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37 . The One Who Becomes a Knight Realizes,\n
\nEDITED BY PARASCYTHE\n
TLED BY EUNIE\n
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\n\n\nTranslated by Eunie\n
Edited/Proofread by Para\n
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As we entered the castle, I went to the very end of the knights that were lined up.\n
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No matter where I looked, everything was all glittery and sparkling, and I know it was already too late to change my mind now, but I felt a bit troubled since I was still wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday. \n
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Clark prepared Dad a change of clothes and armour. He also provided some for me, but it was just so lame to have someone prepare my clothes even though I’m already this old, so I refused when he gave me mine. He did tell me that I should at least fix up my hair, but I don’t want to since the other knights will see my face that looks like an exact replica of Dad’s.\n
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But because I just noticed how out of place my current appearance is, I finally realized why Dad and Clark changed their attire.\n
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The Audience Chamber.\n
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Not only the knights, but it seems like even people like Dad and Clark, who are the Captain and Vice-Captain, have rarely ever been inside this room.\n
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Even Dad and Clark were surprised when they learned that this would be the room used for the meeting today.\n
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As soon as we entered, the knights parted into two, lining up on either side of the room and leaving a wide pathway down the middle. No one said a word as we waited for Pryde-sama to arrive.\n
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After waiting for a while, Pryde-sama arrived right on time. Yesterday seemed like a dream as she gracefully walked in wearing a luxurious dress, followed by the First Prince, Stayle-sama and the Second Princess, Tiara-sama.\n
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...Ah, so she really is a princess.\n
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Somehow that fact finally sunk in.\n
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She’s such a beautiful person.\n
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Her actions and conduct yesterday seemed like a lie as I became dazed upon watching her slow and elegant figure walk down the middle.\n
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It’s like she’s a person from another world.\n
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Following Dad and Clark, the knights fell on one knee, and I followed suit upon seeing it. As I remained still like that, Pryde-sama’s voice was suddenly heard, “Raise your heads.”\n
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I tried to move in sync with the other knights when I raised my head. Right in front of us was the First Princess of our country.\n
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“I’ve already cleared the room. Right now, there’s only us….and my beloved siblings.”\n
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Following through with Pryde-sama’s words, both Stayle-sama and Tiara-sama quietly greeted us.\n
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“If you want to say something to me, then please say it right now. No matter what you say or how you say it, no one is going to be reprimanded.”\n
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After saying that, the Knight's Order was suddenly enveloped in a tense atmosphere. As if expecting this to happen, Pryde-sama continued, “ “I already heard from Stayle that you kept quiet about me heading to the battlefield. Regarding that matter, thank you for doing so.”\n
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Clark also told me about how the matter was made top-secret and that I should never tell anyone about it, not even my Mom or my friends. I was also in agreement that this would be for the best for the Knight's Order and Pryde-sama.\n
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And then I heard Dad respond, “No, it’s nothing much, or rather we’re thankful since things happened like this. ...Now then…”\n
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After saying that, he slowly continued his words. He started asking if she had previous experience with both the sword and gun, how she knew the surprise attacker was someone with a special ability, and why she had to go to the battlefield herself instead of relying on others.\n
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Dad’s words continued to scold Pryde-sama’s actions. I was surprised upon seeing how Dad was fiercely finding faults with the First Princess. But I was much more surprised upon hearing how Pryde-sama didn’t even have much experience in wielding a sword, gun, and even in hand-to-hand combat despite the way she fought. No one would have thought that she was improvising on the battlefield. \n
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At first, I thought maybe she was just trying to hide how she had been secretly practicing, but that didn’t seem to be the case since she was terrible at lying. \n
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I wasn’t able to keep up with the conversation anymore when they talked about her precognition, or how there was a limit to Stayle-sama’s teleportation. Then suddenly, Dad’s loud and angry voice pulled me back to reality.\n
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“But still!! It’s much better than you going to the battlefield!!”\n
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I could feel the tingles crawl up my spine upon hearing him yell like that since it had been a while since I heard him act this strict and fierce.\n
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“Even if things were already too late, you of all people should not have gone!! You should have just told the first battalion the description of that man and left everything to us!!” The Captain strongly continued, but then I saw Clark, who was beside my dad, holding him back and telling him to calm down. However, even he could not stop the overly passionate and hot-headed Captain.\n
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Clark tried to calm him down, but uh-oh... from the looks of it, it’s gonna be impossible. The way he's speaking and behaving right now is the same as when he decided that he would never back down no matter what regarding the situation. \n
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I did start thinking, ‘Why are you acting like this? Even though she saved you already.’ But I do understand that Dad’s actions are correct.\n
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….Ah... Dad is always right.\n
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Royalty should always be prioritized, a special existence that must be protected, and it’s also the reason why the citizens are paying taxes. Well, at least that was what I always heard. And it’s precisely because of this that it's only natural a knight should be able to lay down their own life for them.\n
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It’s nothing but foolishness for the royalty to risk their own lives for the sake of the ones that should be protecting them.\n
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Halfway through their conversation, Pryde-sama stopped responding and remained quiet as she listened to Dad’s words. \n
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A knight can throw away his own life for the Royal Family. \n
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A knight can even sacrifice the lives of many others, just for the sake of a single member of the Royal Family.\n
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And for that one death, that very royal bestows renowned prestige and honour to the people.\n
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That’s why for a knight, dying for the sake of royalty is nothing but an honour to them. However, Pryde-sama’s actions threw mud on Dad’s belief as a knight. \n
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...After hearing that much, I suddenly realized that Dad might be thinking that he was someone who should have died there.\n
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Don’t f*ck with me.\n
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The despair and overwhelming feeling of loss that I felt that day was something I could still vividly remember even at this very moment.\n
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Did he even have any idea how much the knights were rejoicing over the fact that he was still alive?\n
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How much I… ….\n
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“Just throw me away; let me die!! Rather than exposing yourself to danger, even if it’s me, the Captain of the Knights, don't you ever hesitate to throw my life away!! You don't understand the value of your life.”\n
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I wonder if I should just go ahead and give him a swift smack on the head, I thought to myself as I firmly clenched my fists, but suddenly…\n
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“Silence.”\n
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Pryde-sama's clear voice echoed inside the room.\n
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I, Dad, and the knights were all stunned when we heard her. There was an imposing aura around her. \n
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Everyone froze. There was this unexplainable electrifying pressure she gave off that was different from Dad’s.\n
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And then Pryde-sama slowly stood up from her seat.\n
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“It’s just as you said, Captain. Because of my impulsive actions, I caused many problems for a lot of people, and even though you didn’t want me to, I still went and saved you...however.” \n
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Pryde-sama’s tone was calm and yet cold at the same time. I could definitely see the anger she was feeling in each and every one of her words.\n
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By the time she finished speaking, everybody could sense that the First Princess, Pryde, was angry.\n
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“What I saved isn’t just your life alone! But it's you and the knights that you will train from this point onwards!! Have you ever wondered just how many people will be saved by this?!”\n
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The moment I heard her say that, I could feel shivers going down my back. \n
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She said that it wasn’t just Dad that she saved but the knights that Dad will train in the future and the people those knights will save, emphasizing that the value of his life. \n
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“The one who doesn’t know their own worth is you, Captain!! Do you have any idea how much the people around you care for you, how much they love and rely on you?!!”\n
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This person knows.\n
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She properly understands my— our feelings; I can feel it through her words. \n
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And that makes me extremely happy.\n
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“I am indeed royalty!! The first princess and this country’s heir to the throne! I am here for the sake of the people!! You and everyone else here are knights!! You directly protect the people; you are our beacon of light, our hope!! The death of a single knight can incur the death of many who could have been saved by that same knight!!”\n
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I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins.\n
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I’m sure I’ll never be able to experience something like this ever again. \n
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‘I am here for the sake of the people.’ \n
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What a dignified existence. She even said that knights are a beacon of light and hope and that knights exist to protect the people, and the single death of a knight may cause the death of people that could have been saved.\n
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That’s right.\n
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This has always been the so-called ‘knight’ that I’ve always admired.\n
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“Even if you were not the Captain of the Knights and were instead an ordinary foot soldier, I would have acted the same way as well!! If I know that it's a life that I can save, then I shall do it!! I will never condone any unnecessary deaths!!”\n
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The heir to the throne said that she will never condone any unnecessary deaths. I’m sure that for the knights, her words had a powerful impact on them. \n
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It was also at that moment when I was finally able to realize that Pryde-sama didn’t act and help Dad because of me, nor was it out of pity. Everything just happened coincidentally back then. \n
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Whether I was there or not, she would have acted the same. She would have still jumped in and fought her way to save Dad. \n
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She merely acted, knowing that she could save him...Just how difficult and how much courage did it take for her to do so?\n
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“Yes, you are knights, but at the same time, you are citizens of my country!! Citizens I am proud of!! It is my duty as a royal to protect my subjects!!”\n
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This time my whole body started trembling. It was only for a few seconds, but I had already repeated her words multiple times in my head.\n
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“If you call yourself a knight, instead of worrying about dying with honour, think and mourn for the people you could have saved!!”\n
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I want to protect Dad, Mom, and everyone.\n
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That’s why it was extremely difficult and frustrating when I couldn’t become a knight that could surpass Dad. \n
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Dad has always been the person I admired. That’s why I gave up on becoming a knight; it's because I don’t want to further embarrass him. \n
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And during that time...when I thought Dad died, what did I regret?\n
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Just what is it that I regretted and anguished over my entire life?\n
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“I want to become a knight.”\n
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“I want to protect them.”\n
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“I want to become strong.”\n
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Who are you?\n
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I always believed that I would just bring shame to my dad. I pushed aside all my responsibilities and blamed him because I couldn't become a knight and that it was too late for me to even become one now.\n
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But was it really Dad’s fault? No. Since it was always Dad who kept pushing me, telling me not to give up and how it’s not too late for me to achieve my dream.\n
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But I’m the one who told myself that I’ll just be an embarrassment and that even if I start now, it’s too late. I don’t even have the talent to be one, and it’s definitely impossible for me to become like Dad. \n
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This whole time, the person who was stupidly killing me was…!!\n
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None other than myself.\n
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...Ah, it’s happening again.\n
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I can’t stop my body from trembling.\n
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I listened to Pryde-sama’s words while my hands were clasped together.\n
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She was apologizing to the knights for selfishly acting up.\n
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...Again, I’ve become aware of something.\n
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And then Clark continued and said how he felt grateful to her for saving my dad. Hearing him say those words made me extremely happy. \n
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“If you call yourself a knight, instead of worrying about dying with honour, think and mourn for the people you could have saved!!”\n
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Once again, her words from before echoed in my head.\n
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The other knights also started expressing their gratitude as they prostrated before her. \n
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Dad seemed surprised after seeing how many knights respected him, while I felt very proud of my dad.\n
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And then lastly, I also walked up. I was at the back and therefore couldn't see well, so I wasn't sure if I could do it properly, but I clumsily knelt with my forehead pressed against the floor. \n
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All I want to do now is express my gratitude for saving Dad and letting me meet him before I ended up with more regrets.\n
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I’m scared of a future where I won’t be able to defend the people I truly want to protect.\n
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“...Well then, please excuse us.”\n
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After receiving a signal, the knights exited the room in an orderly fashion.\n
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I will surely regret it if, at this moment, I start giving up again and only think of a future where I won’t be able to save the people I cherish even though I could have protected them.\n
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“U...Ummm!...”\n
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Somehow, I was able to move my tongue as I called out to her while trying to restrain my voice.\n
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And then Pryde-sama looked at me. \n
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There was also the possibility that she didn’t remember me, or maybe she did, but as the lame shitty brat who wailed and bawled yesterday. \n
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But despite that kind of possibility…\n
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“Is it...okay? If I say something...as...well…?”\n
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ーI still don’t want to give up.\n
\n\n\n\n\n<font size="4">EUNIE HERE: UNEDITED VER. I'LL IMMEDIATELY POST THE EDITED ONCE PARASCYTHE IS DONE WITH IT. </font>\n
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<font size="4">AND AFTER THE NEXT CHAPTER (INTERMISSION 7), WE'LL FINALLY GET TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN STAYLE AND ARTHUR!! >U<\n