Prologue
“You’re being made a noble of the kingdom? Truly?” Kuraia Berch asked, her trademark crimson eyes wide with surprise. She was so startled by the news, her hand froze in the middle of wiping off the sweat from around her neck, which had accumulated during her early-morning training session. Naturally, she’d had to loosen the collar of her kimono to wipe the sweat off, and the sight of her exposed skin, flushed from exercise, looked strangely erotic.
But the woman in question didn’t seem to notice, so I quickly averted my eyes as I answered her question. “Indeed I am.”
More specifically, I was going to be one of the kingdom’s knights. My actual title was more complex (because the hierarchy of nobility was quite a pain, to be honest), but I wasn’t exactly a viscount, and my standing was closest to that of a knight, so for simplicity’s sake, I’d just introduce myself as a knight.
Being crowned a knight was an honor bestowed only once in a generation. The kingdom wouldn’t award me any territory or a salary or anything, but I also wouldn’t be asked to perform any duties or loyalties to the king as a retainer, so it balanced out. That meant I wouldn’t need to sit in on meetings in the royal palace or join Kanaria’s knights.
“Also, they’re giving me a medal, apparently.” When Kuraia asked what it was, I told her the name: “The Holy Gleaming Silver Medal.”
Her eyes blinked in puzzlement. “The Holy Gleaming what now? What does it signify?”
“According to Lady Astrid, it’s the highest honor someone not born into nobility can be given,” I said, recalling the apologetic look on Astrid’s face as she’d given me the news. The elder sibling of the Dragonaut dukedom knew by now I had no interest in such titles or decorations, so if this badge of honor had been part of some noble family’s scheme, I’m sure she would have stopped it in its tracks before I could even hear about it. And even if she’d brought such news to me, she would have done so with care and caution, sounding me out first to see if I was even interested in hearing it.I heard they’re planning to make you a noble and give you a badge of honor; do you want me to tell them no? Maybe something like that.
But i