The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 54

Rosette’s First Knight

Rosette woke up that morning and headed to the training grounds with Lucas.

The knights, usually so disciplined in their training, were unusually boisterous today. It was because of the knighting ceremony scheduled for a few hours later.

“Congratulations! You’re finally becoming a formal knight, too.”

“Thank you! I never thought this day would come.”

New knights and seasoned knights exchanged stories, Joseph Ohser among them.

‘Come to think of it, Melody was very excited, too.’

Rosette smiled, remembering her friend whispering and fidgeting during class yesterday, saying, ‘My brother is finally becoming a real knight!’ Lucas stepped in front of her, blocking her view.

“Little one. No, no.”

Daniel, carrying several wooden swords of different sizes, asked,

He glanced at where Rosette was looking and stood next to Lucas, as if understanding. “What are you looking at, Rose?”

“I just think everyone seems excited.”

“Of course. The knighting ceremony is a celebration for all of us.”

Lucas interjected, “The person being knighted will be excited, but why the others?”

When Rosette voiced her confusion, Daniel, carefully placing the wooden swords on the floor, elaborated. “It’s rewarding to see someone you’ve known since they were young grow up and become a colleague.”

“Ah.”

She still didn’t quite grasp the feeling, but Rosette nodded anyway.

“Little one, that’s not important right now. Let’s pick out your wooden sword!” Lucas exclaimed, holding up the smallest wooden sword.

For the past few months, Rosette had focused on building her basic physical strength, running around the training grounds with Lucas and strengthening her core muscles. She had never actually held a wooden sword before.

And today, Daniel and Lucas had decided to gift Rosette a wooden sword.

The reason being, ‘Even apprentice knights become formal knights, so you have to move up a level too!’

Rosette had been eagerly anticipating this day as well.

‘I’m finally learning the sword.’

Rosette held the wooden sword Lucas handed her with both hands, her face alight with excitement. The wooden sword, sized for an average five-year-old, seemed a bit small for her.

Lucas clapped. “Oh, this is a little small? Little one, you must have grown a bit.”

“Really? Mrs. Wide said I’ve grown a lot, too.”

Rosette recalled Mrs. Wide’s impressed reaction when she had re-measured her size recently.

“Then let’s try this one.”

After careful consideration, Lucas and Daniel decided that the third-largest wooden sword was the right size for Rosette. It was a wooden sword typically used by seven-year-olds.

Daniel and Lucas were slightly disappointed that she still needed to grow more, but Rosette was happy nonetheless.

For reference, the wooden sword Lucas had given her for her birthday still seemed too big to use for another year or two.

“Let’s practice with this for now. I’ll get you a new wooden sword next time.”

“Yes.”

Rosette followed her two older brothers’ instructions, practicing raising and lowering the wooden sword. She thought she had built up a decent amount of muscle, but her arms trembled after only ten repetitions.

“It’s okay. That’s a lot. You did well.”

“That’s right! Everyone’s like that at first!”

Rosette, encouraged by her two older brothers’ words, resolved to work harder.

After the morning practice, Joan and the maids fussed over her, preparing her to attend the knighting ceremony.

“The young lady will also have a knight who swears allegiance to her.”

One of the maids whispered.

“Well, I don’t know…”

The Adrians were a family of knights for generations. Who would swear allegiance to young Rosette, passing over the esteemed sword master Adrian Duke and his promising three siblings?

It was such an obvious fact that she wasn’t even saddened by it.

Then, an unexpected face popped into her mind.

‘Come to think of it, Joseph was there.’

Joseph Ohser used to declare that he would swear allegiance to Rosette. He wasn’t one to make empty promises, so he would probably really swear allegiance to Rosette.

However, Rosette was a little skeptical about him.

‘There’s nothing I can do for him.’

She had already saved Melody and him, but was that enough to warrant an oath? It wouldn’t be of any help to his knightly career in the future.

Wouldn’t it be much more beneficial for Joseph’s future to swear allegiance to Dad or her brothers?

Should she tell him in advance not to swear allegiance to her?

“There will definitely be someone. Is it that Ohser knight? Melody’s brother is very fond of you, young lady.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Rosette mumbled vaguely and closed her mouth.

After finishing all the preparations, she went to the grand hall with Joan. Rosette had never been to the hall, which was only opened for banquets and special occasions.

As Rosette was about to enter the hall, someone ran towards her.

“Rosette!”

It was Melody.

Today, she had her hair tied high in pigtails. Joseph had tied it for her, but he wasn’t very skilled at it, so stray hairs were sticking out here and there.

Melody put her right hand on her left chest and whispered, “I’m so nervous. I feel like my heart is going to explode.”

“Don’t be nervous. Joseph will do well.”

“Yeah.”

Rosette took Melody’s hand and entered the hall where the inauguration ceremony was being held. The hall, with chandeliers sparkling from the ceiling, was magnificent and spacious.

The knights spotted her and welcomed her.

“Welcome!”

“We have prepared a seat for you!”

Then Lucas, dressed in his uniform, pushed through the crowd of knights and shouted, “Everyone, move aside! Little one isn’t interested in you! Little one, come to this brother.”

Rosette sighed and whispered to Melody, “I’ll go over there. You stay with Joan.”

“Yeah.”

Rosette had to be present to receive the knights’ oaths as a member of the Adrian family. She couldn’t stay with Melody, so she entrusted her hand to Joan.

Rosette sat at the end of the chair prepared for the Adrian family on the platform. Lucas sat next to her.

As she played with Lucas and passed the time, the inauguration ceremony began.

Lucas, who had been playful just moments before, straightened his posture seriously. Rosette sat next to Lucas and watched the knights perform the inauguration ceremony.

Most of them were familiar faces, but unlike their usual playful expressions when they saw Rosette, they now wore serious expressions.

Rosette also composed her expression to appear serious.

The Adrian Duke, dressed in a white dress uniform, went up to the platform and presented each knight with a sword engraved with the Adrian family crest.

Then the knights chose one of the five Adrian family members and swore their oath of fealty.

‘As expected, most of them are pledging to Dad.’

More than half knelt before Adrian Duke. It was natural, since he was the head of the family they would be serving.

Daniel received the next largest number. Isabel and Lucas also received two each.

Only Rosette didn’t receive any. She wasn’t disappointed.

‘It’s a natural outcome.’

The knights cherished the small and fragile Rosette a lot. Everyone said that if anything happened to Rosette, they would rush to her defense before anyone else.

However, aside from that, Rosette was a wizard. She was a young lady who needed protection, not a lord to be trusted and followed.

But Lucas was concerned and whispered to her, “It’s okay, little one.”

“……?”

“Everyone doesn’t know how great you are. If I were one of them, I would have sworn allegiance to you.”

Well, I don’t think so.

But even just the words were comforting. Rosette felt inexplicably happy and swung her feet.

Finally, Joseph Ohser was called forward. Rosette glanced at Melody, who was excitedly watching next to Joan, and sighed in relief.

‘I’m glad that neither of them are being manipulated by the Dallas family and are getting along well with their families, really.’

Saving the two of them had been unintentional, but she felt good seeing them happy.

The Adrian Duke presented Joseph with a sword.

In fact, it couldn’t have been an easy decision to make. But he trusted Rosette and Joseph.

“I won’t let you down.”

Joseph, receiving the sword, whispered as if vowing and turned to Rosette.

The moment their eyes met, he smiled, a subtle upturn of his lips. It was different from the bright, toothy smile he usually wore.

‘Huh?’

At that moment, Rosette realized.

Joseph Ohser was already sincerely following her.

“Young lady.”

Then, without hesitation, he knelt on one knee before Rosette.

“I, Joseph Ohser, will be the sword that protects the young lady.”

His eyes looked up at her with unwavering seriousness. As soon as she saw it, Rosette’s heart fluttered and her mind went blank.

‘What should I do? What should I say?’

She had only been thinking about dissuading Joseph Ohser, so she hadn’t considered how to react when accepting his oath.

As Rosette hesitated, Lucas whispered in her ear, “Just help him up and say what you want to say.”

“Yeah.”

Rosette carefully got up and stood in front of Joseph.

“Please take care of me in the future.”

She thought it sounded lame even to herself. But she couldn’t think of a better response.

She heard people around her trying to stifle their laughter. Lucas bowed his head and chuckled, and Daniel bit his lip to suppress his amusement.

Even Joseph Ohser swallowed his laughter. Rosette, embarrassed, quickly helped Joseph up.

“Anyway, please take care of me.”

“Yes, young lady.”

* * *

“I’m really going to work hard! I’ll improve my skills and become the young lady’s escort knight!”

“Yes, I know. I’ll look forward to it.”

“Then we’ll take this guy with us, young lady.”

Two knights who suddenly appeared grabbed Joseph and disappeared. Lucas chuckled.

“It looks like they’re initiating him.”

“Initiating him?”

“Yeah. They’re going to get him drunk. Let’s go have dinner, too!”

“Yeah.”

The Adrian Duke and Daniel went to make an appearance at the knights’ after-party, leaving only Rosette, Isabel, and Lucas to have dinner in the dining room.

“Young lady.”

Then the head butler, Sebastian, entered with a letter. Another letter had arrived from the Empress Palace.

This time, it was a letter stamped with the official imperial seal, not the personal seal used by Ophelia.

The recipient was Rosette.

Isabel and Lucas were surprised to see the roaring lion seal. Rosette grew nervous at their expressions.

“Why are you so surprised?”

Rosette asked, trying to remain calm. Isabel replied,

“Because it’s not something that Her Majesty the Empress sent personally, but an official letter.”

Isabel explained that this seal was used when the Imperial Palace was conveying an official position or decree.

She added that it was highly unusual for Rosette, who hadn’t even made her debut in society, to receive a letter bearing this seal. Rosette was even more flustered by her words.

“Why, why, why me?”

“Could it be that Her Majesty the Empress made a mistake with the seal?”

Lucas speculated.

“You idiot, how could that be?” Isabel retorted, dumbfounded. Then the Adrian Duke and Daniel entered.

“What’s going on?”

Daniel asked, sensing the strange atmosphere in the dining room. Lucas announced, “An official letter came to the little one from the Imperial Family.”