Children of the Holy Emperor Chapter 167

§ 167. Induction ceremony (2)

Inquisitor Paris.

Although he was a fairly capable Holy Knight, he was evaluated as not yet having enough years or experience to serve as Knight Commander.

Nevertheless, the reason he ascended to the position of leader was because the previous leader, Sir Durand, died suddenly in an accident.

-From now on, you are the leader of the Knights of Saint Marsyas.

On the day when an unprecedented incident occurred when the gate to the imperial palace was opened, the Emperor clearly said that to Paris.

As he said, Paris, who was the leader’s assistant, became the temporary leader and had no choice but to reorganize the disorganized knights. Soon after, under the leadership of Cardinal Benitus, the search for the remnants of the Dark Church continued.

As things kept coming up, I ended up being the head of the team for convenience. Naturally, the gaze of some seniors and inquisitors of the same age was not kind.

“If I know that the position is beyond my means, I should know how to decline it myself.”

“The leader passed away like that, and I guess I thought it was an opportunity for promotion.”

In reality, there is nothing that those who have given up on cleaning things up cannot say with their mouths. As a senior, you can’t calm the mood, but you are encouraging discord within the knights.

However, as someone who is in charge, I cannot complain to anyone. When I was getting tired of going through these creaky days, an unexpected decision came from the church.

-The saint is an [apostle] of the Lord who inherited the legacy of Saint Marsyas. Since she said she would personally join the Order of the Holy Knights, she should be treated accordingly.

When Paris first heard those instructions, he couldn’t believe his ears. You’re suddenly putting a 12-year-old child, who isn’t even a knight, at the rank of adjutant?

Of course, it does not make sense in principle.

A saint is someone who has been canonized as a living saint. Although she has no real power, she is treated almost on the same level as a cardinal in the Orthodox Church. Considering that she has no practical experience, she is a lieutenant, but she is essentially a superior above the knight commander.

But how do things work that way? If the saint were to join the knights herself, the story would be completely different.

A lieutenant undergoing training with a new squire, how cool is that!

“Captain, this is really too much to do! Adjutant level! “Aren’t you a kid who hasn’t even held a weapon properly yet?”

“Isn’t it too much of a privilege to be a member of the royal family? The discipline of the Knights Templar will be shaken! Please do something, okay?”

Suddenly, all of his subordinates were complaining and calling out to him, “Captain,” which made Paris a little dazed.

At least, it was clear that this incident served as an opportunity for the Knights of St. Marsyas to strengthen their internal solidarity.

In any case, in his opinion, this treatment was unreasonable, so he personally went to Cardinal Benitus to raise his objection.

But after a day, the cardinal asked this with a half-faced face.

“Do you know that after receiving God’s revelation, Saint Aurelion received various blessings from the Orthodox Church in order to carry out his mission smoothly?”

Paris was puzzled. It’s a story that ends with ‘the saint received revelation from God and led the people’ and doesn’t even appear in a few lines in the scriptures?

“Also, what about the case where Priest Granius temporarily served as the commander of the knights hundreds of years ago for emergency negotiations with the Anatolian tribes?”

“… yes?”

As expected, this is the first time.

Then Cardinal Benitus sighed, his wrinkled face becoming even more gloomy.

“You don’t know, right? I didn’t even know until today! So what can you do? As of now, there is no reason to oppose His Majesty’s wishes. “I don’t know where you found such materials, but the evidence and precedents are very clear.”

“… … .”

“The more I think about it, the scarier he is. “I’m sure you don’t memorize all the actual scriptures, right?”

If that strict old man has raised his hands and feet, there really is no other way. Paris’ worries deepened.

Meanwhile, an idea arose within the Order to hold a ceremony for the initiation of a saint. It was an initiation ceremony, but in reality, it was more of a bad habit of punishing the new squires by behaving harshly and disciplining them.

“If you experience the induction ceremony, you won’t be scared and withdraw your application, right?”

“But isn’t it common for even squires who have been trained to some extent to fall seriously ill after attending the initiation ceremony? “If we make a young saint suffer such harsh punishment alone, what on earth will people think of us?”

“Then let’s at least show them some actual training in the name of rehearsal. The goal is to allow new squires to directly experience some of the training they receive. “At that level, there won’t be much backlash.”

That felt like a pretty reasonable opinion. Could a young girl who was revered as a saint be so eager to join the Order even after seeing the brutal training of the real knights?

That’s why Director Paris called the saint to the dance hall the next day.

“… … ?”

But somehow things turned out a little differently than I expected.

Even after seeing the fierce-looking Inquisitors wearing full plates rather than simple armor, the saintess simply admired them without any significant change in her expression.

“This is the public power your brother spoke of… … !”

… Public power?

As the saintess’s eyes grew brighter and brighter than expected, Director Paris felt an ominous premonition.

Hey yay! Hey! Eurachacha!

On one side of the training ground, you can see squires wielding flails with ugly spikes. As instructed by his seniors in advance, he was sweating profusely and steadily acting as a violent criminal.

It felt like he was going to kill someone at any moment, but he felt like he was going to kill someone at any moment.

“That is the safe weapon the Archduke spoke of… … !”

… safe… what?

Director Paris broke into a cold sweat. Something was going terribly wrong.

And his bad premonition reached its peak after he placed the weapon in the saint’s hands.

The saintess started swinging the heavy flail, which was difficult for ordinary people to swing with both hands, while imitating the squires who could easily lift it with one hand.

If you can handle that much weight with those tiny hands and slender arms, you’re already naturally flowing aura through your muscles… … .

‘Did the saint train as an Auror?’

Without even having any doubts about it.

Ujikkeun! Wow!

The flail was swung lightly, and the ribcage of the plate mail covering the scarecrow was instantly crushed like a piece of paper!

“… … !”

“Whoa.”

While the entire Knights Templar was astonished, the saintess lightly let out the breath she had been holding. Somehow she seemed to instinctively know when to stop breathing.

“I somehow feel at ease because I am aiming at a scarecrow wearing armor rather than a person. “If you hit me like this, you won’t die?”

All members of the Knights of St. Marsyas were pale and gaping.

You just crushed a person’s heart and lungs with one blow!

Paris rubbed her temples, where a headache was starting to form. Something was getting tighter.

Meanwhile, the two princes who are acting as protectors and observers are also very annoying. Especially the 3rd prince.

It’s indescribable how disgusting it is to see him smiling leisurely, with the corners of his mouth curled up, as if he knew this would happen.

“Then, saintess. “We are going to do basic physical training from now on. Would you like to join?”

Then, all the Inquisitors began to quickly move around the training ground with solemn faces.

Then the saint follows them without saying a word. She doesn’t have any training clothes yet, so she’s wearing a long priest’s robe, and she looks like a little saint running around, holding on to the hem of her clothes!

‘Tsk, it’s a little cute… … !’

The Inquisitors clutched their hearts. Of course, that feeling didn’t last long.

‘why… ‘Why don’t I get tired?’

Since it was endurance training, she wasn’t running at full speed, but it was still amazing that the young girl was able to keep pace with the grown adults without falling behind. However, the speed does not decrease at all.

Is that all? That relaxed look that doesn’t break a drop of sweat no matter how much you run.

‘Captain. ‘I’ve already doubled my usual training amount?’

‘noisy! Are you going to be embarrassed in front of the saint now?’

‘However, the members cannot survive like this. Aren’t you more heavily armed than usual? There is a limit to blocking with physical strength using divine power!’

Just as he said, deserters came out one by one, starting with the squires, and soon all the Inquisitors were breathing heavily and spreading out into the training hall.

Ugh! Wow!

omg! Whoops!

“You’re training until you’re exhausted like this. Training at this intensity even during the birthday banquet would be impossible without a truly high sense of duty and thorough self-discipline.”

“… … .”

Saint Sisley spoke with admiration, but no one responded. Because she was already so tired that she couldn’t even speak.

Originally, it was a tradition for senior knights to punish new squires who were struggling.

Now, a new saint was walking around alone among the sweaty Inquisitors sprawled out on the floor, distributing divine power.

The appearance of such a girl was sacred and lovely at the same time, but she was also the culprit that caused this tragedy. Complex emotions appear on the faces of the Inquisitors looking at her saint.

“Oh, today is just a rehearsal, so let’s go…” … .”

Director Paris tries to send the saint back.

“It’s difficult to admire this much, Sisley. “This is just light physical training for the Paladins.”

Prince Mores, with a somewhat ill-natured smile, quietly joined in and said.

“Do other paladins train with this intensity every day? Right, Logan?”

Then Prince Logan nodded seriously.

“Constant training is the duty of a knight. But isn’t this the best among the five Holy Knights? We, the Lilium Detachment, were proud of our high-intensity training, but after seeing the Knights of St. Marsyas today, I feel like we were too complacent. “I need to reflect.”

“… … .”

The Inquisitors who were listening to that sincere admiration met their gazes with nervousness.

Hey, what should I do? Don’t you think we’ll have to do this every day from now on?

However, unlike the two people who were purely admiring, Prince Mores’ face showed an expression of fun.

“Sleep, Sisley. Since you are now a member of the Holy Knights, how about training with them until the end before the Great Mass? “It’s been a long time since you called me, right?”

At first glance, it seemed like black devil horns were superimposed on the prince’s head.

‘Are you deliberately encouraging this?’

‘hey! ‘You devil!’

‘I’m off duty today, but I was called out! ‘Please save me!’

As the Inquisitors let out silent screams, the saintess tilted her head.

“But I learned weapon skills and completed physical training, so what else is left?”

“There’s still some sword skills left.”

“fence?”

When Prince Mores pointed this out, the saintess seemed a little embarrassed and asked back.

“But I heard that the Knights of St. Marsyas value life. That’s why he doesn’t bother to lift the sword… … .”

Then the Inquisitors looked at each other in bewilderment.

Did we do that? I’ve heard a lot of people tell me to save them and bring them to the torture room, right?

“What do you mean, Sisley? Of course, it is natural for all Paladins to value life. But basically, if you are a knight of the Empire, you must learn the standard sword techniques of the Imperial Knights. “Where on earth did you hear that?”

Sisley answered Logan’s question with some hesitation.

“Oh, well. They said it was scary because the sword could kill people. Then… … .”

Sisley believed Orden’s words completely. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell her that he had told her.

However, Logan listened seriously to the story and immediately scolded Sisley severely.

“What kind of carefree thoughts are you, Sisley? Surely you didn’t decide to join the Holy Knights with such a light attitude? “If a knight is afraid of killing, who will consider you as a comrade in arms and have their backs?”

“Comrades… … .”

“okay. Suppose you are confronting a devil worshiper or demon species. “Are you going to watch them hurting people and then make the excuse that you can’t stop them because you haven’t learned how to kill?”

“… … !”

“The sword of the person you hesitated to cut may pierce the heart of the paladin next to you in the next moment. “Then will you tell his bereaved family that you did your best to save his life?”

Sisley’s eyes shook violently at the strong scolding.

But the girl who had been fighting the slow approaching death alone for years was a strong child. The girl looked at Logan while holding her trembling hand, but soon her steadfast gaze took hold of her heart.

She turned and said to Director Paris, bowing politely.

“I was foolish, Captain. “I will participate in all of the knights’ training from now on.”

“No, you don’t have to… … .”

When Director Paris tried to dissuade him while sweating, the saintess laughed softly. Hers was a clear, clear laugh that rang transparently into the air.

“yes. You all only did light training today out of consideration for me, right? But from now on, I too am a member of Saint Marsyas. From this moment on, I will be with my comrades through every moment of hardship. “I am prepared!”

“… … .”

The faces of the Inquisitors who were lying on the floor suddenly turned dark.

While everyone in the gym was solemn, only one person quietly turned his head with a red face trying to hold back laughter.

‘Bwak bwak bwak! Oh, I’m going crazy!’

[…] Seongjin Lee, you devil!]

fantasy,