บท 16: Chapter 16: Knights Convene

The lowest floor of the Astrantia Knight's office was filled today with ten of their bounteous sixty-four knights. New as they were, the knight order was also small with its personnel. It was to be expected with Kristine's rigid selection process and her high standards.

That they could be called upon by the Royal Knights with just these numbers was something commendable. A formidable feat that the best of the best could only vie for and not attain.

And these young men and women sitting around the room on their stuffy chairs in their stuffier armors of black and red, stuffing their faces with confectionaries the maids of Kaiser had stuffed the tables with, were none other than the elites of that elite knight group.

"It seems something big has happened, captain sure has prepared quite a feast," said a burly man, his scraggly beard hiding the scars on his face.

"Did you say feast, Herminio? Do you think she's sending us to our death? Oh no, we're going to be sent to our death!" Another knight that looked too scraggly to be a knight spoke up right after. Tears welled up in his eyes that were draped by his purple bangs. "This is it! I am going to die! Mercy, great Elea! Have mercy on this lamb! Ah… I don't want to die—Bafk!"

A slice of chiffon was stuffed in his mouth.

"Shut up crybaby," said Selena as she kept stuffing the stuffy knight's face with fluffy cake. "As if the captain will ever do that. That little tramp of a vice-captain, now that one I will believe."

Right on cue, the door to the hall was pushed open and the metallic clangs of iron smacking against iron filled the room. In came the secretary of the knight order, Reley, right behind her in his similar black and red armor was Johan, and lastly in an armor opposite of theirs was their captain… Not.

Kristine swooped into the room all caked up! She had done her make-up herself! In a mind-numbing display of dexterity, she had not only managed to put lipstick on her lashes and mascara on her neck but had also styled her hair in spikes.

The knights were left speechless.

Selena's eyes drooped.

Herminio's beard fell off.

And the doomer's cake kept spilling out of his mouth.

It seemed they were going to be sent out to their death.

Reley and Johan, with their gazes downcast, took her sides while Kristine stepped to the center of the room.

"How do I look?" She asked.

Imperial Edict? Time for growth? That stuff can pick three whole wooden buckets and climb down the hill to fill water in them from the river where cows piss! This girl was up and ready for marriage!

The knights were unable to say anything.

All, but one.

The only knight who neither blinked his eyes nor turned around in shock. He politely picked up a towel and wiped his face as he looked at the captain and the lady of their knight order.

"If I may," he raised his hands. Usually, the other knights would tie him up and throw him out the window, but today, they needed him.

"Karl. Allowed."

"You look horrendous."

"…"

***

"Ahem," At the head of the table with her hair back to normal and clothes changed out for her armor of red and black, stood Kristine. "Apologies for the small… hiccup, just now."

They weren't sure she had wiped out all the make up though since she was blushing furiously even now.

Thankfully, Karl's comments had brought her back to her senses.

What would she give to go fly over to the site right now and save the apple of her eye, the sugar of her pie, but alas! What was a knight to do? Duty called, and answer she will.

"First order of business. We are being commissioned by the Royal Knight order. That means we're finally recognized as one of the key forces of the empire."

Cheers rang out at Kristine's words.

"Yes!"

"Congratulations captain!"

"Thank you, captain! I never thought I'll make my parents proud."

"No, it's all of our efforts! I am the one who should be thanking all of you."

The cheers only grew louder. They were like crickets in the summer nights, but none of the maids and servants of Earl Kaiser that looked after the place minded the noise, after long years of serving together, they were a part of the team.

Though, there was one person who didn't cheer.

Two, actually, but counting Karl would be running a fool's errand.

"Captain… w-w-why… are you only telling us? There's a mission, right? We're going to die, right? Oh no, do we have to take revenge for the emperor's assassination? War?! Don't tell me, we have to help a pregnant horse deliver, oh no, anything but that."

"Hey, the emperor is alive! Are you planning to get us in jail?"

"Why's the horse the worst option here again?" Selena sighed and pushed away her comrade. "Well, captain. Is there a tough mission?"

Kristine smirked and leaned back. She picked up a glass of her special protein concoction and swirled it lightly as if savoring a fine wine. Wine connoisseurs despised her kind.

"It's isn't tough as it is… bothersome."

Karl upped his spectacles.

"Is it a kind of collaboration, ma'am?"

"Yes. We are to help two of the Royal Knights subjugate a behemoth. Only our elites are allowed on this mission."

"It's just a behemoth? We'll need to hire those damned wizards."

"Only two knights…"

"And we do this," Kristine continued. "Along with a student from the magic tower and one master-ranked wizard."

The knights all frowned, even Karl.

"From the magic tower!?"

"As if wizards aren't already snobby enough, we also get the worst of those curs' breeds."

"Tsk. Drowned the celebration."

It was an attitude just as she had expected.

Kristine wanted to stop and preach of Isaac's greatness like ascetics preached of abstinence, but she was against the idea of creating more competition with her own hands.

There was already a Habsburg bitch she was to stab through the stomach.

"I understand your concerns, but we have to do this. That's why I have gathered only you here."

The knights murmured in dissatisfaction before sighing.

"You're right, captain."

"Yeah! It's a matter we need to celebrate. Anyway, behemoths can't be defeated without magicians."

"Those invulnerable monsters are a pain, we get the best to handle them."

Kristine turned to her two aides and nodded. It seemed the matter was handled without much issue.

Now, just to leave this place in Karl and Reley's hands

"Totally, we can just focus on the royal knights, one of them might be a hottie, right Selena?"

"Oh! Are we finally snagging some men?"

Kristine's ears perked.

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