“His Majesty named him captain of the Royal Knights several years ago. He may have a terrible personality, but rumors say no one dares challenge him because of his status,” Thibault added.
“So that’s why people don’t stay Royal Knights for long, huh?” Barre said, sounding amused. Yet, despite his lighthearted tone, his green eyes narrowed.
“If he were to quit, the order wouldn’t have a shortage of hands anymore, would it?” Fouet added, using his Wind Magic to lie down midair.
I’d made it so no one else could see us at the moment, but I was still taken aback by how unabashedly he was using his magic while there were so many people around.
They’re right, though.
I found myself agreeing with their observations. But I assumed convincing Gahariet to quit wasn’t as easy as it sounded, which explained why the Royal Knights’ situation was so dire.
Twenty minutes later, it was finally time for the examination to begin. A booming voice rang out, ordering us to gather at the center of the training grounds.
“Those who want to join the Royal Knights, come here! Hurry along! Stop being so sluggish!” Gahariet yelled—again.
He doesn’t need to be so angry all the time. What a strange man.
We followed the other candidates, running toward the center of the grounds.
“Let me announce the test you’ll be undergoing today. This time, it’ll be a jousting tournament!”
Thibault had told us that the examination would test our practical skills. Apparently, there used to be another to evaluate the candidates’ scholarly abilities, but the order’s higher-ups found it annoying to grade, so they decided to scrap it. As for the practical exam, it was simply to judge our combat and horsemanship abilities.
The other candidates already looked completely exhausted from the push-ups Gahariet had them perform.
The poor things. Perhaps I should’ve included them in my illusion too.
Or perhaps not. There were still many people in the world who were against magic, and Thibault had expressly told us not to use spells if we could avoid it. It was a tricky situation.
I should at least reverse time on their bodies to relieve their pain and fatigue.
I sneakily used a Dark Magic spell to do just that. As long as no one noticed, it would be fine.
“A jousting competition, huh? They’ll be testing both our spear-wielding skills and our horse-riding abilities. Good thing Thibault told us in advance so we could practice,” I said with a relieved sigh.
“What’s good about this? You’re terrible at both,” Char whispered dryly from beside me. “You had to grab a spear with both hands, and even then, you could barely hold the lightest one we had without toppling over. And don’t get me started on your horse riding...”
“I-I’m just not used to it yet!”
I couldn’t even get on a horse without using magic. My skills were nowhere near Char’s or the twins’. But it wasn’t my fault! I’d never had to ride a horse before—why would I, when I could just teleport everywhere?
“It’s fine. You’re just not cut out for this—not for swordsmanship, spear fighting, or horse riding.”
All I could do was let out a frustrated groan. Char was being unfair. I could hold up a spear and thrust it forward! He should give me a passing grade for that. Granted, I had a habit of letting go of the spear when I tried to attack...
My husband sighed. “I’m worried. Lam, I’m going to use a spell to make your skin harder. As hard as orichalcum, I’d say. That should be good. We can’t have you fall from your horse, so I’ll add another one to improve your equilibrium, and while I’m at it, I’ll make it so that others’ attacks on you will reflect back at them,” he said and did just that, casting all sorts of spells on me.
Char, if you make my skin as hard as orichalcum, my opponent’s lance will bend. Plus, if you make their attacks bounce back, I risk hurting them.
I’d used similar spells myself before at a party, but I’d quickly realized it had been a little overkill. The hand of the noble lady who had slapped me had become all swollen and red because of how hard I’d made my skin.
But I’m happy that Char is so diligently casting spells on me to make sure I don’t get hurt.
I could feel how much he cared about me, and that made my heart flutter uncontrollably.
“I’ll be all right, Char,” I assured him with a smile. “As Thibault said, I’ll do my best to get a decent score on the test. Besides, we’ll only be fighting people of the same gender, so I’m sure it’ll go just fine.”
Including me, there were four women among the knight candidates. This meant I would participate in at most three matches, and all I needed to do was place second overall.
I just have to win once or twice. That should be enough.
As for the men, there were over ten prospective recruits, so Char and the others would have a bit more competition.
“Lam, I’m not asking you to do anything crazy. Just don’t get hurt, all right?” Char told me, always the worrywart.
The twins looked at him, amusement written on their faces.
“You’re acting like her dad, Lord Char,” Fouet said.
“Well, the madam is a handful,” Barre added.
That last comment was completely unnecessary.
I refocused on the knight examination. The jousting duels would be one-on-one, with each candidate aiming to make the other fall from their horse using a lance. Of course, the tips of the weapons had been flattened so that no one would die.