"Hilda von Gardener. Come forward."
"Yes!"
Finally, it was the turn of the young ones. It was almost time for Carl's turn. William looked at Carl next to him. He had been too busy with himself to pay attention to Carl. As expected―
"..."
Carl was frozen stiff. Seeing that, William smiled in reverse.
"...Calm down. It's hard to say, though."
Carl looked at William with a tremble.
"Wha, wha, wha, what do I do? If I make a mistake in front of His Highness, my whole family will—"
The Taylor family would be affected, of course. Now, they were in that situation. Facing a monster who carried the country, and the tension of not knowing what words would offend him. It would be impossible to tell him not to be nervous.
If there was a possibility that something important to William would be affected, he wouldn't be able to stay calm like this. Family and such were distant past; the lightness of being alone. In a sense, it could be said that he was freed from one big pressure.
Therefore, he felt that he could lend a shoulder to him, but only slightly; just a little bit.
"That's right...if you fail…"
The word “failure" increased Carl's tension.
Hilda, who had received a special reward, glanced at Carl with a worried look. If Carl failed, Rutgard would also be affected. That's probably why she was worried. Or maybe it was because of her acquaintance, or maybe―
"If you fail...let's go wild together."
"Pfft!"
Carl spurted out in a strange way. Fortunately, they were in a distant place, so no one heard them. That was taken into account, of course.
"We'll take the prince hostage and negotiate with the king. And then we'll flee to Ostberg or Galius. It'll be a long journey, but it might be interesting to go to the distant Arkland. How about it? Aren't you excited?"
He was saying crazy things. Even Carl knew it was a fantasy.
"Now isn’t the time to joke."
The young ones were called one after another. It wasn’t strange for Carl to be called at any time.
"I'm not joking. If you fail, I'll do just that. I have the plan in mind. I'll protect Lord Roland, Lord Einhart, and Lord Rutgard. From the beginning, since then, I've been your sword. I'm not serving Arcadia, I'm serving Carl von Taylor."
In William's mind, it was a lie. He felt a little uncomfortable with himself, who said iit so smoothly. It felt like he was telling the truth―
"Are you dissatisfied with me?"
William looked at Carl. The eyes speak as much as the mouth. Therefore―
"I'm not dissatisfied. It's enough!"
Carl's tremor stopped. A little softness returned to his stiff body.
"Carl von Taylor. Come forward."
Finally, it was Carl's turn. Until a while ago, Carl would have fainted at this point. But now―
"Yes!"
He stepped forward with his chest out.
"Don't worry. I'm with you."
"Yeah!"
Carl moved forward. His back was watched by his own sword. The sword of loyalty that he trusted absolutely. Carl did not doubt that absolute. That's why he could move forward with confidence.
"Oh, that's the Taylor family's…"
His dignified posture changed the eyes of the surroundings a little.
"Carl…"
Hilda, who had known Carl since childhood, was also surprised by the change.
‘William is with me. He said so. Then, I just have to believe.’
Without hesitation, his eyes went to the sky. He looked at Erhardt von Arcadia.
‘For me, William is...greater than His Highness.’
The wind blew. For a moment, just a breeze, but it was definitely there.
"...Carl?"
Even William, no, especially because he was William, didn’t see the growth of Carl von Taylor. He wasn’t the only one who had gained experience.
Carl knelt down and bowed his head. His gesture was refined, as expected of a noble.
"Carl's ten-man squad; the rumors have reached me. It was a splendid achievement. There has never been a ten-man squad in Arcadia's history that has achieved such a great feat. Therefore―"
Erhardt drew his sword from his waist.
The place was in an uproar. Carl also wondered if he had made a mistake and felt cold sweat on his back. It was also a tense moment for William, who was witnessing it. He had to move in case of an emergency.
"I appoint Carl von Taylor from a ten-man squad leader to a hundred-man squad leader. Also, I give Carl von Taylor the title of knight!"
The place was buzzing. There were also people who expressed their surprise in a loud voice. Carl himself was also surprised. He tried hard not to say anything, but the sweat on his back was increasing. It was also beyond what William thought could happen. It was unheard of for a ten-man squad leader to receive a knight rank. Moreover, Carl was from a lower-class family among the nobles, who had no connections. Everyone thought it was impossible. Except for the one who had given it to him.
"Do you swear to be the sword of our nation?"
The sword was gently placed on Carl's shoulder. An impossible situation was happening, but Carl tried to keep calm and opened his mouth, which was dry and cracked.
"I swear by the sword."
Erhardt smiled at the answer. He put away his sword and stepped back.
"Carl von Taylor, you may step back."
"Understood!"
It was a short timeframe, but it was an eternity for Carl. He had prepared himself and moved forward, but he never thought that a situation beyond that would be waiting for him.
"Wow, William. I-I can't breathe."
"You did well. I was surprised too. I didn't expect you to be a knight. No wonder there's royalty."
While holding Carl, who had broken the tension, William thought.
The reason why the royalty was here; It was simple. Only the royalty could bestow ranks, not to mention knight ranks. Carl was bestowed the knight rank, so the royalty had come to this place on purpose.
"Finally...William Livius, come forward."
"Huh?"
The place was boiling over with Carl being appointed a knight. It quieted down all at once.
Carl was stunned. William too. He never thought he would be called out of the blue. It would be impossible to appoint a ten-man squad leader in this place, let alone a hundred-man squad leader. Then what was the reason?
"William Livius."
"Yes!"
He had no choice but to move forward. He pushed Carl aside, whom he had held, and moved forward. "Hey, isn't he a foreigner?" "He's not even a ten-man squad leader yet." "What is the white mask doing here?" "Did he offend someone?" Whispering voices reached William's ears.
He reached the front of the stairs. William looked up at the sky. The golden monster was right in front of him.
‘Delicious.’
Saliva overflowed in his mouth. He licked it up with his tongue, panicked that it would spill. William felt like laughing. Here, in a situation where he didn't know what would happen, he envied and lusted after the other person, and wanted to take him from the bottom of his heart. He wanted that light. Then this thirst, this hunger, would surely be satisfied.
"Well, I'm sorry to call you out of the blue. I'm going to ask you something rude...are you ugly?"
Erhardt asked him something unexpected.
"I've never been called ugly, but I'm not confident that I can show myself to you."
William chuckled under his mask. It was a question about his mask. He had thought of several answers. He was grateful to be brought up to this place for that reason. This place was very conspicuous.
"You're not hiding your ugliness, are you? Then why do you wear that mask?"
As expected.
"This is a tool to separate myself as a warrior and as a normal person. On the battlefield, sometimes you have to kill your emotions. At that time, by putting a mask between them, you can be calm and make objective judgments."
"Is that the driving force behind Carl's ten-man squad's leap forward?"
"Of course, it’s all thanks to Carl's power. I’m nothing but a weakling. On top of that, if you ask me if the mask is important to me, then the answer is yes, Your Highness."
William kept bowing his head. Erhardt looked down at him.
"Haha, I won't do anything rude like taking off your mask. I just wanted to ask you. Well, let's get to the point."
He probably didn't want to make small talk. He called him on purpose. There must be something.
"I've heard a lot about your achievements. In Laconia, you defeated Hyann, a senior hundred-man squad leader. In Tiyal, you also defeated Urkeus, a senior hundred-man squad leader. And just the other day, you killed the chief hundred-man squad leader of the northern small country Rattlekia, the "White Bear", Schubester Nikrainen."
This information made Valdias and the military officials open their eyes. Hilda and the young ones were also amazed.
The "White Bear", Schubester Nikrainen, was a popular old man from the streets of Rattlekia. He had a record of fighting with Valdias and others when he was a hundred-man squad leader. He couldn't rise to the top because he was from the streets, but he kept fighting on the front lines of Rattlekia even in his old age. William and the others had killed such a man.
‘He's quick on the ears. I thought he wouldn't be included in the assessment this time.’
Schubester was killed very recently. Even Valdias and the others didn't know. Erhardt, who had quickly grasped the information, wasn’t just a royalty. Or maybe there was some reason―
"Of course, your previous achievements are also wonderful. But if you killed the "White Bear", wonderful wouldn’t be the right word. Do you know why?"
The fight with Schubester was certainly fierce. Even William in his current state hesitated to fight him. Schubester himself had lost his skills considerably due to old age. Even so, William barely saw him as a close match.
He cooperated with the local hundred-man squad and surrounded Schubester, and when Schubester broke through the encirclement, William charged. Schubester, who was supposed to be weakened by the strategy, was still strong. The monster and William crossed swords several times, and he finally managed to kill him.
It wouldn't be strange to receive some praise for such a monster. But in the end, he killed the chief, albeit a hundred-man squad leader. And he was past his prime. He didn't think he could get anything special for it. After all, it was just a soldier who died―
"You wouldn't know. I was surprised too. You see, Rattlekia, they surrendered to Arcadia's army. It was just last night."
William, who was bowing his head. Carl, who was watching him. Not only Hilda and the young ones. Everyone in this place was gaping with their mouths wide open. That's how shocking it was.
The country had no talent to begin with. The land was poor, and the country couldn't even maintain its appearance. It was only a matter of time before it fell. But the last push was the defeat of the hero "White Bear". The victory of the invincible Carl's ten-man squad and the local hundred-man squad. The contributors who brought down a country, I thought it was too much to give them nothing. So I came."
That was also the biggest reason why Carl was appointed a knight. He finally understood. Valdias and the others didn't know, but Erhardt did. A country, beyond the realm of the army, the realm of politics. He must have obtained the information from that side.
"But you're not even a ten-man squad leader yet. Even without this matter, you'll surely become one. I think it's too low an evaluation, but it's hard to jump up at once. Also, Carl is of noble origin, but you're a foreigner, so it'd be hard to give you a knight rank right away."
Erhardt drew his sword.
"Therefore, I will give William Livius a special exception, the status of a second-class citizen. Of course, it is a prerequisite that you will continue to work for our country as a ten-man squad leader."
There is no precedent for a third-class citizen, a foreigner, to become a second-class citizen. Even if they married or something, the children born would be second-class citizens, but the status of the third-class citizen himself would not change. This is a special exception among special exceptions. Carl and the nobles may not see it as a big deal, but William had no choice but to be astonished.
The reason why he had thought that the only way to lose his third-class citizen status was to become a noble was because it was a very narrow path. He had thought that it was a far-off story.
"Do you swear to become a citizen of our country?"
Nothing changed by being recognized as a citizen. He didn't gain any more rights than before, and he was just a "normal citizen" who was far from status and honor.
"I swear. I stake my life on it."
But there was a smile on William's face. He had finally taken a sure step. He didn't want to rise as a soldier. The army was just a tool for stepping up. It was nothing but a means.
"William Livius, you may step back."
His goal was to rise in this country. To devour everything that had mocked him as worse than a beggar. His goal was "now" decided.
"Understood."
The king could give people status. It was a godlike power. It was possible because he stood above all people. Therefore, there was only one thing to aim for―
The top of the people. That is, the "king".
William turned around and saw the scene behind him. Nobles, nobles, nobles, a flock of chosen ones. William realized that he was still halfway there. He was the lowest in this place, and his origin was even lower. That's why it meant something.
‘Heh.’
It was interesting because the bottom swallowed everything. It could be a true comedy.
‘I'll eat them all! Even the ones behind me.’
Under the white mask, a beast of desire was boiling.
༺༻
The formal announcements were over, and the hall moved to a buffet party. There were high-quality grape wines, freshly baked bread, fresh meat and vegetables, and fish dishes that were expensive for Arcadia, which did not face the sea. Everyone split into groups and ate, drank, and chatted. The groups were made up of people who matched the status of those in the place, and as a result―
"It's boring, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
William and Carl were bored. It was poor manners to eat silently, and they didn't know what they would be told. But they couldn't join the other groups either, because Carl wasn't good enough, and William was only a second-class citizen.
‘But they're looking at us. Whether it's caution, interest, or whatever they're thinking.’
William understood that his eyes were occasionally focused on them. Carl, who had received the knight rank, and William, who had received the unprecedented second-class citizen. They understood the reason why they were special in this place. If they did a little more, they could get the status and become the main characters in this place. Today was not that day. That was all.
‘There's no need to rush. There's a need to hurry, though.’
They raised their military achievements. Now that Carl's ten-man squad had become Carl's hundred-man squad, the range of tactics they could use had widened. The impact they could have on the battlefield would be incomparable to when they were a ten-man squad, and the digits of their military achievements would also increase.
"Carl, white one, lend me your faces for a moment."
"Huh, Hilda?"
Hilda, who had been chatting with a lot of people until a while ago, came to the place where Carl and William were isolated. Hilda pointed to some people. Carl gasped. He looked reluctant, but he was dragged away by his ear.
‘I see, the noble brats, huh.’
The graduates of the school that Carl couldn't get into. They ran through the elite course, and probably were given the seat of a hundred-man squad leader from the beginning. And―
‘They're relatively decent guys.’
According to William's estimation, the people that Hilda was trying to introduce were sorted out from the gemstones that had been in a pile until a while ago. Hilda must have some trust in them. They had a pretty good atmosphere.
"Well, you probably know them because they stood out earlier, but this skinny one is Carl. This white one is William."
Hilda introduced them casually. She didn't know enough about William to introduce him, and there was no need to explain Carl. But two of them looked at them with interest, and one of them didn't even look at them.
"My name is Anselm von Kruger, a hundred-man squad leader. I hope you'll do me a favor if we meet on the battlefield."
Anselm, with black hair and blue eyes. The eldest son of the prestigious Kruger family and a knight. His father was a marquis, and according to Arcadia's law, the heir of a marquis automatically had the rank of viscount. Therefore, the viscount rank was a decoration, and the place to look at was the knight rank, which was the proof of his achievements on the battlefield. His well-balanced physique and sharp features suggested that he had a lot of experience.
"My name is Gregor von Thunder. Thanks to my father's sudden death, I'm now a count. Nice to meet you!"
Gregor, who had a large build, was from a prestigious family, though inferior to the Kruger family. He inherited the count title early because of his father's sudden death. On the battlefield, he used his large build to wield a huge weapon and trampled many soldiers. He didn't introduce himself, but he was a hundred-man squad leader.
"I don't feel the need to introduce myself to these people. Excuse me."
The man who didn't introduce himself left without ever looking at William and the others. Hilda sighed. Carl breathed a sigh of relief.
"Forgive me, Carl. He's always been like that."
Gregor, who looked friendly, put his arm around his shoulder. Carl was flustered.
"His name is Gilbert von Oswald. His family is a ducal house. I guess he's probably the best in terms of pedigree in this place, except for the prince, right? He's a nasty guy, but... he's pretty strong."
Hilda explained to William. "Thank you," he said, but it was obvious. The atmosphere was different. Well, that could be said for the three of them in this place.
"Is Rutgard doing well? Let me see her next time."
As soon as Gregor said that, a huge killing intent overflowed from Hilda. "J-Joking, joking," Gregor said, trying to smooth things over, but Hilda's gaze was still sharp.
‘He's changed. Does he like such a plain woman?’
William didn't understand the appeal at all, so he didn't understand the men who approached Rutgard. He might be joking as he said, but―
"I've fought with Hyann once. I wanted to meet you, who killed him."
Anselm asked for a handshake. He had the ability, and he was the type who treated people without discrimination, even if they were citizens. As long as the other person had the ability.
"Thank you very much, Lord Anselm."
He felt Anselm's solid strength from his handshake. He was sure that the other side felt it too.
"Anselm is a viscount, but he doesn't like to be called that. If you're going to call him something, call him Sir, the knight rank, White Mask."
Gregor also asked for a handshake. He felt the power as he looked.
"But you killed Schubester Nikrainen. Wow, the "White Mask" isn’t a joke. His exploits are known not only in the neighboring country of Arcadia, but also in faraway lands. He’s a living legend. If he had been evaluated after becoming a ten-man squad leader, he would have gotten the knight rank and the hundred-man squad leader as a set without any complaints... What a waste!"
Gregor praised his military achievements for killing Schubester. But his eyes weren’t smiling. Rather, he felt a faint jealousy for killing the legend. Hilda and all the soldiers in this place probably thought the same thing.
He ate the legend when he was old.
"I'd like to hear how you killed him, for future reference."
Anselm's expression didn't change, but he was very interested.
"Then, if I may be so bold. First, I coordinated with the local hundred-man squad and laid a siege..."
For William, it was nothing better than to get along with the capable hundred-man squad leaders. If he wanted to make a big move on the battlefield in the future, coordination was essential. He proceeded with the conversation as if Carl had come up with the plan.
Hilda, seemingly bored, was playing with Carl. She was pinching and tugging at his cheeks, a game she had enjoyed since Carl’s childhood, one of the reasons why Carl had always been afraid of Hilda.
"Shtahp id."
"Round and round, up and down, poke, poke!"
"Ousch!?"
Even this could be considered an exchange between fellow Centurions.
༺༻
"Valdias. Was that the promising group over there?"
Erhardt was looking at one of the groups at the buffet party downstairs. The young hundred-man squad leaders were interacting. There were some groups in the distance, but none of them had such a dense atmosphere. Erhardt judged people by their aura. People's good and bad showed in their appearance. The atmosphere was their personality, and it was an indicator of what they were. If they were excellent, they would naturally acquire it in any field.
"That's right. But I didn't expect Carl von Taylor to break in there."
The blond-haired, blue-eyed boy. He was probably a young man in terms of age, but he looked young. He didn't see any aura at first glance. Erhardt wouldn't think of using him.
"That's his camouflage. The good one is the white mask. He's pretty good, and I really want him. If I were a little younger, I would’ve asked His Majesty."
Drool. Erhardt drooled. Erhardt was a talent collector. He couldn't have too many good pieces. Above all, talented people shone. Erhardt liked that shine.
"Why do I have to be called to such a worthless seat?"
Behind Erhardt, there was a beautiful woman who had her maid wash her feet and fan her with a fan, and relaxed gracefully.
"Don't say that, Claudia. It's not a bad group, is it?"
"They are not worthy. They are not worthy of meeting me."
For Erhardt, it was a fun place with many talented people, but for the woman called Claudia, it wasn’t enough. There was nothing to see.
"This is the first time I've seen so many people, brother."
In contrast to Claudia, a girl who seemed happy looked downstairs. She was also a beautiful woman. Claudia was bewitching, and the girl was lovely. The vector of beauty was different. Of course, both of them were so beautiful that if there were a hundred men, a hundred men would propose to them, and they had a natural flower.
"That's right, Eleonora. Come on, Claudia, come and take a look."
Claudia, who was truly annoyed. Eleonora, who had come out of the palace for the first time, was interested in everything she saw and heard.
The two were princesses of Arcadia. The first princess was Claudia, and the second princess was Eleonora. They were of royal blood, and different from the others.
"Oh, I've seen that face before."
"He’s from the Oswald family, Your Highness."
Claudia was interested in the face she had seen before. In other words, he was the most noble person in this place, except for the royal family, a man who belonged to the ducal family, Gilbert.
"He’s very skilled and has achieved military feats. He is a talent who’ll someday shoulder the country."
"Hmph, but he’s a second son, isn't he? Then he’s not worthy of me."
Claudia didn't like the promising son of the ducal family. She didn't care about anyone else. They were too unworthy.
"Was he the one who killed the white bear?"
Eleonora asked Valdias. He nodded. Eleonora's face brightened. The battle between Valdias and Schubester in their youth was a legend for both countries. They crossed swords many times on the snowy plains of the north, sometimes winning, sometimes losing, and many exploits were born there. The man who ended the legend. The girl who loved stories couldn't help but be interested.
"But I heard he was quite old…"
Erhardt was calm as expected. For him, ability was more important than just the value of names. He was a legend at the time, but now he was just an old soldier. There was a big difference between him and Valdias, who was still at the top.
"Even in his old age, that man was strong. The only ones who could kill him in this place are me and that boy. I would knock him down from the front, but that boy probably used a trick... a trick that makes me so angry that it's annoying."
Valdias gritted his teeth. Valdias, the general, could tell the strength of a person just by looking at them. He had become much stronger than before, but he still didn't have the strength to do anything to Schubester face to face. Even if he used a trick, it wouldn't be easy to make up for the difference.
"That's right. I heard the local hundred-man squad was almost annihilated. That's why we couldn't call them here."
The annihilated hundred-man squad. They were probably used to the bone by William's scheme. Schubester’s body, which was recovered, had many arrow wounds and bruises from stones, and there was no food at the base, probably because the supply line was cut off well. It wasn’t a fight at full strength.
"Well, it's Rattlekia's fault. They placed the legend in such a tiny base. It's like saying “please kill me…” But we couldn't kill him until now."
Regardless of the humanity of the scheme, and the lack of respect for the legend, he killed him. The old man who had been holding back Arcadia's invasion was gone. The north was safe. There was no longer a small country that was difficult to deal with.
"Well, he must be excellent. I don't like his excellence, though."
William looked crooked as a warrior. That was the part that Valdias couldn't like no matter what.
"It's not enough to be a good fighter. You have to be smart."
The part that Valdias didn't like was the part that Erhardt appreciated. After all, Erhardt liked William. The ambitious man who aimed for the sky beyond his means.
"Well, I'm tired of eating. Let's go for some exercise after dinner."
Erhardt stood up. The party had just begun.