MistyTL

Chapter 37: I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages

Added 2025-05-12 07:41:17 +0000 UTC

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Although the reduced number of recruits caught Cecilia off guard, she still carried out what had to be done.

"From this moment on, you will live under the name of Windsor. However—"

Cecilia paused, glancing at the rigid posture of the newly inducted recruits, tense with anticipation.

…What was that line she was supposed to say at the induction ceremony?

Ah, right. It was something like this.

"Not everyone who wields a sword becomes a knight. Not everyone who wears a white cloak becomes a Windsor."

"A true knight must understand what their sword serves before they ever draw it in battle."

"The sword of Windsor is not a mere weapon. It is the kingdom’s shield, the hope of the people, and a vow to protect your comrades."

Her tone was as flat and unembellished as could be.

But perhaps because of that, her words sank deep into their hearts.

"The place you're standing on now is one of honor—but also one of responsibility."

At that point, Cecilia dropped the formal speech. It was a sign of acknowledging them as true knights of Windsor.

"If you seek honor, first learn responsibility. If you desire strength, first understand what you must become strong for. Are you ready to bear the name of Windsor?"

The new knights answered in unison, their voices full of resolve.

"Yes, ma’am!"

Cecilia gave a satisfied nod and sat down on the edge of the podium. From inside her coat, she pulled out their unit IDs—a kind of royal super-pass that guaranteed respect anywhere in the kingdom.

"Come here. I’ll hand these out."

But there were 30 of them.

“……”

Her expression twisted into one of disbelief.

Where the hell did everyone go?

In the end, she had to flip through the stack one by one and hand them out manually.

It felt… terribly anticlimactic.

***

Strange rumors were circulating within the Windsor Knights’ headquarters.

—Cecilia’s done Cecilia’s thing again!

—She got too excited, took up a wooden sword, and wiped out the rookies!

—They were so traumatized they ran for the hills!

But to the current knights, the gossip didn’t come as a surprise.

"Isn’t that exactly how it should be?"

"You think I got into this order by sheer luck?"

"If you don’t have what it takes, you should be weeded out."

"If you lack the qualifications, you fail. That’s how it is."

"Took me 15 tries to get in."

The Windsor Knights Order—no need for words. The most elite knight order in the entire Lianen Kingdom.

The words “best” and “strongest” were practically stapled to their name.

Naturally, the pride the knights felt in bearing the Windsor title was immense.

People often said it was harder to get into Windsor than to pluck a star from the sky.

And now they were talking about lowering the entry bar?

Everyone knew the situation was desperate, but the idea still rubbed them the wrong way.

It only takes one bad apple to ruin the barrel.

In that context, Cecilia’s unapologetic “Yeah, no, get lost” had earned unexpected support (?) within the order.

"That’s our Cecilia!"

"The last bastion of the Windsor Knight Order!"

"The Queen must officially designate Cecilia as the Order's mascot!"

"Awaken, Your Majesty!"

"You crazy bastard!"

Although there were some rather strange requests mixed in, the Windsor knights—who already doted on Cecilia—only became more fanatical in their admiration.

A wave of endless praise surged around her. The problem was, Cecilia—whose self-love could rival the gods—began to grow ever so slightly smug. Meanwhile, Edward was...

"Hmm. Official mascot designation? Actually, not a bad idea. Cecilia would make an excellent symbol."

He was stirring the pot, trying to funnel public sentiment in a direction that didn’t give her any real power.

Amid the chaos, Kairon gave the order to arrest the knight who had shouted for the Queen to awaken, then clutched his aching head.

"This is driving me insane."

Heehee.

With her hands on her hips, Cecilia stood proudly, basking in her newfound "authority."

Her head, already halfway filled with flowers, had now transformed into a full-blown garden.

Kairon could only sigh deeply.

“Cecilia. As the next vice-commander, don’t you have anything to reflect on regarding this whole situation?”

Heehee.

Cecilia beamed, biting her tongue in smug delight.

Kairon couldn’t take it anymore. He slammed the table and stood up.

“I’m not praising you!”

Pop.

Cecilia blinked as her balloon of joy popped from Kairon’s booming voice. After 72 hours, she was finally back to her senses.

“...Are you clear-headed now?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then speak. What are the implications of this incident?”

Cecilia answered without hesitation.

“There’s growing internal opposition within the Order against lowering the entry standards.”

“...And?”

“If public opinion solidifies in this direction, the kingdom’s critical decision could fall apart. If we push forward without addressing it, the morale of the Order may decline.”

“Solution?”

“Give me 5 minutes, and I’ll come up with one.”

Cecilia’s large eyes swirled as she pondered.

Watching her think, Kairon’s stern expression softened just a little.

This, this was the Cecilia he knew.

Exactly 5 minutes later, Cecilia clasped her hands behind her back and spoke.

“I believe we need to introduce a new tier within the Order’s ranks.”

“A new tier, huh.”

Kairon folded his hands, listening. Cecilia continued without delay.

“The current structure of the Windsor Order consists of high-ranking knights and regular knights—just the two.”

“Right. But if we introduce new ranks now, there’ll be backlash.”

“The change would only apply to the incoming recruits. I propose we designate them as ‘Beginners.’”

“‘Beginners’... And what would that mean in practical terms?”

There were plenty of ways to implement it. Cecilia had the advantage of modern knowledge.

One way was similar to how doctors trained as residents—a system where advancement came automatically after a set number of years.

But that didn’t suit the Windsor Order. Here, skill mattered more than tenure.

And so, Cecilia thought of a different model—“non-regular employment.”

‘A ruthless system, but nothing works quite like it.’

“Beginners would have limited access to Windsor’s official authority. For example, we could restrict their rights to conduct investigations or use lethal force.”

“That’s reasonable.”

“They’d also receive lower salaries. No bonuses either.”

“If we go that far, won’t the new recruits start to complain?”

“We frame it appropriately. Say that once they demonstrate the level of skill expected of a full-fledged Windsor knight, they’ll be promoted to regular knight status.”

That way, the existing knights would accept it, and while the new recruits might grumble, they’d ultimately understand.

After all, the skill gap would be obvious to anyone who sparred with even a passing Windsor knight.

“This plan provides a path for growth, incentivizes improvement, and respects the rights of existing members. I believe it’s the optimal solution.”

Cecilia beamed proudly once again.

This time, Kairon didn’t scold her.

“Well done. That was a solid display of leadership, worthy of the position as vice-commander.”

Heehee.

Cecilia grinned goofily. But before her head could float off into a field of flowers again, Kairon interrupted.

“However, why did this situation occur in the first place?”

“……”

Cecilia immediately wilted, her gaze drifting to the diagonal lines of the floor.

“There was nothing wrong with the recruitment test itself. If this were the usual circumstances.”

Just as Kairon said.

By the usual standards of the Windsor Order, Cecilia’s test hadn’t been excessive at all.

Even the lowest-ranked knight currently in Windsor could have handled that level of difficulty.

“But this time, the situation is different. We’re at a point where we must take in anyone with even a hint of potential and nurture them. You haven’t forgotten the conclusion of our last meeting, have you?”

“...No, sir.”

“I heard the 25 who ran away have completely lost their will.”

Kairon spoke in a calm tone.

“But that’s alright. People learn through mistakes. So, what did you learn from this? In your opinion, what was your mistake?”

‘No clue.’

Cecilia’s thoughts were fading into a haze.

In truth, she had absolutely no idea. Her head was full of flowers because she simply couldn’t figure it out.

‘Even thinking back, it doesn’t make sense.’

Was the test too difficult?

But that couldn’t be it. She’d informed the applicants that they had passed. If anything, they should’ve been happy, not fleeing.

As Cecilia’s face clearly showed her confusion, Kairon sighed, having anticipated it.

“When I watch you, I notice something—you always overlook the most obvious things.”

“……”

“Think about your age.”

“I’m 16.”

“Exactly. At the mere age of 16, you shattered the pride of people who have spent their entire lives chasing the sword.”

“Oh.”

“If you had held back even a little, it could’ve served as motivation. But you went too far. Like toying with children, you flattened nearly 60 applicants using only a wooden sword, without so much as invoking blessing.”

Not even a speck of dust had touched her cloak.

As he said it, Kairon couldn’t help but feel an odd mix of pride and admiration—though he barely managed to suppress it.

“Just bring back at least 20 recruits. 5 is far too few.”

That was the bottom line.

With a confident look, Cecilia pulled out her prized “God” hat.

A cosmetic item she’d bought for a whopping 4 gold.

“...What is that again?”

“Tracker Cecilia, reporting for duty.”

Kairon’s face was dyed with absurdity.

***

Despite the bold declaration, she had no intention of chasing down the ones who’d already run off.

Anyone who tucked their tail and fled once was likely to flee again.

More importantly, the Windsor Order wasn’t some random back-alley shop that just handed out positions on a whim.

‘Hmph. What makes you think I’d want to recruit you?’

With a firm snort, Cecilia resolved to draw a clear line.

“...But what do I do now? I still need 15 more, and I’ve got nowhere to find them.”

Cecilia walked the streets of the royal capital, pondering slowly.

Even digging a well doesn’t guarantee water, after all.

There wasn’t an easy way to immediately find someone combat-ready and ready for knight position.

Of course, there might still be a few stragglers on their way to the capital after seeing the recruitment notice.

But judging from recent events, most of them wouldn’t make the cut.

They were lowering the bar, not throwing the door open to just anyone.

“Hmm. If you want to catch fish, you go to the sea. If you want trees, you head for the forest.”

Naturally, the battlefield was the first place that came to mind.

Not the ongoing war with the demons, but the territorial skirmishes—the kind where it wouldn’t be hard to scout a few capable mercenaries.

But she had just returned from a long mission, and honestly, leaving the capital again was a hassle.

Cecilia kicked at the dusty ground in mild frustration.

“…Oh.”

As expected, the best ideas always came while out on a walk.

Without a moment’s delay, Cecilia took off running.

Her destination: the Royal Knights!

‘Unless you're a free knight, you have to submit a resignation to take the Windsor test.’

Due to the principle of no dual affiliation, anyone wanting to apply to a different knight order had to quit their current one first.

And unless someone was deeply dissatisfied, no one in their right mind would take that kind of gamble.

That’s why almost no one from another order had shown up for the last recruitment test.

‘Time to poach them!’

So Cecilia had a plan—poach fresh talent!

Even a tycoon, when passing a field full of ripe watermelons, might think: ‘No one will notice if I take just one…’

And if there was any watermelon field as ripe as Windsor, it would be the Royal Knights—second only in prestige.

‘I really am a genius.’

"Alright, it’s time for ranking matches. Everyone, choose someone you think you can take down and spar with them.”

Perfect timing—they were conducting internal ranking bouts.

Windsor didn’t bother with that sort of thing (most figured that time was better spent slaying one more demon), but among other knight orders, this kind of posturing had long-standing tradition.

Cecilia peered through a gap in the fence like a curious retriever, tail wagging.

“……”

Of course, even from 10 meters away, Cecilia was impossible to miss.

The royal knights, preparing to select sparring partners, had their attention stolen by the white cat in the distance.

“Commander, can we challenge someone outside the Order?”

“…What?”

“I spotted that damned Windsor rat over there.”

At that moment, a hot-blooded young knight strode toward Cecilia.

Knight Commander Draven looked slightly flustered, but it was already too late to stop him.

“Hey, runt.”

Cecilia looked up at the man picking a fight.

‘Not bad. Around Sword Demon level, maybe.’