Chapter 23 When Joining, It Has Come
"Phew..."
"You look troubled, Goddess Norn."
"After being hinted at such unrest in the future, it's only natural to look troubled."
"But, the character Hiiro, possessed by Mr. Atami Shou, has made an appearance, hasn't he? I thought you might be a little pleased."
"An appearance? He was just nodding along next to Mr. Ruzure, who was trying to pick someone up. The other follower had way more lines."
"Well, Hiiro is just a mob character, after all. I can only imagine the plight of Mr Shou."
"Ah..."
"Even with that face. Now, come on, let's shake it off and jump right into Chapter 1, Goddess Norn. According to the strategy guide, it seems Hiiro has a moment to shine towards the end of this chapter."
"R-Really? Alright, I'll do my best to progress!"
"That's the spirit, Goddess Norn. Let's engrave the exploits of the original mob character Hiiro into our memories!"
"Yes!"
"It's the first and last moment to shine, though."
"Huh?"
* * *
Time flies like an arrow. The preparation period, similar to spring break, passed in the blink of an eye, and on the 7th day of Taurus (April), after the cherry blossoms had finished falling.
With a bag containing the bare minimum of clothes and daily necessities slung over my shoulder, I headed to the Knights' headquarters, Valhalla.
The purpose, of course, was the induction ceremony for the Einherjar Knights.
"──Now then, I believe that is enough about the mindset of a knight. Next, regarding you new recruits. For the next month, you will undergo training. The content will start with basic physical conditioning, followed by military action drills and practical training. Those of you who have come from the Training Academy should imagine that the curriculum here will be even more intense and rigorous."
The clear voice, which reached us word for word even without a microphone, belonged to the woman standing on the platform.
Her blue eyes, peering through a monocle, pierced through us as she continued her explanation.
With her short hair and calm tone, she exuded a chairperson-like aura.
"And after the month of training, there will be a selection exam. Based on the results of this exam, you will be assigned to the unit you will belong to in the future. This includes the main force of this country, the Brynhildr unit. Each of you should keep this in mind."
In other words, it means they will filter us out in a month, so we better do our best. I believe there are about 3 units within the Einherjar Knights, including the main unit.
That being the case, I want to aim for a spot in the main unit, which is the star of the show.
For the sake of the Knight Hiiro story, I need to put in some serious effort.
"Ugh, the assistant commander, Chief Leiva, is just amazing."
"Absolutely. Ah, just thinking about being glared at by that beautiful face and cold gaze makes me..."
"Yeah. I want to be insulted."
"I want to be stepped on."
"I want to be kicked around."
"Ugh, no way. This is why guys are like this..."
"Seriously, you have no taste. What's so great about the assistant commander? She's not even 20, and with those slanted eyes, she must be a total hysteric. I can tell."
Are you all still in student mode? I almost burst out laughing at their whispers that reminded me of a middle school morning assembly.
Wait, are knights really just a gathering of these adolescent boys and office ladies from the break room? Give me back my enthusiasm.
Feeling a sense of unease due to the unexpected temperature difference with those around me, I was worried.
But a few seconds later, my worries turned out to be unfounded.
"Now, finally... we have words from our leader of the Einherjar Knights, His Excellency Leonhardt Sieg.
────All members, listen up!"
In front of the knight who appeared, the somewhat relaxed atmosphere vanished.
In blue-silver armor, with a sword at his waist, and a 4-winged silver medal on his chest, adorned with a golden lion embroidery on a red cape.
His appearance was unmistakably that of a 'knight,' as if he had stepped out of an ancient hero's tale.
"Congratulations on becoming knights, everyone. I am Leonhardt Zieg, the leader of the Einherjar Knights and the leading knight of the Brynhildr unit. First of all, I would like to extend my warm welcome to you who have become our disciples.
Welcome to the Einherjar Knights!"
Everyone closed their mouths and straightened their backs, gazing up at the knight. The women who had been whispering darkly just moments ago were now blushing with rapture.
It wasn't just them who were entranced. Even the guys, who had been leering, had a flicker of admiration in their eyes, to varying degrees.
So that's the leader, Leonhart.
Hmm... I see. What an incredible aura.
And on top of that, he's a stunningly handsome blonde with blue eyes.
He looks impressive, has a great voice, and is tall with long limbs. It's as if heaven has bestowed upon him not just 2 gifts, but ten.
"Well, I may have said that grandly, but most of the explanation was given by Leiva. As someone who isn't great at explaining, I should be relieved to have such an excellent subordinate... but honestly, I'm struggling for topics. I guess it's a luxurious problem to have."
"Y-Your Excellency..."
And he has a sense of humor too. Perfect.
Dear goddess, isn't there a bit too much of a disparity in character design?
N-no, it's precisely by stepping on characters like him that the protagonist shines. It's fine, I won't break.
I'll teach them that looks aren't the definitive difference in the favorability of a story.
"So, I think I'll keep this brief."
As I encouraged myself in the presence of Leonhart's dignity, the air filled with admiration and envy fell silent.
"Everyone. This world is not at peace."
With those opening words, a wind swept through the venue.
A strong, hot wind brushed against my cheeks and patted my shoulders.
"We face skirmishes with other nations seeking to expand their territories and pirates driven to desperation by the poverty caused by calamities. Beasts that have plagued humanity since ancient times. The threats that rob people of their tomorrow are always lurking nearby. The flowers we wished to bloom often wither under a blanket of ash."
His voice had a strange timbre.
These were common fears on this continent. The threats that lay scattered by the roadside.
Though his words were delivered flatly, it only served to highlight the unembellished truth of the matter.
"But we are here."
Yet, the knight on that stage declared that it was their mission to dispel that crisis.
"We are the Einherjar Knights, the pride of the continent's greatest nation.
We are the sword and shield that carry on the will of the first knight king, Sigmund, who founded the nation under Yggdrasil.
We are the strength to protect our nation, our royal family, and our people.
Now, knights who gather here and adorn your chests with the 4-winged medal!
If you have the resolve to pledge unwavering ambition, to walk the righteous path, and to ignite pride in your hearts!
All personnel──raise your swords!!"
In that moment, the sound of countless swords rang out.
From their sheaths. From their backs.
Each drew swords of various sizes and lengths, pointing them to the sky.
Everyone in the venue drew their swords in unison. The knights' breaths were perfectly synchronized.
"──To the Holy Western Country, let there be light!"
"""""To the Holy Western Country, let there be light!!"""""
The youth on the stage had transformed the masses into knights, leading them solely with words.
People surely call such a figure a hero.
(So that's the commander of the knights. The best knight in this country.)
How nice, I murmured to myself amidst the applause.
Yes, that's it.
I'm here because I want to be like that.
As I caught sight of the ideal figure I should eventually reach, I couldn't suppress the smile creeping onto my face. I had no intention of suppressing it.
"It's getting interesting."
I had found another wall to overcome.
There's nothing more delightful than this. It's the epitome of being a protagonist.
The sword I continued to raise in the midst of the fervor pointed straight up.
Towards the heights I aim for, without bending or wavering.
* * *
There was a time when I burned with passion, acting like a quintessential protagonist.
The world is full of ups and downs, and it seems it's not all smooth sailing. While that can be exciting in its own right, I couldn't welcome it this time.
"Hiiro Merifar... I can't believe I'm sharing a room with you. Ugh, this is the worst. This is why I didn't want to become a knight...!"
On the night of the same day, halfway through the month.
In a certain room within the dormitory set up for new recruits, I was being glared at by a boy who was lamenting as if the world was ending.
He had some real tears in his eyes.
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