I Became the Dark Knight in the Game - Chapter 87: Award Ceremony (3)

The Knight Commander of the Imperial Knight Order.

Likely the strongest swordsman on the continent and the Emperor’s protector.

An idol among all knights.

The Sword Saint.

With the sudden appearance of such a prominent figure, all the nobles watching fell silent.

No one dared to make even the slightest noise or breathe too loudly.

It was inevitable.

The aura emanating from the Knight Commander was sharp as a blade, making people instinctively shrink back.

The Knight Commander reiterated with emphasis,

“Draw that sword, and you’re a dead man.”

The knight whose wrist was seized turned deathly pale.

He struggled to find his voice and managed to squeak out,

“Y-you mean to kill me if I draw my sword? Are you siding with this heretic now?”

“What?”

The Knight Commander was momentarily taken aback before he burst out laughing.

“Haha! You seem to have misunderstood me. Why would I kill you?”

“Th-Then…”

The Knight Commander pointed towards Dale and said,

“If you draw your sword, that fellow there will kill you. You won’t last even ten exchanges. On a day meant for the glorious medal award ceremony, it wouldn’t be right to spill blood over a petty squabble, would it? Unless…”

After taking a deep breath, the Knight Commander continued,

“Surely, you didn’t think you could win? Please tell me that’s not the case. If the caliber of knights has fallen this low, the future of the empire looks quite bleak.”

“………”

The young knight was unable to say anything, in retort. He simply hung his head and trembled.

The Knight Commander then stated,

“Let’s leave it at that for today. Apologize and let’s end this. As I said before, it’s not ideal to spill blood on such a fine day. Consider this a favor, just this once, for my sake.”

The Knight Commander turned to Dale and said that.

Dale whose agitation had waned at the sudden interruption replied bluntly.

“It doesn’t seem like we’re in any position to be doing each other favors, especially since we’ve only met today.”

“……!”

“!”

The knights and nobles listening in were shocked.

To speak back to the Knight Commander with such audacity.

If there was even a shred of fear, such behavior would be impossible!

Then, from within the crowd, a knight brandishing a sword burst forth and exclaimed,

“How dare you spout such insolence to our master, you impudent bastard!”

“Master?”

The one who had shouted was a young female knight. By referring to the commander as her master, it was clear she was his disciple.

The disciple seemed ready to draw her sword at any moment. However, the Knight Commander himself simply laughed heartily.

“Hahaha! Indeed. A knight should have such a spirit.”

“M-Master?”

The Knight Commander then addressed Dale,

“My apologies. It seems I was too caught up in my own thoughts. You’re seeing me for the first time, but in truth, I have seen you before. That… who was it again?”

When the Knight Commander looked towards his disciple for an answer, she immediately responded,

“Sir Kristen.”

“Ah, yes. That fight you had with Kristen. I saw your duel. And I must admit, I was impressed. Your technique might be lacking a bit, but you certainly know how to fight. It’s been a while since I felt my blood stir like that.”

The Knight Commander’s words caused an even greater stir among the onlookers.

Especially among the knights and aspiring knights. They were all shocked.

They knew how strict the Knight Commander was even with his own knights and how sparing he was with praise.

There was a well-known story in the upper echelons about a knight who burst into tears the first time he received a “well done” from the commander.

To catch the eye of such a Knight Commander.

The knights looked at Dale with even greater envy.

Dale, for his part, looked to be indifferent.

“What is it you want to say?”

“Let’s leave it at that for today. Stirring up trouble will do you no good. Even if he looks like that, he comes from a well-known family. And you? Why haven’t you apologized yet?”

The Knight Commander spoke to the young knight who had picked a fight with Dale.

The knight lowered his head with a humiliated face.

“I-I’m sorry.”

It was clearly a forced apology.

But Dale nodded his head and accepted it just the same.

He had no interest in further complications.

And with the Knight Commander going to such lengths, there was no reason to be obstinate.

“Understood.”

“Thanks for being understanding. Do come to the knight order sometime. I’d like to cross swords with you. You’re welcome anytime.”

Having left those words behind, the Knight Commander walked away.

The disciple of the Knight Commander glared sharply at Dale once before hastily following after her master.

The young knight who had picked a quarrel with Dale also hurried away. His face was now etched with a look of profound injustice.

It was clear he would never admit to being utterly defeated by Dale.

Yet, there was nothing he could do.

With the Knight Commander having intervened, to start another quarrel would be to disregard the Knight Commander’s dignity.

The young knight lacked the audacity for such a bold move.

“Consider yourself lucky.”

He spat out those words before quickly disappearing.

Dale considered stopping the young knight but then let it be.

Such fools were bound to cross paths with him again someday.

There was no need to deal with it now.

Although the incident had concluded, the once cold atmosphere did not return to normal.

People remained silent and were merely glancing around quietly.

Then, at last, the medal award ceremony finally began.

“Make way for His Excellency the Marquis! Everyone, step back!”

As the servant’s call rang out, the nobles stepped aside and made room on both sides. Following this, the knights of the Marquis entered in a single file and lined up, and lastly, the middle-aged Marquis himself strode in with confidence.

The Marquis was draped in a cloak so long and ornate that it nearly brushed the floor.

He deliberately walked with slow and graceful movements while basking in the attention focused on him.

The Marquis stood on the podium prepared in advance and looked arrogantly at his surroundings.

Then, only after a long time had passed did he open his mouth.

“Today marks a truly important occasion. His Majesty the Emperor has decided to bestow medals upon the young heroes who have rendered distinguished services. That His Majesty has entrusted this noble task to me is a great honor in itself.”

Several nobles echoed the sentiment and acknowledged the importance of the day with the Marquis.

The Marquis turned his gaze to a lower-ranking noble beside him with a pleased smile on his face.

The low-ranking noble held out a long scroll containing the list of medal recipients with both hands.

Then, he called out.

“Otto of the Berhardt family, step forward!”

“Yes!”

A knight quickly emerged and kneeled on one knee before the Marquis.

The low-ranking noble announced.

“For single-handedly hunting trolls in the southwest, protecting the people, and preserving the peace of the village, Otto is hereby awarded the Red Shield Medal!”

As the noble concluded his lengthy explanation, the Marquis handed the medal to the knight.

“Congratulations. Keep up the hard work.”

“Thank you, thank you so much!”

The knight bowed deeply with tears streaming down his face. There was a look of utter fulfillment on his face.

Isn’t that a bit much?

Receiving a medal wasn’t a bad thing, but was it really something to make such a fuss over?

It seemed too grand a reaction for mere honor.

Leaving Dale’s ponderings aside,

The ceremony continued.

The lower-ranking noble kept announcing the names and deeds of the recipients, and the Marquis personally handed each of them their medal.

There were quite a number of awardees, not just knights but also a significant number of mercenaries.

As a result, the ceremony stretched on for a considerable duration.

The nobles who listened quietly at first seemed bored and started to engage in idle chatter.

“There seems to be an unusually large number of medals being awarded this time. It’s been a while since we’ve seen such an event, especially since the heroes faded into history.”

“Well, from what I’ve heard, His Majesty is forming a new imperial guards. The imperial knights alone have their limits, don’t they?”

“New imperial guard?”

“Yes, indeed. I’ve heard they’re accepting anyone with skill, regardless of their social standing.”

“How ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous? Haven’t you noticed the unusual number of mercenaries and commoners at this medal award ceremony? And furthermore…”

The murmuring nobles cast fleeting glances at Dale.

They continued their conversation among themselves.

“If they’re awarding medals to people like him, it must reflect His Majesty’s clear intention to disregard social status and origins.”

“Hmm. That’s certainly a strong indication.”

This wasn’t merely a ceremony to recognize merit.

Dale gathered information with his excellent hearing and started thinking.

The imperial guards.

The Emperor had once felt his authority threatened by the emergence of heroes.

The heroes’ departure from the city to the front lines had, in one way or another, involved the Emperor’s influence.

Now, he was assembling his own guards.

But why?

The Emperor already commanded a vast army.

Yet, he seemed to desire more loyal soldiers at his command.

Is he not content with what he has?

Could it be that the Emperor felt threatened?

For now, Dale lacked enough information to make a judgment.

After a lengthy wait, Dale’s turn finally arrived.

The lower-ranking noble announced,

“Dale, a bronze-badge mercenary and a knight who serves the Goddess of Night! Sir Dale, step forward!”

Dale strode confidently towards the front.

The noble swallowed his apprehension at Dale’s approach and proclaimed,

“Dale, you have vanquished the servant of Arghul, Hasina, and as a mercenary, you successfully neutralized various threats to our city and saved countless lives. Furthermore, for your valor in defeating the resurrected Ganiagos in Kaelum before it could regain full strength, we hereby bestow upon you the Golden Sword Medal.”

The Marquis extended the golden sword-shaped medal to Dale after receiving it from the noble.

“Are you Sir Dale? I’ve heard a lot about you. Your efforts this time were truly commendable. Had Kaelum fallen, it would have spelled disaster for the empire.”

Dale nodded his head silently in response.

The Marquis continued,

“Take it. The Golden Sword Medal is not awarded lightly. This means that His Majesty himself has taken note of your performance.”

“I will accept it with gratitude.”

Dale reached out to accept the medal when suddenly, the Marquis grasped his hand firmly.

There was a strong force in the Marquis’s grip.

Their gazes met.

And then he whispered in a voice that only Dale could hear.

“What are your thoughts on the Empire and His Majesty?”

Dale furrowed his brow.

It was an unexpected question.

Rumors of the Emperor planning to form his personal imperial guards flitted through his mind.

Is this a test?

If so, Dale had no intention of scoring well.

He had little interest in something like the Emperor’s personal guards.

Dale responded briefly,

“I have no particular thoughts.”

The Marquis was caught off guard and stammered,

“…. But surely, you must feel something.”

“Perhaps.”

Dale cast a glance around him. Suddenly, as the two of them whispered among themselves, the nobles looked on with puzzled expressions.

The Marquis seemed determined not to let the matter drop without getting an answer. Dale opened his mouth once again.

“It seems to be in a dangerous state.”

“You mean the Empire? In what way?”

“In many ways.”

“Hmm.”

The Marquis’s face became inscrutable at Dale’s response.

“If it seems that way, it’s probably because we were unscrupulous and did not serve His Majesty properly. I appreciate your opinion. Thank you for your opinion. And congratulations again. If you wear that medal on your chest, people will look up to you.”

Dale thought that was unlikely.

Even with a shiny medal on his chest, Dale would still be considered a heretic in the eyes of the people.

I should head back as soon as this is over.

He was eager to leave this tedious setting.

However, as if reading Dale’s mind, the Marquis spoke up.

“There will be a banquet following this. It will be the most lavish and magnificent you’ve ever seen, so I hope you enjoy yourself.”

“I…”

Dale intended to decline outright.

However, the Marquis quickly continued,

“And during the banquet, we plan to make a rather important announcement. It would be in your best interest to hear it. So, do not rush off; instead, enjoy the banquet at your leisure.”

“Couldn’t you just tell me now?”

“Haha. Sir is better at making jokes than one might think.”

“No, I’m not joking…”

After a burst of laughter, the Marquis waved his hand dismissively.

It was a clear signal to stop the back-and-forth and wait.

Dale sighed inwardly.

It seemed leaving early might not be an option after all.