The title of Golden Knight was one of the most prestigious honors that could be attained by any knight in the land.
There were only 50 who could be selected at one time and even these titles were divided by each kingdom, hence why attaining the title was not only an achievement for oneself, but their respective kingdom as well.
Since Emery was born, the Lioness kingdom has only had three Golden Knights. This was the reason why every young nobleman of the Lioness kingdom dreamt of one day becoming one, Emery included.
At least, he used to.
But ever since he had experienced life outside of the kingdom, his dreams had changed. They were no longer confined to the rigid rules and systems that came with being a knight.
Right now, his only wish was to fulfill his maximum cultivation before his next recall. He certainly believed danger would only come to him if he did not succeed. As a result, he really had no need of any more titles and responsibilities he ultimately couldn't commit to.
"Thank you for coming, Sir Gawain, but I already have the wizard title and that will be more than enough to fulfill my role in the Order."
Emery's reasoning was indisputable. The determination in his gaze was very clear to Gawain.
Because of this, he decided to persuade Emery in other ways. After a slight pause, Sir Gawain responded to Emery's answer with a request to speak in private. He also asked that Gwen should come along and take part in the conversation.
The three of them went inside one of the huts, before the Golden Knight began to justify his previous statements.
Sir Gawain explained that the divine order was currently in a state of turmoil. They had never lost so many Golden Knights in the last hundred years. Last year, there were merely two new Golden Knights, who had replaced their fallen predecessors.
And this year, there were 12 new inductees. Fortunately, Emery had only knocked out the 4 Cantiaci Golden Knights, or there would have been 16 new replacements this year.
This was a fact he did not know about, immediately after hearing it, he fell silent, a contemplative look on his face.
Emery was completely quiet, as he thought about the fact he was at least responsible for the death of the two that attacked Gwen's convoy and also for the death of Sir Brunoir the Lioness Dread Knight.
But still, 9 Golden Knights dying within a year was a huge anomaly either way. Knowing this made Emery wonder about the extent of Meave's involvement in this. He pushed this thought aside, reserving it for later, when Gawain finally got off his back about this offer.
With 12 open slots for the position, the Divine Order was desperately looking for strong and reliable knights, who possessed advanced capabilities as well. This was why, once more, Sir Gawain asked him to reconsider. The look on his face betrayed no emotion, but Emery knew he was getting desperate.
Even so, his answer remained the same. It was simply not an option that was viable for him. With a sigh, Emery replied, "I am sorry, Sir Gawain, but I really cannot accept it."
With Emery's firm answer, the knight didn't push further. This time, his gaze shifted towards Gwen's direction instead.
With a cordial and composed air, he began to speak. "Princess Gwenneth, I didn't know you were here, if I knew, I would have an official letter to give you, but I must inform you the Logress king has been looking for you."
"Oh? What is it about?" Asked Gwen with a curious tilt of her head.
"The king is still waiting for your answer regarding the marriage proposal from the prince of Logress, Arthur Pendragon."
Hearing this surprised Gwen greatly. She didn't realize they would still be asking for her answer, especially knowing she had already lost the kingdom.
She then looked towards Emery with slight concern, wondering what his reaction about this was going to be.
When she turned, though, he seemed completely unfazed. An uncomfortable feeling brewed in her chest. She was a little upset that Emery seemed rather unsurprised and aloof about this matter, not knowing that he was already informed about it from Arthur to begin with.
Gwen then answered, "Sir Gawain, please give my utmost thanks to King Uther, but unfortunately as Lioness is no more, I would not be able to accept the proposal."
The quick and firm answer from the princess brought quite a surprise to Emery's.
Once again, Sir Gawain responded, "Very well, then. I guess I will have to bring home two rejections now..."
As he said this, he smiled before bowing slightly, giving his respects to the both of them before turning his back and leaving.
This left the two of them alone in the secluded, slightly cramped space of the hut.
Suddenly aware of how small the hut was, Gwen fidgeted slightly. She did not wish for Emery to ask or discuss about the marriage proposal at all, so she immediately began to speak about her thoughts regarding the golden knight matter, She spoke offhandedly about what a shame it was to reject such an honor
But when the words came out, she instantly regretted them. This was the same exact situation as when she asked him about becoming a Lioness knight, which already made them argue twice. The last thing she wanted was to provoke any disagreements with Emery since things were already getting much better with them now.
Understanding this, Emery thought it was time to better explain his current condition to alleviate the confusion he knew she was experiencing.
He sighed, trying to keep his voice as cool and calm as possible. He straightened his composure before beginning to speak. "Gwen, it's not that I do not want to be a golden knight, but now that you know I am a wizard, you must realize I have a different path to follow. I hope you understand that."
It's somehow true that her previous irritation was because she thought Emery would just wish to be a farmer despite his amazing talent. Now that she knew better she could accept Emery's reason better for not willing to become a knight.
Gwen does still have something bothering her mind, but then again, she really did not want to debate with him anymore.
Her silence chilled the atmosphere around them. Emery rubbed his temples. "Please, Gwen, just tell me what you think. I insist."
"Emery it's true that those titles are not important, but its the responsibility that came with the title that was important"
She stopped for a second to gather her thoughts before continuing.
"I know I was wrong when I said you don't care about others, especially when you actually did come to my rescue, but I just thought there were still too many people out there who could use your strength... I do believe it's the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak… Otherwise, what's the point of all that training if it's not for the service of the people?"
It could be said they had, again, started the argument that was still unfinished, but this time both of them spoke with less emotion and this time, Emery actually found her reasons had some merit.
It was true that since he receives this power, Emery hasn't done anything much other than finishing his personal goal.
"I guess you are right, but I don't think being a Golden Knight is the solution either."
Hearing this, Gwen's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had just come up with the best idea ever.
"Emery, I have an amazing idea."
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Written by Avans, Published exclusively by NovelFull,