Crest of the Strongest Knight

Chapter 87 - Hidden Message

"...Yikes. I can see why you wanted to talk about it now, Viviane."

Viviane nodded in response as she placed the letter to the side. The two of them sat in a massive suite that rivaled even the princess' chambers back at the academy. Honestly, the room was more of a small mansion with its separate bedchambers, dining room, parlor, and living room.

Thanks to Medrauta nearly fainting upon seeing the absolute grandiosity of the mere entry hall, the two of them sat in the parlor after Viviane managed to help her stunned knight to the nearest chaise-lounge. Fortunately, the knight had quickly recovered, though she still gawked at the many gilded decorations peppered throughout the suite from time to time.

"Indeed. Compared to the official statement, Dame Marilyn's story tells an entirely separate narrative. In fact, I don't believe Dame Marilyn was even mentioned in Lord Bastiche's missive."

"I suppose it just comes down to who we trust," Medrauta shrugged. "Personally, I think what Dame Marilyn's written here is far too outlandish to be fabricated. I mean... I ran into her once or twice while I was still serving as a squire, and she certainly wasn't the most imaginative person I've encountered, that's for sure."

"Somehow, I doubt she'd appreciate you saying that."

"Hah! That's true, but more importantly, I don't think she'd be able to make this up. However, there's a few parts of her story that don't really make sense."

"Hm?"

"First of all, there was the whole thing with Lady Sakura and Sir Riku being seized." Medrauta said, picking up the letter and tapping the portion that she was referring to. "I understand that Dame Marilyn might not have been focused on them at the moment, but I doubt either of them would just casually allow themselves to be captured."

"...You're right. Especially Sir Riku," Viviane frowned as she read over the letter more carefully. "He would never allow Lady Sakura to be placed in danger, so not reacting to the arrest is just... unthinkable."

"'Surprisingly, the foreigners didn't resist', huh? I seriously doubt it, but even so... It wouldn't make sense for Dame Marilyn to lie, especially if she's requesting help from the capital."

"Exactly! Why would she hide—" Viviane paused, her eyes widening as she suddenly realized the significance of Marilyn's deliberate attempt at concealing information.

"Viviane?" Medrauta asked, placing a hand on her lady's shoulder after watching Viviane stare off into space for several prolonged seconds.

"A-Ah! Sorry! I kinda got lost in thought for a second there."

"You don't say?" Medrauta smiled wryly.

Instead of returning her knight's smile, Viviane gripped Medrauta's arms with a renewed sense of urgency. "I think Lady Sakura and Sir Riku might be in danger. We have to go. Right now."

"H-Huh!? It's in the middle of the night, Viviane! With the way the country is right now, it won't be safe for us to tra—"

"You're with me. That's as safe as it can get, Medrauta."

Medrauta froze, staring Viviane in the eyes. Although she was elated over her lady's unwavering trust in her skills, Medrauta still wasn't entirely convinced. They would be traveling in the dark with nothing more than a lantern to light their way, and the coachman was only human.

While Medrauta would be able to meet Viviane's demands easily thanks to an abundance of energy and stamina stemming from her unique constitution as a knight and copious amounts of sleep deprivation training, the coachman was nothing more than a mere soldier who was unfortunate enough to have been dispatched on this potentially deadly mission.