288. Knight Allen.

The Duke's voice was forceful and resolute.

Under everyone's gaze, the Witcher glanced around and spoke in a deep voice: "The Wild Hunt!"

"On May Day night, skeletal riders sped through the sky, unleashing destruction on Ellander from their scepters, just like what happened at Port Flotsam..."

As soon as the Witcher's words fell.

"Whoa~"

A commotion burst out on the gate tower, like a pot of boiling water stirred by intense flames.

"What happened at Port Flotsam?"

"What is this Witcher talking about? Isn't the Wild Hunt just an old, worn-out tale to scare children?"

"So, it was the Wild Hunt. When that 'meteor' appeared, I thought I saw something moving…"

"Whatever it was, Lord Mason is right. The people of Temeria can't die unjustly like this. We need revenge! Revenge!"

-----------------

Amidst the noise, the Duke raised his hand, and silence fell over the gate tower.

"Are you certain?" the Duke asked in a deep voice.

"I saw it with my own eyes!" Allen responded resolutely.

The old, bloodshot eyes stared unblinkingly into a pair of azure cat-like pupils; the Witcher's gaze did not waver.

After a while.

"Boom!"

The Duke's staff struck the ground heavily once more. The Duke glanced around, making eye contact with each noble. He lingered a few extra seconds on a young noble's face before he said, "Did you all hear clearly?"

The crowd exchanged glances.

Although a few nobles adorned with medals on their chests, and some with tear-streaked faces and eyes burning with hatred, looked at the Duke with determination.

Most people found the statement somewhat absurd.

The monster from legend, unseen for hundreds of years, suddenly appeared in Ellander?

It seemed almost more believable…

Had it not been for the well-known discord between Witchers and mages over recent decades.

The Witcher seemed to have no reason to fabricate such a story about a legendary creature.

They were more inclined to believe that the disaster on May Day was some vengeful act by the mages of Ban Ard.

A legendary Wild Hunt riding through boundless skies, bringing endless calamity...

It was utterly crazy!

"We heard you loud and clear, Father!" the young noble called out.

In the next moment.

Regardless of whether they truly believed it or not, the other nobles nodded in agreement with the statement.

"This is war. We were attacked by monsters with no honor!" the Duke's hoarse voice sounded like an old lion's low roar.

"From this moment, the Wild Hunt is our mortal enemy!"

"Whether they are ghosts, omens, or calamity itself, I'll see them fall, just like the bloodthirsty Vokel, stripped of honor and life."

As soon as he finished speaking.

The male nobles around him knelt on one knee with a "swish" sound.

Their undefeated liege had issued a command, and as his vassals, they were bound to obey, no matter how absurd it might seem.

"Tap-tap-tap~"

At that moment.

Footsteps sounded from the tower in the distance. The Duke cast a glance in that direction and motioned for everyone to stand. Archpriestess Ianna and Nenneke approached.

"Archpriestess..."

"Archpriestess..."

---------------------

Everyone bowed in greeting.

As they wondered why the Archpriestess of Melitele and the priests had not left after the funeral...

The Duke turned to face the Witcher.

"Witcher Allen, where are you from?" he asked in a deep voice.

Allen hesitated, then replied instinctively, "I'm from Kaer Morhen."

"Has anyone ever bestowed a knighthood upon you?"

"Hmm?" Allen, feeling all eyes on him with various emotions, shook his head, bewildered, "No, no one has ever knighted me..."

"Clang!"

The sword rang out clearly.

The Duke drew his sword from his belt and commanded in a deep voice:

"Kneel!"

Allen, momentarily confused, seemed to understand.

"Just one knee is enough," Ianna said with a gentle smile, standing by the Duke's side.

"What!!!"

"How could this be?"

"He's not even from Ellander..."

----------------------

The nobles erupted in murmurs again, and their voices seemed to echo in the gloomy, rain-drenched sky.

"Silence!"

A solemn voice suddenly rang out from just behind the Duke. It was a knight wearing a visor. Allen recognized Arthur's voice.

All the knights advanced a step in unison before Arthur had even finished speaking, surrounding the gathering.

"Clang~ Clang~ Clang~"

One by one, they drew their long swords from their sheaths, gripping the hilts with both hands and planting the tips into the ground.

Fine rain washed over the swords, casting a cold gleam in all directions.

The nobles fell silent, no longer daring to speak.

The knights, through their actions, showed support for the Witcher and awaited his acceptance into their ranks.

It was a scene they had only ever read about in historical records.

In the Witchers' world, knights were loyal to their lords, yet they also had their own will.

Especially after the great nobles' rebellion, the status of middle and lower nobility, especially knights, had significantly risen.

Therefore, the guards who were loyal solely to the Duke cared nothing for the other nobles' opinions.

"Go on..." Vesemir's voice spoke from behind, bringing Allen back to reality.

He didn't fully understand…

Why they had just been preparing for war, only to suddenly want to bestow him a title.

But...

Although he hadn't yet figured out the pros and cons of accepting this title, with the approval of Ianna and Vesemir, Allen complied.

"In honor of your distinguished contributions in the fight for justice," the Duke announced, raising his voice with emphasis, "and in recognition of the virtues, honor, and..."

He paused briefly.

"...and loyalty to humanity you have displayed, I, Mason, Duke of Ellander by divine will, hereby grant you knighthood. Serve us faithfully. With this sword, you shall no longer bear pain."

Allen felt the sword lightly touch each of his shoulders.

In the rain's haze.

He looked at the Duke, and for once, he saw acknowledgment and gratitude in those deep brown eyes. After a slight nod, Duke Mason pondered a moment, then spoke again: "Kaer Morhen is not within my domain, and it already has another knight."

"Therefore..."

"Brave Witcher, as you have protected Ellander with your courage, wisdom, and strength."

"I hereby bestow upon you the title—Allen of Ellander."

At these words.

Arthur stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

"Bow, Sir Knight."

And so.

The newly appointed knight, Allen of Ellander, rose and bowed deeply to his theoretical "liege," Duke Mason.

At that moment.

Besides the approving gazes of the guard knights. Most nobles on the gate tower looked on with suspicion, even resentment. They knew that the witcher had blocked the wraith's assault for Ellander, but to be honest, Duke Mason had already paid for this service long ago. So this was something the witcher was already supposed to do.

Even if the task was well done and they were willing to give extra money, it didn't seem right to award him a title of nobility. Thinking back to the recent words from the "Wild Hunt," many cast suspicious glances toward Duke Mason. After all, the old duke was, well, getting old.

They wondered if he'd been bewitched by this witcher, daring not only to challenge a legendary creature but even to award a prestigious knight's title to a mere thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy.

Although a knight's title did not carry the same weight as a noble title, granting land and social status, nor could it be inherited, still, ordinary knights couldn't be addressed as "Sir."

Moreover, a titled knight brought him one step closer to the nobility.

One could even say…

In Temeria, a kingdom known for its knights, if Allen were to perform a notable feat for Ellander or Temeria, even if Duke Mason personally objected, he'd still be obligated to promote Allen.

Otherwise, various knightly orders across Temeria might express their "discontent" in many ways. So, granting a titled knighthood was worlds apart from granting an ordinary knighthood.

Noticing the murmurs, the old duke turned to face the nobles, saying quietly: "Sir Allen is deserving of this honor."

There was no response; the crowd remained silent.

Clearly, they didn't accept this, but out of respect for the duke's authority, they stayed silent and refrained from questioning him.

The old duke glanced at Ian beside him. Seeing her nod slightly, he continued: "It wasn't Archpriestess Ianna who warned us of the May Day crisis; it was our knight of Ellander, the Witcher Master of the School of the Wolf—Sir Allen."

As soon as he said this, after no more than two seconds of stunned silence—

"What?!!"

A noblewoman shrieked loudly.

The gate tower became noisy again, like a bustling marketplace.

Everyone turned their eyes to Allen and Ian, discussing and marveling.

Only the elderly noble lords looked puzzled, directing their questioning glances toward the duke.

"This was after May Day," the duke said calmly, "when Ianna told me, and according to her, Sir Allen was able to foresee this disaster thanks to a prophecy from the goddess Melitele."

This time, even the composed elder nobles couldn't maintain their elegance.

Prophecy, oracle, Archpriestess, knight…

Especially as it had been centuries since the goddess Melitele had given a divine message.

The noise of the discussion reached new heights.

A "clink" sounded.

Something dropped to the ground.

"H-Harville, pick up my dentures for me, will you…"

Amid the commotion, the duke raised a hand, silencing the crowd instantly.

Everyone instinctively turned their gaze to Ianna.

Melitele's Archpriestess nodded: "Yes, it was indeed through a dream from the goddess that Sir Allen received this warning and passed it on to me."

At this moment,

A middle-aged noblewoman asked, "But before May Day, you told us you'd received the vision from the goddess…"

Ianna smiled slightly at her words. But before she could explain, the man next to the noblewoman pulled her arm, muttering rudely: "Shut up, you foolish woman."

"If, before May Day, someone had told you that an obscure male witcher had received a message from the goddess Melitele, would you have believed it?"

Hearing this, the noblewoman blushed and fell silent.

"I did not lie…" Ianna explained with a smile, "I did receive a revelation from the Lady, but it was conveyed to me by Sir Allen."

"At the time, he was in the shrine closest to the Lady…"

…asleep, the witcher silently added in his mind.

Hearing Ianna's explanation, everyone suddenly understood.

Thinking about it now, they realized they owed him for being able to stand safely here instead of lying buried beneath the ground.

With such a deed in saving a city, granting a titled knighthood did indeed seem justified.

And so,

The nobles' expressions toward Allen softened considerably.

Several people, with shrewd expressions, looked between the young witcher, the duke, and Ianna thoughtfully.

The duke's support for this new knight was evident enough. But that the Archpriestess of the Melitele temple would show such trust in a witcher—

The shrine, housing the original statue of Melitele, was no ordinary place. It was rumored that even the duke had never entered this holiest site in all of Ellander.

What's more,

The Archpriestess had even willingly diminished her own reputation to "pave the way" for this witcher…

What exactly was the relationship between this Allen and the Archpriestess, and the duke?

"All right, the rain is coming down hard. Let's all head back," the duke said, waving his hand to end the covert speculation of some in the crowd.

The nobles saluted the duke and then took their leave. Allen, too, was about to depart, but Arthur called him back, pulling him aside: "After the knighting ceremony, there should be a grand banquet celebrating the birth of our new knight, with all the nobles and knights of Ellander in attendance."

"But," Arthur sighed, "with Ellander still in mourning, we cannot hold the banquet."

"That's fine," the witcher shook his head, "I'm not concerned with that."

Actually, he preferred it this way.

The thought of attending such a celebration, pretending to be sociable with the nobles, would've been exhausting for him.

Besides,

Even during the knighting oath, the duke had temporarily replaced "in recognition of your virtues, honor, and loyalty to the royal family" with "loyalty to humanity."

So it was clear—

Allen, as a knight, was not, in essence, a vassal to either the duke or the Temerian royal family. It was unclear whether this had always been the practice or if the duke had simply adapted it.

Arthur couldn't help but smirk at his response: "In that case, let's move on to the main topic…"

Just then,

For some reason, Duke Mason, who hadn't yet left, leaned on his cane, gazing at the light rain falling outside the city of Ellander. He turned to his attendant holding an umbrella and said:

"Get her an umbrella."

"We've had enough deaths in Ellander lately…"

The attendant left in haste upon his order.

While listening to Arthur's instructions about post-knighting matters, like "coat of arms," "banner," and "knightly code," the witcher glanced toward the city gates.

"Pitter-patter~"

The rain grew heavier.

The world blurred behind a fine white curtain of raindrops.

A lone, frail figure knelt before a freshly turned mound of earth, back facing Ellander. As if, within that muddy ground, lay her entire world.

....

📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢

For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)

289. "How Should I Kill Them?"

290. Divine Dreamwalking [Melitele].

291. The Death of Gods, the End of the World.

292. The Saviour, the Chosen One.

293. A Color Brighter than Gold.