At last, all the members of the Cavalry had been assigned their divisions.
The commander, Kishiar La Orr, announced a one-month grace period, during which the members could actually live their lives and make any necessary adjustments. He also proclaimed that the treatment of the Cavalry members would be expanded to a level equivalent to the Imperial Knights. Furthermore, those without last names would soon be granted one, a declaration that surprised everyone.
The Cavalry members now belonged directly to the Imperial Palace, and they received a monthly salary equivalent to that of a third-class official. They were granted the right to reside anywhere within the Orr Empire and could use any state-operated facility without having to pay a fee.
If they were accused of committing a crime, the punishment would be decided upon and administered by the Cavalry commander and the Emperor, rather than the provincial lord. In essence, this granted them the same absolute immunity that the Imperial Knights possessed.
Consequently, their accommodations also changed. Those who had a house in the capital could now commute from their homes instead of staying in the barracks. Members who chose to remain in the barracks each received a room of their own. While there was a restriction that they could only live in the barracks for up to five years, excluding the commander, this was more than enough for those who did not yet have sufficient wealth to buy a house in the capital.
"It's incredible. We're really being treated just like the Imperial Knights. Of course, they each get a servant when they're assigned a room, but we don't need that much," one member said.
"That's right. We're all capable of dressing ourselves," another added.
Laughter erupted among the Cavalry members who had gathered for a meal after the shocking morning announcement.
Everyone's face was bright, filled with hope. Among those beaming faces, Yuder silently dipped his bread into the stew and chewed.
"Yuder, did you hear? We'll also get the same 30 days of vacation as the Imperial Knights. If our children are also awakeners, we can pass on this treatment to them too," Gakane said with a smile.
"When we share this news with our hometown, everyone will be delighted. The days of being looked down upon for not having any land to inherit will finally be over," Gakane continued.
"…Yes."
"Oh, don't you have to inform your family in your hometown as well?"
"I'm alone."
At Yuder's words, Gakane's eyes widened, and he quickly looked apologetic, like a dog with drooping ears.
"I see. I'm sorry. I just assumed you had family back home because of what Kanna said when she read your bracelet."
'My bracelet? …Ah.'
Yuder recalled the day he went to register for the Cavalry examination. He had met Kanna for the first time that day, and in order to test her abilities, he had handed her the bracelet from his pocket to read.
The bracelet, made from small stones carved and strung together with thread, was the only keepsake he had from his grandfather. It was the single gift his grandfather had made for his young grandson, who would be left alone just before he passed away.
Although the bracelet was now too old and fragile to wear, fearing it might break, Yuder had kept it in his pocket as he had not yet fully settled into the capital.
After becoming the commander, Yuder had barely paid any attention to the bracelet, and when he returned to find it in his pocket, he felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity.
"It's okay."
Yuder briefly replied to Gakane and thought of the old cabin in his hometown's mountains. He hadn't properly tidied up the house before leaving in case he didn't pass the Cavalry's test, so he figured he should visit and take care of it if he got a vacation.
"Yuder! How about coming to my house during your vacation? I told my parents and siblings about you in a letter, and they're all very curious. There are plenty of delicious foods and fun activities in the south. We'll treat you well, so come and see."
"What about us, Gakane?"
A few other members who were dining nearby asked in a half-joking tone.
"Are we not your friends?"
"Of course you are. But I want to take Yuder first, so you guys can come next time. Don't you need to visit your homes first?"
'He's acting as if I've already taken a vacation.'
Although Gakane's shameless attitude was slightly off-putting, Yuder didn't say anything. The handsome man with the bright red hair like a rose never tried to leave Yuder's side.
Yuder didn't know what Gakane liked so much about him, but even after they were assigned individual quarters, Gakane visited him every day, urging him to hang out. Yuder had to chase him away several times.
Thanks to Gakane's persistence, the attitudes of other members who had treated Yuder harshly began to change. Yuder was extremely surprised by the fact that he was accepted among the members to this extent solely due to the presence of Kanna and Gakane.
"Yuder, you'll get a last name too. I'm envious that you'll receive a last name from His Majesty the Emperor. I'd like to get one too."
"Don't say that anywhere else."
As Yuder frowned and grumbled, Gakane hurriedly raised his hand.
"I don't mean I envy commoners or anything like that. It's just an amazing opportunity. There were only a few in the empire's history who received titles and names bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor. I'm just envious of the chance to be recorded there."
The last names and names bestowed by the Emperor were very special gifts given only to those who had made significant contributions. However, for Yuder, who had achieved the incredible record of receiving both, they didn't hold much meaning.
"Even if I receive them... it won't be that great."
"You sometimes talk as if you know everything. Receiving a last name changes your status completely. Of course, it's a good thing, as commoners are freed from the obligations of paying taxes and labor."
He was right. But could there be anything that was unconditionally good in this world? Those who held titles were given new duties and responsibilities unique to them.
The Cavalry members, who would receive many things because of their power, would have to fight another war from now on.
'Besides, the last name that will be given is hardly a last name at all.'
Ignoring Gakane, who seemed ready to recite a hundred good things that would come from receiving a last name, Yuder finished his meal and got up from his seat.
"I'm leaving first."
"Yuder, let's go together."
Gakane put down his unfinished stew and got up.
"Wouldn't it be better to finish your meal first?"
"We're going to the swordsmanship training ground anyway. If I eat too much, I'll just feel like throwing up."
Gakane lowered his head and playfully pretended to vomit.
The Sul Division, a group mainly composed of individuals capable of using magic-like powers, spent most of their training to enhance their individual attributes and to develop more accurate and powerful abilities.
As a result, there was rarely a need for them to gather and train together, but the Shin and the Sul Divisions often had many members with similar abilities. Most of them belonged to the category of physical enhancement or excelled in using various weapons. They had to learn various techniques for using different weapons and how to protect others while coordinating their breathing.
Among all the weapon techniques, it was the sword that Kishiar La Orr demanded the Shin and the Sul Divisions to put the most effort into learning. Yuder thought he could guess the intention behind this.
Swordsmen had traditionally been treated as superior to those who wielded other weapons. While Swordmasters who made a name for themselves in history were relatively common, Bowmasters or Lancemasters were not.
Swordsmanship had traditionally been the martial art of nobles, and the most commonly available weapon was the sword. The ease of access to the sword resulted in a large number of people learning and admiring it, proportionally increasing the chances of Swordmasters emerging.
When people thought of Swordmasters, they would envision a high-ranking general or a knight commander responsible for their country's military power. The most notable feature of a Swordmaster was the ability to freely use aura, which they infused into their swords and emitted.
Many of the Cavalry members who entered the Shin and the Sul Divisions were capable of this feat without any effort. Although their swordsmanship and proficiency were lower than that of true Swordmasters, the intensity and output of the aura they could produce were not inferior.
Kishiar La Orr intended to raise the status of the Cavalry and gain strength through this ability.
"Still, I wonder what the Commander was thinking when he designated the new training ground as the Imperial Knights' Training Ground No. 1. I heard that only high-ranking officials above deputy level use that place."
As the Cavalry members entered the grounds used by the Imperial Knights, the atmosphere around them became tense. It meant that the people around them were not pleased with their arrival.
For the past few months, the Cavalry members had trained at the rookie training ground set up in a corner of the premises. Even then, the passing Imperial Knights had openly displayed their discomfort.
Now, they had been notified that they would be using Training Ground No. 1, which was like the knights' pride. It was a wonder how Kishiar had managed to push for this.
'Maybe he used an imperial order signed by the Emperor himself.'
Yuder deliberately did not exert himself fully during the basic training of the past few months. Even without giving it his all, his abilities were beyond the level of ordinary members.
Instead, he frequently practiced becoming familiar with the flow of energy around his body based on his past memories and drawing it into his body momentarily.
Traditional mages and knights, who used conventional mana, would accumulate the energy flowing in nature within their bodies for a long time and could only use the amount they had stored. However, those who awakened to the new mana were different.
Through the power of the Red Stone, they were able to freely use the unfamiliar energy that filled the world without necessarily storing it in their bodies, simply through skill and practice.
This meant that it was more important who could draw and use a greater amount of energy stably in an instant and how familiar one was with using and applying their own abilities.
However, adaptation and practice were necessary for this as well. Therefore, it was helpful to spend a few hours every day meditating to become accustomed to the energy. It would be about three years from now before this fact was revealed, but it wouldn't hurt to start early.
Gakane seemed to mistake Yuder, who meditated every morning, for a devout follower of the Sun God, but Yuder found it too bothersome to correct him and simply let him remain under that impression.
