Chapter 19: Knight of the Flaming Rose
Arthur fell in behind Roche, following closely into the garden, where he was immediately taken aback.
A red carpet was laid down the central path of the garden, flanked by solemn-faced attendants. At the end, near a wooden platform, Velerad and Triss were conversing in low tones.
"Keep up with the King. Steady your pace," Roche murmured to Arthur, who followed the King until they reached the platform before stopping.
The King turned, his expression grave, and looked at Arthur. An attendant presented a sword:
"Please kneel on one knee, Master Arthur."
This is… Arthur's head swam. In a haze, the King's face was solemn:
"In reward for the contributions you have made to my daughter and my Kingdom; in reward for the virtue, honor, and loyalty to the Crown you have displayed;
"I, Foltest, King of Temeria, Pontar, and Mahakam, by my power and privilege, hereby dub you Knight.
"Serve us faithfully. Receive this sword, and henceforth, be free of pain."
The wind whispered through the leaves as the sword's flat blade tapped his shoulder: "In the name of the Warrior, I command you to be courageous."
A low murmur rippled through the cloister, but the King did not pause: "In the name of the King, I command you to be just."
A warm current surged through Arthur's body. The ceremony continued: "In the name of the Holy Mother, I command you to guard the innocent."
"Rise, Knight of the Temerian Throne."
When Arthur rose, he was startled by the enthusiastic applause. The cloister lining the garden's edge was now packed with people.
Once the knighting was complete, Foltest and Roche quickly departed.
Attendants clustered around Arthur, helping him don a magnificent helm and cloak.
Velerad sidled up, gazing at the greatsword held by an attendant, and spoke with exaggerated earnestness: "The Temerian Silver Blade. One hundred years ago, the Knights of the Throne shattered the pikewall of Grand Duke Erland using its edge, saving the battle line. Since then, every newly elevated Knight of the Throne must learn to use this weapon, in memory of those heroes who stood up in a time of peril."
Arthur was startled when he took the greatsword. Including the hilt, the sword was taller than him. It was easy to imagine that when he swung it, even the dumbest idiot would stand well back.
Seeing the look of infatuation on Arthur's face, Velerad winked:
"See? I didn't lie to you. Now you can go and demand your man back from Ignatius yourself. I can't wait to see the expression on that fat old man's face when he finds out his wanted man has become a Knight of the Throne."
Triss also looked delighted: "How does it feel to suddenly become a Knight? What are your plans next?"
"It feels like I'm walking on cotton, and my head is spinning. Well, where is the nearest horse market? I should be clear-headed by the time I get back to White Orchard."
Hearing Arthur's plan, Velerad looked astonished: "You're leaving already? Aren't you going to stay a while longer? This place isn't somewhere you can just come and go."
Arthur lowered his head, stroking the blade of the greatsword, his tone firm:
"Kolgrim could be lynched at any moment. I must hurry."
Triss interjected smoothly: "There is a teleportation circle in the center of Vizima. In the blink of an eye, you'll be in White Orchard. Now, would you spare a moment for your new friends?"
Arthur said gratefully: "You have helped me so much; it would be rude to refuse now."
Velerad scoffed grumpily behind him:
"Boy, you are a bona fide Knight now. Besides the thousand Orens reward, you'll be taking another hundred Orens from my annual budget. How do you plan to thank me?"
Arthur turned around, surprised: "I have an annual stipend?"
Velerad nodded and began to complain bitterly: "According to Temerian law, the annual stipend for every Knight of the Throne is paid by the government of the area where he was knighted.
"Now my Town Hall supports twenty-three Knights of the Throne. They take two thousand three hundred Orens from me every year, yet they can't even deal with the ghouls in the suburbs!"
Velerad stared intently at Arthur: "Boy, you're a Knight now, and a Witcher to boot. Will you take care of the monsters that appear in Vizima?"
Arthur: "I will…"
Velerad tried to press further, but Triss intervened: "That's enough, stop bullying the boy. He's not even a full Witcher yet. Besides, a hundred Orens isn't enough to cover the cost of repairing his gear!"
"Payment for hunting monsters is, of course, separate. I'm simply demanding the right of first response…" Velerad's bluster immediately subsided when the Sorceress spoke.
"Speaking of monster hunting, I have an idea." Arthur suddenly spoke up: "Part of my annual stipend could be used to hire a Witcher to be permanently stationed in Vizima."
Seeing Velerad and Triss both turn to look at him, Arthur shrugged and began to recount an anecdote about Witchers that he'd heard from Kolgrim:
A Griffin School Witcher named Erland once considered abandoning the traditional bounty payment model, opting instead to request financial support from local rulers. Unfortunately, almost all the Barons offered strong verbal support but provided no money when it came time to pay. The Griffin School's free monster-hunting plan soon died out.
Now that he had an unexpected annual stipend, he could use Vizima as a testing ground. If he allocated this hundred Orens for the Town Hall to manage, and they spearheaded providing low-cost or even free equipment repair, medical services, and lodging, would it attract a Witcher willing to be permanently stationed in Vizima?
After hearing his proposal, Velerad slapped his thigh: "That's a genius idea! The Town Hall has its own blacksmiths. With an extra subsidy for them, it wouldn't be difficult!"
Triss looked pointedly at Velerad: "Don't think about hiring some third-rate hack to fob us off. I can tell who has genuine ability and who is just making up the numbers."
Velerad's face fell, and he started wiping sweat again: "One hundred Orens… we really can't afford to hire the genuine article…"
After chatting for a while, Arthur insisted once again on leaving. Velerad also used his busy official duties as an excuse and departed first.
The road to the teleportation tower was long. Triss waved her hand, opening the sound-muffling barrier again:
"To be honest, the way you left the Royal Palace looked like you were fleeing for your life. Don't tell me again that you're rushing to save someone; the Viper School is notoriously cold and heartless."
Arthur frowned: "As I've told you, I haven't undergone the Witcher Trial. My emotions are no different from any normal person."
Triss looked at Arthur with her deep blue eyes. The sensation of buzzing insects appeared out of nowhere around his ears: "Even if that's true, that's certainly not the whole reason."
Arthur sighed: "You don't need to probe my thoughts; I wasn't planning to hide anything anyway. Do you remember the story you told me earlier? While Geralt was waiting outside the crypt, he defeated a noble who was intensely dissatisfied with the King."
Triss didn't reply, simply looking at Arthur with intense blue eyes, indicating she was listening.
"You said a curse doesn't just appear. Where there is a curse, there must be a caster. I came to Vizima for an injustice. Since I've already gained far more than expected, I should leave as soon as possible. I don't want to get dragged into court politics and end up dying under suspicious circumstances someday."
Triss sighed softly: "That fool. If only he had half your perceptiveness. This morning, shortly after Roche brought you and the Princess out, the King called me to his office. A high-ranking minister was discovered dead near the crypt, with no visible wounds on his body. According to Roche's investigation, this minister had repeatedly cursed the King in private and had long-term correspondence with several Nilfgaardian nobles in the South. The King and Roche rushed off to personally oversee the investigation. Perhaps in a few days, evidence of the spell casting will be found in the minister's house. Leaving now really isn't a good idea. The King might bestow additional rewards at any moment to soothe the people's fears."
Arthur raised his hands: "Please, just let me go. I genuinely only wanted to save one person from the start."
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