Free Web NovelChapter 158: Order of the Knights of Athína
In the Athenian kingdom, hierarchies were taken very seriously, as titles defined a person’s social position.
Below the royalty were the high nobility and the high clergy, then came the middle nobility, which consisted of dukes, etc.
After the nobility were the artisans, the liberal professionals, and the wealthy merchants, such as the Selvarum family and Garret Darksoul.
At the bottom of the social pyramid were the modest groups, made up of landowning peasants, small craftsmen, and merchants.
The poorest class consisted of serfs, workers in humble trades, and peasants.
There were also the marginalized and excluded, those who lived in slums, camps or under bridges, thieves and beggars. They had no income, so they weren’t necessarily considered part of the pyramid. freeweɓnøvel.com
This was how the Athenian kingdom sustained itself, and the analogy to a pyramid was not inaccurate, for as in any pyramid scheme, those at the bottom supported those at the top. That was why ascending titles were so highly valued in this kingdom, because it was as if the person who received a higher title had climbed a step, and sometimes even a level, of the pyramid.
Bel Selvarum, though he grew up in grand houses and had access to all the perks money could buy, was never considered a noble by society. In fact, wealthy merchants like the Selvarums were considered by many nobles to be nothing more than peasants with money; after all, members of the nobility truly believed that what separated nobles from peasants wasn’t just money, but skills and gifts, as if they lived in a meritocracy rather than a monarchy.
Even though Bel had almost everything, he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to be seen as the nobles and the king saw his father; he wanted to be respected and to serve, and the first step to that was to become a knight, which was already a title considered part of the middle nobility.
Examinations for knighthood took place throughout the year in various parts of the Athenian kingdom, and it was common for these examinations to take place mainly in large cities, such as Kozáni, Lamía, and Klento.
The location of this year’s test in Klento was the same as in previous years, a kingdom estate located a bit away from the city center.
It was a wintry morning, which made Bel Selvarum shrink even more into his woollen cloak. He stood in front of the imposing gate that marked the entrance to the Knightly Examinations grounds, which were surrounded by high stone walls overgrown with moss and ivy.
Two watchtowers that gave the place a prison-like appearance guarded the wrought-iron gate, adorned with the crest of the Kingdom of Athina.
Bel had never been here before, but he knew of its reputation. It was a vast estate owned by an old baron who had donated his land to the Order of the Knights of Athina for their annual trials. The estate was used exclusively for this order, ensuring that aspiring knights had the proper environment in which to train, and traveling knights had a completely safe place to stay.
Walking through the gate, a large training area greeted Bel, with several battlefields spread along the length of the grounds.
There were wooden dummies for close combat training, targets for archery for some reason, and special areas for cavalry tests.
Each sector was meticulously organized, and aspiring knights were already passing through the entrance, some practicing, others warming up for the tests to come.
The gravel floor creaked under the feet of the candidates as they passed through the main entrance.
"Boy, what’s your name?" A deep voice asked Bel, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Then he met a tall man wearing the standard armor of the Knights of the Kingdom of Athina, with the insignia of the kingdom gleaming on his chest. The knight had a serious but not hostile expression on his face and held a rolled-up scroll in one hand.
"I am Bel Selvarum Segundo," Bel replied confidently. "I’m here for the trials."
"Of course, everyone is." The knight replied with a slight smile. "I am Sir Reinhart, one examiner. I’ll show you to the registration area, but first, what are the names of your companions?" freewēbnoveℓ.com
Each candidate was allowed up to three companions, and behind Bel were two people with very different appearances. One was a woman with green hair and bright yellow eyes, and the other was a tall, stocky man with white hair.
"My name is Gracela Selvarum."
"And I am Victor Shieldman."
The examiner was surprised to hear their names. They were both very famous in Klento, each for a different reason. However, the examiner managed to hide his astonishment and continued:
"All right, I’ve noted your names as Bel Selvarum Segundo’s companions. Please accompany me to the formal registration point for the examination."
Bel followed Sir Reinhart along the gravel path that ran between the training grounds.
On the way, he could observe the other candidates more closely. They were young people from all over the kingdom. Some were clearly nervous, while others seemed completely confident, walking in a way that made them look like they belonged anywhere in the world.
The registration area was inside the large main building, where long tables were arranged in rows, with clerks sitting behind them, taking the names of the participants and handing them armbands that identified their registration numbers.
Sir Reinhart led Bel to one table and handed the parchment to the clerk.
"Bel Selvarum. Registration confirmed."
The clerk, a middle-aged man with round glasses and a tired expression, nodded and handed Bel a red armband with the number 47 engraved on it. Bel put it on his arm and felt a wave of excitement rise inside him. He was one step closer to realizing his dream of becoming a knight.
"Good luck, young Selvarum," Sir Reinhart said, patting him on the back. "Show us what you can do."
Bel thanked him with a nod and made his way to the waiting area. There, he found the group of a few candidates who had arrived so early. Like himself, there were many young people, but also many older people and hunters.
A young man with blond hair and bright eyes approached Bel with a friendly smile.
"Hey, are you new here?" the young man asked. "I’m Jonas, from Lamía."
