Chapter 115
THUD!
The great hall of Autumnfel was filled with Draker’s knights.
Each one was a prominent figure holding the position of knight commander or vice commander of a Draker-affiliated knight order.
That’s when it happened.
SCREECH!
The doors of Autumnfel opened and twenty-four new knights wearing Draker’s exclusive uniforms entered the hall for their initiation ceremony.
The formal knight initiation ceremony of the Draker family had special meaning.
It was the point where they would choose which knight order to join and begin their life as a knight.
Under the watchful eyes of Draker’s illustrious knight commanders, the new knights walked with confident steps toward the platform where the head of household, Arthur Draker, stood.
They paid attention to every detail of their walking posture to leave a good impression.
And among those twenty-four new knights was Zeke.
‘This is intense.’
Except for Zeke, the twenty-three knights were those who received their formal knight titles and passed through a harsh probationary period.
In contrast, Zeke, being the Draker Tournament champion and a Blue Knight qualifier, was specially recruited and could participate in the formal initiation ceremony immediately without a probationary period.
As the new knights entered, the hall was filled with the burning gazes of knight commanders eager to secure talent first, and the aspirations of new knights wanting to join good knight orders.
The twenty-four knights who ascended the platform stood in their designated positions.
Head of household Arthur Draker looked at the new knights from the front of the platform.
Except for Zeke who received his formal knight title through special recruitment, the one with the highest score among those who took the official test made the pledge as the class representative before the head of household.
Arthur Draker personally pinned the dragon insignia on the knights’ chests.
Arthur approached Zeke, who stood at the very end due to being specially recruited.
As he pinned the dragon insignia on Zeke’s chest, he said:
“I look forward to seeing which knight order you will choose.”
Arthur immediately returned to his position.
This was the most important part of the initiation ceremony.
The new knights had to decide which knight order they would join.
Since each knight order was limited to accepting a maximum of three knights per class, the orders had to strategize well to bring in the three best talents.
The class representative who made the pledge was given the first right to choose a knight order.
“I choose the Black Wolf Order.”
The Black Wolf Order was the Draker family’s direct knight order led by Gareth Draker, the Guardian Knight of Scars.
Gareth looked at the class representative who chose his knight order and soon nodded.
He was given the emblem of the Black Wolf Order.
Other new knights also chose their desired knight orders in order of their grades.
While the top-ranked knights joined their desired orders, from the middle ranks, some began to be rejected.
Those who were rejected by all three of their chosen orders had to remain on standby until another order took them.
However, even those with lower ranks were unquestionably skilled, just relatively less competitive.
They would eventually find their place in other knight orders that needed manpower.
After all the new knights who took the official test were assigned, it was finally Zeke’s turn.
Zeke stepped forward.
At that moment, the atmosphere in Autumnfel changed.
Although specially recruited, it was natural for all orders to desire Zeke, a pure awakened one and the youngest Blue Knight qualifier and Valhalla graduate.
Among them was the Draker Black Corps, Draker’s intelligence unit.
Baron Draker, the head of Draker Black Corps, was whispering something with Duke Draker.
‘What is master doing over there?’
Zeke felt burdened by the gaze of the Black Corps commander looking at him.
Arthur, who was behind, spoke:
“Zeke Draker, which knight order will you choose?”
Most expected Zeke to choose the Silver Knight Order led by Kali Draker.
Rumors had already spread throughout the Four Seasons Castle that she had recruited Zeke Draker.
But just in case, the knight commanders were appealing to Zeke with their gazes.
That’s when Zeke raised his head and said:
“I will not choose a knight order.”
A silence fell over the hall.
Everyone thought they had misheard something.
As the silence continued, low murmurs began to fill the hall.
Arthur Draker, who was on the platform, broke the silence and spoke again.
“I’ll ask again. Zeke Draker, which knight order will you choose?”
Then Zeke opened his mouth and said in a clear voice:
“My answer remains unchanged. I will not choose any order.”
The knights’ murmurs grew louder.
Arthur Draker, who was on the platform, struck the podium with his hand.
WOONG!
The entire hall of Autumnfel shook with the wave.
Silence fell again.
Arthur Draker descended from the platform and stood before Zeke.
“What do you mean you won’t choose a knight order?”
“It means exactly that. I intend to fulfill my duties as a knight alone, without choosing an order.”
At those words, the expressions of the elders behind grew distorted.
No one in Draker’s history had ever made such a choice.
Arthur spoke to Zeke:
“Does that mean you’ll undertake your first mission alone?”
New Draker knights are deployed to their first mission immediately after the initiation ceremony.
The knight commander evaluates and selects a mission for the new knight, and their rank is determined by how well they perform the chosen mission.
Moreover, if a new knight fails their first mission, they are immediately stripped of their knight title.
Therefore, the judgment of the knight commander and the support of the knight order were crucial.
Zeke nodded at Arthur.
“Yes.”
Arthur made a peculiar expression while looking at Zeke.
Then he soon nodded.
“Very well.”
He turned and spoke to the gathered knights.
“Zeke Draker has decided to remain unaffiliated.”
The elders behind were shocked by Arthur’s decision.
“Head of household, a pure awakened one not choosing a knight order?! This goes against tradition!”
Arthur ascended the platform and spoke to the elders.
“Nowhere in the family rules does it state that a pure awakened one must choose a knight order.”
“B-but… if he fails his first mission…”
Arthur sat down and said with a grin.
“That too is his choice.”
The elders held their heads watching Arthur make such carefree remarks.
While the knights gathered in the hall were shocked by Zeke’s decision, the knight commanders quickly assessed the situation and were selecting first missions to assign to the new knights.
Whoosh!
A long, massive parchment listing the missions descended from the hall’s ceiling.
There were various missions ranging from difficult ones impossible to complete alone to simple ones that could be done even without being a knight.
The knight commanders all thought deeply while looking at the missions written on the parchment.
It was important to find missions that were within their order’s capabilities while maintaining prestige.
The knight commanders selected appropriate missions considering their order’s and new knights’ capabilities.
After all twenty-three knights received their missions, it was finally Zeke’s turn.
The clerk frowned and said.
“Sir Zeke Draker, being unaffiliated, you must select and complete a mission alone.”
Zeke nodded at the clerk’s words and scanned the parchment.
He planned to finish any suitable mission and focus on training for a while.
The reason he deliberately chose no order was that if he joined one, he wouldn’t be able to train freely not knowing when missions would be assigned.
‘Though I feel sorry for Sister Kali, she’ll understand that it might be easier for me to help from outside the order.’
While scanning the missions on the parchment, Zeke found something particularly eye-catching.
‘Oh?’
Zeke checked the mission again.
He wasn’t mistaken.
[Search mission for missing master craftsman Golin Yobern in Barbarian territory_Guild Alliance request. (Difficulty A-rank)]
It was an official Guild Alliance request with difficulty rank A.
‘Golin Yober, I thought he was in Himonas.’
He didn’t expect to hear news about Golin, whom he’d wanted to meet at least once because of the ancient Hersion, here.
Zeke chose Golin’s search mission without hesitation.
The hall stirred again.
The mission assignment clerk spoke to Zeke in a perplexed voice.
“Sir Zeke Draker, this is an A-rank mission. Completing an A-rank mission alone without a knight order…”
“It doesn’t matter. Please assign it.”
It was a mission that anyone could see was impossible for a new knight to complete alone.
The hall filled with murmurs.
The clerk made a troubled expression but had no choice but to assign the Golin search mission to Zeke.
When all mission assignments were complete, Arthur Draker rose from his seat.
“Young dragon slayers who will open a new era have formally joined the family knight orders! I bless your future! I hope you all complete your first missions safely!”
As the initiation ceremony ended with the head’s congratulatory speech, the Draker knights gathered in Autumnfel flowed out like the tide.
Both the new knights and the orders were about to prepare for successful mission completion.
Zeke also planned to return to the mansion, quickly prepare, and move to Argos to head to Barbarian territory.
‘Golin went missing. I wonder what happened.’
He thought he should at least roughly find out what happened through Kei.
As he was about to leave the hall, someone approached Zeke from behind.
“Zeke Draker.”
Zeke turned his head.
He was surprised to see a familiar face after a long time.
“Instructor Aul?”
It was Aul Draker of the wooden sword style, with whom he had formed a connection at the academy.
The wooden man appeared before Zeke looking even more wooden than before.
Zeke realized Aul Draker’s realm had risen one level.
‘He broke through the Red Knight wall.’
Even in his previous life, Aul Draker was a Red Knight.
But this time, it seems he gained enlightenment faster through sparring with Zeke.
Aul approached Zeke and said.
“Why didn’t you choose a knight order? You would have been welcomed by any order.”
Zeke looked at Aul contemplatively before slowly speaking.
“I think you’ll understand, Instructor Aul, so I’ll be honest. I deliberately chose not to join because I need time to train alone.”
Aul had a blank expression at Zeke’s words.
Not choosing a knight order for the sake of training.
In Draker’s history, Zeke was the only one to make such a choice.
Aul’s expression stiffened briefly before he nodded.
“…Yes, I suppose someone like you would make such a choice.”
The genius Aul sensed in Zeke was beyond his ability to evaluate.
He thought that as Zeke said, not joining a knight order might actually be more advantageous for expressing his genius.
Zeke asked Aul.
“By the way, which knight order do you belong to, Instructor Aul?”
“I’m with the Heaven Sword Order.”
“I heard the Heaven Sword Order is a prestigious order that pursues the ultimate way of the sword. It suits you well.”
The famous Black Knight Sword King Bernas was from the Heaven Sword Order.
Aul nodded and said to Zeke.
“Join us if you’re interested. You’d always be welcome…”
“No, I’m fine.”
Zeke managed to make the wooden man Aul Draker even more wooden-like and dejected.
Aul said he would visit the mansion for a sparring match after completing his mission, then left the hall.
As Zeke was about to leave after their brief conversation, he suddenly realized something.
‘Come to think of it, Abel wasn’t at today’s initiation ceremony.’
Abel never missed important family events.
Moreover, his absence as commander of the Red Lion Knight Order meant something was wrong.
‘He must be plotting something somewhere again.’
Zeke shook his head thinking of the persistent Abel.
As he finally left Autumnfel, the hall became completely empty.
Then someone emerged from the shadows of the hall.
It was none other than Abel.
Abel was trembling with his fists clenched tight.
Surprisingly, his eyes were in a red magic eye state like the Abyss Mage who had died by Zeke’s hand before.
He gritted his teeth and muttered.
“Zeke… so you were the one interfering with my plans all along.”
