The transaction went smoothly.
"I, Rahman, Guardian Knight of the Kingdom of Sand and a foreign subject, greet Her Highness, the Saintess of the Moon."
"You may rise."
Looking at the clean and tidy Rahman standing before me, it was hard to imagine that this guy had been lying on a stretcher on the verge of death just a moment ago.
My healing abilities really were a bit broken.
"The transaction is complete. Does Her Highness Aisha have any instructions?"
Rahman looked at my face and suddenly dropped to one knee.
"May I ask Her Highness, where did that dragon army come from?"
"I apologize, but that is a secret of our nation. Sir Rahman, if there is nothing else, please return. From this day forward, your Wyvern Knight Corps will fall directly under the command of the Heavenly Punishment Knight, Kevin Cromwell. You are to follow his orders in all actions."
Rahman frowned and looked me over without saying a word before turning to leave.
He truly was someone accustomed to being arrogant. Even though he knew the disparity in our statuses at this moment, he remained so disrespectful.
However, it did not matter. No one would punish a Guardian Knight over a small matter of etiquette.
I looked out at the pouring rain. It was already past five in the afternoon.
Another busy day was drawing to a close.
Yet, my heart was still heavy with concern for the million refugees outside Brilliant City.
They were helpless, and in such a downpour, chaos would surely break out.
I just did not know if Yuna had the ability to keep a lid on things.
"By the way, where is Hilda? I have something to ask her."
"Your Highness, Hilda is on duty outside the hall. Shall I call her in?"
A little nun, who was filling in for Nara, replied from the side.
I looked the little nun up and down. She appeared to be about eleven or twelve years old, but she possessed a sense of maturity that did not fit her age.
She seemed very steady.
"What is your name?"
"In response to Your Highness, it is Tasha."
She wore a nun's headcloth and a black nun's habit. Her slender frame gave off a somewhat frail impression.
However, her overall composure was quite refreshing.
"I see... Tasha, go call Sir Hilda."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Tasha bowed in acknowledgment and turned to go find Hilda.
A moment later, Hilda walked in with a solemn expression. She strode toward the divine platform and knelt on one knee.
"Hilda greets Your Highness. May I know what urgent matter requires my presence?"
"Rise. I have told you many times that such formalities are not necessary with me. You really are something..."
I shook my head helplessly.
Even though I reminded her every time, Hilda still strictly adhered to her own code of conduct.
"Hilda, there was something I wanted to ask you earlier, but I never had the chance."
"Please ask, Your Highness. I shall tell you everything I know."
Hilda stood tall. Her presence alone exuded a clean and sharp aura that was very invigorating.
"Alright."
As I stepped down from the divine platform, the three little nuns quickly followed. One on the left, one on the right, and one in the middle, each lifting a part of my hem.
Inside my Saintess's robe was a garment similar to a Western-style waist-cinching bodysuit. It had a zipper located three inches below the navel, and its purpose went without saying.
Once this set of clothes was on, taking it off was incredibly troublesome, so it was designed this way for convenience.
Of course, this zipper was sealed. Only I could personally undo the strap holding it in place to open it.
If someone tried to force it, they would be repelled by the defensive power of the Saintess's robe.
As I had gradually adapted to it, I discovered that the robe's defensive capability actually came from absorbing the excess holy energy radiating from my body.
In other words, the strength of the Saintess's robe was directly linked to the power of the Saintess herself.
The more powerful the Saintess, the more holy energy she emitted, and the stronger the robe became.
The Saintess's robe was a three-piece set. There were no stockings in summer, while spring, autumn, and winter each had two types of stockings, thin and thick.
They were all pure white.
The set included the strapless waist-cinching bodysuit, the wide-sleeved outer robe with a massive trailing train, and the seasonal stockings.
The purpose of the stockings was purely for warmth and nothing else.
The bodysuit itself had powerful defensive capabilities, as did the outer robe.
The design of the robe was quite strange. The front hem reached past the feet, while the sides had no skirt at all, featuring high slits that almost revealed the hip bones.
The back, however, was very long. After touching the ground, the train trailed for another three meters.
There were buttons on the chest of the robe, which were also a type of seal that no one but me could undo.
Unless the Saintess's holy energy was completely exhausted, the robe's defense would persist.
No matter how you looked at it, it lived up to its reputation in an eroge.
Wasn't this just a delinquent-enticing outfit?
The two wide sleeves were part of the outer robe itself.
The three-meter-long train behind me would actually float on its own due to the robe's functions, so it wouldn't actually drag on the ground even without help.
But didn't I need to show off a bit of an arrogant posture?
Even if the hem wouldn't touch the floor, I still had little nuns behind me to hold it.
In any case, it felt like the long train of a traditional wedding dress.
It looked redundant, and it technically was.
But in reality, this part was also counted as part of the Saintess's robe.
I had asked about it, and its actual function was to host the magic circles drawn onto the robe.
All the patterns on it were used to run the robe's various functions.
These included self-cleaning, fireproofing, waterproofing, temperature regulation, wind resistance, floating, impact protection, puncture resistance, lightweighting, holy energy circulation, natural element absorption, and a whole series of other features.
They were all contained within that trailing train.
That was why the train was so exceptionally long.
And this specific robe was for the exclusive use of the Saintess of the Moon.
In fact, every Saintess had her own unique robe.
From what I knew, each one had its own distinct characteristics.
I won't go into the specific details for now.
The one with the strongest defense was the robe of the Saintess of War, while the one that provided the greatest attribute boosts was the robe of the Saintess of the Sun.
Each had its own specialty.
Mine was more of a middle-ground version, but because it had so many functions, it ended up being excessively long.
After those thoughts flashed through my mind, I turned my gaze back to Hilda.
"Hilda, is there a place in the Kingdom of the Moon specifically for training knights?"
"This... as far as I know, there is no such place. All knights are educated within their own families."
It seemed my suspicions were correct. Because there was no centralized training ground, the quality of knights in the Kingdom of the Moon was uneven, and they were more loyal to their families than to the Temple.
In the knight orders, you almost never saw anyone from a humble background because they simply couldn't afford to train a knight.
Setting aside the equipment, even the cost of horses alone was more than an average family could bear.
Furthermore, there was the wear and tear of weapons, and the need for knights to learn skills and apprentice under masters. These costs were beyond the reach of ordinary people.
"I see. I understand."
I pondered for a moment. Although there were some unwritten rules for knights in this world, there were no explicit codes or regulations in the open.
In that case, why shouldn't I bring over the Eight Virtues and Nine Codes of Chivalry from medieval Europe?
While I was at it, why not build a knight academy?
Couldn't mages be trained in the same way?
As long as they met the quality standards, they could receive a standardized education.
Moreover, this also contained elements that could place restrictions on the nobility.
For example, I could build noble schools and then define a code of conduct for them, specifying what men and women must learn.
This would cultivate both their morality and their abilities.
At the same time, I could open academies for commoners.
Technical colleges.
And a whole series of other training facilities.
Although the investment would be massive and take a long time, the rewards would be proportional.
Once successful, the Kingdom of the Moon would have a steady stream of fresh blood to supplement various industries.
"Do other countries have them?"
"As far as I know, they do not. Does Your Highness intend to establish a department specifically for training knights?"
Judging from Hilda's words, the concept of an 'academy' did not seem to exist in this world. Most training was private, passed down from master to student in a direct lineage.
This indeed acted as a massive limitation on development.
"Yes, I understand. Tasha... have Lola come here. Hilda, don't leave yet. I want you to describe everything required for a knight's training and growth."
Hilda stood in place and lowered her head in thought for a moment.
"Your Highness, I am not sure about others, but I began my path as a knight because of a test within my family."
"Oh? What kind of test?"
A look of reminiscence flashed in Hilda's eyes as she spoke slowly.
"I remember I was six years old. All the children in the family around my age would undergo a test. The primary goal was to determine our potential."
"Go on."
I waved my hand and had Tasha bring over two chairs. I sat next to Hilda, listening to her talk about her childhood.
"First was the magic test, focusing on affinity for magic elements, followed by the weapon test."
"The weapon test... how was it done?"
"It was actually quite simple. Some people are naturally gifted at using weapons and close-quarters combat. I remember I just had to perform a few slashes, and several experts were standing by to evaluate me."
"And your results... were the best, of course?"
"Yes. At that time, I struck with the force of one-force, so I was selected to be trained as a knight."
"One-force? What is that?"
"It is a rating based on destructive power."
Hilda patiently explained to me, then turned to look around the room but couldn't find a target.
"Your Highness, is there any wood or something similar? I can demonstrate it for you."
"Tasha, go to the back and fetch a log I usually use for practice. Also, bring a wooden sword."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Tasha nodded. The twelve-year-old girl showed a level of composure unusual for her age and did not hesitate for a second upon receiving the command.
Soon, a man-sized log and a wooden sword were placed before Hilda.
Hilda picked up the wooden sword and looked back at me.
"Please watch, Your Highness."
With that, Hilda raised the wooden sword and struck the log.
With a 'crack', she left a mark less than a centimeter deep on the log.
The wooden sword in her hand also snapped in response.
However, at the moment it broke, Hilda caught the flying segment firmly between two fingers and tossed it to the ground.
"It is roughly this amount of force. Being able to leave such a mark in a single strike proves that the person has a natural aptitude for weapons. This strength, which can snap a wooden sword, is roughly equivalent to that of an adult, so it is called one-force."
"So... if converted into attributes, it would be about five points?"
"Your Highness can see attributes, so you would naturally understand. But those who cannot can only use this method for screening."
Hilda handed the broken wooden sword to a little nun and turned back to me.
"After that, in-depth tests are conducted based on each person's different talents. The projects I was tested on included evasion, long-distance running, sprinting, catching balls, and flexibility. After all that, my direction as a knight was determined."
"Then... how are mages tested?"
I asked another question, though I didn't hold much hope since Hilda wasn't a mage.
However, Hilda explained to me quite patiently.
"Even though I am not of the magic lineage, I do possess some magic talent, so I also underwent a series of tests. I have a high affinity for the Water Element and the Ice Element branch. At first, they used magic spheres to test affinity, followed by operational ability and so on. In any case, the process is very complex."
"So... what is the evaluation mechanism?"
This was the most important point. Understanding this would help with my next steps.
However, Hilda shook her head.
"There is no standardized evaluation mechanism. It was entirely based on the opinions of the evaluators at the time."
In other words, there was no objective evaluation mechanism at all, and everything relied on subjective judgment?
It seemed that fairness did not exist in this world to begin with.
In that case, would it be possible to quantify it?
"I see. And after that? From the time you started your training until you became a knight, can you estimate the total cost involved?"
Hilda pondered for a moment and then nodded.
"I began my knight training at age six. During that time, my appetite was enormous, and every meal had to be rich in meat. One meal cost about fifty small copper coins. With four meals a day, that was about two silver coins. By the time I was ten, that number had quadrupled. Each meal cost two silver coins, totaling eight silver coins a day. It wasn't until I was thirteen that I truly entered the knight rank. By then, each meal cost about five silver coins, totaling twenty silver coins a day."
Holy crap! Over five hundred bucks for one meal!?
At thirteen, she was spending two thousand a day just on food.
No wonder poor families couldn't afford to raise one.
The food bill for a thirteen-year-old knight in a single month was enough to feed a commoner family of three for an entire year.
"And... what about you now?"
"It is about the same as when I was thirteen. If I am not using force, I need about five silver coins a day for food. During wartime, that amount might increase five to ten times, depending on the level of physical exertion."
By that calculation, at age six, it was two silver coins a day, which was seven hundred and thirty silver coins a year, or about seven gold coins, maintained for four years.
So just for eating... from age six to ten, it would cost twenty-eight gold coins!!
And that didn't even include the two milestones at ages ten and thirteen!!
Rate on N.U.
