CHAPTER_29: Welcome Speech

Inside the manor mansion, the residence of the knights, a group of Royal Knights strode into the grand living room, clad in full steel armor.

The manor mansion stands three stories tall, boasting hundreds of rooms for the knights. Each knight has fifty rooms at their disposal, even though there are only twenty knights in residence.

Fifty bathrooms accompany each room, and there are three bathhouses available for different genders, with the third serving as a reserve in case the other two are occupied.

The knights have three expansive living rooms at their disposal, all designed in a gothic style. These living rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art newspaper reader technology, allowing the knights to keep up with the news while conversing with their comrades.

Furthermore, the manor mansion features two spacious dining rooms, each furnished with a long table for the knights to dine at. Additionally, there are two kitchens for the maids to prepare meals, strategically located near the dining rooms for efficiency.

Finally, a vast library filled with early copies of popular books graces the manor mansion. The library spans two stories, providing ample space for thousands of books or even more.

The manor mansion, constructed two hundred years ago in 97 CLD, exudes an ancient charm with its enduring gothic style.

…

Kylor, Freya, and Aldai entered the second living room, located in the right part of the mansion.

As they entered, they were swiftly greeted by their comrades, each one with smiles on their faces.

"All of you are headed to the ceremony, right?" Gideon asked, holding a folder of documents.

Kylor nodded in his response.

While walking towards them, Gideon requested, "Can you hand these to the Chief of Staff if you see him by chance? If not, then you can place these on his desk inside his office."

"Sure, why not?" Kylor accepted the folder.

"What are these documents even for?"

Gideon didn't respond for a second and answered, "Those are for the proposals Mayor Manson sent us. We already signed the proposals, but Mr. Arven said he'd hand them to him."

"Is that for the building projects?" Aldai asked.

"Building projects? What are those for?" Kylor turned to her.

Kylor was obviously confused, since he doesn't know what the new building projects are, or maybe he just didn't read the schedule for the ceremony.

There's a schedule? It's rare to see these officials preparing something.

"Didn't you read the schedule for the ceremony, Kylor?" Aldai inquired.

"I haven't; I volunteered to help the maids design the ceremony, and I also had conversations with the visitors, so I didn't have time to read the schedule yet; I didn't even notice that there was a schedule."

"I mean, I do agree with you since I just read it myself when I got here; Freya just asked me and handed me the paper of the schedule."

They should've used the time an hour ago to give the papers to all the people on the property. Well, it already happened, so I can't beat it.

"Gideon, you don't need to answer my question, given that it's still going to be announced in the ceremony."

"How about we head to the ceremony?" Aldai asked kindly.

The time is now 5:53 HU, and there's still seven minutes until the ceremony. So, the three knights headed to the ceremony, while the other knights changed into their steel armor.

…

As the three of them entered the lobby of the manor mansion, unexpectedly, Kylor noticed Damian clad in a suit while having a conversation with Lancelot and Guinevere.

Their eyes met in an instant, and their hearts filled with excitement. With a joyful smile, Kylor ran to Damian.

"You really came here!

"You kept your promise!"

With happiness overwhelming them, they both hugged tightly as friends.

Guinevere and Lancelot stood on the side during their moments. Alarming Guinevere, he whispered, "Don't try to disturb them. They are probably both having a great time; I guess they had a deep conversation earlier."

Aldai and Freya also noticed the two with joyful smiles and felt the same way as Guinevere and Lancelot.

After the joyful hug, Kylor noticed the clothes he was wearing. His curiosity got the best of him, and he asked, "Why are you wearing formal attire?"

"Tonight is a special night; that's why I decided to make my clothes special too.

"To be honest, this is the only time as a knight that I will wear formal clothes."

To Damian, going back to his job as a Royal Knight would only make his mental state worse. Pretending to be alright and acting like nothing had happened to him would also make him more depressed than he is.

The lobby fell silent for a moment, only to be interrupted by Damian's next question: "By the way, since you were on your way here, are you planning to attend the ceremony?"

"Yes," Kylor confirmed with a nod. "Freya and Aldia will be joining me, so we'll be going to the ceremony together as a group."

"Why don't I join your group as well? Let's head to the ceremony together."

"Sure, I was thinking about that! Let's head there fast; there are only five minutes left until the ceremony starts."

…

A hallway of offices was aligned, with a few closed and some opened. Obviously, there have been more closures since the ceremony was about to start.

With a coat and a suit, a pale-looking man headed to a specific room.

He interacted with his beard and knocked on the door, "High Officials Only Room."

In only a second, the man responded inside, "Get in!"

He sure is panicking. Mr. Freeman thought, entering the room.

The interior of the room was miniature, with a few shelves and a desk for the newly promoted knight.

Apollo, who had been welcomed by one of the chiefs of staff, nervously thought about the time when he would rise to the stage for the promotion.

"Mr. Freeman, why are you here at this hour? Shouldn't you be at the ceremony?" Apollo said while tapping his finger on the desk swiftly.

Before Mr. Freeman could reply, he took a sip from his herbal tea.

He's really nervous. Mr. Freeman smiled at him and said, "What made you this nervous? Calm down; you need to take that oath inside your heart with leadership. Mr. Apollo, accept it with pride."

"Do not act like a nervous man; even your reputation will get worse if you do that.

"When the time for your speech comes, speak as if you were the mayor. Even Mayor Smith would be jealous of you."

Apollo, who listened to his words, cleared his throat, and the nervousness faded with each second.

"Since you said it, I will do it." Apollo had a tinge of embarrassment in his words.

"Also, drink that herbal tea as you prepare; it can relieve stress and promote relaxation."

Upon hearing his words, Apollo swiftly drank a portion of the herbal tea.

"So that's why Miss Seraphine told me to drink this. It is quite surprising that my nervousness is starting to disappear; maybe this and your words combined made me feel relaxed."

He started to drink even more.

"But that's not why I'm here," Mr. Freeman stated as he sat on the chair in front of the desk.

"Sign this contract from the king." Mr. Freeman retrieved a paper from a folder of documents and swiftly handed it over to Apollo. "This paper is from King Abimelech's approval of your promotion."

"If you sign this paper, then you will now be an official Royal Guardian. Keep in mind that this is a contract, so you need to read all of this to confirm."

"I'll be getting that paper before noon tomorrow; make sure of that deadline."

With his reason for arrival done, he stood up, said farewell to Apollo, and then left the room. With that done, Apollo continued to drink the herbal tea as he began reading the contract.

…

As the seconds ticked away, a sense of urgency filled the air as the attendees made their way to the ceremony.

With just a minute remaining, a flurry of activity ensued as everyone rushed to the ceremony, eager not to miss a single word of the welcome speech from the master of ceremonies.

As the clock continued to count down, the tension in the room mounted. "5:59:58," it seemed to echo through the hall.

Then, "5:59:59," building anticipation with each passing second.

And finally, the moment arrived: "6:00:00."

With a sense of excitement and anticipation, the ceremony officially commenced.

…

A flock of nobles could be seen engaging in different conversations inside the gigantic room. The high-ranking officials prepared themselves for the ceremony, standing on the tall stage.

Lady Ana and Mr. Smith's children sat on each beautifully crafted seat as they waited for the entrance speech to begin.

One of the people who started a discussion was Mr. Smith and Mr. Lowille.

Mr. Lowille is currently the richest man in the city, holding important power in the city, such as the electricity, the water system, and the ore mining companies. All of these things are controlled by him in the city. One of the districts was also made by him, the "Highfire District," for the highest class of the city to live in, although the houses there are five-story apartments.

As the two wealthy men engaged in a conversation, they started off the topic with the new pearl project.

"Mr. Smith, how has it been? It has surely been a long time! You're quite busy, eh?" Mr. Lowille started the conversation.

"How many months has it been?" Mr. Smith decided to take a pause, recalling the time they met last time. With no hint of finding it, he settled on a guess. "Two months, right?"

"It surely hasn't been that long; I think it was around a month and a half. But it's still a long time since we met each other." Mr. Lowille answered his question accurately.

"What about the pearl project?" Mr. Smith asked intently.

The Pearl Project was an upcoming project by Mr. Lowille's two companies and other businessmen's companies here in the city. From what Mr. Smith has heard of the plan, it will generate a huge income for the city, even rebuilding the Lowfire District from its messy structures.

"Let's not talk about that. Oh, Mr. Smith, you certainly need patience. I will explain it here in the ceremony after your speech."

"My sincere apologies, Mr. Lowille," Mr. Smith said with sorrowful eyes.

"You do not need to apologize," Mr. Lowille's kind voice resonated.

Before Mr. Smith could continue his discussion with Mr. Lowille, he was intently interrupted by Ms. Seraphine, who tapped his shoulder twice.

"Mr. Smith, you are needed to sit on your throne for the welcome speech to start," she requested pleasantly.

"Tsk. Absolutely!" Mr. Smith, with an angry expression, headed on his throne above the stage.

…

With all the high-ranking officials standing tall on the stage, vibrant colored light rays beamed at every visitor, casting a mesmerizing glow. The light danced gracefully, creating an enchanting atmosphere that captivated the audience.

At last, the master of the ceremony, Arven Laren, strolled confidently to the center of the stage, holding a microphone. Standing before the polished wooden podium, he cleared his throat and fixed his gaze on the visitors.

"Ladies and gentlemen, exquisitely crafted and well-defined! What you are witnessing in this moment... is a revelation for the upcoming knights of unparalleled potential! These are the knights who have poured their hearts and souls into their training... the true embodiment of unwavering dedication."

As he began his welcome speech, his silvery smile shone brightly as he made eye contact with each and every visitor.

"With leadership, strength, discipline, and unwavering determination, these knights are about to take an oath unlike any other—a pledge of dedication, a promise of hard work, a vow to protect all in need!"

"Even a vow to notice a single tear from a civilian who may not even be shedding it. They will uphold their promises until their very souls find rest. These are the knights who will take this solemn oath!" he declared, gesturing towards the kneeling knights in the corner.

"The very ground you stand upon—this is where this awe-inspiring revelation will unfold. And now that you are here, we extend our warmest welcome to each and every one of you."

"With hearts brimming with kindness, all of my esteemed fellow high-ranking officials join me in extending our heartfelt welcome! Each one of us brings our own passion and emotion to greet all of you."

"Even our fiery mayor extends his welcome to you." As he spoke, a sense of anticipation filled the air, causing a ripple of excitement among the visitors, even catching the attention of Mr. Smith.

"We couldn't possibly conceal the fact that our mayor has a fiery temperament and deceive all of you! That would be utterly disrespectful!"

He paused, clearing his throat, before continuing.

"In fact, history has shown us time and again that short-tempered leaders can be some of the most formidable. Look at Napoleon Bonaparte—defeating empires in two wars over fifty times! Consider King Caesar, leading us to victory in the last two wars against the empire. And let's not forget Pope Francis III, spearheading the second crusade for our vengeance against the demons!"

"These short-tempered individuals have proven themselves to be exceptional leaders! And we can assure you that our short-tempered mayor is among the finest leaders! This very mayor rebuilt our city from the ruins of war and transformed it into one of the most remarkable in the region!"

"With all this in mind, Mr. Daniel Smith extends his warm welcome to all of you! Each and every one of us here welcomes you. We will treat you all with equal kindness from the depths of our hearts!"

Before commencing the ceremony, he widened his already radiant smile, casting a glance over the crowd.

"Ladies with captivating eyes and gentlemen with hearts of steel, the ceremony shall now commence! Maids and butlers, enchant them with your magic!"

As he concluded his speech with a graceful bow to the crowd, a procession of maids and butlers glided through the aisles, each bearing a welcoming smile as they served the guests their meals.