Even if I transform, I will never be captured.

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Looking at the two men in front of her, arms around each other's shoulders, grinning lewdly and obscenely, Satella asked suspiciously, "What are you two whispering about?"

The two people with their backs to Satella shuddered simultaneously.

Seeing this, Satella became even more suspicious and asked with her hands on her hips, "Tell me honestly, you wouldn't be talking badly about me behind my back, would you?"

Natsuki Subaru waved his hands repeatedly: "How could I? How could I say anything bad about Satella Tan?"

Compared to Subaru Natsuki's panic, Hughes was much more rational. He calmly changed the subject: "Lady Satella got up very early today. Is there something you need to do?"

Upon hearing this, Satella's face immediately darkened.

—I'm so annoyed!

Emilia actually used a bet to blackmail her into becoming a hardworking and 'decent person'!

Although Satella's pleading and tantrums shortened the bet from a lifetime to a day, getting up at seven in the morning was still incredibly painful!

"I just don't know why they insisted on setting the date for today," Satella muttered under her breath.

"Doesn't Lady Satella know?"

Hearing her mutter like that, Hughes looked at her strangely: "Your award ceremony is today!"

Author's Note:

P.S. Wishing everyone a happy Lunar New Year's Eve in advance!

Chapter 102 Knight Conferment Ceremony

Become Emilia's knight.

In this Re:Zero world, Satella set this goal in mind and finally achieved success today.

……

In the locker room.

The crimson candlelight burned quietly. Satella, dressed in a pure white knight's outfit, stood in front of the mirror, her arms outstretched, making it easier for Rem behind her to tie on the cloak embroidered with the emblem of the Kingdom of Lugnica.

The door to the dressing room was like a wall, separating the inside from the outside. Outside, the room was bustling with guests, while inside it was quiet.

"To be honest, I didn't expect it would be Rem who came to help me."

The first thing to break the silence was Satella's voice, tinged with a hint of curiosity.

Because they had fought on opposing sides before, Satella and Rem didn't interact much in the mansion, even though they lived together afterward.

Satella thought Rem's affection level towards her was negative.

"Lady Satella is overthinking it."

With her head bowed, smoothing the wrinkles in Satella's knight's uniform, Rem seemed to guess what Satella was thinking and quietly spoke:

"Lord Roswaal took us in, but he killed my sister, so I neither respect nor hate him; Lady Satella disrupted our peaceful life, but saved my sister, so I neither respect nor hate you... My sister and Lady Beatrice have similar attitudes."

"Hmm... I can understand why Ram would think that way, but what about Beatrice? I don't remember ever doing her any favors?"

"Doesn't Lady Satella know? Beatrice's teacher is Lord Hughes."

"Huh? Those two are actually master and disciple—?!"

Satella was genuinely surprised; she never expected that Hughes and Beatrice had this kind of relationship.

"So this time, both my sister and Beatrice attended Lady Satella's investiture ceremony."

Having finished with those words, Rem tied Satella's cloak, looked at herself in the mirror, and nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, Lady Satella, please go out now. I'm sure the guests are getting impatient... Oh, by the way, this is Lady Satella's knight's sword."

"..."

Taking the knight's sword from Rem's hand, Satella took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the changing room.

—The border lord's mansion that Satella used to know had become a completely different place.

The red velvet carpet rendered the hall solemn and magnificent. Candles placed on stands lined up on both sides of the hall, and the red candles swaying in the wind further intensified the solemn atmosphere of the room, causing the people lined up in a row to straighten their posture naturally.

In short, it was an atmosphere full of solemnity and reverence.

Those standing neatly by the wall were all faces that Satella knew very well.

From his friends Subaru Natsuki and Hughes, to the members of the mansion, Beatrice and Ram, and then to the three Chosen Ones, Crusch, Priscilla, and Anastasia...

Her gaze swept over each of them, finally settling on the depths of the hall—

"—"

Dressed in her finest attire, Emilia, breathtakingly beautiful, was gazing at them.

Unlike her usual attire, her gown emphasized a pure style befitting the grand occasion. The combination, resembling a shrine maiden's outfit, and the sheer fabric that revealed her skin, evoked in Satella thoughts of a fairy's feathered robe.

Perhaps feeling very nervous, the silver-haired half-elf clenched her small hands tightly, after all, this was one of the most important moments in her life.

Satella was also nervous, after all, she was a homebody and never used to being the center of attention in front of others.

But when their eyes met—

The sound disappeared.

The guests disappeared.

The world fell into an unsettling silence, as if the entire world had been reduced to just the two of them.

"—"

Not on anyone's orders, Satella took a step forward as if following a guide.

He knelt down before Emilia, who stood on a slightly higher altar, one knee touching the ground, and bowed his head.

immediately--

"choke!"

Satella drew the knight's sword from its sheath at her waist.

The steel-colored blade reflected the candlelight, casting a similar glow in the eyes of Satella and Emilia, who were of similar color.

It wasn't like raising a knighthood in honor, but rather like performing some nobler, more sacred ceremony. Gazing into Emilia's purplish-blue eyes, Satie stretched out her hands and offered the knight's sword.

As the sword was raised and offered, Emilia steadily accepted it with her delicate, white fingers.

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Profound emotions coalesced in her violet eyes, finally culminating in a soft breath. Emilia held her sword in one hand, raising the knight's blade, which held so much within it, above her head, pointing it straight at the ceiling.

"—"

The silver-haired half-elf girl held her knight's sword high, while in front of her, another silver-haired half-elf girl knelt on the ground with her head bowed and eyes closed.

The image freezes at this moment.

Silence descended upon the hall.

The scene was so beautiful and solemn that everyone held their breath.

Crusch's eyes held a look of congratulations.

Anastasia, lost in thought.

Priscilla was indignant.

Even the three most distinguished chosen ones present remained silent, not uttering a single sound.

The only person granted the right to break this silence spoke up quietly at this moment.

"—To the radiant sun that overlooks the world's splendor, to the myriad stars that watch over the dreams of all things, to the spirits that fill the wind, the water, the earth, the light, and all things in the universe."

The silence was broken.

Emilia parted her lips slightly and recited the ceremony's blessing in a sung manner.

"—To the world that accepts you, nurtures you, and raises you."

"—To those who support you, protect you, and forge the glory of your being."

"To all the heavens and earth that watch over you, to the vast world that nurtured you, to the glory that sustains you, may your path not fail you. May you be fearless, undaunted, and without regret, and never forget your true self."

The prayer has been recited.

The Q&A session arrived as scheduled.

The mandatory process for knighting, as stipulated by the kingdom, has ended; what follows is entirely up to the lord and the knight to decide for themselves.

"—Do you swear an oath, with this unwavering resolve, to walk hand in hand with the world, from this very beginning, to protect this body?"

When Emilia asked her question, Satella placed her hand on her chest and answered without hesitation.

"I swear to the sun, to the stars, to the spirits, to the world, to glory—and...to my parents who raised me, to both of them."

"—"

“I will protect you and grant your wishes—my name is Satella.”

Raise your head.

Emilia's figure overlapped with the aura of the raised sword. However, not even the steel-colored gleam came into view.

Now, all that his eyes could see was the dark purple light staring back at him.

The emotions that were about to erupt from my heart, and the countless words I wanted to say, all converged into one sentence at this moment:

"Emilia—I belong only to you, knight."

"--Um."

Emilia responded to Satella's vow in an almost sobbing voice, her eyes quickly welling up with tears.

However, she did not forget her current situation, and with all her might, she held back the tears that were about to overflow, and slowly lowered the sword she had raised.

Then, he returned the sword, which symbolized the glory of the knight, to Satella, who was still kneeling.

Satie extended both hands to respectfully accept the sword and sheathed it again.

With that, the ceremony was complete and the ritual concluded.