The Knighting

The time had come to August 15th, 1305 of the Christian Era.

It was noon, the weather clear and bright, with gentle winds and lovely sunshine.

On the road leading to Brodick Castle, a sturdy young lord rode atop a squat, piebald mongrel horse.

The young lord was tall and powerfully built. His slightly curled brown hair had a yellowish cast, and his narrow, elongated eyes stared coldly ahead, carrying a trace of sinister chill.

Mail, gorget, shoulder guards, gauntlets, neck guard, knight's longsword, and helmet—piece after piece armored him to the teeth. They had all belonged to his "father and brother," and had naturally become his private property.

A brand-new tartan woolen mantle lay across the shoulders of his mail, its two ends tucked into the cowhide belt around his waist. This flashy combination was the bare minimum of respect Scots showed for major ceremonies, though he did not like it.

At this moment, Young Lord Roger bore no resemblance to the wastrel who had appeared in Rocklanza Village more than a month ago. He looked every inch a fierce and valiant knight.

Three fully armed guards on foot followed behind the mongrel horse.

Close behind Roger came Sergeant Ma'en. His worn brown clothes and woolen cloak had finally been replaced by a cloth-covered iron cuirass. A kettle hat seized from pirates sat on his head, and a hand-and-a-half sword hung from the cowhide belt at his waist. With his lean, capable build and fine weapons and armor, he was no more poorly equipped than an ordinary knight.

Baldhead and Ponytail walked beside Ma'en.

The two were now guards of Milkhouse Manor. With proper positions, they were no longer street thugs, and their clothing naturally differed from before.

Their builds were similar, and they dressed alike—those two show-offs, eager to draw attention, had ignored the scorching weather and worn padded armor beneath their half-mail. Each held an iron-winged short spear in one hand and carried a kite shield in the other, with a one-handed sword hanging at the waist. It was a symbol of status, though neither of them knew how to use a sword.

Roger, seated on horseback, turned to glance at the two conspicuous fools sweating profusely beneath the blazing sun and could not help shaking his head.

Beside Baldhead and Ponytail, Bitter Melon Face Budd and Little Horseherd Igo hurried along while driving a mule-drawn cart. Sitting in the front were Roger's nominal mother—Lady Mary, her face haggard—and Roger's younger brother Louis.

The rear of the cart was neatly stacked with the inheritance tax—weaponry and armor—that Roger had "promised" to hand over to his liege lord.

Naturally, Roger could not possibly obediently surrender every weapon and piece of armor as Baron John demanded. That was not his style.

Apart from the weapons and armor already worn by Ma'en, Baldhead, Ponytail, and the others, he had secretly kept back two sets of padded armor and belts, four kettle hats, four short spears, four shields, two swords, three crossbows, and arrows—all carefully selected.

Naturally, Roger also would not hand over the clothes and boots already distributed among Baldhead, Ponytail, and the others, nor the leather armor stripped from the pirate chief that he usually wore, the Viking Battle Axe, and the rest.

All the remaining miscellaneous weapons had been loaded onto the cart. To avoid making Baron John look too bad, Roger had even specifically rummaged through Milkhouse Manor's armory for old, mildewed leather armor, short swords, spearheads, round shields, and similar items.

He had even stuffed in tattered thick clothing to make up the numbers. Without a careful inspection, it still looked like a sizable pile.

Upon reaching the market town, they entered the castle beneath the watching eyes of the crowd.

Although word had spread two days earlier that Young Lord Roger of the Colin family would inherit his father's title and become the lord of Milkhouse Manor, few had come to witness the ceremony. It was far less lively than the funeral two days before.

Clearly, Young Lord Roger possessed little prestige on Allen Island.

Still, there were twenty or thirty people. After all, this was an important ceremony personally convened by Baron John. Ordinary islanders could choose not to attend, but the island's lords and gentry had no choice.

There were four knights or their family members and retainers, the many officials of the baronial household, gentry and wealthy households from more than a dozen villages across the island, including Gary, the ever-evasive village chief of Rocklanza Village, as well as the Campbell "family members" apart from White-faced John.

The knighting ceremony was held in the castle chapel. Because Baldhead and Ponytail had dawdled over getting dressed, Roger and his group arrived only after all the spectators had gathered.

No one was angry that the main character had arrived late. Compared to the outrageous things Young Lord Roger had done in the past, tardiness was truly too insignificant to mention.

Under Baron John's displeased gaze, Roger handed over the weapons and armor from the mule cart to the castle armory in full view of everyone.

Baron John visibly wanted to rebuke him several times, yet the words never left his mouth. In the end, he could only pinch his nose, furrow his brows, and accept the new knight Roger's inheritance tax as though he had swallowed a fly.

Allen Island had only recently suffered a bereavement. At Baron John's instruction, everything was kept simple: fasting, bathing, vigil over arms, prayer, and all the other cumbersome preliminary preparations were omitted.

Roger's knighthood and status as a lord had both been left behind by his nominal father. Even the heraldic banner, signet ring, seal, and family motto were already prepared, so Roger naturally had no need to concern himself with them.

The chapel ceremony proceeded straight to its central stage: the "Bestowal of the Sword."

Before everyone's eyes, Roger knelt before Baron John.

Baron John lightly touched Roger's nape and both shoulders with the sword Roger had brought, then led him in swearing, in the name of Saint Andrew, the patron saint, to uphold loyalty and honor.

After several oaths, Baron John symbolically adjusted Roger's armor, fitted him with a pair of hastily found spurs, and then fastened a blessed knight's sword to Roger's belt.

"Sir Roger Campbell, new lord of Milkhouse Manor, remember well the motto of the Campbell Lineage: Never yield." As Baron John spoke, he slowly removed the glove from his right hand, then suddenly swung it and slapped Roger across the face, nearly knocking him off balance.

A surge of anger abruptly rose in Roger's heart, and his gaze at Baron John instantly turned vicious.

Only when sparse applause rose around him did Roger suddenly remember that this was the final procedure of a knighting ceremony.

But Baron John's slap did not seem like he was merely following procedure.

The knighting and lordly oath of fealty ceremony took less than half an hour. The remaining procedures were all paperwork, to be completed by Baron John's clerk.

John knew that Milkhouse Manor was in financial crisis, so he waived the cost of holding a grand celebration for Roger. He announced that a small banquet would be held at the baronial residence that evening to celebrate Roger becoming a knight.

From this day onward, Roger was one of the lords of Allen Island. Naturally, the lords and gentry who had come to witness the ceremony had to offer some congratulatory gifts, even if it was merely a show of courtesy.

Thus, that afternoon after the knighting ceremony, Roger received a saddle, a silver-inlaid dagger, two short swords, three barrels of ale, four sheep, several bolts of woolen cloth, and some chickens, ducks, fish, and meat as gifts—enough to fill nearly half a cart.

His nominal mother was frail, so Roger had Bitter Melon Face escort her and Louis back to Milkhouse Manor with half the gifts. He himself led Ma'en and reluctantly ate an insipid celebratory dinner at the baronial residence.

At the banquet, in order to raise morale and stir the people's hearts, Baron John announced that a tournament would be held after the autumn harvest. Warriors from all places would be invited to the island to compete. Besides knights, squires, retainers, and sergeants would also be allowed to participate.

Baron John intended to recruit talent through the tournament and restore his army's fighting strength, while also invigorating Allen Island's trade.

To attract more people, Baron John had actually put up a two-hundred-acre manor in western Allen Island as the tournament's highest prize. Its former owner had recently died in battle and had left no male heir, so the Baron had reclaimed the land.

Baron John was clearly recruiting knights. This would attract quite a few landless wandering knights and younger sons of nobles.

After the simple banquet ended, Roger led Ma'en and invited the lords and gentry who had given gifts to gather once more at the Red Mill.

Baldhead and Ponytail had already been busy at the Red Mill. The day before, they had invited the "warriors" who had taken part in the bandit-suppression battle to celebrate both that victory and Roger's elevation to knighthood.

The long-absent all-night clamor of the Red Mill...