
That was exactly what it meant to be called.
“And it’s a surname that His Majesty the Emperor gives. Oh my God, it feels unreal.”
As the name was called one after another, Kanna, who was next to Yuder, held her cheek with a moved face.
“We haven’t done anything yet and I don’t know if we really deserve all this.”
“Of course, you can take it. Later, you’ll get used to getting more rewards every time you come back after completing a big mission.”
In Yuder’s case as the commander back then, he received lands and a surname from the emperor himself. And how many mansions did he get in the Capital?
With so many rare treasures, servants, and all kinds of honorable titles, none of them seemed meaningful later on. It was rather a funny memory to think about now.
“Yuder, aren’t you happy? Smile a little more.”
“I am happy.”
Kanna whispered, lowering her voice as if Yuder’s expression of recalling the past seemed stark.
He answered but did not seem convincing.
“Are you sure you’re happy? I don’t think so…”
“Next up is Kanna.”
“Yes!”
Luckily, at that moment, Kanna’s name was called. Yuder watched Kanna go up to the podium.
“I hereby bestow Kanna of the Cavalry the honorable surname ‘Wand’.”
“I- thank you very much.”
Kanna Wand, who received the new surname, turned back and greeted with tears in her eyes.
That was the only view that didn’t exist in the past.
“Next, Yuder.”