Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke-Chapter 131 - The Unveiling of the Knight

131 The Unveiling of the Knight

After all, Felicia had already made her choice.

And William had no intention of letting his brothers realize it until the very last moment.

"Oh well," he sighed dramatically. "I guess I’ll just have to see for myself at the ceremony."

Joshua rolled his eyes.

"Do whatever you want. Just don’t embarrass yourself."

With that, he turned and walked away.

William simply smiled.

’Oh, don’t worry.’

’You’ll be the one embarrassed today.’

It wasn’t an entirely incorrect statement.

Those who knew their own worth never sold themselves cheaply. That was one of the reasons William had been so persistent in his search for Nectar. After all, it was a prize capable of enticing any knight, no matter their caliber.

"Unless you have them indebted to you with a life-saving favor, I suppose it would be difficult."

"I’m glad you understand. In that case, wouldn’t it be wise to yield this opportunity to our other brothers?"

"Who knows?"

William smirked and shrugged.

"For all we know, I might have unknowingly earned a life debt from the Swordmaster’s disciple."

"What are you even—!"

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"I’m joking. Don’t be so tense. If you’re able to recruit her, then I won’t even get the chance anyway."

"...Ha."

Joshua stared at William in disbelief before letting out a hollow chuckle. His expression suggested he had plenty more to say but was restraining himself for the sake of more pressing matters.

"I shouldn’t have said anything unnecessary. The knighting ceremony is about to begin. We should head there now."

"Since we’re heading the same way, why not go together? A little brotherly bonding, perhaps?"

"I’ll pass!"

At William’s casual suggestion, Joshua’s face twisted in visible frustration as he stormed ahead.

William watched his younger brother’s retreating figure and chuckled softly.

"He really is entertaining."

Unlike Tristan or Jordi, who had both been tempered by the world, Joshua was still naive—making him all the more fun to tease.

If possible, William would have liked to keep him that way a little longer. Unfortunately, today was the day Joshua would have to grow up.

’I just hope he doesn’t end up like Jordi.’

If Joshua ever became as cynical as Jordi, William would have no choice but to deal with him accordingly. He preferred his younger brother to remain someone he could harmlessly tease rather than an opponent he had to crush.

As expected, the knighting ceremony was an extravagant affair.

A grand platform had been set up outside the inner castle, ensuring that all the commoners could witness the event. A crimson carpet lined the main street, flanked by rows of knights standing at attention.

Considering that most knighting ceremonies were simple affairs concluded within minutes, all this pomp and circumstance was a clear display of respect for the Swordmaster, Aizen.

’Well, at least I don’t have to stand in a conspicuous spot. The more eyes on me, the harder it is to make my move.’

Today’s main focus was Felicia, and anyone else drawing excessive attention would be a distraction. Even as the sons of the Grand Duke, William and his brothers hadn’t been given special seating and had to remain among the gathered knights.

As William waited for the ceremony to begin, someone approached his position—and then immediately froze in shock.

"You—!"

"It’s been a while, brother."

William waved nonchalantly, his face lighting up as if greeting an old friend.

Jordi, however, couldn’t hide his surprise and blurted out his thoughts.

"When did you get here? I thought you planned to stay in the capital for a while longer."

"I arrived only a few hours ago. Normally, you would have been informed the moment I set foot inside the castle, but I suppose you were too busy with the ceremony preparations to notice."

William’s tone was laced with sarcasm, but Jordi didn’t react with anger. Instead, he wore a look of growing unease.

’So, he has an idea about my connection with Felicia.’

When Felicia had first been brought here, Tristan had been stationed in Bornholm, and Joshua had just begun competing for recognition. Jordi had been the only one in the family with an established information network at the time. It wasn’t surprising that he had pieced together at least some of the story.

"I had my suspicions about how sudden this ceremony was. It seems you had a hand in expediting things, brother?"

"...What nonsense are you spouting?"

Jordi attempted to brush off the accusation, but the slight flinch in his expression betrayed him.

William’s lips curled into a cold smile.

"You never hesitate to resort to underhanded tactics, do you? Well, do your best. But if you scheme and still lose, all that will remain is your disgrace."

"Don’t get ahead of yourself. No matter how talented or renowned you are, without a solid faction backing you, you’re just a transient flash in the pan. A fleeting star, nothing more."

"A star at its peak still shines brighter than a fading one. You do realize how desperate you sound, don’t you?"

Jordi’s eyes twitched in irritation, but he didn’t push the issue any further.

It seemed he had no intention of escalating things right before the ceremony. Instead, he turned and walked away, his departure leaving behind a quiet tension in the air.

A short while later, Tristan arrived, took one look at his brothers, clicked his tongue, and deliberately chose a spot further away from them.

The four brothers stood in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, until—

Clank.

The sound of armored boots striking the stone pavement signaled the arrival of the ceremony’s main figure.

A murmur spread through the gathered crowd.

"A helmet?"

"Wait, why is she wearing a helmet?"

"How disrespectful!"

The knights bristled at the sight, their expressions twisting in displeasure. Even the commoners whispered among themselves.

Outside of battle or official duties, covering one’s face with a helmet was considered a sign of rudeness, if not outright defiance.

Yet the Swordmaster’s disciple strode forward without hesitation, walking down the crimson carpet until she stood before Grand Duke Sigmund.

"Remove your helmet," the Grand Duke commanded, his voice carrying through the square.

Without hesitation, the knight obeyed.

The moment the helmet was lifted, revealing a cascade of disheveled hair, the crowd erupted.

"A woman?!"

"The Swordmaster’s heir is a woman?"

"This must be some kind of joke!"