Published: January 4, 2026
The next day, I was in my study listening to Don’s report.
It was about the knight selection.
The large-scale knight selection is always held when a new emperor ascends the throne. Don explained how it would be conducted and the criteria for the tests.
Although the scale was increased, the knight selection itself was something that happened every year.
The plan Don put together was safe and beyond reproach.
“Hmm, this basic plan is fine.”
“Is there anything you wish to add?”
Don read between my lines and asked.
I nodded quietly.
“The final stage of the selection will be personally overseen by me, right?”
“Yes. It also carries the meaning of Your Majesty bestowing favor upon the knight candidates.”
“In that case, I want to see the top 100 as well as the bottom 100 candidates.”
“I understand the top 100, but the bottom 100… you mean the lowest-ranked 100?”
“Yes.”
I nodded firmly.
“Why is that?”
“Talent is something sharp and pointed.”
“Huh…”
“If you go by ordinary standards, only those who are about the same level will rise. So I want to see with my own eyes those who utterly fail by normal criteria.”
“I see.”
“They say the difference between a genius and an idiot is paper-thin, but to an ordinary person, it’s not just a thin line — it’s a vast gulf. Besides…”
“Besides?”
Don looked at me as if wondering if there was more.
“I served under the late emperor for nearly ten years. I know that bribery is somewhat rampant in the usual knight selections.”
“…”
Don bowed and said nothing.
His position meant he could neither confirm nor deny it.
That was how he silently acknowledged it by his silence.
“Those who thoroughly despise bribery and are confident they can succeed on their own tend to be disliked by the bribers and thus pushed down in ranking. That’s precisely why I want to see the bottom 100.”
“I see… as expected, Your Majesty. I am humbled.”
Don looked genuinely impressed and bowed deeply once more.
“Understood. As Your Majesty commands, I will list the top and bottom 100 as the final candidates.”
“You understand that the bottom 100 must be kept confidential, right?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Immediately after becoming emperor, I remodeled the study in the mansion.
While my desk remained in the best spot, near the entrance I also created a seat for Don.
Don works there under my orders to draft imperial edicts, or to revise them, after which I affix my seal.
Watching Don draft an edict, I pondered further.
People are treasures, and they represent potential.
The reason I wanted to see the bottom 100 was to bet on that potential.
Is there anything else?
I sipped the finest tea brewed with melted snow water and stared intently at Don.
I wanted more men like him and considered how to find them.
“...”
“Your Majesty, may I confirm… Your Majesty?”
Don returned with a draft edict and looked at me quizzically.
“Hm?”
“Is there something on my face?”
“You were not a knight, were you?”
“Ah!”
“I was thinking about how to find more men like you who are not knight-born. Maybe it would be convenient to include them in the knight selection.”
“Including civil officials in the knight selection…?”
Don was shocked.
My words must have sounded that unprecedented.
“Yes.”
“That would be… unprecedented. Knights are—”
“I know. The empire is a nation of warriors, and the knight selection each year chooses those skilled in martial arts, right?”
“That’s correct. It is tradition.”
“The large-scale selection at the new emperor’s accession is both a tradition and an exception.”
Aside from this selection, the usual one will be held within the year.
It means one extra selection immediately after the new emperor’s accession.
“Since it’s an exception, a little unprecedentedness should be fine. How about we test and scoop up some scholars as well?”
“But wouldn’t that mean the old way isn’t good enough?”
“...”
I smiled wryly.
“With the current system, promoting civil officials takes time, right?”