Chapter 227 (1/2)

Chapter 227: Chapter 227

It was the first day of the ninth month of 964 by the imperial calendar.

Finally, the official ceremony for the new knights, which I had been longing for so much, took place. Those due to be appointed as the full-fledged knights were ranked within the 200th of those who scored more than 280 out of 400 points on the test.

Although there were fewer people selected than everybody thought, those who took the test seemed to understand the situation after hearing that the government could not select those who didn’t meet the minimum standards. Nonetheless, those selected numbered a lot more compared to the past when a dozen people were chosen at most.

When I soaked in warm water, I felt relaxed after a long time. Before attending the ceremony, the prospective knights were supposed to wash themselves to reflect on their lives. They were not allowed to be helped by anybody while washing, so I had no choice but to wash my body alone.

When I washed my hair clumsily and wrapped it with a towel, there was a steady drip of water from my hair.

Oops, is this not the right way to do it?

Although I rubbed my hair with a towel for a long time, water drops kept falling from my hair that was full of moisture. As I didn’t know what to do, I put on clothes and came out of the bathroom.

Inside a small room was a young man dressed in a uniform. His red hair, which was always a little dishevelled, was neat and tidy today. His uniform, which always seemed sloppy, was in flawless condition.

When I hesitated for a moment because I was kind of awkward, he looked back at me and said with a smile.

“Hi, Tia.”

“…Hi, Sein. It’s been a while. Are you my guide today?”

I asked hesitantly.

Why has he been selected as my guide? He is not in the same knights division as mine.

A guide was traditionally assigned to anyone to be appointed as a full-fledged knight. It was customary for an immediate supervisor or someone who was close to the new knight to be his or her guide, so he could help him or her prepare for the inauguration ceremony and attend it together. So, I thought someone from the 2nd Knights Division would be my guide because my father couldn’t come because he was busy.

Carsein smiled at me when I looked at him with a puzzled expression and said, “Your father has asked to be your guide.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, Tia.”

“I see.”

Come to think of it, my father and Carsein were on good terms. I forgot it because Carsein rarely came to my home recently.

When I nodded lightly, he said, turning his mouth up slightly, “Congratulations, Tia. Now you are a full-fledged knight.”

“… Thanks.”

“Hmm, even though you are now a full-fledged knight, don’t forget I’m your senior, okay? Whew! It was a close call, man. I almost lost my record as the youngest knight to you.”

In fact, I was worried about him since I argued with him over his father’s betrayal, but I felt relieved to know he was cracking jokes about me as usual. I felt heavy when I thought I hurt my precious friend, although I acted like that because I didn’t want him to become a scapegoat.

“Hey, you seemed to be indifferent to me, but you actually cared for me, right?”

When I said that mischievously, Carsein clenched his fist and pretended to hit my head.

“Little girl, are you kidding me? Are you going to challenge me already because you’ve become a full-fledged knight?”

“What the heck are you talking about?”

“Oh, that’s good. Come here and sit down. You have to hurry up.”

He pulled me and sat me in front of the mirror. He took a dry towel and covered my head.