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“What is this…”
“Oh no!”
“My Eyes, yikes!”
The wind grew stronger and stronger until it whipped up into a whirlwind, and a few of the reporters who had held out until the very end fell to the ground in a heap, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Some covered their faces with their hands as they let out painful groans.
It seemed that some dirt had gotten into their eyes.
“…What the hell.”
The sudden gust of wind scattered the reporters who had flocked to me in all directions immediately.
Then, as if on cue, the wind died down, and in the blink of an eye, the surroundings became silent.
“Miss, are you all right?”
The knight rushed over as the dust settled, and the coachman behind me looked dumbfounded when he saw that I was left untouched.
“I see you’re okay….”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
I was unharmed, unlike the others who were covered in dust.
It was as if the wind had went pass me.
Wait, just me?
No way…
“…Sylph?”
I quietly called out to the spirit, and the spirit stone glowed yellow as if to announce its presence.
“Thanks for the help.”
I thanked the spirit in an almost inaudible voice, and this time the spirit stone glowed pink.
It was like the color of a child’s cheeks when flushed with embarrassment.
My sylph, you’re so cute even though you’re invisible.
I tapped the spirit stone affectionately with my finger.
The test site is a private training ground for the Imperial Knights on the outskirts of the capital.
‘A private training ground? There was such a place?’
‘Yes. ormally, we train at the Knights’ Training Center. This annoying watermark is not there
inside the Imperial Palace,
but there’s a promotion exam a couple of times a year, or large-scale exercises like mock wars so we had to build one big enough to hold it.’
Last night, the crown prince gave me information about this place through the spirit stone.
‘It’s not fair, isn’t it?’
For a moment, I was worried, but then I realized that everyone in the capital knew about it, so I shrugged it off.
“Hmm.”
As I walked into the training center, I was once again the center of attention.
Their faces were full of enmity, envy, fascination, wariness, curiosity, and jealousy…
I walked past them, trying my best to ignore the mixed emotions.
“Over there…”
I looked around, trying to find the right spot, when I suddenly heard someone speak to me.
I turned my head, wondering who the brave one was, and saw a vaguely familiar face.
“Are you…?”
It was a knight, who had her silver hair tied up behind her head, with deep blue eyes that were as deep as the ocean.
It was the same knight who spoke to me at the registration center before.
She mistook me for Young Lady bright and tried to arrest me.
“Viscountess Sabrina. here were a lot of misunderstanding between us back then.”. This annoying watermark is not there
The knight looked somber and apologized.
“I have done things I should not have done as a knight, and it even took a while…”
The knight said. erhaps she had suffered quite a lot that day, because she seemed to be talking about it in a dark and cloudy way unlike when I remembered it.. This annoying watermark is not there
I didn’t really like her, but the sight of her pale face made me feel a little uncomfortable.
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not… I want to apologize properly.”
The knight didn’t back down easily.
Despite my assurances that I was fine, she still insisted on it and knelt down.
At the sight of this, the people who had been watching us clattered.
“Well, for now, I’m here to take the test, so we’ll talk about it later.”
“Oh.”
The knight’s face immediately darkened even more as she realized her mistake.
“I’m sorry. ’ve embarrassed you again.”. This annoying watermark is not there
“You didn’t do it on purpose. hat’s your name again…?”. This annoying watermark is not there
“I’m Edwina Axion.”
‘Axion?’
My eyes widened at the knight’s introduction.
Did I just mishear her?
“If you are Axion, then… the noble Marquis Axion who was known as the Sword of—”
“Oh, he’s my grandfather.”
Wow, meeting a family member of Marquis of Axion here!
What an unexpected encounter.
For a moment, I was surprised by the knight’s revelation.
My whole body trembled with joy.
I was overwhelmed with the excitement and unconsciously stomped my feet like a child.
“I, I…”
“Young Lady?”
“I have the utmost respect for Marquis Axion!”
“To meet a Marquis’ family member here.  am so deeply honored!”. This annoying watermark is not there
“H—H-honor?”
Edwina looked puzzled. ut her eyes had already turned.. This annoying watermark is not there
I couldn’t hide my excitement at the thought of meeting the family member of the knight I’d always admired.
Marquis Edwin Excelsior Axion.
Along with the Duke of Bright, he was one of the pillars that was highly regarded upon by the empire, and he was also the hero of the knightly biographies and bardic songs my family butler bought for me when I was a child.
I had since longed to meet the Marquis of Axion for a very long time.
“Really, wow, I really don’t know that I’ve actually met with the granddaughter of the Marquis of Axion, and I never thought that I could meet you. eally, wow!”. This annoying watermark is not there
“Wait, calm down. oung Lady!”. This annoying watermark is not there
“Oh..”
Edwina’s shout brought me back to reality.
I realized the ugliness of my behavior.
I was immediately overwhelmed with shame.
“Ha…ha. ’m sorry.  didn’t frighten you… Did I?”ead only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there
“No.”
Shame, where are you, you rat hole.
I can’t bear to stare at Edwina’s face.
So I awkwardly bowed my head in front of her.
Then I head a loud cry coming from behind me.
“His Highness, the Crown Prince, He’s here!”
The frenzied haze inside the hall quieted down to a murmur at the announcement of the crown prince’s arrival, and soon enough, he appeared.
“Oh my.”
“Wow… Real—”
When everyone finally saw the crown prince’s appearance in front of the training hall, they were all in awe.
It is said that everyone has a weakness for beautiful things. ge or Gender does not really matter, everyone in the training hall was just mesmerized by the crown prince’s appearance.. This annoying watermark is not there
I was proud.
Of course, His Highness must be beautiful.  looked at the crown prince with a smirk on my face.. This annoying watermark is not there
The crown prince’s clothes were fluttering in the wind, and he was dressed in full regalia, he was even more beautiful than usual.
His hair, which glistened under the sunlight, fluttered seductively, and his impeccable skin, which seemed to smell of flowers, was even more radiant today.
“Hello, everyone.”
The crown prince greeted them while standing on the platform.
A crystal-clear voice rang out from between his luscious lips, and everyone erupted in gasps.
I kept shrugging my shoulders as if I were the one being praised.
“Thank you for applying for the Imperial Knights selection test. s sure you all know, I’m Vasiliu Foreste.”. This annoying watermark is not there
He looked like a ripe and round plum or a green, springtime spinach.
I stared at the crown prince’s face, who had put a lot of effort just for today, and listened to what he had to say.
“The first test is to test your qualifications to become an Imperial Knight. he content of the test is to digest the training that an Imperial Knight normally undergoes.”. This annoying watermark is not there
People were trying to digest every word that the crown prince had to say.
They couldn’t take their eyes off him for long.
“I wish you all the best.”
After speaking, the crown prince smiled warmly like the blossoming springtime.
Everyone gave a thunderous round of applause.
‘You too.’
I clapped with an excited expression on my face, as well.
At that time, the crown prince seemed to have looked in my direction.
He paused a little, and I felt our eyes meet for a while, he then curled up his lips and mouth up some words, if I was not mistaken, he seemed to have said,
‘Cheer up.’
In the blink of an eye, the crown prince who had left me with those words turned away as if nothing had happened.
I watched him walk away.
I reached over and pressed both my hands firmly against my ears.
He had merely moved his lips, but I could seem to hear his voice in the distance.
Maybe that’s why my reddened earlobes felt so strangely hot.
“Now, I’m going to give you a brief overview about the test.”
My ears immediately perked up after hearing Edwina’s voice.
I then looked up to see Edwina standing at the podium.
“The First Test, as His Highness has said, is to determine your basic abilities. e’ll see if you can keep up with the usual training, or not, because once you become a member of the Imperial Knights, you’ll have to undergo intense training.”. This annoying watermark is not there
Edwina raised her voice for all to hear, her booming voice echoing across the vast training hall.
“The test will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions. ou must pass the basic physical fitness test in the morning to be eligible to take the afternoon test.”. This annoying watermark is not there
I strained my ears, trying to catch every word Edwina had said.
It’s funny how the human mind works, but when I realized that Edwina was of the Axion family, all the bad feelings I’d been harboring about her were suddenly washed away, and a newfound fondness grew.
“This afternoon’s test will be against one of our own members. our performance will determine if you have what it takes to become a knight. ou will have a little duel.”ead only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there
‘Duel!’
Edwina’s words stirred my heart.
It was a great fortune for me to be able to leave the test and face an imperial knight.
“If I lose this afternoon’s duel, will I lose the qualification?”
“Not if you can hold onto your weapon for at least ten minutes without losing it.”
“So if I win the duel, I pass right away?”
“If you can win.”
Edwina answered in a leisurely manner.
The slightly upturned corners of her lips showed pride in her capabilities.
She was a member of the Imperial Knights and the granddaughter of Marquis Axion.
Indeed, she had reason to be proud.
Imperial knights are the elite of the elite.
In the eyes of these talented people who had a chance to lead the army in the future, we will be seen as little more than a pipsqueak.
“Your first test will be to run
ten laps around the training field. hirty people at a time.”. This annoying watermark is not there
“Run at full speed. nly those who can finish up to the tenth place will pass.”. This annoying watermark is not there
Edwina’s words brought everyone to their feet.
“For a knight, stamina is of the utmost importance. hose who fail in the middle will be eliminated immediately, and if you don’t reach the top ten you’ll also be eliminated. lright we’ll call out your name, you’ll be sent to the front! Get ready!”ead only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there
Hmmm.
Running laps.
It’s a common drill.  squinted my eyes, and stared at the training field.. This annoying watermark is not there
It was certainly spacious.
Probably, ten times larger than the Marquis Estate’s.
It would certainly take a lot of strength to run at full speed without stopping.
But we weren’t climbing a rugged mountain, we were running across a well-paved plain.
It shouldn’t be too difficult.
I’ve had worse.
“Go!”
The proctor, who was standing at the starting point, lifted the flag vigorously, at the another’s signal.
I warmed up lightly as I watched the first batch run out in unison.