Chapter 9

(Day of the Knights' Accolade)

"We'll head out now, Father."

"Take care!"

Katherine clings on Nash's arm as they walk outside their diner. "What name will you use? Nash? Tassia? Freya?"

"I'll go with Nash. I feel uncomfortable when people call me Freya."

"That's it? Just Nash? No surname or whatsoever?"

"Commoners don't have surnames unless you're a bastard's child, you know."

"Then I'll go with Katherine."

"You're really a copycat, aren't you?"

"Hmph! Oh, right! Maybe I'll find my prince among the crowds at the cathedral? What do you think?" Nash brows furrowed. "What's with the eyebrows? I look nice even though I'm dressed like a commoner."

'Actually, these clothes are comfortable.'

"Maybe I should have a sword as well?" Katherine blurted out while admiring Nash's fancy sword.

"Will you stop being envious and walk faster? You don't even know how to wield one."

"Tsk. I'm just saying."

...

They wait for the knights to enter the temple after registering their names for the exam the next day. She looked around for her father but only saw her Uncle Lawrence and her older brother Vincenzo conversing with a Dame. She gave a sly grin.

'Hoo... does my brother have someone he likes now?'

Vincenzo sensed someone staring at him and when he turned to look, he saw her younger sister smirking. Nash averted her gaze when she saw her brother was staring at her as well.

'Hehehe. I'll tease him when I get a chance.'

"It's starting!" Katherine whispered. Nash focused at the front where a few squads were marching.

The accolade of knights today is only for those who joined the squad the previous years. Tomorrow, if a knight at age of 18 and above passed the examination then he or she will be classified as a knight.

There were eight squadrons present at the ceremony, each with seven to ten members.

"That one guy looks good," Katherine thinks to herself as she admires the one knight who has piqued her interest.

"The hell is he? A food?" Katherine glared at her friend from ruining her admirations.

The ceremony came to an end after an hour and a half. There were twenty knights who were not knighted, but they remained in their squad, and the remaining knights will await their new squad members tomorrow.

"Let's go?"

They left the temple. Nash didn't bother to talk with her brother since they were in public.

"Where are we going?" Katherine asked.

"You're the one who said "let's go", aren't you?"

"Oh! Let's buy trousers. I haven't had one yet."

"Then, let's go. I, too, will buy things I will need."

...

"Get the plain ones!" Nash chastised her friend for only shopping in the posh parts of the store. "This and this one will be fine."

"But it's too plain!"

"Just the way it should be!"

Nash dragged her friend out of the stop before Katherine went out and purchased more expensive clothing.

Upon dragging her friend, a guy inadvertently bumped into her.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Nash immediately bowed and apologized.

"I apologized..." The guy said in a deep voice.

She persisted in dragging Katherine, but Katherine used her strength to stop her. "That guy looks hot! Did you hear his voice!? It's deep!"

"Quit admiring strangers. I'm too tired, let's go home."

"I was just praising their looks..." Katherine pouted.

...

Nash jumped into their bed as soon as she entered their room. "Haa... At long last, I get to lay down."

"What will you wear tomorrow?" Katherine asked while looking at the pants they purchased. It's nice.

"Can't you see it hanging?" Nash answered in a tired voice. She already prepared her plain white blouse with fitted sleeves and a black fitted trousers.

"Wake me up when it's almost dinner time."

She fell asleep instantly, leaving Katherine trying on her pants to see what she would wear for tomorrow.

"This one may be good? It's plain yet exudes charisma." she said, talking to herself.

...

/The next day/

The exams were held in a colosseum, which drew a huge crowd from all over the countries.

The examination day begins at 9 in the morning. Both participants in the knights and magic knights are lined up in front of the emperor. The knights who were 18 and above were separated.

"Let's begin by dividing the participants into two classes. All young knights should be on the left, and magic knights should be on the right," said the supervisor. Once the participants were divided the supervisor continued, "Please form three lines. We'd like to know how powerful your mana is so we can determine if you're capable of serving as an imperial magic knight. For the knights, we will also check your mana to see if you have any, as there might be occasions when your mana is strong enough to join the magic knights."

So, one by one, they touch a crystal ball; if you have a strong mana, it turns orange to red, if you have a medium mana strength, it turns blue, and if your mana is weak or doesn't have any, it turns white to yellow color.

Nash's turn came, she clenched her fist before holding the crystal ball. Please don't let me be caught.

"Yellow. Next."

She let out a sigh of relief and turned back to the line.

After the crystal ball examination, the magic knights and knights are still separated. They put out a significant number of dummies.

"We will determine how fast you can swing your swords! In 10 seconds you have to slice at least 35 dummies. You can use your own sword, if you have, or you can use the provided swords. There are a total of 5000 dummies; now, one by one, I want you to step out, say your name and wield your swords."

"Brig! I'll go first!" He was a muscular guy with a bald head.

He doesn't look like he's seventeen below.

"Begin."

Brig wields his own sword, a Dadao.

Nash carefully watches her and begins to form her thoughts. He looks like he's used to chopping off things as he chops the dummies precisely in the center.

"Stop!" The supervisor counts the number of dummies he chopped. "48!"

"Whoa!"

The examiners grow anxious at how amazing Brig is. The next one to wield is a new nobleman's son. He ended up slicing a total of 35.

"24! Failed!"

"34"

"33"

"35"

...

A large number of examiners failed the dummy exam. Most of the passed examiners are those who have nice builds.

There are five more examiners, one of whom is Nash.

The five examiners are waiting for each other.

"Miss, please go first" Said one who has a long scar on his chin.

"Well, sure. The name is Nash!" She said as she stepped out.

While walking towards the dummies he sneaks a glance to where her family is at. They're all looking at her, waiting to see what she'll do.

"Do you think Nash will be able to pass?" Celeste asked his twin brother.

"I believe so, she trained almost the whole day, remember? If she fails then what's the point of her training?" Daniel answered.

Ivelisse is feeling anxious by looking at her daughter.

'Hmm... I'm not sure how many should I slice... Maybe forty is fine? No. Thirty-five.'

"Are you ready, miss?" Nash smiled and nodded.

"Begin!"