After a long day of searching, they finally came across an inn nestled at the crossroads of a bustling market street. The noise of merchants shouting their prices, the clang of metal wares and the smell of roasted meats still clung to the air even as night had begun to settle.
It wasn't luxurious but still, it's a modest place with creaking stairs and faded banners that but it offered a room with two beds and a narrow cot pushed against the wall.
Two days of rest and quiet passed quickly and now, the three of them stood in the long line for the knights' enlistment. The air was brisk yet Rowan felt it pressing heavier on him than any summer heat.
His chest tightened with the weight of the moment, though his face betrayed nothing but calm.
Shit! This is it. Mary, cheer for me! he screamed silently in his head, forcing himself to keep his posture straight and dignified.
"It'll be okay. Just relax and focus," Paul murmured with voice meant only for Rowan.
"Y-Yeah, that's right. You can do it, yo—" River stumbled over his words but quickly corrected himself, "I mean, Johann. You can do it."
Rowan's lips twitched into a faint smile while his eyes were still fixed ahead. "Funny. Why do I feel like you're more nervous than I am, River?" he teased softly while smiling a bit.
"Wh-what? Me? Nervous? Don't be ridiculous…" River whispered back though the strain in his voice gave him away and his hands fidgeted at his sides, betraying the anxiety he was trying so hard to bury.
Paul, on Rowan's other side, stayed silent while watching the exchange with a knowing look, his stance rigid and composed like a true knight in line.
Of course, he was a knight in the first place.
"Attention!"
The knight at the front stood tall as he spoke while hands clasped behind his back and posture sharp as steel. His dark tunic that was edged in silver and gleaming boots bore no needless ornament, yet the weight of his presence alone made him unmistakably a dignified knight himself.
"I am Commander Roderick Kain, captain of the First Division," he declared while his voice was carrying across the yard with steady authority.
Then a murmur rippled down the line of recruits. Some stiffened at the title and others are exchanging uneasy glances as if they hadn't expected to stand before a man of such rank so soon.
"Since the kingdom is in dire need of men, you will be officially absorbed as knights but on one condition."
The announcement struck like a thunderclap that several recruits blinked in disbelief upon hearing that. Absorbed without question? That wasn't how enlistments usually went.
A few shuffled in place, unsure if they had heard him correctly.
"Whoever endures the training will have the chance to become part of the Imperial Knights and serve directly under His Majesty."
Zalyric was just observing from afar with Evan. Well, not quite far that he couldn't hear what was being said by the commander.
The weight of those words left the line rattled. Some stared at each other in awe and others are in silent panic. The Imperial Knights were a legend and the thought that any of them might even brush against that title seemed almost absurd.
"If not, you may still earn a place in one of the divisions. It might not hold the same prestige as the Imperial corps but as true knights, your dignity and respect will remain intact."
A few men breathed out as though relieved, while others clenched their fists tighter. It was both a promise and a warning that the path ahead was not one they could take lightly.
"We care nothing for whether you are commoners, mercenaries or even beggars from the gutter. As long as you can prove yourselves useful, you will have a place here in the Evadene Kingdom. Understood?"
This time, the reaction was immediate.
A startled silence quickly followed by uncertain nods. No one dared raise a voice but the looks exchanged down the line told them enough. Shock, disbelief and a flicker of rising determination spread among them, for this was no ordinary enlistment.
"Understood, sir!" They shouted in unison but Rowan stayed silent especially when his eyes accidentally laid of Zalyric.
Mari, as someone who read the manhwa still quite remembered how the king who knighted Rowan, his features are amazing.
Zalyric was tall and broad-shouldered with a pale skin that's almost luminous beneath the sun. Blond hair framed his sharp features and his straight nose lent him an aristocratic air but it was his golden eyes—burning with both beauty and menace—that made him unforgettable.
Shit. Did I just make eye contact with the King?
But of course, his aide deserved to be mentioned as well—Evan Varrow, son of an earl, a man whose family was renowned for patience and scholarship. Unlike Zalyric who often let his temper erupt in violence, Evan channeled his frustrations into study and knowledge.
Though a childhood friend of Zalyric, he remained firmly in his place as a knight and aide to the king. As a beta, he stood tall—though not quite at the King's height—with neatly kept black hair, steady brown eyes and the ever-present spectacles perched on his nose.
A known germophobe.
"Johann…" Paul slightly tapped his elbow to Rowan and so, Rowan was now back in reality.
"Sorry…"
After that, each of them was handed a plain knight trainee uniform. A coarse gray tunic belted at the waist, trousers tucked neatly into boots and a simple cloak to mark their number. No finery and no insignias yet when the three of them lined up, they carried themselves with a polish composure that set them apart.
River and Paul, once knights under Magnus' direct command carried themselves with a natural composure that immediately drew Evan's discerning eye while Zalyric continued his quiet observation.
Meanwhile, in the Vlandia Kingdom, tension crackled like a drawn blade.
"What is the meaning of this, Magnus? How could you do this? I am your mother!"