Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 8 - Preparation

The sound of the final bell echoed throughout Avalyne Academy.

Some students rushed to their dorms excitedly while others made their way to the school's massive iron gates with the same fervor.

Normally, the students weren't this excited to be dismissed, but it couldn't be helped on this day. That final bell had signaled the start of the weekend, after all.

Most students took this time to visit their families if they lived nearby or simply enjoy the luxuries and experiences that the vast capital offered.

This was a brief and precious time of rest, relaxation and fun for all of Avalyne Academy's student body. Well, all but two.

In the otherwise empty training hall, Medrauta stood in the center. Across was Viviane, who listened to her intently.

"Before we begin, I'll need to know what type of Crest you have. I might not have been able to resonate with any nobles so far, but it won't hurt to try."

Viviane nodded in agreement. "I-I'll do my best too! But, um... I've told you before, but my Crest isn't very useful... And to top it off, it's an edict type."

All Crests fell into one of three categories. The autonomous type which required zero input from the knight or noble and provided passive effects, the edict type which could only be activated through the noble's command, and the semi-autonomous type which was a mixture of both and generally could be triggered by both the knight and the noble.

While autonomous type Crests were simple to use, their effects were usually less powerful than edict-type Crests due to their continuous nature.

Edict type Crests generally produced strong effects that could turn the tide of the battle, but they were difficult to use as they relied on the noble's combat awareness and ability to time the ability's usage properly. Not only that, but the noble had to be intimately aware of their knight's combat habits, an instinctive sort of knowledge that was gained only through braving countless matches together.

The most desirable type of Crest was the semi-autonomous type. While this type possessed qualities from both autonomous and edict types, the most significant aspect of this type was its unique capacity in allowing knights to manifest certain abilities of the Crest on their own accord. This alone allowed for semi-autonomous Crests to stand above all others, for if the pair synchronized perfectly, they could activate multiple abilities at once which was something no other Crest type could reproduce.

"That's not a problem," Medrauta said reassuringly. "What's its ability?"

"Um... Enhancement—"

"That's not useless at all."

"—But it only enhances one attack, and I can only use the Crest's ability once every hour."

Medrauta blinked. "Come again?"

"..." Viviane's gaze fell to the ground. "...My parents and instructors have told me that m-maybe my Crest just hasn't finished manifesting..."

...Huh. That must've been what those girls meant back then.

"...I'm sorry. I've disappointed you, haven't I?"

"Not at all, honestly. I've never been able to fight with the power of a Crest anyway, so it doesn't make a difference whether or not the ability's only good for one attack. In any case, let's give resonating a shot."

"Oh, okay. Let me—" Viviane stopped mid-sentence as Medrauta suddenly began walking toward her, causing her to begin backing off. "W-Wait! What are you d-doing, Dame Medrauta!?"