Published: August 1, 2025
Blue sky! White clouds!
An unbearably cold climate unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life!!
“So cold!! Is the Royal Capital of Dilz really such a freezing city?!”
I shouted loudly in front of the brick gate.
Immediately behind me, I heard a click of a tongue.
“Shut up. If you speak Sphainese with that thick Luhab accent, they’ll just laugh at you as a hick, Divomov brother.”
Hmph. I puffed my cheeks and turned around.
There stood Adam—my two-years-younger brother, arms crossed with a scowl on his face.
“What’s that supposed to mean? You still can’t speak it perfectly either.”
“I’m fine with everyday conversation. I don’t have to take lessons from a brother who can only say his own name. We practiced so much while we were on the island and during the sea voyage.”
“Ugh. Well… it’s okay, I like Sphainese anyway.”
I muttered that as a sort of parting shot to cover myself. Sphainese is the common language of our homeland, Luhab Island. Although Luhab is technically territory of the Dilz Kingdom, the years under Sphain’s rule have meant that Dirts language hasn’t really spread there. Probably only Adam among the island boys can speak it well.
Among our six siblings, Adam was the only one who was really good at studying. I could never win against him verbally. At least I have him beat in physical strength.
Putting that aside—
I turned back to face the massive gate.
…This is the Royal Capital of the Dilz Kingdom, the fortress of the knights order. We saved up the fare, left Luhab, and came all the way here just to visit this place.
“So from today, I’m officially a Dilz knight. Alright, I’ll do my best!”
“Hey, wait a minute. You haven’t even applied yet.”
My brother shrugged.
“Getting a job in the city isn’t like guiding tourists on Luhab Island for pocket money. You can’t just say ‘I’ll do it! Please!’ You have to go through proper procedures and make a contract.”
“What? That sounds like a hassle. What exactly do I have to do?”
“If you want a menial worker job, there’s apparently a guild for that… but to become a knight, you need permission from one of the two most important people in this country. There’s some complicated ceremony called a knighting or something.”
“A ceremony… Hm, maybe something like the big fishing festival on the island?”
“More like a wedding or a funeral, probably.”
“I see. Maybe I should’ve bought some nicer clothes before coming.”
When I said that, my brother nodded knowingly.
“Yeah, you’re going to meet one of the top two most important people in the country. If you show up dusty straight from the ship, they might just turn you away at the gate.”
“Hmm, that wouldn’t be good… But anyway, I’ll ask about it first.”
I climbed the stone stairs. The knights’ fortress was an enormous structure, about the size of a rocky mountain. The brick walls were as tall as palm trees, impossible to climb.
At the top of the stairs was an even bigger door. I knocked on it with my fist.
“Requesting entry!”
…Well, that’s what I shouted for now. The door was made from wood, far larger, thicker, and harder than me. I wonder if anyone inside could hear a knock from my fist.
Then, right next to the door, an armored statue clanked and moved.
“What’s up, kid? I heard you talking earlier—so you came to this fortress on some errand?”
It was a living person! And they were speaking Dirts language. I could barely catch what they said but couldn’t respond.
Instead, my brother stepped forward.
“Yeah, that’s right. We came to become knights. Please let us in, and conduct the knighting ceremony or whatever it is.”
The armored knight looked puzzled. Then after thinking for a long while, he suddenly burst out laughing loudly.
“Don’t be ridiculous, come back the day before yesterday.”
He shooed us away as if we were flies. …My brother and I exchanged faces.
“What does that mean?”
“…Hmm. I guess it means your clothes are dirty, so go wash and come back.”