Chapter 7

◇ ◇ ◇

And so, somehow managing to slip in just in time, she participated in the induction ceremony. Iris, wearing the brand new uniform of the Knights that had been given to her by the dorm mother, took her assigned seat.

──Everyone here certainly seems skilled.

Iris scanned the surroundings. The Imperial Capital Knights were an elite group, consisting only of those with the most exceptional skills among the many knights. One could not join this group without excelling in knowledge, physique, and technique; they were truly a select group of elites.

Every new member was tall and well-built. Their lithe yet well-toned physiques suggested that they had already undergone considerable training.

The ceremony began shortly, and a person who introduced himself as the Third Division Commander gave the opening remarks.

"Welcome to the Imperial Capital Knights of the Highland Empire. I welcome you all. Today, you will first engage in sparring with your senior knights. Based on your performance, we will determine your formal placement, and the investiture ceremony by His Majesty the Emperor will take place in three days."

The idea of sparring on the first day made Iris tighten her resolve; this knight squad seemed even stricter than she had imagined.

The Imperial Capital Knights have five divisions, from the First Division to the Fifth Division. It seemed that after observing their performance in actual combat, they would decide which of these five divisions they would be placed in.

Incidentally, the First Division, which guards the central part of the palace, is the most popular as it allows one to meet the Emperor. On the other hand, the Fifth Division, which is responsible for patrolling the city and apprehending criminals, was considered the least desirable among the new knights.

Everyone headed to the training ground. They were instructed to sit and watch quietly when it was not their turn, so Iris took a seat in an empty spot.

"Is this seat okay?"

"Sure."

Iris responded to a man who had spoken to her.

"I'm Cain."

The young man who plopped down next to her smiled at Iris. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with black hair and black eyes, exuding a sun-tanned, masculine, and dignified aura.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Dean Costa."

At that moment, an unhappy voice came from the seat behind her.

"Costa? No wonder there's an out-of-place person here. You must have connections. This isn't a place for kids."

The sound of a tongue click was heard, and Iris turned to see a man with a distorted frown. He had the common brown hair and brown eyes seen in this country, with an ordinary appearance.

"I'm not a child. I'm seventeen."

Iris replied, feeling irritated.

"Your voice is as high as a girl's."

The mocking tone drew snickers from those around them. Indeed, Iris was the smallest among the dozen or so people gathered there today. She did not deny that her voice was high. After all, she was actually a girl.

"Having a weakling like you around makes all of us, who have generations of knights, look useless and causes trouble."

Iris did not respond, but observed the man in front of her with a sigh. From his tone, this man was likely from a family with generations of knights. The Costa family, like the Costas, was exempt from the multi-stage selection process for joining the Knights.

"My name is Dean Costa. What's yours?"

"I'm Jeffrey Eil. The third son of the Eil family. By the way, my older brothers are also in the Imperial Capital Knights; one is the First Division Commander, and the other is the Deputy Commander of the Third Division."

Jeffrey, the man in front of her, spoke proudly. The Eil family, like the Costa family, was a prestigious knight family known for their swordsmanship. She had heard of them. Given the achievements of his brothers, it seemed he had both the family name and the skills to back it up.

"I see. I look forward to working with you."

Iris, who did not want to stand out, gave a non-committal response and turned back to face the front. "Hey," Cain, who was sitting next to her, called out.

"Can't really understand, but is the Eil family famous?"

"A prestigious knight family."

"Hmm. I'm a commoner from the countryside, so I don't really get it."

Cain laughed heartily.

◇ ◇ ◇

Iris and the others sparred with the young knights who had joined last year. Despite having only one year of experience, none of them could match up. Even Cain, who seemed to have the closest match, lost when he received a sword to his stomach at the last moment.

"Next, Dean."

Iris, called by name, stood in the center of the training ground with a tense expression.

She had been her younger brother Dean's sparring partner until a year ago, but after Dean fell ill, she had only practiced on her own. After deciding to take Dean's place, she trained from morning till night, but there were limits to what she could achieve.

"Begin!"

The sound of the match starting echoed, and Iris immediately took a stance.

The opposing knight was quite fast, but it didn't feel much different from sparring with Dean. However, the problem was the difference in strength. In a direct confrontation, Iris, being a woman, was at a significant disadvantage, so she deflected the sword and stepped back.

"Already being pushed back so far without even landing a single attack."

Iris heard Jeffrey mockingly say this to the new knight next to him, but she ignored it and focused solely on the sword movements, her eyes narrowed.

– I can do it!

Spotting a momentary opening, she swung her sword, but the opponent twisted his body and narrowly avoided it. Iris's sword cut through the air, and she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen instead.

"Match over."

The officers watching the match whispered to each other, evaluating her sword skills to determine her placement.

"…Thank you."

Iris, feeling her own inadequacy, bowed her head and bit her lip.