Herzen couldn't help but admire, "It looks really beautiful. This medal must have cost you quite a bit, right?"
If Arthur hadn't been knighted before, he might have thought Herzen was mocking him for buying his medal.
But in fact, there was no malice in this statement. According to Russian law, those who receive medals must pay all the necessary costs for casting the medal and the Sword of Honor to the Medal Bureau.
Britain actually has similar regulations, but they usually apply only to high-level honors like the Garter Knight and Knight of Bath. Combat medals and lower-ranked medals don't require payment. It's said that those knighted as Garter Knights have to pay a hefty one-time entrance fee of several hundred British Pounds.
However, even with such a high entrance fee, Arthur still has never heard of anyone refusing the honor of becoming a Garter Knight.
