Chapter 50: Knighthood Ceremony

The next day, I woke early out of habit but skipped breakfast. Originally, the church considered eating breakfast sinful. For me as a former office worker who’d always eaten breakfast, this was too absurd, so I’d ignored that one rule and eaten breakfast faithfully.

The church moralists’ claim that two meals—lunch and dinner—were sufficient for a day was hard to accept. The pleasure of eating enriched human life immeasurably. That I’d invested precious points in food early on was to preserve life’s small pleasures.

A life without pleasure was nothing but suffering.

This time I wore white linen, symbolizing the severing of ties with sin and living a life without impurity. Over this, I wore a red tunic, symbolizing a sworn loyalty to one’s lord and a willingness to shed blood. I’d be loyal, but I had no desire to spill blood. Before dying, Klugen had told me not to trust the royal family.

Then came long black stockings, which symbolized coming from the earth and returning to the earth—a resignation to death. Every single garment worn had some meaning attached to it. Next I put on a white girdle. What meaning had they assigned to this one again?

It signified perpetual purity and nobility.

Finally, I donned the plate armor. Oscar, Hans, and Ted joined forces to help me into it. The Gothic-style plate armor looked magnificent the moment it was on. But couldn’t I somehow change the design of just the pointed sabatons?

"Now, once you put on this red cloak, all the preparations are complete."

"Our family crest is embroidered on this cloak? When did you have this made?"

"Of course I prepared it in advance so my husband wouldn’t have to worry. It’s a top-grade cloak made of velvet."

She said it had cost fifteen silver coins. This red cloak was called a symbol of humility, but I had no idea where humility could be found in something this extravagant. In any case, timing it so that we departed at ten o’clock, I set off for the royal castle leading my retainers, with Hilda in a beautiful dress.

Naturally, I rode Schatten, whom Hilda had lent me, while Hilda took a carriage. Priscilla and Sabine rode in the carriage as well. Hans took the lead, with Oscar and Ted flanking me on either side. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring Daniel and Bodo to the royal castle, as I couldn’t leave the house unattended.

"Is that the Gale Knight?"

"Who else would be receiving investiture right now?"

"Oh my, then he really is the Gale Knight? Incredible!"

Watching me proceed in state toward the royal castle, murmuring onlookers began gathering rapidly. A procession heading to the royal castle for a knight investiture ceremony was already quite a spectacle for the duchy’s residents, but when the protagonist was known to be the Gale Knight, crowds formed in an instant.

Was this the power of 750 family prestige points (recognition +17%, governance +17%)?

The flustered ones were the soldiers guarding the streets leading to the royal castle.

"Hilda, isn’t this getting out of hand? People are gathering in droves."

"I think it’s wonderful, though. It’s proof of how famous Wolf has become, isn’t it?"

Hilda seemed to be savoring the moment. Could she be living vicariously through me, satisfying her regret at not being able to become a knight because she was female? I didn’t know about other regions, but as far as I knew, our country didn’t grant knight titles to women.

"Quite the entrance. As expected of a knight with a title."

"Long time no see, Inspector General. Did you come to watch my investiture ceremony?"

"It would be impolite not to attend when the man in question is about to become the War Minister’s son-in-law. Setting faction loyalties aside at such events is an unspoken rule."

I’d spotted someone I knew at the royal palace. My relationship with Adelbert was strictly transactional—a relationship that didn’t budge unless it was mutually beneficial. Hilda, however, was unexpectedly friendly with Adelbert. I’d known she was good with people, but it seemed she maintained a cordial relationship even with the rival faction’s successor.

Fortunately, Deputy Inspector General Mort hadn’t shown up.

It would have been deeply unpleasant if he’d shown his face.

"Long time no see, Adelbert."

"It’s been a while, Hilda. Won’t you call me Adel like you used to?"

"Hoho, the Gale Knight doesn’t like me calling other men by nicknames."

"Hmm, being overly possessive with a noble lady can be seen as lacking magnanimity. What will you do later when young knights come wishing to devote themselves to Hilda?"

What was this about? How was that being possessive? Lacking magnanimity?

Wait, come to think of it, I’d been forgetting one of chivalric tradition’s customs.

Young knights who tested their courage and devotion for an admired noble lady were known as devotees of courtly love and Minnesänger. Not at present, but later, if I rose to become a high-ranking noble, knights might well appear wishing to ardently worship Hilda.

Fine, if they wanted to worship Hilda, they’d have to go through me first. Right before my knight investiture ceremony, I found myself burning with jealousy toward competitors who didn’t even exist yet.

Afterward, I waited for the ceremony in the antechamber.

This waiting was part of a sacred ritual that no one could interrupt—a time to kneel in piety, offer prayers, and repent for sins committed. My greatest sin was taking lives. But it had been to protect the weak and to protect myself.

I didn’t know what kind of existence the operator or God was in Medieval Knight’s world, but at the very least, I swore to refrain from unnecessary killing rather than repenting for what I’d already done. I found the belief that simply purchasing indulgences washed away sins and secured a place in heaven to be absurd sophistry.

After waiting in the antechamber for quite some time, someone entered. A court bishop in solemn vestments. Behind him, three court priests stood in respectful attendance. Among them was the priest who’d provided the church’s endorsement when we were negotiating the marriage contract with the War Minister.

"Before receiving investiture from your lord, you must first undergo the oath ceremony as a knight of the church."

As far as I knew, the church had originally regarded knights as violent brutes who disturbed the peace and engaged in plunder, but as knights’ influence grew, the church had appeased and controlled them by instilling the romantic ideal called chivalry and elevating their status as protectors of the faith.

"Do you swear to protect the church and vanquish its enemies as a warrior of Christ?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to protect and devote yourself to the weak as a warrior of St. Peter?"

"I swear."

In the solemn atmosphere, I could feel just how tightly bound knights were to the church. That was why, whenever a Crusade was called, everyone answered the summons with fervor and without exception. Let me state for the record that I would absolutely never take part in any Crusade. Those who wished to go could go on their own.

"In the name of the church, I appoint you a warrior of Christ and a warrior of St. Peter."

The long oath ceremony was finally over. My knees were slightly numb from kneeling so long. Afterward, I proceeded to the royal palace’s audience hall under the court priests’ escort. It had been some time since the last investiture ceremony, and once word spread that the crown prince’s first knighted knight was the Gale Knight, many court nobles had flocked to observe. There were quite a few young nobles my age as well.

Receiving the gazes of nobles arrayed on either side of the audience hall, I strode boldly toward the dais where the crown prince stood. The crown prince’s expression as he looked down at me held both joy and pride. He cleared his throat several times and spoke solemnly:

"Wolfgang von Streit, who is to receive hereditary knighthood, kneel."

I knelt on both knees before the crown prince.

The crown prince drew his sword, laid it upon my left shoulder, and spoke:

"You shall not fear your enemies and shall always act with courage. You shall not speak falsehoods, and you shall protect the innocent. As crown prince of Beren, guardian of the empire’s border and representative of Altringen, I grant you the title of Ritter and bestow upon you this sword."

After moving the blade from my left shoulder to my right and raising it, the crown prince presented the sword to me. I received it respectfully with both hands. Then, as if he’d been waiting for this part, the crown prince slapped both my cheeks, one on each side.

Smack! Smack!

Damn. I’d known it was coming, but it stung. The slap was meant to ensure one never forgot the oath. As far as I knew, the original custom had involved being beaten while rolled in a mat, but since a knight candidate had once died from the beating, it had been simplified to a slap on each cheek.

"Rise, Knight of Beren and Gale Knight."

"I will devote this life to Beren and Altringen."

With that, the investiture ceremony was complete. I had officially become Wolfgang Ritter von Streit. The rituals and preparations leading up to this had been lengthy, but the actual ceremony itself hadn’t taken even ten minutes. The crown prince looked satisfied, having conducted his first knight investiture without a single misstep.