Chapter 175: Chapter 175
“In the past I would have just enjoyed it, but now I am a knight like them, so I can’t enjoy it fully, when I think about their hard efforts to make this possible… Sorry, Your Majesty. ”
“I see. Like you said, they must have practiced a lot in the heat for this ceremony today, ”
he said with a faint smile, “Are you sorry that you didn’t join the parade?”
“No, Your Majesty. I’m stillcking in many ways, so if I had participated, I would have caused them trouble.”
“If so, just enjoy it. If you think about their hard work, you should enjoy it as much as possible. ”
He was right. I nodded, focusing on the spectacr scene before my eyes.
As the riders took their ce, the knights in the rightmost row of the 1st Knights Division pulled out their swords all at once. Their ceremonial swords with all kinds of decorations shined in the sunlight.
When I admired their tranquil posture on horseback as if they were standing on the ground, they began to turn their swords, creating various mysterious shapes. Everybody held their breath at their dazzling skills. Shortly afterwards, the knights in the second row from the right pulled the swords to join them, followed by those in the third and fourth rows. Whenever the knights were added, the square was more and more shrouded with sparkling lights of their swords.
“Wow! ”
They eximed spontaneously.
Despite such arge number of knights, there was no error in their motion. Making geometric patterns with the beautiful silver rays beaming at the tip of their swords. they finally showed due manners by erecting their swords in the middle of their bodies.
The 2nd Knights’ sword skills were also spectacr. The swords of the 1st Knights shed silver and red rays,bined with the red tassels, while the 2nd Knights’ swords made a bunch of blue and silver rays in the sunlight.
When their disy of splendid swordsmanship was over, the knights standing at the very end of both knights divisions turned behind those lined up and headed for the exits.
When those lined up on both sides of the exits pulled the reins, the horses cried, raising their paws all at once. There were again spontaneous exmations of admiration from the crowds.
The knights who turned the swords once gorgeously passed through the aisles and approached the tform facing the head table and lined up. When they lifted the swords before the crown prince and went back to their ce, the crowds broke out in apuse.
When all the knights finished marching once, the riders crossed the aisle and stood up again in front of the crown prince to salute. They apuded again.
When the riders returned, the Royal Guards who lined up in front of the tform pulled out the swords from the left in order to salute the crown prince.
When they saluted by lifting the swords, this time, those on the right put the swords back into their sheaths first. When they turned the swords splendidly and put them back in order, the crowds apuded here and there. When thest knight sheathed the sword, everybody turned their eyes at the tform where the crown prince was seated.
Looking around once, the crown prince got up slowly and reached out to me. I looked at him for a moment, then put my hand on his hand gently.
When I was about to get up from my seat, I felt dizzy again.
Oh please, no!
I tried to keep my bnce, but in the end my legs were wobbly.
The moment I staggered, he tightened his grip on my hand. I managed to stand upright, relying on his hand holding me tight.
Did I barely save my face?
With a sigh of relief, he smiled quickly. Then I stepped forward with him and waved to the crowds.
“Glory to the empire, loyalty to the lion!”
“Glory to the empire, loyalty to the lion!”
After the knights shouted loudly, the crowds packing the square also cheered.
While listening to their slogans and cheers for a long time, he raised his right hand silently, still holding my hand tightly with his left hand. The noisy square quickly became quiet.
“Glory to the great Castina Empire! Today is the 963th anniversary of the founding of the empire. On this auspicious day, I, Crown Prince Rublis Kamaludin Shana Castina, would like to issue an order. Every knight who participated in today’s ceremony will be given a month’s sry and ten days’ vacation leave. Glory to the empire! ”
“Wow!”
Resounding shouts broke out among the knights lined up at intervals. I smiled gently, watching them shouting for joy.
How wonderful! They must have felt tired all over as they had to practice the inspection parade, in addition to their tough training in the sweltering weather. As such, the crown prince’s special recognition of their hard work could not be the most wee news to them.
After calming down their excitement by raising his right hand, he continued, “Also, during the festival days let me temporarily lower the tax rates for themercial transactions in the capital to 1.5%.”
“Wow!”
” Long live the crown prince! ”
“Glory to the Empire!”
This time apuse broke out among the crowds filling the square. I smiled again this time, but in a different sense than before.
His announcement a moment ago perfectly fit his personality. He wanted to win the people’s hearts by lowering the taxes, and maintain the national revenues by promoting consumption. From the perspective of the empire, it was a good policy because it didn’t reduce the revenues. From the point of view of the people, they weed the lower taxes. So, his actions cut both ways. Of course, he could not turn to this way often because of the very low tax rates in the empire all the time.
After looking at the cheering crowds, he turned around.
He continued to hold my hand while he went down the tform and stopped in front of the ck horse.
“Please get on first.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Hurry up. They are watching us.”
“… Yes, Your Majesty.”
As I grabbed his hand and climbed onto the horse, numerous people focused their attention to me. While trying to look calm, I swallowed a sigh.
That’s why I tried to climb myself. I didn’t want their attention.
He already got on the horse and came next to my side.
As the riders took the lead, the 1st Knights Division first started to march out of the square.
After they went out, the Royal Guards drove the horses while escorting him and me. Arge apuse once again broke out among the crowds when the knight disappeared from the square.
When their cheers went down some timeter, he looked back at me and asked with a small voice, “Are you really okay?”
“Yes, I’m, Your Majesty.”
“Your face is very pale. Besides, you almost lost bnce a while ago. ”
“Sorry, Your Majesty. I worried you as I was careless at the moment.”
“I am not saying this to me you, as you know,” he said with a sign as if he was frustrated, with his navy blue eyes staring at me, “Didn’t you overwork yourself to prepare for the festival banquet? The royal doctor clearly said you should take a good rest, right?”
“I’m fine, Your Majesty. I didn’t overdo it.”
“You’re always saying you’re okay when I ask you.”
“… I’m sorry. ”
“Wow!”
Surprised by the crowds’ shouting, I turned my head. As if his decision to lower the taxes already spread to the general public, people who lined up on the left and right shouted in praise of the imperial family, regardless of age or gender.
When he waved to them with a smile, they cheered more loudly. I was short of breath because of the sweltering sun. Besides, big shouts here and there a louder shout broke out. I was getting short of breath in the hot air. I suddenly had a headache because of their thundering apuse.
‘I shouldn’t frown. I’ll be there at the Imperial Pce pretty soon. ‘
I pressed my chest with my hand holding the reins and drove the horse.
When I almost fell off the horse, feeling dizzy after arriving at the pce, he said with a firm voice, holding me tightly, “I’m afraid I can’t let you go like this. You had better not attend today’s banquet. ”
Is it okay if I don’t attend the banquet on the first day? Given that I should prepare for the banquet on the second day, I would like to take a break, but I felt somewhat sorry for my absence on the first day.